Child of an Ancient Chapter 5
By Shigan Lee
It was too dark.
She could barely see the ground in front of her as she stumbled along to keep up with Kevin and Cid. She had already walked into two trees because of the darkness, which had brought their first laughter they had had in one week since Cloud’s disappearance. Kevin’s flashlight lit up the ground in front of them so they could see the trail. The boy had said that it was getting clearer and clearer, the footprints was probably from some kind of military boots.
Cid had managed to force some food and water into her a hour ago, strange, it was almost as if she had lost the ability to get hungry. She didn’t care really, the most important now was that they found Cloud, every hour that passed made their probability of finding him alive decrease.
She didn’t want to think of what she would do if he was lost. Going back to her bar? Standing at the tables and waiting for him to step into the room with that bright smile of his?
No, don’t think, focus.
The forest became more and more thick as the trees shot higher. The leaves didn’t let any of the moonlight down to the ground and it had become completely dark under the mighty tree-crowns. It was a dangerous gamble, if a monster decided to attack, they wouldn’t stand a chance.
Kevin suddenly stopped.
“What’s the matter Kev?”
“Something is glowing in front of us.”
He was right, she soon noticed the green light that swept towards them like a fog. The Lifestream? What was going on?
“Be prepared, its coming for us”.
Cid grasped his Venus gospel with both hands as the mist engulfed them. Kevin closed his distance between him and the two of them, his eyes totally fixed on the green stream, every muscle in his frail body at tense with strain. She didn’t blame him for being afraid, the lifestream was wonderful, it was the source of life. But it was almost as merciful as a specific freak scientist they had endured last year.
“What the #%&#%#% do we do now! Kid, can you trace in this mess?”
“I…I will try”.
“Go on then, but be ready. This #%¤& stream have brought problem more than once. “
Tifa stared into the green flow of energy. It lighted up their surroundings in a green light that made it easier to see. What was going on here? Why had the lifestream appeared here of all sudden? This mako stream of power didn’t just plop up here and there occasionally, did it? She didn’t like this at all, was something happening to the planet again? The stunning coldness of the fog stroke against her skin as she felt the burning sensation when it filled her lungs and passed through her veins, something was wrong…
The mist suddenly seemed to come to life. It swirled around them like a whirlwind as the first cries came. The same cries that she had heard when she had fell into the stream with Cloud over a year ago. Thousands of voices surrounding them, all sounding at once.
Yelling and cheering. Screams and cries of agony, of deepest regrets, of unspeakable sorrows and of terrors beyond the human imagination filled their ears. Kevin trembled in horror as he backed. They stood back to back in a small circle, trying as hard as they could to ignore the cries. Tifa laid her arms around Kevin’s shoulders to console him. The boy was shivering, his eyes shone with something that seemed to be close to panic. They continued through the forest, as the lifestream became more and more fierce in its motions.
Suddenly a voice louder than the others reached them. A voice of savage agony, a cry of despair sang through the dark wood and made them tremble in its inhuman sound. It was a cry of utterly pain. The sound hit them with a hard impact and almost drove them to their knees as the sound filled their heads, crying out it’s suffering towards them.
The worst was that Tifa knew this voice. It was a voice she had recognized anywhere. A voice she had been listening too since her childhood as it slowly had changed and grown to maturity. A voice she loved and adored. A voice that could both makes her cry and laugh so easily.
It was Cloud’s voice.
He was in pain, something was hurting him.
She fell to her knees and almost dragged Kevin down with her. Cid tried to support her but she almost threw him against a tree as she jumped up again. Something was hurting Cloud, she felt the panic trying to take over her senses between her sobs and gasps.
It succeed quite well.
She ran off, away from Cid and Kevin who called out after her. She didn’t care, Cloud needed her. Each of his screams tore into her as arrows. She called out for him as she ran in the direction she thought that the cries came from. The lifestream was calming down again, it bathed her way in the green light that made it easier to see in the dark.
She ran, as the lifestream slowly sank into the ground, as the voices slowly faded until only one voice remained. And just as suddenly as the voices had come, they disappeared, Cloud’s voice disappearing with them, leaving a faint echo in her aching ears.
No! Please, let me find him! Please!
She stumbled on a root and fell to the ground. The lifestream and the voices were gone now, she rose again and continued her running. Sticks and branches cut her in the face as she fought for a way. Her leg hurt.
Please, let me find him…!
She stumbled again as something hit against her foot and she fell forwards, feeling the branches tearing her arms and the ground scraping her elbows. She tried to rise but her legs didn’t obey her, the exhaustion she had put her body through those recent days suddenly made itself reminded, she tried again despite her protesting muscles. She managed to bring herself up to a sitting position as she looked around. The small glade was bathed in moonlight as the forest lurked around it like a dark wall. She was amazed of how peaceful it was here, no birds, no insects…nothing.
There was only…… Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the figure that lay on the ground. His blond hair moving slightly to the night breeze, he was still dressed in the shirt she had given him as a present on his last birthday. But why was he so still?
No, he couldn’t be… he can’t be…
Tears filled her eyes at the very thought. She tried to stand again, using the last of her strength to close the distance between them.
Let him be ok…please……