Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Drifting Pieces ❯ Into the Storm ( Chapter 3 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Author’s Note:
This fic was originally partially posted at the end of 2010. Since then, I have rewritten every single chapter and done a serious edit as well as finished the story. If you have not visited since October of 2010, I recommend that you start over. It’s worth it (05/2012).

Please review.


Chapter 03: Into the Storm

Ken walked into the apartment quietly, not surprised to find the front room empty and dark.

His parents were already in their bedroom with the door shut. They had learned back when he was still the Kaiser that on days like this, it was just best to give him space.

He called out as a courtesy to let his parents know that he had arrived home safely. There was a brief response from his mother as she did her motherly duty to make sure her only child was well and to offer him food. He politely declined and he was left alone once more.

Ken couldn’t help but notice that she had left rather quickly and she had not made eye contact the whole time. This morning is still on her mind.

The box was still on the living room table, the flaps neatly shut. They had probably left it out for him on the off chance that he felt the need to go through it alone. They were hoping that he would finally grieve and move on like they had.

It occurred to him that they were still going through this morbid ritual just for him. They knew that he still hadn’t let go but they just couldn’t grasp why.

Ken hardly spared the box a second glance as he moved past it. The box would be gone by the time he was ready to leave for school in the morning.

Hide the dead away so no one sees. Box them up to muffle their screams.

As Ken walked into his bedroom and quietly shut the door behind him, he fought back the sudden feeling of how alone he was. It seemed so cold and empty without those large blue eyes smiling up at him in greeting.

“Just a little longer…” It wasn’t that bad if he really thought about it.

So what if this morning had been pure hell? So what if he’d scared his best friend this afternoon? He could handle just a couple more days and then his partner would be home and maybe, just maybe, he could finally rest.

A glance at the mountain of books on his desk made his head start to pound.

His thoughts felt fuzzy and sluggish from the lack of sleep and the very notion of doing his scholarly duty made his temples throb in protest.

I just need to relax a little first… To get away for just a moment…

“Escape.” The word slipped past his lips in a hiss.

Oh yes, he was good at escaping. It was so easy and natural and dangerous. Especially for him. It would be all too easy to lose himself and slip back into the old ways of thinking.

Ken scowled to himself and walked out to his balcony. The world could wait. He just needed to get away for just a little while. Just to clear his head.

The air was cool and heavy with the promise of a building storm. The low hanging clouds made the city feel washed out and dull. From this high up, everything almost seemed faded and unreal like a half remembered dream.

Ken hated the view from his building. If there was one memory that hadn’t been washed away or stolen from him in all those chaotic years, it was that view.

Some of the most painful memories he had were of bubbles floating up and away from this very balcony to glide so delicately across the city.

When he had finally gone over the deep end, just before he had run off to the Digital world, escaping again, he had stood on the roof of the building and screamed at the world with all the fury and fire that threatened to consume him from the inside out.

When he had lost himself and everything else, he had spent hours simply staring out the window at the lifeless gray city that seemed to mirror his own empty soul.

Since that time, he found that he avoided the view as much as he could. It felt dangerous to him now, like it would drag him in and never let go.

Yet here he was, watching the clouds roll in and the sun fading away as all the color was sucked out along with it.

He turned from the view and closed his eyes. He just needed the fresh air to clear away all other thoughts and memories. He wanted to forget himself and all of his problems. Just for a little while…

Slowly, he sat down with his back to the rail and let everything start to fade away.

The breeze felt wondrous as it slipped through his hair and caressed his cheeks gently, luring him to just relax and let go.

A deep sigh brushed past his parted lips as he let it flow over him openly. If he kept his eyes closed, he could almost pretend that the sounds of the city traffic below were something else as it flowed in an almost hypnotic rhythm.

Like waves crashing on the rocks.

The breeze picked up slightly, cool and moist as the clouds above started to shift and gather.

Ken breathed slowly and deeply, ignoring the sudden gusts of cold that were now accompanied by a few early rain drops that billowed past the overhang of the above balcony to spatter against his arms.

Somewhere down below, a siren was racing down the street towards the shattered screams of a small boy. The screams grew louder and louder, competing with the siren and wind until it all started to melt together into one deafening roar pounding into his head.

Just when he felt like he couldn’t take anymore, the world suddenly fell away as he floated into a blissful silence.

The wind shifted and turned around him almost violently, making him feel vulnerable as the rain started to fall freely in cold and stinging drops splattering across his upturned face.

He licked his suddenly dry lips as he tried to clear his head, noting how they tasted of salt from the searing cold water dripping down his face.

There was the crash of waves around him, growing louder and louder.

Something’s wrong.

He wasn’t floating anymore.

The wind turned again, rushing up at him angrily.

His eyes flew open wide in a panic, just in time to see the dark inky water rushing up at him. Just before he hit he caught sight of the shoreline in the distance, black sand painfully still in the harsh winds and clawing waves.

Oh god.

The waves leapt up around him, embracing their pray as he broke through the surface. Cold crashed in on him and through him as it forced out his precious air and pulled him down.

