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Post by Amayasama on Feb 4, 2011 20:19:29 GMT -5
x.x Wow! What a change for Sophie ^^ I am so happy Tom has made a turn-around :3 Now she isn't imprisoned in the house, she's company~
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Post by biali on Feb 6, 2011 23:23:34 GMT -5
Chapter 36- Seals and Dragons
Six seals. No one had ever thought that such a thing was possible, not even Peter himself, whose spirit gazed at his newly created door made of bamboo. In is opinion, it fit in the surrounding area very well. From the stone walls of several waterfalls plunged into the depths, but vanished without trace into the fine sand that was scattered all over the floor. Although there was no sun, the light shone on onto the huge palm tress and the old withered treasure chest as if it were a warm summer day. The other, and actual door looked like a cave entrance, which was obscured by a, flimsy curtain fabric. Such doors were difficult to seal, but he still managed it. That was a fact which he was not happy about. With every seal he destroyed a life, or changed it in such a serious a way that he could not really agree with his conscience. But his family would be safe.
Suddenly he was startled. How long had it been since he gave is body the command to breathe? Quickly he was looking for the weak connection to his mortal remains. He could not find it. This could not be! Frantically, he left the soul path and returned to the completely colorless in-between world. He had to calm down. His mind groped carefully to what he was looking for. And then he found it again. But it felt different. The connection was not as pleasant as usually. Desperate, he sent several commands to breathe, but he was not sure if it really mattered. Peter's spirit paused. He had placed six seals. He had exceeded all expectations. His contract said nothing about the fact that he had to perform the ritual until his death. He would return. He would make possible what no priest had made before him, and survive the ritual. At least he hoped so. This strange feeling made him worry. He hastily followed the link to his body like a trail of bread crumbs. After a while he felt a change, the further he progressed the better it felt. And very soon he found himself at the border. Greedy his mind groped for his body. He could not wait to finally feel his own limbs again. And then it was time. It was as if he would slip into a warm coat, when he would again be protected from all sides. He was back.
And just as fast as the warmth came, it disappeared again. The young man was trembling all over and he could hear his teeth chattering loudly. He could not get control of a single body part. Either they did not move at all, or were absolutely out of control. It felt as if he had fallen into a lake of ice water. The cold felt like sharp needles on his skin. Even if he was happy to feel again, this pain was almost unbearable.
Again and again he felt like he almost slipped into a swoon. But this could not happen. He had to stay conscious, otherwise he would not survive. Suddenly a cry broke from his throat. It helped to give a vent to his pain, but he also noted how his throat was dry. It took nearly everything from him, to stay sane, but after he had managed to create as many seals,this should be the no impossible task for him. Even in training he had learned that the return to the body could be very difficult. But he had also learned how he was able to counteract the weak cycle. Few other people had more body control than the priests who were trained for the ritual. With the power of their mind, they were able to counter most of what harmed them.
However, it took a long time before he could stabilize his circulation and lead heat to his major organs. The pain was now much more tolerable and now he dared to open his eyes. At first he was afraid he gone blind because he could see nothing, not even after he gave his eyes time to adjust to the environment. But then he realized that something was on his face. With great effort he raised his arm to remove it. It was a black cloth. But even as he had pulled it from his head, there was not much light, that his eyes had to get used to. Above him he saw at first only dimly, but then clearly, a switched-off fluorescent thant hung on a bare concrete ceiling. This was definitely not the room where he had begun the ritual, but where was he?
Peter listened, but only heard a distant noise that may was coming from a heater. But actually it was much too cold here. The young man tried to turn his head, which succeeded only in pain. In all his muscles, he seemed to have an extreme muscle soreness. When he looked to the left slightly groaning, he saw something like a stretcher on which a man was liying completely naked and with a black cloth over his face. Immediately, he realized: this person was dead. And the white tiled walls and the cold made it clear: This was a morgue.
They had assumed him to be dead. Presumably he had stopped breathing for too long. It took a while until he felt strong enough to sit up. Massaging his stiff limbs, he sat on his bier and tried to think what he should do now. If he would draw attention to himself, the community would require, perhaps, that he had to hold the ritual again. Now that they thought he was dead, he and his family were safe and out of focus. Now he had to get away from here. He was forced into hiding.
Taking a deep breath, he put his feet on the cold floor and took a few awkward steps. searching he looked around. First, he had to find something to wear. A wandering naked man was certainly not good at hiding. In one corner of the room he found a pile of bulging plastic bags. Reeling, he went to it and opened the top one with even more stiff fingers. He was lucky in the fact there were actually a pair of pants, a T-shirt, socks, shoes and a jacket. Presumably they had been taken off a dead man, but he would certainly not need them any more. It took a long time before he had fully dressed, but it was more than pleasant. Finally, he was a little warmer and it was easier to move. Now he had to get out of here. This proved much easier than he had expected. No door was closed and the building was not guarded in any way. Soon he came out into the relatively warm night. With every step he felt more steady and soon he was again master of his own body. Yet he was still very weak, and it was obvious he had not eaten or drinking for some time. Fotunately, Peter , he came near the city park. For one, he now knew where he was, on the other hand there was also a drinking fountain. Eagerly he drew the water into his mouth and satisfied his thirst. Some time later he was sitting on a park bench, thinking about where he should go now. Not to his parents, that was for sure. They would probably faint if their believed to be dead son suddenly stood before them. No, he was forced to a place where no one would look for him. Neither his family nor the community of salvation, which would certainly be informed of his sudden disappearance from the morgue. Only now he was really aware of how isolated from the outside world he had lived in the recent years. Not only the contact with his family had been very low, he ha left all his old friends behind him when he entered the monastery five years ago. Still quite confused in his head, he tried to remember somebody he could trust. And suddenly someone came to his mind.
