Wow. Two updates in two days. That's the fastest I've put up chapters in about a month. I'm so proud of me!
Disclaimer: See previous chapters.
Chapter 12
Alright. If I were eyes, where would I go? Aeris wondered aloud. Then she stopped as she reached an epiphany and her brain went "Duh!" In my head, of course, but aren't I supposed to be in my head already? She looked around hopelessly. The plain of blackness was like a blank tundra, stretching out as far as the eye could see, without anything to discern each direction.
Does this place come with a map? Um... She closed her eyes tight and began to spin around in circles. Round and round and round we go. Where we stop, nobody knows. 1…2…3. She stopped spinning abruptly and opened her eyes. Guess I'll go in this way. With that, she floated through the blackness in a direction that she could only guess at.
After she had been heading that way for a while, somehow, Aeris got the sensation that she had entered some sort of chamber in the blackness. It seemed that by "losing" her sense of sight, she had received some other sense of echolocation or something.
Okay. Now where am I? Aeris put her hands on her hips and looked around. Then she froze. She had a strong feeling that someone or something was watching her. With her eyes narrowed, she stood (or hovered) perfectly still, only moving her violet orbs. Still suspicious, she slowly began moving again. She took a deep breath and was almost relaxed again when-
BA-BUM. Ba-bum, ba-bum…
The giant pulse sounded right next to her and echoed as if they were in the Grand Canyon. If she had been standing on actual ground, Aeris would have jumped about five feet into the air. With eyes so wide it hurt, Aeris gasped in huge gulps of air. She instinctively put her hand to her chest to slow her racing heart…to find she didn't have one. She blinked. Her eyebrows furrowed. She pushed her hand firmly against her chest and listened very carefully.
Nothing. Not the slightest pulse. Then-
BA-BUM. Ba-bum, ba-bum…
Aeris jumped, eyes wide.
What is that?! she shouted, not really expecting an answer. What is that?! Is that, is that… Her voice bounced off the invisible walls and into her ears so loud it was almost painful. She cringed. Okay, she whisperedto herself. No more yelling.
More yelling, more yelling… her voice echoed back.
No, she whispered irritably. No more yelling.
More yelling, more yelling… the echo insisted.
I'm not listening to you. Aeris clapped her hands to her ears.
Listening to you, to you…
Okay, that's just creepy. Aeris took her hands down.
Just creepy, creepy…
Aeris nodded. You said it.
Said it, said it…
Good. I'm glad we've reached an agreement.
Agreement, ment…
Aeris nodded in satisfaction and was just relaxing when-
BA-BUM. Ba-bum, ba-bum…
Ah, whatever's doing that has to stop. It's getting me all discombobulated (1) Aeris muttered.
Bobulated, bobulated…
Aeris threw her head back and closed her eyes. Please stop, she begged.
She squeezed her eyes tighter and…nothing happened.
Opening one eye, Aeris looked around. Eh?
The room was no longer echoing, but in the background she could still hear the distant BA-BUM.
Okay. I give up. What happened? she asked. (2)
You said please, a cool female voice answered Aeris' question.
Huh? Aeris looked around, but she could still see only blackness.
The voice wasn't human, but if sound could be felt, it would have been icy cold. The sound emanated eerily from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
Who are you? Aeris asked when the voice didn't say anything else.
I am Zephira, though you know me as the Spirit of Ice.
Aeris made a face. Shoulda figured. In the distance, the BA-BUM sounded again. Alright already. What is that?
Why, Aeris, you don't recognize your own heartbeat?
Actually, Aeris muttered. That's what I was worried about. I knew I was going in the wrong direction…somewhere…in the back of my mind…
Face it. You didn't know.
I did too!
No. You didn't.
Hmph. Aeris crossed her arms. Fine, Miss Smart-Bitbeast- Thing. If you know so much, then how come I, um, this me doesn't have a heartbeat? And don't tell me it's because I'm dead. Dead people don't hang out in their own bodies.
You are not dead, Zephira began.
Oh, thank goodness. Aeris sighed in relief and put her hand to her forehead.
Zephira paused a second longer, then continued. While I am in control of your body, your soul is separated from your actual, well, body. You are your soul, and I'm sorry to say that you will remain the way you are now, trapped inside your own body, until I am through with it.
In other words, Aeris said. Until I'm dead.
Pretty much. Zephira agreed. Which won't be very long, I'm afraid.
And what exactly are you doing right now, other than hanging out?
Oh, I'm simply preparing your body for the, I'm sorry to say, short battle.
With the other Spirit?
Fiore? Yes. Argh. I'm going to destroy him eventually.
But you can't. If you did, it'd be the end of the world.
So? That's not my problem. Ta ta!
Hey! Hey, wait! Get out of my body! Aeris shouted.
Body, body…
Oh, no. Not this again, she mumbled.
Again, again…
BA-BUM. Ba-bum, ba-bum…
Great, Aeris muttered. Just great.
Great, great… agreed the echo.
End of Chapter 12
(1) I love that word.
(2) Me: I think she was beamed up. (gets hit over the head with a shovel) Damn. Too much Star Trek. This is the curse of having former-Trekkie parents.
--Okay, so now we've met both Zephira and Fiore, the Spirits. Um, yeah…
R&R!