Pre-Chapter Notes: First, I must thank those who reviewed and again, I took the liberation to reply to them, because I have absolutely no life what so ever.
Angel Rosz: I'm glad you found it interesting. And now, I'm updating.
Saiya-jin Spice: As for is she killing herself, you'll have to read on to know. ::sweat drop:: Err, you don't have to go off sobbing, because this is only a story. And thank you for adding this to your favorites. Don't worry about talking too much. I'm very talkative as well if you ever know me.
Light ShadowsDark Shadows: You screwed your review, Jen. This isn't an InuYasha fan fiction, missy.
Chapter 2: The Dark of the Past
Rebecca Hawkins woke up to find herself on the cold nightly pavement of the sidewalk. Looking up at the tall mansion that loomed over her, she began to really wonder. Pushing herself up, she found that her chest ached and her legs let out a searing pain. Groaning, she dragged herself up and stared at the bloodstains all over her clothes and skin. There was a particular nasty bruise on her right arm. Rebecca looked around her, as if trying to take in the whole surroundings at once.
What am I doing out here in the sidewalk, she thought. Wasn't I on the balcony? She turned back to the mansion. And why hasn't Yami and the others looked for me? Had they forgotten about me? She shook her head. No. They haven't, she told herself.
But why hasn't even went and get her? Why is she stranded out here?
Slowly, half limping and half walking, Rebecca finally reached her destination. Her hand touched the brass doorknob.
She gasped.
Her hand had passed right through the doorknob.
Rebecca closed her eyes. "I'm dreaming." She whispered. Taking in a deep breath, she reached for the doorknob again.
This time, she was sure she wasn't dreaming.
Her hand passed right through.
Her body shook with fear as she watched her hand stuck in the brass doorknob without touching it. She withdrew her hand and stared blankly. "No." She murmured. "I must be dreaming." She tried again and reached for the cold brass doorknob, only to find the same result.
A girlish giggle caused her to turn. Rebecca whirled around to find a younger version of herself laughing at her with mockery.
"It won't turn. Everything you touch, you can't touch it. You'll go right through." The younger Rebecca smiled, giving her a toothy grin.
The older Rebecca took note that one of her front tooth was missing. She was about seven then-, her first tooth came out then. "What are you talking about?" Rebecca demanded. "This is just a dream, isn't it?"
"Oh no, it isn't." The younger Rebecca sang. "You've died Rebecca Hawkins. You died."
"No I haven't." Rebecca argued. "I'm still alive. If I'm dead, then shouldn't I be in heaven or hell?"
"You did die." The younger her said smugly. The smile on her face grew wider. "You died tonight at eleven o' clock sharp. I could show you where you lie."
"You're lying." Rebecca said flatly.
Her younger version smiled again and laughed. "There is no time for your naïve behavior, Rebecca. You've died. You can't expect to go to heaven or hell, because there is no such place. Once you've accepted that you'll go into a world. It's not like heaven or hell. It's a haven for people like you."
"You're lying." Rebecca repeated.
"Am I?" The seven-year-old version of her asked in amusement. "Then tell me, why did your hand pass through that doorknob? That's because you don't exist anymore, Rebecca. You don't exist anymore than everyone else is alive. You don't believe me? Touch something else solid. You'll pass right through. But it'll hurt." She challenged.
Rebecca turned to the heavy oaken door again. Feeling rather stupid, she closed her eyes and walked forward. She crashed onto the door, feeling a new wave of pain. She opened her eyes. She was still in the porch, but she found her body half buried in the door. She drew back in horror.
"Now you believe me?" The younger Rebecca giggled.
"No it can't be true." Rebecca said slowly. "How could I die?"
"Want me to show you where you died? People still haven't found you yet." The younger Rebecca asked. "They probably forgot about you."
"Did I really die?" Rebecca asked.
"Jeez. Accept it already. You died." The seven-year-old Rebecca stated simply. "And you're boring me."
"I don't want to see where I laid." Rebecca swallowed, feeling numb all over.
"Fine." The younger Rebecca said, bored. "I've got a place to show you."
"Where?" Rebecca demanded sharply.
"Follow me then." The young Rebecca step forward and took her hand. Rebecca was surprised that her hand did not go right through.
"How could…?" Rebecca started.
"I don't exist either." The younger her said sadly. "Come on."
