Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ I Know What Lies Beneath the Snowfields ❯ Chapter 32 ( Chapter 32 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

I Know What's Beneath the Snow Fields -Chp.32

Aeris found herself helplessly enshrouded in darkness. The
eerie silence filled her heart with dreadful fear. She was all alone.

"Wh..where am I..?" she whispered to herself.

She tried to walk forward, but could not move her legs a
muscle. Some invisible force, infinitely stronger than her, rooted her
feet to the spot. The heavy silence crushed her senses to bits.

"My dear... my precious little darling..," hissed a mocking
voice suddenly into her ears, "..look at her..."

Aeris shivered on feeling a fervent breath tickle her neck from
behind. It grew more and more hot until she thought it would devour her
whole body. Yet surprisingly, Aeris dared not even try to move. She
froze in her spot, offering no resistance whatsoever. Her anxious eyes
frantically searched the black surroundings in hopes of finding the
mysterious speaker: nothing but total darkness. She felt cold,
especially in her feet.

"Who..who are you??" she asked when she had mustered up enough
courage to speak, "What do you want with me??"

"We must complete the experiment..," whispered the same evil
voice, "...where is she?...she can not hide... We must finish.."

"...'experiment'..??"

Silence again. Aeris looked around herself to search for the
invisible speaker.

"What do you want with me? What?!!" she cried through the
darkness.

"Heh heh heh heh..," the malicious voice chuckled from behind
her, "..where is she hiding?... look at her..so perfect...so deliciously
perfect..."

Aeris felt a burning hot hand fondle her neck, as if admiring
her perfection.

Frightened out of her wits at the loathsome touch, Aeris
frantically struggled to escape this mad nightmare. She cried, screamed
for help, tried to wrench herself out; but her feet grew more leaden
with her futile efforts. The malevolent voice, on the other hand,
surrounded her from every direction to block her way. It hissed loudly
into her ears until tears streamed down the poor girl's cheeks.

"Leave me alone!! Go away!!!" Aeris shrieked madly, "I know who
you are!! I don't want to go back there!!! Leave me alone!!!!!"

When she had finished screaming those words, the evil voice
faded away into oblivion. The hauting tranquillity returned once again.
Aeris was alone.

"..leave me alone..Professor..," she whimpered through her
tears, "..please...leave me alone.."

No reply.

Aeris gaped tearfully at the empty darkness for a seemingly
long time. Slowly, she crouched in her spot, huddled her feet together
and stayed perfectly still. Her cold limbs refused to stop trembling.
Intense nausea sickened her anguished heart. The ghostly silence only
doubled her fear. She felt like a helpless child, lost in a black
nightmare without anywhere to run. Her pathetic feebleness irritated her
beyond measure, yet at the same time frightened her.

Much to her surprise, Aeris finally noticed a round mirror
hanging right infront of her face. Where such an object came from, she
could not guess. Moments ago, she saw nothing but utter darkness. The
girl stared blankly at the glass, as if it alone would explain the
mystery to her.

Strangely, Aeris could not see her reflection in the mirror.

"But..what..does that mean?" she asked herself in a soft
undertone. Her anxious eyes remained fixed on the mirror in hopes of
obtaining an answer.

"Why isn't there an image on the other side? Why?" cried Aeris
in distress, "Why can't I see myself?!"

"You see no image because YOU are on the other side.... *YOU*
are the image!" boomed a thunderous voice right behind her.

"..me??..the..the image..??"

Aeris gaped incredulously at the empty mirror. The nausea
nearly choked her as she desperately searched for her image. When she
found nothing, frustrated tears welled up in her eyes. She seemed to
have placed such childish importance on finding her reflection.

"It's you! You are the image! The perfect image!" sneered the
loud voice straight into her numb ears.

"..stop it.."

"An image!"

"Stop it!!"

"An image!!!"

She covered both ears as she screamed at the top of her lungs,
"STOP IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

On hearing her own piercing scream, Aeris suddenly shot her
eyes wide open. She found herself comfortably snuggled in a very warm
bed, half of her face burried in the pillow. Her swollen eyes stung with
many hot tears; she had been crying in her sleep. She lay on her side,
sheltered under several thick blankets. Her limbs felt quite numb; her
breathing fast.

For maybe five whole minutes, Aeris did not even twitch a
finger. She wallowed in the peaceful silence, welcoming her scattered
senses back. Slowly, she clasped both hands over her breast to soothe
her pounding heart. It had all been only a bad dream.

"..I remember that dream..," she whispered inaudibly to
herself, "..I had a similar one... when Vincent first brought me here.."