–
Something was wrong. It was too warm, and yet Sophie trembled all over. Suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her guts, but she could not cry out at all. Her head was spinning and her injured leg throbbed. Around her she could hear loud voices, but she could only understand disjointed words: "Not good ... What is ... call now on ... I'll do. .." And then she drifted back into a sleep that was interrupted repeatedly by this strange tremor and the heat.
Suddenly she stood on a large meadow. The grass around her was swaying in the wind and everything seemed very quiet. Far too quiet. She could hear nothing, no wind noise, no birds chirping. And then she could see someone from a distance coming towards her. Soon she could see who it was: It was her brother Christian. He was wearing his sports outfit and jogged across the grass in a comfortable pace. But that was impossible. Chris had died four years agi, but Sophie did not perceive that. For the period of this dream, he was alive. As he approached, she began to run, until they had the same speed and she was running beside him. "You have to be careful, little sister." He said, panting, and his voice sounded a little strange. "Take care, about what?" "Sometimes the maiden has to comfort the dragon.," He said grinning and suddenly became faster and faster until she could no longer keep up with him. "What? What do you mean? What does that mean? "She called after him, but he was already gone. "Chris! Don't go away! Stay here!" She cried, and she felt her eyes fill with tears. She felt a terrible despair and stood paralyzed. A loud roar made her squirm again, and she turned around. With breathtaking speed, a giant dragon rushed towards her, his golden eyes almost pierced her physically. Sophie wanted to run away, but she could not, she stood rooted to the spot. With wide open jaws, the monster came closer. With a sharp cry she expected that the razor-sharp teeth crushed down on her. And then she woke up.
Bathed in sweat, she sat up and tried to shake off this scary feeling. Still very confused, Sophie looked around and found with horror that she was surrounded by bars. What was going on here? Had Thomas betrayed her? Had he imprisoned her again?
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Post by Amayasama on Feb 7, 2011 18:45:02 GMT -5
ARG CLIFFHANGER! *flails* XD I have to say you've got my hooked all over again!
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Post by biali on Feb 7, 2011 20:11:46 GMT -5
great Amaya! Here is something to hook you more X3
........................
Chapter 37 – Golden Words
"Hey, don't panic. You are in the animal hospital." A voice said from the side. Next to her was apparently yet another cage in which sat a man of her size. He seemed about thirty years old and wore a white collar and a gown in the same color. "... Animal hospital?" ,she asked, still somewhat dazed. "Exactly. Well, that'S where they send us when we are sick." , the man replied in a friendly tone. "As far as I'm aware of it, you have a pretty severe infection. You had very high fever." "H-how long have I been here?" ,she inquired further and discovered that she too was wearing a gown. "About two days. You were passed out quite long. "Why the cage?" "This unfortunately common at a vet. To keep us from running away. I also could imagine a much more comfortable hospital room. At home I have fortunately never have to look at bars." He replied calmly. "Why are you here? You don't look very sick." She remarked. The man put his hand to his chest. "Three broken ribs. But I'm on the mend." He said, smiling. "May I ask ... how did that happen?" She asked cautiously. She suspected very strongly that a giant had inflicted the injury. "That was only the lenient outcome of a rescue operation. I tripped and fell off the table. My great friend caught me. Well, actually he grabbed me out of the ait. In the heat of the moment he had pressed too much. But rather a few broken ribs, than a broken neck, right? ",he said lightly. He really did not see that in a very serious way. "Yes, probably." She murmured, looking at her cell and herself. She was lying on a thick blanket, wrapped in a soft cloth. When she lifted it, she could also look at her leg. It looked a lot better and was not swollen at all any more. In addition, she could feel no pain. Perhaps she had been given medication against it. "You really don't have to worry. The doctor is a little stubborn, but the nurse is a true treasure." He tried to calm her down. "Can't you shut up for just a second? You act like these damnded giants are our freaking saviors." sounded another, this time female voice from the other side. Sophie turned to her and saw a young woman with short black hair, whose arms had large bruises everywhere. "They think we are animals, sometimes even less. I would never treat my cat like they did to me. You probably never had to eat this disgusting Twimp food, eh? And they can never hold back their huge paws. It's a miracle that I'm still alive. "she said sullenly. Both Sophie and the man looked at her sympathetically. "I'm sorry ... I did not know ...", the man said "Yeah, whatever ... I just want to go home." ,replied the woman, and turned away. Sophie sighed. Until now she had thought only of how she herself and how she could return. But now she heard that some where suffering from this situation much more than she. Perhaps there was a way with which she could help them all? Before she could speak, the door was opened and a young giantess came into the room. She was a very rounded person with friendly eyes. "Good morning my dears." ,she said cheerfully, and let her gaze wander over the cages. Involuntarily Sophie backed away a little. "Ah, you're finally awake, little Sophie." Said the giantess, obviously pleased. The girl nodded slightly uncertain. "No need to be scared. This is the animal clinic. Your owner has brought you here because you had a high fever. Presumably you've eaten something wrong on your trip into the wilderness and you caught a nasty virus. But no worries, it can not be transmitted through the air. And since you're awake again, you surely can go back home soon. I will just report to the doctor who then makes the final examination ... But first have your breakfast, my dears. "she said caring and placed in each cage, a bowl of chopped fruit and vegetables and a bowl of water. Sophie's neighbor rushed to the tray, apparently happy to finally get to taste food. Then the woman left the room and let everyone eat in peace. "Like I said. She is such a treasure." ,said the man and courageously grabbed a piece of carrot.
