I've brought you something new!
Here is chapter two!
I beg you to review!
So I don't go boo-hoo
Oh man that was lame.
PS- a miko is a Japanese priestess
Enjoy! (And Review!)
Chapter Two: The Middle
Smiling, Alice stopped by a small shop and stuck her head in, the bell ringing softly above her. "Hello?"
"We're closed . . . oh Alice, it's you," a very tall, angular woman emerged from the back of the store, wavy brown hair hanging in her face.
"Morning Sal Sal. I'm walking to school, and I could use some company."
"Of course," the elder of the two reached for her coat before stepping into the street and giving her sister a hug. "You haven't stopped by for a while."
"Sorry," Alice smiled up at the twenty year old, only two years her senior. "Life's been crazy."
"So I hear," they began to walk slowly down the street. "Things not going well with Chris?"
"He's so stupid, it's like he doesn't have a mind of his own!" Alice punched her hand in frustration. "I knew this would happen, I knew we should have never moved to New York!"
"Chris has been a follower ever since he was born, you know that," Sally paused, unsure of what to say. "How's mom taking it?"
"How does she always take it? She ignores it. Willful denial," she punched her hand again. "Damn city. I miss Ohio."
"I know, I know. is something else bothering you?"
"Oh, just this dream I had last night, but it's so dumb, I mean I can't even remember it," she clenched her fists in frustration. "But something about it just sticks with me."
"That's odd, I had a dream last night too. More like a nightmare, actually," her sister frowned, wrapping her arms around each other to ward of a chill. "Did you see the sunrise this morning? Just beautiful."
"Yeah," Alice stared at the buildings around her, feeling cold. "Beautiful."
***
The bell clanged dully in the peaceful silence of the temple. Naoko bowed her head and pulled the silken cord again, finding its sound calming as she prayed for peace of mind. That done, she turned to smile at her friend, who was standing a few feet behind her, quietly watching.
"Naoko!" a thin woman in traditional red and white miko garb stepped out the building, long hair pulled away from her face. "I haven't had the pleasure of seeing you for a while."
"Saru-sama," Naoko bowed her head respectfully at the priestess. "I needed to find peace."
"You are troubled?"
"A bad dream. I worried . . . I worried somehow that it might be a premonition. Have you had any lately?" She looked pleading at the stoic woman.
"The fire has told me nothing, but . . . " she looked worried. "I too have had disturbing dreams."
"About a man?" Umi spoke up. "An American?"
The miko looked taken about. "Yes, I believe so, but I . . . I cannot remember much.
"But you agree with me that something is wrong?"
Saru frowned at the schoolgirl. "Yes, I do think something is wrong. Very wrong."
Naoko fingered the silken cord in front of her. "I believe . . . I will join you in the temple."
"Yes, Naoko, we will pray together," The miko took her by the arm. Umi cleared her throat.
"I have to go, but I . . . I hope it all goes well." She stared at her friend. "I hope you find peace."
She turned and walked away.
***
Alice couldn't fall asleep that night. Somewhere in the back of her mind she was still afraid of that dream, of the possibility that it might come back. Finally though, as if something were commanding her brain to relax, she drifted off, falling into a deep, dreamless slumber.
Suddenly the darkness of her mind receded as she found herself standing in a blindingly white washed room, facing a man.
But it was not the man she feared that she would dream about. This man was clad entirely in white, his face aged and somehow sad as he stared at her, his face reflected in the hundreds of TV screens surrounding him.
"Alice Kays," He pronounced her name slowly, and suddenly it was her face staring at her from the screens. "Do you know why you are here?"
Images flashed across the screen, images from her life, and also of lives not her own. Among them were views from around the world, a thin girl from Japan, a redheaded boy from England. And she knew with utter certainty what he wanted her to know.
"The world isn't real," she said softly.
"Yes," he said, and nodded, having placed that knowledge in her head. "And know you know what lies before you."
"Why are you giving me this choice?" she asked, knowing about the war, about the many fights and battles, about Neo. Somehow, without speaking, he had told her everything.
He sighed. "Because I have to."
She nodded slowly.
He stared at her. "But I can see it in you, I can see the thoughts running through your head, leading to your choice. In that aspect, it is not really a choice at all. It is merely a reaction."
He spoke as a man trying to convince himself of something. Alice nodded once more, strangely calm and certain of herself with this knowledge he had given her.
