Sam crossed her arms on the concrete ledge, leaning forward against it, looking out at the scene before her. The sky above was darkening; the clouds had been gathering for some time now. Thunder rumbled, signaling the storm's arrival. Down in the streets, wind scattered dead leaves and litter about. In response to the encroaching darkness, streetlamps began flickering on, casting a futile light on the gloom. Shadows became less and less marked as night gradually fell on the city.
She shivered, feeling the cold storm winds brush against her bare skin. The chill brought a sharp contrast to the warmth she felt in her face, the hot tears that occasionally slipped down her cheeks. She knelt down against the loose gravel that served as covering for the building's roof, putting her head down against her crossed arms.
The sound of a door opening interrupted her thoughts. After hearing it click shut again, she drifted back into her depressive meditation.
"...Sam?"
Footsteps on the gravel approached her from behind.
"Sam... I think we need to talk."
Jazz absolutely hated having to do this, but in order for her to maintain the bond of trust she held for her brother, she was going to have to hurt Sam in one of the worst possible ways.
"I need to know where Danny is, and if he's all right."
She could hear Sam whimpering, and she immediately wished she could have put more thought into her words. Walking up behind Sam, she reached out to put a hand on her shoulder.
"...I'm sorry..."
Sam's arm came up and swatted Jazz's away. She whipped around to face her, and Jazz could tell by the redness in her eyes that she had been crying for a good long while before she had found her up here. She could also feel Sam's pain in the way her voice shuddered as she answered her.
"I... I don't... know where he is. Leave me alone."
It was obvious to Jazz that Sam wasn't telling the truth. She could tell that it was Sam's knowledge of Danny's whereabouts and condition that had driven her to such a miserable state. That kind of empathy could only come from a really strong bond. Jazz put her hands together and closed her eyes.
"I'm sorry."
Sam was too frustrated with herself to respond. Why did his stupid big sister have to come up here and bother me? Why can't everyone just leave me alone? Why must I constantly be reminded of him... reminded of how I had to leave him behind...
She stood up, turning to look back toward the lake in the distance. Jazz watched her, feeling her pain. The poor girl... Whatever happened to separate her from Danny, it must have been really hard on her, for her to be acting this way now... I would imagine Danny to be feeling the same way... He must feel like he's living a nightmare... I wonder how long he's been stuck in that dragon body, what happened to him that made him end up that way? ...Of course, it should be none of my business, seeing as how Sam's so adamant in keeping it from me... But I wish there was something I could do...
"Sam... Whatever's going on... Wherever Danny is..."
Sam bowed her head, wishing she could shut out Jazz's words.
"...We need to be strong... for his sake."
Jazz walked up to Sam, stepping around her, getting between her and the concrete ledge. She raised her arms, holding them out straight from her sides, as though to bar Sam from passage. Sam looked up at her as she did this, noting the significance of her motion; Jazz was acting like she thought Sam was contemplating suicide. But the gesture was also warm and inviting, like she was offering a request for a bear hug. It was strange, this signal that Jazz seemed to be sending to her, standing there with her arms wide open, smiling.
"We have to be strong for him. No matter what happens. Don't you think so?"
Sam turned to face her, looking up into her blue-green eyes. She blinked, somewhat confused, as a fresh tear made its mark on her cheek.
A bright flash suddenly threw Jazz's silhouette into shadow in front of Sam. Jazz screamed, hearing the deafening roar of the explosion, the subsequent shockwave of which threatened to knock her off her feet. She flailed, losing her balance. Sam immediately grabbed Jazz's arms and pulled her away from the ledge, throwing her back upon the rocks, saving her from the fall.
Sam stood up and looked up at the source of the blast. A dissolving cloud of black dust hung in the air over the shoreline, at least a mile away from the hospital. Streams of shimmering light and color were falling from it like the remnants of a burnt-out firework, each one varying in hue and shade, like a release of pent-up emotion. The glittering entities fells into the water below, disappearing underneath the heaving waves.
Suddenly, she noticed something else, something that shone with a different light; a small, lithe figure, like a broken doll, illuminated somewhat by the glittering lights that fell with him, suddenly giving off a bright glow as a ring of white light surrounded him, split into two separate rings, scanned over his body and then faded from sight and existance as he plunged headfirst into the lake.
