Chapter 4: On the precipice of giving up
"Takari, at this rate the sharpteeth will find us!"
I was still trying to get the girl to move but, I suppose, seeing her parents so unrecognizable and mutilated made something snap inside her. The worst part of it was that I understood. I felt no different; I wanted to cry, wanted to scream my agony into the night sky but a small part of me remained functional for now, prompting me to prioritize our survival. We were making noise and that was about the worst thing we could be doing. We had to get back to the caverns quickly!
"Takari!" I cried with an urging tone in my voice but, if it even registered, the girl ignored me and continued to cry into the wet grass. I had to get her out of there, that much was a given. But how? Should I just carry her back? I mean… NO, this is NOT the time to get the old embarrassment thing! I'll do it if I have to; she's all I have left! I can't let her get eaten!"
"Oh boy, to think I'd ever end up doing this…" I sighed before I pulled the girl up from the floor onto her shaking feet where she continued to sob uncontrollably.
"Hold on to me, I-I'll carry you if I must!" Takari looked at me for the briefest of moments with what looked like an expression of surprise, however misplaced it looked in combination with her tear-stained face before she clung her hands around my neck, allowing me to carry her back to the cavern…
"That was actually really embarrassing, you know?"
Takari has interrupted me with a smile that's hard to read for it seems to have more than one layer of emotion behind it.
"L-likewise…" I shudder in response which prompted a small laugh in the girl and some giggles in our audience. "You were heavy too!"
"Are you implying that I am too heavy?" Takari tilts her head in a manner that could only mean I have stepped into one of her "Let's tease Nishir traps" and now there is no escape from it once caught in it.
"Why of course not, you look closer to starving than that!" I yell at her in my defense. The signs of our journey are still showing on our bodies.
"Are you trying to insult me or are you actually decent enough to worry about me? Gee I wonder…"
"It's a bit of both, geez!" I cry in annoyance, giving the girl a meaningful glare. "And here I thought you had finally mellowed, it's just another hoax, isn't it?"
That stifled some laughter though I'm not going to be part of it.
"A-anyways! I'm trying to talk about some sad stuff right now so gimme a break, Takari!" That seems to have reached her as she quickly becomes quiet again, allowing me to continue.
The next few days had been the hardest time of my life. Between not being used to sleeping away from the nest I was so familiar with and spending much of my time in a dark place, I felt so terrible that I couldn't even compare it to any hardship I had already faced (and that included a lot of Takari-induced catastrophes, mind you). The darkness around me matched the darkness that had taken hold of my very being. After a few days, even crying felt pointless and yet I would catch myself over and over again sobbing for hours at a time. I spent entire days in a corner of the cavern, just sitting there for hours and suffocating in the sea of my emotions, sadness, loneliness and wrath engulfing my very existence. One day, I even couldn't be bothered to sneak out at night to eat and Takari hadn't eaten a thing since it happened. The girl had been hiding in a different room of the cavern ever since and, somehow, both of us had been quite fine with it as neither of us had to hold back whenever we let our sadness be heard. Deep inside, I knew I had to take care of her since she had mostly fallen back into the trance-like state she had initially developed already but where could I take the energy from? The mere thought that my family was no more drained everything from me, leaving only an empty hull, a mere shadow of my former self. Even though I was so lonely that the emotion alone was painful enough to cause physical chest pains, I was rendered incapable of speaking to Takari, not to mention that her state of dream-like trance also meant that any conversation would be one-sided anyhow.
Suddenly, the sound of screaming echoed through the cavern, followed by a sharp cry that quickly evolved into violent wails. Takari, no doubt… I felt tears of my own ooze out of my eyes immediately and I didn't try to stop it. Takari had spent most of the time in the aforementioned trance but, occasionally - and I was taking a guess here, she would get startled by a scary sleep story and then this would happen for a good while but, soon enough, after crying for some time, she'd always go back to being completely unresponsive. It was heartbreaking but I was too heartbroken myself to take action. I was craving some company yet I isolated myself. I knew that Takari might improve if I went over to the room she had picked for herself but I was too selfish to do so, fearing that doing so would just break my unstable composure for good.
"But I have to check on her…"
My brain continuously tried to tell me that and I knew that I should listen to this particular gut feeling. And yet I wasn't…
"Mommy, Daddy!"