She did not move a muscle as the monotonous tic-tock of the
clock fell on her dull ears. A calm darkness dominated the bedroom,
accompanied by a most gentle stillness. Aeris scanned the dim room
without lifting her head: the curtains were drawn across the windows.
The desk, closet, and all other furniture stood in their proper places,
just as she remembered them.

However, the bedroom door had been left ajar. Aeris gazed in
silent wonder at the bright light smuggle through the opening, and cast
a sharp, irregular shape on the floor. She nestled herself further into
the soft bed, reluctant to abandon it just yet, then closed her tired
eyes. They stayed shut for a long time.

She thought she felt somebody peek into the bedroom, then
quietly slip away. When she finally managed to open her eyes again,
Aeris found no one there.

She could not recall whether she had fallen asleep again or
not. Aeris forcefully induced herself to sit up in bed. After rubbing
her tearful eyes, she hopped out of bed with new vigour. Such long, deep
sleep had refreshed her immensely.

She found her cream-coloured shawl still lying on the ground,
where Vincent had discarded it last night as he pulled her into bed.
Aeris picked it up, then wrapped it around her shoulders. She carelessly
tied her dishevelled hair into a tight bun, ignoring the stray curls
that dangled against her neck. When finished, Aeris slipped her feet
into her warm slippers, and left the dark room.

The bright lights of the hallway dazzled her eyes for a moment.
Faint sounds of the television in the living room immediately attracted
her attention. After some hesitation, Aeris wandered down the corridor
but halted at the entrance of the room. She looked inside.

The lights in the living room had been dimmed greatly. The
curtains were drawn across the window, thus darkening the room further.
Its volume reduced until barely audible, the T.V jabbered away in the
far corner. Grey shadows danced on the walls whenever the bright screen
flashed. Other than than the low gibberish of the T.V, all was silent in
the living room.

In the couch right infront of the entrance, Vincent lay slumped
back with a folded wet towel plopped on his eyes and forehead. Since the
back of this comfy seat faced Aeris, she could only see the back of
Vincent's head. He made no movement at all. Aeris hesitated a moment
between retreating and entering the dim living room. At last, she
decided to venture in.

She tip-toed up to Vincent from behind, then paused at the
coffee table, where she could see him in full view. The man rested
comfortably in the couch, with both feet carelessly heaped on the table.
His head bent sharply backwards so as to keep the towel on his face. His
metallic claw lay on his chest while the other hand dangled over the arm
of the seat. Aeris studied his tired figure for a long time. He seemed
to have fallen asleep.

Her eyes wandered to the coffee table which supported his heavy
legs. His black gun lay discarded on the tabletop, along with the
apartment keys attached to his wallet. Evidently, he had returned from
work not too long ago.

Aeris glanced timidly back at Vincent, who hadn't moved a
muscle from his resting spot. She wondered whether she should re-adjust
his postion to make him more comfortable in the couch. However, the
thought of perhaps disturbing his precious sleep strongly discouraged
her, more the fear of irritating him with her petty cares. So instead,
she chose to let him sleep in peace.

But before the girl could retreat, Vincent's calm voice
suddenly asked, "Awake at last, are you?"

Aeris gave a start on hearing the unexpected question, but
managed to falter out, "Ah..y..yes. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake
you, Vincent."

"I wasn't asleep," he stated monotonously.

For a full minute, neither spoke a word. Vincent took
absolutely no heed of Aeris as she fidgetted by the coffee table, unsure
what to do now that she had been discovered. His head remained thrust
back against the couch, and the upper part of his face soaked in the wet
towel. He did not lower his feet off the poor table, nor would he remove
his claw off his chest.

"Sit down," he invited the timid girl.

She sat obediently by his side on the couch. Aeris drew both
her legs together as she tightened the shawl around her shoulders.
Vincent only re-adjusted the towel on his forehead, but made no other
movements. He seemed to have forgotten Aeris' presence altogether. The
muffled T.V continued its senseless jabber, angry that no one paid
attention to it.

Aeris felt very awkward in this uncomfortable silence.

"Did you sleep well?" Vincent inquired all of a sudden. He
still did not lift the towel from his forehead.

"Eh? Oh..oh yes," Aeris replied nervously as she fingered her
shawl, "I slept like a baby all day today."

He made no reply.

"I felt so tired and exhausted, I couldn't even lift my head
off the pillow," she continued, glancing cautiously at him, "I guess
it's because I hadn't slept that well these past few days. And once I
managed to actually fall asleep, all the weariness just piled on me."

"When you spend a full *week* instead of a day nursing the sick
without any sleep, it's only natural you'd feel so tired," Vincent
remarked meaningfully.

Aeris' cheeks flushed crimson on hearing the honest comment.
She turned her head away, silently berating Tifa for revealing the truth
to Vincent. Fortunately, he did not persue the matter any further than
that remark.

"You've been at work today, right?" Aeris asked after a short
silence.

