Thanks to everyone who took the time to review. I know it wasn't much, but
right now I'm really on a roll! I'm enjoying writing this as much as I
would normally be stuck in a book, and I'm really looking forward to
putting it all down into words.
And just a quick reminder for those who haven't seen the movie in a long time, there are a few key facts you might not have remembered.
In the movie, there is a part where the Agent is talking to Morpheus. In that he's telling him how humans are like parasites, etc. But what's key is when he says that in the beginning they tried to make the world a paradise. But humans couldn't accept it, and so they lost whole crops, and had to start all over. The Matrix takes place within the 20th century, because it is the highlight of human life. But if the Matrix is hundreds of years old, then how can that be? So in this story it's very important that the 20th century is happening over and over again, and in the Matrix time is reversed back to the beginning. That's why the people in the real world don't know what year it is. It doesn't say just when they decided to use the 20th century, so it can be believed they tried many different times in human existence, and none of them worked so they tried something new until they finally made up their minds. In the movie it talks about how there was someone who was 'The One' long before Neo. And that when he died, there was a prophecy that he would come again. This is a very important piece of this story.
Now, hope you enjoy!
***
The small girl held tightly to her parent's hands, barely able to contain her excitement. It had taken so many months to convince them, and now here she was.
She would burst into spontaneous giggles every time she saw some crazy character do something bizarre, just like they would in the movies. And even though she knew they were people in costumes that didn't ruin the feeling of wonder that filled Disney World. And she had so many plans for what she would do here too. First she would find Mickey Mouse, and then Cinderella. After all, the blonde servant girl was her favorite girl of all. And then she would go on every ride her small stature would allow, including the Dumbo ride.
For truly Disney World was its own type of paradise. And it was filled with laughter and fun. While the entire earth was a 'paradise', this place was special in and of itself. It was where childhood dreams could come true. Not to say she didn't love her world. It was a wonderful place, where there was no such thing as poverty, hunger, or famine, and everyone got everything they wanted without any trouble. With just a thought you could do practically anything. All you needed was to believe you could. But Disney World was created almost solely for children, and she planned to milk it for all it was worth.
She glanced up worriedly at her parents while she walked on. Her mom's mind was somewhere else, and her dad had a small scowl on his face. Even though they were in this place of magic, she knew their worries hadn't gone away. They tried so hard to hide it from her ears, but she still knew strange things were going on. People were mysteriously dying, for no reason at all. Entire cities would vanish without a trace, and all that would be left was nothingness. That was one of the reasons she had wanted to come here so badly. She wanted to take her beloved parents away from the worry that she knew plagued them.
Her mother noticed she was looking at her, and she quickly covered her face with a brilliant smile. "Usagi, dearest. Be a sweet and go stand with goofy over there. I'd really like to get a picture." Usagi for the first time looked up, and saw one of her favorite Disney Characters. With a squeal she ran over to him.
Pulling on his big black hand, she waited trying to get his attention. When she finally did he looked down at her, and with a kind booming voice asked. "Yes little miss, what can I do for you?"
Usagi smiled and chirped. "Could I please get a picture with you for my mommy? Puleasssseee?"
Goofy laughed and answered quickly. "No problem. Just come over here and stand by me." He got on his knees, and she stood a little in front of him.
"Smile and say cheese!" Her father called as he got the camera ready.
"Cheese!" Usagi shouted through clenched teeth as she smiled to enormously she felt her cheeks begin to crack.
Following was a brief flash of light, which momentarily blinded the small girl. For just a second all she saw was white.
However that instant was more than enough. She opened her eyes, and her world had gone mad.
"Mommy, Daddy!" She screamed, eyes searching frantically through the now silent amusement park. When she finally saw them, she couldn't stop the sob that came from her lips. She fell to her knees by the now still forms of her beloved parents. She shook them, not quite understanding what was happening. She had always been so protected, and she didn't recognize death when she saw it. "Wake up." She cried, looking for some sort of sign of life in her parents. A word, and touch, anything.
