Heyyy people! Tis Adrian Wynd here. Lately I've noticed that my chapters
are rather short, so from this chapter and so on, it's going to get longer!
YAAAAAAAY!
Chapter 13
'So... On the first night, a pebble falls to the earth from somewhere
'So. On the second night, The pebble's children hold hands and sketch a waltz
Sound life'
"Mommy...why do you always sing that song?"
A little girl of navy tinted hair looked up at her mother, gray eyes full of curiosity as her mother sang her a tune.
"Because it's a lovely song, dear. Your grandmother used to sing it to me a long time ago. This song shows me the value of life, Meryl. I hope you sing it to your kids one day."
*~*~*~*~
Meryl shook her bangs out of her eyes as old memories flashed back in her head. It had been many many eyes since she last heard that song.
'Mom used to love that song...she said it showed her the value of life...I miss you, Mom...'
*~*~*~*~
Vash ran around the whole town in search of Meryl. He looked in saloons, restaurants, stores, and even the public bathrooms but no avail. Thinking that Meryl might have gone back to the inn, he hurried back to their room to see Wolfwood and Milly eating pudding. Wolfwood was raising an eyebrow to see Milly eating her pudding furiously as tears ran down her face. He turned around to see Vash and slapped him on the back as he thrust a pudding in Vash's hand.
"You have to eat this pudding, or I'm going to get sick and puke all over the place. I've been stuck here eating nine cups of pudding, and I've got a good five pounds on my stomach."
Wolfwood did indeed look pretty desperate. And he did look sort of pale. Vash nodded as he took his place on the table as Wolfwood went to the bathroom for a cigarette.
"So...one of my favorite insurance girl...how are you doing?"
"Oh Mr. Vash..."
Milly was sobbing by now as she angrily stabbed the table with her fork. Vash sweatdropped as he continued to watch the table getting stabbed.
"Uhh...you might want to lay of pudding for now, Milly..."
Milly continued to sob loudly as she threw a fork at Vash. Vash winced slightly as the fork hit him on the forehead.
"But...but...Meryl.*sniff*.she's angry at m.m...me!"
Milly was bawling now. Vash now understood why Wolfwood had tried to escape. Patting her shoulder awkwardly, he took cover beside the bed, using a pillow as a shield.
"Umm...Milly? Meryl's missing now, so I think we'd better go to the sheriff or something..."
Vash winced as Milly threw packages of pudding at him.
"MERYL'S GOING TO GET ANGRY AT ME AGAIN!"
Vash gulped as he watched more packages of pudding fly by him, barely missing him.
'Gee...I can't decide who's scarier: Meryl or Milly'
When Wolfwood finally came out of the bathroom, Vash cried of relief and hugged his friend. "WOOOOOLFWOOOOD!!!!!!!!"
When Milly finally calmed down (*sniff sniff*), the trio decided to go to the new sheriff to file out a missing report. The sheriff looked surprised as he handed Vash a letter.
"If you're looking for a woman named Meryl Stryfe, a ransom letter came just a few hours ago, laddie."
Vash opened the letter quickly, his heart pounding in fear. Wolfwood and Milly leaned over curiously, not knowing that Meryl's fate was lying in their hands.
'Dear Vash the Stampede, Nicholas D. Wolfwood, and Milly Thompson,
I have indeed taken Meryl within my hands. Right next to the town of October is a desert. And in the desert, there is an abandoned laboratory, which Meryl and I will patiently wait for your arrival. Or should I say, Meryl's body and I will wait patiently for your arrival.
Keja the Hunter'
Vash crumpled the letter in his hands as Milly's blue eyes widened.
"Oh Mr. Vash! We have to go save Meryl before she's hurt!"
Vash nodded grimly as he stepped out the building. Looking at the two suns, he felt a strange determination to save the small insurance girl. At any cost.
Wolfwood came speeding down the road with a newly acquired jeep, ignoring the screams of an unhappy shopkeeper.
"Come on, hop in!"
Milly grinned as she got into the jeep. "Oh Mr. Wolfwood, can I drive?"
Wolfwood sweatdropped at the bad memories when Milly took hold of the steering wheel. But not want disappoint her, he nodded in consent.
Milly's driving was certainly like a roller coaster. Instead of driving straight, the jeep turned right and left, almost like a snake. And it was enough to make Vash ready to regurgitate what he ate for breakfast. Milly drove very fast, and she had no idea of driving smoothly so it was a jumpy ride. Vash was just about to throw up when they finally reached the laboratory.