And they walked. For hours they walked under the guidance of the silver moon. Through a twisted maze of city blocks they walked. For a long time they walked. Rebecca wasn't sure how long they had been walking. She was surprised that she wasn't even tired. The younger Rebecca led her through the journey all night. It seemed as if the sun refused to rise until the two had finished their journey.
"We're here!" The younger Rebecca cheered.
Rebecca stopped dead in her tracks. This was Canada. "Why are we…?"
"I want to show you something." The younger Rebecca insisted, pulling her forward. "Stay here." She instructed.
Rebecca stared as the younger version of her marched up to a suspicious looking woman. She had heavy make up on, her hair tied together in a neat bun. She was wearing a cloak. On a sign nearby, it said, "Have your fortunes told here."
"This…is…my…memory world." Rebecca said.
"It's like it." The younger her said. "But it's not." She turned back to the lady. "I want my fortune told." She laid several crisps dollar neatly on the desk. The woman nodded curtly and took out a deck of…dueling cards?
She took the deck and shuffled it with her eyes closed, and chanting something softly. Slowly, she took twelve cards separately from the deck and laid them face down on the table.
"Give me your birth date." The woman commanded with her low hoarse voice.
"June thirtieth." The younger Rebecca said.
"Ah yes." The woman wheezed. "Born as the sixth month fades. Very curious." She rearranged the cards and then turned one over. It was the Faceless Mage. Then, she turned another card over. The second card was Doma, The Angel of Silence. Then, she turned another card over. The third card was an upside down card of The Dancing Fairy.
"Ah." The woman crooned. "The Faceless Mage, an unknown future. And the Dancing Fairy. You will live a happy life at first," She murmured. "But then, that would be silenced." She indicated the second card. "Your happiness will be short lived due to-," She flipped a fourth card over. "A sudden tragedy. And the fact that the Dancing Fairy was upside down." Then, she turned over another care. "United We Stand," She murmured. "How curious." The woman straightened up and said, "This future of yours is very mystifying, child. This card says that in the end, there will be an ending. Happy or sad-, that is for you to decide."
"Tell me more." The younger Rebecca commanded.
"Of course." The woman said, gathering the turned over card and laid them out neatly. She stared at eh remaining cards for a minute. Then, she turned over a card. "Deal of the Phantom." She said in low whispers. "My dear child! What terrible fate will happen to you. Your soul-," She pointed her index finger at the younger Rebecca and gasped. "Will vanish away when you trade it away for something else. Dear, you are nothing but an empty shell!"
"Thank you." The younger Rebecca said curtly, turning away. She smiled at the current Rebecca. "How do you enjoy your life so far?" She asked. The scene vanished, leaving them in the same endless void Rebecca had dreamed about.
"That woman-," Rebecca started. "What she said was true…."
"Yes." The younger Rebecca merely said, suddenly finding her nails very interesting.
"I have to find her again. She could tell me more." Rebecca said firmly.
"Did you forget that you're dead? You don't exist at all." The younger Rebecca said in a sudden sharp tone that caused Rebecca to wince. "You can't find her. She can't see you!" The younger Rebecca lunged at her and took her by her arm. Rebecca was surprised at how strong the girl's grip was. "Come on." She commanded. "Let's go somewhere else."
"Where?" Rebecca demanded.
"Somewhere."
The seven-year-old Rebecca half dragged the older Rebecca to her. "Let's climb up the tree!" She said cheerfully, indicating the tall cherry tree that grew closed to Rebecca's room.
"But that is…." Rebecca muttered.
"Your room up there! There's so much to see, so much to learn." The younger her was already scrambling up the tree trunk like a monkey. She reached the closest branch to the window to her room. "Come up here!"
Reluctantly, Rebecca grabbed hold of the lowest branch and hoisted herself up. Making her way to the top, she stood close to the younger version of her.
"Watch me." The younger Rebecca said, smiling. She went through the window and sat down on a recliner, her shoulders bent. Rebecca remembered. When she was young, she loved drawing. Staring at the drawing, she watched as a happy scenery took place on the piece of paper.
"Why are you replaying my memories?" Rebecca demanded, tears welling up in her eyes.
"I'm not." The younger her said calmly. "This is happening. Just happening. Nobody could stop it."
Rebecca fell silent. She watched as the picture was completed. This was her once. So happy that it almost seemed impossible. Now, she's torn, distressed, and worn.
