InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Whispers Of Elysium: The Child The World Forgot ❯ Escape From Pain ( Chapter 2 )

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

A warm summer breeze drifted in through the open French doors, making her dark auburn hair dance lightly in its high ponytail. Several petals from the cherry tree outside fluttered in and landed on her keyboard, going ignored as she leaned back with a yawn and a lazy stretch as the seventeen year old reclined her desk chair. Sure, there was a chance she would loose her balance and fall, but it wasn’t her fault she was bored.School had let out only two weeks ago and she was already beginning to feel the perpetual boredom set in and make her want to scream in frustration. She sat her chair back up with a thud and rolled it over the hardwood floor to her vanity, grabbing the remote for her stereo once she reached it. Flipping on the new stereo over her shoulder, she stood up with another stretch as she walked over to the French doors, walking onto the balcony as another breeze blew through. She had always loved coming out here, whether for doing her homework or relaxing, this was the place to be for her. She sat on the railing and looked over the tops of the large trees surrounding the large house to the ocean. The house itself was rather old, but it was new to her. Having only lived there for several months, she found it to be a wonderful escape from everything in her life. They had never stayed in a house long, maybe a couple of months at the most. But now that was all over. Her mother had made a promise, dumped her cheating fiancee, and found the perfect place for them.“Alyssa! Mom wants you!” She shook her head as she stood from her railing. Honestly, hadn’t brothers ever heard of knocking? She walked lazily out into the hall, reaching back and pulling her hair from it’s ponytail, letting her long auburn locks that reached the middle of her back, fall in a waterfall. She reached the stairs and decided to take the fast way down, which meant swinging her body over the top railing and dropping onto the large couch below.“Alyssa! You know I don’t like it when you do that!” Alyssa simply smiled innocently, receiving a comical eye-roll from her mother as they both sat down on the couch. As Alyssa leaned back and rested against the arm of the couch, her mother reached up and undid her long blonde hair. They were both natural blondes, but Alyssa had always preferred darker colors on herself. But her mother was just too perfect to change.She looked young for her age, which was still pretty young anyway. Her thirty-seven year old mother could make heads turn when they walked through the mall, or even the mini mart down the street for that matter.“There’s still so much to do here before it’s home.” Alyssa nodded at her mother’s words, sinking back further into the couch with a contented sigh.“Well, at least we’ll be here longer than a few months. That last place was just too clean and formal for me. I’ll stick with a house rather than a mansion thank you very much.” They both laughed as the front door swung open, revealing a young boy maybe around nine years old. He ran through the entryway and as he bolted up the stairs, another boy ran in. He was maybe eight years old, with blonde hair like their mother’s. “Jacob come back here! I said you could borrow my action figure, not keep it!” His reply was a simple raspberry and a slamming door. Alyssa growled irritably as the younger boy ran over to them and latched onto their mother’s leg, crying crocodile tears all the way.“Mom, Jacob stole my favorite toy! Make him give it back! He should be grounded!” Alyssa rolled her eyes as their mother simply ruffled the young boy’s hair with a warm smile on her face. That smile...That smile had always irked Alyssa. For so many years she had thought her mother was the happiest woman alive, always shining with a warm light that was far brighter than the sun. But one deep look at that smile, and the truth could be seen. For all the warmness the smile gave, hidden in the right hand side was a small crease of sadness. Hidden sadness that Alyssa could never place, and never dared to ask about in fear that it may upset her mother.“Darren, go tell Jacob that I said if he doesn’t give it back he loses his X-box privileges for a week.” Darren smiled brightly with a nod before running out of the room and tearing up the stairs, yelling his mother’s words all the way up. When she heard Jacob’s panic stricken voice, Alyssa closed her deep blue eyes and shook her head with a smile on her face.“That was harsh mom, even for you. You know Jacob can’t live without slicing heads off of virtual demons.” Alyssa missed her mother tense slightly, but it was quickly covered up as the older woman laughed lightly before speaking.