Before you read this newest chapter (yay!) can I just say that I really, and I mean really, love you guys. I'm serious. There's not many people who are so supportive and encouraging and kind and further words that you can look up in the thesaurus like you, my readers.
I appreciate your every word and critique. I do. I am one lucky writer to have readers like you. I'm sure I've said it before, but it's people like you that make me write and post. If it wasn't for you all, I'd probably had given up on this story already.
So, thank you.
And don't give up on your stories either. You'll be surprised how many faithful – and perhaps somewhat annoying – readers you'll get.
Ok, after that sappy little outburst, you're probably waiting to actually read what you came here to read. Go on, then.
Crow and Dove
Chapter 9:
For the second time in weeks, Sarah cried.
She cried for her hardships that had forced her to evolve into who she was. She cried for the pain she felt from her empty stomach and dry throat. She cried for the people she knew and lost; the people she saw and envied; the people she ran away from and feared.
But most of all, she cried in relief that she wasn't alone anymore and the man that she had wished so desperately to return to her was now holding her in a fierce embrace; a warm smile curving his lips up.
She cried because she had missed him.
She wasn't sure how much time had passed but it had been long enough to dry her eyes and quiet her sobs. She lay huddled in Eric's embrace as he rocked her. Her eyes hurt from crying and she was tempted to fall asleep. But the fear that she would wake to find that Eric had just been a dream prevented her from doing so.
At last, Eric pushed her away and cupped her face in his hands, rubbing his thumbs against her tear-stained cheeks. She lifted a hand and snaked it into his, pressing the back of his hand against her cheek. She relished in the warmth that radiated from it.
Still holding onto his hand, she looked up at his face, drowning in those oceanic eyes, and smiled. "How is it possible?" she asked softly.
"I don't know," Eric replied honestly. "You'll have to ask him." He looked up to the rafters and Sarah followed his gaze to a black crow preening its feathers.
"Why do you look like this?"
"I don't know?" Eric repeated. "I guess my body isn't as durable as my soul." He flexed one hand.
"Why are you here?"
"I don't know," Eric answered in a voice quieter than before. He searched Sarah's eyes. "I think you have to tell me that."
Sarah frowned and looked away, a shiver passing over her. Eric noticed. He gripped her hand and used his other to gently cup her chin and guide her eyes to meet his.
"Sarah, the only way I can help you is if I know what's happening," Eric explained gently. Sarah's hand had started shaking in his.
He searched her eyes once more, debating on whether or not to uproot the memories that still haunted Sarah. He decided that her safety was more important.
Eric gently wiggled his hand out of Sarah's grasp and placed his palms against her temples. "I'm going to see for myself, all right?" he asked with a gentle smile.
Sarah swallowed uneasily but nodded.
"Just relax," Eric assured. He closed his eyes and touched his forehead to Sarah's.
A different shiver ran along Sarah's spine as she closed her eyes.
._._._.
Eric opened his eyes.
He was hiding, peeking out of a sliver of an opening between the doors of a small closet. He was scared. Bad men were here.
Eric peered out of the opening and was able to see three men enter the room. There was a blonde woman there too. Her back was to him and she was waving her arms, shouting angrily at the men. Eric felt the heat of rage tense his muscles and make his face burn. But he didn't dare reveal himself.
The woman demanded the men to go but they slapped her aside with ease. One knelt down and pinned her to the ground, a crazed lust gleaming in his eyes.
Eric reacted. He jumped out of the closet; the cool metal of a gun clutched tightly in his hands, and pointed it at the man he knew was the leader. He felt his mouth move but the words that came out were muffled and incoherent as if he were talking underwater.
The men laughed and the woman cried but Eric stood firm, the gun shaking in his hands. The leader sauntered closer, a sadistic smile on his face.
The gun fired. The man fell.
The others watched in amazed horror as Eric lowered the gun. He could feel the warmth of blood that was not his drip down his face. He could smell the metallic scent that emanated from the listless body on the floor.
Eric wanted to get away before more men came but he couldn't. He wasn't in control of his body.
Because he was looking through Sarah's eyes. And she had just killed a man.
