Post by Anne Porter on Feb 5, 2008 1:10:54 GMT -5
A million and more doves, blindingly white, flew up out of the dark trench in the earth. Anne gasped; she watched the bright moonlight shine off each of their small, delicate bodies as they frantically rose higher and higher into the night sky from within the univiting darkness. Anne spun around, she felt the presence of someone behind her. James. Instantly, she remembered what Serayna had said...
"If you would finally admit that you're memory wasn't as it used to be and take that stupid potion that I keep making you, maybe things like this wouldn't happen." Serayna said, Anne only stared at her.
"You made a memory potion? I never got it." Anne muttered, wracking her brain for just an ounce of rememberance.
"I kept giving it to James. Telling him that it would help you." Serayna replied blankly. Confusion was clear on Anne's face, and Serayna was suddenly stricken with realization, "Anne, are you sure that it was that other man that cursed you like this?" Serayna whispered.
"James wouldn't do something like that. He loves me." Anne defended her one great love. Serayna gave a weary smile.
"Are you sure that he's not trying to hide something? He's powerful enough to do that." Anne thought about this. She tried to find evidence that it wasn't James' fault, but she couldn't find any. There was no evidence stating that it wasn't James...
Anne stared sadly at James, tears welling up in her eyes...
Could it really have been his fault?
No, no. It couldn't... Could it?
I thought he loved me...
She didn't know what to think. Anne closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and released it slowly into the chill air. She opened her eyes, tears spilling down her face as she looked at James, and whispered "I love you."
"I love you too." He replied, relief weighing heavy in his voice.
"What would you do if I told you I didn't believe you..." James didn't know what to do. He watched as Anne broke down crying in the darkness... She fell to the ground, head in her hands, sobbing alone in the middle of nowhere. James ran to her side and wrapped his arms around her. He wasn't going to let himself lose her again. He sighed, again with relief, as she wrapped her arms around him in return, "You do love me..." She whispered, choked by tears of joy and the feeling that she wasn't alone after all. She hugged him tighter as he pulled her closer. He whispered,
"Of course I love you... With all my heart. More than anything in the world. Please, don't ever forget that, Anne Porter." He kissed her lightly on the top of her head and pulled her closer still. After a few minutes, Anne raised her head to the heavens and shouted, "Serayna! We need you! Please don't go! You're my best friend and we love you!"
The voice screamed in her mind... The first thing she remembered. ' Serayna! We need you! Please don't go! You're my best friend and we love you!' It meant something to her; it said something. But what it was escaped her. The darkness closed in around her... The deafening silence dazed her.
As the bright morning sunlight woke her up, Anne remembered what had happened. She sat up quickly and groaned sadly. She frowned and a tear rolled down her face as she remembered everything that had happened. Yesterday had been Serayna's memorial service. Right after the final song played and the guests retired to refreshments and old memories of the late Serayna, Anne and James had left. Traveling across the hills and the fences, they reached the edge of Palace. They hadn't decided whether they would leave and live as normal people, or travel along the border until they found something better to do; so they made camp at the border to sleep on both ideas- slightly literally. There they lay, beneath the stars that shone bright, and thought about how they would live their lives. In rejection or sadness. To be Magic or not to be Magic... That was the question.
Anne looked around and realized she was in the forest they had been in not five days ago. It was the morning of Serayna's death. It looked and smelled exactly as she remembered it. Was this a dream? A memory? A nightmare that would haunt her forever? Or were the last five days simply dream? A foresight? Would she live in a loop for the rest of her life, watching Serayna die over and over again? would she have to go to her funeral over and over again too? Had she gone insane? No, there was something different about the scene this time around. As Anne looked on, she saw something that just about scared the crap out of her, "Hey Anne! Eggs or rabbit? How about eggs and Rabbit." Serayna yelled cheerfully, a bloodied bunny in one hand and a pan of eggs in another. Breakfast dead by the bed... the natural instict of any true canine.
"Serayna! You're alive! But you were dead! I was there! You chased Caliban over the edge of that cliff over there! He tried to blame the murder--or unmurder--of Panthris on you! But you didn't do it! I did!" Anne shouted, realizing that maybe she was being given a second chance. Maybe she had been guilty of murdering Panthris and now this is what it came to.
"But you didn't murder Panthris, he's right here. Panthris!" Serayna called into the woods. Panthris quickly appeared, as if out of no where, with a bright smile on his face. He was just as alive as she was.
"Morning Anne! Hey Rayna, I'm going to go find some firewood to make a fire. It'll help keep the fire going if we have extra wood." Panthris explained to a look Serayna had given him. She rolled her eyes and sighed as he walked off into the forest.
Anne, that dream... Remember, silence until the time is right. Without the details you won't be harmed, so I can't, and won't, explain. But it will all become clear to you when you remember what happened. Serayna whispered into Anne's mind. Anne furrowed her brow, confused as all hell. Serayna smiled, then went off to wake James.
