Chapter 13
"I'm not so scared to tell you now, it's not such a touchy subject." He was getting annoyed with my delaying. Here we sat under the shade of an awning, with the ocean to out backs and breakfast in front of us. "Still, you have to promise that you will at least try to believe that what I am about to tell you is true." I paused for dramatic effect, but still couldn't quite bring myself to make the admission. "Because it is true. I don't have any proof, but I do know that it is true."
"Tox," he said loudly. "Just say it."
"Alright, alright." I sighed and took another bite of my fruit salad, chewing slowly to give myself a little more time to think. "I am an inter-dimensional traveler."
There was silence after my admission. Jak just sat there for a moment. He had stopped eating but wasn't looking at me. There was long time, and I felt the heavy weight of regret settle onto my shoulders. He didn't believe me. He thought I was lying to him, or crazy, anything but the truth.
I wasn't delusional, everything made sense. No random occurrences that I couldn't explain. So he was wrong in thinking I was insane.
Jak shook his head a little smile on his face. Anger, and extreme sadness made me shake where I sat. I shouldn't have told him. How stupid do I get?
"I'm a time traveler, so I guess I shouldn't be past believing in that, either."
How dare he think- wait, what? "You believe me?"
He looked at me, a little smile on his face. "Yeah, I believe you. We're both a little messed up, so I don't see how it's not possible. Like you said, you are a living light socket, and I'm a mutation with a nasty bite."
Whoa! Jak is a lot more laid back then I remember. He used hate talking about his Dark, and just threw it into a conversation like that. It made me almost sadder to see him different like this. The fact that I couldn't be there as he got better made me almost sick with regret.
"I'm sorry, Jak." I had lost my appetite and pushed the half-empty bowl away.
"For what?"
How he forgive me like this? The old Jak would have had my ass for not sticking to his. "For leaving you at the nest."
"Did you go home?"
I sat there for a long time, staring down at the graining on the bar. "Yes and no." I finally answered. I wanted to make him understand but wasn't sure how. I suppose I could tell him straight and answer his questions. But I didn't him to know just how selfish I was.
"I went back to my world, just in time to find out that Precursora is my real home." That was surprisingly easy…
"So you came back?"
"Yeah. It wasn't easy, I'll tell you that much. All my world really show me was how much I hated it, and how much I belong here."
"And your finger?" He reached over and grabbed my hand, sending jolts of metaphorical electricity up my arms. "What happened here?"
I pulled my hand away. I didn't like the feeling his touch was giving me. I examined the black fingers. "Don't worry," I assured him. "They don't hurt. I don't how I got that, to be honest with you. They just sorta were there when I woke up."
"You mean this morning? This is a new development? Doesn't this place have a doctor or healer or something?"
"No, I mean when I first woke up in this world. They were just there. I think the portal just messed me up a bit. My hair did some pretty weird stuff, too. Like changing color a little and becoming not frizzy."
Jak smirked. "You have frizzy hair?"
"I do when I'm on Earth."
"Earth? Is that what you call it? Maybe I could go there someday."
…He doesn't believe you…
My headache suddenly exploded behind my eyes again. "You don't believe me."
"No," he looked purely defensive.
…He doesn't like you…
I scoffed. "I can't believe this." I got up, preparing to storm off. "I bet you don't even like me. Just humoring me for the sake of some good laughs?" I spat at him, seeing his glare melt away to be replaced by something else.
"Tox,"
…He doesn't even know your name… Not like I do…
"You don't even know my name. You hardly know me at all. What do want from me?"
"You are not making any sense."
…He's laughing at you… I would never laugh at you…
"Stop laughing!"
"I'm not laughing!"
…You don't want his love, only my love… Only I understand…
"You don't get it, only he understands."
"Who's he?"
…He doesn't deserve to know… He will only call you crazy… He thinks you are crazy…
"Never mind," I left him where he sat. I couldn't stand his mockery anymore. How dare he laugh at me, how dare he tell me he hated me. What the hell was wrong with him?
/-/-/
Screams filled the blackness around the monolith that moved and growled. "He doesn't love you."
"That's not true!" Two voices disjointed but very distance. One was whispers and shadows, hisses and growls. The other was young, sad, and so very human sounding.
"He never loved you."
"That's not true."
"He has forgotten about you. That is all you are, just a forgotten memory."
"No, no, no! Shut up! Go away!"
Laughter echoed through the darkness, and illumination became clear around the figure of a young woman. Her dark hair was dirty and tangled, but had once been beautiful. Her clothing, which had once been that of a wastelander, were torn and sheered. Her face; once smooth, tan, and beautiful, was pale and cracked. Her lips bled and her eyes shed tears that never truly came into existence. It was obvious she was dying, the cracks and tears in skin could tell any sentient being this.
Her pale face turned, eyes that where supposed to be blue, stained silver white, searched the darkness. "Leave child, before the door disappears."
"What door?"
A gasp and a sob. "No, not another." She gasped and shuddered, broken sobs from a body that far too weak. "Find the door, don't give up yet."
Find the door. Quickly now. We wouldn't want this child do die, now do we.
XXX
A/N: Not giving anything away…
Broken Wolf/D.R.M.