Jazz looked up, also having noticed the white light. She opened her mouth to speak, but a slamming door silenced her; she turned to look and found that Sam had disappeared.
She shivered, feeling the cold storm winds brush against her bare skin. The chill brought a sharp contrast to the warmth she felt in her face, the hot tears that occasionally slipped down her cheeks. She knelt down against the loose gravel that served as covering for the building's roof, putting her head down against her crossed arms.
The sound of a door opening interrupted her thoughts. After hearing it click shut again, she drifted back into her depressive meditation.
"...Sam?"
Footsteps on the gravel approached her from behind.
"Sam... I think we need to talk."
Jazz absolutely hated having to do this, but in order for her to maintain the bond of trust she held for her brother, she was going to have to hurt Sam in one of the worst possible ways.
"I need to know where Danny is, and if he's all right."
She could hear Sam whimpering, and she immediately wished she could have put more thought into her words. Walking up behind Sam, she reached out to put a hand on her shoulder.
"...I'm sorry..."
Sam's arm came up and swatted Jazz's away. She whipped around to face her, and Jazz could tell by the redness in her eyes that she had been crying for a good long while before she had found her up here. She could also feel Sam's pain in the way her voice shuddered as she answered her.
"I... I don't... know where he is. Leave me alone."
It was obvious to Jazz that Sam wasn't telling the truth. She could tell that it was Sam's knowledge of Danny's whereabouts and condition that had driven her to such a miserable state. That kind of empathy could only come from a really strong bond. Jazz put her hands together and closed her eyes.
"I'm sorry."
Sam was too frustrated with herself to respond. Why did his stupid big sister have to come up here and bother me? Why can't everyone just leave me alone? Why must I constantly be reminded of him... reminded of how I had to leave him behind...
She stood up, turning to look back toward the lake in the distance. Jazz watched her, feeling her pain. The poor girl... Whatever happened to separate her from Danny, it must have been really hard on her, for her to be acting this way now... I would imagine Danny to be feeling the same way... He must feel like he's living a nightmare... I wonder how long he's been stuck in that dragon body, what happened to him that made him end up that way? ...Of course, it should be none of my business, seeing as how Sam's so adamant in keeping it from me... But I wish there was something I could do...
"Sam... Whatever's going on... Wherever Danny is..."
Sam bowed her head, wishing she could shut out Jazz's words.
"...We need to be strong... for his sake."
Jazz walked up to Sam, stepping around her, getting between her and the concrete ledge. She raised her arms, holding them out straight from her sides, as though to bar Sam from passage. Sam looked up at her as she did this, noting the significance of her motion; Jazz was acting like she thought Sam was contemplating suicide. But the gesture was also warm and inviting, like she was offering a request for a bear hug. It was strange, this signal that Jazz seemed to be sending to her, standing there with her arms wide open, smiling.
"We have to be strong for him. No matter what happens. Don't you think so?"
Sam turned to face her, looking up into her blue-green eyes. She blinked, somewhat confused, as a fresh tear made its mark on her cheek.
A bright flash suddenly threw Jazz's silhouette into shadow in front of Sam. Jazz screamed, hearing the deafening roar of the explosion, the subsequent shockwave of which threatened to knock her off her feet. She flailed, losing her balance. Sam immediately grabbed Jazz's arms and pulled her away from the ledge, throwing her back upon the rocks, saving her from the fall.
Sam stood up and looked up at the source of the blast. A dissolving cloud of black dust hung in the air over the shoreline, at least a mile away from the hospital. Streams of shimmering light and color were falling from it like the remnants of a burnt-out firework, each one varying in hue and shade, like a release of pent-up emotion. The glittering entities fells into the water below, disappearing underneath the heaving waves.
Suddenly, she noticed something else, something that shone with a different light; a small, lithe figure, like a broken doll, illuminated somewhat by the glittering lights that fell with him, suddenly giving off a bright glow as a ring of white light surrounded him, split into two separate rings, scanned over his body and then faded from sight and existance as he plunged headfirst into the lake.
Jazz looked up, also having noticed the white light. She opened her mouth to speak, but a slamming door silenced her; she turned to look and found that Sam had disappeared.