Fully Alive: Chapter 7, a short story by HarrySaintcrow. Date added: 2011-07-21. Times viewed: 861.
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- Intro: Kira and Andre talk on the ride to the warehouse. on the way, Kira has another dream.
Chapter 7
The limo pulled into the driveway slowly as Kira waited on the front porch. The black car was almost intimidating but she knew she had asked for this. The car stopped just a few feet away from her and the back door opened of its own accord. Inside the car was well lit with over head lights and a soft tune played through the speakers. Andre sat there in the back seat with a calm demeanor and only slight concern showing on his face. His small glasses were in place again but now they were trimmed in silver instead of clear plastic. He wore a simple Italian cut suit of black material that was like silk but only slightly with a white button down shirt underneath with the first two button undone and a simple chain to accentuate his neck line. He gave a small motion of his hand to sit inside that finally moved Kira to join him. She picked up her bag and the small back pack that carried Tim’s urn and climbed into the limo to sit just to Andre’s left. The door closed by itself and only a slight jerk signaled the car had begun to move.
“You told me to pack for a few days. So I did. Where are we going?” Kira asked.
“To our headquarters in the adjoining state; we have set up shop inside an abandoned warehouse near a river.” Andre said.
“Sounds cozy. Any rusted metal I can sleep on?” she asked sarcastically. Andre gave a slight smile at the comment.
“I’m sorry it will not be what you are used to but it is how we must live if we are to survive unnoticed.” Andre said. “Most of the arts that we research are punishable by death if we are caught with them.”
“But you’re just researching them, your not actually using these arts.” Kira said.
“Should you fear a man who has a gun any less if he only tells you he won’t use it on you; or do you assume he will use it and take action?” Andre asked.
“Good point.” Kira said.
“I assure you, we only do this to prepare for harsher times that may come. It is our greatest wish that we never have to use them.” He said.
“But you know better than that, don’t you?” She asked. Andre simply nodded and opened the small refrigerator tucked into the other side of the limo.
“Can I offer you something to drink?” He asked.
“Coke if you got it.” She said and André produced a can in an instant. She popped the top and slugged some of it down before André sat back with a drink of his own.
“Tell me Kira, how powerful do you think you are?” Andre asked.
“Hard to say really; I’m not especially gifted, but then again I’ve only been learning for less than a year now.” She said.
“But you have some talents?” He asked.
“Sure. Lance taught me some of the basics like shielding and controlling elements. He thinks water might be my main strength.” She said.
“It responds to you more than any other element.” Andre said as he concentrated on her now.
“Yeah, I can feel it moving when I’m just near. Sense it in the air and around me. But sometimes it’s different.” She said.
“How so?” he asked.
“Sometimes the feeling isn’t the same, sometimes it’s heavy like I feel I’m swimming in water or trying to push my will through water, but other times it’s lighter, more like wind resistance.” She said.
“Maybe during those times, it is not the water you are feeling but the air itself. Air and water are quite alike in many qualities. They move and form with the solid boundaries around them but they can be even more destructive than there counterparts.” Andre said.
“I know Tim could use the air around him. He used it a lot when he needed to pack a punch or make a long jump.” Kira said.
“Oui, it was one of his natural elements out of the three he controlled.” Andre said.
“You mean two.” Kira said.
“No, I mean Three.” Andre said. Kira’s look of confusion prompted André to explain. “You saw Tim control fire and air, true?” Andre asked.
“Yeah, he used fire attacks and air concussions. Sometimes he would use lightning to keep guys away from him.” Kira said.
“Exactly." Andre said.
“I’m not following you.” She said.
“In all the texts I have researched about witch’s who controlled fire I have never heard of them using lighting or any form of electricity. I have however read of witch’s in china, Japan, and near the Himalayas using lightning and other forms of a fifth element.” Andre said.
“Like the movie?” Kira asked jokingly. Andre shook his head, not understanding the reference. “Sorry, so what is this fifth element?”
“Most know it as ether. The element of creation as it is known to most. It is the element that covers the things that cannot be clearly defined by the other four elements.” Andre said.
“Like electricity.” Kira said.
“As well as shadow and Light; these things are powerful tools because they are not constricted by the limits of there counterparts.” He said.
“So you’re saying that Tim could use the element of eather as well as fire and air.” Kira said.
“Oui, but I am not sure if he was aware of that distinction or if he simply misunderstood the context as you did.” Andre said.
“Doubtful, knowing him.” She said.
They rode in silence for about an hour. Andre was reading over some documents he had procured from a suitcase by his side while Kira had brought her Ipod with her but she kept it down low just in case she needed to hear something. While she was willing to go along with this plan, she didn’t fully trust that Andre was telling her everything. After a while she decided to ask about what exactly they would be doing.
“So how exactly is this going to work?” She asked.
“What do you mean?” Andre asked, putting the papers down and giving his full attention to her.
“I mean, how are we resurrecting Tim? Why do you need me?” Kira asked. Andre looked puzzled for a moment as if not believing what she had asked.
“Did timothy not tell you about what you are?” he asked.
“Only a little. I know I’m a lot harder to kill, I can control elements like a normal witch, and I’ll live longer than I would have before.” She said. Andre’s looked as if he had just been hit with terrible news.
“Oh my, you really don’t know about what you’ve become. I can’t believe he did not tell you about this.” Andre said.