“That’s the whole point. I knew Jacob wouldn’t intentionally risk his X-box privileges.” Alyssa laughed again as she opened her eyes, seeing a large envelope sitting on the glass coffee table for the first time. Her mother noticed her inquisitive look and reached over and picked up the envelope in question.“What’s that mom?” Alyssa watched as a mischievous smirk spread over her mother’s face.“Why, it’s your summer camp forms of course!” Alyssa’s jaw dropped and she jumped to her feet backing away as her mother stood.“Uh uh, there’s no way in seven hells you’ll ever get me to go!” But as she backed away further, she realized the truth as her mother stopped and began to laugh with such humor that Alyssa knew the whole camp idea was just a dirty trick.“I’m sorry! Your face was priceless though Alyssa!” Alyssa sent her mother and evil glare, shutting off all laughter at once, but a bright smile still lingered. “Well, are you gonna tell me what it really is?” Her mother walked towards her, pressing the envelope into her daughter’s hand with the bright smile still shining, still the same smile that irked Alyssa to no end.“This envelope contains a one way ticket to Tokyo, Japan. And the letter that’s also in there is from Yuki.” Alyssa felt her heart soar as her mother’s words began to piece together and as soon as the talking stopped, Alyssa ripped into the envelope, pulling out the letter within. I suppose it’s been awhile huh? Well, your mother and I have been staying in touch and we decided it’s time for you to come back home, even if it’s only for the summer. Everything is ready for you, which means the small guesthouse we just added a few months back. Just have your mother send anything that you’ll need, and I hope to see you soon!Yuki“This is a dream...Am I really going back there after all these years?” Alyssa looked up from the letter with disbelief written all over her voice, but it was swiped away as her nodded with a smile on her face. But the older woman instantly covered her ears as Alyssa’s squeals of excitement.“Alyssa! Calm down!” Alyssa ceased squealing, but her heart still beat at a high speed with excitement. Alyssa was born and raised in Japan, although her family was completely American. But for some reason she had always felt more at home there than any other place in the world, almost as if she belonged there. But hell, who cared?! She was finally going back to her childhood home, friends, and her family. Alyssa flopped back onto the couch once more, a contented smile on her face as warmth flooded through every vein in her body.“Wow, somebody looks like they’ve gone to heaven and come back again.” Alyssa closed her eyes, completely missing the underlying point in what her mother said. The teenager became lost in the fond memories of her childhood, even ones she didn’t know she had remembered before. But no matter how much she replayed her memories, something was always missing.Alyssa had never met her father, or if she did, she didn’t remember. Her mother said that he’d died in an accident, what kind of accident Alyssa never knew. Her mother rarely spoke of him, and even when asked she tried to change the subject or her answers were three words at the most. Maybe the underlying sadness that irked the teen so much was caused by her father’s untimely death. But even that didn’t seem to fit with the deep sorrow that only Alyssa seemed to be able to see. A sorrow she would probably never unravel. “When do I leave mom?” Alyssa opened on eye lazily, seeing her mother now standing facing the large front window and the teen could only guess what the older woman was thinking. Perhaps there were some things she would never know in this lifetime.“Well, Yuki wants you there straight away. So, I scheduled your flight for this evening.” Alyssa’s eyes widened as well as the grin she knew would stay plastered on her face for weeks to come. She jumped and ran over to her mother, hugging the older woman from behind with another set of excited squeals.“Thank you so much momma!!! You have no idea how much this means to me!” The older woman turned around and embraced her daughter tightly with a warm smile on her beautiful face.“You deserve this. Plus, it’s been to long since you’ve seen your twin.” Alyssa laughed as they pulled apart.“Why do you call us twins? We’re not even related.” This time her mother laughed as she too began to remember the past.“You two may not be related by blood, but your souls are so much alike it’s like you’re sisters. We could never separate you two when you were younger! It’s almost like you two are somehow bonded to one another.” Alyssa grinned as she planted a playful punch onto her mothers arm. The separated as Alyssa walked towards the stairs, grabbing her tickets and letter on the way. But she stopped halfway up at her mother’s voice.