DISCLAIMER: I don't own the titans, nor do I own anything affiliated with them. I do, however, retain the right to call any unique characters I create my intellectual property. That about sums up the disclaimer. Have fun reading the story!
Right from the start,I need to mention that this chapter will be taking on the genre of Horror for a brief time, so be warned.
And now, I'd like to take the time to thank my reviewers for Chapter 4:
Milenka-Kismet: If I read your assessment of my story correctly, the fact that you actually reviewed my work is a huge honor for me. So, with that in mind, I'd like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your valued input. Also, thank you very much for the offer of help regarding my writing. I may take you up on that offer some day. One more thing: Rping? I know that means role-playing, but how would you suggest I do that, exactly?
Darkest Raven: I'm very glad that you like my story so much! Hopefully, it will keep your interest for a long time to come, as I am already in the process of creating two or three devastating plot twists a little later on in the story. Until then, enjoy!
loves-winged-dark-angel: Very short and to the point. Thanks!
whitedarkness: Thank you for this review as well as all the others! I hope you enjoy this chapter too.
Elihu: I really tried to take your words to heart (no pun intended). The aspect of love shall be gradually worked into the storyline, though I do intend to have a whole lot of little things happen that guide their affection for one another along its due course. Just reel me in if things start to develop too fast.
And with that, I humbly introduce you to the next installment of my beloved little story.
The youth groaned, cradling his aching head in both hands. He couldn't even think straight, and it almost seemed as if he were watching his own movements through someone else's eyes. Slowly, he made his way to a standing position, and leaned heavily against a firm wall that was situated right beside him.
Shaking the cobwebs out of his head, he looked over to see what he was resting against.
The view of a pure white hallway presented itself to the youth, as his palm was pressed flush with a transparent Plexiglas divider between himself and the outside world. A sense of absolute dread began to seep into his mind, and it was with all the hesitance of a man expecting to see Death itself looking back at him did he slowly turn around.
He thought he was going to vomit.
This can't be … I escaped…didn't I? What about the girl I met? She was real, right? Did I just imagine her? Did I imagine everything? Was it all a dream? Oh, please, don't let it all have been a dream…
The young man made his way around the small cubicle numbly; taking note of everything that was there.
Two cots, one sink, and a toilet. Yes, it was all here. He could even see the metal plates with numbers inscribed upon them bolted over each mattress.
A strange sense of familiarity took shape deep within his mind, and to his utmost horror, he found it comforting. This cell had been his home for as long as he could remember, and the only thing missing from it was the one person who had kept him sane all this time.
Memories of Theresa began to flood his thoughts, and he grinned despite himself when he noticed the almost nonexistent depression in her mattress. She had always been so thin, and he could still remember trying to get her to eat some of his rations so that she wouldn't appear as frail. Every time, she would just look at him with a smile and pat him on the cheek for his kindheartedness, though not once did she ever accept his offer.
A whole wash of memories and emotions began to assail his mind, some good, though most of them bad. Images of Dr. Wraith took their place right next to jokes with other detainees, just as easily as his escape blended together with Theresa's death.
His escape. If only she could have been alive so that they could have left this cursed place together.
Anger began to rise within his heart, and it was with a look of contempt that the youth regarded the whitewashed titanium walls surrounding his person.
I don't care if it was just a dream…I know what freedom is like now, and I want it back. I'm not going to just sit down and take it, not any more…
There was a fire burning deep within his eyes, and it was beginning to clear up the sense of disembodiment that was still somewhat present in his thoughts.
Wraith can't hold me here forever. I'll fight him all over again just for the chance to see a sunrise one more time.
He turned around abruptly and walked right up to the transparent wall, a sight that had always mocked him by showing the way out, yet denying any hope of reaching it.
I won't be a prisoner any longer; I'll die before I submit to another treatment session.
The youth was bristling with rage now, trying to prepare himself for what he was going to do. He hated this place with every fiber of his being, and wanted nothing more than to lay waste to the entire complex, but he still remembered that his powers were useless here. Something in the air kept his telekinetic abilities subdued, and thus it was with a more straightforward approach that he addressed the wall before him.
"I'll bring this whole place down on my head before I let Project E.L.E.M.E.N.T. take its course."
