After recovering from devastating mood swings, I'm back and at your service. Haha! Okay, you'll find that this chapter returns the…(how can I say it…) shortness, lol. Update shall follow soon, so please enjoy and review, leisurely. BTW- Ittan Momen, you're the greatest! –dies in happiness- haha!(Of course I've spared words for everyone but I had to give a tremendous shout out, lol.) Alright…read on.
Between Heaven and Hell
Chapter 16: Awakening
Another blackout? Or am I really dead?
I don't understand. I feel like my mind is…somehow parting from my body. The taste of saltwater within my mouth has vanished, and total darkness has overtaken my eyes…of course, with my eyes closed, I couldn't see much anyway.
…However, scenes from my life began flashing before my eyes and I kept feeling the need to explore more…learn more about myself. Learn what I had been thinking at times when I was lied to or the times I was told 'no' by my parents. But no memory to my witnessing had satisfied me fully; I figured the only one that could do so…involves the actual murder. Was it really the alcohol that forced me to forget, or had I really banished Odine's death from my memories?
The anxiety that overcame me as I realized I was back in Timber, walking down the street with a familiar old man.
When the scene unfolded before my eyes, it dawned on me…I was reliving the past; I was reliving what actually happened the night of the murder…and somehow, I didn't feel nervous about learning the truth; it's as if I already knew what to expect.
And I watched us, walking down the street. Odine talking and rambling along, as usual…
"You ought to fly over to Esthar and sight see sometime. The place is marvelous. I'm sure you and your family will have a great time there too. You can invite your friends if you'd like."
I've got a killer headache…I wish he'd shut up sometime soon.
"I bet you anything, you're dying to get away from this place right about now. I assure you, one weekend in Esthar and you'll forget about all your troubles."
I groaned aloud and covered my ears, hoping he would take the hint, but the old bald guy kept talking.
"…So you say your fiancée gave you problems, right?" Odine asked me and I removed my hands from my face. "I know a way that will fix all your worries. You're a real nice guy Squall, and I know you don't deserve that kind of treatment, so I'll let you in on a little secret." He grinned from ear to ear, " I have the power to make a person disappear without a trace--"
"You bastard!" I quickly turned to him and punched him to the ground. "I won't have Selphie killed!" I climbed onto him and slammed his head against the concrete sidewalk several times, screaming, "You piece of—"
"Let go of me, I beg you! Please! I'm sorry!" He had yelled as I continued bashing his head into the hard pavement."You have no right!" I shook him violently, "You have no right to say anything at all!" I was on the verge of crying, but I eased my grip on his shoulders instead. Just when I was about to let go completely, Odine started screaming again like some kind of maniac and pointed passed me. Only a second after freeing him, I was struck in the back of my head and fell down onto Odine like a dummy, basically paralyzed by the hit.
Disoriented, but shocked at the realization of a powerful blow, I found I couldn't move myself from off Odine. I felt a pair of hands lifting me from Odine and placing me beside his body, where I could see the side of his face as it froze in horror at the sight of a man wearing an all black ski mask and dark clothing as he towered us.
In spite my inability to move from the ground, I was forced to stare at Odine's face as he lay there watching the figure that had just hit me. The sound of a baseball bat hitting the ground and trailing beside Odine had forced me to shutter slightly. I saw the bat rolling by Odine and stopping somewhere beside his head.
Odine's eyes had widened as I realized the man was now standing over him and bending down to reach his neck. Odine began to scream, but a pressing of hands closed his throat, and a playful scream came from the mouth of his attacker, hidden underneath the mask.
I was frozen stiff on the ground, witnessing a murder for the very first time in my life. It was horrible, and I tried to close my eyes but couldn't. I felt my body trembling when Odine's face fell to mine, as lifeless as could be, the sight terrified me and I gasped, staring into the face of death. The man dressed in black looked down at me, and I saw another person, wearing all black and a mask that covered his entire face as well, approaching him from behind.
"Who's this guy?" He asked his fellow comrade that had just taken Odine's life.
"…Some drunk, but he looks a little familiar, though." Astonishing, seconds after taking a life, he's functioning as if nothing had happened at all.
