Hey hey all again! It seems that one of my fanfic ideas fell through again.
. . that always seems to happen. So I'm not going to start another until I
have a clear idea of what I want in my head. It's going to be a Final
Fantasy-based storyline, not on any one particular game but in general.
Silver age style, like FFIV-VI. If I can ever get the ball rolling on that,
I'll announce. But for now, enjoy this new chapter!
Chapter 26: This Means Something
The rain had stopped during the night. Dawn broke through the horizon. The sun's rays shone through the front window, into the living room, right into Trent's eye. This woke him up, and he looked around. Everything was the same from the night before, right down to Jenna, who was still sleeping on his lap.
Everything came almost at once to him. This was too much for him to bear. How could he possibly have arrived here, wherever 'here' is?
He remembered last night, when he thought he was in the real world. He must have been, because he was human. The police had evacuated the entire neighborhood, and were off for the night to study the evidence. Everyone was to return home the next day, but Trent coudn't wait. He drove up last night in the Explorer to get one last look at the house. He was the only one to not return to the neighborhood the following day. The divorce settlement resulted in the house going to his wife, and child custody, if they were ever found.
I thought she loved me. . . How could I be so blind?
Trent looked down at Jenna again. Why take away the one thing he cared about the most? Where was the dignity in that?
Trent had walked upstairs to Jenna's room that night. . . He picked up her Gameboy and turned it on. . . then turned it back off.
And now this. He was a 'Sandslash'. . . or part Sandslash at least. He never paid much attention to video games during his life, and now he was living one. This wasn't meant to be. . . He couldn't be sitting here right now with is daughter on his lap. He was right now getting into his SUV to drive to Smithton Electronics Co. where he worked. His wife would soon wake Jenna for breakfast. . . Robert would be mulling over the college applications to places he never heard of. . .
That wasn't real now. All that was real was him here, with his daughter. Come to think of it, he was also really hungry.
Trent carefully laid Jenna on the couch as he got up, which was especially hard what with his claws and everything. Being successful, he proceeded to the kitchen to fix something to eat.
Jenna woke, and the fact that her father was not there was upsetting. It was, until the smell of pancakes wafted to her nose. Jenna got up from the couch and walked two rooms to the kitchen, where Trent was cooking up some of the flapjacks.
"Good morning, Jenna." Trent turned and said, but again got a hug in response. After returning it, he said, "Jenna, you've got to be starving. Have something to eat." Jenna said nothing, but just sat down at a table, where Trent set a plate of pancakes. She picked up a fork and started eating, although very slowly.
Her father moved to the chair across from her. "So. . . " He said, "What happens now?"
The two climbed into the Explorer, Trent driving. Jenna applied her seatbelt, then looked at her dad. "Dad, I might not have mentioned this before, but you're not wearing a shirt."
"None fit." Was his response, "These spines, I guess that's what they are, on my back take up way too much space." Trent adjusted the driver's seat so he could breathe. Then he jammed the keys into the ignition and turned it on. Looking dismayed, he tapped the dashboard. "Half tank." He said, we might not make it.
"I'm pretty sure we will." Jenna replied, "Doesn't take too long to get anywhere in this world."
"So tell me about Skye." Trent asked his daughter, after she explained all that happened so far, of which Jenna left out choice bits of information.
"Skye. . ." Jenna recounted her thoughts about him, "He's really sweet, like when he forgave his brother. Did I tell you about that?"
"Yeah."
"Well. . . After what happened to Phil, those two started a secret mutual hate of each other for whatever reason. . ."
"I see."
"Skye really likes me. . . I think ever since he first met me. . ."
"Jenna," Trent interrupted, "You're leaving something out."
"What?"
Trent turned to look at her, giving her a 'You know what I'm talking about' look, then looked towards the road.
"Alright. . ." Jenna confessed, "I had second thoughts about Phil when I met Skye. . ."
"And. . ."
"And. . . well, it's not so much 'like' anymore. . ."
"And. . ."
"And we kissed."
Trent looked like he was satisified after that.
"It was only once, daddy!"
"Jenna, you've got to stop doing this! This is number, what, six?"
"Eight. . ."
"Sweetheart, you have to grow up sometime!" Trent looked peeved when he said that, "I thought you meant it whenyou said you'd finally settled on Phillip."