This can’t be real...

He fought back, clawing and kicking desperately against the invisible force that pulled him downward faster and faster. The cold spread inside him until his body gave out and sank down helplessly like a stone.

What ever light there was from above was quickly fading away as the darkness crept in around him.

This isn’t real.

His eyes burned with the sting of the cold salty water and his throat was on fire as more air bubbles pushed past his lips. He was frantic as he looked around for some form of help or a sign that this was indeed just a dream.

Ken could almost see the bottom now, the darkness around it seeming to shift and move with life.

He could almost hear a faint sound reaching out to him as he got closer. It toyed with him, fading away each time he thought he could almost make out what it was. It was almost tangible as it pulled and twisted at his mind. If he strained hard enough, he could almost make out a faint whisper reaching out to him.

A dark shadow shifted below him and Ken was instantly convinced that what ever this sound was, it was coming from what ever was down there waiting for him.

He could feel it watching him, waiting, and mocking him.

The whisper was closer now, almost right inside his head. In the back of his mind, something warned him not to listen and to block it out before it could take hold.

His lungs burned harshly as he struggled to keep hold of the little air he had left.

I can almost make it out… What is that? The sound was almost becoming pleasant as it tantalized him. His oxygen deprived mind was starting to think that maybe he should listen to those hushed words and seductive sighs that were swirling around in his head.

The shadow reached up and out to him and suddenly he knew. He could hear it clearly now and he knew.

Ken’s eyes widened, forgetting the sting of the salt. His lips parted in a strangled cry, all air now squandered and leaving him empty.

This isn’t real! His mind raced, trying to find some sort of sanity and failing as the panic shattered anything he had left.

Wake up!

The whisper was now a deafening roar, shattering through his very core as the darkness reared up and swallowed him whole.

WAKE UP!


---


Ken sat up with a choking gasp, his lungs painfully sucking in air desperately.

His hands shot up to his head and shakily ran through his damp hair and down to wipe the water from his eyes. A pounding headache was making his vision blur painfully while the back of his neck burned sharply as if he’d been stung.

“Where…?” His voice sounded small and pained.

Glancing around, he found that he was sitting outside on his balcony in the pouring rain.

Slowly, the world came back to him and he remembered that he had gone outside to take a break and to get away.

“I must have fallen asleep…” His voice scratched roughly and he became aware of the fact that his whole body was shivering and trembling from the cold.

Grimacing, he slowly pulled himself to his feet. Some relaxing break. It was getting late and he was now soaked to the bone.

Stepping back inside, he ignored the fact that he was dripping all over the immaculate carpet. The world was still muted as he grabbed a dry change of clothes and made his way to the bathroom for a much needed hot shower. The last thing he needed was to catch a cold because of his own foolishness.

Turning on the hot water, he watched the steam rise up around him. A sickening feeling slowly washed over him as he stared at the cascading water rushing into the tub.

Looking down, Ken realized that he was still trembling violently. “Just a dream. It was just a dream.”

He tried to tell himself that it was just something that he ate or the upcoming tests that he was supposed to be studying for. He had been studying too much lately and his subconscious was telling him that he was drowning in his school work. It couldn’t have been more than that.

Watching the water rushing down the shower drain, Ken took a step back and leaned heavily against the counter, trying to force his stomach and head to stop spinning.

Glancing up into the foggy mirror, he had a heart stopping moment as he suddenly felt like he was back in the dream.

Wake up, Ken… Wake up.

His stomach lurched and he half stumbled half dove to the toilet in time to throw up.

It was a sickeningly familiar sensation. Like he’d eaten something rotten or… swallowed too much sea water.

Feeling weaker than ever, he slowly stood back up and wiped his mouth off. He wanted to believe that it was just because he had been out in the rain for too long. He was probably getting sick and that was all there was to it.

Stripping down, he climbed into the shower and closed his eyes as the heat slowly melted his overly tense muscles.

His mind slowly cleared and he finally relaxed.

It was just a dream…


---


Ken starred down at the math problems on his desk. He recognized the equations. He knew how to solve them and make them work to his liking. Hell, he even knew what the answer was. But for some reason, he just couldn’t bring himself to care.

The pounding headache from before had returned and the dream from earlier was still drifting in and out of his mind. It had slowly worked around his gears, drifting in and out of clarity as no amount of willpower on his part could force it back down again.

When he closed his eyes, he could still hear the waves crashing on the dark shores. He could still taste the salt water on his lips and teeth. The salt water that I threw up earlier.

Though as clear as everything was, he could not for the life of him remember what had happened at the end. He could remember looking down into the dark waters where he could see something waiting for him… Hear it whispering in his ear…

What was it? What did you see? What did you hear?

The headache swelled and he closed his book. There was no point in trying to study for that test now. It was almost eight and he still had a paper to write for Friday. The least he could do was to get the rough draft out of the way without too much thought.

Ken had just reached down to pull out some clean paper when the lights flickered and died.

