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Post by Jack on Sept 21, 2008 23:42:28 GMT -5
Jack opened his mouth to reply, when a name appeared in his head. Nikki... He hesitated, staring off into seemingly nothing. That name, again... Why did it seem so familiar? His chest tightened, as if he had forgotten something important. After a few moments, he shook his head. "It's... Jack," he answered in hardly more than a whisper. His head felt dizzy. His vision blurred. A blank expression sat upon his face. Thoughts began to flood into his mind, thoughts that weren't his own, and yet, he felt as though he knew them well.
He swallowed hard. He felt nervous. The boy couldn't tell if it was the thoughts, the strange man. A chill ran down his back. And then, everything went black as he toppled to his side upon the ground. Jack layed there, unconsious on the ground, dreaming about things that were so familiar, so comforting, so... frightening.
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Post by Lady Lillianna on Oct 8, 2008 16:20:22 GMT -5
"Jack," Lily repeated out loud to herself as she looked from him to Aeron and back. She nodded with a small smile on her lips. "I like that name. Gives off a mysterious vibe."
The smile on her face grew a bit as she looked up to Aeron and let out a small giggle. Seemingly out of nowhere, Jack hit the ground with a thud and Lily jumped, a shocked expression replacing her once sweet smile.
"Jack!" Quickly, she scrambled over to him, lifting him and propping him up on her knees. She brushed her hair back from her face and behind her shoulder to clear her vision. As she did so, she subconsciously wondered why she had reacted so fast to this stranger. Her hand grabbed onto his shoulder as she gave him a few gentle shakes in an attempt to awaken him.
Her green orbs traced their way over his face and a wave of emotion that she did not understand washed over her. His pale face, illuminated by moonlight, ignited feelings within her that she couldn't remember feeling ever before. That same familiarity flowed through her, and for some unknown reason, she could feel her eyes nearly tearing up. She gave him a few more small shakes before speaking again in a hushed voice. "Jack, come on. Wake up Jack."
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Post by Jack on Oct 25, 2008 12:05:33 GMT -5
The boy stirred slightly. So many thoughts and images were struggling to gain control. Emotions were running rampant, fiercely at war with one another. His mind was a mental war field it seemed. However, everything came to a stop. His breathing was calm and peaceful. While his eyes were closed, his hand rose, gently cupping the side of her face. A smile slowly came across his face. "I told you we'd meet again..." His voice was just short of a whisper, but enough for Elvira to hear. The boy's hand dropped from her face and he fell into a quiet sleep.
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Post by Lady Lillianna on Oct 25, 2008 12:46:14 GMT -5
Lily was speechless, though her heart was pounding so forcefully inside of her that she thought it might just break through the skin. She felt herself fall backwards, nearly toppling over in shock. Images from her dreams flooded back to her mind, images of a man she'd never known, and yet he was so familiar in every way.
An icy fire burned at her cheek where the boy had touched her. She couldn't tell if she felt frightened or comforted. There was definitely a coldness that made a chill run through her body, but a warmth which comforted her, a warmth that somewhere deep inside, she remembered.
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Post by Aeron De Lestra on Oct 25, 2008 12:51:40 GMT -5
Aeron rushed over to Lily, catching her just before she hit the ground. Putting an arm around her back, he helped lift her back up and brought her over to sit against the large tree's trunk.
"Lily," he began in a hushed tone as he ran a hand over her forehead and down to her cheek. His gentle eyes showed concern for her. "Are you alright?"
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Post by Lady Lillianna on Oct 25, 2008 12:57:49 GMT -5
"I'm fine," she quickly blurted out, wanting no immediate attention for herself. "I just got a little dizzy, that's all."
Her eyes fell upon the boy who laid there sleeping. Why was she feeling this way? Who was this strange boy, and when had they ever met before in the first place? Questions raced in her mind, all to which she had no answer for. She attempted to lift herself up so that she could aid the boy, but her attempts were useless and she fell back down to the ground.
"Aeron," she began, putting a hand to her aching head. "Please, get him inside and lay him down. I'll be there in a minute."
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Post by Aeron De Lestra on Oct 25, 2008 13:21:28 GMT -5
Aeron was still worried, but her gaze told him that it was of the utmost importance. He answered her request with a simple nod before placing a small kiss on her forehead.
Taking the boy's arm into his grasp, he wrapped it around his neck and then attempted to hoist him up slightly. With his right arm at the boy's back and his left under his knees, he pulled him up into his arms with ease. He cast a glance back to Lily, who sat seemingly dazed beneath the large tree, before he began walking back to the front door.
The short walk across the lawn seemed to last forever as he thought to himself. As time passed, he grew more concerned that his irrational assumptions may be correct. This boy seemed to give off a very familiar feeling, and it was a bit unsettling, though not in a particularly negative way.