More tears fell from my eyes as Takari let out more screams, hauntingly full of sorrow and despair. Darn it, don't make me cry again, I've had enough of it! Her sounds of extreme crying continued wafting through the darkness and I couldn't help but sink to my knees as my own sorrow overcame me, brutal like a rough sea with waves of sadness tossing me around at will. Mum, Dad and my siblings, all… gone. Gone gone gone… I feel so terrible, I want Mum to cradle me until I don't feel sad anymore but… she's GONE!
A sudden burst of wrath mixed into my crying. I was suddenly up on my feet, panting heavily as I screamed it all away.
"Darn fastbiters, how could you do this to my family?! How could you do this to me and Takari!? You can rot in the driest desert for all I care!" For a moment, I simply gave in to my meltdown and allowed it to happen until the worst of it had passed. Gradually, I regained some level of control over my body though Takari was still crying loudly in the distance, preventing me from calming down entirely as it was like an always present reminder that something terrible had happened.
Oh stop crying already, I've so had enough! But she wouldn't stop, no matter how long I prayed for it. I knew that I had to go to her, knew that some company might have a positive impact on her - and on me as well! Yet, I still remained where I was, sad and indecisive. DARN IT, why am I still hesitating!? Of course, I knew. Deep inside, I knew that, even in this dire situation, I was still embarrassed about certain things and Takari seeing me with my eyes all reddened and swollen from crying was one such thing. Seeing Takari crying in such pity was another thing I never wanted to see. Despite everything, I adored her in certain ways and I wanted to make things better but I'd have to see her in this misery. I just didn't want to. I didn't want to see her so miserable and vulnerable, I wanted Takari to be the strong and annoying dinosaur she had always been. As much as I had suffered under her ridicule, it was also the most endearing part of her character in many ways so seeing her so weak didn't sit well with me. Additionally, I didn't want to cry anymore but her cries and sobs were very contagious. Such a vicious circle but, one way or another, I'm losing. Maybe I should just go? There's no way I'll get teased, she's too broken to talk! I need to go, she might even listen to me when she's like this if I try really hard… Yeah, there was no way around it. I had to go. It was almost late enough to sneak out for a bit of food anyway so I, reluctantly, started walking towards Takari's cave which was a little further ahead.
"I barely remember those days," Takari speaks up but, mostly, she is leaving the storytelling entirely to me, much to my surprise. It seems, despite Takari being better at captivating the children's attention, it is mostly me doing the talking, not that I am complaining about it.
"It was like a very long dream. Sometimes I'd wake up for a while, feeling crushed by the loss of my family, crying until I slipped back into the dream. It wasn't pretty."
"No, it wasn't indeed…" I sigh rather profoundly. "The worst was feeling so hopeless for many days. My family gone, my best friend a wreck and my home full of hostile fastbiters. Honestly, I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't decided to go investigate on that day we finally talked about things… "
"Ah yes, I was actually really happy when you came over to say a few nice words."
Takari gives me a profound smile devoid of any hidden ambitions so I smile at her in the same fashion.
"We were only able to find new hope after we learned to depend on one another…"
I had checked on Takari whenever I could muster the strength but those occasions had quickly gotten less and less when I learned about the severe trauma that she was suffering from and my inability to reach out to her. Aside from making sure she got to drink at least once a day, I hadn't been doing anything to help her as my own suffering was eating me up entirely. When I was entering the small chamber which was about a stone throw's worth of a walk from mine, which held the lake, I was worried that, once more, Takari wouldn't react to me but, to my surprise, she yelled my name rather desperately once I made my presence known.
"Takari?"
"Nishiiiiiir… "
The girl was curled up in the furthest corner her little, dark cave offered, crying like a little hatchling. I immediately walked over to her.
"Oh Takari…" I sighed when my gaze fell upon her miserable form. "I'm not sure what's harder to bear… The loss of-of my family (I felt fresh tears emerge from my eyes), losing our home (I wiped them away but even more were oozing out), you hiding here without ever talking to me (the first tears fell onto my chest and I had to suppress a choke) or you… crying so… severely, being so hurt and broken that I start to feel broken too!" I stepped a little closer to the girl while trying to suppress the urge to cry but it was impossible. It was as if Takari had a key to open a door in my heart, allowing me to let my emotions reign over my body which I was otherwise restricting and fighting. Feeling terrible, I sat down somewhat close to her and immediately collapsed against the cold wall.