The men backed away and ran out of the room. The woman – she had to be Sarah's mother – crawled over to Eric and held him, sobbing loudly. Sarah was still holding the gun and Eric couldn't make her let go.
The woman calmed enough to pack some food in a bag and then she led Eric out of the house. They started running, Eric going as fast as he could but with Sarah's short legs, he tired quickly. They ran for a long time until the woman found refuge in an abandoned storage building. She settled him inside and gave him the food.
She was still crying.
Her mouth moved with words Eric couldn't hear and then she kissed his forehead. Eric felt dread as his heart fell to his stomach. The woman stood but Sarah's hands still clung to her. The woman pushed Eric away and ran out of the room. Eric heard shouts and gunshots and then they were gone.
A sadness overwhelmed him and he cried. He cried for a long time, waiting for Sarah's mother, the mother he felt was his own, to return. But she didn't.
At last, Eric stood and walked away.
Images blurred together with strings of random sounds: sirens, yelling, guns, until the play button was pressed and the images slowed to show that he was standing in front of a warehouse. He was taller now, older.
A man came out and looked him over. Eric stood tall, wanting to impress and be accepted.
At last, the man waved him in and Eric entered a room of ragged-looking men and woman in black clothes. They all had guns. Eric looked down to see that he still held the gun Sarah had used to kill the man before.
Again, Sarah's life moved into fast forward. He saw images of vandalizing with the gang he had joined; stealing for a living. He saw more death, but not by his hand. He saw men staring at him lustily; felt their hard grips that he had to fight away.
He felt cold and hunger and fear and remorse and sadness. He felt completely alone.
Now he was older, perhaps far older than he should have been. He was on a mission. The gun was held at the ready in his hands. He stalked quietly through the room of a vacant house. He didn't want to think about what had happened to the previous owners.
Laughter and voices sounded from the far room. Light streamed out from the doorway and he could see countless people sitting around with drinks in their hands.
These were the men. He was sure of it. These were the people that had killed his mother. And his mission was to get revenge.
Eric screamed at Sarah to stop; used all of his will to get her to turn around. But this was the past and he had no control over what was to happen next.
Sarah barged into the room, shooting her gun with fevered rage; yelling at the stunned men as they blinked at her before falling to the floor with cries of alarm. He managed to hit a few before the gun was empty.
A large and cruel man stood up and roared with an uncontrolled fury that made Eric's heart skip a beat. A name flashed in his head.
Thrash. The man that had taken the role of the man Sarah had killed. The leader.
The man leveled a gun at him and Eric dove to the side as bullets ripped the air where he had been standing. He stood quickly and ran, Thrash shouting after him as footsteps pounded behind him.
Eric panicked. His mission had failed and hadn't gone according to plan. He knew he was going to die. Thrash was the very definition of death. He had miscalculated and now he was going to pay.
He ran, hard and fast. A safe location popped into his head and he started towards the graveyard. He knew that if he could just get there, he would live.
He felt the bite of a bullet enter his shoulder. He felt scratches and bruises. He watched as Sarah's mind flashed back to a happier life in the company of the man and a woman who were about to be married.
The rest was a blur of fear until Eric blinked and he was sitting before two graves. Sarah lifted her face to the sky and let out a long cry full of pain and Eric's cry mingled with hers.
._._._.
Eric pulled away with a cry and the memory abruptly faded. He crumbled to the ground, holding his head as tears streamed down his cheeks. The agonizing pain and anguish still paralyzed him. The fire from the bullet wound still burned him. So much fear. So alone.
He couldn't stand it.
But all he was feeling was what the memory had shown him. These weren't his true emotions. They were merely software he had downloaded from another source. The real owner of the emotions he felt was someone else.
Eric opened watery eyes and blinked to focus on a young woman sitting before him. She looked down at him as her own silent tears trickled down her face. Her eyes were that of someone who had seen all that they wanted to see in the world.
"I'm sorry," Eric murmured. He pressed his hands to his eyes but the tears still came. "I'm so sorry."
Far above them, the dove clucked sympathetically, the sound in itself mimicking that of an apology.
._._._._._.
So that's Sarah's past up to this point. Eric's past is pretty short because he just came back to life.
I'll see you guys later I guess. Thanks for reading! ^_^
Hobey-Ho