Man Eater

5 • Sign of Eclipse

The trip down to the medical bay was quick, almost a jog down the cold corridors of the underground, I needed to know what Tiny had to say in all of this- after all, she knew Snake-Heart best. I carefully pushed open the heavy door, looking around at my surroundings before entering. "Tiny?" my voice echoed off of the cold walls, the dark infirmary oddly welcoming me in. The scent of sage and rosemary stung my nose, the scent of warm candles and their soft lighting calmed me. "Tiny, it's just me. Where are you?" the wooden blinds were closed, the room was almost pitch black. Was she having another one of her episodes?

Tiny had what I called visions. I believed them, she read the omens, and her sight was always true- even Snake-Heart seemed disturbed by her... abilities. The only person who ever doubted her was Moon, calling her outrageous and psychotic. She foresaw Steele's untimely death, knew she would become pregnant and lose Little Robin before she ever met Snake-Heart, predicted the weather based on how the ground felt beneath her feet, seemed to speak to the wind. My heart raced, where was she? I pushed open the wooden door to her cramped bedroom and let out a sigh of relief when I saw her sitting at her candlelit desk, scratching down notes in her leatherbound journal with a dark blue pen. The strong scent of blood and burning hair hit my nose, and I noticed a glass jar with a small flame sitting on a side table, surrounded by various stones and what I could only assume were offerings. "Hey- hey, it's just me."

"One-eye," she murmured, continuing to scratch down notes. "What brings you here? Are you hurt?" she turned, looking up at me from her desk. She tried to comfort me with a smile, but the fear in her dark eyes upturned my stomach.

I slowly moved forward, sitting down on her soft bed, a piece of comforting furniture I've come to find familiar. I gently brushed off my black slacks, clearing my throat a bit. I couldn't tell her the father of her children's plans, I wanted to know what she saw, first. "I just came to see you, as usual..." I kicked off my shoes, putting up my feet, and laying back on the pillows and headboard- trying to make myself relaxed, trying to look as if I was here on my normal nightly routine. "Come here... Please? Tell me about your day?" Tell me you know.

Tiny looked down, seeming lost in thought for a bit. She finished the last of her notes, simply shutting the book and placing it in a little drawer in her desk. The smaller woman got up, pushing back her long, dark hair and climbing into the bed, crawling over to me and placing a kiss on my forehead. She let out a soft laugh, a gentle smile- which caused her to receive a sheepish grin from me. "I... I saw something again, that no-one else saw. I saw an eclipse."

"Really? When?" I prompted. I knew it was impossible- they were always tracked and hyped up on the media for years before they happened- but she also saw fires that no-one else did, heard voices, spoke to the dead. I began to believe that she really saw an eclipse- only in her mind.

"Mid-day, when the sun was at its highest." she slowly let herself sink down onto the mattress, nestling her head on my shoulder. Her arms found her way around my waist, I put my arm around her shoulders, my hand stroking her soft hair. "One of them will die, one of the three."

"But the moon covers the sun in the eclipse, wouldn't that mean Moon will save one of the Suns? Setting or Rising?" I inquired. I tried to keep still, not to shiver at the thought, the eerie meaning behind the eclipse. She knows. My hand rested just above her ear, in her soft dark hair. Her head on my chest was no weight at all, my other hand reached to gently hold her own.

"Moon's actions have damned the Rising Sun. What has been done is done, Rising Sun will die tomorrow." she murmured solemnly, her eyes fluttered closed, she let out a shuddery sigh. "I cannot prepare another body... I cannot do this anymore."

As much as I wanted to dismiss her words, to call her crazy like Moon- I knew she was right. But Moon's actions? Weren't the both of them to be held accountable for their relationship? "You are so strong, you must keep going." I told her gently. "One day I'll get us out of here, you can formally leave that asshole- and we can be happy." I said in a mere whisper, leaning down and gently kissing her head. "One day you'll only see good things, our future. You'll see our happiness, and death no more." Her body slowly relaxed, she held onto me a little tighter, her heart slowed. "We'll move far away to another country. Somewhere no-one knows our names, we'll start all over. A little cottage on the countryside, chickens and a pond full of ducks..." I continued to paint her a picture, until finally she was still and fast asleep. I sighed, I didn't need Tiny's visions to know that I could never truly bring her peace and happiness, she was far too gone.

After I was sure she wouldn't wake up, I carefully slipped out of the room, maybe an hour or so later. I couldn't believe what was happening, would Snake-Heart really put Sun in danger just to out Moon? Of course he would. This was the same man that took a child from its mother, and dangled him over her head like meat to a dog- just barely out of reach. But Snake-Heart wouldn't kill Rising Sun himself, it was treason. But who else could be after her?

I had drank from her glass once on accident, and I ended up on death's door and with reoccurring occasional seizures. While it brought Tiny and I together, I couldn't help but wonder who would want to kill her. Was it Cheyenne? Would Cheyenne really send someone out to eighty-six the seductress? Someone who seemed so innocent- but had a hatred for the other woman. My head began to spin, but my attention was caught by heavy footsteps.

My heart raced. Was it Snake-Heart? Would he catch me with Tiny, someone he put his claim over years ago? Before I could run, I sighed a breath of relief when I saw Setting Sun.

But now I was met with a new dilemma. What would I say to him? Tiny would speak the truth, she would never lie. I couldn't let him in there, to wake her up, to be told the prophecy. How could I tell this man his sister was going to die? "Oh- Setting Sun, it's just you." I sighed softly. "Are you hurt?"

The tall dirty blonde stood before me. He wore a white cotton tank top and dark colored denim pants. He seemed distressed, running a hand through his scruffy hair, his silver watch catching the dim lighting. His brown eyes looked past me, at the door. "I uhm... Just wanted to see Tiny."

"She's asleep." I said softly. The silence hung over us, I looked down awkwardly as I spun around the ring on my middle finger. I didn't know what to say. Do I lie? Or do I tell him? I had to say something.

"I wanted to see if she saw anything..." He admitted. "I'm worried. He asked me for permission to use my sister for a mission, he never does that. He leaves Moon's to herself." Setting Sun shook his head, his jaw seemed to tremble as he spoke. Was he cold? Down here in a tank top? Or did he know?

"She's just crazy, I think." I shook my head. "Like Moon says. She sees the leaves change color in the fall and thinks it's a sign." My heart squeezed, how I could say those things? "But she mentioned she saw an eclipse- the moon covered the sun. Her mind runs wild- there was no eclipse. But if it's a 'sign', that would mean Moon will cover Rising Sun, she'll be alright." I scratched my arm quietly, I was lying to the both of us and I felt so dirty. We all knew Tiny really saw things, but I could never admit what the older had told me.

Relief seemed evident in the man's eyes, his shoulders slowly dropped and he unclenched his jaw. "Oh- good..." He took a step back. "I'll see you tomorrow, One-eye..." The older offered me a weak smile before turning and walking back down the hall. While he showed relief, he still seemed somber. Did he have a feeling? That intuition that some siblings shared? That he just knew something was going to happen?

What now? I wondered. I leaned back on the wall to think. I had to talk to Moon, but I couldn't tell her that Tiny was having her 'visions' again. I had no idea what happened between the two- but Tiny cowered like a beat dog when Moon was around; and Tiny's visions upset and angered Moon. Did Tiny predict something that hurt Moon? Is that why Moon claimed she was nothing but crazy and useless outside of medicine? I used my upper back to push off of the wall, my arms folded as I began to walk towards the stairs. I would have to convince Moon to stay here, and let me go to protect Sun.