“Well, there wasn’t exactly a lot of time to tell me a lot. Most of the time I was in the hospital and then before I got out Tim was locked in the tournament and then everything went to hell shortly afterwards.” Kira said.
“I see. Well then I must tell you first of all, that you are now immortal.” Andre said. Kira stopped her music and stared at him.
“Run that by me again.” She said.
“You are Immortal. You will never age and you will never die of natural causes.” Andre said.
“But I can still die?” She asked.
“If you are injured enough or your body can no longer function for some reason then yes, you could die.” Andre said.
“How much do you know of the Rudara?” She asked.
“More than anyone on the planet now; I have the only remaining texts on the subject written by the first ones over three hundred millennia ago. You and timothy are the rarest of rare and if you were ever discovered then you would most surely be killed or worse.” Andre said. Kira sat there thinking of what could possibly be worse than death. A small flash ran through her mind’s eye of the night Richter had tortured her just to get Tim into the tournament. She realized in this world that there were fates worse than death.
“Why are you doing this Andre?” She asked. Andre stared out the window before he sighed and spoke again.
“I owe timothy more than I can ever repay him. He was a man of honor in a world lacking it. A man who gave more of himself than most gave of there wealth. They talk of the killings he committed and of the people he slaughtered, but they never speak of the people he saved and protected; People that would have died screaming in the night with no one there to hear them. I believe it is time someone started repaying that debt to him. I know you meant a great deal to him and reuniting the two of you is the least I can do.” Andre said.
“How did he help you Andre?” She asked.
“That, Cheri, is a tale best told another time.” Andre said.
“Fair enough, so how exactly are we bringing Tim back?” She asked.
“You are timothy’s anchor to this life. As long as you live, he cannot die permanently. We will try and establish that link between the two of you and reform him from the ashes in the urn. It’s almost the same as demon summoning, but we won’t be using any live animals for this.” Andre said.
“I didn’t know about demon summoning.” Kira said.
“Sorry, I forget that you are not as well versed as a normal witch. I apologize.” Andre said.
“It’s alright. So when do we start?” she asked.
“As soon as you are ready to go through with it.” Andre said.
“Then we’ll start as soon as we get there.” Kira said.
“If you wish. I suggest then that you rest until we get there. It should be a few hours before we get to the warehouse.” Andre said. Kira nodded and lay across the seat. She used the backpack holding Tim’s urn as a pillow and in a matter of minutes she let the hum of the road noise outside lull her to sleep.
She was standing in the graveyard back home over Tim’s gravestone. She knew that there was nothing in the grave except for his massive hand cannon of a gun. She stood there as the wind kicked up slightly and brought goose bumps to her skin. The skipping of rope across the ground brought her attention to three girls near the tree. They were only eight or nine from what Kira could tell wearing the same white dress and little buckled shoes. One had long brown hair, one was a natural black, and the last was a golden blonde. Except for the hair color, they looked exactly alike. The brown haired girl and blonde were turning the jump rope while the black haired girl jumped over it. They were all three chanting something that Kira thought was an old bedtime prayer but it was different.
“As I lay me down to sleep;
I pray my soul is mine to keep.
And never step outside my bed.
Into all the evil.”
They stopped jumping rope and turned to finally look at Kira. She couldn’t help but gasp as she looked into there faces. The girl in the middle with the black hair had eyes that had finally milked over giving her the appearance that she was blind, but the other two only had gaping holes where there eyes should have been. They began to walk towards her and Kira felt herself almost rooted to the ground. They spoke in perfect unison to her.
“Now the Reaper comes back from the land of the dead.” They said. Kira knew they meant Tim as Reaper was the name most people knew him by during his assassin days.
“When?” she asked in a tone choked to almost a whisper. She could feel the power rolling off of the little girls as they stood only a few feet away from her. It was almost suffocating to stand here. Lightning flashed overhead and thunder rolled like a great drum through the sky. The wind picked up and blew more of the fallen leaves around them until she couldn’t see around her. The little girls were gone now but she still heard them one last time.
“He’s here.” They said before the sound of cracking leaves under foot met her ears. Her heart began to race as the footsteps came closer and closer from behind her. They were almost upon her when she felt that familiar hand on her shoulder.
“Are you scared?” Tim asked.
“Yes.” She choked out. It was almost the same feeling with the girls standing near her except now it was like the air was on fire around her. Tim’s hand moved down her back and then gently came across her stomach where her tattoo was. As soon as he touched it she immediately felt the warming effect it had on her and then it was easier to breath. He used his other hand to brush her hair back from her neck and leaned down to whisper something in her ear. His breath across her skin made her shiver with flashes of nights in there bedroom going through her mind for a moment until he spoke in whisper that cut through all of the chaos around them.
“Don’t be afraid. I am with you, forever.” He said. She tried to speak but the dream began to fade around her. She sat upright in the car as it pulled to a stop.
“Are you alright?” André asked in a concerned tone.
“I’m fine, just had a bad dream is all.” She said but she really wasn’t paying attention to Andre. She rubbed her stomach where tm had touched her in the dream and she could swear, faintly, that she could still feel his touch.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Yeah, nothing big; Why have we stopped?” she asked.
“Because we have arrived.” Andre said as the door opened instantly. Andre offered a hand to Kira and helped her out of the car while the driver got her bags from the trunk
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