He shifted the boy in his arms a bit so that he could manage to open the front door, and as he did, it hit against the wall behind it with a loud THUD. Kicking the door shut behind him, he placed his now free hand beneath Jack once more, shifting his weight again, and continued with him up the stairs.
Coming upon an ornate door which was slightly ajar, he nudged it open slightly with his back, making sure not to accidentally bang Jack into the doorway. He walked over to the large, elegant bed and gently placed him down onto it, making sure his head rested comfortably onto one of the many lush pillows. Pulling a matchbook from his pocket, he struck a match and lit several candles which sat on the bedside table.
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Post by Jack on Nov 4, 2008 21:03:23 GMT -5
Jack's dreams haunted him. An endless hall with countless mirrors. Every time he looked at himself in a mirror, a man who heavily resembled himself stood in it's reflection. A man with crimson hair. His eyes sent a chill down Jack's spine every time he caught a glimpse of this man. Jack finally stopped at a large mirror with an elaborate frame. He looked in the mirror. There he was again, that crimson haired man. Only this time he had wicked black wings, and even more wicked teeth. "Who the hell are you?" Jack asked the man.
The man smiled and cocked his head to the side. "Who am I? Good question." He laughed slightly. Though his looks were dark, his voice seemed sincere and kind. "Even I have a hard time with that one."
Jack frowned. He didn't like this place. It puzzled him as to how he had gotten there. He stopped to ponder how to escape this hall, hearing the faint sound of a beating heart. The hall, it was living. "Can you at least tell me how to get out of here?" It was an odd feeling, talking to yourself, asking yourself questions like this.
"At the end of the Hall lies a tree... Head there." The man smiled. "There are two ends, each with a tree of it's own."
"A tree..." Jack cocked a brow and crossed his arms. "Which tree do I go to?"
The man chuckled. "Why do you assume I know?"
"I was just asking..." The boy looked down both ways. Both sides, extended into darkness, the way lit with candles. He sighed and decided to turn to his left, heading down the seemingly endless path. He walked for what seemed like hours, conversing with the man in the mirrors.
Finally, he came the final mirror. After that, the hall began to distort and break off into a void, the ground began to form a stone pathway to a tree about the exact size of a man. Jack stopped. "That tree..." He glared at it. "It feels... familiar..."
The man chuckled. "It should. That's us."
Jack spun on his heels to face the man. "Wh-what do you mean 'us'?!" However, once he finished, he noticed it was only himself that stared back. He shook his head and turned towards the tree. Swallowing, he strode forward. As he got closer to the tree, the more human it began to look until he could see all of it's features. He studied the tree, and to his shock, the tree was himself. Every feature was his own. He places a hand on the tree, where his cheek appeared to be. Suddenly, the entire void around him began to change and warp, vines grew from the ground stabbing into him all over his body, wrapping up and around. Jack struggled and fought the pain until the vines covered every inch of his body until he could fight any more. He stood there, covered in vines, standing where was when he touched the tree.
The tree smiled, shocking Jack. The smile caused some of the bark to fall off, revealing fleshy lips. "Hello, Jack." The voice was kind and soft. "My name is Nikki, pleased to meet your acquaintance."
"N-Nikki...?!" Jack's vision blurred and he wobbled in place. "That name..."
Nikki frowned, a look of sadness in his eyes. "I'm so sorry I have to put you through this... I've been through the same thing." A branch in the shape of a hand clenched tight. "However, even knowing the pain I'm going to bring you, I have a promise to keep. You just met the woman who's promise it is."
Jack's eyes widened. "Elvira...?" He shook his head. "Then those feelings I felt..."
The man smiled softly. "She's a unique one. The only one I haven't lost."
His eyes went into a mad glare at Nikki as mist began to settle. "What are you doing to me?"
Nikki sighed. "I'm taking this body by force." The mist began to get heavier.
Jack looked around frantically at the mist. "What do you mean by that?!"
"Relax." The man's voice had a distinct echo to it even though the were within arms length of each other. "It'll take time. You have time to say your goodbyes."
The boy scowled. "How long?"
"A year and a half at least." The echo was more distinct.
"A... Year and a half..." Jack dropped to his vine covered knees. A horrible feeling grew inside of him, knowing he had a countdown on his life.
~///~
Jack awoke sitting straight up in a cold sweat. He was heaving, shaking noticeably. He shook his head. He looked around, noting he was in a strange room. The place was beautiful. He placed a hand on his heart. "Just a dream..." His head hurt, the room spun.