When they still hadn't moved, she came to the startling realization. Her parents were gone. For some reason they had left her. Standing up and moving away she started to look hysterically for any sign of life. Someone to tell her what had happened to her parents. But all she saw were bodies littering the ground as far as the eye could see.
And just when she was sure her world couldn't fall apart more than it already had, she noticed the strangest thing of her life. Slowly, everything was disappearing. The rides that had stood starkly against the horizon were now gone, and the bodies were beginning to vanish one at a time.
Still not quite grasping what was happening around her, she ran back to her parents. Taking their hands in hers, she held on tightly. Even though they were dead, she would not let them go. She would hold on, no matter what. But despite everything, as she was surrounded by white emptiness, and all but her parents were already gone, she felt them slipping through her fingers.
"NO, DON'T LEAVE ME!!!" She screamed, but no one heard her. She was alone.
And distantly, she could have sworn she heard a cold, inhuman voice say. "It is finished. Now we can begin again."
Usagi screamed.
***
With a start Usagi bolted upright in her bed. She had that dream again, and just when she was beginning to think her past was behind her. Wrapping her arms around her legs, she rested her chin on her knees, waiting for the tremors to stop. But she didn't cry, or weep. This was a familiar feeling, and she had learned to deal with it. It was a nightmare she had so many times before, that it was almost like an old friend. Not quite, but almost.
Knowing she would get no more sleep that night Usagi reluctantly climbed out of her bed. A shiver passed through her body at she sudden cold. She never bothered to heat her apartment, and in the middle of the winter most would think that wasn't a good idea. But she just ignored it, and told herself she couldn't feel anything. She told herself she was nice and warm, and the next thing she knew she felt like she was covered with a large blanket, blocking the chill night air.
Her body rebelled at the lack of sleep she was allowing it, and Usagi just staunchly ignored it.
Her feet made faint rustling sounds as she padded across the soft carpet floor to go and take a shower. That dream, and especially the voice at the end of it always made her feel so dirty. Then she would proceed to rub at her skin until it was red and raw, and still not feel totally clean.
As she felt the scalding hot water beat against her skin, she whistled to try and clear her mind. It was an old tune, one that had been long forgotten through the years. Remembered only by her, it was from a different time, and in a sense a different 'world'. It was a funny, upbeat song her mother used to sing to her to banish the demons, and lull her into a dreamless sleep. She cherished it as one of the things she still had of those people who had died so many years ago.
After the water was beginning to turn ice cold, and she had no idea she had been there, Usagi climbed out to get ready for work. She wore a somber business suit, and her long gold hair was tied back in a bun. When she was a child she had worn them in strange pigtail-like ondagos that her mother put up every morning. But that would attract too much attention, and attention was the last thing she wanted.
Everything about her appearance she carefully changed in order to better blend in. The right clothes, make-up, and hairdo were all carefully arranged in order to make herself as inconspicuous as possible.
With an exasperated sigh she looked over at her clock. It read 5:30 am. Work didn't start until 7:00, and it was only a 15-minute walk to get there, which meant she had a full 45 minutes to kill. Her eyes strayed against their own accord to the calendar that hung on her wall. Today was December 25, Christmas. It was a time for one to spend with family and friends. But her family had all died, and for her friends were a far too dangerous commodity to indulge in. Besides, any attachments she made weren't worth the pain of losing them in the end. Today would be a day like any other. She would go to work, and then come home. Maybe she would treat herself to pizza, and that was it.
She knew it was in a way dangerous to work on Christmas, but she still needed something to do to keep her mind busy. That was the only way to push what she wanted to forget into the back of her mind for a few moments, and it would be even worse on a day she had once spent with loved ones. The danger came from her co-workers, and the way rumors flied. She was already polite, but distant. She wasn't anyone's friend, and she knew that to work too much would be cause for her to be singled out. And rumors were already spreading. She knew it would be time to leave soon.
