Distant Reflections

The rain had finally cleared, it only took 40 minutes of cold self reflection.

I murmured to myself, sitting near the unconscious girl I had just shot with an apple, I couldn't leave her under the rain, so we're both back under the tree.

The rain had stopped anyway and my eyes felt heavy, my mind overwhelmed.

 I was simply tired.

I'm just going to sleep, my consciousness slowly faded.

This time I knew I was about to have a nightmare, I've grown
 too familiar with those.

Time and space reconstructed around me, putting me in some sort of building, its long and and filled with weird seats,
  is this a movie theatre? no its a courtroom, what the hell was that gun, I feel like I've seen it somewhere before, where did the apple come from, am I really dreaming? what if I wasn't? is this the afterlife? what's this noise?
Oh wait.. someone’s knocking at the door, let me ope-

An audible “hey..” ruined the flow of my dream.

”Wha.. what do you want..”, I barely pronounced .

Then came a louder:

“..Hey!”

"Just.. just give me 5 more minutes.. I don't have to work anymore", I spoke in a crooked voice.

”Your gun is gone..” followed.

My what?…

The feeling of loss overwhelmed me, something I had no control over.

I screamed before jumping up from my slumber, that girl had woken up, and she just got done speaking some words that for some reason triggered me.

”What do you mean its gone??” I asked,

“Yassou, you're finally awake” she answered,

Wait no she didn't answer.

“Where’s my gun? and who is this yassu? is that supposed to be my nickname?” I muttered, rushing to express my accumulating anger.

“You're quite the character” she sighed, before adding:
“you first throw a strange fruit at me. And then you make fun of my language.”

My irrational rage grew more intense, and soon that rage turned back into sorrow.

“I cant stand you.. I miss my grave.. I'm leaving.." I announced as I begun to walk aimlessly in a random direction.

”Yassou is the traditional greeting we use in azmara, you a fauldrik?” she paused, before adding: ”You're dressed like one.”

I stopped in my tracks, this was the first time I noticed what I'm wearing, A strange uniform the closest thing I know from the normal world being the old French war robes,

this world seems too consistent to be a dream, and if I wanted to not starve to death, it would be quite useful to have a person guide me through my baby steps.

“I apologize for my early judgement, what's your name?” I said, an awkward smile barely hanging on my face.

”No need for conformities, my name is June Nhetsirr, a tourist from the neighboring country of Azmara, care to answer my question?” she formulated.

“yes I'm fauldrik, I came to visit my brother’s grave.” I replied, lying like usual.

“that makes two of us.” she added, a hint of sadness clinging to her voice.

It took me a second to analyze what she had just said,

Two of us? didn't she say earlier she's from azmara?

I paused. before finally asking,

“did you also lose someone?”

She took her time adjusting her posture, her head rocking back and forth on the tree trunk, emulating a woodpecker. 

She then gasped:

“I'm visiting the grave of my late grandfather, he served in the great war of unification, but I fled the cemetery after hearing a loud gunshot”.

I took turn fixing my posture as I sat back again, my thoughts dancing to the pecking noise.

Ah that's why. I see.

but wait…

I thought that loud thunder was a result of my imagination.

Is she … Reading my mind?

June glanced at me and nodded. her unusual dark red hair and nonchalant demeanor catching my attention.

but that was not the only unusual thing about her appearance. thick rusty chains were slithering across her neck like a venomous centipede, that's when I knew—

I was hallucinating.

"Unification of what?", I blurted without thinking

"Language", she replied "back when Azmara was a great empire that bent both nature and their enemies to their will, now we're just a dinnertime joke" she frowned.

"Ah I see.." I meaninglessly added

“Is something wrong, you look troubled?” she gently asked.

“where.. are we right now?” I answered, trying to ignore her haunting figure.

“somewhere at the south outskirts of fauldrice.” , “are you lost?” june threw.

“yes.. my memory seems to be fragmented”

I declared.

Something about her is making my head tremble, I asked and asked myself. I clenched my fist and bit my finger. my surroundings losing their shapes as I overworked the cogs of my brain.

The question “why?” breathing down my neck.

And then I figured it out.

My face was uncontrollably took over by a grin that can be described as nothing less than ugly.

And I stood up, gazing at the sun.

she waved her hand in the air. her arm settling on a pointing pose. her slim finger guiding my eyesight.

“follow the path till you find a beautiful field of yellow flowers, when you do, walk in any direction except the one you came from, you’ll be back home by dawn, Frae.”

She sang. her hair dancing to the wind .

Frae? is that supposed to be another of her stupid greetings

“Asta la vista” I replied, walking along the path she led me to.

My eyes catching her gaze—confused at the meaning of my last statement.

Confusion Serves her well!

I thought to myself.

That girl was no mind reader, she was no mourning damsel.

Her body language, her tone of voice, the way she was trying to hide the apple from my line of sight.

She’s nothing but a pure unwavering liar.

The hallucinations was my mind telling me she’s lying through her teeth,

Her intentions remain a mystery to me.

But I know one thing for sure.

I cant get involved with people who remind me of myself.

Our next meeting might not be so civil.

I trailed the path for hours looking for any semblance of the color yellow.

Of course. I never found any flowers.

What I found was something greater than I could have ever imagined.

A wall made of glistening iron. A wall so ginormous it mirrors the round orange shine of the sun, giving the evening sky its second star.

I felt like a kid again .

The excitement of wondering what's beyond, a feeling no paycheck ever gave me. 

I leaned my body forward as I walked to feel the heavenly iron with my finger tips .

And then in the wall, a young man glimpsed back at me, his fingers touching mine.

He had beautiful golden hair.

His eyes glowed of a mesmerizing silver color, contrasting his pale white skin covered in bruises.

"so this is what june meant by a field of yellow flowers." 

How twisted can she be .

It was the first time since my death that I've gazed at my own light.

Only then, had I finally realized.

I was trapped in a body that didn't belong to me.

A great sense of sorrow kissed me without warning.

And I fell on my back, pondering my very own existence.