“Noel? Are you there?” The person on the screen said.
Noel watched the screen carefully, knowing that the man couldn’t hear or see her. She wasn’t to answer at all.
“Noel? Please, just answer me! Where are you?” The man wandered around, looking for the camera. He fell into a nearby pond. Noel was fighting not to answer the man’s call.
Noel’s captain came up and grabbed her shoulder as she was getting up to push the answer button. “Best not do that, or I’ll have to put you in his place.”
“But captain, he’s suffering! Can’t you see that?” Noel pointed at the screen. “You started hunting this guy weeks ago, and you’ve left him for dead once you found out that he was innocent!”
The captain said nothing.
Noel turned toward the screen again and saw that it had gone blank. But she could still hear the man’s voice.
“Noel, please just answer. I hear something coming. Please…” The voice trailed off when Noel heard a scream, followed by a chomping sound. She buried her face in her sleeve, trying to get the sound out of her head.
Her best friend, Amilliano, a grenloch, placed his hand on her shoulder. “Noel, he was trying to outrun the law. That’s illegal, and a sign that he did something really bad. Don’t worry, I think he was fated to die.”
“He was innocent of the crime we were convicting him for, though. He didn’t kill anyone!” She answered back.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Eternal Moment: Ending
I felt a sharp pain as the rope tightened around my hands. Was I going to be bound to this boy forever, wondering the earth as his prisoner?
The sudden tug told me it was time to keep moving. A tear trickled down my cheek.
* * *
We reached the edge of the country, the edge of nowhere. He turned to me and grabbed my hands, pulling me toward him. Using his other hand he pushed my face toward his and kissed me. My eyes stared at his, which were closed. I returned the kiss, resting my tied hands on his chest.
Was this really happening?
Why did I return the kiss?
His lips parted with mine. He untied my hands. “You’re free now.” He said to me as he walked away.
He hesitated for a moment. I thought about how he had protected me throughout our entire journey; this journey to my exile. I thought about the night before I tried to run, when he bought me clothes when mine were covered in my own blood. I thought about how he saved me from death. I thought about him.
I suddenly found myself walking towards him. I broke into a run, my arms outstretched. He turned around when he heard me call his name. I jumped on him, knocking him over on the dirt.
I kissed him. He returned it.
We lay there for what seemed like an endless amount of time in each other’s arms until he got up and pulled me up.
I looked at my wrists. They were red from the ropes. He took my hands in his and kissed my wrists.
We started walking toward our shared exile. At least we would be together.
The sudden tug told me it was time to keep moving. A tear trickled down my cheek.
* * *
We reached the edge of the country, the edge of nowhere. He turned to me and grabbed my hands, pulling me toward him. Using his other hand he pushed my face toward his and kissed me. My eyes stared at his, which were closed. I returned the kiss, resting my tied hands on his chest.
Was this really happening?
Why did I return the kiss?
His lips parted with mine. He untied my hands. “You’re free now.” He said to me as he walked away.
He hesitated for a moment. I thought about how he had protected me throughout our entire journey; this journey to my exile. I thought about the night before I tried to run, when he bought me clothes when mine were covered in my own blood. I thought about how he saved me from death. I thought about him.
I suddenly found myself walking towards him. I broke into a run, my arms outstretched. He turned around when he heard me call his name. I jumped on him, knocking him over on the dirt.
I kissed him. He returned it.
We lay there for what seemed like an endless amount of time in each other’s arms until he got up and pulled me up.
I looked at my wrists. They were red from the ropes. He took my hands in his and kissed my wrists.
We started walking toward our shared exile. At least we would be together.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Eternal Moment: Time
The next six months were anything but uneventful. Jeremy and I learned a lot about each other’s pasts.
I learned that Jeremy came from a family of very powerful stature. He was destined to succeed his father as the head of the family. His father runs a jewelry store. He has three sisters and a baby brother.