"I have made my choice."
REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!
Oh man that was lame.
PS- a miko is a Japanese priestess
Enjoy! (And Review!)
Chapter Two: The Middle
Smiling, Alice stopped by a small shop and stuck her head in, the bell ringing softly above her. "Hello?"
"We're closed . . . oh Alice, it's you," a very tall, angular woman emerged from the back of the store, wavy brown hair hanging in her face.
"Morning Sal Sal. I'm walking to school, and I could use some company."
"Of course," the elder of the two reached for her coat before stepping into the street and giving her sister a hug. "You haven't stopped by for a while."
"Sorry," Alice smiled up at the twenty year old, only two years her senior. "Life's been crazy."
"So I hear," they began to walk slowly down the street. "Things not going well with Chris?"
"He's so stupid, it's like he doesn't have a mind of his own!" Alice punched her hand in frustration. "I knew this would happen, I knew we should have never moved to New York!"
"Chris has been a follower ever since he was born, you know that," Sally paused, unsure of what to say. "How's mom taking it?"
"How does she always take it? She ignores it. Willful denial," she punched her hand again. "Damn city. I miss Ohio."
"I know, I know. is something else bothering you?"
"Oh, just this dream I had last night, but it's so dumb, I mean I can't even remember it," she clenched her fists in frustration. "But something about it just sticks with me."
"That's odd, I had a dream last night too. More like a nightmare, actually," her sister frowned, wrapping her arms around each other to ward of a chill. "Did you see the sunrise this morning? Just beautiful."
"Yeah," Alice stared at the buildings around her, feeling cold. "Beautiful."
***
The bell clanged dully in the peaceful silence of the temple. Naoko bowed her head and pulled the silken cord again, finding its sound calming as she prayed for peace of mind. That done, she turned to smile at her friend, who was standing a few feet behind her, quietly watching.
"Naoko!" a thin woman in traditional red and white miko garb stepped out the building, long hair pulled away from her face. "I haven't had the pleasure of seeing you for a while."
"Saru-sama," Naoko bowed her head respectfully at the priestess. "I needed to find peace."
"You are troubled?"
"A bad dream. I worried . . . I worried somehow that it might be a premonition. Have you had any lately?" She looked pleading at the stoic woman.
"The fire has told me nothing, but . . . " she looked worried. "I too have had disturbing dreams."
"About a man?" Umi spoke up. "An American?"
The miko looked taken about. "Yes, I believe so, but I . . . I cannot remember much.
"But you agree with me that something is wrong?"
Saru frowned at the schoolgirl. "Yes, I do think something is wrong. Very wrong."
Naoko fingered the silken cord in front of her. "I believe . . . I will join you in the temple."
"Yes, Naoko, we will pray together," The miko took her by the arm. Umi cleared her throat.
"I have to go, but I . . . I hope it all goes well." She stared at her friend. "I hope you find peace."
She turned and walked away.
***
Alice couldn't fall asleep that night. Somewhere in the back of her mind she was still afraid of that dream, of the possibility that it might come back. Finally though, as if something were commanding her brain to relax, she drifted off, falling into a deep, dreamless slumber.
Suddenly the darkness of her mind receded as she found herself standing in a blindingly white washed room, facing a man.
But it was not the man she feared that she would dream about. This man was clad entirely in white, his face aged and somehow sad as he stared at her, his face reflected in the hundreds of TV screens surrounding him.
"Alice Kays," He pronounced her name slowly, and suddenly it was her face staring at her from the screens. "Do you know why you are here?"
Images flashed across the screen, images from her life, and also of lives not her own. Among them were views from around the world, a thin girl from Japan, a redheaded boy from England. And she knew with utter certainty what he wanted her to know.
"The world isn't real," she said softly.
"Yes," he said, and nodded, having placed that knowledge in her head. "And know you know what lies before you."
"Why are you giving me this choice?" she asked, knowing about the war, about the many fights and battles, about Neo. Somehow, without speaking, he had told her everything.
He sighed. "Because I have to."
She nodded slowly.
He stared at her. "But I can see it in you, I can see the thoughts running through your head, leading to your choice. In that aspect, it is not really a choice at all. It is merely a reaction."
He spoke as a man trying to convince himself of something. Alice nodded once more, strangely calm and certain of herself with this knowledge he had given her.
"I have made my choice."
REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!