Chapter Eight: Degenerate Ghosts
"If Sissy is CeeCee," Ulrich continued, sitting up straighter as he explained his theory.
Epiphany dawned on Yumi's face. "Then we are Jeremie and Aelita," she finished triumphantly, looking
pleased at the revelation. "Which also explains my dream. I was in her body, remember! It's all coming
together now!"
Ulrich nodded. "And it also explains why only we can see them. In a sense, we are them." Yumi rose, and
Ulrich followed suit automaticlly, asking, "Where are we off to now?" he pushed in his chair, leaving the
book open on the table.
Propelling herself towards the door, Yumi answered. "That old bridge of course. I want to take a look at
it." Sighing a long-suffering sigh, Ulrich followed. "We're not going to find anything," he called after her
in a low tone so as not to disturb the library's other occupants.
"I know, but it can't hurt to try, right?" The question was rhetorical, and Ulrich didn't answer.
-----
Out of the row of bookshelves adjacent to the table where moments before Yumi and Ulrich had sat stepped
a lone figure. The books had done little to muffle the voices of the pair, and the eavesdropper had heard
every word that had been said.
Approaching the book left so carelessly open the spy pointed a slender, pale finger at the page with the
picture. "Not bad," she sniffed, "But I'm better looking. I suppose it doesn't matter though. It will all end
tomorrow, if I'm correct."
-----
"Hmmmm." Yumi peered around at the bridge she and Ulrich now stood on.
"Anything of interest," Ulrich asked from behind her, obviously skeptical of the entire trip. The sun was
rapidly sinking below the distant horizon, and he wasn't anxious to be caught sneaking back late twice in one
week. They had been here for thirty minutes already, but had yet to find anything of particular interest. Yumi
had pointed out scornfully that they hadn't so much as put a memorial to her, but that supported the fact
that the school had attempted to keep things quiet.
Yumi turned with her mouth open to answer, but instead she stared at a point over Ulrich's shoulder.
Following his friend's gaze Ulrich spun around, his jaw dropping to match Yumi's at the sight.
Running towards them at break-neck speed came Aelita, her eyes wide with untold terrors. Unconsciously
the pair moved back, watching the scene but helpless to do anything but watch as the pink-haired girl came to
a skidding halt at the edge of the bridge. She was staring down into the water like it was calling to her.
She wasn't screaming in terror, though she was obviously frightened out of her wits.
Snapping out of his daze Ulrich came to the realization of what she was about to do. Lunging forward as
if he had any power to stop her, the teen threw himself towards the apparition. "No, don't!"
There were several seconds where time seemed to slow. Aelita turned and looked at Ulrich for a moment,
then spread her arms wide and swan-dived off the bridge at the same time as he reached her. It was odd that
she could look to graceful even as she plunsged downward in what was sure to be a death fall.
With nothing to ram into to stop his momentum, Ulrich found himself carried over with her into the
unknown air beyond. Wryly he realized too late that even if she had still been there, he would have passed
right through her. So much for heroics.
Rushing forward with a speed she never knew she possesed, Yumi cried out. "Ulrich!" 'No!'
(I was considering leaving it off here, but I'm not that mean....)
"Yumi!" Ulrich's voice rose up from over the side of the bridge. "I'm okay, but could you pull me up?"
Unbidden tears of relief flowed from her eyes as Yumi pulled Ulrich up. "You scared me half to death!
Why did you do that? You know you couldn't have stopped her!" Holding the shaken boy at arm's length she
examined him up and down.
"I dunno. Conditioned response I guess. But at least we know one thing now," he said.
Wiping away a tear, Yumi looked at him quizzically. "What's that?"
"They can hear us. When I leapt for her, Aelita turned and looked at me. That proves we can make contact
with them. It's not much, but at least it's a start."
Yumi stared past him into the setting sun, the fading light reflecting off her tear-stained cheeks. "It
happened the same time too. The last time I saw her it was about this time. But why are we seeing this? Is
there any point to it at all, or are we simply doomed to forever see ghosts walking around?"
"No, there has to be a reason," Ulrich confirmed. "C'mon, I'll walk you home on my way back."
