Storm Clouds
Chapter 14: Starting Over In Vain
"There wasn't any trouble was there?" Dewitt said politely as if they were on the topic of errands.
"No." Cloud mumbled. He slowly reached out for the money that was neatly stacked in large, thick stacks waiting for him.
"I'll keep you in my books if anything else comes up." The middle aged man leaned heavily in his leathered chair while again chewing on his expensive cigars.
"Thank you very much for your generosity." Cloud bowed.
"It's the least I can do!" He waved gaily. The blonde ended with his polite good byes and wasn't relieved of the chains until he breathed the city air.
It's over Cloud. He tried to comfort himself since he killed the old man. What's done is done. This was just another scenario of survival for the fittest. You had to kill him unless you would end back were death wasn't at all bad. An eye for an eye.
No matter how much lies he told himself, Cloud was never convinced that he did the right thing. The way the old man toppled to the ground was disturbing to the eye. A sight that Cloud would never forget but be the last thing he remembered.
Tifa was waiting patiently for the call that Vincent promised she would answer. She watched the clock, staring mostly at the second hand which made the hours go by even slower. It was during her lowest point of boredom that the phone rang.
"Yes! Vincent, is that you!" She only needed his sigh to tell her that it was him no less.
"I have some bad news." He said. He's dead. Tifa's mind frantically searched through all the worst possibilities of what could happen to Cloud Strife.
"Cloud knows of our plans. I caught him two days ago looking at the cell phone you gave me and I think he found out that you and I have been trying to bring him back home."
"Wait!" Tifa interrupted. "What makes you think he knows!"
"It's been two days and he hasn't come back."
"Why is he staying with you? I thought he would at least have his own place in Guinness! Is he homeless?" Tiff gasped. Vincent hesitated to tell her the truth. Even when it was official that him and Cloud were together he loathed it when people knew. Being an old fashion gentleman he was brought up to keep relations private.
"Umm….Yes is he. He was staying with me for the while but after he saw the phone he never came back home." Tifa sighed heavily in the phone.
"Well then, what should we do?" Her voice expressed her weariness and agitation enough.
"Let me handle him. If you come then our chance of brining him back is lost."
"You sound like he is mentally abused!" Tifa chuckled.
"I have a feeling he does." Vincent wasn't laughing.
A closed door. An open space. A covered table and voices were heard from behind the door.
"You are going to love this." The landlord began. "This is an old model in mint condition. A good 80 years old." He unlocked the door and allowed Cloud to go in first. The blonde stayed silent and looked around.
"In the market it runs for 500,000 at the least."
The flat lived up to the man's constant bragging. Molded in a rustic fashion with the ceilings tall and the doors grand with much detail. Furniture was still there with white sheets draping over their form.
"Who lived here before me?" Cloud asked as he removed a sheet from a table.
"The owners of the building. I'm not much of a historian on this building but I know they lived her long before the beginnings of Shirna. I think they left once the corrupt corporation began." Cloud nodded and weaved his way from room to room.
"I'll take it." He claimed.
"Excellent!" The man clapped. "How would you like to pay?" He watched Cloud take off his bag and rummage through it.
"Will up front be good?" He threw the guy a couple of stacks of cash. The landlord's mouth dropped unable to gasp. Is he kidding!
"That will be perfect!" He giggled and soon couldn't control his extensive smile. "Welcome to Hunter's Landing! I'm sure you will be pleased with your flat. And if you have any problems don't bother to ask!"
"Thank you. That will be all."
"I'll deal with them personally!" He kept on buttering up Cloud which was beginning to show its exhaustion on Cloud.
"Thank you again." This time he said more sternly.
"Have a nice day sir! And excellent day!" And the door was closed with Cloud and the ghost like furniture. One by one he uncovered each decorative object. Once all were unveiled Cloud plopped himself down in the low lying reclined couch which parallel against the high windows. It has good windows. Cloud recalled.
It reminds me a lot of Vincent. It's old, Victorian, secretive, and alluring. Then again it's me too because it's hollow, bare and abandoned. Cloud's blue eyes fluttered until they closed.
"Reno, I pass me that pen." Rude flipped through Tusas' contracts and realized Reno wasn't moving. "Yo!" He yelled.
"What!" Reno jumped.
Daydreaming again. Rude thought to himself.
"Stop staring off into space! What the hells the matter with you." He went over and snatched the pen behind Reno's ear. After checking off items from a list he turned to Reno. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Reno mumbled.
"What that girl wasn't good last night?"
"No." Reno mumbled. After a long pause he though the question over again. "Yes," He looked up to Rude.
"Why, what happened!" Rude's interest was peaked.
"She wasn't someone I wanted."
"Why, she wasn't ugly." Rude sat on the corner of Reno's desk.
"No! I mean, I didn't want to be with her because I wanted..." He stopped short. Rude would kill Cloud if he knew Cloud was alive.
"Who is it?" Rude pleaded.
"No one." Reno tried to get off the topic.
"Well then why weren't you with that person?" Rude asked.
"Because…because they lied. Not to me but they were living a lie. They were lying to themselves."
"That's impossible. If you know the truth then you can never lie to yourself." Rude said.
"This one did."
REVIEW PLEASE. COMING UP: Cloud's going through $ trouble's again and this time there is no way but down for him.