There was one thing I didn’t learn about him, though. It was the reason he had chosen to escort me out of the country.
One night, about five months into our trip, we were sitting around a small fire, eating our rice. He seemed very distant, as he was being very quiet. I looked at his face across the fire. There was no emotion.
“Jeremy?” I boldly said to him. He looked up at me with a look of distaste, as if I were a cockroach on the bottom of his shoe.
“What?”
I worked up the courage to ask a very important question. “Who were the three other people I killed?” My voice shook as I said the words.
He looked at me with a sudden look of pity. “You mean the three people who tried to restrain you? They were only commoners. Their names were Michael, Walt, and an old man who no one knew his name.”
I started crying. He sighed. “Look, it’s not like it was actually you in there.”
He scooted over to me and hugged me. His arms were warm, probably from the heat of the fire. My tears trickled down my face and dropped on his arms. He looked at my face and wiped the tears away with his hands and returned to holding me.
I must have cried for a few hours before I finally fell asleep in his arms. I awoke the next morning with a blanket over me and a bundle of clothes under my head.
For some reason, he never was aloud to untie my hands after my escape attempt. I guess it was for security reasons.
I was dead tired from walking. I was sick of being cold at night. How long had it been since I left?
Jeremy came over to tighten the rope on my hands, as they were very loose.
I learned that Jeremy came from a family of very powerful stature. He was destined to succeed his father as the head of the family. His father runs a jewelry store. He has three sisters and a baby brother.
There was one thing I didn’t learn about him, though. It was the reason he had chosen to escort me out of the country.
One night, about five months into our trip, we were sitting around a small fire, eating our rice. He seemed very distant, as he was being very quiet. I looked at his face across the fire. There was no emotion.
“Jeremy?” I boldly said to him. He looked up at me with a look of distaste, as if I were a cockroach on the bottom of his shoe.
“What?”
I worked up the courage to ask a very important question. “Who were the three other people I killed?” My voice shook as I said the words.
He looked at me with a sudden look of pity. “You mean the three people who tried to restrain you? They were only commoners. Their names were Michael, Walt, and an old man who no one knew his name.”
I started crying. He sighed. “Look, it’s not like it was actually you in there.”
He scooted over to me and hugged me. His arms were warm, probably from the heat of the fire. My tears trickled down my face and dropped on his arms. He looked at my face and wiped the tears away with his hands and returned to holding me.
I must have cried for a few hours before I finally fell asleep in his arms. I awoke the next morning with a blanket over me and a bundle of clothes under my head.
For some reason, he never was aloud to untie my hands after my escape attempt. I guess it was for security reasons.
I was dead tired from walking. I was sick of being cold at night. How long had it been since I left?
Jeremy came over to tighten the rope on my hands, as they were very loose.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Eternal Moment: Escape
We fell asleep a few hours later, or at least he did. I crept over to his pack and dug through it for some money. I found around a hundred milaires. I crept away from the camp. I then broke into a run, running as fast as I possibly could.
It was around ten minutes later when I was caught. He tied my hands together loosely with some rope he got from his pack. My long hair hanging loosely around me, it would get in the way of the rope.
He led me back to camp where I was tied to a leash attached to the base of that small bush. He went through his pack and frowned. I watched him as he came over to me and held out his hand. I gave him back his money.
He took it contently and went back to the other side of the fire. I saw him get something out of his pack, but I didn’t know what it was until he brought it over to me, along with a small blanket.
It was a small envelope with my name on it. I tore it open and examined the letter that was inside.
Serenity,
We the government of this country hereby sentence you to life in exile. This young boy who is accompanying you shall act as your escort.
You are being exiled for two reasons. The first is because you are guilty of high treason, for doing the bidding of Raenef under his control. The second reason is because you killed your family and three other people who tried to restrain you.
Your sentence was originally death, but we had decided to lighten your sentence because you are only seventeen, and because you had no idea what you were doing.