"Why did this have to happen?!" I bawled as my face disappeared under my arms, my body rocking with every sob. "Why did these *sob* fastbiters *sob* kill them?! Why did they kill my family and yours too?! Why did they kill the entire herd?! IT'S NOT FAIR!" I screamed the last part as rage once again welled up in me which usually coincided with the peak of my crying before only sadness remained and I'd gradually become mellow. And it was no different now.
"It's not… fair…"
Suddenly, Takari went through some sort of jerk, judging by the sound of it and, before I knew it, something was half falling, half leaping onto me and clutching her tear-stained fingers around my back.
Takari was hugging me but that wasn't everything surprising about the situation.
"I know, right?!"
…she also talked and communicated to me what was going through her mind.
"It's so hard; I don't know what to do anymore… NI-NISHIR… I MISS MY PARENTS SO MUCH! I don't know what to do; I can't stop crying. We've lost everything, what should we do? Help me…"
Her wet cheeks dug into my chest and, despite my own sadness, my heart was beating unnaturally fast. I suddenly felt really guilty about it but I had no control over such bodily functions and reactions. Takari's words hit very close as they expressed just what I was thinking about myself. The girl was wailing louder than ever, gripping onto me so tightly that it hurt but I had no heart to do something about it. Takari was suffering and although it likely didn't really matter, I was helping her by just being with her. Slowly, I was able to beat my awkwardness, allowing her to cry into my chest, soon joining her again as it triggered my own feelings of sorrow.
I don't know how long we spent together like that, huddled together in a corner of the dark cavern while sharing our mutual pain. I couldn't even tell whether or not I had dozed off at some point but, eventually, I gradually became aware of my surroundings again. Takari was resting against me and there was no telling whether she was crying (silently), sleeping or whether she had fallen back into the trance-like state.
"Takari?" I hummed quietly in an attempt to get her attention without waking her in case she was really asleep. However, it became clear immediately that she was quite awake.
"Hm…"
Not really an answer but she wasn't caught in the trance at least.
"Feeling uhm… better?" I asked in a meek voice, feeling slightly uncomfortable about the lack of distance between the two of us now.
"Not really… maybe a little less terrible but it still feels like something is tearing me apart deep deep down…"
I could relate as my feelings of loss took a very similar shape in my guts.
"I know, I can feel the pain as well… " Takari rearranged the way her head was resting on me while choking somewhat but didn't reply.
"But it can't be helped… this is what we are dealing with now and, no matter what we do, things won't change… they are not coming back. We won't see them ever again, that's our harsh reality… It's infuriating, isn't it?" I felt Takari's head nod against my chest, a quiet sob escaping her beak. It was amazing how much she had changed due to the loss of her parents and I had probably changed even more. The girl who used to laugh at me and bully me around out of pleasure was a wreck now, a wreck that seemed so fragile now that I was afraid she would break apart into little pieces if I let go of her.. The girl hadn't eaten and she wouldn't have been drinking without me dragging her to the lake each night either. Since Takari appeared to be rather responsive for once, an idea eventually formed in my mind as I remembered (or more like, my stomach reminded me kindly) that I wanted to sneak out for a midnight snack.
"Hey, Takari, want to go outside to eat? You haven't been eating at all lately and it's not going to end well if you keep it up for much longer…"
"No!" Quite a definite answer this time but why would she refuse?
"Why? Aren't you hungry?! Are you afraid? I'm definitely going with you, there's no need to worry."
"I want to sleep… " she sobbed quietly. "So don't go…"
That's right, she even said a while ago that she couldn't sleep alone… but then…
"You can't sleep on your own, that's what you told me a while back…" I prompted her with a slight look of confusion. It felt like it had been ages since Takari and I were goofing around like nothing in the world was wrong. "Then why did you hide in this super dark place instead of staying with me at the cavern with the lake and light? Were you able to sleep at all?!"