"I thought so too. . ." Jenna almost started to cry again.
Trent calmed down after that then was a bit sad himself, "I'm just worried about you, that's all," he explained, "Ever since you were six, it's been one boyfriend after another."
"Dad. . ." Jenna was at full-fledged tears now, "I didn't want it to happen that way, but. . . There's something else."
"What is it?" Trent was thinking things that Jenna might tell, and it wasn't getting to pleasant in his mind.
"Phil attacked Skye yesterday."
Trent was wide-eyed. "Say what?"
"I didn't get separated." Jenna again confessed, "I ran."
"Ran?"
"You know the dark thunderclouds I told you? The ones Ben said he didn't know what they did, but it wasn't good?"
"Yeah. . ."
"Phil couldn't keep up with the rest of us when we ran from them. . . when he finally did. . . he attacked Skye."
"You ran away after that?"
"Yes. . . I'm hoping Skye is willing to forgive me. . ."
"Skye?" Trent turned to look at his daughter again, "Sound like it's Phil who you should worry about apologizing to!"
"But. . ."
"If Phil was here right now, what do you think he'd say?"
"I know he'd never forgive me."
"Jenna, it's time for a reality check. You don't even know if Skye is real or not!"
"But he is, daddy." Jenna sunk her head, then finished quietly, "I just know it. If he was a pre-programmed illusion like the rest of this seems to be, there's no way I could've fallen in love with him."
"And how do you know?"
"Because he's told me things!" Jenna was more angry that guiltful now, and at the threshold where she was yelling "Things that might even make a person like you-"
"A person like me WHAT?" Trent was sorry almost immidiatelly for punctuating that remark the way he did, as Jenna broke into tears again. "Sweetheart, I'm sorry. . ." He apologized.
Jenna attempted to regain he composure to say something to him, "He was abused as a child, Dad." She started crying again.
Trent turned sober at this remark, as everything he said came back to him at once. Then he started, "Jenna, please stop. . . you'll make me start crying. . ."
"You can't cry, dad. . . you're a parent. It's not allowed."
One of Trent's tears hit the floor anyway.
----
Didja like? COME ON PEOPLE! I NEED REVIEWS! (I have a very fragile ego) PLEEESE!
. . . well, Until next time, Ciao!
Chapter 26: This Means Something
The rain had stopped during the night. Dawn broke through the horizon. The sun's rays shone through the front window, into the living room, right into Trent's eye. This woke him up, and he looked around. Everything was the same from the night before, right down to Jenna, who was still sleeping on his lap.
Everything came almost at once to him. This was too much for him to bear. How could he possibly have arrived here, wherever 'here' is?
He remembered last night, when he thought he was in the real world. He must have been, because he was human. The police had evacuated the entire neighborhood, and were off for the night to study the evidence. Everyone was to return home the next day, but Trent coudn't wait. He drove up last night in the Explorer to get one last look at the house. He was the only one to not return to the neighborhood the following day. The divorce settlement resulted in the house going to his wife, and child custody, if they were ever found.
I thought she loved me. . . How could I be so blind?
Trent looked down at Jenna again. Why take away the one thing he cared about the most? Where was the dignity in that?
Trent had walked upstairs to Jenna's room that night. . . He picked up her Gameboy and turned it on. . . then turned it back off.
And now this. He was a 'Sandslash'. . . or part Sandslash at least. He never paid much attention to video games during his life, and now he was living one. This wasn't meant to be. . . He couldn't be sitting here right now with is daughter on his lap. He was right now getting into his SUV to drive to Smithton Electronics Co. where he worked. His wife would soon wake Jenna for breakfast. . . Robert would be mulling over the college applications to places he never heard of. . .
That wasn't real now. All that was real was him here, with his daughter. Come to think of it, he was also really hungry.
Trent carefully laid Jenna on the couch as he got up, which was especially hard what with his claws and everything. Being successful, he proceeded to the kitchen to fix something to eat.
Jenna woke, and the fact that her father was not there was upsetting. It was, until the smell of pancakes wafted to her nose. Jenna got up from the couch and walked two rooms to the kitchen, where Trent was cooking up some of the flapjacks.