"So what do we do about him?""…He can be of use to us."
The other man came close to my face, maybe he thought I was asleep or not in my right mind; either way could be correct. I mean I can't move a single limb on my body, so it's as if my mind isn't present or my body has indeed fallen asleep. " Use? How's that?"
"…I'll explain later, we have to get a move on. Where's the car?"
"Up the road."
"…Put him in and let's go!"
Suddenly, the two men grabbed me from the ground. Their hands were everywhere. I knew I couldn't let them take me, or else they would kill me too. So just as they helped me from the ground, I fought against my immobilized body and lunged out to attack one of the masked men. He screamed and fought back, but I put my hands onto his face and pressed my thumbs into his eyes. He pushed me off and kicked me to the ground.
When I fell back, I realized there was no way I could stand again, so I gave up…falling into the dark world, only able to hear what had happened to me from that point on. They opened the car doors and threw me inside, and I landed roughly on the seat, hitting my head on the door opposite to the side I was thrown through.
The interior and seat cushions were stained with liquor and cigarette smoke, the smell was horrendous; I nearly puked in the back seat. Moments later, I heard the wooden bat following me, but it landed on the floor of the car instead.
"So, what are we going to do with this guy? We don't even know who he is." The driver asked his passenger as they climbed inside, slamming the doors shut. I could hear them talking, but their voices boomed in a blur.
"…Look, the boss wanted us to do this job right, didn't he? So take a moment to realize our status, why don't you? A criminal wouldn't lie down next to his victim and stay there. …It's only human nature to flee the scene like a coward… Besides, that's Loire's son in the back seat. …Saw this guy in the offices on more than a few occasions, always had his nose in some document."
"Laguna Loire, the nosy bum from Timber Maniacs?"
"The one and only."
" Oh, I didn't know he had a son--Are you insane! Loire is practically a political figure! If his son is at jeopardy then who knows what will happen when they find out we did it—"
"Relax. If it were some ordinary person we just finished off, it wouldn't matter how long the investigation took…but this is different. We're dealing with Odine here, and we both know how prestigious this guy was. Everyone will want justice for his murder as soon as possible; therefore, taking the most suitable suspect that all evidence obviously points to, and executing him without a second thought, that will be most satisfying to the anxious public. Justice is served…and our deed is done." He chuckled, " …Seriously, were you even listening to the boss' summary on Odine?"
A few moments of silence passed and he returned, "We'll dump Loire in front of his door and cover our tracks back there. We have to move fast if this is going to work. Oh, and don't worry about us finding his place in time, I had to do a little research on Mr. Loire a while back…"
"…It's strange that we found those two walking together at night."
"Probably celebrating the new deal between the criminal district and magazine company."
"Man I hate those kind of people; the scum of the world…" This coming from the mouth of a criminal…how sad.
After a few minutes of riding around, the car finally came to a complete stop. The passenger got out from the car and walked to the side, opening the door and pulling me by my hair. I was too afraid to think about moving after he pulled me out of the car. I fell out and hit the ground with a crash, and he released his hand from my hair, then closed the door and got back inside the vehicle; swearing aloud. The car sped away… screeching tires was the last thing I heard…
…It felt like decades on that ground, and I was still frightened, in shock at just witnessing a murder. I couldn't move, even when I did try to pull my arm from under my body as all my weight had rested down and crushed my wrist.
"Hey, you! Are you alright?" I heard someone speak…I couldn't reply for the life of me, I was so drunk. "Come on…" It sounded like a male's voice, a familiar male's voice; only I couldn't put a face to this particular voice. I felt like I had had an acquaintance with this person before. "…You…" He said, almost mutely to me.
When my eyes finally focused and I got one good look at the man helping me, I nearly fainted. It was Irvine… Of all people, why Irvine?
Despite our earlier encounter, he continued to help me, "…I'm…really sorry." He said to me, holding my arm around his shoulder and guiding me inside my apartment. Why was he here? Coming back here to rub in my face that Selphie was now his? Or …Maybe he really came back to apologize? I didn't know…and at that time, I didn't care. All I wanted to do was get inside and mute out the world…
The next thing I remember, I was in my bed, sleeping…hoping that everything that had just happened was the result of all the heavy drinking I endured. I thought it was the price to pay for poisoning my body with alcohol.