Centering himself, he punched straight out with everything he had.
Never before in his life had this worked. He knew that even as he drew back his arm, remembering the time he had shattered his hand trying this exact same thing. The pain had been excruciating, and it was with a solemn promise to himself that he vowed never to try this again.
His actions now only proved the desperation he felt to be away from this nightmarish place.
With a yelp of surprise, the youth's fist sailed right through the area where the Plexiglas should have been. His momentum knocked him off balance, and it was with a tremendous thud that he landed sprawled out on the floor.
Jumping to his feet, he whirled about, an incredulous expression etched onto every part of his face. The wall was back, just as it had been a moment ago.
Before he could properly set his mind to consider what had happened, a gentle sob could be heard echoing up and down the vacant hallway. The young man's eyes grew wide, and he could feel a cold chill travel up his spine.
He hadn't heard that sound in almost three years, not since the day she died. With a choked whisper, he spoke her name.
"Theresa…?" All his other thoughts took a backseat to the pressing matter of finding his best friend.
"Theresa! Where are you?" Nothing else mattered as he raced up and down the seemingly endless hallway. None of the other rooms on either side of the passage were occupied, nor were there any seekers patrolling the corridors.
Was she alive? Did she only die in my dream? How long have I been asleep? Is this even real? I can't tell anymore…
The sobbing seemed to be coming from all directions at once, making it impossible to find her in this manner. He needed some sort of guide.
"Theresa, say something! Tell me where you are!" The sobbing only grew louder, and he was soon even more confused than before. Just as he had been about to start off again, he heard a choked cry right to the side of him.
The youth spun on his heel, and saw a little girl of no more than twelve years sitting in the middle of the room, weeping. As he looked at the numbers over the beds, he was startled to see it was their chamber.
She's just as I remember her…but that was three years ago…
Things weren't adding up, but he didn't care. All he wanted to do was get back in the room he had feared so much for most of his life. Both fists hammered futilely at the solid wall, and it was with a sense of terrible grief that he could only look upon her helplessly, tears quickly forming in his eyes.
"Theresa…please look up. I'm here. You don't have to cry anymore." After a few seconds, the girl in question wiped an arm across her face and sniffled a few times before doing as he asked.
"Who…who are you?" It pained him to hear that she somehow didn't remember, but he took it in stride. With a smile on his face, he answered her in a soft voice.
"It's me, Raphael. Don't you remember? We named each other soon after we first got here so we wouldn't be just numbers any more. You were so happy to have a name…" His voice cracked at the end, but his smile remained.
"Do you remember now?" She kept looking at him for a few seconds, and then nodded her head. The tiny girl gradually stopped crying, and slowly rose to her feet. She made her way over to the transparent enclosure and beckoned for the young man to bend down. As he did so, her soft features suddenly transformed into a vicious snarl.
"You're the reason I'm dead." His eyes widened considerably, and the entire ceiling abruptly collapsed inside the chamber, crushing her beneath several tons of concrete and steel.
She hadn't even tried to move out of the way.
A paralyzing wave of despair passed over him, and it was with a slow, fearful stride backwards that the youth attempted to remain standing amidst the tortured thoughts now swirling through his head. Despite the horrific sight before him, he was acutely aware of backing up into something that felt like rubber. The sick feeling in the pit of his stomach intensified greatly.
A hesitant glance over his left shoulder revealed two piercing blue eyes set behind that horrible black mask.
"Welcome back." Without warning, two gloved hands shot forward and the young man suddenly found himself slammed head first into the wall with enough force to knock him senseless. When he shook off the dizziness, he saw Theresa's broken face pressed right up against the glass opposite his own. Despite the sudden rush of bile to his mouth, it was not the sight of her corpse that made him feel sick.
What truly horrified him was when her eyes suddenly popped open.
His stifled cry of terror reverberated off the wall as he tried desperately to get away from the gruesome sight before him.
None of this is possible…it can't be real…
His thoughts were displaced a few moments later when the hooded man leaned in close and began to whisper in his ear.
"You have always been such a fool. Did you really think I wouldn't find you again? It was only a matter of time…" The young man squirmed, but Dr. Wraith's grip was like iron. Morgan let out a hollow laugh that cut right through the terrified youth.
