Light Never Dies (II)

Chapter 18 - Blurred Images

By the time we had departed it was getting close to nightfall. The sun was setting in the distance and the forest was surrounding us. We had traveled for the latter half of the day and we both decided that it would be a good idea to set up camp before we lost all that remained of the daylight we currently had. We found an area not so secluded by trees and I had begun to setup a tent. Lightning was adamant on starting a fire so she gathered some nearby sticks while I finished the tent. By the time the sun had set we were already set on our campsite. We had a small roaring fire and a tent to sleep in. It was big enough just to fit one of us so I offered the tent to Lightning and she took it but not without a small argument at first.

"Personally you should take it because you bought it. I can survive out here." She started.

Of course I wasn't going to take no for an answer so I came back with "well whether you like it or not you're sleeping in that tent because once I have my mind made up there is no changing it. So please sleep in the tent ok?"

That's when she reluctantly accepted to take the spot in the tent. I would be sleeping just outside the door. That way I could also keep watch if something were to approach us as well. We sat by the fire for a few more minutes just sitting in silence as we ate some of the food I had bought. Not so much as a word passed between the two of us. I could tell she wasn't thrilled to be accompanying me because of her attitude back before we left Lastation when she mentioned her goal to me. Right now it seemed that I was just a stepping stone that she would overcome eventually. Also I don't think anyone would trust a guy who constantly wears a mask all the time either. I know I wouldn't so why should she?

Lightning was the first to get up. She mentioned something about going to sleep and that if I tried anything negative or dirty towards her that she'd sense it and would probably lop my head off my shoulders faster than I could say "oh crap." I listened as she got into her sleeping bag and all I could hear after that was the sounds of the fire crackling in front of me. Soon I too fell into a slumber while watching the ash and ember of the fire float into the air as it kept us warm. I slept as sound as a stone until I awoke to hear something. I instantly opened my eyes and snapped out of my sleeping spell and listened for the sound again. It was quiet for a few moments but then I heard it again. It was a cry of sorts but a low one. It sounded just like a whimper but from where was it coming from? I heard it again and I pinpointed the location of it. It came from behind me, inside the tent. Something was off so I reluctantly decided to look inside of the tent to see what was making the sound. What I found slightly shocked me.

There was no creature or wildlife that was making the sound inside of the tent. It was Lightning making the noise. She wasn't whimpering though. Through a closer inspection I found that she was actually speaking. She was talking in her sleep. When I saw her face it wasn't one of peace like most have when they sleep. Rather, it was one of pain and discomfort. I watched her as she spoke again. When she did, it was almost as if she had played the strings attached to my heart.

"Please don't go. Don't go." She mumbled sadly. It seemed that she was having a nightmare or a bad dream about something or someone leaving her. But this was more than just a dream. This must've been a reoccurring memory that more than likely haunted her. For the next thing that I saw was a tear forming from her closed eyelid down her rosy cheek. Then something flashed across my mind that I spoke moments later spontaneously.

"Light?" I said.

I didn't know what I was doing. But the next thing I knew I was reaching my hand towards her tear stained cheek to brush it away. Her cheek was warm and she looked cute as she slept. After my hand swept across her cheek, her facial expression returned to that of a peaceful one and she even smiled.

I decided not to push further as I didn't want to wake her from her slumber. But something made me curious. I hope she wasn't too cold in this tent. I placed my hand on her forehead and seconds later had come to regret it. I had awoken something, but it wasn't her.

As soon as my hand touched her forehead, my mind went white and I could see flashes of things. A pink gem, someone dressed in a maroon colored dress with beautiful white skin, and two eyes that shone like the stars in the sky above. After witnessing this chain of repressed images flood my mind, I jerked my hand away from her forehead and held my head for it hurt like hell. Blood had started to come out of my nose as well, leaking onto the floor of the tent through the mask.

I stumbled out of the tent, while somehow not waking Lightning in the process and fell into my sleeping bag outside. Moments later before I could move again, I lost consciousness due to the numbing pain inside of my head. What happened next I couldn't fully comprehend. I slept but in my dreams I saw those same images again. The same person was there. The person dressed in black and they had with them... a sword? Other random things assaulted my mind as well like the sound of someone snapping their fingers, a silhouette flying up into the air cloaked in a bluish aura, and the long forgotten yet familiar warmth of the touch of holding someone's hand. I couldn't make sense if any of it. Once I awoke again, it was dawn and Lightning had already awoke. It appears she was waiting for me to get up so we could continue moving towards our location. She had asked me if I had seen or heard anything overnight and for my safety and well being I lied to her and told her that I didn't see nor hear a thing throughout the night. By the next hour, we had packed everything up and were on the path to our destination once again.