Journey To Learn

Chapter 7: Answers, and with it, more questions

Carrie's POV

I sunk to the ground, shivering. I felt some drops of rain make it through the thick canopy of the tree, hitting my already drenched and cold form as I curled up into a ball at the base of a thick tree. I was trying to create some warmth to heat up my body that was shaking with the cold when a strong gust of cold wind blew, and make me manage to feel even colder than before.

I had just re-lived another nightmare that had happened in my life that had, unfortunately, made a huge impact on my life, mostly negatively though, nothing really positive. I had tears streaming down the sides of my face as I sobbed, feeling betrayed. I hugged myself, burying my head in my knees.

~Flashback to memory~

"You'll never catch me!" Eight-year-old Timber sang.

"You always say that and I always catch you! Heheh!" The seven-year-old version of Carrie grinned as she said that.

"I agree with Carrie, Timber." The eight-year-old Gem smirked as she said that.

"SETO WHAT DO YOU THINK?" The trio yelled in unison, each trying to prove their point.

"Uh... It depends..?" Seto smiled, unsure.

The ten-year-old child backed away step by step as the trio advanced towards him.

Suddenly, Seto was covered with a thick layer of paint and a metal bucket covering his head and the trio ran away, snickering as they escaped to the safety of the trees in Dearwood forest as they felt Seto's magic aura expand and cover a greater distance due to his anger at the prank.

The present-time Carrie smiled sadly at the memory. She had even asked her two brothers and friend ( *hinthint* *winkwonknudgenudge* ;) )to help her to specially make the paint so that Seto could only take it off using magic. Then Seto had avenged himself by using magic to pour normal paint on their heads. They had gotten a good laugh out of it that day.

~Second memory flashback~

My eyes widened as I looked around. I recognised this place, the scenery around me so well, as it was my greatest nightmare, my fear.

That day, it was the day that Gem and Timber couldn't make it and in the end it was just Seto and Carrie playing hide-and-seek with each other.

After they had played hide-and-seek like what seemed like a million times already, Carrie decided they play for one last time before they head to the pond that was located in another section of Dearwood forest to play water.

It started to drizzle and turn dark, but Carrie and Seto paid no mind to the weather and continued playing. As Seto disappeared up a tree to hide, Carrie stumbled through the forest to follow him. However, she soon lost track of where he was and started to call out to him, not hearing the footsteps that were behind her as her voice and the rain drowned the sound out.

[Okay, same trigger warning: do not read the next few paragraphs if you cannot, ABSOLUTELY CANNOT TAKE BLOOD AND GORE. I will put another note when it ends so skip to there if you cannot take the next few scenes]

Finally at the last moment, Carrie heard the almost silent footsteps and the drawing of a sharp knife from its sheath. She was too scared to turn around, and was shaking visibly from all the fear she felt. The attacker could clearly she her fear and smirked in the cover of darkness, feeling more and more confident by the second.

As Carrie stood rooted to her spot in fear, the attacker raised their knife and stabbed it near her chest area and twisted it. They pushdd it further until the blade came out from the other side with just a little bit of flesh stuck on the blade with streams of blood dripping down, creating a pool of crimson blood around her, staining the grass around her a velvety crimson.

She gasped in pain, eyes wide as she choked out blood. (I'm sorry Carrie but you signed up for this xD) Then with one swift motion, the attacker pulled out their knife and let the blood, flesh and blood vessels seep out of the huge gash. They walked away, laughing evilly. Seto? He was long gone, running away. Running away from everything. Carrie was left to die but her brothers and friend found her in time and managed to revive her before her soul left for the Aiether for good. However, there are side effects.

The only thing that she has as evidence that this is her second life is a scar on her wrist, very much like when you cut yourself.

[Okay, it's over now, you can continue reading.]

So whenever someone asks her why that cut is on her wrist, she will just reply with a, 'Oh I cut myself accidentally a few years ago.' so that people won't get suspicious of her.

~Flashback Memory End~

The flashback stopped and I was left to curl up into a ball and rock back and forth to comfort myself. I silently cried while rain poured all around me, drenching me and chilling me to the bone.

I was just going to sit there and comfort myself, but then I remembered with a shock that Gem was still in the Nether and I had to go see her for something important. I silently stood up, slightly unsteady on my feet as tears silently streamed down my face. I slowly made my way to the portable Nether Portal and went in.

_*Insert Portal Noises Here*_

I silently walked down the tunnel leading to Gem's little cool-off area when I suddenly sensed something wrong. I immediately broke into a sprint and ran all the way there. The sight that greeted me was, however, very weird. Only Gem was missing, but nothing else. No evidence of Gem being kidnapped or taken away, or anybody breaking in. I carefully looked around and observed every detail, but still found nothing.

I glanced around one last time and finally took off, running back to the portal and jumping straight in to tell Timber about the strange occurrence that had happened in the Nether.

Gem's POV (Surprise...? Eheheheheh...)

"Carrie! I'm here!" I tried to yell. However, nothing came out. I then tried my best to catch her attention, to notify, her, anything, but she dodn't realise anything was amiss. I tried to shake off the chains, the chains that prevented me from using my hybrid side, and the chains that held me bound to my dark past, something I don't normally talk about. I saw her finally take a glance around the room and that was when I finally felt all the hope drain away from me and was filled with a sense of despair.

(DESPAIRRRRRRR
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Kill me. XD)

I turned around and looked at the 5 people that were standing behind me with dull eyes and let them then take me away. Away to where all of this started.

Hey my lil water elementals! I know this is late by three days, blame me all you want, but I tried ;-; However when school starts, in 3 days, I will only be able to update once every 2 or 3 weeks. Updates will be SLOW when school starts so ye... but I'll try to finish the 7 chapters I owe you guys, though I have NO PROMISES since I was at digital art class since two days ago and it will end only tomorrow. BYEEEEEE! ^v^ /(^.^)/

-Mizuka OUT-