Chapter two. Memories of a dream
Raven appeared from the dark hole in front of Beast Boys door. She could hear soft music coming from inside. Music she wasn't familiar with.
She got closer to the door, trying to discern the musical notes. At first they sounded urban, muffled. But a louder chorus told her it was a dialect. An African tune. Not modern but like the ones she had heard on the documental on animals he usually watched on tv.
She knocked on the door , but no one answer. She figured he probably didn't hear her over the music. So she tried again, this time a little louder. The volume on the music went down, almost off, and she heard him say "come in, is open".
She was hesitant for a moment. She pushed the door open. There had been only a couple of times that she had been in his room. There was always clutter, trash, old pizza boxes, piles of dirty clothes and his desk covered in piles of papers.
This time however, it looked like he had made an effort to clean it up, at least there was a path from the door to his bed clear of debris.
He sat up upon seeing his unexpected visitor and gave her an embarrassed smile. She walked in and closed the door softly behind her. Then gathering the lower part of her cape and holding it back, she walked towards him, still in silence, watching her step.
She still had her hood over her head. She saw how embarrassed he was about the condition of his room but before he said something, she lifted her left hand to stop him and said "we'll discuss this mess some other time" she stopped in front of him, he motion for her to sit next to him.
She hesitated for a minute but complied. He scoot over to giver space, he knew how adamant she was about her personal space. He looked down, while he moved, trying not to look her in the eye, those beautiful eyes that seemed to be able to see thru him, deep down his soul, and not because she was a demoness.
She never stopped looking at his face, he seemed uncomfortable, but most of all sad. Finally he had the courage to look her in the eye.
When she looked back in his, she realized just how sweet his face was, how she could stare into those green eyes for hours to no end, but shook the thought before it was finished. Instead, she asked in her monotone "I know something is bothering you… what to talk about it?"
He was surprised at this. Her tone, although a dead ring to her usual demeanor, felt somehow soothing and strange at the same time.
He lowered his head a bit, again, trying not to look at her. It was difficult to see her expression if there was any.
The hood of her cloak was still over her head.
She sensed his emotions in different waves. Curiosity, was among them. But before she could say something, he leaned forward, with almost a trembling hand, he pulled slowly the hood off her head.
Ever so slowly as if trying the fates and risk upsetting her for doing so bold a move. Slowly, her face appeared, she had no expression he could speak of and was staring at him all the while.
He let go of her hood and sat back, looking over her face. Her skin, although gray, was a flawless complexion. Her chakra stone was the only jewelry she ever wore and her scent, sometimes lilac, sometimes lavender. And today was the latter. So soothing, he gave her a small smile.
And although she was well-trained in no showing any expression, in her mind, her emotions where going bonkers of excitement.
Out of the blue a stray thought came to mind "oh, he's soo sweet. Do something Rae"
Raven frowned at the comment in her head. Happy no doubt was having a field trip and threaten to surface if she didn't get a grip on her emotions. So, she closed her eyes and moved her head sideways slightly.
When she opened her eyes, she saw Beast Boy's smile fade, look down and sulk even more in his corner. He was disappointed to say the least, he was hoping to get closer to Raven even with a small gesture, but as he had expected and even dreaded, she had been offended.
A pang of sadness hit her. "aww, look what you did Rae-Rae, now he thinks we don't approve.." Happy whined in her head.
Raven cleared her throat to hush her stray emotion and to get Beast Boy's attention.
"you still have not answered me" she said in a deadpan.
"I'm ok Rae, what makes you think something bothers me" he tried to be nonchalant about it but knew that failed miserably.
"I'm an empathy Beast Boy, and believe it or not…I … care about you" she said the last bit in almost a whisper. She almost didn't finish as she realized what was coming out of her mouth.
He had pulled his legs up to his chest and put his arms around them and held his chin on his knees.
When she said this however, he just closed his eyes and said "thanks Rae" in a really soft voice. She was glad he didn't misunderstand her meaning. Even if inside she felt a little disappointed.