"There is no escape from your own mind, boy. I'll always be here, somewhere, waiting for you to lower your guard. Then, when you least expect it, the experiments shall continue…" With that, the painful hold vanished, and the youth spun about.
No one was there.
His heart was racing. He turned back to the Plexiglas wall, and saw only an empty room, void of any debris. While his hand slowly came up from his side to cautiously inspect the material, he heard a faint dripping sound behind him.
As he turned, all the color drained from his face, and his eyes momentarily lost their focus. He couldn't move, couldn't talk, and couldn't think. The only thing that was remotely under his control were the short, wheezing breaths he was now taking due to the constriction in his chest.
Standing five feet in front of him was the mangled body of his friend, looking as if it had just been pulled from the wreckage that had only moments ago been their room. Long blonde hair was now matted with blood, and the only thing he could clearly make out were the lifeless sky blue eyes that remained locked on his face.
She lurched forward, and he could hear the sickening crunch and squish of bone and flesh as her body moved unsteadily towards him. With a final step, she fell into his arms, and it was all that he could do not to swoon. A hideous grimace passed over her torn features as she looked up, and he could only translate it as a smile. One of her hands rose shakily from her side and gently caressed his face, leaving smears of blood and gore all along his jaw.
By this point, his brain had more or less ceased to function, as he could only look down at the sight he never thought he would actually lay eyes upon. All this time, he had wanted to know once and for all if she had actually died. He had only assumed so when her body had never been recovered after the terrible accident that occurred three years ago, but who could actually live through such a horrendous disaster? It took them seven months just to clear out all the rubble. There was no way she could have survived…
But now, to have his enduring hope for her safety crushed so brutally as to see her corpse standing before him, it was simply too much to bear. He hardly registered the movement as her disfigured hand slid around the back of his neck and pulled him down close. Her whispered words were choked with blood, and it was with a horrifying sensation that he could actually feel some of her gore splatter onto his foot.
"I'm sorry I had to leave you, but don't worry…" She pulled him a bit closer, and with all the gentleness of a child, kissed him tenderly on the cheek. He was vaguely aware of blood oozing down his neck.
"You'll be joining me soon enough." And with that, she bit heavily into his face.
-
Starfire received the fright of her life when the young man she had been caring for suddenly screamed and sat bolt upright in bed, gasping for air. His eyes were wild looking, and he was frantically groping at the side of his face for some reason. She rushed over to his side immediately, her thoughts centering on keeping him from moving around too much.
Placing both hands on his shoulders, she gradually guided the youth back down to the soft bed beneath him.
"It is alright, you are among friends now. The Doctor Morgan Wraith is no longer present." It was the only thing she could think of to say on the spur of the moment, and it was with a sense of relief that her words slowly began to take effect. She cast him a disarming smile before warily stepping away.
He was shrouded in a cold sweat, making the light sheets covering him stick to his moist body. For a split second, though, he thought it was blood. That notion seemed rather out of place to him at the moment, as the instant he woke up the nightmare had already become hazy and clouded. Regardless, he still rubbed a free hand over his chest to make sure. Within a few seconds, the feelings of trepidation passed, and he began to calm down once again.
That was when the dull ache of his wounds began to set in. He gingerly placed a hand over his stomach, and winced at the pain it caused. Both eyes set a questioning look upon the young woman to his side, and then he slowly peeled away the cotton fabric until his entire upper body was exposed.
His face scrunched up at the sight of the bandaged wounds, and he once again took on a quizzical expression.
"What…happened to me?" This time, it was Starfire who cast him a questioning look.
"You do not remember?" The young man shook his head slowly before shifting his attention back to the injuries. Meanwhile, the Tameranian girl's brow furrowed. Another thought suddenly entered her mind.
"Do you remember me?" The youth studied her face closely, and then shook his head once again. Granted, there was a faint sense of familiarity, but not enough to place her in his scrambled thoughts.
Perhaps he has got the amnesia. I have heard that earthlings suffer from such things after sustaining considerable damage. The young woman considered the situation for a moment, and then a bright smile suddenly played itself across her features. I shall fetch Robin! Surely, he will have some knowledge of what to do in a situation such as this! Confident in her decision, she turned to the youth.