Which it was really a shame, because she preferred this job over others she had occupied herself with. It was working with software, and the numbers. In a way it all sort of reminded her of the Matrix, the biggest computer of them all.
Pulling on her heavy leather jacket, Usagi went outside. For just a minute she couldn't help but look around her in wonder. There had been a fresh snowfall the night before, blanketing everything in sight. It was beautiful, truly a winter wonderland. And even though she knew it wasn't real, she still loved it all the same. After all, what is real was only a matter of perspective.
Wrapping her coat even tighter about herself, Usagi unconsciously sped up. That was all behind her now, and she tired not to think about it anymore. Real world or the Matrix. She had tried so hard to simply forget and move on. But she had found her mind stray every once in a while recently. Almost like something important had happened, and she needed to know what it was. She would find herself wondering how they were doing in the resistance, even though she had refused to take part in it for hundreds of years. It bothered her, and she didn't know why.
The feeling only strengthened as she walked on down the sidewalk, distracting her more than she cared to admit. But she was able to shrug it off as nothing more than hunger from not eating.
Suddenly a stabbing pain in her chest made forced Usagi to her knees. Her vision turned red, the exact color of blood. The pain was so immense that she couldn't think straight flowed all of her senses. Nothing like this had ever-she stopped herself-had happened for a long time. She felt like she was dying, even though she knew that wasn't possible. She felt like she had been shot in the chest, but she knew she was perfectly fine. She felt like she was dying, and everything went black.
***
"Excuse me miss, MISS! Somebody call an ambulance!" Usagi awoke to a panicked voice and the feel someone shaking her shoulders.
In a flash she had her eyes opened. She felt just fine, and the pain was totally gone. But the pain of the body couldn't compare to the pain of her heart that struck like lightning. She was in a daze as she waved off the kind man who had found her. Nothing like this had happened to her in years at least not since his last death, she paused for a moment, she didn't even know how many years ago.
And she knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt. The One had returned.
***
I know, it's not much. But I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Remember to review. It only takes a second, but it totally makes my day.
And feel free to email me at sirencalling@yahoo.com to say anything at all.
See ya laterz!
And just a quick reminder for those who haven't seen the movie in a long time, there are a few key facts you might not have remembered.
In the movie, there is a part where the Agent is talking to Morpheus. In that he's telling him how humans are like parasites, etc. But what's key is when he says that in the beginning they tried to make the world a paradise. But humans couldn't accept it, and so they lost whole crops, and had to start all over. The Matrix takes place within the 20th century, because it is the highlight of human life. But if the Matrix is hundreds of years old, then how can that be? So in this story it's very important that the 20th century is happening over and over again, and in the Matrix time is reversed back to the beginning. That's why the people in the real world don't know what year it is. It doesn't say just when they decided to use the 20th century, so it can be believed they tried many different times in human existence, and none of them worked so they tried something new until they finally made up their minds. In the movie it talks about how there was someone who was 'The One' long before Neo. And that when he died, there was a prophecy that he would come again. This is a very important piece of this story.
Now, hope you enjoy!
***
The small girl held tightly to her parent's hands, barely able to contain her excitement. It had taken so many months to convince them, and now here she was.
She would burst into spontaneous giggles every time she saw some crazy character do something bizarre, just like they would in the movies. And even though she knew they were people in costumes that didn't ruin the feeling of wonder that filled Disney World. And she had so many plans for what she would do here too. First she would find Mickey Mouse, and then Cinderella. After all, the blonde servant girl was her favorite girl of all. And then she would go on every ride her small stature would allow, including the Dumbo ride.
For truly Disney World was its own type of paradise. And it was filled with laughter and fun. While the entire earth was a 'paradise', this place was special in and of itself. It was where childhood dreams could come true. Not to say she didn't love her world. It was a wonderful place, where there was no such thing as poverty, hunger, or famine, and everyone got everything they wanted without any trouble. With just a thought you could do practically anything. All you needed was to believe you could. But Disney World was created almost solely for children, and she planned to milk it for all it was worth.