Just when I finally fell asleep, I told myself it was all but a dream…a long crazy dream…and I pushed aside everything…wanting never to look back and reflect, wanting nothing more than peace.
…And I was granted peace… my body had fallen into a deep slumber… Every muscle in my being relaxed…I had even begun to feel my breathing cease…
I slowly let myself go; believing I went out to the bar, had a drink, and returned home without a scratch on my body, without ever meeting Odine, without ever seeing him murdered. For my own protection, I was ready to forget everything…
"Breathe!" I felt a thump against my chest and another's lips on mine. A whirl of wind filled my mouth and lungs and I awoke with a shutter, coughing up saltwater. I coughed a few more whooping coughs before I had finally gotten rid of all the unwelcome water in my body.
I held my throat and looked around at the blurring objects swaying in my view. I wiped my eyes as everything settled and became one whole picture. To my surprise, there was a woman and a man standing over me.
The woman had long blonde hair and blue eyes, was tall and skinny, but had mostly looked concerned about me. "Welcome back." She said, her voice more serious and menacing than calming and welcoming.
I suddenly felt exhausted, and had fallen back onto the hard surface of who knows what…felt like iron or steel… It didn't matter…I had passed out completely…
A ray of light peered and colored the inside of my eyelids a reddish pink. I instinctively moved my hand to my face and blocked the sunlight to open my eyes without having worries of being blinded by its rays. Rising from the bed, I removed my hand when I realized the sunlight was no longer shining on my face. Bed? What was I doing in bed? I looked around myself and saw that I had been placed in a small cabin. …Somehow, I wished it were my bed at home…I briefly remembered that memory from before, and lying in my own bed...
Pushing all thoughts aside, I studied my surroundings. I suddenly felt cluttered and stuffy…
The walls were dark, which made the room feel tinier, but the other side of the room seemed to be about six feet from where my bed stood. There was a stool and a short dresser pressed together in the corner, and a few boxes were stacked near the door.
Waking up with a terrible headache and finding this, I'm becoming nauseated just by sitting in one place. But maybe my stomach is becoming upset because I'm rocking side-to-side…almost like I'm on a boat maybe?
"Where am I?" I asked, rubbing the back of my head. What happened to me? I thought I was with Rinoa… "Rinoa? Where is she?"
I rose to my feet and stumbled toward the auburn door, apparently I'm still weak and in no shape to walk around; yet, regardless of what my body is going through, I won't rest until I find her.
Opening the door and peering out, I noticed the ocean all around and flying seagulls in the air. What kind of boat is this I wonder? I fought against my weakness and made my way to the deck. I saw the blonde haired woman's back, her head downcast as if she were staring at the floors; maybe she's reading something? She looked up, probably sensing that I was behind her, and turned back to me. Setting the book down while grinning she said, "You're up finally."
"…Who are you and where's Rinoa?" I had tried to push aside my uneasiness as I spoke.
"Please, calm yourself and have a seat. I'll explain everything." She motioned her hand to the beach chairs on the deck and I walked over to join her on the boat's deck. As I sat, I nearly trembled, anxiously wanting to hear about Rinoa. "You're Mr. Loire, correct?"
"Yes, and who are you?"
"My name is Quistis, Quistis Trepe, and there are two others with me who are also onboard this boat, Watts and Zone. We were lucky to have found you on Esthar's shore yesterday."
"Yesterday?" …I slept for almost an entire day? But…what's even more unbelievable is the fact that I washed up on the shore…only, what happened to Rinoa? "Where's Rinoa, have you seen her?"
"Well, yeah, but…"
My heart's pace quickened, "But what…what's happened to her?"
"Quistis! Give me a hand in here!" A man yelled from somewhere inside the boat's cabin. Quistis jumped out of her seat and ran inside.
"Hey wait!" I yelled, standing quickly and forcing my body to follow behind the hasty woman. We ran around, opposite to the room I had wakened in, and ran into another cabin room. When I peered inside the cabin, I saw one man holding a person down on the bed, but I couldn't tell who it had been. Suddenly, the person screamed aloud while coughing, and in an instant, I knew it was Rinoa.