After the breakfast, Sophie was a little queasy. She did not feel particularly fit and had a little headache. It was so strange that she had been out for so long. When she fell asleep in Thomas' house, she had not had the feeling of being ill, she was just very tired. And then there was this strange dream. It was very long ago that she had dreamed of her brother. Normally, she had just repressed all things connected with this. Maybe it was a sign that the she should no longer avoid it. But that was the worst possible time for this. At the moment she had indeed quite different, much larger problems.
It did in fact not take a long time until her final examination. When the nurse took her out of the cage, tshe just wanted to runaway. Being picked up by strangers did not please her at all. And if the man in the cage next to her was right, the doctor was probably not a very friendly person. Sophie was carried to a rather uncomfortable examination room whose white tiles and metallic instruments looked very unsettling. The girl was placed on a cold steel table and only seconds later, the doctor entered the room. She had severe back-bound brown hair and a harsh face. In fact, she did not seem very likeable. Her expression was somehow dark and stressed. Before she looked at Sophie, she studied the medical records. "Ah yes, the little runaway. Then let's see if you can go home again." She said finally and smiled. "First we need to measure the temperature." She added, and Sophie was immediately a little pale in the face. She hoped fervently that she would not really be treated like an animal and the thermometer would not touch any unpleasant parts of her body. Fortunately, the temperature was measured in the mouth and also for the auscultation she had not to undress. After the doctor gave critical look at her injured leg , she noted some things in the file and then did not look at Sophie, but at the nurse. "You can call Mr Harman. he can pick up Sophie as soon as possible. The nurse nodded and left the room to make the call.
"You really were very lucky that Tom has brought you here so quickly. If we had not reduced the fever, you could have died.", the giantess suddenly said in a friendly conversational tone. Sophie was not sure how to react. "Tom and I know each other from the temple. We both lived there as children." Now Sophie was stunned. She had thought that only boys were allowed to live in the temple, or at least suspected it. "Thomas has always been pretty stubborn ... But he never seemed like somebody to run away from." ,she said smiling, but with a slightly transfigured view. "Well, yes. In any case, you should watch out and be careful. You still have slightly elevated temperature and your leg is still not healed completely. I will give ointment and a painkiller to Tom, so he gan use it on you. In a few days, you sure will be much, much better." she quickly changed the subject and then, the nurse came back in. "Mr Harmann is unable to come, but his sister will come and pick up Sophie." She said. "Thank you. Then please bring be her things and clothes. We can't have her leave in a hospital gown."
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Rina was not too happy let Tinka stay at home alone, but she did not want to bring her to a vet when in was not necessary. At the front desk, a nurse waited with Maya, who was placed in a padded box without a lid. The Twimp still seemed quite struck, but smiled when she saw Rina. Carefully she listened to what the nurse said about the medication and signed the release form. Then she left the clinic with the Twimp and now spoke to her directly: "It's really nice to see you again. And I'm glad you're doing well. Thommy is on a job interview, so I came. First we go to my place, it is closer. He comes to pick you up then. That's okay with you, right? " Maya, who was now called Sophie nodded yes, and smiled at her quite exhausted. She was not completely healed yet. After a short bus ride, they reached her apartment and before Rina unlocked the door, she said to her guest: "Tom already told you about Tinka, the Twimp who lives with me. I hope you get along well." Rina actually hoped that Sophie was able to talk with Tinka. Secretly, she wished that she was a normal Twimp who could communicate with the ones of her own kind.
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Rinas apartment was really very impressive. What it lacked in size it made up for by a creative device. This place was the complete opposite of Thomas' perfectly tidy house. Everywhere sewing materials and kitsch were standing around. The box in which she sat, was deposed carefully and Thomas' sister, now found herself searching for something. "Tinka? Tinka darling, where are you," she said in a soft voice, and although Sophie had bee prepared for this, she was surprised by the response: "Rina here?" "Yes, I'm back here. And I've brought someone with me. Come here, let me show her to you." ,replied the giantess, and soon after little girl of maybe eleven years was placed with her in the box. But she seemed a bit strange. Her long ash-blond hair was matted and full of knots, and her back seemed bent slightly and her eyes had a restless lot. And she was not wearing a collar. So that was the girl who Tom had told her about. Now she also understood what he meant by her not being normal. It almost seemed as if she had never had contact with other people, as if she had grown up like an animal. "Sophie, meet Tinka.," Said Rina, who had bent a little over the box. When she mentioned the name of the little one, she grinned from ear to ear. Then Tinka took a few uncertain steps of Sophie and stretched her hands curiously out at the reddish-brown curls that fell down Sophie's shoulders. At first Sophie was a little unsure of how she should respond, but when she realized that Tinka was very careful and only gently stroking the tresses, she calmed down and smiled. "That looks very promising. If it is okay for you, then I leave you alone and just get us some cake." Rina said, obviously pleased. Sophie gave her an approving nod, and soon after, Tom's sister was out of earshot.
