Thanks for all the reviews on my last chapters! Hope this one doesnt fail anyones expectations!
Dea's mind floated in a sea of black. It was peaceful, relaxing. She liked the black. There was something about it that warmed her heart.
The black wavered, shimmered and split.
An image formed in her head. A deep chasm ran straight through the red soil under her feet. It was silent to the point where one could hear a pin being dropped. The sky was blindingly bright. The sun was bathing the ground in a blood red light. It looked sickly compared to the peaceful black.
Dea didn't like it; she wanted the black to come back. Soothing and calming. This new surrounding was far from it. It looked unnatural.
"Aaahhhh!"
The scream pierced the silent air. Dea jumped and searched for the source of the noise. There was nothing. Nothing but the screaming. It unsettled her and left her on edge.
It wouldn't stop. Nothing was causing it and nothing stopped it. It came to a point where she forgot what it was like without the horrid sound. She couldn't get rid of it, even if she blocked her ears.
Gradually a new sound joined the first. This was a deeper scream. A boy screaming where the first was more like a girl. This made it all the more worse.
Dea could imagine what the screams could be about. They were screams of death. Of pain and suffering. A loss so deep it left the heart trembling.
She shut her eyes so tightly it hurt and blocked her ears with her hands. The screaming wouldn't stop. It was echoing from inside her head. It felt like her head was splitting.
The screaming stopped. A sudden silenced filled her head. It was so silent it was eerie.
Dea kept her eyes closed. She couldn't face seeing the chasm again; it was enough to rip a hole in her heart.
"Lavi!"
This time Dea did open her eyes. The voice was so unexpected that Dea was shocked. It was a small girl's voice. It sounded cold and indifferent.
Dea looked around her and saw a small child standing only ten feet away from her.
The child wore a hood low over her face. All Dea could see were the blonde curls hanging around her neck.
"What are you doing Lavi?"
Dea heard another noise now. It was so unbearable it ripped another hole in her heart.
His voice was so familiar and warm. Hearing him now in so much pain and anguish was agonizing. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Lavi kneeling on the ground. His head hung down and she could see tears falling freely onto the soil making red pools that looked like blood.
She gasped quietly to herself. Lavi was crying. The happy, cheerful Lavi that she knew now was actually crying in despair.
Dea felt helpless and insignificant. The sound of his sobs cut into her mind like a sharp knife. It was excruciatingly painful to hear him.
"It's no use Lavi," the small child whispered. "She's already gone."
Dea glance around her expecting to see a third person, obviously someone dear to Lavi because he was crying for her. There was no one else, only Lavi and the small girl.
"She's gone down the path that you too will soon follow."
At this Lavi looked up at the girl. Tears streamed down his face leaving tracks. His face was agonizingly painful to look at. It was the face of someone who had lost everything, broken and despairing.
"Now," whispered the girl. "Rise and face your death like a man. Like the Bookman that you are. Remember, Bookman don't have emotions. You shouldn't be crying know. You shouldn't attach yourself to the world. It only leads to anguish."
Lavi stood up and wiped the tears from his face. Dea noticed that his hammer, his only weapon, was gone. Only now did she see that the girl was holding it.
Knowing what was coming she closed her eyes and blocked her ears. But still this did not black out the terrible scream that burst from the boy who was now impaled by a sharp iron stake.
Blood trickled from Lavi's mouth. His face grew pale and he fell back until he hit the ground with a thud.
The screaming started again. Dea was stunned to realize that it was her own voice screaming out for the dead boy lying in a pool of blood.
She ran to where Lavi was lying. His face was expressionless and yet unnaturally peaceful. It was lifeless.
"Goodbye, Lavi."
Dea turned abruptly and glared at the girl who was still standing behind her. Instead of seeing the small girl, however, she saw herself as lifeless and pale as the Lavi in her arms. She started screaming.
Dea's scream echoed in the early morning.
