He stood all alone in the empty dark street. The unnatural silence pressing in upon him filling him with dread and foreboding. Dark clouds rolled across the sky swallowing up all traces of escaping light. The ominous wind wailed mournfully in his ear as it swept by caressing his body with its cold embrace. Only one sound pierced the suffocation and its utterance seared deep into his very soul, sending his heart into a horrified panic.
"Danny!" He frantically turned at the sound of the desperate scream.
"Oh my god! No!" His eyes were huge with naked fear. His heart now pounding so hard he could hear the heavy drumbeats in his ears. His legs had leapt into motion long before he had even noticed the motion, his footsteps echoing hollowly on the cold dark blacktop.But he knew he would never be fast enough. She was too far away, always too far away...
The ground trembled violently then, sending him stumbling. The seemingly solid ground began to heave and crack as the sky exploded in a pure brilliance of yellow and macabre red.
"Danny!!!" The terrified scream rose in such shrill intensity, that he thought he would shatter with it. No one could hear that horrific sound and ever be the same again. The sound was abruptly cut off and smothered by the deafening roar of brick and metal and the whoosh of an ever growing impenetrable wall of dust and ash.
The sheer force of the eruption knocked him painfully to the ground. His hand frantically extended as if by sheer willpower he could finally reach her and somehow undo what was done. He slowly clenched his hand knowing he has failed.
"NOOOOOOOOO!"
Daniel bolted upright, breathing harshly. Sweat coating his brow. He blinked trying to dispel the images from his dream, his memory. Overcome with the grief and guilt that would never leave his broken heart, he shakily put his head into his hands and cried.
Heero awoke with a start a silent scream on his lips. His heart pounding in his chest. Fragmented images flitted past his mind's eye, too fast for him to completely grasp or comprehend. Only the cold terror and dread still lay in his heart like a cold dead weight. Lightening struck outside and he uncharacteristically jumped, for the first time realizing his surroundings. He was inside the safe house sitting in a chair outside of Relena's bedroom, just like he had for the past two nights. His need for rest had apparently kicked in and he had finally fell asleep. He tried harder to remember what had caused his nightmare, but even now the memory of it flitted teasingly away from his grasp, crumbling and blowing away like old dried leaves in a autumn wind. Only the emotions that it had invoked remained strong. All that remained was feelings were fear, panic and-loss. Yes, loss of someone close to him... The thunder crashed again, and he heard a small sound coming from inside the room. Still disoriented and slightly on edge, he was instantly up twisting the knob. His sweaty palm slipping slightly on the knob.
He quietly entered the room. His eyes instantly scanning the room for intruders. Finding none, his eyes swept to the bed.... He froze his eyes wide in immobilizing shock.
He saw her there her body completely still. Dead. He knew it with such certainty. Her body lay twisted slightly. Her blonde hair strewn out messily around her obscuring part of her young face. Dark blood pooled in the deep recesses of the mattress. The words 'Not again!'. Came unbidden to his traumatized mind. Because of me...because... Heero's mind raced in panic. She...And then the most miraculous thing happened. The figure on the bed shifted slightly. Startled, Heero blinked. The gruesome nightmarish vision vanishing, leaving only the normal sight of the peacefully sleeping girl. Breathing. Relena was breathing. Lightening flashed again revealing the pools of blood to be merely harmless shadow. A dream? For that endless moment it had felt so real. The sight almost- familar somehow.
He took a shaky breath, convincing himself to move once again, he swiftly walked over to the side of the bed. He looked down on Relena's sleeping face, memorizing it. With the gentlest of touches, he smoothed a strand of honey-kissed hair from her soft warm face. His hand lingering for a moment longer than necessary as if to confirm that this was indeed truly real. A wrinkle on her brow gradually smoothed out at the touch and the slightest of smiles formed on her lips and it looked to him as she was unconsciously providing reassurance that everything was indeed all right. A ghost of the slightest smile briefly graced his features at that. For a time, he simply watched her breath unable to tear his gaze away from her lest the she fade away. Gradually, he calmed and chastising himself for letting himself to being so easily deceived. With one last glance, he left the room.
Needing some air and knowing that he would not be going back to sleep now, he walked out into the hall, and opened a window to let a cool breeze in. Outside the lightening streaked across the sky in jagged patterns, before it eventually struck the ground with a snap. He stood there watching, hands resting upon the sill. A drop of water fell upon his dry cheek sliding done leaving a impression of false tear tracks. More raindrops followed, and he stood there watching as the world was drenched in hushed sadness.
TBC...
Hope that didn't turn out too weird. Thanks for reading, please review. Hopefully, some of you are still with me. Okay next chapter is halfway done. More action, more suspense and further explanations ahead. Next chapter... The Meeting.