Sophie tried to make eye contact with the girl and said: "You seem to have a nice home here with Rina, is she kind to you?” But the little girl said nothing, but but only looked at her a bit stunned. "Can you understand me?" "undaah ...stehnd ...?" Tinka tried to say, but she did not seem to know the meaning of it. Apparently, she really could not talk properly, not even without a giant in the area. Sophie shook her head a little disappointed. But shee seemed to catch up words very quickly and repeat them. Maybe that hid indeed some advantages ...
After a little while Rina returned with a plate full of cake and leaned over the box with a questioning look: "Well? could you talk a little? " She shook her head regretfully. "Hmm .. that's sad. But I did not really expect any different. She was kept so isolated, that she probably never had the opportunity to learn. Thank you, that you have tried. But now let's get you out of there. Thommy will need a bit more time. "she said, but with a small trace disappointment in her voice. Then she helped Tinka and Sophie out of the box and placed the two on her desk, between a few sewing templates. "Pardon the mess, but I really need my creative chaos." She said, grinning. Tinka had quickly made ou a small bowl full of buttons and rummaged through it for interesting specimens. A little later she had dug out a nice shiny blue button and carried it like a trophy to Rina. "Rina, what?" She asked, pointing to her shiny loot. " "This is a button. Button.", The giantess said in a soft voice. "But ...butto ... button." ,repeated the girl and nodded eagerly over and over again. "You see? She learns really fast. I really wonder why she can actually talk to me. Maybe it's the missing necklace ... or they did something to her in the kennel. But I have heard that you could also talk to my brother, with some help. " Sophie agreed smiling and hoped that she soon got the chance to talk again. "That's good. You put my brother into place quite good. Although at the moment, things are not going so well for him, he looks very much more concentrated. Apparently you're just what he needed." , she said friendly and was about to pat her on the head with her hand, but held it back respectfully. "I have another idea. Something like a small thank you. But for this I need your measurements." She said suddenly very busy. "I have the perfect fabric for you. The perfect fit for your hair." Sophie looked at first somewhat uncertain, but quickly realized that Rina wanted to tailor something for her. A little wobbly on her legs she stood up, put as little weight as possible on her still injured leg. Patiently she allowed Rina to take measurements with a wide tape measure- This was viewed with curiosity by Tinka, who still held her shiny found object in her arms. "Day after tomorrow I will have it ready, then I'll bring it over." ,said the seamstress, as she wrote down the data. Sophie however looked a bit impatiently at Tinka. Her plan did not seem to work. Just when Rina had finished her work, the doorbell rang at the door. "That must be Thommy. Then we all can eat the cake together."
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Tom was exhausted by his copious interview, but also very relieved that Sophie could finally leave the clinic. He was really panicked when he had found the little one feverish and unconscious on her sleeping place. If he would have lost another one through an illness, he probably would not have coped with it. Even if he had known Sophie for almost two weeks, she was very important to him. He was responsible for her, and even if she was still very reserved, he liked her. A little nervous, he rang at the front door of his sister, who opened with a wide smile. "Hello brother, how did it go?" "I don't know. My skills would be enough for this job, but of course they were skeptical because of my membership in the temple. They will give me an answer tomorrow. But how is Sophie?" He said slightly bent. "She is quite fit, but still needs some rest. You must treat her leg with ointment and painkillers. But come in first." Tom stepped into the curious little apartment and looked out for the little redhead. "Tooom!" he heard the voice of small Tinka from the desk. In the last week she had seen him quite often, and therefore already knew him quite well. Sophie sat next to her on the table and beckoned to him with a little pale face. "Hello you two. I'm Sorry that I could not come in person to pick you up. But Rina seems to have taken good care of you." He said relieved. Seeing that she was doing better, made him very happy. "Sophie has been trying to speak to Tinka, but it did not work. Apparently she has previously never really learned to talk." Said Rina, which stood next to her brother.
Tinka suddenly jumped up and pulled excitedly on his sleeve. "Tom, Toom. Twimps ah all hooman." She said frantically. He and his sister stared at her wide-eyed. "What did you say?" Rina asked incredulously, leaning down to the girl. "All Twimps are Huuuman." She said with a little more emphasis. These words at once echoed strangely in his head. It was as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water on him. His eyes went to Sophie, who beamed at Tinka. "Sophie ... you have taught her that?" He asked and she nodded. "You are human ...", he added, it felt like a liberation. At last the thought could clearly form in his mind. "Yes, they are human, small people." ,muttered Rina and remained speechless, putting a hand over her mouth.