They found an old building in the middle of the desert, so they stopped the jeep and were ready to rescue Meryl, when an automatic alarm switched on and randomly shot bullets at them. Wolfwood and Vash were quick enough to dodge the bullets, but Milly got shot in the right arm, blood coming out profusely from the wound.
"OW!"
"Big girl!"
Milly smiled weakly as she started for the door to the laboratory. "Come on Mr. Wolfwood, we don't have much time."
Wolfwood nodded as the three of them entered the laboratory. It was quite rusty inside, with vines hanging down from the ceiling. To think that it used to be an active laboratory was just in their imaginations. Their shoes made a light tapping noise that made the rats in the laboratory scuttle.
"Mr. Wolfwood...Mr. Vash? I think I'll stay here to keep bad people away. You should go together to save Meryl, okay?"
Wolfwood was reluctant to leave his big girl alone, but decided that it was for the best. Together, the two men went down the long corridor in search of the little insurance girl. They came down to a small room where human communication was heard. Pressing their ears to the door, the two heard something that made their hearts relieved.
"YOU LEAVE ME ALONE YOU BIG PERVERT! NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO TOUCH MY BODY WITHOUT MY PERMISSION! GET YOUR HAND AWAY FROM ME!"
The next second, they heard a gun shot. Then all was quiet. Barging the door open, Vash stepped into the room to find Meryl and Keja the Hunter.
Meryl's eyes widened as she saw Wolfwood and Vash. She didn't expect them to come so quickly for her, and she was glad. Keja the Hunter, or more commonly known as Jake Hunter to her, had been trying to do "something" with her.
Frantically, she tried to get the coarse rope off her hands, and luckily, her right arm was freed. Scratching her left arm on the walls, she felt her hand burn but ignored the pain and eventually ripped off the rope from her hand.
Just when she was about to work on her legs, she noticed that Jake was pointing his gun at the two men. Then he pulled the trigger to fire a single bullet through Wolfwood's stomach.
Meryl watched in horror as Wolfwood slowly hit the floor. She shook her head as she felt tears coming to her eyes.
'No, I mustn't cry.'
Wiping her tears away, she looked fearfully at Jake, whose eyes had insanity written all over it. He laughed maniacally as he pointed the gun at Vash.
It reminded Vash of Knives' eyes. His laughter and eyes were just like the eyes Knives had when they had traveled together. It was not a pretty sight, to see someone go insane. Not at all.
Vash raised his hands towards the air, and stared straight ahead at Jake, aqua-green eyes matching the brown eyes.
"Ready to give up, Vash the Stampede? Meryl is going to die, you know."
But Meryl wasn't going to die. She somehow freed herself from the rope that bounded her from escape, and pointed her derringer at Jake's head.
"Jake Hunter, also known as Keja the Hunter, you are responsible for killing two innocent men, shooting an innocent man, and an attempt to murder a woman. For that, I'll have to have you arrested for your deeds."
Meryl's hand shook as she continued to point her gun at Jake's head. She didn't know if it shook from hatred or anger. She looked at Vash's shocked face and felt ashamed for trying to kill Jake.
'I'm sorry, Vash.'
She was just about to pull the trigger when she remembered her mother singing that song.
*~*~*~*~ 'So... On the third night, The children of the waltz cause ripples on the face of the world
So... On the fourth night, the children of the wave spray the shore
Sound life'
'This song shows me the value of life, Meryl.'
*~*~*~*~
Meryl put down her derringer and looked at Jake. Jake was just standing there, dazed at nothing. She looked in his brown eyes, and saw what she never wanted to see in her whole life.
She saw pain and sorrow, anger and bitterness. Beneath the insanity, there were many stories yet untold. Meryl remembered the highschool album. Jake's eyes were calm, kind eyes in that picture. Nothing like the eyes she saw now.
Keja the Hunter, or Jake Hunter, was more like Vash the Stampede than she expected. Their eyes told the same story, except for one thing
Vash's eyes told the stories of love and peace.
Meryl covered her eyes as tears trickled down her pale face. She hated seeing Vash's eyes when they were serious; it was too full of pain. Now she had to see Jake's eyes. Why did eyes have to express so much emotion?
*~*~*~*~
'Mommy? Why did you know that Daddy was the right man for you?'
'I looked in his eyes, Meryl. His eyes told me everything I needed to know to tell me that he was a wonderful man. Look in their eyes, Meryl. Eyes always tell the truth.'
*~*~*~*~
Jake had a dazed expression when he suddenly smiled maniacally. He pulled out a small grenade, and pulled the handle. Vash and Meryl both watched in horror as the whole laboratory bloomed in flames.