He got up and started pacing in front of her, avoiding every piece of debris with agile moves as he was used to. His head low, his arms behind his back. As if considering her offer.
Wave after wave of guilt and regret hit the empathy, she was trying to get a grip on herself as all those emotions were so strong that was making her uncomfortable. But before she said something, he stopped in front of her, fell to his knees, hung his head and signed deeply.
She didn't know what to do or say so she waited patiently. She didn't have to wait long as he started to speak very softly before looking at her with tears in his eyes.
"have I ever told you how my parents died?"
She remember the time that he told Starfire about his parents death. Raven had sat at the other end of the sofa reading a book and had seemed to ignore their conversation.
Starfire had started to sob as he told her about the fatal accident at the waterfall. He had gone on and on how he blamed himself for their death.
Of course Raven remembered it as she had silently shed a tear while behind her book pretending not to hear his story.
"I heard about it once" she said quietly.
"it haunts me Rae, because not only my parents died that day. Someone else was there and I couldn't do anything to save either one of them, I swear I tried to come back but I wasn't strong enough."
Her mind came to an abrupt silence once he had said this, he was so vulnerable at the moment. Again, the waves of emotion she felt from him were overwhelming. and for a moment, she truly didn't know what to do.
With some surprise she realized another one of her emotions had taken control, compassion had a tight grip on her actions but she didn't mind one bit as she realized that love was also making her way too as she knelt in front of him and hugged him tightly. His face rested on her shoulder still shedding silent tears. Her own tears came threaten to her face without warning.
Slowly he let her go but rested his forehead on hers for a moment. He signed deeply then got up, offered her his hand and helped her up.
Then he walked past her towards his bed. Once again, she was at a lost of words.
Before she started walking towards the door she heard his voice. Broken and silently pleading "Rae?… will you please stay here with me… until I fall sleep?" when she turned to him he had stopped in front of his bed and was turning his head to her.
She nodded in silence and followed him to his bed. He laid down and made space for her to sit. She nodded but before she sat she used a sheet to cover him. He gave her a small smile and closed his eyes. She decided to meditate while she waited for him to fall sleep.
She crossed her legs, still sitting on his bed and quietly started to recite her mantra.
Her back was to him, she had managed to turn off the lights with her dark energy and the light of the full moon shone thru the window next to his bed.
He opened his eyes for a moment and saw her cape then the back of her head. She was sitting very straight in what seemed to be a lotus position. Her quiet mantra seemed to have the same soothing effect on him as it did to her while meditating for in a few minutes later, he fell sleep with a smile on his face.
After about ten minutes, she could hear his soft snoring. She watched him for some time.
Something she couldn't do while he was awake or she'll never hear the end of it. But at the moment, he seemed peaceful, but she noticed a frown showed on his face.
He was laying on his back and the moonlight was bright enough to see his expression.
From under his eyelids, she noticed his eyes move from one side to the other, signaling that he was having a dream. She got curious and got closer.
Raven sensed a wave of fear and desperation emanating from him. Suddenly, he started to toss and turn. "A nightmare" she thought. But the wave of emotions didn't subside so she decided to enter his mind. She gave him a peck on his forehead, sat down next to him on a lotus position, closed her eyes and recited her mantra once more.
Her energy sent her in a whirlwind of emotions. Everything was black but then she felt her feet on the ground. She opened her eyes and realized she wasn't on the ground per se, it moved precariously and made her loose her balance and fell on what seemed a puddle of water.
She realized she was inside a small cabin. Perhaps used as storage for there was no bed or furniture other than a small table, several crates piled by the corners and a small round window.
But the noises was what caught her attention. The sea?. There was water everywhere and outside the window the storm threatened with breaking the glass any time.
She felt panic, she recalled the time when she was trapped in Mambo's water torture chamber, to which she would have died in if it wasn't for Beast Boy.
She shook the memory recalling that she never thanked him and made a mental note to herself to do so as soon as he woke up.
Suddenly, the small cabin began to creek and sway precariously. She heard steps running down the wooden steps and a man appeared shouting at the top of his lungs "GARFIELD, GARFIELD, WHERE ARE YOU!"
