Ch. 2: Moonlight



Cloud Lay On One Side Of The Bed, His Clothes And Exposed Skin Strewn With Congealing Vomit, Blood-Reddened Saliva Bubbling At One Corner Of Twitching Lips. His Head Was Thrust Back At A Sharp Angle From His Neck, Where His Hands Remained Wrapped Around His Throat.

Still Trembling, But... Asleep.



Running Over To The Faucet, Tifa Wetted A Cloth And Returned To The Bedside To Clean Up.

She Swabbed Away The Crimson Speckles And Lifted The Stained Bedding Off Of Him, Put The Sheets In The Sink To Rinse. She Picked Up The Medicine, Set It Back On The Windowsill, Then Untangled His Fingers, Laying The Gloved Hands Down At The Sides Of His Hips.

...Hands That Were Cold, Shivering. She Realized That He Needed Another Blanket.

Cursing Herself For Being Shortsighted, She Draped Him In Her Robe And Started A Fire.

'I Could Run Over To My House And Get One,' She Thought, '...But, Should I Leave Him Alone After That?'

Walking Over To The Counter, She Fingered Her Keys, Then Drew Back Her Hand In Second Thought, Bit Her Lip. Looking Over her Shoulder, However, She Knew Cloud Would Need Blankets For Tonight, And Thought It Better To Stop Debating The Subject And Leave Now.

She Took One Last, Worrying Look At Him And Hurriedly Slipped Through The Door, Locking It On The Way Out.



The Night Air Felt Icy On Sweat-Glazed Skin. A Shiver Crawled Up Tifa's Spine And Slithered Out The Pricked Hairs On Her Neck. Hastily, She Made Her Way Up The Path To Her House, Palmed Her Housekey And Inserted It Into The Lock At The Door. The Oak Creaked Open And Left Her Staring Into The Dark Of Her Front Room. She Ripped The Key From The Lock And Felt Her Way To The Stairs. Jogging Up The Squeaking Slats And Into Her Room, She Gathered Her Quilt And Bundled It Over One Shoulder.

A Bad Feeling Burned In Her Mind.

She Staggered Awkwardly Back Into the Hall...

--Something Was Wrong-- ...Jogged To The Top Of the Stairs. Her Breath Came Faster... Cloud Needed Her Now. Her Pace Increased.

...Then, Unwary In the Dark, She Caught A Piece Of The Quilt Under Her Right Heel, Fell Forward Down The Stairs, Her Legs Hinging At The Knee And Sending Her Headfirst To The Bottom. Shock Alone Nullified The Immediate Feeling Of Wood Striking Against Her Jawbone, Dulled The Sound Of A Sickening Crack As Her Shoulder Dislodged. Her Elbow Shot Out And Ground Sideways Against The Floor, Bringing Her Body To A Halt At The Foot Of The Stairs.

---She Lay There For only A Moment, Before Adrenaline Stood Her Up Again. Pausing Only To Recover Her Blanket, She Ran From The House, Blanket Trailing Behind Her.





It Was Only Outside The Door, Bloodcurdling Screams in Her Ear, that She Realized She Had Dropped Her Keys.