"Rinoa!" I called out and ran inside, but was stopped by an arm blocking the doorway; it was Quistis.
With a frown on her youthful face she sighed, "Please…we're doing everything we possibly can for her right now. Can you wait for me in your room, I promise I'll explain everything to you then."
"What's…happening…? What's wrong with Rinoa?"
"Mr. Loire."
I had ignored her, and reluctantly turned away from the door, limping back to my cabin on the other side of the boat.
…I'm just glad Rinoa is alive…
--------
After moments of fighting against my body, I managed to make it to my puny bed in the corner of the tiny room. I had smothered myself in a pillow and closed my eyes thinking about Rinoa's present state. We had been at sea and in the water for who knew how long…it's a miracle she's still alive…
I thought for sure we both died…and I saw my life flash before my eyes too.
…Makes me wonder about Odine. He must have had so many enemies when he lived…
Seifer said that Caraway would act on vengeance should Rinoa die in the forest. …So Caraway hired someone to take down Odine, which means I'm really not a murderer. I was wrongfully accused and found guilty; this entire case was ridiculous from the start… But…I do feel a bit at ease when I know for myself that I'm not guilty. A heavy burden has just been lifted from my shoulders… I finally answered my own question by taking a look in the last place I thought I'd ever find anything…myself. However, being innocent doesn't mean I'm entirely innocent. I've had my share of rotten thoughts as well…I'm no better than any of the others back in the forest. I still admit that I shouldn't be alive right now. I guess…I'll have to learn to forgive myself…and start over…
But…
Even though I am innocent, I can never go back home. No one will ever accept me into society as I am now. Because of my so-called victim, I'll be exiled from Galbadia, never to see my family or friends again.
I can see it now… People unrelated to the courts and witnesses will try to piece together the crime and judge me, especially those of Odine's fan clubs…and I'll never live in peace.
My life is ruined, no thanks to Caraway….
Why did I have to survive? Why did my body fight for survival, or better yet, why did these people rescue Rinoa and me?
Just as I had mentally asked myself that question, I received a knock at the door. When the door opened, I saw Quistis entering the room slowly. She smiled and closed it behind herself as she walked inside.
I felt myself sigh in relief; if Rinoa had died, Quistis would probably wail or look a bit depressed, but she was smiling at the moment: A smile that had mollified my heart.
"Rinoa's fine. She's asleep right now." She said, walking toward the dresser and taking a seat on a stool beside it.
I sat up from my laying position and leaned my back against the wall behind me, "Why was she screaming like that?"
"…She's ill. The ocean's mist, especially at night, isn't something one can swim around in and not expect to catch pneumonia. … Odd, you don't seem to be ill at all."
I shrugged my shoulders, "I haven't a clue why."
"Neither do I." She giggled softly, but sighed, "Oh my, I guess you should be thankful that you're still around. If our boat hadn't showed up when it did, you two would have frozen to death." She rested her hands on her thighs and continued, "As I was saying before, we found you on the shoreline of Esthar. We had been sailing around all day long trying to find where Rinoa would be, but…we didn't expect her to be with anyone else besides..."
"…Who? What do you mean?"
"…My companions and I, we work for her father." There's no surprise there, I should expect his name in everything, seeing that Seifer mentioned something about a signal before. "…Caraway promptly sent us out when it was first broadcast on the news that some disturbances erupted from the vessel carrying the convicts. They say Esthar was notified immediately when the warden sent out an emergency distress signal somehow. By then, Mr. Caraway already knew it was Rinoa."
"…So, what about the whole Odine ordeal? What did I have to do with that?"
"…Well, to tell you the truth, it was all a coincidence. They said you were there and so…"
"Yeah…they set me up as the perfect suspect, right?" Tell me something I don't know…but I guess I'll have to be more specific…
"Correct. Caraway used this to his advantage. You see…if Rinoa and Seifer were already dead, then she would be avenged, but if they were still alive, you would most likely tell them about Odine's death. And…Seifer would know what to do from that point on."
