Disappearances happen.
Pain goes phantom.
Blood stops running and people fade away…
There's more I have to say.
So much more.
But I've disappeared.
-Meredith Gray, Gray's Anatomy
CHAPTER FIVE
I'm Just a Man, Not a Hero
I knew that name. Heavens above, I knew that name! But where? Why was it so familiar to me?
Sephiroth noted my shock and confusion. I felt… pinpricks in the back of my mind. Something was going on but I had no clue what.
"Lunchtime!"
With a childish grin, Kadaj came into the room, followed by Furball. The cat ran to Sephiroth, as always, and he rolled his eyes, but left it alone. Kadaj placed my meal in front of me.
"Thank you" I murmured.
Kadaj beamed. "Your welcome, sister."
Kadaj walked over to Sephiroth and sat beside him and hey began a quiet conversation. As I began eating, I contemplated all that was going on around me.
Strange things happening to Samantha Wiley:
Weird mental feelings
Sephiroth's strange behavior
Kadaj and the gang calling me sister
Me remembering the name "Cloud Strife"
As I thought, I remembered also that I needed to get back to writing. Though I really didn't want to, I had a deadline.
Once I finished, I stood and set the tray aside. I was very wobbly but I had to get to work.
"Where are you going?" Kadaj asked.
"I have a lot of work to do." I opened the door to step outside.
Once the door opened, I immediately flew backward when Loz and Yazoo burst in, grabbing hold of my arms and throwing me back on the bed. I shrieked in surprise as the two laughed. Sephiroth stood, chuckling with a smirk.
"Did you really think we'd just let you get up now? You're hurt and you're staying in bed." Kadaj smirked.
Loz was snickering his head off and Yazoo spoke to me in his smooth voice. "Sorry, sister." He smiled.
I gawked at them. "Well, you didn't have to do that!" That burst the bubble, and they all laughed. Well, Sephiroth chuckled. It was then I realized Sephiroth never laughed, or smiled. His eyes may light up, or he might chuckle or smirk, but he'd never smile.
I huffed angrily. Grabbing a pillow off my bed, I threw it at Sephiroth. It hit its target directly in the chest, and laughing ceased. My heart skipped a beat. Did I mess up? I held my ground.
Suddenly, my mind burst with a feverish burning sensation, as if were being caressed and held and licked and touched with fervor and love and passion. It was a warm, erupting flame that severed my thoughts, a bomb of feelings I'd never dreamed or imagined or wanted… but I wanted them now. I so wanted them.
Sephiroth's eyes as he looked at me, after I threw the pillow at him, it was as if he'd never been so passionate. His eyes were almost on fire. As if I'd done something to awaken happiness in him. My heart flew.
I felt a pillow slam into my head.
Sitting up, I looked to see Kadaj grinning. Smirking, I grabbed a pillow and thrust it at his head. He dodged easily.
It was then I realized how royally screwed I was. Four angels, one being the ultimate embodiment of my… umm… well, you know.
As Kadaj retrieved the pillow I'd attacked him with, the four of them gave me devilish grins.
I might've lost one of my nine lives that day.
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It was nighttime, and my thoughts were bugging me.
Who was Cloud Strife? And why did my mind give me such fits?
Groaning, I tried to bury my head in my pillow.
I wanted to disappear.
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Ring
Ring
Ring
Click – Hello, this is the Wiley residence; we are either out or being lazy, leave a message.
Click
Hey, Sammy, it's me, you're wonderful agent, Crystal, ha-ha! I think I've got a deal for you. Why don't you come over to my house tomorrow? We can have a sleep over! Maybe you'll finally play video games with me, I mean, I think you'll really like Final Fantasy, there's a bunch of awesome stuff…
Click
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I awoke at four in the morning. Of course, it takes me forever to fall asleep and yet I wake up early.
The first thing I noticed was the beep of the answering machine. Sleepily I pushed the button.
Hey, Sammy…
I knew it immediately was my agent, Crystal Meth. Okay, so her name wasn't Crystal Meth, but I call her that because she acts like she's on drugs half the time. She's the only … "friend" I have, other than the angels. Crystal is what you'd call an otaku; don't get her started on that…
I heard the call end and I slammed my head into the pillow.
Time for a visit to the city.
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"Good morning" I greeted o the drowsy inhabitants of my kitchen. Yazoo and Kadaj were drinking coffee with sleepy sighs, but to my surprise, Loz was quite awake.
Kadaj smiled. "Good morning sister!"
Making myself some coffee, I took a seat. "So, how are you guys?"
Yazoo and Loz fidgeted, and Loz's childish grin faded swiftly.
"Mother's gone." Yazoo murmured. Sobs erupted from Loz's throat.
I gulped afraid to say a word. The last time I tried I ended up with glass shards in my neck. The air was almost moist with sadness.
"It's okay" To my surprise, Kadaj lifted his head to his brothers. "We have sister now."
Flushing, I looked to my lap, twiddling my thumbs.