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Post by Lady Lillianna on Nov 5, 2008 18:19:40 GMT -5
"Relax," Lily whispered in an attempt to calm him. She laid him gently back down onto the pillow, running a hand over his warm forehead. She turned to the mahogany bedside table where a large glass bowl was filled with water and calmly placed her hands down into it. Her delicate fingers wrapped around the wet cloth as she pulled it from the bowl, wringing the excess water from it. Sitting down softly beside him, she placed the damp cloth onto his forehead and pressed down on it slightly to cool him down. "It was just a nightmare."
She looked down upon him with a heartwarming smile, her eyes gazing into his as though she were searching for some long-hidden secret to the universe. Her heart ached so horribly to fill in the missing pieces of her life, yet still she kept a smile upon her face, no matter how cruelly the tears taunted the brim of her eyes. After a few seconds of a slightly awkward silence, she jumped up and took a few steps away from the bed, clearing her throat as she did so.
"Aeron's downstairs making some tea," she said, turning back to him and pointing behind her to the doorway. "I thought you might want some when you woke up."
She stood there for a moment awkwardly playing with her hands, her eyes turning to the floor. Finally dropping her hands, she walked back over to the side of the bed.
"You sure were tossing and turning a lot," Her voice was soft and caring, but almost nervous, knowing what she was about to ask and the answers she was hoping for. She raised her left arm to wrap around one of the bottom posts of the canopy bed and rested her head against it as she looked back to him with deep, curious green eyes. "... What were you dreaming about?"
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Post by Jack on Dec 13, 2008 6:59:19 GMT -5
A throb of dull pain reined in Jack's head as he tried his best to ignore it. The room still spun, but it was lessened. He sighed and rested his head on his hand. The dream had bothered him. Never once had a dream done this much to shake him, and yet, there he was. The dream. He looked up and gazed into the familiar eyes of Lily. Something about them made his head hurt more. The dizziness grew again. "Your name's not 'Lily', is it...?" The words seemed to have formed themselves as they even shocked Jack.
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Post by Lady Lillianna on Dec 13, 2008 7:58:25 GMT -5
"Yes," she said very quietly as she pulled her head away from the post of the bed again. Her eyes locked onto him as she stood there, her arm still hugging the post. It was almost as though she were frozen, and she began to feel stupid about the way she must have looked. "How did you know that?"
At her final words, she walked back over to his side again, folding her arms across her chest. She wasn't alarmed or afraid that he knew, but more so intrigued. He knew her somehow, and sooner or later, she was sure that would tie into all of her unanswered questions.
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Post by Jack on Dec 19, 2008 13:40:28 GMT -5
Jack looked up at Elvira. An urge welled up inside him. An urge to embrace Lily. He shook his head. Why... How? He gave her a soft smile. "Just a random guess, I suppose..." He new all too well that was a lie, but he didn't want to alarm her. Before she could press further, he sat straight up. "H-how long have I been out?!"
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Post by Lady Lillianna on Dec 21, 2008 18:22:55 GMT -5
A few questions spun around in Lily's mind, and she wasn't sure whether to believe that his guess was just a lucky guess. She knew that something much deeper was going on. She didn't know how she knew, she just did. Deciding to just drop the issue for now, she lightly shook her head and smiled.
"About half an hour, give or take a few minutes." She lightly sat down beside him on the bed, letting her eyes run over him again, but not letting them lock with those blue orbs of his own. "Did you know you snore when you sleep?" She suddenly burst out jokingly as she lifted her head to look at him again.
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Post by Jack on Jun 23, 2009 22:44:05 GMT -5
He smiled at her all too familiar laugh. So many thoughts. So many feelings. " Haha... I suppose." His voice was somewhat empty and distant. "So, I was out for half an hour...?" His face went into a contemplative look, and just as soon, he frantically jumped out of bed. "Goddamn it, I'm late! Mom's gonna kill me!" It wasn't often he was late for his curfew. He was usually in a good hour before sun rise. "Th-thank you, Miss Lily. I really must be off."
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Post by Lady Lillianna on Jun 23, 2009 22:57:01 GMT -5
"Wait!" Lily called after him. Just as hastily as he had, she jumped off of the bed and went to follow him. She clumsily stumbled over her own feet, but quickly caught herself before she could fall. "Do you really think you should leave after you've been out cold for half an hour?"
She attempted to step in front of him, hoping that she might be able to convince him to stay. Not only was she worried about his health, but she was also intriged by the stranger. Though she was certain that she'd never met him before, she wanted to uncover the reasons for his familiarity. "I mean, couldn't you call your mom or something? Explain to her what happened? Or I could call her if you want. I'm sure she would understand."
Her eyes finally settled on his, and at this point she was just desperate to get him to reconsider his course of action. If he left now, who knows if she would ever see him again? Her eyes seemed to plead with his, though she knew that she was probably just being foolish.
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