Chapter 6
Flower petals drifted lazily accross the nearly endless green landscape. A large procession of people in black shrouded much of the area like a great cloud of poisonous smog, giving the scene a somber and dark atmosphere.
Thorn could see them all perfectly from a high hill, his back to an oak tree. Worst of all, he could hear their crying and wails of protest. He shook his head and closed his eyes to dam the tears back. It had been about a day since he had visited the World Martial Arts Tournament, which was still in progress. The people below were having a memorial for all who perished in the maniac's attack.
Taking a deep breath, his mind turned back to the other significant thing that had happened to him that day. Becky. He knew he probably wouldn't see her again for a while, as summer vacation had just started, and when he did at school she would have long forgotten the moment they had in the bathroom. Touching his wrists, he felt something in him pray she had gotten over Bill and stopped hurting herself. She of all people deserved happiness after all of that. Just the thought of her brought him some. The way her voice played in his ears like some ancient symphony. He could almost hear her now...wait a second. He did hear her now. He turned around and looked up to see her. She wore a black skirt and their school shirt, along with a smile that gave her a certain radiance that would make the sun jealous.
"Lost in thought?" She asked playfully.
"I have nowhere else to go." He said, his eyes meeting hers.
"What were you thinking about?" There was a certain innocence in her voice now, something that had been dead just a day before. She fell to her knees, sitting next to him and folding her hands, looking at him mischeviously.
"How could anyone do that?" Thorn looked down to the procession of mourners and gravediggers. "Just kill everyone with the palm of their hand. Wash them all away as if their lives meant nothing..."
Becky just sighed and looked at him. "Why do you care so much about people?" The way he had tried to comfort her the day before was nowhere near forgotten to her.
"Why wouldn't I?" He turned back to her, an inquisitive look on his face.
"They've always totally ignored you...I won't lie and say I haven't. Why did you bother helping me? Bill? Why are you sad about the killings when you know noone would notice if you had been caught in the blast?" She let her words sink in, and seeing Thorn's eyes turn to the ground, she muttered apologetically about the last part.
"Because..." His eyes were cloudy with a million thoughts trying to find their way onto words to deliver to her, "There's something beautiful about people. The way they always try and find the light even when everything around them is dead and doomed. The way they never seem to lose their hope, like back in the Cell Games. You can hear it in children's voices...just feel the life when you listen to singing." He realized he was probably sounding horribly cheesy and philosophical, but Becky was lost in his deep voice that was more down-to-earth than any geek could hope to be. His eyes turned back to her, and her heart skipped a beat. "I saw that beauty in you. Yesterday...I couldn't help but try and make you feel better."
Her eyes glazed over with tears again, and she put a hand on his face, tracing her fingers along the bruised cut from where Bill had punched him, smiling and apparenltly lost for words. They were both interrupted by a low rumble that erupted directly above them, causing them both to look up.
"Must be a storm..." Thorn said pensively.
"I've never seen a pink cloud before." Becky said, gesturing to the accumulation of light red wisps above them. The sky had darkened abnormally suddenly.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Becky nodded, but then turned to him, looking down and back to him, a tint of red on her cheeks.
"I'm actually...afraid of lightning." At this, an amused smile graced Thorn's lips.
"Nothing to be afraid of Becky. The chances of you getting struck by lightning are the chances of me getting laid."
She laughed politely, and for a moment wanted to say, "we should duck then," but she bottled up her feelings. "I know, but still, I like to hide when the thunder comes. It unnerves me."
Thorn stood over her and stretched his hand out. "Then let me take you home."
She took his hand. Despite a few callouses, his hand was actually very soft and warm. He took hers tight and pulled her up. Taking one last glance at the people below, Thorn escorted her towards the city, walking shoulder-to-shoulder with her, talking and laughing about little things. As they parted, both felt as if everything was right in the world again.
They were horribly, horribly wrong.
Flower petals drifted lazily accross the nearly endless green landscape. A large procession of people in black shrouded much of the area like a great cloud of poisonous smog, giving the scene a somber and dark atmosphere.
Thorn could see them all perfectly from a high hill, his back to an oak tree. Worst of all, he could hear their crying and wails of protest. He shook his head and closed his eyes to dam the tears back. It had been about a day since he had visited the World Martial Arts Tournament, which was still in progress. The people below were having a memorial for all who perished in the maniac's attack.
Taking a deep breath, his mind turned back to the other significant thing that had happened to him that day. Becky. He knew he probably wouldn't see her again for a while, as summer vacation had just started, and when he did at school she would have long forgotten the moment they had in the bathroom. Touching his wrists, he felt something in him pray she had gotten over Bill and stopped hurting herself. She of all people deserved happiness after all of that. Just the thought of her brought him some. The way her voice played in his ears like some ancient symphony. He could almost hear her now...wait a second. He did hear her now. He turned around and looked up to see her. She wore a black skirt and their school shirt, along with a smile that gave her a certain radiance that would make the sun jealous.
"Lost in thought?" She asked playfully.
"I have nowhere else to go." He said, his eyes meeting hers.
"What were you thinking about?" There was a certain innocence in her voice now, something that had been dead just a day before. She fell to her knees, sitting next to him and folding her hands, looking at him mischeviously.
"How could anyone do that?" Thorn looked down to the procession of mourners and gravediggers. "Just kill everyone with the palm of their hand. Wash them all away as if their lives meant nothing..."
Becky just sighed and looked at him. "Why do you care so much about people?" The way he had tried to comfort her the day before was nowhere near forgotten to her.
"Why wouldn't I?" He turned back to her, an inquisitive look on his face.
"They've always totally ignored you...I won't lie and say I haven't. Why did you bother helping me? Bill? Why are you sad about the killings when you know noone would notice if you had been caught in the blast?" She let her words sink in, and seeing Thorn's eyes turn to the ground, she muttered apologetically about the last part.
"Because..." His eyes were cloudy with a million thoughts trying to find their way onto words to deliver to her, "There's something beautiful about people. The way they always try and find the light even when everything around them is dead and doomed. The way they never seem to lose their hope, like back in the Cell Games. You can hear it in children's voices...just feel the life when you listen to singing." He realized he was probably sounding horribly cheesy and philosophical, but Becky was lost in his deep voice that was more down-to-earth than any geek could hope to be. His eyes turned back to her, and her heart skipped a beat. "I saw that beauty in you. Yesterday...I couldn't help but try and make you feel better."
Her eyes glazed over with tears again, and she put a hand on his face, tracing her fingers along the bruised cut from where Bill had punched him, smiling and apparenltly lost for words. They were both interrupted by a low rumble that erupted directly above them, causing them both to look up.
"Must be a storm..." Thorn said pensively.
"I've never seen a pink cloud before." Becky said, gesturing to the accumulation of light red wisps above them. The sky had darkened abnormally suddenly.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Becky nodded, but then turned to him, looking down and back to him, a tint of red on her cheeks.
"I'm actually...afraid of lightning." At this, an amused smile graced Thorn's lips.
"Nothing to be afraid of Becky. The chances of you getting struck by lightning are the chances of me getting laid."
She laughed politely, and for a moment wanted to say, "we should duck then," but she bottled up her feelings. "I know, but still, I like to hide when the thunder comes. It unnerves me."
Thorn stood over her and stretched his hand out. "Then let me take you home."
She took his hand. Despite a few callouses, his hand was actually very soft and warm. He took hers tight and pulled her up. Taking one last glance at the people below, Thorn escorted her towards the city, walking shoulder-to-shoulder with her, talking and laughing about little things. As they parted, both felt as if everything was right in the world again.
They were horribly, horribly wrong.