Part 8
Doctor Knox and I helped Lan Fan into his house, to his room and into his bed.
I, immediately grabbed a bowl, filled it with cold water, dipped a rag into the water and let it rest on Lan Fan's head.
After that, the doctor shooed me out of the room, saying that he would keep an eye on her.
All I could do is sit on the couch while the Colonel made a few phone calls.
All I could here is that he and his Lieutenant were going to return to central as soon as possible. That decision didn't sit well with the doctor, since Mustang wound from his last battle had opened up, but there was no stopping him.
Suddenly, Doctor Knox points to me and said, "What should I do about her?"
Mustang turned to me and looked me straight in the eye. It felt like he could read everything that was going on in my head, simply by making eye contact. It made me break his gaze and look down at my hands.
I heard him walk closure to me until he was standing right in front of me.
"I'm very sorry for doing this."
He yanked me up to standing by my arms before bending over and hefting me onto his shoulder.
However, I had been carried like this far too many times to not know how to get free.
I slipped from his grasped and summer saulted once I hit the floor.
I looked back at him with a determined look. "I'm going after him."
He returned my look with his equivalent. "We already have 3 children fighting our fight. I'm not going to let any others get involved."
"Tough."
"Why do you even wanna go after him? I thought you didn't like him. At least that's what Ed and Al told me."
What could I say? What could I say that wouldn't get me laughed at? Or looked down upon? I didn't know. I, myself, didn't even understand why I wanted to go after him.
I looked down, silently admitting that I couldn't answer him.
"Well, whatever the reason for your change in attitude, it's too dangerous for you to go after them. You're staying here."
I glared at the man and said, "You're not in charge of me. You're not my colonel. And, even if you were, I have a history of not listening to anyone else."
Suddenly, he raised his gloved hand, showing me his transmutation circle, ready to snap. "Don't make me do this to you."
I scoffed. "Even if you would do it…"
I showed him my Water Alkehistory Array. "… According to the laws of the elements, water beats fire, always."
Suddenly, I heard a gun cock.
I looked to see the Liutenent was pointing her gun at me.
I scoffed again. "I can make that useless with a simple flick of the wrist. Do you want to see if you pull the trigger before I do?"
Suddenly, something hard made contact with the very top of my head, sending me to my knees.
I clutched my head, hissing in pain as I felt the welt that was already starting to form.
I looked up to see Doctor Knox, glaring down at me with clenched fists. "You really are an idiot! Look at you! You're threatening people who are your side! I don't care what that punk said to you to make you crazy! He's risking his life- we all are – to make sure that you're safe! Are you gonna repay him by putting yourself in danger?"
I looked down at the floor, cursing myself; he was right. These people were risking their lives for me and everyone else and what did I do? Threaten them because I was frustrated.
I looked up at the Colonel and the Lieutenant, expecting to see anger in their faces, but I didn't see it. Their faces were relatively straight but their eyes had a touch of… sympathy?
I looked down at the floor again, embarrassed by my actions and words. "Sorry."
The Lieutenant put her gun away, walked up to me and offered me a hand.
I looked up at her, to find her smiling sympathetically. She didn't say a word but her eyes were saying, "I know how you feel."
I sighed and took her hand. She pulled me to my feet and patted me on the back.
That's when Roy asked the doctor, "Can she stay in your son's old room?"
The doctor turned away and said, "Whatever. As long as she doesn't turn on the light; it'll make the neighbors suspicious."
Mustang looked back at me and nodded, silently telling me that it was okay.
I sighed before following the doctor to the top floor.
He unlocked and opened a door at the end of hall. A bare bed, one night stand and empty drawers was all that was inside. Everything was layered in dust, signaling that the room hadn't been used it a long time.
"Hey."
I looked back just in time to catch the piled of sheets and pillows that were flying towards me. "Make the bed and then go to sleep."
He shut the door behind him, sending the room into darkness.
Luckily, my eyes adjusted to the darkness quit easily, so making the bed wasn't too difficult.
Once I was done, I stripped to my underclothes before slipping into bed.