“Pack light. I’ll be sending everything you’ll need after you. Also, we’ll pick up your new laptop on the way to the airport. Also, we have to get there by four and your plane leaves at five thirty. So, that gives you enough time to pack, take a shower, and change your clothes. We’ll stop at the Taco Bell drive-through on the way.” Alyssa nodded brightly, once more heading up the stairs, this time at a full sprint until she came flying into her room. She grabbed her remote from it’s place where she left it and changed her stereo to the next CD, dropping the remote and running over to her closet as Avril Lavigne’s voice echoed in her large room.*Please tell me what is taking place, Cause I can’t seem to find a trace, Guess is must have got erased somehow.*Hell it was an old song, but anyone who knew her knew this song was her theme song hands down. She grabbed a large black backpack from the closet and the sounds of clicking plastic could be heard as her keychains clinked together, each one printed with it’s own unique smart-ass remark. Tossing the bag on the bed, she kneeled and grabbed two pairs of Vans from the organized shelves in the closet. Hell, they were only organized because they’d just moved in. She threw the shoes over her shoulder, hearing the thud of their landing on the hardwood floor. Next she began to shift through the second shelf, pulling out three pairs of pants, some shorts, and her favorite swim trunks. She had to admit, guys clothing was so much more comfortable. With her arms laden with pants and shorts, she stood up and began to look through her shirts, pulling out several tank tops, several of her more expensive and nice looking shirts, including her favorite black shirt with an actual built in corset that had crimson accents in all the right places. The sleeves were nearly transparent, black sheer and were full length. She turned around and threw all the clothes onto her bed, covering the large black backpack. She walked over to her computer desk, sighing when she realized just how empty it looked without a computer. Her last one had gotten into an accident while moving. She opened the top door, pulling out a portable DVD player and CD player. She growled irritably as she shifted through the clutter within her desk, verbalizing her triumph when she finally discovered her favorite pair of headphones. She then set all of it on the bed with the rest of her things, digging out her corset shirt and a pair of baggy black pants as she yelled at her mother, knowing she would hear her for sure.“MOM!!! I’M TAKING A SHOWER NOW!!! COULD YOU PLEASE FIND THE TRAVEL CASE FOR DVD PLAYER WHILE I’M IN THE SHOWER?!” She heard her mother’s “okay” and she turn to her dresser, pulling out the appropriate under garments, grabbing extras and throwing them on the bed behind her as she walked into her large adjoining bathroom, shutting the door behind her. She had to admit, she spent a good portion of her time in here. Not for makeup or hair, but simply for taking showers and baths. As she set her things on the white marble counter, she eyed the large bathtub longingly. She loved nice long baths more than a shower, but if she took one now, she’d be in there all day.Sighing, she turned to the large shower, she could swear that it probably could hold three people, and turned on the water. As it warmed she walked over to the laundry shoot, pulling off her shorts and tank top as she went. She threw the clothing down the shoot as she grabbed two fluffy, white towels from their place on the shelf. She shed the rest of her clothing as she went back to shower, testing the water before stepping in and shutting the door, letting the hot water cascade over her.While Alyssa let herself get lost in the mist of her hot shower, her mother on the other hand was quite busy making a phone call. “She’s the shower right now.” There was a pause as her already serious face lightened a little bit.“Yes well, just keep her away from the well. She’s had a strange fascination with it since she was a child.” Another pause was followed by a laugh.“Of course she can still speak Japanese fluently! I barely had to teach her anything when she was younger and she still speaks it fluently.” Then her happy face disappeared into a look of deep seriousness.“I know the side affects of what may come to pass. But, it is a risk I am willing to make so don’t try to change my mind.” There wasn’t a pause this time as she simply hung up the phone, not bothering to wait for an answer. Her look of seriousness turned into a grimace as she slammed the phone back onto its receiver, making several smaller items on the counter bounce from their place slightly. “Damn it, I know the consequences of my actions! If there had been, or if there was another choice to make now, I’d choose it. But this is the only way she’ll ever know the truth.” She leaned against the counter as she put her face into her hands, letting her long blonde hair cascade over her shoulders. The long lost stress made its way to the surface after being hidden for years, over forty to be exact.