"Yes."

"I didn't hear you come in."

"You were still asleep."

She nodded to herself with a faint "Oh"; it must have been him
whom she felt peek into the bedroom while she slept.

"You should have stayed home for today at least," Aeris
reproached gently without looking at him. Her voice softened as she
added, "..I don't want you becoming ill again... with that horrible
fever tearing at your body and brain.."

"I'm all right, Aeris," he answered curtly.

In saying that gruff assurance, Vincent finally forced himself
to sit up in the comfy couch. He lowered both feet, careful not to knock
over the objects on the table. He slipped the towel off, wiped the water
off his pale face, then plopped the wet cloth back on his forehead. With
a tired sigh, Vincent sunk back and shut his eyes once again.

His hand held the wet towel to his forehead. His metallic claw
now stretched itself fully along the back of the couch, well past Aeris'
head. the girl tensed slightly on feeling such a sharp, frightening
object outstretched just behind her, but made no protest. She looked
concernedly at Vincent, whoose eyes remained shut.

"I had a coughing fit today," he sighed under his breath,
"...and I think I'm having a little relapse now because of it."

His plain words alarmed the poor girl greatly. She immediately
edged nearer to help him.

"It's nothing serious," Vincent reassured before she could
speak, "..just a slight fever, that's all."

"Do you want me to.. wash your forehead, Vincent?" Aeris
suggested as she touched his hot cheek, "Maybe it's better if you lie
down for a while and let me..."

"No, it's okay," he interrupted gently without opening his
weary eyes, "Just sit here with me."

Aeris paused a long time to study his face. Since he wore no bandanna,
his thick black hair tumbled all around his head, some even over his
face. He held the wet towel against his hot forehead, letting the cool
water trickle down his hot cheeks. Both his eyes were lightly closed.

She also noticed Vincent's chest heave slightly every so often,
as if bearing a dull pain snuggled deep within. To be sure, most of the
signs of severe illness had disappeared, but Vincent still lacked a
certain healthiness in his appearance.

"At least let me make you some herbal tea," Aeris pleaded,
"Tifa taught me how to make this special kind of tea, and it's supposed
to be really good for you. Do you want me to make us some?"

Vincent glanced askance at her, then noded his head twice.

"I'll be back in a minute," she smiled in relief. With one
quick pat on his knee, Aeris got up, and left the living room.

When she had gone to prepare the special herbal tea, Vincent
nestled himself further in his restful spot. On discovering the remote
burried under the cushion, he closed the troublesome T.V at once. He
held the wet cloth against his feverish forehead without stirring a
muscle. From the kitchen, he could hear Aeris humming sweetly to herself
as she made the drink.

However, he suddenly noticed an old book dumped on the arm
chair next to him. With curious interest, Vincent picked up the book and
examined it silently: it was some novel from his personal library. After
discarding his wet towel away, Vincent carelessly flicked through the
pages, wondering how this book had landed in the arm chair.

"Okay. Here you are," Aeris announced as she entered with two
small bowls of tea on a tray.

On placing the tray on the table, Aeris spotted the old book in
Vincent's hand. She froze in her spot, overcome by great shame and
extreme embarrassment. Without a word, Vincent watched the girl fidget
nervously before him.

"I..I'm sorry," she faltered out guiltily, "I've been reading
that book without telling you."

He made no answer to her confession.

"Sometimes, I get bored sitting here by myself, so I borrowed
one of your books," Aeris explained, casting her eyes downwards, "..it
was the only one I could actually understand. All the rest of your books
are too... scientific, or just too hard for me. I was going to return
it, of course! I accidentally forgot it there because I was too busy
taking care of you."

Instead of replying, Vincent carelessly dumped the book on the
table and turned his pensive face away from her.

Mistaking his reaction for anger, Aeris apologized with a
humble bow, "I'm sorry, Vincent. I should have asked your permission
first. I certainly didn't mean to..."

"You can keep the book if you like it," he dismissed casually
without even glancing at her, "...and you don't need my permission for
anything, Aeris. You've lived here for about a month now. This apartment
is your home as much as mine."

Her cheeks blushed at his kind generosity. She murmurred a very
soft, "Thank you."

When he noticed the nervous girl still lingering before him,
Vincent picked up a bowl of tea, then remarked coolly, "If you don't
drink your tea, it'll get cold."

"Oh! Y-yes!" Aeris fumbled out at once.

She sat by his side again, and took the other bowl of tea for
herself. Vincent watched her gradually overcome her confusion from the
corner of his eye, but spoke no more.

"Wait, don't gulp it down at once," Aeris instructed before he
could lift the bowl to his lips, "You should sip it nice and slow. And
try not to drink the leafy herbs; they give the tea its flavor."