She glanced up worriedly at her parents while she walked on. Her mom's mind was somewhere else, and her dad had a small scowl on his face. Even though they were in this place of magic, she knew their worries hadn't gone away. They tried so hard to hide it from her ears, but she still knew strange things were going on. People were mysteriously dying, for no reason at all. Entire cities would vanish without a trace, and all that would be left was nothingness. That was one of the reasons she had wanted to come here so badly. She wanted to take her beloved parents away from the worry that she knew plagued them.
Her mother noticed she was looking at her, and she quickly covered her face with a brilliant smile. "Usagi, dearest. Be a sweet and go stand with goofy over there. I'd really like to get a picture." Usagi for the first time looked up, and saw one of her favorite Disney Characters. With a squeal she ran over to him.
Pulling on his big black hand, she waited trying to get his attention. When she finally did he looked down at her, and with a kind booming voice asked. "Yes little miss, what can I do for you?"
Usagi smiled and chirped. "Could I please get a picture with you for my mommy? Puleasssseee?"
Goofy laughed and answered quickly. "No problem. Just come over here and stand by me." He got on his knees, and she stood a little in front of him.
"Smile and say cheese!" Her father called as he got the camera ready.
"Cheese!" Usagi shouted through clenched teeth as she smiled to enormously she felt her cheeks begin to crack.
Following was a brief flash of light, which momentarily blinded the small girl. For just a second all she saw was white.
However that instant was more than enough. She opened her eyes, and her world had gone mad.
"Mommy, Daddy!" She screamed, eyes searching frantically through the now silent amusement park. When she finally saw them, she couldn't stop the sob that came from her lips. She fell to her knees by the now still forms of her beloved parents. She shook them, not quite understanding what was happening. She had always been so protected, and she didn't recognize death when she saw it. "Wake up." She cried, looking for some sort of sign of life in her parents. A word, and touch, anything.
When they still hadn't moved, she came to the startling realization. Her parents were gone. For some reason they had left her. Standing up and moving away she started to look hysterically for any sign of life. Someone to tell her what had happened to her parents. But all she saw were bodies littering the ground as far as the eye could see.
And just when she was sure her world couldn't fall apart more than it already had, she noticed the strangest thing of her life. Slowly, everything was disappearing. The rides that had stood starkly against the horizon were now gone, and the bodies were beginning to vanish one at a time.
Still not quite grasping what was happening around her, she ran back to her parents. Taking their hands in hers, she held on tightly. Even though they were dead, she would not let them go. She would hold on, no matter what. But despite everything, as she was surrounded by white emptiness, and all but her parents were already gone, she felt them slipping through her fingers.
"NO, DON'T LEAVE ME!!!" She screamed, but no one heard her. She was alone.
And distantly, she could have sworn she heard a cold, inhuman voice say. "It is finished. Now we can begin again."
Usagi screamed.
***
With a start Usagi bolted upright in her bed. She had that dream again, and just when she was beginning to think her past was behind her. Wrapping her arms around her legs, she rested her chin on her knees, waiting for the tremors to stop. But she didn't cry, or weep. This was a familiar feeling, and she had learned to deal with it. It was a nightmare she had so many times before, that it was almost like an old friend. Not quite, but almost.
Knowing she would get no more sleep that night Usagi reluctantly climbed out of her bed. A shiver passed through her body at she sudden cold. She never bothered to heat her apartment, and in the middle of the winter most would think that wasn't a good idea. But she just ignored it, and told herself she couldn't feel anything. She told herself she was nice and warm, and the next thing she knew she felt like she was covered with a large blanket, blocking the chill night air.
Her body rebelled at the lack of sleep she was allowing it, and Usagi just staunchly ignored it.
Her feet made faint rustling sounds as she padded across the soft carpet floor to go and take a shower. That dream, and especially the voice at the end of it always made her feel so dirty. Then she would proceed to rub at her skin until it was red and raw, and still not feel totally clean.