"If Sissy is CeeCee," Ulrich continued, sitting up straighter as he explained his theory.
Epiphany dawned on Yumi's face. "Then we are Jeremie and Aelita," she finished triumphantly, looking
pleased at the revelation. "Which also explains my dream. I was in her body, remember! It's all coming
together now!"
Ulrich nodded. "And it also explains why only we can see them. In a sense, we are them." Yumi rose, and
Ulrich followed suit automaticlly, asking, "Where are we off to now?" he pushed in his chair, leaving the
book open on the table.
Propelling herself towards the door, Yumi answered. "That old bridge of course. I want to take a look at
it." Sighing a long-suffering sigh, Ulrich followed. "We're not going to find anything," he called after her
in a low tone so as not to disturb the library's other occupants.
"I know, but it can't hurt to try, right?" The question was rhetorical, and Ulrich didn't answer.
-----
Out of the row of bookshelves adjacent to the table where moments before Yumi and Ulrich had sat stepped
a lone figure. The books had done little to muffle the voices of the pair, and the eavesdropper had heard
every word that had been said.
Approaching the book left so carelessly open the spy pointed a slender, pale finger at the page with the
picture. "Not bad," she sniffed, "But I'm better looking. I suppose it doesn't matter though. It will all end
tomorrow, if I'm correct."
-----
"Hmmmm." Yumi peered around at the bridge she and Ulrich now stood on.
"Anything of interest," Ulrich asked from behind her, obviously skeptical of the entire trip. The sun was
rapidly sinking below the distant horizon, and he wasn't anxious to be caught sneaking back late twice in one
week. They had been here for thirty minutes already, but had yet to find anything of particular interest. Yumi
had pointed out scornfully that they hadn't so much as put a memorial to her, but that supported the fact
that the school had attempted to keep things quiet.
Yumi turned with her mouth open to answer, but instead she stared at a point over Ulrich's shoulder.
Following his friend's gaze Ulrich spun around, his jaw dropping to match Yumi's at the sight.
Running towards them at break-neck speed came Aelita, her eyes wide with untold terrors. Unconsciously
the pair moved back, watching the scene but helpless to do anything but watch as the pink-haired girl came to
a skidding halt at the edge of the bridge. She was staring down into the water like it was calling to her.
She wasn't screaming in terror, though she was obviously frightened out of her wits.
Snapping out of his daze Ulrich came to the realization of what she was about to do. Lunging forward as
if he had any power to stop her, the teen threw himself towards the apparition. "No, don't!"
There were several seconds where time seemed to slow. Aelita turned and looked at Ulrich for a moment,
then spread her arms wide and swan-dived off the bridge at the same time as he reached her. It was odd that
she could look to graceful even as she plunsged downward in what was sure to be a death fall.
With nothing to ram into to stop his momentum, Ulrich found himself carried over with her into the
unknown air beyond. Wryly he realized too late that even if she had still been there, he would have passed
right through her. So much for heroics.
Rushing forward with a speed she never knew she possesed, Yumi cried out. "Ulrich!" 'No!'
(I was considering leaving it off here, but I'm not that mean....)
"Yumi!" Ulrich's voice rose up from over the side of the bridge. "I'm okay, but could you pull me up?"
Unbidden tears of relief flowed from her eyes as Yumi pulled Ulrich up. "You scared me half to death!
Why did you do that? You know you couldn't have stopped her!" Holding the shaken boy at arm's length she
examined him up and down.
"I dunno. Conditioned response I guess. But at least we know one thing now," he said.
Wiping away a tear, Yumi looked at him quizzically. "What's that?"
"They can hear us. When I leapt for her, Aelita turned and looked at me. That proves we can make contact
with them. It's not much, but at least it's a start."
Yumi stared past him into the setting sun, the fading light reflecting off her tear-stained cheeks. "It
happened the same time too. The last time I saw her it was about this time. But why are we seeing this? Is
there any point to it at all, or are we simply doomed to forever see ghosts walking around?"
"No, there has to be a reason," Ulrich confirmed. "C'mon, I'll walk you home on my way back."