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Post by Amayasama on Feb 8, 2011 16:33:23 GMT -5
^0^ WOO! Realization, how I must thank you! XD And so quick with updates Biali! x3 Good update, my dear~
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Post by biali on Apr 19, 2011 14:47:34 GMT -5
Chapter 38 – The other voice
Lost in thoughts, Sophie was sitting in front of the glass door that lead to the garden and stared at the grass as she rubbed some ointment on her still hurting leg. Her injury felt a lot better today. After getting up this morning she already could walk around a bit without much pain. The door was still ajar and it would not be a problem to get outside into the garden. But she no longer felt the desire to escape, at least not out into the wilderness again She still felt not really comfortable here. But that was only natural, she would need a lot more time to really adjust to all of this. Her head turned toward the bedroom door, which was not locked, but stood half open. Thomas did his best to give it the necessary freedom. But since they returned from his sister's home yesterday, he acted strangely. Every time he came into the room, he would cast her as a strange look and then disappeared again very quickly. That was not going at all how she had imagined it.
Of course it had to be a shock to find that beings that were previously regarded as pets, were now regarded as human beings. But she had not expected Tom to react that way. .After all, he had also noted earlier that she was an intelligent, sentient being. Was it so inconceivable, shocking step to recognize her as a human? At least, he an Rina acted as if it would be that way. Yesterday he had hardly dared to touch her again and his sister had harldy spoken at all. If she would at least be able to talk, she would have tried to uproot him from this strange state. But she was doomed to let everything pass over her without a word.
From outside she could hear footsteps and soon Joschi came into the room with a plate in his hand. "Good morning, time for breakfast." He said, almost cheerfully. Sophie gave him a smile and nodded to him. The boy was happily as ever, because he had not noticed the incident of yesterday. And, obviously, Tom could not tell him what she really was.The Golden Rule prevented well that it could be spread without limit. The small Tinka was probably the only one who could pronounce this sentence towards giants. For this reason Joschi was probably pretty surprised by Thomas' behavior. Still smiling, he put the plate on the floor and presented her the little jam sandwiches, which he had made for her. "I'm sorry that all of us can't eat together, but at the moment Thomas is not the best company at the table. He has already ruined my appetite before." ,he said sighing, and sat cross-legged in front of her. Sophie grabbed one of the sanwitches which was just a bit larger than her head and nodded sympathetically. "I am keen to understand what happened yesterday. But he says nothing at all. Was it really so terrible?" He asked, Sophie shook her head in a no. For her it rather had been a triumph, at least initially. He glanced at his watch and sighed again. "I have to head to school now. I don't like leaving you alone with that grouch. But at half past two I'm back. Do you think you can bear with him so long?" He asked anxiously. Sophie gave him a shrug. Did she have any alternative? Joschi gave her a sympathetic look and then got up. "See you later then."
After Sophie had finished her breakfast, she got up and walked a few steps. She wanted to quickly get used to walking again, because it was one of the few things she could still do on her own in this world. Again her eyes fell on the open garden gate and this time it was just too tempting.She did not want run away, but a little fresh air could not do any harm. As a precaution, she took a thin jacket from her backpack and then went out to the terrace. Outside and the warm scent of freshly mown grass came from the neighbor's yard. Sophie closed her eyes with a deep breathe and tried to summon the picture of her own backyard at home.
Soon she could hear very clearly how her parents were talking at the grill about the plans for next weekend's getaway. The smell of bratwurst and potato salad was in the air and Sophie was sure that every moment her grandmother would show up with a fresh, homemade apple cake. Right next to her stood that one garden chair that was always empty, ever since her dear big brtoher had dies four years ago. She was tempted to reach out and touch it, because in that very moment it felt so real. But she knew that it was very far away. Maybe it was completely out of reach.
They caught herself sniffing loudly to hold back some tears that were gathering in her eyes. Until now she had always had the hope of soon finding a way to return home.But somehow she felt that this option was put off indefinitely. She could not even say why they that feeling crept over. Actually, her situation had however changed for the better, hadn't it? After all, she had now found a way to talk to the giants and Thomas had promised to help her. But how could he help if he just sunned her like that? She had to do something. It was simply not her way, just wait until he would finally be comfortable to do something. Determined she clenched her fists and turned around to go back into the house. Even without words she would find a way to give him a piece of her mind. Still clearly limping she made her way into the living room where she suspected him to be at that time
-
Tom could still hear Joschi saying goodbye and closing the door. But then he was again completely absorbed in the book that he just read while sitting on the sofa. He had not picked it up for a long time because until yesterday it had been hidden in a trunk in the attic. In fact, he had vowed never to touch that trunk again, but the momentary circumstances had brought him to do it anyway. Focused, his eyes glided over the soft, round handwriting of his deceased wife. Melissa had begun to fill this little book with words, when the couple had realized that they would soon be parents. She had written all her expectations and fears on these pages. The entries ranged from euphoria to depression, and each time her writing told so much about her feelings.