Raven's eyes went wide when from behind a pile of crates a small green boy emerged, no older that six or seven.
He looked scared beyond reason and the man at the door run to him, got on his knees and hug the boy.
Raven had levitated and was with her back to the nearest wall. They couldn't see her as this was a memory, but the scene just surprised her. The boy tried to say something but was muffled by the man's shoulder.
Raven looked at the man and recognized Beast Boys features on him. "his father" she thought.
Then suddenly the man got up and started to pull the boy up the stairs. Garfield started to pull back and said "BUT DAD, THERE IS SOMETHING I NEED TO TELL YOU" he yelled over the commotion of the thunderstorm. The man yelled back "NO TIME, WE HAVE TO GO, YOUR MOTHER IS WAITING"
"NO, WE CANT LEAVE YET, WE CAN LEAVE HER" again ,young Garfield yelled but his father didn't hear him and picked him up and run upstairs.
When Raven was about to go after them she heard a noise behind the crates. Someone sniffed. She turned around and moved towards the corner and saw a little girl with tears in her eyes, sitting on her knees.
Raven's eyes went wide open again as she understood who the "her" was when young Garfield tried to stop his father.
She then levitated towards the steps and follow them up to the cockpit where a huge disarray and mayhem greeted her.
The storm was at its fullest. The skies where black, the wind blew furiously and the waves slammed merciless against the small boat.
The mast was broken at the base, the control room had flames here and there and sparks could be heard.
She went out and tried to find the family. A life boat was being lowered slowly. The boat's condition under the mayhem made it difficult to maneuver.
Suddenly, a lightning hit the front of the boat, cracking it almost in half. Causing the lifeboat and its passengers to fall into the retching havoc of the river. Still tied to the now blazing boat, the small lifesaver was of no use. The father emerged first, then the mother pulling young Garfield to the surface.
Raven had been watching from afar in the air, as she could not do anything, just watch the events unfold.
Then she saw the father point ahead of them. Raven followed the direction of his arm with her eyes and saw the waterfall just a few yards away. She turned to them again, asking herself why had he not transform into an animal to save his family. But she answered herself as she reasoned that he seemed to be too small for such a task, not mentioning the fear that was consuming him.
She saw they were pushing him, lifting him in the air as if to throw him. She got closer and understood what they were saying "YOU CAN DO IT GARFIELD, GO, FLY AWAY, FIND HELP BUT SAVE YOURSELF" said the father with a mix of fear and rage.
The boy was crying holding on tightly to him and his mother and saying "NO, I WONT, I WONT LEAVE YOU" the father seemed angrier and made the attempt to hit his son if he didn't comply.
The mother stopped him and put herself in between her husband and son and said "YOU CAN DO IT SWEETHEART. YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN GET AWAY. PLEASE DO IT FOR ME."
the mother said with tears in her eyes, "I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE YOU MOM. I LOVE YOU" said a crying young Garfield "I KNOW MY DEAR BOY, BUT YOU MUST… DO IT FOR ME… PROMISE ME THAT YOU'LL SAVE YOURSELF AND DON'T LOOK BACK"
She hugged him the best she could on the water. The father swam forward and hugged him too and kissed him on the top of his head.
The scene was heart breaking. Raven couldn't stop the tears as she watched how they were trying to save their son.
They lifted him again and he was able to turn into a seagull and started to fly away. She followed him but turned back when he did and stopped midair.
What she saw was the most panic-stricken image she had ever encounter. The ravaging storm was sinking the boat in flames, the wind threaten to overturn it over his parents.
She could feel the thunders buildup and that's when she saw the small girl, running towards the edge as best she could, grabbing on to the handles and whatever else that was steady enough to hold her.
A lightning hit the boat again and she couldn't see anything. "NOOO" they both yelled and Raven felt as if someone had tackled her out of the sky.
What about this for a cliffhanger?
I hope you like the story so far. Please review as I'm still in the process of learning better writing techniques, or just writing better all together, but I'll get better at it if I know what you think.