"I am going to retrieve my good friend Robin so that he may assist you in your time of need. Please remain where you are until we return." Glancing upward, he nodded dumbly before she flew off down the hallway.
For some reason, the fact that she could fly at all didn't strike him as the least bit odd. Several images of flashing green light suddenly filled his thoughts, though he had no idea what to make of it. As he tried to concentrate on the fuzzy images in his mind, a sudden jolt of pain shot through his skull.
The youth rubbed his eyes, warding off the discomfort brought on by the unexpected headache. Despite the throbbing, he was still left with an impression of the last thing he had in his thoughts before being interrupted. That, however, left him even more confused than before. With a clueless expression on his face, he considered the significance of his fading memory.
What in the world is the 'ship of my friend'…?
-
Meanwhile, Starfire had managed to arouse Robin out of sleep with a few not so subtle knocks outside his quarters. A few seconds passed, and the young woman was just about to thump on his door again when she heard some faint grumbling inside.
"Robin? You are awake?" The masked boy finally rolled out of bed at the sound of her voice, stealing a glance at his alarm clock before walking over to the door.
Three thirty in the morning…great. This had better not be about trying to get Silky house-broken again…
With a quiet hiss, the twin metallic doors swished open to present a very serious looking Starfire. His expression of annoyance disappeared in an instant, and he was now on full alert. She, on the other hand, could not maintain her demeanor after taking one good look at his features. A sudden fear took hold of him, and he reflexively reached up to make sure his mask was on. Confident that everything was in place, he leveled a quizzical look at the girl before him.
"What?" His question snapped her back to attention, though she only proceeded to smile broadly and reach out to pat him gently on the head. His puzzled look momentarily intensified, though he quickly realized what had so caught her attention. Before he could say anything, she spoke.
"Your hair has softened considerably since last I saw you. Please, what has caused it to change in such a way?" His uncomfortable expression hardened into a grimace.
How could I be so stupid? I washed out all of my hair gel before I went to bed! I can't believe she saw me like this…Thinking quickly, Robin just spurted out the first thing that entered his mind.
"It's an Earth thing." Just as he said it, the masked boy groaned inwardly.
Nice one, genius. That quick wit sure does come in handy from time to time.
Despite the poor explanation, Starfire giggled and beamed a smile at him.
"It is a…cute Earth thing." Robin's eyes bulged out from behind his mask.
Did she just say I was cute?
Before the young woman could inquire about the sudden dilation of all the capillaries located in her friend's cheeks, Raven abruptly turned a corner at the end of the hall and quickly glided over to them.
"I heard someone scream. What happened?" Robin cast a questioning look at Starfire.
"Someone screamed?" The Tameranian girl regained her senses immediately, and quickly explained to Raven and Robin about the mysterious newcomer's panic and partial memory loss. The Boy Wonder regarded Starfire with an incredulous expression.
"Why didn't you say that in the first place?" The young woman gave him a sheepish look and simply shrugged. With a quick apology, she flew back down the hall to check on their patient. Looking back at Raven, the masked boy thought he could detect a shallow grin on her features.
"What?" Smirking once again, she pulled up her cowl and began to glide down the hallway after Starfire. When she was almost out of earshot, the young empath turned her head and looked back to where Robin was still standing.
"Nice hair." At her words, the Boy Wonder shot a hand up to cover his head, than let it fall lifelessly to his side with a dejected glower. As she turned the corner, a faint smile etched itself across her lips as she could her him muttering irritably as he followed in her wake.
-
Starfire, Robin, and Raven arrived at the medical bay observation room in a timely fashion. The youth was still lying down in bed, though his sweat soaked sheets had been more or less kicked off, leaving him covered by nothing more than a pair of thin, gray cotton pants. Both Robin and Starfire immediately made their way over to the young man, eager to see how he was doing as well as check on his vital signs.
Raven, however, remained in the doorway, trying desperately to quell her rising emotions. He had been unconscious for almost thirty-six hours, and the young empath had spent nearly every waking moment of that time in meditation. Unfamiliar thoughts and feelings had been coursing through her mind almost non-stop, and it was with the greatest amount of effort that she had managed to sift through them and determine what was truly going on in her head.
