Don't really know why but this chapter is rather funny. Don't mind the seriousness of my author notes and give me some time.
Fall in the Fires, Rise from the Ashes.
Chapter 7: Bleeding Hearts.
The lone store room echoed with strangled sobs. A young boy sat there in the cold, all alone, crying his heart out.
"W-why...di-d h-he do...do it..." He asked no one in particular as sobs racked his body.
It was dark...much darker than he would've liked but he was still sitting there, crying heart-brokenly at his loss. He shivered and coughed, all the crying finally getting to him. In the condition he was right now, he wouldn't be able to do anything to muffle his voice.
When it got too much to handle, he finally coughed hard and threw up the little contents of his stomach in an empty brown cardboard box nearby.
Darkness seemed to cloud his mind. Before he accepted the blissful darkness, he felt someone's hand on his back. Trembling, Kai opened his eyes a crack, desperately searching for the owner of the touch. And he did saw a blurry someone. The mysterious figure was glowing and he could hear it sing in a melodious voice,
will flicker into light
there's a spark inside us
that we can all ignite
all that's dark inside us
will flicker into light
there's a power in every breath
there's a power in every note
a power that starts within the heart
a power that rises through the throat
and when it sails up through the air,
more beautiful than any prayer
this power could right a wrong
and it always thrill the ear
of those who have the power to hear
the magic of this song
all that's strong inside us,
that tells us wrong from right,
becomes a song inside us,
to the chase away the night.
"M-mama...?" He squinted his eyes for a better view but the haze prevented him. He felt as if a mysterious fog was engulfing him as the familiar song was continued.
The touch was so gentle, the voice was so beautiful, the sparkle was so dazzling, he was sure it was his mother.
"B-but...I...I kille..." A finger caressed his cheek, stopping him from saying more.
So if his mother was here, did that mean he was dieing? That she had come to take him along with her? The thought appealed him and leaning back, Kai allowed himself to be embraced by the warm touch before his world went black.
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"Well that went smoothly." Spencer ran a hand through his hair.
"Wasn't my fault." Bryan insisted again, "He went on his own. We just wanted to know. We could've helped him."
"He didn't want to be helped Bry." Tala raised his head, "He wanted to deal with his issues himself."
Bryan opened his mouth to say something but Ian beat him to it, "Byan was bad. Byan 'urt' Aye. Aye was good with Byan and Byan cry Aye."
At Bryan's lost expression, Spencer sighed and elaborated, "He means you hurt Kai and you made him cry even though Kai was behaving good with you."
"Oh." Bryan bit his lip, "Hey I was just asking. He went all angry and..."
"Aye angy coz You make Aye angy." Ian pointed out wisely.
"Give me a break, you little caterpillar!" Bryan was getting irritated now.
"Good boyings say sowwy Byan." Ian advised.
Even in the tense atmosphere, the others couldn't help themselves as they laughed at poor plural of 'boy' from Ian's side.
Ian pouted and stood up.
"Where are you going lobster?" Bryan asked.
"Ian no 'lobter'! Ian go to help Aye."
You know where he is?" Tala got off the bed.
Ian nodded his head.
"Where?"
"In this 'bidding'!" Came the reply.
"Ian, we know he's in this building." Tala face-palmed.
Before anyone could stop the tiny figure, Ian slipped through the bars of the door but got stuck from the back. Rolling his eyes, Bryan went and gave him a push which forced the young boy out of the room.
" 'Tank you Byan...and Pencer...and Tara...and Aye...and Ian!" Ian jerked his head before going on his journey to find his missing brother.
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Ian was wandering in the hallway when he suddenly heard footsteps and a voice.
"I know, I love you too. Just wait till I get my hands on the money and then...we'll go to a honey moon together..."
A guard was talking on his radio to some one he obviously loved.
Ian stuck his tongue out at the sickeningly sweet words and suddenly realized that the guard was coming his way. Not having any other choice, the young boy stepped into the closest room and closed the door behind him. He fearfully tried to look in the dark as he entered and took a step forward.
"Aye?" He called out quietly. No response came. He went a little more forward and suddenly, bumped into a something which happened to be a box. This was an old storeroom after all.
"Aye..." He called again, this time a bit louder.
He moved ahead and found a faint glow. Not knowing, Ian sat down beside the glow. As his eyes got accustomed to the dark, what he saw froze him on the ground.
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Group seven sat in heavy silence, pondering on what to say. But no one was breaking the silence.
All of a sudden, sniffing was heard from the outside.
"They caught him." Tala's heart stuck in his throat. But they saw Ian's small frame coming back, his hands clutching a white fabric.
"No, they didn't." Spencer went to pull the boy in as he got stuck...again...in the barred door.
"Well? Hey is that Kai's scarf?" Tala left his bed coming to stand near the young boy, " Why are you crying?"
"Aye...Aye..." Ian sobbed before burying his head in the red head's shirt.
"What Kai? What happened?" Tala asked frantically.
"Aye dead."
Ian had exploded a bomb on their heads. The blast wave hit hard.
"WHAT?" All four of them surrounded the boy who was now crying uncontrollably.
"What do you mean? Ian what happened?" Tala sat on the ground, still hugging the boy.
"Ian go to the room and...and a man say love to some b'dy and Ian...Ian hide in the room...was cold...and...and dark." Ian hiccuped and held Tala's shirt in a death grip.
"And?" Bryan asked.
