The third Planet

02. Light and Dark

Claire's POV

I believed her with all my heart and I hoped our friendship would last till...I don't know, forever.

She grabbed my other hand and pulled me towards her, hugging me.

I felt like everything around me explode. It didn't hurt but it was so bright. I closed my eyes and felt Ana's hair tangling around me.

I pulled her closer and fear climbed up to my heart.

What happend here?

I tried to breathe. In and out. In and out. After a while the light seemed to fade a little so I opened my eyes.

Daylight. Warm light and a sun above us. Above the point where we were standing.

Did we just create a sun? A whole star? Why is she so powerful?

Who is Ana really?

I got nervous.

Did she know who she was?
Did she lie to me?

My thoughts were racing through my brain, searching for answers I didn't have. I tried to convince myself that this wasn't real, that all this wasn't anything at all. Less than a dream. And that I'll wake up soon.

But then I remembered. I remembered what I was before this.
I remembered that I didn't exist. I was born just right before I met Ana. And if I ever met the mysterious 'they' I couldn't forgot.

I looked up again. The star was still there. Spending light and warmth. My eyes searched around me for something and found more trees and also mountains and then water.

I dragged Ana with me to the water and fell on my knees already scooping the liquid with my hands.

The cold water was flowing down my throat and it tasted so good.
Ana kneeled beside me and watched. An interested look steeled up to her face and her eyes got a little brighter.

"Come on, let's go and look around." She laughed. I didn't move except for drinking from my hands.
"Claire, please" she begged.

I stopped at this sound. I remembered how she sounded in the darkness before. How much fear there was. I remembered her urge to have somebody near her and with all that I couldn't wait to give her what she wanted.

I dried my mouth, stood up and she guided me, never letting go of my hand.

We walked and walked. And we never saw anybody else like us.
We saw animals. Plenty of deer and rabbits and foxes but no one like us.

The sun rose and set. It got darker with the time and I got uncomfortable. I didn't know whether there were dangerous creatures out here or not.

I shivered a little. Not only because I was scared but because it was cold. And I needed a rest. Ana was still running and jumping in front of me,
dragging me with her.

"Ana?" I called out. She stopped and I nearly bumped into her.

"Yes?" She asked, her eyes still shining of joy.

"I'm tired. May we get a break and also an hour or two of sleep?" I sounded sluggish. But Ana seemed as if she didn't care.

"Of course" she smiled.

While scanning my surrounding for a more or less ideal place for a little rest I noticed a group of trees which seemed to fit for us.

I went over and sat down, grabbing two stones and starting to make fire. Ana looked for some food. Maybe she'd find some berries.

After a short while the fire was dancing around some wood and Ana finally returned with something to eat. She gave me a warm look as she handed me my half of the things she found.

Raspberries and blueberries in dark red and blue shining up to me and I needed to hold myself back from eating all at once.

Wherever we were, we actually got all we needed to have a nice life.

We didn't talked much while eating. We enjoyed the berries and running after our thoughts. My eyes fell shut every now and then.

"Good night, Ana. Please wake me, when you need anything." Were my last words to her this evening.

I barely heard her response: "Dream nice, Claire and you wake me then too please."

I smiled and drifted in my dreams.

I ran. Hunted from wild animals. Blood was dropping off my neck and shoulders. But I wasn't ready to close with my life. There was still something I had to finish before I'd die.

The bears and wolves got closer and I sprinted faster. But in fact I knew there was no chance. My heart and brain closed this chapter of my life. Finished even though I wasn't ready to leave.

Sweat drained off my neck, mixing with the blood. My heart was racing and hammering. This was it. This was all of it.

All the things I wasn't able to find out. Why was I here? For example. I felt sharp claws pushing in my back. My lungs were collapsing and I held my last breath. I closed my eyes, didn't want to see the monster who was currently killing me and suddenly Ana was there. I saw her through my closed lids.

"Let's go." She said, "Don't be afraid."
"No!" I screamed. I stumbled and fell and stood up again. Ana was still in front of me. But now laughing and changing into something horrible and disgusting.

This wasn't Ana. Possessed by anything wasn't possible. There weren't such things as demons. Were there?

Ana's fingers were sharp as knifes. She went towards me and touching my neck gently, leaving bloody prints. She laughed again.

"Poor little girl. Couldn't protect herself."

No. No. No.

With one hard snap she separate my head from the rest of my body. My 'ghost' flew over everything. Seeing the blood flowing over the ground and soaking my clothes. My transparent me turned away. Still feeling the cut.

Hot tears were raining down my cheeks and my brain was still working on the fact that I was dead. I wanted to live. So badly. This couldn't be it. But one glance to the ground was enough to tell me: this is my end.

I died because of Ana.

Screaming and crying I woke up. This wasn't supposed to happen.
Ana sat beside me, fully awake, her hand stroking my shoulder and the other cupping my cheek. She looked very worried and scared.

"Claire?"she asked shaking. Her eyes wide and nearly crying.

"Claire?" She questioned again. "Tell me you are okay. Please? You scare me."

I closed my eyes, breathed in and let the oxygen flow out. Three times till I finally opened my eyelids, staring in her terrified pupils.

"In and out. In and out." I remind myself.
"I'm fine. Just... Just some nightmares. I'm okay. Why..why-y are you up?" My voice shaking like hers did seconds ago.

It hurt to see her like that. I remembered the joy in her eyes a little while ago this night. I wanted to see that again.

"You screamed and cried. Also it.. -it seemed like you were killed. I- please, never again, okay?"

I tried to smile.

My first real night in my life and I got nightmares. I don't know what this was supposed to mean. But now wasn't the right time to fall in depression.

"Did you sleep a little?" I asked instead.

"Yeah, till you woke me up. Are you really okay?"

"Yes. Okay, then maybe we should go on exploring this here. We could try a mountain to get an overview?"

It was still dark even though we slept more than five hours. The sun should rise soon.

Ana grabbed my hand and together we started walking towards the near mountains.