>>How can I be a good mother? How can such a bad person as I give someone enough love to grow and thrive? Many say this: If you see your child, you will feel nothing but love, all pain will be forgotten. But what if I'm different?<<
The very insecure and nervous line s of the writing gave away how firghtened she must have been. Tom had to shake his head. How could such a wonderful person like Melissa think bout herselef in such a way? ... Before his inner eye he could see her sleeping in her comfy armchair, hands resting protectively on her already clearly visible baby bump. Now he was in tears and he doubted whether it had really been a good idea to pick up this book so soon after her death. After he had thoroughly wiped his eyes, he skipped a few pages and prepared internally for what he would see there.
Suddenly he felt a painful twinge in his right foot, and dropped the book from the sudden shock, which fell on the floor with a little thud. He then heard a small gasp, which made him look down immediatly. Next to the open book was Sophie, and judging by her position she had just dodged it. For a moment he only stared at her dumbfounded. Apparently she was still shocked by the sudden object that came from above, for she had her eyes still focused on it.But then he noticed that she looked at something else, something that had been lying between the pages of the book and now lay open. It was a photo. It was not a very good picture, because it was a little blurry. But ine could see exactly what was on it: Wrapped in a thick blanket was a tiny baby, which was very obviously born much too early. Tom hurriedly gathered both, and laid it gently beside him. He now really felt like crying, but he tried to suppress it with a vengeance and turned back to Sophie, who was still sitting on the floor and breathing heavily, staring at the ground.
Tom wanted to say something, but he found no words. Since yesterday he just did not know how to deal with her. She really must hate him. He had treated her like an animal, obviously humiliated her. And even though she had shown him so many times that she was much smarter than his society wanted to make him believe. If he only thought about that some Twimps-no, humans - were treated even more derogatory, he felt sick. He just did not know what to say. All the excuses in his head sounded so empty and meaningless.
He turned away and unconciously his eyes fell on the photo again. A little strand of red hair peeked out under the much too large hat of the premature baby. He could still remember exactly how soft this hair had been when he had stroked his young daughter's head. Now he just could not hold it back anymore. In fact, he had thought he would have no more tears, but now they broke out again. He buried his face in his hands and the first time in months he cried heartily.
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Sophie was thunderstruck. At first she was glad to have dodged the book that had rushed down on her But what she saw then, caused the strangest feeling that she had ever felt. This photo was so strange. When she saw this little bundle of life, a strange shiver ran down her spine. There was this loud buzzing in her head again. It was so similar to the one she had heard when she saw the photo of Melissa. But this time it was a lot more intense. And soon the buzzing, which more and more increased in volume, transformed into words: >>Golden Rule number one: your true self remains hidden to everyone. Golden Rule Number Two. The sound of your voice will never each your Master. Golden Rule number Thre .... " Soon the words were so loudly in her head that she thought it would burst at any moment, as if someone was trying to carve the rules into her brain fpr all eternity.
But this photograph flickered again and again in her mind's eye. And with each flare-up, the voices became more and more silent and were replaced with a different, much softer voice. "All is well, you're in the right place. The healing can begin." And soon Sophie realized, whose voice this was: It was her own. But she did not speak those words, it was like someone else with her voice was talking to her. An eternity later the unpleasant voices, who recited the golden rules, had disappeared completely. For the first time since she ended up in this world, she felt free. She almost felt like she was a lot lighter than before. Sophie opened her eyes and winced as a big cold drop of water fell on her.
Confused, she looked up and saw Thomas slightly bent over and sobbing into his hands. Only now she realized how close she stood to him. It was the first time that she had approached him so far and she swallowed a little. But if she was honest, she did not feel scared or angry anymore. There was now a completely different feeling. She could not describe it, but now the words came to mind that she had heard from her brother in her dream:
"Sometimes the maiden has to comfort the dragon."
Yes. That was it. That was her job. The reason why she was here.
With purposeful steps she walked up to his left leg and leaned against it, potting her hands on it with a caring gesture. "You're not alone anymore. I'm back." She said softly. And those words had a much greater significance than she could imagine at this moment.
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Post by Amayasama on Apr 19, 2011 19:39:05 GMT -5
o.o ....*flails* Ahhhh! Biali! XD I swear you're going to give me a heart attack!
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Post by biali on Apr 19, 2011 19:48:18 GMT -5
nooo! you have to stay alive! Or don't you want to know how this story ends?
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Post by Amayasama on Apr 20, 2011 14:49:29 GMT -5
XD Almost! Almost had one, but I ish very much alive, to prove this I'll update that ol' story of mine XDD
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Post by MoonStarNinja4 on Apr 20, 2011 15:06:52 GMT -5
Aww.... So much sadness... T_T ...and suspence.
Nevertheless, a good update.
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Post by biali on Jun 20, 2011 15:13:09 GMT -5
Chapter 39 – The answers lie beneath
Tom paused as he believed to hear a gentle voice from below and felt something on his leg. Through his teary eyes he saw Sophie, as she leaned almost lovingly against his leg. "Sophie? .. Did you, did you just say something?" He asked incredulously, wondering about thiskind gesture. Having her that close was quite unusual because until now she had made him believe that she wanted to be as far away as possible from him. He almost tried to move his leg away, but he was afraid that he might injure her by doing that. The girl looked up at him and seemed to be pretty amazed as well. "Yes. I think I did." A little hesitantly, she moved her hands away from his leg and was limping a few steps backward so she could look up without having to get a stiff neck.