Lavi, who had drifted to sleep on the fallen tree, jumped at the sudden noise that broke the silence. He ran to the mouth of the tent and tore it open. Inside he saw Dea screaming and writhing under her sheets.
"No stop! It hurts, it hurts!"
The small girl Lavi had saved the previous night was in the far corner pulling Lavi's coat tightly around her neck and looking fearfully at Dea.
Lavi scooped Dea up and held her tightly against his chest. Gradually her screaming faded and she opened her eyes. Her heart was beating so hard that it burned her chest.
"It hurts," she whispered.
"What hurts Dea? Tell me what hurts."
Dea's eyes were heavy and they were slowly closing again. Lavi gentle shook her to keep her conscious. "Tell me what hurts Dea!"
Her breathing was uneven and wheezy. "My heart!" she gasped.
Lavi hugged her tighter and rested his chin on her head.
Dea's breathing slowly settled down and her body stopped shaking. Lavi gently released her and laid her back down on her bed.
"Are you alright?"
Dea wouldn't talk anymore. She curled up in her blankets and closed her eyes. Her body wasn't shaking anymore but the coldness of misery still clung to her heart like a heavy blanket.
Lavi stood up and left the tent. Outside the sun started to rise. The young girl followed him timidly. Her messy, blonde curls hung limp around her neck and her clothes were dirty and worn. She pulled his coat off her back and handed it to him.
"Umm…Mr. Eyepatch? Why is your girlfriend crying?"
Lavi was somewhat surprised to hear the girl call Dea his girlfriend. He had no idea as to why she was crying. He assumed she had just had a nightmare.
"I don't know," Lavi said quietly while putting on his coat. "Ummm…"
"Anga."
Lavi forced a smile and patted her on the head. When he turned away again his smile vanished and his face turned serious again. It was time to move on.
Lavi didn't notice as Dea crawled out of the tent and stood next to him. When she started speaking he was startled but regained composure almost instantly.
"Lavi, I…I…" Dea was speaking exceptionally quiet. The next few words rushed out of her mouth in a jumble. "I don't think I should go any further, Lavi. I…I can't go any closer to that place!"
Lavi looked at her in wonder. What on earth is she saying? I can't just leave her here with her innocence. More Akuma would come after it, unless I draw them else where. I can always come back for her. Right now this is of more importance.
"Mr. Eyepatch?"
It was Anga who had interrupted Lavi's thoughts, little Anga, so delicate and small with her honey blonde curls and sweet smile. She tugged at the sleeve of Lavi's coat and pointed at the rose crest insignia on the front of it.
"You're an exorcist!" she exclaimed excitedly. "My mummy told me about them! She told me they were really strong and brave. Are you brave?"
Lavi glanced at the slight girl tugging at his sleeve. He nodded offhandedly but his mind was not concentrating on what she had said.
"Dea…"
As Lavi reached out a hand to hold her shoulder she shook it off. "I can't, Lavi!"
Lavi sighed and accepted the inevitable.
Dea took only what she wore and some water and food in a small bag saying over and again that Lavi needed everything else. In the end Lavi agreed and let her go on her way.
Dea looked back at Lavi and smiled sadly. She knew what must be done even though it was a hard task for her to carry out, but she would nonetheless. She had grown fond of Lavi over the past day. She was used to his warm smile and happy personality. He was a nice person to be around.
That was why she was leaving.
In my vision, and I'm sure that's what it was, Lavi died because he was protecting me. So technically if I'm not there then he most probably won't die.
It seemed logical to think that.
Dea hefted the small bag she had over her shoulder. It only contained two small bottles of water and a small quantity of food. Dea's destination was barely a day away. She could easily make it back to the city with what she had. But it would be a long and hard journey.
Lavi had said that if she had the devils luck then Akuma, like the one yesterday, would attack her on her way back. More than likely he was right.
"But don't worry too much, just concentrate on getting back safely."
"Why shouldn't I be worried?"