"MERYL!"
Chapter 13
'So... On the first night, a pebble falls to the earth from somewhere
'So. On the second night, The pebble's children hold hands and sketch a waltz
Sound life'
"Mommy...why do you always sing that song?"
A little girl of navy tinted hair looked up at her mother, gray eyes full of curiosity as her mother sang her a tune.
"Because it's a lovely song, dear. Your grandmother used to sing it to me a long time ago. This song shows me the value of life, Meryl. I hope you sing it to your kids one day."
*~*~*~*~
Meryl shook her bangs out of her eyes as old memories flashed back in her head. It had been many many eyes since she last heard that song.
'Mom used to love that song...she said it showed her the value of life...I miss you, Mom...'
*~*~*~*~
Vash ran around the whole town in search of Meryl. He looked in saloons, restaurants, stores, and even the public bathrooms but no avail. Thinking that Meryl might have gone back to the inn, he hurried back to their room to see Wolfwood and Milly eating pudding. Wolfwood was raising an eyebrow to see Milly eating her pudding furiously as tears ran down her face. He turned around to see Vash and slapped him on the back as he thrust a pudding in Vash's hand.
"You have to eat this pudding, or I'm going to get sick and puke all over the place. I've been stuck here eating nine cups of pudding, and I've got a good five pounds on my stomach."
Wolfwood did indeed look pretty desperate. And he did look sort of pale. Vash nodded as he took his place on the table as Wolfwood went to the bathroom for a cigarette.
"So...one of my favorite insurance girl...how are you doing?"
"Oh Mr. Vash..."
Milly was sobbing by now as she angrily stabbed the table with her fork. Vash sweatdropped as he continued to watch the table getting stabbed.
"Uhh...you might want to lay of pudding for now, Milly..."
Milly continued to sob loudly as she threw a fork at Vash. Vash winced slightly as the fork hit him on the forehead.
"But...but...Meryl.*sniff*.she's angry at m.m...me!"
Milly was bawling now. Vash now understood why Wolfwood had tried to escape. Patting her shoulder awkwardly, he took cover beside the bed, using a pillow as a shield.
"Umm...Milly? Meryl's missing now, so I think we'd better go to the sheriff or something..."
Vash winced as Milly threw packages of pudding at him.
"MERYL'S GOING TO GET ANGRY AT ME AGAIN!"
Vash gulped as he watched more packages of pudding fly by him, barely missing him.
'Gee...I can't decide who's scarier: Meryl or Milly'
When Wolfwood finally came out of the bathroom, Vash cried of relief and hugged his friend. "WOOOOOLFWOOOOD!!!!!!!!"
When Milly finally calmed down (*sniff sniff*), the trio decided to go to the new sheriff to file out a missing report. The sheriff looked surprised as he handed Vash a letter.
"If you're looking for a woman named Meryl Stryfe, a ransom letter came just a few hours ago, laddie."
Vash opened the letter quickly, his heart pounding in fear. Wolfwood and Milly leaned over curiously, not knowing that Meryl's fate was lying in their hands.
'Dear Vash the Stampede, Nicholas D. Wolfwood, and Milly Thompson,
I have indeed taken Meryl within my hands. Right next to the town of October is a desert. And in the desert, there is an abandoned laboratory, which Meryl and I will patiently wait for your arrival. Or should I say, Meryl's body and I will wait patiently for your arrival.
Keja the Hunter'
Vash crumpled the letter in his hands as Milly's blue eyes widened.
"Oh Mr. Vash! We have to go save Meryl before she's hurt!"
Vash nodded grimly as he stepped out the building. Looking at the two suns, he felt a strange determination to save the small insurance girl. At any cost.
Wolfwood came speeding down the road with a newly acquired jeep, ignoring the screams of an unhappy shopkeeper.
"Come on, hop in!"
Milly grinned as she got into the jeep. "Oh Mr. Wolfwood, can I drive?"
Wolfwood sweatdropped at the bad memories when Milly took hold of the steering wheel. But not want disappoint her, he nodded in consent.
Milly's driving was certainly like a roller coaster. Instead of driving straight, the jeep turned right and left, almost like a snake. And it was enough to make Vash ready to regurgitate what he ate for breakfast. Milly drove very fast, and she had no idea of driving smoothly so it was a jumpy ride. Vash was just about to throw up when they finally reached the laboratory.