I couldn’t read anymore of the letter. I turned my head to the side and threw up all the food I had eaten that day. The sobbing started again, only this time there was no hugs.
“How far away is the border?” I asked Jeremy.
“About a half a year away.” He replied.
It was around ten minutes later when I was caught. He tied my hands together loosely with some rope he got from his pack. My long hair hanging loosely around me, it would get in the way of the rope.
He led me back to camp where I was tied to a leash attached to the base of that small bush. He went through his pack and frowned. I watched him as he came over to me and held out his hand. I gave him back his money.
He took it contently and went back to the other side of the fire. I saw him get something out of his pack, but I didn’t know what it was until he brought it over to me, along with a small blanket.
It was a small envelope with my name on it. I tore it open and examined the letter that was inside.
Serenity,
We the government of this country hereby sentence you to life in exile. This young boy who is accompanying you shall act as your escort.
You are being exiled for two reasons. The first is because you are guilty of high treason, for doing the bidding of Raenef under his control. The second reason is because you killed your family and three other people who tried to restrain you.
Your sentence was originally death, but we had decided to lighten your sentence because you are only seventeen, and because you had no idea what you were doing.
I couldn’t read anymore of the letter. I turned my head to the side and threw up all the food I had eaten that day. The sobbing started again, only this time there was no hugs.
“How far away is the border?” I asked Jeremy.
“About a half a year away.” He replied.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Eternal Moment: Attacker
The attacker slashed at my chest, tearing my shirt down the center, revealing my chest. I dropped to the ground out of stupidity and embarrassment, holding the shirt over my breasts. I didn’t realize that the attacker was hovering right over me.
The sword slashed at my arm. I clutched the now profusely bleeding wound on my right arm. My attacker raised his sword into the air, preparing for the final strike. The thoughts rushed through my head like rapid fire. Is this how I was fated to die?
Suddenly I heard a slash. The attacker grunted and fell toward me; I got out of the way. He lay there motionless, a large red stain forming on the back of his clothes.
I looked up at my savior. It was Jeremy. He stood there, his sword dripping with blood.
He took one look at my arm, then at my clothes, which were now stained with my blood. I looked away, at anything but his face. He removed his coat and placed it over my shoulder.
“C’mon, let’s get you some clothes.” He led me to the nearest town, where I found an outfit similar to mine. He bought it for me.
We went back to camp. There was a fire already made. I didn’t have my new outfit on yet, and the only place to change was behind a tiny bush a yard away from the fire.
He grabbed my arm and examined the wound. It had stopped bleeding. He sent me to get dressed.
I went behind the small bush and changed my skirt first. They were covered and wreaked of blood. As soon as I got the skirt on, he grabbing my torn shirt and tearing it away from my body surprised me. My first free hand went to cover my breasts. My other hand slapped him across the face.
“What do you think you’re doing?!” I Shrieked.
I then noticed that he was using the old shirt as a bandage for my wound. He tied it around my arm after tearing it into a long strip.
As soon as he left, I quickly changed into my new shirt. I then went over to the fire. It was very cold out that night.
I started thinking about my old life. What was it that I had done to be exiled? Why didn’t anyone tell me?
I didn’t know it, but I started crying. My gasping sobs filled the air, my tears streamed down my cheeks and dripped on my skirt.
I felt arms around me. I suddenly realized that my escort was hugging me, singing an almost silent lullaby.
Hush,
It’s okay to cry.
Just don’t cry in front of me.
Or I’ll start crying too.
Please stop crying.
Here’s a lullaby to stop your crying.
Here’s a lullaby to stop the tears.
Here’s a lullaby to stop your crying,
You need me to wipe away your tears.
The words echoed inside of me. His arms left me.
The sword slashed at my arm. I clutched the now profusely bleeding wound on my right arm. My attacker raised his sword into the air, preparing for the final strike. The thoughts rushed through my head like rapid fire. Is this how I was fated to die?