Being inexperienced in the art of drinking such special teas,
Vincent dutifully obeyed her advice. He took a quick sip, then waited
silently for the result. Aeris fixed her anxious eyes on his face to
check his reaction.

"How... how is it?" she asked at last.

"It tastes a bit funny," he described after another sip, "..but
it's not too bad."

"Then you like it!" Aeris beamed with delight, "This is the
first time I actually make such a tea. I was afraid you wouldn't like
it."

Vincent eyed her thoughtfully , but did not reply.

The two sat comfortably on the couch, sipping their hot tea in
peaceful silence. Vincent in particular seemed to enjoy this
tranquillity. After finishing his tea, he placed the bowl in the tray
and leaned back against the couch. Soon, his eyes shut tiredly as he
sunk into his usual gloomy meditation.

Aeris, on the other hand, gazed intently into her bowl of tea.
In truth, her faint reflection in the tea had caught her attention so
suddenly, she could not tear her away from the bowl. That dreadful
nightmare she had just escaped crept back to her: she instantly recalled
the blank mirror, and the evil voice hissing the word "image" into her
ears. A slight shiver tickled her spine.

"You look troubled," Vincent commented suddenly, startling her
out of her reverie. He kept his eyes shut.

"Eh?" Aeris faltered, "No..I..I'm just.."

"When I checked on you an hour ago, I heard you crying in your
sleep. Were you having...a nightmare?"

After some confused hesitation, Aeris mumbled, "Yes."

"The...'Professor'?"

She nodded her head, even though he wasn't looking at her.

Nevertheless, a deep frown darkened Vincent's face at her
silent reply. His entire countenance, in fact, grew quite sullen and
cold. Aeris tried to resume sipping her tea, but soon abandonned her
bowl on the tray. She cast her eyes down at her feet.

"Nightmares..are awfully strange," Aeris remarked quietly,
"...especially those that repeat themselves. I mean, you know what's
going to happen, and you know how it'll end. but you're still scared
when you wake up. You know it's all just a nightmare, but you still go
through it as if it were real."

Vincent finally induced his keen, red eyes to look at her. He
studied her lovely face from the side while she sighed to herself,
oblivious of his scrutiny. He did not interrupt her.

"I've lived here for a month now...far away from the Professor
and that hellish laboratory of his. And yet, he still hunts me down in
my nightmares...he loves to torture me out of my senses. At times, it
seemes so real, I wake up thinking he's actually caught me. And it's the
same nightmare, Vincent, over and over again until I burst out crying.
It's like his way of *promising* me he'll capture me one day."

Vincent said nothing.

"Last night before I fell asleep, I made a wish," Aeris
recalled, trying to sound more cheerful, "It's okay. You were so bored
and tired, you probably don't even...."

"No, I remember," he retorted calmly, "I listened to you the
whole time, Aeris. You told me you wanted to feel absolutely safe, just
like you felt at that particular moment."

Aeris bashfully nodded her head (she hadn't quite expected him
to have been such an attentive listener last night). She finally
continued in a low but scornful tone, "..yes. That wish...it was such a
silly thing to say, because I then told you that wherever I hide,
whether I'm asleep or wide awake, I will always feel the Professor
around me. I'll always know he'll try to grab me from behind... and drag
me back. I just wanted that wish to be true so badly...that's why I said
it. But it's still just a stupid wish."

"I don't think it's 'stupid' at all."

She blinked in surprise at his calm, gentle tone, then looked
timidly to her side where he sat. In return, Vincent gazed thoughtfully
into her green eyes, his aloof expression having softened at his own
remark.

"I used to wish for the same thing every night," he whispered,
bringing his face closer to hers, "..wishes could be impossible to
achieve, Aeris, but that doesn't mean that they're 'stupid' or 'silly'."

Aeris looked in silence back at his face. Neither spoke a word.

At last with some effort, Vincent slowly forced himself to
stand up. As he wandered over to the window, he pulled out his red
bandanna from his side pocket, and wrapped it around his head several
times. When he had finished, he peered gloomily through the window pane.
His back faced Aeris.

The girl sat perfectly still in her spot, studying Vincent's
tall figure without a word.

"Aeris?" Vincent called cooly.

"Yes?"

"I want to go out for a walk. Would you like to come along?"

Much taken aback by this sudden invitation, Aeris checked the
clock on the wall, then sprang up.

"Now?! B-but, Vincent, it's nearly ten o'clock!" she protested
nervously, "Most of the shops are closed, and there's hardly anyone
outside at this late hour."

On turning to face her, Vincent looked straight into her eyes
as he calmly said, "I know. That's why I want to go out now."

Aeris stared back at his face for a minute, then deliberately
answered, "...all right. just give me a moment to change my clothes."