"I don't… remember," the girl said quietly, her tears making my belly uncomfortably moist. "I don't remember anything… Only… sadness and-and feeling so lonely!"
"Then why didn't you say so?" I insisted. "I thought you were ignoring me so I mostly left you alone… I was feeling lonely too, you know?"
"It matters little whether you're here or not, Nishir, this is a kind of emotion that you can't fix unless you bring my parents back!" I could feel her knuckles as her fingers clenched in response to the pain she was obviously going through after uttering these excruciating words. " But still… don't go away from me now…" she insisted, squeezing my ribs a little too much but I didn't dare to do something about it.
"I'm really hungry but I'm not going until you fall asleep, okay?" I responded in an attempt to make sure that she didn't start crying again but it only worked a little bit.
"O-O-okay… " the girl sobbed. I had to wait until she was sound asleep but I didn't really want to wait for so long in this rather depressing company. My stomach was growling and I needed to relief myself. But how do I make her fall asleep? I didn't really know to be frank. I knew my mum would gently cradle me whenever I was having trouble falling asleep (the thought stung quite sharply in my chest) but that only worked because she's so much larger, right? Because she was so much larger… A tear fell from my eyes but I had already cried too much to break back into it yet again. Takari was still clinging on me but when I cast a look at her, I began to realize that the pose she was taking couldn't possibly be comfortable for sleeping. She has to lie down instead of half sitting and half lying on top of me…
"Taka… ri?" I offered as an idea formed in my head no matter how embarrassing it was. "Would-would you like to lie down a-and rest your head o-on my lap? I-it should be more comfortable!" I felt blood rush to my cheeks but that didn't matter now. My feelings of embarrassment were but a mild annoyance compared to everything else we were dealing with and I knew that I had to do what had to be done now no matter how much I despised or fretted about doing so. We were on our own and we had to survive, that was what mattered now, not some childish crap about girls being too embarrassing a thing to even touch them. It would take a while to get rid of this sort of thinking, but, for now, at least I was able to spend Takari some well needed company without snapping from my racing heart. And come to think of it, it doesn't feel too bad when she gets this close to me. If I can get rid of this awkwardness between us, I might even be able to enjoy it one day…
Meanwhile, Takari had gradually weakened her grip onto my body until she groggily allowed her head to slip into my lap where she nodded off within moments. My heart was pounding hard and I didn't dare getting up, afraid she'd wake up and cry again so I remained in this position for a while. It was too dark to see much but I began to imagine how peaceful Takari must be looking just about now. The thought even made the corners of my mouth twitch a little, almost as if, for a second, they were trying to form a smile. I had always tried to deny the fact that I liked Takari but, right now, I just couldn't dismiss my feelings. Perhaps because she was the only one left but probably much rather because I wasn't suppressing my emotions at that moment, I felt really appreciative and, almost subconsciously, one of my hands began gently stroking Takari's back. By the time I began to realize what I was actually doing, I was already content with it and I had no urgent desire to quit. I was touching her on my free will and it didn't kill me. Still, I stopped stroking her soon. I was hungry and I was certain by now that the girl was sound asleep so I decided to take the trip to the dangerous outside world at last. Getting up without waking Takari up proved to be somewhat of a struggle but the girl didn't stir when I held her head while getting to my feet and then gently put it down on the ground.
"See you later, Takari," I whispered before I left the cavern and headed for the exit.
"I was really happy when you did that, you know?"
Takari sends a sweet smile in my direction, catching me off guard.
"You can be quite decent if you want to, Nishir."
"Now what's that s'pposed to mean?"
"Nothing, really."
My deadpan expression must be the reason why she suddenly starts to giggle.
"Don't mind me, just keep on telling the tale."
Well, I suppose I should listen to her lest I end up with worse than being the subject of a giggle…
The night was unnaturally calm and the Night Circle was shining from a sky that notoriously lacked Sky Puffies. It was one of the few nights that went by without a drop of rain falling into our beautiful valley. I ate from the nearby trees but, for some reason, the leaves left me with a sour taste that night and I ended up finishing up my meal prematurely.