As she moved away from him he took jis leg away from her and also scooted away on the sofa a bit.. He just could not help it. At the moment he felt anything but good in her presence. And now he expected, that she would use her new ability to speak whenever she wants, to rain down a storm of complaints and insults on him.
But, "This photo was ...", was the only thing she said. Sophie did not complete the sentence, since she apparently could see that his face twisted into a painful expression. "I ... I think it has lifted the Golden Rules." , she added after a short pause. "I don't want to talk about it. You shouldn't have seen it anyway. No one should have ...", he replied in a harsh tone, and was almost close to tears again. There was silence for a few seconds before Sophie spoke again: "But what do you want to talk about then? You can not bury yourself in here all day." Tom looked at her dicrectly now. To his surprise, she did not seem to be upset or angry in any way, but looked rather worried. "I don't know what you mean. I don't bury myself." He replied, staring at the empty floor between his feet, and Sophie, to avoid eye contact again. She in turn looked at his three-day beard, his unkempt hair and wrinkled shirt suspiciously. "I ..." He could hear her breathe in sharply, as if she was thinking hard about what she might say now. "I know you're going through a lot right now really, and I am sure that I'm not really making things easier for-" "Stop it." "Pardon?" "It sounds as if you wanted to apologize. But you really shouldn't. You aren't to blame for anythi-" "But without me you would not be sitting here now racking your brain. If I had known that you and Rina react to all of this like that, then-" "And again you're apologizing for things that are not your fault. If there is anyone who should ask for forgiveness, it would be me.", he interjected again and stared at the floor.. "The way I've treated you, I would not even deserve, that you are talking to me in the first place." "I think it is still my decision to whom I talk or not," she said again in her usual, slightly cheeky tone. Now he looked at her again. The tiny girl stood with her hands planted on her hips and a slightly indignant look that was directed at him. "You have apologized for that already in our last conversation. So that's really a thing of the past. There are far more important things to worry about. We better should think of what we can do for the temple, or about what is going on right now in general. "she said resolutely, and clenched her small fists a bit. Tom looked at her very much surprised, but then he also remembered the fact that he had already apologized for the mistreatment when they had their reunion in the temple. Perhaps he had previously not given as much importance to that matter, because he had at that time still thought of her as a non-human creature. But he had meant it seriously, and as it seemed, that was enough for Sophie. When she mentioned the temple, he was finally re aware of what was actually the real problem now. "You're right. We must find a way to protect children and father Eberhard.," He said finally, and now had changed his exhausted face into an determined one. Sophie nodded, smiling and her red ponytail bobbed up and down a little while she did so. >> This hair ...and this resemblance to Melissa ...<< He threw a quick look again at the photo that still lay beside him on the sofa. >> Could she perhaps ...<< Tom could end that thought, because the phone rang suddenly. . He quickly got up and walked over to the shelf to pick it up.. "Thomas Harmann here, yes please?" "Thomas? Would you please come to the temple? It is very important." He heard the Eberhard's voice say at the other end of the line. "Why? Did something happen?" "Not directly, but I can not talk about it on the phone, please come over." "Do not worry father, I'm on my way." "Thank you. See you soon." Tom hung up and looked down at Sophie, who was staring at him inquiringly. ".I have to go the temple," he said briefly and was about to rush into the hallway when he heard the girl "Wait! Can't I come with you?" He turned around and saw her already limping in his direction. For a few seconds he thought about whether it really would be a good idea to take her with him. At least he did not know if it could not possibly be dangerous, because the abbot seemed to be pretty upset. On the other hand, he was not entirely comfortable with the idea to leave her alone in the house. "Okay. But if it becomes dangerous, you have to hide.", He finally agreed and got down on his knees to offer her his open palm. Sophie determinedly walked to it and seemed to show no sign of fear as she climbed onto his hand. This made him smile a bit. He was glad that she seemed to trust him now. Carefully, he lifted her up and stood up. With his free hand he pulled on his thin track jacket and let Sophie slide gently into one the side pockets. For safety, he closed zipper of the jacket completely, to be sure that she would not be shaken too much. Then he opened and closed the door and hurriedly made his way to the temple.
At the entrance gate a bright red plastic tape was flapping in the wind, which warned passerbys of the alleged disrepair of the temple. Tom looked left and right before he raised the tape and waled beneath it to get to the main house. On the halfway, Koro came up to him, happily panting and tail wagging. Tom gave him a friendly pat on the head. Then the black dog turned back to the hole he had dug in the front yard. Father Eberhard stepped straight out of the door and a relieved smile spread across his weary lips when he saw Tom. "Come inside. It is really very important.", He said, almost trembling. "I'm not alone. Sophie is also here." He replied and opened his jacket pocket a little, whereupon Sophie waved to the abbot. Eberhard frowned a little and seemed not to be particularly pleased. Sophie was about to say something, after all, the golden rules seemed no longer apply to her. But Thomas was faster: "Is something wrong?" "Oh Well .... I don't know." The abbot looked a little nervous to the front door of the temple and then back to Thomas and Sophie. "Maybe ... Sophie, maybe it's better if you do not show yourself." "Pardon? Whom she should not show her self?" Tom asked confused. Again, Eberhard looked around nervously and said: "I have a guest and I think it would be a disadvantage if he sees Sophie, or any other little soul. I'm sorry that's all I can say at the moment, otherwise.. I'd go against my promise. "
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Sophie found this secrecy very suspicious, but until now the abbot had always proven to be helpful and friendly. She had no reason to suppose that he would want to harm her. "Do you think you can stay in that pocked a little longer?", asked Tom. She nodded and stifled the urge to answer with words. Eberhard seemed to be excited enough. He probably would not cope if she suddenly showed him that they had broken the golden rules. How they had done it, was an absolute mystery to both Sophie and Thomas. "Well, then come in and follow me."