Eventually, she had convinced herself that this was nothing more than a simple crush; love at first sight, for people who actually believed in that sort of thing. Anything past a physical attraction was inconsequential, as she really knew nothing about him. Also, what he had said and done earlier had only been part of a delusional state of mind wrought from a life threatening injury. It had of course meant nothing.
Still, she could not get over the way he had looked at her that night; the sheer emotion that had been present in his unblinking gaze. Even at the thought of him looking at her like that tugged on her heartstrings, causing a momentary slip in her emotional barriers.
The sight of him glistening under the pale lighting of the room, his unkempt hair spread out over the pillow beneath his head, even the way the muscles in his chest and abdomen flexed ever so slightly as he gingerly repositioned himself in the bed. The chink in her mental armor grew a bit larger as she took it all in, allowing a red glow to envelop her cheeks as some uncharacteristically lewd thoughts briefly played themselves out in her mind.
Luckily, the cowl of her cloak was more than enough to cover the blush when Robin abruptly turned around and spoke, immediately breaking her train of thought. It did not, however, divert any attention away from the glass bottle of cotton balls and tongue depressors that suddenly shattered off to the side. A raised eyebrow was all the response she received from the Boy Wonder before he once again regarded her in an even manner.
"Raven, I want you to try and help him with his amnesia. I think it's only temporary, but the sooner we know exactly what's going on here, the better. See if you can refresh his memory of last night's events with your powers."
Amnesia? Then, he doesn't remember what happened… A glimmer of sadness momentarily played itself across her face, only to be drowned out by a resolute expression of determination. Good. Things are better off this way.
The pale young woman nodded and made her way over to the bedside, instantly reestablishing all her barriers. As she took her place beside the young man, Robin took several steps back to join Starfire at the foot of the bed. A simple glance down at the youth's face revealed a gentle smile that held both hope and fear intertwined in his features.
She ignored the pleasant look and concentrated on maintaining her focus. A single hand rose from her side, and she gently placed it on his moist brow. At her touch, his eyes widened a bit, and she was unable to refrain from casting him a questioning look. Though her hood adequately sheltered her face behind a wall of shadows, he was still able to make out her quizzical expression. He nodded an apology.
"You're hand is cold, that's all. It's…refreshing." A faint grin overcame his lips when she averted her eyes.
Something familiar clicked in his mind regarding her cool touch, though he was unable to place it. A strong sense of acquaintanceship accompanied this young woman, and for the life of him he couldn't understand why. The only thing that did register in his mind at the moment was that, given the momentary flourish of her cape, she was quite…curvaceous. A gentle smile settled on his face as he laid back and closed his eyes.
Raven scolded herself for letting such a light-hearted comment affect her so greatly. A renewed sense of fortitude embedded itself within her, and she quickly wiped her thoughts clean from any distracting emotions. The young woman closed her eyes, and began to chant.
-
Swirling images of white hallways and twisted laughter rushed past her senses faster than she could comprehend them. General states of being washed over her mind in a surreal vista of colors and sensations that changed so rapidly she was almost unable to keep up. Burning red anger, sky blue happiness, damp, gray depression. Those feelings and a myriad of others, ranging from a crisp golden hope to a musty black self-loathing ebbed and flowed around and through her consciousness.
Eventually, she was able to focus her mind on the point of which she had made this journey; to unlock his immediate past. Visions of reality began to meld together with dreams held deep within the subconscious, allowing her a warped view of his mental state portrayed in a collage of thoughts and experiences that made up the very fiber of his being.
As she explored the inner recesses of the young man's psyche, Raven was met with all manner of things to see. Her trek took on the likeness of walking through a hall of mirrors, each reflection acting as a window into distinct memories played over and over again. Passing by each one, the young woman was assaulted by images of surgical instruments, pitch black rooms, bodies sprawled across the floor, and a host of other things too terrible to consider any longer than the time it took to move on to the next manifestation of remembrance.
Along the way, several hazy windows, whether the haze was caused by time or dreams she could not tell, portrayed pleasant memories that stood out from the rest. Though each was clear enough to make out general actions and feelings, what struck her as most profound was the fact that there was always a common element present in every one of his happiest moments.