Do we want to keep living like this? Locked away in these caverns full of darkness and locked out of this place that reeks so much of death and despair, loss and depression? Do we really want to keep living this sad life? We'll never be safe here; this valley will never be home again. Because home is… home is where your loved ones are, home is where you feel at peace, home is where you're safe and happy. There ain't no happiness left in this valley…
Filled with resignation, I walked around to gather some food for Takari. The girl had to eat, whether she wanted to eat or not. I had lost too many loved ones to allow her to walk the same stairs everyone else had already walked. I had to make sure that Takari survived, even if she was too devastated to see to her survival herself. Dying was simply the worst way to thank our parents. Were they cheering us on? Were they watching us struggle and cry? I didn't know… I didn't know but if they were I would rather not disappoint them. I had to carry on somehow and I knew that now. It was hard, it hurt a lot. I felt like crying, felt like screaming in rage but I knew now that things wouldn't get better this way. At best, it was a short relief but it didn't remove the source of our sadness which was our inability to get over the losses we suffered. Being idle wouldn't help us, I had to do something…
...but I didn't know yet what exactly it was that I had to do. A little relinquished, I eventually returned to the cavern. Takari was sleeping peacefully when I brought her the pile of leaves that I had gathered. I was tired too as it was the middle of the night so I settled down a little distance from the sleeping girl, far enough to be comfortable but near enough to feel her presence.
Falling asleep was easy that night.
The next three days went by without any major events. Takari and I were sharing the cavern with the small lake now but things had hardly changed. Rather, what had appeared to be a good development had quickly swung into regression and resignation. Even though we now spent our time in the same cavern, we didn't really talk about anything, spending most of our time being depressed and downcast, keeping our distance just like we used to except for the few instances when Takari jerked awake from a nightmare in which case she always cried a lot. On the bright side of things, Takari had started to eat again and began to look less weak and, more importantly, she hadn't had any trances anymore but still, things were about as far from 'alright' as I could possibly picture them.
It took three days in this state of limbo until something noteworthy happened at last, breaking our mere coexistence. I was brooding over something after an early wake-up when Takari disrupted my fruitless thinking. With a scream that resounded from the massive walls of rock, she suddenly sat upright, panting as if she had just barely escaped from a very nasty predator. I was already mentally prepared to sit next to her until she'd become mellow but the storm I was expecting didn't develop quite in the way I had forecasted. For a moment, it seemed like Takari would collapse, start crying like she usually would. Our gazes met. There were so many strong emotions that I failed to pinpoint them all. Her lids closed a little as if cramping and her eyes turned wet. She looked extremely sad and broken but, suddenly, her brows lowered dangerously and her entire face distorted itself as a desperate scream escaped the girl's throat.
"Aaaahhh, I can't stand it anymore!" Her sadness hadn't left Takari, however she suddenly began to look and act as if in a deep state of lively anger which appeared to overwhelm the bottomless sadness in her heart, if just momentarily. While I didn't know the exact cause of this unusual meltdown, I could understand, I could relate. Didn't I feel the same? Carefully, I approached the shaking girl.
"Talk to me about it, Takari, don't bottle it up. What's upsetting you?" Naturally, there wasn't that much to consider. In some shape, her emotions were certainly related to the loss both of us had to deal with. The mere thought gave rise to my very personal anger too; it was truly infuriating to be stuck in the current situation and I didn't want Takari to suffer any more than she already did.
"I-it's not fair!"
"What is?" I asked in a tired voice. Takari was giving my own emotions some shape as she began to rant ruthlessly.
"Everything is!" the girl cried, some tears beginning to flow but her wrath was considerably stronger than her depression. "Why, Nishir, why? Why did these things have to happen?! Isn't there a thing we could have done to prevent this from happening?! Why are we suffering so much, hiding day after day in this gloomy cavern, crying and mourning, living in constant fear and unable to rest without seeing it all again in our sleep?! Why us?! I'm so SICK of it, I can't take this any longer… " Takari's voice became more level as the fragile balance between wrath and sadness began to shift.
"If all of this hadn't happened, I would be walking happily to your place about now, pondering how to make fun of you… I would feel my mum's warm embrace as she wakes me up too and have lots of fun with you all day… but mum and dad are dead, your parents and siblings are dead. We're both lonely and sad, we can't feel the warmth of our family anymore, we can't play and have fun anymore, we have no home anymore and could be eaten any day now…" The balance had begun to lean towards sadness as tears now covered Takari's face entirely (and I felt my own vision blur too), however her rage wasn't gone yet, quite on the contrary.