I understand now, so that's why he waited so long to help Rinoa escape. He seemed surprised when I mentioned Odine's murder… I guess Seifer was unsure if it were safe enough in the outside world to put their plan into motion.
"If Rinoa and Seifer survived, the next vessel would be there only chance to escape." Quistis muttered. She stood from the stool and walked toward the door, "…But…hours before we came across you, there was an explosion just a ways out from where we rescued you all. We took our chances and sailed toward the explosion. That's when Watts spotted two figures on the shoreline, and we realized it was our target… You both were freezing and pale. Without time to spare, we loaded you onto the boat, and sailed away quickly. …With our current disguise, we shouldn't be disturbed by Esthar troops scouting the seas for anything suspicious."
Quistis opened the door and allowed the sunlight to fill the room, "We're onboard a fisherman's cargo ship at the moment and are on our way to Fisherman's Horizon. We should be there by this evening if we don't run into any trouble."
"…What are we going to do there?"
"We'll meet with Mr. Caraway and he'll gives us the heads up on what's next. I know you have many questions, but I'm afraid I'm unable to answer them all. Like you, I only know little of what's happened so far. Please be patient and wait inside until we dock at FH."
What? They haven't come up with anything to do from then on? I scratched my forehead and lowered my eyes to the floor.
Quistis sighed, "He wanted to be sure Rinoa was safe before anything else could happen." She obviously knows what's going through my mind. …These people have planned and strategically set up everything else, so its only natural to feel shocked when hearing that something was done by spur of the moment. "Anyway, you should get some sleep. I'll wake you up when we get there." Quistis said before exiting. She closed the door behind herself quickly.
…It looks like I'm still a prisoner… I may have gotten Rinoa out alive, but I'm an outsider. I guess they don't want me walking around their boat freely.
I sighed heavily and lied back on my bed again, seeing it was the only thing to do at the moment. Quistis was right; maybe I should get some sleep. It's been awhile since I've intentionally slept anyway.
But how can I sleep when I've got so much going through my mind at the moment. I don't understand what's happening anymore. A day ago I wanted to kill Caraway, but now…I need to get some information out of him: that selfish idiot. He devised all this just to get Rinoa out…and Rinoa only, not caring who was caught in the crossfire in between his schemes...
…It's almost like my fate really isn't in my hands after all…
With a nervous intake of oxygen, I forced my eyes closed and turned over in my bed…and tried…god did I try, to put all my worries aside just to get one good day of rest…
(The) Author's Return:
Special note:
Everyone please forgive me, I appreciate every last one of you, especially those who encouraged me with every passing chapter. I read over my recent commentary and realized how selfish I had been! I was soo moody too. So I'm sorry about that, and Thanks for taking time out to read.
Alright, alright…flame me. I know, it was a terrible drag, wasn't it! –Sings- Flame me, Blame me, but you can never Shame me! lol, I'm kidding…(Of course you know that already…)
About the next update, I'll hope to answer everyone's questions. So if you're lost by this chapter or simply don't want me to forget something, please ask me and I'll be sure to answer you by including everything…(with the update, I mean.) Not too sure, but the next chapter could be another long one, would you like that?
And the list of Thank Yous follows: (Seriously, Everyone's reviews made my day!) :tear-tear: lol
Blue-Thanks for the cookies…oh, Squall's stomach is aching now. (He ate too many of them, lol. Poor thing, haha) Oh yeah, epics are usually worth the long wait anyway, but 6 months is an awful long time! Say, you made perfectly good sense to me. I guess I'm trying to break away from my insecurities with everything I write. I do tend to over work myself sometimes, and you're right, I should cut myself some slack. Looking on the bright side, I'm glad about the hit counters; at least I know this story gets some attention, lol. Thanks again for the inspiring words, I'm grateful!