Yazoo smiled and bent to look at me.
"We love you" My heart began to beat faster. "Does that bother you?" The nonchalant way he spoke, the way Yazoo's voice was soft yet strong like the sound of a coming avalanche, the way his sneaky yet twinkling eyes set into mine almost made me burst.
"Don't scare her, brother" Loz chuckled. I looked to him. Loz, perhaps the most childish, yet the physically strongest. Loz, whose eyes burned like the sunrise, blazing with purpose and power and meaning. His rumbling voice, like thunder, made me tremble.
Two more angels had become members of my household. The beauty and strength in the midst of my ugliness and weakness astounded and scared me. I felt like disappearing, yet I never wanted to leave them.
Furball leapt into my lap with a mew, and I woke from my thoughts.
"Are you okay, sister? Tired?" Kadaj mocked gently.
"Overwhelmed?" Yazoo added.
"Finding it hard to breathe?" Loz smiled.
Maybe.
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The sun had come up, and I was depressed I hadn't seen it, but talking to Kadaj and the others had been fun. Intimidating, yet fun. After our talk, Kadaj disappeared into the library and Yazoo and Loz went outside, talking animatedly.
I stepped out onto the front porch, and not to my surprise, there sat Sephiroth. He spent his mornings outside.
"Good morning" I murmured.
"Good morning" I smiled softly at the sound of his voice. I was a bit intimidated, but I stepped up to him and sat down next to him, my cheeks blood red.
The sky was glistening today. It looked like rain. Usually the Georgia sky was sky blue, but today it resembled Sephiroth's eyes.
Sighing, I set my empty cup aside and began putting on my boots.
"I'll be back later" I smiled to Sephiroth.
Before I could come to my senses, I lightly kissed Sephiroth's cheek, and then turned and ran down the pathway.
If you must cry, then weep and weep
Again.
My shoulder is yours.
If you have burdens, worry not.
I will help you to carry them.
If you have troubles, don't despair.
I will do my best to help you.
Just tell me.
If I must weep, spilling tears from my eyes,
Will your shoulder be mine?
If I have burdens, must I worry?
Or will you help me carry them?
If I have troubles, can I rest assured
That you will do your best to help me
Through them?
Or are you not my friend?
Written by ArctheLoveshinyYUME (check her out)
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The drive into Atlanta didn't take long, and on the way it rained. My dirty, beat up van didn't take to it well, but I arrived in Atlanta in one piece.
Atlanta held boat loads of memories for me. My mom and I use to go there once a month to shop, sometimes dragging my brother along. Usually it was just mom and me.
We'd spend the day walking about shopping. I'd always beg her to bring me into the book stores, and she didn't mind one bit. I only ever read comic books, like Superman or Batman, but Batman mainly.
When I got older we'd eat out on those nights and look at hot guys. It always interested my mom to know who I thought was attractive. Those were the best nights of my life.
When it rained, like it was right now, we'd dance in the streets and lap it up.
Now that I think about it that was the last night I spent with my mother. We went out to Atlanta; mom bought a ball gown for her anniversary, and she let me try some wine when we got to the restaurant. I spat it out, and mom laughed. My mom died that night.
My mother… I missed her. I still do. Listen to me, sounding like Kadaj.
She's gone…
Like Sephiroth said, she's gone.
And like Kadaj said, I have my brothers now.
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I was still soaking wet when Crystal opened the door.
"Sammy!"
Crystal Cummins (or Crystal Meth) reminded me of a hyena. A very beautiful hyena. More like, a gorgeous woman with the laugh of a hyena and the spite and hate of a teenager. I hugged Crystal, and she jumped when I got her wet.
"Hey, Chris"
"How've you been? Come on, let's have fun!"
Shaking my wet body, I stepped in and looked about her apartment. It was what you'd expect for a twenty five year old editor.
"Hungry? I'll make something. Why don't you pick out a movie?"
Smiling, I dropped my bag and walked to the movie shelf.
"Ramen?" She asked.
"Sure"
My eyes skimmed the shelf. One movie was lying out, cover facing up.
My heart froze.
"Sam what do you want to drink?"
Slowly, I reached for the movie, picking it up in my trembling hands.
"Sam?" Crystal reappeared at the doorway.
"What's this?" I asked her, trying to calm down my voice.
Crystal giggled. "Only the greatest movie ever, based off the greatest video game ever!" She hopped back into the kitchen.
"So, what do you want to drink?"
"… Anything…" I whispered trembling. My voice barely made a sound.
"Okay!"
Every part of my brain was screaming. The movie in my hands seemed to intimidate me, shock me, and intrigue me at the same time. It held my answers, I knew. But what if I didn't want the answers? What was truth, and what was the opposite of it? I read the title of the "best movie ever". It was called "Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children".
And Sephiroth and Kadaj were on the front cover.
Things happen.
We can't explain them. We can't control them. But they do happen.
Miracles do happen…
They happen everyday.
Just not always when we need them to happen.
Meredith Gray, Gray's Anatomy