“Mom, are you okay?” Her head snapped up at Alyssa’s concerned voice. The teen stood there fully dressed in her black corset top and black pants, running a brush through the stubborn locks of her hair, wincing whenever she hit a tender spot, making her mother smile at her daughter’s strange problems.“You have such a tender head Alyssa. Maybe if you let me braid it more...” Alyssa yipped playfully and pretended to nearly drop her brush in fake horror.“No way!!! You might just cut all of my hair off when I’m not looking!” The older woman laughed quietly as Alyssa continued to brush out her damp hair. Strangely, she never used the hair dryer unless it was an emergency. But when air dried, her hair seemed to glow, and she preferred it that way.“I take it you’re ready? Or have you come down here just to be a dork?” Alyssa frowned at her mother as she continued to brush her hair. “I’m ready! I may be an immature dork sometimes, but this is hardly one of those times. Jeeze, you treat me like I’m three.” Alyssa closed her eyes as she shook her head, finally being finished with her brushing. But she missed her mother’s quick frown just before the older woman spoke again, making sure to make her tone sound cheerful.“It’s just the truth. Anyway, if you’re ready how about we go somewhere for the next few hours. We have about three hours until we have to head towards the airport.” Alyssa nodded before turning and walking out into the living room, her mother right behind her. “Hey twirps!!! Get down here, we’re going out!!!” Her reply was a set of several loud thumps and scuffles as the two young boys came barreling down the stairs. Alyssa could only roll her eyes as they all walked towards the door, slipping on their shoes as they walked out into the warm air. It had always been a rule that you didn’t wear shoes in the house, and she could only guess it was a leftover from when they lived in Japan. But just as she was about to shut the door, Alyssa’s hand flew up to her neck and she gasped before running back inside, leaving three very confused family members waiting.“Found it!!!” They all looked up to see Alyssa climbing almost cat like down the lattice next to her balcony. Then, when she was about nine feet from the ground, she simply let go and landed in her black leather boots with grace, making her mother cross her arms and glare at the teen.“Sorry, I had to go get my choker. I never leave it anywhere.” To emphasize her point, she lifted her hand up, revealing a black satin choker with a silver pendant on it. To her, this pendant always looked more and more like a locket. But no matter how many times she tried to open it, it wouldn’t budge. But she loved it none the less. Especially it’s little crescent moon that was engraved in the top. But, no matter how hard she tried to remember, the face of the person who gave it to her was lost in her memories, and her mother refused to tell. Actually, whenever the pendant was mentioned, her mother would frown with narrowed eyes. Just like she was now.“Why do you insist on bringing that thing everywhere?” Alyssa flinched slightly at the hidden venom in the older woman’s voice. Then, her hesitance vanished and she straightened her stance.“Why is it that you hold so much against a simple pendant? For crying out loud, I don’t even know who gave it to me!” They watched each other for a few moments before her mother shook her head with a bright smile, and turned towards the place where their cars were parked.“Let’s just go have some fun shall we?!” Alyssa wanted to frown at her mother’s over cheery voice. It always seemed as though that woman was hiding something, something that was probably better off alone. But as she began to walk towards her own car, Alyssa felt a twinge in her heart. The very same one she felt everyday, no matter how happy, no matter how sad, she always felt like something was missing.“Come on sis! You’re slower than Ted down the street!” Alyssa smirked as she pulled her car keys from her pocket and started to jog towards her car. It’s silver paint job gleamed in the shady sun from it’s spot under the large oak tree. She’d only had her Mustang for two years, but she loved it all the more. Hell, she’d even bought it herself with her savings. That is, she bought it used.As she sat into the driver’s seat, Alyssa reached over onto the passenger floor and grabbed the large CD case laying open there. Flipping through it, she frowned when her search turned up unfruitful. So, she jammed the key into the ignition and started the car before rolling down her window and yelling at her mother.