As Raven peered deeper into one particular reflection, she could make out the fuzzy outline of a petite girl, no older than twelve, facing away from her point of view. Thinking it wise to gather some additional information while she was here, the young empath studied the image for a brief time in the hopes that she would learn something valuable about this mysterious newcomer.
She did not have long to wait.
Only several seconds passed before the girl in question turned around, and looked directly into the looking glass with a broad smile on her face. At once, her features became sharp and clear, giving the impression that the youth had not forgotten anything about her even after all this time. The clarity of the image hit Raven like a brick, as the warm feelings emanating from the sight before her were eradicated upon contact with the icy cold atmosphere that had suddenly gripped her heart.
Big blue eyes set against a background of long blonde hair ravaged the young woman's mind as she tried to piece together what she was seeing now with everything she had learned about the young man that now resided in her home. A distinct chill ran down her spine, as well as an unmistakable hint of fear gnawing at the back of her head.
This can't be right…how could he have possibly… am I hallucinating…?
Raven instantly closed her mind to any further questions she might pose to herself in the hope that what she had just seen had not been real; that somehow, it had just been a coincidence. The young woman continued her journey through his mind with all haste, firmly suppressing the apparition from her thoughts.
It did not take long to find the object of her search, as it was quite difficult to overlook in the first place. Shortly after leaving that disturbing sight behind, Raven abruptly had her progress blocked by a huge, grayish black semi-transparent wall of clouded thoughts and memories. Beyond the barrier she could see flashes of their battle mixed with intense emotional bursts of sound and color.
Obviously, this was the mental block that held him in a state of amnesia. Setting her mind to the task at hand, the young empath studied the wall before her so as to acquire a better sense of what she was up against. A brief inspection revealed the barrier to be comprised mainly of fear and uncertainty, though a subtle undercurrent of determination was weaved throughout the tapestry of obstruction. Taking it all in, Raven quickly came to realize the truth behind the psychological blockade.
It's self-imposed, like some sort of defense mechanism built into his mind…I bet he doesn't even realize this is his own doing…
The pale young woman set the questions formulating within her head aside and concentrated on helping him overcome this unnecessary line of defense. Less than five minutes passed before she grudgingly admitted to herself that disengaging the mental barricade he had set in place was like trying to pick a lock with the thick end of a baseball bat. No matter how she approached the wall, her mental probing slid right off the twisting emotions, almost as if she was forcibly being denied entry.
With a sigh, she realized that only time would wear down his emotional barriers. The only thing that Raven took comfort in was the fact that the partition set before her was thin at best, and thus one jarring recollection should be enough to send the blockade crashing down.
Realizing that there was nothing further to be done, the young woman turned and headed back the way she came. Raven hardly took three steps before being confronted with a sight she had not expected to see. Standing off to the side was the young man of whose mind she was currently occupying, his face set in an expression of peace and serenity. All sorts of thoughts and feelings ran through her head at once.
How is he here? This shouldn't be possible. Why is he looking at me like that? What's going on…
Before she could contemplate the situation much longer, the youth made his way over to where she was standing and placed her hands within his own. At the touch, sparks seemed to go off inside her head, and her breathing began to quicken. Everything around her looked fuzzy and disoriented, almost as it were just a…
He feels so warm…why can't I manage to do anything? How does he know to look at me in just that way…
Before she could respond, he pulled her right up against his chest, slipping his hands out from beneath her palms and replacing them on the small of her back. Her legs began to wobble as her eyes widened. If it had not been for his strong hold, she would most certainly have slumped right to the ground.
Why is he doing this to me…doesn't he realize what I am…I can't love anyone…happiness was never meant for me…
Without a word, he dipped his head ever so slowly and kissed her gently on the lips. Raven's mind drew an absolute blank, as tears welled up in her eyes. All she could do was stand there and allow it to happen, losing herself within his loving embrace. She wasn't even able to return his feelings, so enamored was she in the intoxicating enchantment of her first kiss.