Arkv01- I'm speechless, honestly. (But…my talkative side contradicts me…so…) Sorry about that cliffhanger. I didn't think it would be so bad a cliffy…most likely because I'm the one doing the writing! But anyway, I'm really glad you love the story. You don't know how much tension released when I received your review, Thanks again! Film of the Year! That would be awesome. lol
Lady-Rinoa- Oh, I'm sorry to hear about your rough day, but I'm more than glad my last chapter was able to calm you. (I guess we both felt down.) Well, like I said before, I want to avoid being too angst…and try to bring hope into the situation. I have to remind myself that it's an action, not a tragedy, lol. So, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter as well! Remember to smile all the time, even through hardship! (And no, I'm not quoting Yuna! lol) BTW- I'm glad your story is doing so well, aren't you glad you decided to continue? I'm really looking forward to plunging into your next chapter! lol
Yae-You hoped right, but trouble's brewing still…and I'm not too sure if she'll hang on long enough…hehe. Aww, I didn't know it would be that sad! Mostly, I think I felt a bit depressed as I wrote that chapter…which resulted in me being moody and crap…lol. I'm kinda sad that this story is about to end, and I don't want to disappoint anyone. Besides, if I add that "Things you didn't know" list at the end of my story, you would be greatly shocked by the original version. Oh yeah, and as for the hits…I'm not really worried about it anymore. If anything, I want to urge people to read Confusion and Fleeting Hope. (Two very important chapters that everyone just freely passes up, lol, besides, those two chapters are the introduction to the real action in the story, and they were great!) Okay, Okay, enough of my rambling—oh dear, more sweets! Paradise! Lol Thank you!
Orestes666- Thank you so much! Hey…I know, I know…its cliché, but I'm going to make sure everything happens to them before it's over, you know? (Which…sounds heartless, doesn't it?) Geez…anyway, I'm trying to avoid chapter exaggeration, I want to end this with a bang…well at least try to! lol, Alright, I'm shutting up now! Thanks again!
Yuleen75- ToT –Stop! You're making me cry too! ToT Lol. Hey, I wanted everything in that chapter, so I put everything in there! I'm glad it paid off! Sadly…I have no clue what this chapter will bring… The whole Odine thing…I didn't want it to be too…brutal, so I toned it down a lot. Well, I hope I didn't disappoint now. –sighs- lol But thanks anyway for the lovely review! ToT
Tsuki Leonhart- Hey, I didn't think you'd take a look into this story; I was surprised actually. lol. I'm glad you like it, because I'm trying so hard not to let anyone down. Hmm, I merely created this story just to have fun for the summer, but who knew it would turn into something more, eh? I'm glad to hear from you! Are you updating anytime soon, I'm waiting! lol (Hey, no pressure!)
Ittan-Momen- No! Put the chainsaw away! Please! You can take the entire T-Rexaur cast, I swear! You can have them all! Lol (Why not? They're not mine! Hehe) Say, they ate all the cookies you gave to me, anyway. –Points to the T-Rexaurs—the beasts scatter in a flash— Besides, that was a pretty good demonstration you gave about smashing T-Rexaur eggs! (Everyone, take a moment to read that, I promise it's worth it, and you guys wonder why I enjoy reviews so much, lol) Also, you shared that quote with me, so I hope you don't mind, but I'd like to share it with them.
"Inject your soul with liberty. It's free! It's free!"
Of course I'd like to join you there, lol. I don't see why I even became embarrassed about it before, hadn't I already warned everyone about my commentary? That gives me the advantage of sharing myself without any worries of what others might think. (The More You Know) –Anyone familiar with that? Lol-- Hmm, but whatever you do dear, don't eat those berries! lol! Thanks for all the reviews; they were great and hilarious! I swear, when I saw 11 new email messages, I knew it was you! lol …Titanic? No! haha, honestly, I didn't think about that until you pointed it out! (I swear its not a rip off, lol) No wonder I was so depressed, that's a really sad movie! lol. I can't stand similarities… -sighs-
(First Jurassic Park, and now Titanic, this is great. Lol)
Alright the goofiness has been pushed aside. I shall say this in one breath:
Let me know if this chapter was horrible-bad-okay-good-great-or excellent. Much appreciation for your words, whatever they might be! Hopefully, you won't wait too long for the next chapter. …I'm taking my time with these for a reason, okay? lol Thanks again everyone!
Hey, Jen, I told you I wouldn't forget about Quistis!
StardustRay