The girl sank back into the pocket and listened to the loud steps and the rustling of clothes around her. In this moment of calm, she was again aware of how weird her situation was. She simply wanted to do a happy trip to Sweden with her friends, through forests, hiking, camping at the lake, just having fun. And now she was in the pocket of a man who was at least ten times larger than her. The more she thought about it, the dizzier she got and a strangely uncomfortable feeling spread through her stomach. She put her hands to her temples and massaged them.
>>Just don't think of the overall situation, only concentrate on what lies ahead of you, or you'll go crazy. <<, She said to herself, and was torn from her thoughts when she felt that she went down briefly but powerfull. She clung to the surrounding fabricl, and heard only from above the whispered word "stairs" before it went down again. Luckily there were not many steps that Thomas had to put behind him and soon they came to a halt again. How she wished to have a look around, but sherather followed the advice of the abbot and kept quiet.
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Thomas followed the abbot through the hallways of the temple until he opened a nondescript side door with a key. Behind it was a short but steep stone staircase. Tom took the first step and felt how Sophie fliched in his pocket. Hastily he whispered to her a warning before he went on a little more carefully. At the end of the stairs was another door. And while Eberhard was looking for the right key, Tom was pondering. It was very long ago that he had lived in the temple, but he was actually pretty sure he knew every corner here. However, this staircase was completely unknown to him. Soon the second door opened, and Tom could not help but let out a gasp of surprise. The room beyond was huge and filled with shelves of scrolls, books and magazines. It smelled of old paper and ink and some strange uncanny feeling was in the air. He could not say why, but in a certain way in this area scared him. It was not fear that something would jump out and attack him. No, it rather was the fear to learn what was in these writings. Their smell alone was dangerous. Nevertheless, he followed his old teacher through the aisles until he made a tun and led him into a section of the room in which stood a few tables with comfortable upholstered but dusty chairs. At one table sat someone an Tom suspected him to be the 'guest', father Eberhard was talking about. The visitor was reading an old parchment, and did not seem as if he had noticed him and the abbot yet. He wore the clothes of the temple, but they hung limply from his skinny body. His long brown hair was unkempt and generally he looked rather beat. Eberhard cleared his throat and the gaunt man looked up a little frightened. His face was almost deathly pale and had sunken cheeks. Tom had seen someone in this state before. And that person did not last very long. He was sure that this man was close to death.
"Peter, I told you about Thomas." , Eberhard broke the umcomfortable silence. The sick man nodded gravely and put aside his reading. "And you are sure that he is the right one?" Peter asked in a voice that sounded remarkably vigorous for his condition. "Absolutely." "Wait a minute," Tom interrupted the two. "What is all of this about?" "Peter has very important information concerning the Community of Salvation and the Golden Rules. But only he is able to pass them to other people. He is immune to the Rules." Tom stared at the abbot and the strange guest in disbelief. "But how ..." "Maybe we should sit down for this first.", the old man said. Tom nodded an tried not to shake Sophie too much while he sat down on one of the dusty chairs. He felt sorry for the little one already. She had to behave completely quiet in this strange situation, even though she had just gained the ability to speak any time. "Well, then I'll begin now." Peter said, trembling a little. "Begin what?" Tom asked now rather impatiently. "I will thell you about the origin and purpose of the Golden Rules, and how we all put an end to these lies."
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Post by Amayasama on Jun 20, 2011 17:40:27 GMT -5
o.o How exciting...I can't wait for another chapter~
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Post by biali on Jun 22, 2011 14:52:18 GMT -5
Hello dear readers! As the last line of the last chapter revealed, there will be a lot of answers to a lot of questions in the next one. I already halfway finished this very important new chapter and I hope that most mysteries will be solved. I made some notes about what would be the most important questions that may popped up during the story. But somehow I'm afraid that I maybe missed something. And since you are the ones who are always left with these questions and mysteries, I'd like to ask you if you have a question about that story that just desires to be answered? It really can be anything! If I won't be able to answer your questions in the last 3 remaining chapters, I will answer them in a special Q&A sheet afterwards. I already asked my readers on DA, but did not get a big response until now... which is a little sad I really want to give this story a satisfying end for my readers. So please don't be shy about it. Thanks for reading my story and for supporting me over such a long time ^w^
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Post by MoonStarNinja4 on Jun 23, 2011 7:39:30 GMT -5
I saw your post on DA, but the reason why I didn't ask any questions was because someone pretty much asked them already: Where is Sophie at? Is she in another demension or something? And would she be able to return home?
But I came up with two simple questions to ask: Why are people (like Sophie) brought into that world and why exactly do they have to go through all the things that happen to them?
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