“Mom! How many times do I have to tell you to not take my Evanescence CD?!” Her mother simply rolled her eyes before signaling for Alyssa to check her CD player. She frowned, but the young woman reached foward and checked the CD player, finding the CD exactly where she must have left it. So, with a goofy grin to her mother, she revved up the car and backed out, following her mother as her black Mercedes exited the property and drove onto the relatively quite street.In the small amount of time they had been here, it never ceased to amaze her just how peaceful this place was while all the snobs were at work, earning money for their ridiculous escapades. But once the workers were home, she could hear their arguments about absurd things, echoing in through her open window. People were so trouble these days, always worrying about things they need not worry about. She felt as though she could remember a time, a place, where everything was peaceful. And even stranger, every time she thought about this feeling, she got an image in her mind. It was of two people. One was a young man, maybe around her age. He was tall, always smiling, and downright gorgeous to her. His smile always made her heart melt as he gave it to the little girl he was playing with. She was around seven years in age, with long black hair that, strangely enough, went down her back, tucked in between two wings that would spread lightly whenever she moved. But the young man was quite curious looking as well. He had long silver hair that went down to the middle of his back, and sometimes she just itched to touch it to see how sleek it was. But as she turned around the corner, the vision changed. The child and the man both stopped playing and looked up at her, or however she would put it. She felt her heart thump as she became mentally lost in the man’s eyes.They were a deep gold, full of warmth. Different shades of molten golds and amber danced in his gorgeous eyes, reminding her of the sun setting on summer evening. Then, as the vision began to fade as it always did, he smiled for her. A smile she was sure was for her eyes alone. One full of warmth, happiness, and strangely enough, sadness. A sadness plagued with a deep longing and regret. But what would an imaginary man such as he long and regret so deeply?Alyssa shook her head before turning her stereo up and flipping straight to one of her favorites. The eerie tones came quietly at first, then they began to crescendo until the singer’s voice began to ring in her car, along with her own.“How can I pretend that I don’t see, what you hide so carelessly? I saw her bleed, and you heard me breath, and I froze inside myself and turned away. I must be dreaming.” This song was like her theme these days. More than often, she found herself absentmindedly humming it in the silence of her room as she worked in the computer or read. And anyone who knew both the story of her Junior year and the song, would surely relate with her.“We all live, well all die. That does not begin to justify you.” Her Junior year of high school had started out well enough, but had spiraled out of control when the one person she felt so closely connected with betrayed her in the worst way. After dating him once Freshmen year, and then trying it once more for most of Junior year, Alyssa had thought Alex was her perfect guy. He was always sweet to her, feeding her compliments when she wanted nor needed none. But his whole act disappeared one night after she’d sang in a concert with some friends. “It’s not what it seems, not what you think. No, I must be dreaming. It’ only in my mind, not real life. No, I must be dreaming.” She’d just gotten of stage with her best friend and her band, saying her goodbyes as she went in search of Alex, who had agreed to wait for her there, but was nowhere to be found. She’d walked around backstage for a few minutes before she began to hear noises coming from one of the dressing rooms usually reserved for out of town bands and singers. Deciding to let her bothersome curiosity get the better of her, she walked towards the slightly ajar door, making sure to stay out of the small beam of light shining from the room. But as she looked in slowly, she couldn’t contain the mortified gasp as she dropped the water bottle she’d been holding. It was Alex, and he was definitely too busy to meet her as they had planned. But as she turned to run, she heard his own slight gasp as his eyes traveled up to where she stood. Finally, she just turned and ran, ignoring his shouts for her to come back. He said it was a misunderstanding, that she hadn’t seen what she knew she had. That night, she’d run out into the pouring rain with tears down her face, and had nearly died. After running for nearly an hour, she walked out into the street to cross it, not even glancing to see if any cars were coming. That was her mistake that ended up with her getting hit by a large truck and being contained to a hospital bed for two weeks. She hadn’t spoken to him since then, in hopes she could forget him. But he always seemed to make himself known. But when her cellphone began to ring, she glanced at the caller id and let it ring when his number beamed at her. Hopefully, this trip back to her childhood home, with childhood friends and family, she could forget him and finally be happy.