When their moment together ended, he withdrew from her arms as if he were gliding on air, and then retreated to the shadows once more. She was alone again, though the overwhelming warmth radiating out from every one of her pores offset the feelings of seclusion. With a start, she quickly realized her emotions were running loose, though a sigh of relief quickly escaped her lips when she remembered that her powers were safely locked away in her corporeal body and would pose no problems here. With that in mind, she basked in the afterglow of her newfound pleasure a few seconds longer before relinquishing the hold that kept her tethered within his psyche.
-
The first thing she noticed upon returning to the physical plane was that both Robin and Starfire had vacated the room. A quick glance at the clock on the wall revealed the time to be five thirty in the morning.
I was there for two hours…they must have gone back to bed…
She turned her attention once again to the young man, a look of anticipation barely subdued beneath her features. The sight of him, however, left her feeling crestfallen. His eyes were closed, and she could clearly see his chest rising and falling rhythmically. A slight smile was spread across his face, but it hardly began to console the harsh feelings that were now assailing the young empath's mind.
He was…dreaming…? Then…what happened…he didn't realize…no…
The youth had fallen asleep with her hand gently pressed against his forehead, meaning that his presence had only been a shadow of his true self. When he awoke, there would be no recollection that the girl he kissed had actually been her. Despite the confusion fashioned out of such a unique experience, a single thought held secure within Raven's mind, and for now, it would have to serve as the anchor upon which she stationed her undeniable yet forbidden affection. A faint smile etched its way across her expressionless visage.
It might have been just a dream…but his thoughts…his feelings…they were about me…
With that idea in mind, she tenderly brushed a loose hair away from his eyes before she too made her way out of the room. As she reached the doorway, Raven stopped for a moment. Slowly, she raised a hand from her side, already covered in a black aura. A cabinet near one of the windows opened, and out flew a fresh blanket, which quickly made its way over to the youth and draped itself over his body.
A sigh escaped Raven's lips as she turned once again and proceeded down the hallway. So many thoughts were racing around her head that she didn't know which to center on first. What did this all mean? She liked him, but did he feel the same about her? How could she interpret his feelings through a dream? Was it possible that everything that had happened was just a coincidence? Why was this bothering her so much?
As she entered her room, the young woman causally removed her cloak and threw it over an adjacent bedpost. Taking a seat on top of her mattress, she crossed her legs in a lotus position and began to mediate. All sense of time and space slowly drifted away, leaving her at peace within the tranquility of her own mind. Occasional thoughts wafted through her consciousness, only to slip away once again.
Several minutes passed before one particular image struck her so fiercely that she almost toppled right off the bed.
That girl… is it even possible? Can it really be her? What if it is…
Should she tell him? Could she tell him? They hardly even knew each other, but already the young woman was unable to stand the thought of losing the one person she had ever felt real affection for to someone else, especially not her…
It did not take long to realize she would obtain no respite from either sleep or meditation. Instead, she curled up into a ball on top of her bed and let her thoughts wander over everything that had occurred in the last two days. To say the least, she found it very difficult to come to terms with all the emotions that were coursing through her mind. A tear trickled down the side of her face at the notion that a half-demon could even come to understand the concept of heartache. Off to the side, a small ornament exploded as she considered such a cruel twist of fate.
Happiness was best left to those who truly deserved its cleansing embrace.
And there you have it, Chapter 5. I hope you enjoyed reading it! (I'll tell ya, it was a heck of a lot of fun to write.) Anyway, I just want you all to know that I don't intend in any way to have horror come up any more than is absolutely necessary. I simply thought it fit in well to top off a nightmare such as that one, given what he has experienced in the past.
What do you think of 'Raphael'? (It's pronounced "Rae-fee-el", not "Ra-fie-el", but that's just a personal preference. I guess I just can't visualize him as a turtle). I thought it sounded a bit exotic, though it might be a stretch for a twelve year old girl to come up with. What do you think? Another thing to consider is that this won't actually be the name the titans will know him as. I have something else planned for that. This was just a taste of what his life at the institute was like.
How do you feel Raven's journey into his psyche went? Did it give you a good idea of what she experienced? Should I keep something in mind for the future?
Anyway, thanks for reading all this, and I hope you leave a few brief words before you depart. Believe it or not, your reviews are what inspire me to write my absolute best, and I appreciate each and every one of them.