He froze in place, his hand lightly resting on the desk drawer.

A soft whisper lurking on the edge of a memory hissed softly. You can’t run away from the darkness forever…

Thunder rocked the building, reminding him that there was a storm building outside.

“Ken? Are you alright, dear?” His mother called out once the rumble had faded away and there was a soft knock on his door.

“Yes, Momma.” He sounded braver than he felt.

The door opened and his mother cautiously stepped into the room, not moving more than a few steps past the threshold. She was holding out a flashlight towards him. “The power might be out all night at this rate. I thought you might need this to help you study.”

Ken moved to take it quickly and flicked it on. He wasn’t afraid of the dark; he had spent countless hours alone in the dark after all. Yet he hadn’t really been alone, had he? There had always been that voice… That constant whisper that had eventually driven him mad towards the end.

“Your father is getting together some extra batteries and candles out in the kitchen if you need them. I’m sure the storm won’t last too much longer.” She paused then moved forward to pull Ken into a tight hug. “Try to get some rest, dear.”  

“I’ll try, Momma.” Ken stiffened in her grip till she at last let him go and shuffled back out of his room. Rest was the last thing he wanted to do right now. Not after the dream he had experienced out on the balcony. He was so sick of bad dreams and they just kept getting worse and worse.

Yet, none of them had been like the one on the balcony. None of them had ever been quite so vivid or had ever lingered for so long. Even despite the fact that he had woken up chilled to the bone and utterly soaked, it had been the most sleep he had gotten all week.

A long weary sigh escaped him as he looked back towards his desk. The very idea of touching another book or of even scratching out another word with his pencil was making him feel ill.

Warm chocolate eyes flashed across his memory, easing away the tension. “Daisuke…” A glance at the clock told him that it wasn’t too late… Maybe he could just send one little email. Just to see how he was doing. Daisuke had been so insistent that he contact him if he needed anything, after all…

Ken weighed his options and finally decided that if he attempted to do anything else in the dim light of his flashlight it would just make his headache worse.

Snatching up his D3, he climbed up onto his bed and propped himself up with his pillow. Settling down, he propped the flashlight up at just the right angle so he could see the keys.

He had just started typing out a friendly greeting when he heard a soft dripping sound.

Glancing up, Ken tried to pinpoint where it was coming from. It seemed to be getting louder the more he tried to focus on it.

Was there a leak in his room? A quick check told him that the window was closed tightly and there was nothing seeping through his ceiling.

A cold chill ran down his spine as he set the D3 aside and slowly moved the flashlight around the room.

No. That’s not where it’s coming from… It’s not coming from my room.

Ken glanced at the window again, watching the rain splatter against the pane in gusts. It’s not coming from out there, either.

The slow steady drip grew louder and louder until it echoed through the room, drowning out all other sounds.

“Stop it.” He whispered quietly.

The dripping continued. Faster… Louder…

His hands shot up and covered his ears tightly, but he could not block it out.

The water is rising.

He felt like crying. The pain in his head was swelling and he just wished that the sound would stop. If he could just make it stop…

“Stop it!” Ken clutched at his head, closing his eyes tightly against the noise.

The flashlight fell from his grip and rolled off the bed, crashing to the floor. It flickered slightly, casting shadows across the walls.

“STOP IT!”

Everything stopped.

Ken sat in the dark, breathing heavily for a moment as he waited. It was utterly silent.

Where’s the rain? The traffic? Anything?

He sat perfectly still, afraid to open his eyes or even move in case that provoked the sound to start up again.

The room was cold. Colder than it should have been.

Cautiously he shifted, listening to the soft creak of his bed, and opened his eyes.

It was nearly pitch black, the only source of light coming from his now fallen flashlight.

The bed creaked again as he slowly crawled towards the edge, suddenly desperate to retrieve the safety of the light.

Once at the edge, he froze in place. His room glimmered and rippled just below his bed like light reflecting off of waves in the night.

Panic started to rise up inside him as he desperately willed himself to wake up and not be seeing what he knew that he was.

A soft hiss flowed over his room, slithering up to him like a deadly snake. The waves will sweep you away.

The silence was shattered with the deafening crash of waves all around him. Reeling, he scrambled away from the edge till his back was firmly to the wall.

Then he saw the shadow from the bottom of the waves. Slowly, it rose up over the side of the bed, reaching out to him.

Ken’s mouth opened in a silent scream. It was too much. The pain in his head was overwhelming. He couldn’t look away no matter how much he wanted to.

“Lose something, Ken?” The whisper was like glass shattering against his mind.

The figure held up the flashlight with a grin then clicked it off, plunging the room into total darkness.

“Wake up, Ken… Wake up.”

The world spun around him and faded away.





--------
Disclaimer: According to Wikipedia: Akiyoshi Hongo was the creator of the Digimon concept. Bandai, Saban Entertainment and various other entities that are not me own Digimon. I am in no way making money off of this and am strictly using the characters and world for my own fan based fiction.





Converting /tmp/php1VMFPL to /dev/stdout