As she felt the scalding hot water beat against her skin, she whistled to try and clear her mind. It was an old tune, one that had been long forgotten through the years. Remembered only by her, it was from a different time, and in a sense a different 'world'. It was a funny, upbeat song her mother used to sing to her to banish the demons, and lull her into a dreamless sleep. She cherished it as one of the things she still had of those people who had died so many years ago.
After the water was beginning to turn ice cold, and she had no idea she had been there, Usagi climbed out to get ready for work. She wore a somber business suit, and her long gold hair was tied back in a bun. When she was a child she had worn them in strange pigtail-like ondagos that her mother put up every morning. But that would attract too much attention, and attention was the last thing she wanted.
Everything about her appearance she carefully changed in order to better blend in. The right clothes, make-up, and hairdo were all carefully arranged in order to make herself as inconspicuous as possible.
With an exasperated sigh she looked over at her clock. It read 5:30 am. Work didn't start until 7:00, and it was only a 15-minute walk to get there, which meant she had a full 45 minutes to kill. Her eyes strayed against their own accord to the calendar that hung on her wall. Today was December 25, Christmas. It was a time for one to spend with family and friends. But her family had all died, and for her friends were a far too dangerous commodity to indulge in. Besides, any attachments she made weren't worth the pain of losing them in the end. Today would be a day like any other. She would go to work, and then come home. Maybe she would treat herself to pizza, and that was it.
She knew it was in a way dangerous to work on Christmas, but she still needed something to do to keep her mind busy. That was the only way to push what she wanted to forget into the back of her mind for a few moments, and it would be even worse on a day she had once spent with loved ones. The danger came from her co-workers, and the way rumors flied. She was already polite, but distant. She wasn't anyone's friend, and she knew that to work too much would be cause for her to be singled out. And rumors were already spreading. She knew it would be time to leave soon.
Which it was really a shame, because she preferred this job over others she had occupied herself with. It was working with software, and the numbers. In a way it all sort of reminded her of the Matrix, the biggest computer of them all.
Pulling on her heavy leather jacket, Usagi went outside. For just a minute she couldn't help but look around her in wonder. There had been a fresh snowfall the night before, blanketing everything in sight. It was beautiful, truly a winter wonderland. And even though she knew it wasn't real, she still loved it all the same. After all, what is real was only a matter of perspective.
Wrapping her coat even tighter about herself, Usagi unconsciously sped up. That was all behind her now, and she tired not to think about it anymore. Real world or the Matrix. She had tried so hard to simply forget and move on. But she had found her mind stray every once in a while recently. Almost like something important had happened, and she needed to know what it was. She would find herself wondering how they were doing in the resistance, even though she had refused to take part in it for hundreds of years. It bothered her, and she didn't know why.
The feeling only strengthened as she walked on down the sidewalk, distracting her more than she cared to admit. But she was able to shrug it off as nothing more than hunger from not eating.
Suddenly a stabbing pain in her chest made forced Usagi to her knees. Her vision turned red, the exact color of blood. The pain was so immense that she couldn't think straight flowed all of her senses. Nothing like this had ever-she stopped herself-had happened for a long time. She felt like she was dying, even though she knew that wasn't possible. She felt like she had been shot in the chest, but she knew she was perfectly fine. She felt like she was dying, and everything went black.
***
"Excuse me miss, MISS! Somebody call an ambulance!" Usagi awoke to a panicked voice and the feel someone shaking her shoulders.
In a flash she had her eyes opened. She felt just fine, and the pain was totally gone. But the pain of the body couldn't compare to the pain of her heart that struck like lightning. She was in a daze as she waved off the kind man who had found her. Nothing like this had happened to her in years at least not since his last death, she paused for a moment, she didn't even know how many years ago.
And she knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt. The One had returned.
***
I know, it's not much. But I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Remember to review. It only takes a second, but it totally makes my day.
And feel free to email me at sirencalling@yahoo.com to say anything at all.
See ya laterz!