They found an old building in the middle of the desert, so they stopped the jeep and were ready to rescue Meryl, when an automatic alarm switched on and randomly shot bullets at them. Wolfwood and Vash were quick enough to dodge the bullets, but Milly got shot in the right arm, blood coming out profusely from the wound.
"OW!"
"Big girl!"
Milly smiled weakly as she started for the door to the laboratory. "Come on Mr. Wolfwood, we don't have much time."
Wolfwood nodded as the three of them entered the laboratory. It was quite rusty inside, with vines hanging down from the ceiling. To think that it used to be an active laboratory was just in their imaginations. Their shoes made a light tapping noise that made the rats in the laboratory scuttle.
"Mr. Wolfwood...Mr. Vash? I think I'll stay here to keep bad people away. You should go together to save Meryl, okay?"
Wolfwood was reluctant to leave his big girl alone, but decided that it was for the best. Together, the two men went down the long corridor in search of the little insurance girl. They came down to a small room where human communication was heard. Pressing their ears to the door, the two heard something that made their hearts relieved.
"YOU LEAVE ME ALONE YOU BIG PERVERT! NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO TOUCH MY BODY WITHOUT MY PERMISSION! GET YOUR HAND AWAY FROM ME!"
The next second, they heard a gun shot. Then all was quiet. Barging the door open, Vash stepped into the room to find Meryl and Keja the Hunter.
Meryl's eyes widened as she saw Wolfwood and Vash. She didn't expect them to come so quickly for her, and she was glad. Keja the Hunter, or more commonly known as Jake Hunter to her, had been trying to do "something" with her.
Frantically, she tried to get the coarse rope off her hands, and luckily, her right arm was freed. Scratching her left arm on the walls, she felt her hand burn but ignored the pain and eventually ripped off the rope from her hand.
Just when she was about to work on her legs, she noticed that Jake was pointing his gun at the two men. Then he pulled the trigger to fire a single bullet through Wolfwood's stomach.
Meryl watched in horror as Wolfwood slowly hit the floor. She shook her head as she felt tears coming to her eyes.
'No, I mustn't cry.'
Wiping her tears away, she looked fearfully at Jake, whose eyes had insanity written all over it. He laughed maniacally as he pointed the gun at Vash.
It reminded Vash of Knives' eyes. His laughter and eyes were just like the eyes Knives had when they had traveled together. It was not a pretty sight, to see someone go insane. Not at all.
Vash raised his hands towards the air, and stared straight ahead at Jake, aqua-green eyes matching the brown eyes.
"Ready to give up, Vash the Stampede? Meryl is going to die, you know."
But Meryl wasn't going to die. She somehow freed herself from the rope that bounded her from escape, and pointed her derringer at Jake's head.
"Jake Hunter, also known as Keja the Hunter, you are responsible for killing two innocent men, shooting an innocent man, and an attempt to murder a woman. For that, I'll have to have you arrested for your deeds."
Meryl's hand shook as she continued to point her gun at Jake's head. She didn't know if it shook from hatred or anger. She looked at Vash's shocked face and felt ashamed for trying to kill Jake.
'I'm sorry, Vash.'
She was just about to pull the trigger when she remembered her mother singing that song.
*~*~*~*~ 'So... On the third night, The children of the waltz cause ripples on the face of the world
So... On the fourth night, the children of the wave spray the shore
Sound life'
'This song shows me the value of life, Meryl.'
*~*~*~*~
Meryl put down her derringer and looked at Jake. Jake was just standing there, dazed at nothing. She looked in his brown eyes, and saw what she never wanted to see in her whole life.
She saw pain and sorrow, anger and bitterness. Beneath the insanity, there were many stories yet untold. Meryl remembered the highschool album. Jake's eyes were calm, kind eyes in that picture. Nothing like the eyes she saw now.
Keja the Hunter, or Jake Hunter, was more like Vash the Stampede than she expected. Their eyes told the same story, except for one thing
Vash's eyes told the stories of love and peace.
Meryl covered her eyes as tears trickled down her pale face. She hated seeing Vash's eyes when they were serious; it was too full of pain. Now she had to see Jake's eyes. Why did eyes have to express so much emotion?
*~*~*~*~
'Mommy? Why did you know that Daddy was the right man for you?'
'I looked in his eyes, Meryl. His eyes told me everything I needed to know to tell me that he was a wonderful man. Look in their eyes, Meryl. Eyes always tell the truth.'
*~*~*~*~
Jake had a dazed expression when he suddenly smiled maniacally. He pulled out a small grenade, and pulled the handle. Vash and Meryl both watched in horror as the whole laboratory bloomed in flames.
"MERYL!"