Suddenly I heard a slash. The attacker grunted and fell toward me; I got out of the way. He lay there motionless, a large red stain forming on the back of his clothes.
I looked up at my savior. It was Jeremy. He stood there, his sword dripping with blood.
He took one look at my arm, then at my clothes, which were now stained with my blood. I looked away, at anything but his face. He removed his coat and placed it over my shoulder.
“C’mon, let’s get you some clothes.” He led me to the nearest town, where I found an outfit similar to mine. He bought it for me.
We went back to camp. There was a fire already made. I didn’t have my new outfit on yet, and the only place to change was behind a tiny bush a yard away from the fire.
He grabbed my arm and examined the wound. It had stopped bleeding. He sent me to get dressed.
I went behind the small bush and changed my skirt first. They were covered and wreaked of blood. As soon as I got the skirt on, he grabbing my torn shirt and tearing it away from my body surprised me. My first free hand went to cover my breasts. My other hand slapped him across the face.
“What do you think you’re doing?!” I Shrieked.
I then noticed that he was using the old shirt as a bandage for my wound. He tied it around my arm after tearing it into a long strip.
As soon as he left, I quickly changed into my new shirt. I then went over to the fire. It was very cold out that night.
I started thinking about my old life. What was it that I had done to be exiled? Why didn’t anyone tell me?
I didn’t know it, but I started crying. My gasping sobs filled the air, my tears streamed down my cheeks and dripped on my skirt.
I felt arms around me. I suddenly realized that my escort was hugging me, singing an almost silent lullaby.
Hush,
It’s okay to cry.
Just don’t cry in front of me.
Or I’ll start crying too.
Please stop crying.
Here’s a lullaby to stop your crying.
Here’s a lullaby to stop the tears.
Here’s a lullaby to stop your crying,
You need me to wipe away your tears.
The words echoed inside of me. His arms left me.
Eternal Moment: Alone
It was a disappointment when Jeremy sold the horse. It meant that we had to walk, thus prolonging my trip to exile. I didn’t care, though. Why wasn’t I making a huge fuss? Why did I want to go?
We reached another town the next day. He told me that he was going to find some mats in a shop somewhere for us to sleep on. He left me at the outskirts of the town with a long rope attaching my hands to a tree.
I sat there for hours. All he had left me with was a canteen of water, which I drank before noon. The tree provided very little shade, and it was very hot out.
My throat became very dry. I breathed up some of the dust in the air and started coughing. The black outfit attracting heat wasn’t very much help either. I got sunburned.
It got to the pint where I was beginning to drift in and out of consciousness. My vision blurred. My long hair felt like it was the entire earth on my shoulders. I got dizzy.
The sun rose higher and higher in the sky as the hours passed.
It was just before dusk when a soldier passed by me. He recognized my black prisoner’s apparell and unsheathed his sword.
“You must have killed someone, to be tied and dressed like that. Well, the punishment is death for that, little girl!” He said.
I couldn’t cry out for help because my throat was so dry. He lunged at me with his sword.
We reached another town the next day. He told me that he was going to find some mats in a shop somewhere for us to sleep on. He left me at the outskirts of the town with a long rope attaching my hands to a tree.
I sat there for hours. All he had left me with was a canteen of water, which I drank before noon. The tree provided very little shade, and it was very hot out.
My throat became very dry. I breathed up some of the dust in the air and started coughing. The black outfit attracting heat wasn’t very much help either. I got sunburned.
It got to the pint where I was beginning to drift in and out of consciousness. My vision blurred. My long hair felt like it was the entire earth on my shoulders. I got dizzy.
The sun rose higher and higher in the sky as the hours passed.
It was just before dusk when a soldier passed by me. He recognized my black prisoner’s apparell and unsheathed his sword.
“You must have killed someone, to be tied and dressed like that. Well, the punishment is death for that, little girl!” He said.
I couldn’t cry out for help because my throat was so dry. He lunged at me with his sword.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