"Tell me, Nishir, did we deserve this?! I just can't accept it! I can't… can't accept it… " As if turning a switch, her emotions did a full turn within a moment's notice. I could only stare stupidly at a point on the wall somewhere behind Takari, too stunned by these words which came from the deepest crevices of Takari's broken heart when her body sacked into a kneeling pose, heavy sobs rattling her in such a fast succession that she could hardly breathe in between. And even so, it didn't stop her rant in the slightest, although I only caught half of what she was saying from here on.
"Nishiiiir… I c-c-can't live without my p-parents. I don't w-w-want to l-live s-such a s-s-sad life! I don't want to… All the time, Nishir, ALL THE TIME!" I jerked slightly as rage surfaced in Takari once again only to dissipate into despairing sobs.
"I've b-b-been t-thinking all this time… even though w-we survived, we're the only ones left. The others died in s-such a gruesome way - it must have hurt so m-m-much, and yet… and yet…" Takari had been covering her face until now but, abruptly, she removed her arms, spraying me with her tears and clenching her fists. I was prepared this time when she snapped.
"AND YET I WISH WE HAD BEEN KILLED TOO!" My mouth hung agape. "I can't stand this empty feeling in my chest anymore…"...and once again she mellowed almost as suddenly as she had snapped. "They may be dead now b-but… they're dead to-together… and we were left behind. I want to… want to be…" She was weeping with such force now that she barely got a word out but, clearly, there was something left unsaid so I kept listening with a teary-eyed expression.
"Ni-nishir… I w-w-want to g-g-go w-w-where my f-f-family is… h-h-help m-m-m-me..."
Then, she collapsed entirely, no longer resisting her bottled up emotions as they all exploded from her chest, screaming in sorrow so extreme that it appeared to suffocate her. Takari had reached a breaking point, that much was certain. It took no genius to understand her final statement; she was so desperate, hurting so much that she was ready to go where the dead go just to escape the hardship of her current situation. Us swimmers didn't have a clear understanding of the afterlife. Some, particularly the elders, believed in a second world where the dead would live on after their demises, others were convinced about reincarnation while young folks tended to dismiss it as nonsense. My parents had never really spoken about it so I was unsure what to think and, of course, in her current state, asking Takari was out of question. Either way, it appeared that she believed in afterlife, expecting to see her loved ones again if she abandoned the world of the living.
"Oh Takari…" I sobbed as I took a seat next to her, one hand gently stroking her back no matter how useless it seemed against her extreme meltdown while the other shielded my leaking eyes. I was sad; I felt guilty. Perhaps Takari would feel a little better if I had been supporting her more than I did but my own suffering had made me rather distant and absent minded. Takari was feeling so hopeless that she couldn't even see any way out of this situation anymore. It made me depressed; it made me mad. There had to be something I could do. Something… anything! Having me around wasn't enough for Takari to consider her life worthwhile.
And that was a line of thinking I had to change very soon if I didn't want to lose her too.
Time had never appeared to pass as slowly as when I was waiting for Takari's raving cries to subside. Just listening caused me physical pain but I also had to see it all unfold in its full tragedy. Takari was a wreck and I didn't know what to do. I had to come up with something… something to help Takari deal with her sorrow, something to help myself as well. It was excruciating. When, finally, no more sounds were escaping Takari's dry throat and the puddle her tears had created on the floor wasn't growing anymore, I finally deduced that it was safe to leave Takari for the time being. I really need to do some serious brainstorming. Things didn't work out the way they were; something had to change dramatically in our tragic lives or else the two of us would surely perish one way or another in a foreseeable future.
"Takari?" I spoke with a weak voice, trying and failing to gain the girl's attention. She must be asleep or too exhausted from that burst of crying… I couldn't really tell and I was too exhausted to investigate.
"I'll be back soon, I just need some fresh air to clear my head and think of something…" I spoke to her anyway, just in case she was listening. My gaze lingered on her for a while, a feeling of utter helplessness almost overwhelming me as I saw her curled up like a hatchling within its egg. She looked so broken that it triggered protective instincts within me I wasn't aware of until now. Without thinking, I kneeled down beside her and, for a short moment, wrapped my arms around her curled up body.
