SPOLERS! SPOILERY SPOILER ALERT! You can't say I didn't warn you. Read at your own risk. I will not tolerate reviews that say things like, "You ruined the ending for me! You sux0rs!" I'm giving you fair warning. If you would like to read the spoiler-free version, e-mail me. On a lighter note, please enjoy chapter two!
Ever since the day I delivered to Hillcrest I had that blonde girl stuck in my head. What was her name? Why was she so surprised to see me? And why the hell was I so drawn to her? These questions dominated my thoughts. I was sitting on the living room couch, watching tv and trying to enjoy the weekend.
The phone rang suddenly, pulling my mind away from the blonde girl. "Hello?" I answered. The voice on the other end startled me.
"Hello, Edward," a feminine voice answered, "My name is Winry. You delivered to me the other day, remember?" Of course I remembered. At last, Pretty Blonde Girl had a name! But how'd she get my number? I asked her. "Well, the lady you work with gave it to me. I'm new in town, and you seemed nice, so I figured maybe you could show me around."
"Um, okay," I said, blinking. An attractive woman just called me out of the blue and asked me to hang out. What good deed had I done to deserve this?
"Well, you already know where I live, so feel free to drop by!" She hung up the phone. I put the receiver back on the hook, dazed. What was the matter with me? I had never been this nuts about a girl before. I knew one thing: there was no way I was going to turn down an invitation to spend time with her. I threw on a shirt, put my hair in a ponytail, and rushed out the door.
It was a little awkward being welcomed into the house of a perfect stranger. She offered me lemonade and invited me to sit in one of the overstuffed pieces of furniture. I sipped my drink slowly, not knowing what to say or do.
"How old are you, Edward? Sixteen?" Winry asked as she took the seat next to mine on the couch.
I grimaced. "I'm eighteen, thank you," I said, slightly irritated.
She looked surprised. "I never would have guessed by your height," she teased.
I could feel my face getting red. "I'm not that short!" I defended. I was really sensitive about my height.
She laughed. "Oh, Ed, you know I'm kidding." I blushed a little hearing her use my nickname. "I have something for you, but that can wait. Tell me about yourself."
I blinked, unsure of where to begin. "Uh… Well, I live with my mom. I have about a week of high school left, and then after I graduate we're moving closer to the college I want to attend. I'm going to study mechanical engineering. I am an only child with no pets and very few friends. I'm kind of a loner." What else was there to say?
"An engineer, huh? I bet you'll be good at that." She looked at me thoughtfully. "I'm sorry you don't have any brothers or sisters. You're really missing out."
I looked away. "My mom always wanted another kid, but after my dad… left… she didn't really have much of a choice."
"Your father left?" Winry asked, contemplative. I nodded. "Well, I just came here from far away. I live alone, and I'm an only child. I do have something I think you might like." She brought out a small metal box and handed it to me. I opened it and stared at the pendant inside. The charm was metal, and shaped like a circle with overlapping geometric symbols inside the ring. In the center was a perfectly round crimson stone. It hung on a plain black cord. I picked it up, holding it in my hands.
"Why did you give me this?" I asked, fixated with the strange necklace.
She shrugged. "I thought you might like it, that's all." She watched as I scrutinized the pendant, turning it over and over in my palms.
"Thanks," I said, slipping the cord over my head. It was weird, but I liked it. The weight of the metal against my chest felt comforting, and the stone was like nothing I had ever seen. I smiled at her. "Can I have your number so I can call you sometime?" I asked, grabbing a piece of paper and a pen off a nearby table.
She softly smiled at me the entire time I copied down her number. "You're left-handed?" She asked, taking my right hand in her own. She examined it, feeling the burns and scars that peppered the flesh.
I fidgeted, slightly uncomfortable with the affectionate touch. "Yeah, my father was left-handed so that's probably where I got it. I could never seem to get the hang of using my right hand." I pulled my hand away and looked it over.
Her eyes moistened. "It's so nice to see you all grown up." At my look of surprise, she laughed. "Ehehe, don't mind me! I was daydreaming for a second there." She grinned playfully. "Can I braid your hair? It looks so soft." Without waiting for an answer, she took my long blonde hair into her delicate hands. I had stiffened at the sudden affection, but instantly relaxed. Her hands felt extremely comforting, caressing the golden hair and twisting it into place. I had never had anyone actually play with my hair before, not even my mother. I closed my eyes and enjoyed her touch.
I opened my eyes when she removed her hands from my hair. She leaned back, admiring her work with glistening eyes, and handed me a mirror. I looked at my reflection. The image reflected back at me jarred my brain, and caused my breath to catch in my throat. What was I feeling? Why this sudden rush of overpowering emotion? Why was I seeing images in my head of things that could never possibly happen, like magic? And why did I find myself clutching my right hand against my body? I looked to Winry, dazed.
Her shimmering eyes had spilled over, allowing tears to trickle down her prettily flushed cheeks. "Edward…" she whispered. She threw her arms around my neck and cried into my shirt. Stunned, I awkwardly put my arms around her and patted her back.
"Winry, don't cry… What's the matter? Am I that ugly?" I asked with a mile.
She pulled away and looked up at me. "Ed, there's something I have to tell you. It's very important, and you probably won't understand, but you need to know. I have to try." She leaned back against the soft back of the couch, and drew in a deep breath. "Ed, you and I are from another world."
I raised an eyebrow. "Um… Cue Twilight Zone music?" I laughed.
She shook her head. "I'm serious, Edward. In this other world, life is centered around alchemy. People that lose limbs can have them replaced with machinery called automail. The Philosophers' Stone was sought after by many people. We lived there once, Edward. You were in the military, a State Alchemist. Everyone knew who you were, you were so great. You were called Full Metal, because you had an automail arm and leg. You sacrificed your life in that world in order to save your brother, and ended up here. I came to bring you home." She studied me, trying to anticipate my reaction.
I grew angry. "Do you really expect me to believe this? That you came to take me to another planet where people do magic? And that we've been reincarnated? Give me some credit, chick." I stood and turned to leave, the braid Winry had carefully crafted swaying against my back.
She grabbed my arm. "Edward, please believe me," she said steadily, trying to hide her panic. "I came too far to have you push me away." I ignored her and pulled my arm out of her grasp. I could hear her sobbing behind me, but I didn't care. "Alphonse needs you!" she screamed at my back.
I froze, one hand hovering over the doorknob. A cold shiver ran down my spine and rippled through my body. I turned to face her with wide eyes. "Al…. phonse?" I closed the distance between us and grabbed her by the shoulders. "How do you know about Alphonse?" I demanded. "Tell me!"
She brushed a tear from my cheek. "Edward, you remember?" she murmured.
I angrily shook my head. "No… But Alphonse… His face haunts my dreams every night. I hear his voice in my head and hear him call out to me. He's always been in my head. I see clouded images of him and just want to sob. I've never even met an Alphonse, and I know I've never mentioned him to anyone." I had always thought I was crazy. But how could she know? How could she know about the golden-haired boy whose face I saw when I closed my eyes? "Is he real?" I asked quietly, sinking back onto the sofa.
She gently sat beside me and took my hand. "Al was your brother, Ed. You offered your life to save him."
I swallowed the lump in my throat. "He wants to find me. I hear him say that a lot."
Winry wrapped comforting arms around me. "I'll tell you everything you want, Edward. When the time comes when you believe me, and remember, we'll try to send you home."
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