"Good morning, Jenna." Trent turned and said, but again got a hug in response. After returning it, he said, "Jenna, you've got to be starving. Have something to eat." Jenna said nothing, but just sat down at a table, where Trent set a plate of pancakes. She picked up a fork and started eating, although very slowly.
Her father moved to the chair across from her. "So. . . " He said, "What happens now?"
The two climbed into the Explorer, Trent driving. Jenna applied her seatbelt, then looked at her dad. "Dad, I might not have mentioned this before, but you're not wearing a shirt."
"None fit." Was his response, "These spines, I guess that's what they are, on my back take up way too much space." Trent adjusted the driver's seat so he could breathe. Then he jammed the keys into the ignition and turned it on. Looking dismayed, he tapped the dashboard. "Half tank." He said, we might not make it.
"I'm pretty sure we will." Jenna replied, "Doesn't take too long to get anywhere in this world."
"So tell me about Skye." Trent asked his daughter, after she explained all that happened so far, of which Jenna left out choice bits of information.
"Skye. . ." Jenna recounted her thoughts about him, "He's really sweet, like when he forgave his brother. Did I tell you about that?"
"Yeah."
"Well. . . After what happened to Phil, those two started a secret mutual hate of each other for whatever reason. . ."
"I see."
"Skye really likes me. . . I think ever since he first met me. . ."
"Jenna," Trent interrupted, "You're leaving something out."
"What?"
Trent turned to look at her, giving her a 'You know what I'm talking about' look, then looked towards the road.
"Alright. . ." Jenna confessed, "I had second thoughts about Phil when I met Skye. . ."
"And. . ."
"And. . . well, it's not so much 'like' anymore. . ."
"And. . ."
"And we kissed."
Trent looked like he was satisified after that.
"It was only once, daddy!"
"Jenna, you've got to stop doing this! This is number, what, six?"
"Eight. . ."
"Sweetheart, you have to grow up sometime!" Trent looked peeved when he said that, "I thought you meant it whenyou said you'd finally settled on Phillip."
"I thought so too. . ." Jenna almost started to cry again.
Trent calmed down after that then was a bit sad himself, "I'm just worried about you, that's all," he explained, "Ever since you were six, it's been one boyfriend after another."
"Dad. . ." Jenna was at full-fledged tears now, "I didn't want it to happen that way, but. . . There's something else."
"What is it?" Trent was thinking things that Jenna might tell, and it wasn't getting to pleasant in his mind.
"Phil attacked Skye yesterday."
Trent was wide-eyed. "Say what?"
"I didn't get separated." Jenna again confessed, "I ran."
"Ran?"
"You know the dark thunderclouds I told you? The ones Ben said he didn't know what they did, but it wasn't good?"
"Yeah. . ."
"Phil couldn't keep up with the rest of us when we ran from them. . . when he finally did. . . he attacked Skye."
"You ran away after that?"
"Yes. . . I'm hoping Skye is willing to forgive me. . ."
"Skye?" Trent turned to look at his daughter again, "Sound like it's Phil who you should worry about apologizing to!"
"But. . ."
"If Phil was here right now, what do you think he'd say?"
"I know he'd never forgive me."
"Jenna, it's time for a reality check. You don't even know if Skye is real or not!"
"But he is, daddy." Jenna sunk her head, then finished quietly, "I just know it. If he was a pre-programmed illusion like the rest of this seems to be, there's no way I could've fallen in love with him."
"And how do you know?"
"Because he's told me things!" Jenna was more angry that guiltful now, and at the threshold where she was yelling "Things that might even make a person like you-"
"A person like me WHAT?" Trent was sorry almost immidiatelly for punctuating that remark the way he did, as Jenna broke into tears again. "Sweetheart, I'm sorry. . ." He apologized.
Jenna attempted to regain he composure to say something to him, "He was abused as a child, Dad." She started crying again.
Trent turned sober at this remark, as everything he said came back to him at once. Then he started, "Jenna, please stop. . . you'll make me start crying. . ."
"You can't cry, dad. . . you're a parent. It's not allowed."
One of Trent's tears hit the floor anyway.
----
Didja like? COME ON PEOPLE! I NEED REVIEWS! (I have a very fragile ego) PLEEESE!
. . . well, Until next time, Ciao!