I was exhausted; after all the running and fighting I had done within the week, all I wanted to do was sleep.
And, eventually, I slipped into slumber with Ling's voice ringing in my head.
Forgive me.
…
Darkness.
Darkness surrounded me like a cold blanket.
No matter where I looked I couldn't see a thing.
All I could hear was water, dripping from somewhere in the distance. Echoes followed every drop.
A sickening smell filled my nose, making my stomach lurch. The smell was so bad that I fell to my knees and had to hold my hand over my mouth and nose.
When I put my other hand on the ground for support, it landed in a puddle. That was, disgustingly, warm and sticky.
Just then, the puddle began to glow.
Blood red.
Not water.
Blood.
I started to panic at the site. My breathing became rapid and erratic as. I jumped to my feet and tried to step away from the puddle. But, when I looked again, it wasn't a puddle anymore. Blood was covering the entire floor.
Dripping.
I found where the dripping blood was hitting the floor.
But where was it dripping from?
I gulped and pushed my stomach back down before forcing my self to look up.
My eyes burst into tears.
My legs trembled so badly that I just fell to my knees.
Shivers ran all along my spine and arms.
This horrifying site was the cause for my hysterics. Ling. Hanging from a noose. His face cover with cuts, bruises and swollen skin. I giant whole in his head, causing blood to drip down his hair. Gapping wholes in his torso. All his blood, dripping down his legs, arms and hands.
My sobs filled the air and fell in the darkness that surrounded me.
And to think…
The haunting voice of King Bradley made snap my eyes open, jump to my feet and look around frantically for the monster.
But there was no one there. Only darkness. Even Ling's body and all the blood was gone.
That fool died from excess baggage like you. If you hadn't run away, he wouldn't have had to die. How does it feel to be a murderer?
Instantly, I was surrounded by a ring of fire.
I through the this smoke, I could see Ling's bloody, beaten and angry face. No matter were I turned, there he was, glaring the life out of me.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
And with that, I bolted up.
The sun was shining through the window.
My clothes, forehead, sheets, everything was covered in sweat.
I took so many deep breaths just to calm myself down.
I flopped back onto my pillow and shielded my eyes from the sun with my arm.
But the moment I closed my eyes, the blood and flames came back right back.
That made me jump right up out of bed.
I rushed right to the door, grabbed the door knob and twisted as hard as I could.
The door was locked.
I started banging on the door as if my life depended on it. "DAMMIT! OPEN THE DOOR!
Heavy foot steps approached the door. A hard fist started banging on the door. "I DON'T TRUST YOU ONE BIT, YOU BRAT! SO JUST SETTLE DOWN!"
I kicked the door before throwing myself back onto the bed in despair.
Why the hell did I let my guard down and behave? I should have distracted them and made a break for it.
I pushed myself up and looked out the window, hopeless and helpless, just the way I hated.
Wait.
The window!
I took a look and the Doctor had, carelessly, left it unlocked.
I threw it open and jumped out, flipping through the air and landing on my feet with ease.
I didn't waste time before bolting into a run.
…
I stopped in an alley way to rest. I was far enough away from the Doctor's house that I could afford to take a breather.
'Now what? I guess I should try to focus one an aura. If I can find Alphonse's or a homunculi aura, that aura could lead me to Ling. Focus. Focus.'
The moment I closed my eyes, the images of my nightmare came back, making me shiver.
I squeezed my eyes tighter. 'No. No. Don't be afraid. He's alive. He has to be. Just focus and you'll be able to find him. Focus.'
The nightmare faded and gave way to a light. A familiar light. Alphonse's.
But, right next to the light was a deep darkness.
And both the light and that darkness were in the next alley way.
'Better keep a good distance; for all I know, it might be Gluttony with his good nose. And, even if it's not, chances are, all homunculi probably have heightened senses that can sense humans.'
True to my own advice, I made sure to keep an alleyway away from them.
But, as I followed them, I felt like their destination was the worst possible place. The origin of the darkness that I had sense in this country on first arrival.
Sorry. We haven't gotten to the good part yet but I promised it'll be in the next chapter.