~*~*~*~*~
Time go back, time return,
let me see my life.
let me live forever more,
alive like i once was.
Time go Back, time Return
Give us second life.
All at risk, all's life
Allow the hands to turn,
--Five days previously--
The winds blew strong that day and dark gray clouds from the west surfed along the currents with a strong promise of rain. Head held high, she stepped nearer to the edge of the cliff, not stopping to look down. Finally, she reached the edge... and kept walking. Right over the side. She walked on forever, into the vast nothingness that soon engulfed her and transformed into another world-- His world. She looked around the beautiful meadow she'd just jumped into. This world was his for her, now all she wanted was to destroy it.
Tears of awaiting closure and accomplishment welled up in her eyes as the words poured out between her lips; like venom from the deadliest snake bite.
I’m so confused,
I don’t know what to do,
Lost in the dark,
Glad I’m here without you.
The large, beautiful expanses of grass of which this world was built upon began to die and dry out, whithering away in silence.
I love you,
But even more, I hate you,
The darkness in my heart,
Is hungry for you.
The skies turned a fiery orange. Then temperature dropped to absolute zero.
I’m waiting,
That’s all I can say.
Time for separate ways,
Today’s the day.
The surrounding trees all caught fire; smoke rose into the darkness, glowing in the sky.
You never really cared,
It was all just a lie,
I know this now.
You’ve just been,
Hiding behind your hideous deceit.
The butterflies that skittered by merrily all vanished in a single puff of ash, nothing else remained.
All this time,
You’ve been lying to my face,
Passing me as a fool,
Your mind must be out of place.
A giant heart formed in the clouds and turned bright red from the fiery ash that rose into the sky.
I’m smarter than that,
You, of all people,
Should know it is true.
I guess I was wrong,
But I thought I knew you.
The heart, now more glass-like, shattered in the darkened skies. The fires went out. The grass was completely withered away. The ashes blew around gracefully in the last bit of wind, then settled to the ground. All was silent. All was calm.
They always said the calm before the storm would bring happiness and joy to those around... This was the exact opposite. This was the calm before the end. Anne stood in the middle of the empty expanse of land, entirely content, finally at peace. She took a deep breath, her lungs filling with the icy air that swirled around her. Absolute zero. That was her favorite number of all.
Absolute zero. The exact temperature her heart had felt for all those months.
Absolute zero. The exact number of anything she had left.
Absolute zero. All that she was.
Absolute zero. This was the time. The zero hour. The time to end all the rest. This was the end. The end of sorrow. The end of joy. The end of Percival Vincent. The end of this world-- his world.
The end of Anne Elizabeth Porter.
Goodbye
"If you would finally admit that you're memory wasn't as it used to be and take that stupid potion that I keep making you, maybe things like this wouldn't happen." Serayna said, Anne only stared at her.
"You made a memory potion? I never got it." Anne muttered, wracking her brain for just an ounce of rememberance.
"I kept giving it to James. Telling him that it would help you." Serayna replied blankly. Confusion was clear on Anne's face, and Serayna was suddenly stricken with realization, "Anne, are you sure that it was that other man that cursed you like this?" Serayna whispered.
"James wouldn't do something like that. He loves me." Anne defended her one great love. Serayna gave a weary smile.
"Are you sure that he's not trying to hide something? He's powerful enough to do that." Anne thought about this. She tried to find evidence that it wasn't James' fault, but she couldn't find any. There was no evidence stating that it wasn't James...
Anne stared sadly at James, tears welling up in her eyes...
Could it really have been his fault?
No, no. It couldn't... Could it?
I thought he loved me...
She didn't know what to think. Anne closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and released it slowly into the chill air. She opened her eyes, tears spilling down her face as she looked at James, and whispered "I love you."
"I love you too." He replied, relief weighing heavy in his voice.
"What would you do if I told you I didn't believe you..." James didn't know what to do. He watched as Anne broke down crying in the darkness... She fell to the ground, head in her hands, sobbing alone in the middle of nowhere. James ran to her side and wrapped his arms around her. He wasn't going to let himself lose her again. He sighed, again with relief, as she wrapped her arms around him in return, "You do love me..." She whispered, choked by tears of joy and the feeling that she wasn't alone after all. She hugged him tighter as he pulled her closer. He whispered,
"Of course I love you... With all my heart. More than anything in the world. Please, don't ever forget that, Anne Porter." He kissed her lightly on the top of her head and pulled her closer still. After a few minutes, Anne raised her head to the heavens and shouted, "Serayna! We need you! Please don't go! You're my best friend and we love you!"
The voice screamed in her mind... The first thing she remembered. ' Serayna! We need you! Please don't go! You're my best friend and we love you!' It meant something to her; it said something. But what it was escaped her. The darkness closed in around her... The deafening silence dazed her.