"Rebecca?" Her grandfather's voice jolted her back to reality.
"Yes?" The younger version of her asked, tucking the picture in her pocket.
"Didn't you say you wanted to go to the annual cherry picking festival?" The voice of Arthur Hawkins' drifted upstairs.
The younger Rebecca scrambled downstairs and the two appeared at the front yard.
"Grandpa!" Rebecca screamed.
But her grandpa gave no indication that she was there.
"Grandpa!" She screamed again. "It's me! Rebecca!"
The tears she had managed to hold back began to slip down her face.
"He can't hear you." The seven-year-old Rebecca said. "This is like your memory. But it's not. You don't exist there."
"You mean…?" Rebecca managed to say through her silent despair.
"Nobody could hear you anywhere. I could, because I'm like you. I don't exist either." The younger her said.
Again the scene twisted to the black empty void.
"Why must you torture me with these memories?" Rebecca asked in a hoarse whisper.
The younger her shrugged. "I was sent here to do so."
"Who sent you?" Rebecca demanded. By now, her sorrow was gone, and anger for herself-, the her that stood before her grew.
"I don't know." She shrugged again. "I'm only doing what I was sent to do."
"Tell me who sent you!" Rebecca growled.
"You don't scare me, Rebecca. I know you. You're me." The younger her shook the threat off as if it held no meaning to her. She gave her a cool stare in return; in which Rebecca find herself returning.
The silent battle went of for a while, until the younger her broke away. "I'm just doing what I'm told to, Rebecca. You need to see this." She said, turning her back to Rebecca. "This is necessary."
And the scene shifted.
Two people stood at the dueling platform as the crowd cheered for the person they think should win.
The young Rebecca stood at one end of the platform while an older teenager stood at the other.
"You can't beat me!" The high pitched annoying voice of hers said, penetrating the opponent's nerves. "Right Teddy?" She consulted her teddy bear with loving care.
"Yup. Yup. Nobody could beat the genius Rebecca." He said in agreement.
"That's right Teddy!" Rebecca cheered. "Now, what should I do?" She looked through her had. "Yes!" She played down a monster card. "I summon the Shadow Ghoul." The monster hologram appeared on the field.
Where had my dueling passion gone? The present day Rebecca wondered as she gripped her hands tightly, that her nails created tiny crescent moons in her palms. What happened to the fiery-tempered, hotheaded, cheerful girl? What happened to me?
"Oh and dear Shadow Ghoul gains 100 attack points for all the monsters in my grave." Rebecca smiled. "Yup. Yup. Isn't that right, Teddy?" She laughed at her opponent's face.
"Grr! You're a genius Rebecca!"
"Thank you Teddy!" Rebecca said, jumping up and down. Then, she grew serious. "Sorry, kid, but the show's over. Attack his monster my mighty beast!"
When the smoke cleared, Rebecca's opponent was left without a single life point. He had lost.
"I've…lost…." Realization dawned him as his hand fell all over the platform. He sank down to his knees. "I can't believe…I've lost."
"Told you I'm a genius." Rebecca laughed, as the crowd cheered for her. She got off the platform, walking straight to where the older Rebecca stood, with her fists clenched. "How did you like yourself back then?" The asked her.
"That isn't me." Rebecca said, shaking her head. "It's almost disgusting to think that was once me."
The younger version of her nodded in agreement. "Of course that wasn't you. No it was. In fact, it's you more than you ever think will be." She said without sympathy. "Let's go now." She grabbed Rebecca by her arm again and led her to a room full of doors. "This is like your heart-, a room with many doors that lead to different ways." She stopped at a heavy metal door with many locks on them. As she touched it, the locks disappeared. The door swung open, the whole room in darkness.
"I'll be going now." The younger Rebecca said. "But you'll continue on without me." She said.
"Where am I to go?" Rebecca asked.
"Just walk through the doorway, Rebecca." The younger her said impatiently. Without waiting, she shoved Rebecca through the doorway and slammed the door behind her.
Rebecca found herself surrounded with nothing, but thick darkness.
End Notes: Feedbacks again are welcomed. Oh, another thing, I forgot to mention it, I know that the dub says that Rebecca is 8, but I prefer to go with 12. And since there was no official date (not that I know of anyways….) for Rebecca's birthday, I made up a random date.