"And...and Aye sleep there...and Ian try to wake Aye but Aye sleep...and...and Aye cry and...and Aye say good bye...and Aye say he pain...in here." Ian placed a hand on his chest where his heart was present.
"And...and Aye say...Aye say Aye dead."
Spencer bit his lip and Bryan hung his head low.
"And Aye give Ian this." Ian showed the scarf, "And Aye say, run Ian...and don't look back Ian. And Ian run." He sobbed again.
Tala blinked before a sudden thought came in his mind to make Bryan see that he had indeed pushed Kai really far. The red head got up, still holding Ian and took him to a corner, mouthing to the others, "I'll be right back." and faking sympathy towards the still crying boy. Bryan and Spencer nodded, understanding that Tala had gone to comfort Ian.
They saw him whispering something to Ian which appeared to be questions. The young boy answered him in a barely audible voice and after a few minutes, a bit louder, Tala stated, looking at Ian, "Don't worry, he's still with us."
"Huh? Where?" Ian rubbed his eyes and looked at the red head.
"In here." Tala placed a hand on Ian's heart, "Just like he said."
"You mean he...really..." Bryan hesitated.
Tala nodded solemnly, his eyes downcast.
"No way, he was so...young." Spencer's eyes went wide.
"Sorry Spence. Ian is telling the truth." Tala let out a soft sob.
"B-but..." Spencer felt a sting in his heart. He had gotten used to Kai's quiet presence around them.
Tala peeked to see Bryan's reaction. The lilac haired boy just stood there, mouth slightly opened, staring at them with wide eyes.
"Sorry Bry." Tala muttered loud enough for him to hear. And that was all Bryan needed. Slumping down on the floor, he took in a breathe sharply. He felt a pang of guilt hit him like bricks, over and over again. Kai hadn't deserved to die like that, but he had. And it was all his fault. If only he had kept his mouth shut, none of this would've happened. Blinking rapidly, he looked around helplessly.
"N-no...he can't. I...I didn't...Tala, I didn't..." Bryan's voice was blocked in his throat, "This is all my fault. If only...If only I had..." He didn't complete his sentence as tears flowed from his lilac eyes freely.
Ian went and sat beside him and somewhat maturely, he hugged Bryan, "Don't cry Byan. Aye live here." He touched Bryan's chest's left side with his small hand, "Aye be happy in Byan 'aart'"
"My...heart?" Bryan covered Ian's hand with his own, still on his chest where his heart was beating.
Ian nodded, "And Aye happy here. Aye love Byan...Aye Byan 'bother'."
"Huh?"
"He means brother." Tala elaborated.
"Oh." Bryan lowered his eyes.
Ian brought Kai's scarf close to Bryan's face, "Looky, Aye give it. It's good. You want it 'carf'?"
"The...scarf..." Bryan sniffed and took the scarf, burying his face in it. The white scarf had the scent of vanilla essence.
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That night, not known to any member of group seven, Tala had used Ian to sneak out a key from a sleeping guard. When every one had slept, Tala quietly opened the door. The abbey was relatively new so the security wasn't so tight. Plus, where could the young boys go? There wasn't any way of escaping. Nor did anyone know the route.
Going in the same direction, where Ian had gone, Tala soon found the store room where he had once hidden himself from a few bullies who were later punished in the abbey. Quietly entering, he went forward as his eyes adjusted to the dark. He could finally make out a prone form not more than a few steps away, present on the floor.
Bending over him, Tala shook the boy, "Kai? Hey Kai..."
When he got no response, he gently hoisted him up, off the ground. Kai was about two or three months younger than him so how much could he really weigh? At the age of eight and half, he was still light. So Tala easily and silently bought him back to their room, relieved to see the others still asleep.
He went and lied Kai on the nearest bed which happened to be Bryan's. The small bed fitted the two boys and though Kai was unconscious, Bryan still pulled him a bit closer in his sleep, as if Kai was a stuff toy to be slept with.
Tala smiled lightly and making sure that his best friend was still breathing, he went to his own bed.
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"WHAT THE HELL! GEEZ!"
Spencer, Tala and even Ian were startled out of their dreamworld. They turned towards the now cursing Bryan who was...present on the floor with a pissed off and some what surprised expression on his face.
"What's wrong Bry?" Tala asked casually, trying to muffle his laughter.
"What's wrong? WHAT'S WRONG?!" Bryan was almost yelling again as he pointed towards his bed, "I think I and only I slept on my bed last night."
Tala burst out laughing at the lilac haired boy's expressions. Spencer, though amused, went to check out what was Bryan's point. Ian clapped happily.
Spencer blinked as he looked at Bryan's bed. There was something or more like someone on it, under the thin blanket, sleeping peacefully. As the blonde pulled the blanket back, he gapped in surprise, "Kai?"
"No way..." Bryan rubbed his head, getting off the floor.
Tala went to him innocently and poked his arm, "Looks like you wont regret that fight of yours Bry." He offered a smile.
Bryan looked at the red head suspiciously before glancing at the figure present on his bed, "Yeah, right." His voice was much lower now.
"Looky Byan, Aye come back!" Ian bounced happily as he pounced on Bryan from behind. With a "Hey!" Bryan pulled him off himself and went to see if it really was Kai. As he gingerly touched a shoulder, he was startled to see a pair of glazed crimson orbs open and fixed on him.
"Hey Kai." Bryan greeted, bending over him a bit.
What Kai said next shook him to the core...
"Who are you?"
Well, here it is. R&R please, thankyou. Stay tuned for the next chapter.
Rose out.
Until next time.