When All Was Lost...
Chapter Twenty-Six
26
It had been a weeks since that horrific ordeal of Kalin's arrest.
Akarii must have looked like a mess when she returned home to Crow in their humble little shack that day and he greeted her with arms spread open and the tightest hug he had ever given her before in ALL of their years together.
He fell with her as she fell to her knees and held her tightly into his chest while she sobbed heavily into it, cradling her close into his lap and rocking her soothingly.
She could feel him shaking as he held her...though he was silent, she knew he was crying too.
Understanding the pain she was going through...
It was Kai all over again.
XXXXX
"Man...I wonder if Kalin will be okay." he said softly, as they lay together on the rock hard mattress they shared, just staring up at the dust on the ceiling. "We'll go visit him soon, okay?" he smiled stroking her hair softly with his fingers.
"Yeah..." she said softly, not reacting to much else and he sighed.
Her eyes were swollen.
She had cried atleast once each day since Kalin's arrest.
She couldn't think straight, or function properly.
"Man...you must be pretty tired still." he said softly,"Come on..." he rolled over softly and pulled her into his chest to hold her, like he used to do whenever they took naps together when they were little. "Let's just call it a day and get some rest okay?" he sighed.
They hadn't been very productive in the passing days after the incident. Akarii simply nodded and complied, rolling in toward him to grip his shirt while they snoozed.
While she seemed to have layed still the entire night, she felt as though she was tossing and turning.
Her sleep was rather restless...
She couldn't tell if she was awake or asleep nor how many times she woke...
If she did so at all.
"Ahh!" finally she snapped awake, panicked, short of breath, and sweating bullets.
Was it a dream?
No...this...this was something different.
Today's the day...
I know it.
She sighed and ran her hand through her sweat drenched hair.
Today is the day I get seperated from them...
And now...I will see how.
"Akarii? You awake?"
She heard Crow calling to her from the door way... walking in with a smile.
"Oh good...it's about time, I was gonna pour cold water on ya or somethin'." he teased with a grin.
"Crow..."
She stood as he entered.
"You seemed to be sleeping pretty heavy there." he said,"Are you okay? You're not feeling sick, are ya?"
"Erm...not exactly..." she fidgeted nervously.
This heavy weight in her chest only grew heavier.
Even now she could feel her mind piercing toward the reality that wasn't this one.
No...not yet...
I...gotta know...
"What's up?" he asked with a look of concern in his eyes,"You're sweating bullets...are you sure you don't have a fever?"
He placed his palm to her foreheadm resting his own against the back of his hand and closing his eyes to see if he can detect a change in temperature.
"I...think...I just had a weird dream..."
"What? A weird dream?" he blinked.
Though, in actuality...this is the dream.
"Well...not exactly a dream either..."
"Well which is it?" he laughed," A dream? not a dream?"
"I'm not exactly sure..." she said, trembling as she hugged her arms,"Something just doesn't feel right, Crow...it feels...bad...very very bad...like some kind of impending doom is coming."
That's right...
Even in this dream...there's something else lingering between this past of mine and my waking present...
Something disasturous.
"Impending doom?" he chuckled and ruffled her hair,"I think the only 'impending doom' to come is the one in your head." he sighed. "You went though a lot these past few days...it's probably just getting to you that's all."
"Yeah...maybe you're right."
No, you're wrong...
"Of course...ever since that whole thing with Kalin, there have been a lot more securities hanging around." he said,"That stress is probably causing some sleep issues and messing with your head, making you have weird dreams." he sighed patting her back gently."I'm not sure if these guys are after us or not...still...try not to get too close to them, okay?"
"Yeah...okay."
Though I sense...
Someone else is coming...
"Good girl." Crow smiled and placed a kiss on her forehead. To which she blinked her wide amber eyes and gave him a look of confusion.
"The magic kiss, remember?" he grinned," The one that makes all the nightmares go away..."
She blushed and rubbed her forehead.
"Crow that silly trick only worked when we were kids...be serious!"
"Hahaha okay, okay!" he laughed," Jeez I was just trying to lighten your mood." He sighed and clapped his hands together.
"I know...I'll go get us a couple energy drinks, you like those right?" he smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder," You just go inside and take it easy...I'll be back and then we can go talk to Kalin once everything calms down, okay?" he smiled sweetly,"I'm not sure if we can do anything though...still. Be careful all right? There have been some rumors of weirdos walking around...so just hang inside until I get back then we can walk together."
When she felt his hand lift from her skin, it was in that instant that she felt him fading.
she gasped and tried to reached out...
But her body was like lead.
"No, Crow...wait!"
But her voice didn't come out...and her hand didn't reach him. It went right through like a hologram, as the last distant memory of hers faded away in the way it played out before when this occured.
No...
My Time is up...
She just stood there, watching in panic as he turned and walked away.
The final memory I have of my past, of my friends, of him...
All was fading away while watching his back.
No...I can't forget...
She kept her eyes on him, tears running down her face as she felt her waking mind, seperate from the one in this long and vivid chain of memories.
She watched herself.
Invisible to her own eyes as she stood infront of herself.
No matter how she tried to talk to her.
She knew she wouldn't hear.
"Okay." she watched herself say this as as she waved him off, smiling.
"No...Not okay!This is bad! Something is about to happen...no!"
She closed her eyes tightly trying to burn him into her memory.
I can't forget...I can't...
I won't forget!
"I promise! I-I'll remember...Crow...Jack...Yusei...I'll remember! CROW!"
XXXXX
"Hello there~" A familiar voice sounded on the otherside of her closed eyes and she quickly opened them to watch the final scene play out.
It's Sayer...
"Uhm...Hi?" she watched herself blink, wearing a look of skepticism
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you...I am Sayer, of the Arcadia Movement."
"The Arcadia Movement?" she blinked,"What's that? Some kind of cult?"
God I was so sarcastic.
Her waking mind watched this scene play...
She could feel the emotions that the distant her in these memories was feeling.
I wanted him to go away...
"About that...I'd like to talk to you for a moment, can you spare some time?"
No...I wanted him to leave me alone.
"Um, I don't think so...I really ought to get inside and set things up for our kids..."
He blinked.
"...Oh...a mother, are you? so young...why you're no more of a kid yourself...!"
"Oh no, we're not their parents, they are just some orphans we take care of..." she watched herself back away slowly, annalyzing everything, looking for an escape or excuse to get away-
That's right...I sensed it then...
"I can sense your doubt there..." he chuckled,"Don't worry...I'm not going to harm you, I know you've heard the rumors going around about us..."
Sayer smiled,"But I assure you, I am not anyone to be afraid of..."
"Yeah right...I knew even then, he was trouble..."
"I told you exactly who I was, didn't I?" he chuckled,"See...not scary...so...won't you trust me?"
I didn't trust him.
I wanted him to leave.
"Hmm...so I see...your senses are sharp...more keen that that of a normal person." he chuckled and curved his smile into something crooked.
"Then it seems I have no choice-I will have to take you by force!"
"What!?"
"I didn't want it to have to come to this I would have preferred you come willingly but...I suppose this is how it must be!"
He held up a spell card called "Mind Control."
With a few flashes of light, its power seemed to come to life.
"Ahhhhhhh!" she screamed in agony at the splitting pain in her head, and even in her consious mind as she watched it occur she could still feel the pain.
I see...
Sayer Brainwashed me...
Way back then.
That's how I wound up here in this place...
"Enough with your resistance!" he said," Be proud...for you will play an important role in something grand~"
I was powerless to resist it.
I tried...but I failed.
And with his power...
I followed him...against my own choice and any will of my own...
To Be Continued