Lavi pointed at his coat. "This coat, it's a focus for the Akuma, in other words we are like a target for them. If they see this coat they will most probably come after me rather than you. Let's hope so!"
Dea nodded to herself. She shouldn't get distracted so easily. Her main focus now, as she promised Lavi, was to get to the city safely.
Dea glanced behind her and saw in the very distance a small figure clutching at an older boys sleeve.
She smiled to herself at the scene. It looked so peaceful and relaxed. That poor girl, Anga, she doesn't know what she's getting herself into.
Before Dea had left, Anga had offered to lead the way for Lavi. She said that she had lived here for all her life and knew it like the back of her hand. Lavi couldn't refuse her desperate desire to help so he agreed.
Dea turned around again and kept on walking. The sun was still only on the horizon line. She had plenty of time to make it back.
She sighed; it would be a long day.
The dirt road beneath her feet was course and rough. Once she fell over and grazed her knees on the hard ground. Despite the stinging she picked herself up and kept going. After a small while, however, her knees became unbearably painful so she stopped and sat on the sparse grass that edged the road.
Dea opened one of her water bottles and wet a cloth she had in her bag and gently dabbed her knees with it. It stung sharply but she ignored the pain.
She continued onward along the road for several hours all the while looking at the sun, judging the time. The sun was high above her head now and her stomach was rumbling with hunger.
She took a quick stop near the side of the road where an old barn once stood and sat on an old moss covered tree stump. She heaved the bag from her back and pulled out a small loaf of bread and some cheese. As she ate she watched the road. No one was traveling along it today, which was unusual.
After washing down her brief meal with a drink of water she stood up and stretched her cramped muscles. Deciding that she was nearly back she lay down on the ground and closed her eyes.
Dea fell asleep within seconds. As the sun slowly began it's descend a group of travelers passed along the road. Dea woke up at the sound of their approach. She stayed down low so as not to have them notice her. As they came closer she heard muffled speaking. A whisper was spreading around the group like a wildfire of juicy gossip. The looks on the people's faces were, however, an expression of shock.
"Did you 'ear," one of the younger boys said, he looked about only sixteen.
"Hear what?" asked one of the elder men.
The young boy paused for a moment as though he were telling a great story that needed added emphasis. "One o' the local farmers, I think Mr. Deavon was 'is name…anyway, 'e said that big monsters 'ad been seen around the fissure. Stacks of 'em!"
The crowd gasped as one and glanced around at each other in wonder. "How many?" asked one of them.
"No one is sure yet, they were all too frightened to go near 'em, but they think it was around ten or maybe even twenty!"
"No way…"
"That's impossible!"
"It's true…Mr. Deavon never tells lies."
The group walked a little longer in silence before a stout little man spoke. "But that boy we saw earlier…surely he was headed there."
No one responded to this so the little man said again, "Well…?"
"There's nothing we can do, Karl…That boy's probably long gone by now. It's almost sundown, we saw him early this morning."
"You're right. 'Em monsters would rip us apart anyway," said the young boy. "Who knows what would 'appen to 'im. 'E's none o' our concern."
The group kept on the small chatter until they were out of Dea's sight. Silently, her heart beating ever faster Dea sat frozen to the spot.
NO! Lavi would have noticed them, surely. But…what if he didn't?
Dea quietly crept onto her knees and stood up. The sun was slowly sinking out of sight, leaving the sky an unnatural red. Deciding quickly, Dea grabbed her bag and slung it onto her back and, running, she headed back down the road she had come.
Her heart was beating fast in her ribs, the faster she ran the more the pain seared. Her breath was caught and her chest was tight, but she didn't stop.
She ran past another group of people headed back for the town. As she passed them she heard them calling out to her, telling her to stop, shouting that it was dangerous that way.
Dea didn't care nor did she stop. She kept on running as fast as she could. She remembered faintly where the fissure was located from her childhood.
Please let me get there in time. Please!
Well thats that one done and dusted! review and tell me what you think! be waiting for the next chappie! ^_^