"Hang in there, Takari," I whispered before my embarrassment won over the pity I was feeling and quickly pulled back from her. "I'll figure something out, just hang in there!" I called before rushing off and leaving the girl behind.
A mistake I would regret very soon...
Very mixed faces are facing me as I take a short break from the story, casting a glance into the ranks of my listeners. Zekir and Beakles appear to be drawn into the story, eagerly waiting for me to tell them more about the story. Emi is moved to tears after hearing about Takari's pain and suffering, Takari giving her some headpats to console her and Raver is staring at me with an incredulous expression.
"I thought things were going to get better for you guys and now you tell me Takari was losing her will to live?!" the young boy is quite livid. Whoever this Greenie girl is, she must be really important to him to spawn such a reaction. "Now what!? Stop confusing me and giving me false hope when things are just getting worse! Because… That's what happened to her too!"
I notice Takari letting go of Emi whose sobs are slowly improving, turning her attention to the boy instead, her expression hard to read.
"Sometimes, you have to walk through darkness to reach the light…" It's obvious as daylight that the younger boy hasn't gotten the message so I decide to help out.
"I suppose I worded myself a little wrong earlier. While things did get better, at first they got dangerously bad. I suppose Greenie never went through this phase but Takari did and it's something I never ever want to see with my own eyes ever again…"
"Horrible is a pretty strong word but it still only scratches the surface of how you're feeling, how much you're suffering, how badly wounded your heart is after losing so much… Raver, you have no idea what pains Greenie is going through and she's all alone with this pain if your report is accurate… it's… it's no wonder she's lost all hope, I did the same thing. Pathetic, isn't it?"
Takari's speech has silenced the boy somewhat but that's only because he is brooding over something. I give him some time to respond. Takari has chosen her words well and I'm sure he will understand the message if we break it down to him.
"Nishir, when you were in the situation back then, how the heck did you save Takari? You're right, I've never lost anyone, I don't know how it feels. Your story gives me a bit of an idea but it's as Takari said, probably just scratching the surface of things. But I want answers now; I want to visit her again and help her! So please, tell me what saved Takari from her depression!"
I'm thoroughly impressed by Raver's speech, exchanging a glance with Takari.
"I suppose I can tell you now but we'll spoil the story for you guys if we do. You okay with that?"
"I'd rather have Greenie listen to it herself!" An intriguing idea. "Maybe you could continue the story later and we go to the cave where she's hiding now and try our luck? I'm sure you two might be able to reach her… You've reached me after all…"
Exchanging yet another glance with Takari, I nod in Raver's direction.
"I'm okay with that but how do the others think about it? Would you like to come along if we indeed visited this Greenie girl?"
"I'd do anything for my sappy, love-struck brother," Beakles taunts with a ferocity that is almost on-par with Takari's brutal skills in that field. I don't think Raver appreciated it, either way.
"Shut that beak of yours or you'll be beak less, Beakles!"
Ouch, that pun hurts a lot. What a nice comeback, I could take some lessons from Raver…
"I'm fine with anything as long as you two aren't killing each other," Zekir sighs and rolls his eyes as the two boys were eyeing each other aggressively.
"Of course I will join too!" Emi exclaims, now recovered. "I want to help Greenie too after all."
"So do we," I confirm, nodding in Takari's direction. "Let's go, shall we?"
"Yeah, you guys lead us there," Takari calls excitedly, the sight of her being happy and well making me feel happy too. I had done the right thing after all and now I was finally able to reap the rewards of believing in her and believing in myself. Neither of us would be enjoying ourselves right now if I hadn't made a certain choice back then.
Wow, this is a pretty depressing chapter xD
While Takari is reaching a breaking point in the past, things are beginning to get interesting in the present as well. What started as a mere random idea to give Raver some kind of backstory actually turns into a side story :P I'm just as curious where this story will take me as you probably are about the cliffhanger I left you with (gotta live up to my name, right? ^^) Let me know what you think and I'll eagerly await your thoughts and critique while working hard on squeezing out more chapters for this story :)
(no review responses as I uploaded this with chapter 3 which holds all my responses already :))