As the bright morning sunlight woke her up, Anne remembered what had happened. She sat up quickly and groaned sadly. She frowned and a tear rolled down her face as she remembered everything that had happened. Yesterday had been Serayna's memorial service. Right after the final song played and the guests retired to refreshments and old memories of the late Serayna, Anne and James had left. Traveling across the hills and the fences, they reached the edge of Palace. They hadn't decided whether they would leave and live as normal people, or travel along the border until they found something better to do; so they made camp at the border to sleep on both ideas- slightly literally. There they lay, beneath the stars that shone bright, and thought about how they would live their lives. In rejection or sadness. To be Magic or not to be Magic... That was the question.
Anne looked around and realized she was in the forest they had been in not five days ago. It was the morning of Serayna's death. It looked and smelled exactly as she remembered it. Was this a dream? A memory? A nightmare that would haunt her forever? Or were the last five days simply dream? A foresight? Would she live in a loop for the rest of her life, watching Serayna die over and over again? would she have to go to her funeral over and over again too? Had she gone insane? No, there was something different about the scene this time around. As Anne looked on, she saw something that just about scared the crap out of her, "Hey Anne! Eggs or rabbit? How about eggs and Rabbit." Serayna yelled cheerfully, a bloodied bunny in one hand and a pan of eggs in another. Breakfast dead by the bed... the natural instict of any true canine.
"Serayna! You're alive! But you were dead! I was there! You chased Caliban over the edge of that cliff over there! He tried to blame the murder--or unmurder--of Panthris on you! But you didn't do it! I did!" Anne shouted, realizing that maybe she was being given a second chance. Maybe she had been guilty of murdering Panthris and now this is what it came to.
"But you didn't murder Panthris, he's right here. Panthris!" Serayna called into the woods. Panthris quickly appeared, as if out of no where, with a bright smile on his face. He was just as alive as she was.
"Morning Anne! Hey Rayna, I'm going to go find some firewood to make a fire. It'll help keep the fire going if we have extra wood." Panthris explained to a look Serayna had given him. She rolled her eyes and sighed as he walked off into the forest.
Anne, that dream... Remember, silence until the time is right. Without the details you won't be harmed, so I can't, and won't, explain. But it will all become clear to you when you remember what happened. Serayna whispered into Anne's mind. Anne furrowed her brow, confused as all hell. Serayna smiled, then went off to wake James.
~*~*~*~*~
Time go back, time return,
let me see my life.
let me live forever more,
alive like i once was.
Time go Back, time Return
Give us second life.
All at risk, all's life
Allow the hands to turn,
--Five days previously--
The winds blew strong that day and dark gray clouds from the west surfed along the currents with a strong promise of rain. Head held high, she stepped nearer to the edge of the cliff, not stopping to look down. Finally, she reached the edge... and kept walking. Right over the side. She walked on forever, into the vast nothingness that soon engulfed her and transformed into another world-- His world. She looked around the beautiful meadow she'd just jumped into. This world was his for her, now all she wanted was to destroy it.
Tears of awaiting closure and accomplishment welled up in her eyes as the words poured out between her lips; like venom from the deadliest snake bite.
I’m so confused,
I don’t know what to do,
Lost in the dark,
Glad I’m here without you.
The large, beautiful expanses of grass of which this world was built upon began to die and dry out, whithering away in silence.
I love you,
But even more, I hate you,
The darkness in my heart,
Is hungry for you.
The skies turned a fiery orange. Then temperature dropped to absolute zero.
I’m waiting,
That’s all I can say.
Time for separate ways,
Today’s the day.
The surrounding trees all caught fire; smoke rose into the darkness, glowing in the sky.
You never really cared,
It was all just a lie,
I know this now.
You’ve just been,
Hiding behind your hideous deceit.
The butterflies that skittered by merrily all vanished in a single puff of ash, nothing else remained.
All this time,
You’ve been lying to my face,
Passing me as a fool,
Your mind must be out of place.
A giant heart formed in the clouds and turned bright red from the fiery ash that rose into the sky.
I’m smarter than that,
You, of all people,
Should know it is true.
I guess I was wrong,
But I thought I knew you.
The heart, now more glass-like, shattered in the darkened skies. The fires went out. The grass was completely withered away. The ashes blew around gracefully in the last bit of wind, then settled to the ground. All was silent. All was calm.
They always said the calm before the storm would bring happiness and joy to those around... This was the exact opposite. This was the calm before the end. Anne stood in the middle of the empty expanse of land, entirely content, finally at peace. She took a deep breath, her lungs filling with the icy air that swirled around her. Absolute zero. That was her favorite number of all.
Absolute zero. The exact temperature her heart had felt for all those months.
Absolute zero. The exact number of anything she had left.
Absolute zero. All that she was.
Absolute zero. This was the time. The zero hour. The time to end all the rest. This was the end. The end of sorrow. The end of joy. The end of Percival Vincent. The end of this world-- his world.
The end of Anne Elizabeth Porter.
Goodbye
"Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves. For the taste is bittersweet on the creator's tongue."
-Confucious (first sentence)
-Anne Porter (continuing sentence)
-Confucious (first sentence)
-Anne Porter (continuing sentence)