No Turning Back

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Seeing Is Believing?

Apprehensively, Kiana stared into the darkness across the room. The voice finally spoke again before the room was filled with a loud cackling, child-like, laughter. The high pitch of the voice was frightened Kiana before the familiarity of it snapped her out of her fearful state. She frowned whilst she watched the unknown person slowly walk forward as they proceeded to reveal themself. It was then that Kiana realised who it was.

"Hm, haven't heard from you for a while, Samantha", Kiana replied sarcastically.

"Ja, it vas simply too long since our last meeting", Samantha fired back as she continued to walk towards Kiana.

"I had almost forgotten just how awful these twisted dreams of yours were", Kiana added rather dryly.
"Hahaha! But I do hope jou haven't forgotten our deal... have jou?!" Samantha cackled.

"No, I haven't Samantha. But I'm just wondering where the heck Richtofen is. Shouldn't he have arrived at the cosmodrome by now?" Kiana enquired suspiciously.

"Und zhat is exactly vhy I have brought jou here... albeit in jour dreams..." Samantha explained - which piqued Kiana's interest.

"Jou see, before Richtofen arrives at the cosmodrome; I zhink jou should know about vhat took place in zhis room. Oh yes! It vill be of great interest to jou", Samantha grinned malevolently.

Kiana remained silent as she waited for Samantha to get to the point. She knew the twisted little girl had something up her sleeve. Whenever Samantha appeared to Kiana - there was always an ulterior motive.

"Richtofen vas vonce here. Und it all occurred quite recently", Samantha smirked.

"What? What happened here that's so important then?" Kiana replied a little impatiently.

"Perhaps jou should see for jourself..." The child smiled with manic eyes.

"...look behind jou!" Samantha then hissed as she cast her gaze behind Kiana.

Kiana turned behind her to see Richtofen laying dead on the floor. The sudden gruesome sight caused the muscles in her body to instinctively seize as she recoiled in shock. But her rational mind quickly took charge as she immediately tried to calm herself before her emotions could get the better of her. Lashing out in a fit of anger would not solve anything. Kiana had to rationalise what she was seeing before choosing how to react.

She looked down at Richtofen's body as it lay lifeless with a bullet hole right in the centre of his forehead. The bloody sight caused Kiana's body to become rigid again as she tried to look past the gore and focus on fathoming the events which had led up to this. But it truly hurt to think that Richtofen could ever end up with such a horrible fate. He may not be a good person - but Kiana respected him. For all his shortcomings; it would be a travesty for someone like him to be executed so crudely.

Then, finally, common sense prevailed as Kiana quickly realised something. How could she be so stupid to fall for another one of Samantha's tricks? Kiana knew fine well that Samantha could manifest almost anything in this dream state. She was most likely lying about this whole story she had just begun to unveil. Perhaps none of what she was seeing had even happened? Or perhaps it really did happen but Samantha was deliberately choosing to omit the context of the situation?

"Well, that's definitely his major general uniform", Kiana replied offhandishly as she turned back to look at Samantha.

"Jou shouldn't be so flippant!" Samantha growled lowly - taking Kiana by surprise at her sudden change in demeanour.