Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Piece of Her Wings ❯ Call My Name ( Chapter 1 )

Millerna and Marlene stared intently at the aged clock which hung on their dining room wall. Their eyes followed the slow movement of the hands along their numbered path. Nobody in the entire village made a sound, it seemed, that the only thing that could be heard was the soft ticking of the clock. The entire place where they lived was like a ghostly ruin where not a soul dwelled; not even the trees made the faintest sound, even the ocean and the sky seemed to be holding their breaths. The eerie silence that hung upon them was so thick, it was almost tangible.

But all that changed at the stroke of midnight. The dark stillness of the starless sky was quite suddenly filled with a frenzy of wild sparks from the villagers' fireworks. The silence had been broken by a myriad of sounds—countless cheers, noises, and voices containing greetings, hopes, wishes, and prayers filled the cool night air. A moment ago, the whole village stood still and silent as it awaited the signal for the new day, but now it was different. Now, there was a joyous celebration to behold.

Millerna happily turned to embrace her sandy-haired sister. "Happy new year, Marlene!" she greeted her warmly.

"Happy new year, Millerna," she answered, returning her sister's embrace. They stayed like that for quite a while, clinging to each other. Marlene let out a small sigh, and then her green eyes grew reflective for a moment. "It's been another year..." she thought.

It had been nearly four years since the day she found herself waking up in a strange room, lying on a bed that wasn't hers, and staring at a gentle face she didn't know. That was her furthest memory. She couldn't remember anything from before she had woken up. She didn't even remember how she got so badly wounded that most of her bones were broken.

But the owner of that strange face was a kind and gentle man. He nursed her slowly back to health, changing the leaves that helped heal her wounds, checking the wood splints that straightened her broken arms and legs. He even cooked her meals so she could regain her strength. He even went so far as to mend his clothes so they could fit her limp little body. He kept talking to her, keeping her company, gently goading her foggy memory by asking her questions like what her name was and where she came from. But she couldn't reply. Try as hard as she might, there wasn't a single name, event, or memory she could summon.

Marlene thought fondly of the man who saved her life, and smiled in spite of herself. During those long, interminable months when she suffered badly from the pain of her injuries, when the intense agony made her howl and writhe on his bed, he would stay with her all night, sitting beside her, giving her as much comfort as he could. He was such a kind, gentle, dear person, and the truth of it was, she grew quite fond of him during her recovery.

And then, when she was strong enough to sit up, he introduced her to Millerna, a neighbor of his. He told her that now that she was strong enough to lift herself up to a sitting position, he sought it proper to look for a new home, with a female companion, for her. Because even though he enjoyed her company—and she enjoyed his—and though he wouldn't mind it at all if she stayed there, he just didn't see it as proper that they stayed together under one roof.

And that was how Millerna entered her life. Tall, wavy blond, blue-eyed and vivacious, she was such a warm, nurturing person, and she accepted and treated her like she was family. She was the one who kept having conversations with her when she was too shy and awkward to talk to her. Millerna was the one who kept breaking the ice until her protective shell shattered.

"Tell me, dear," Marlene could remember Millerna ask her one day. "What's your name?"

She sadly looked at her feet and said, "I don't know. I don't really remember anything."

Millerna embraced her fondly. "Then we'll just have to make-do," she said cheeringly, running her fingers through Marlene's straight, sandy hair. It has since then been a favorite pastime of Millerna, aside from teasing her about her boyish short hair. "Let's see," her face creased in thought. "What would be a perfect name for you?"

Millerna then grew silent for a while, smiling a bit sadly. She suddenly embraced the startled girl and murmured, "We'll call you Marlene, the girl who rose from the grave." Her sad blue eyes met baffled green ones. "Marlene was... the name of my sister who died long ago."

Marlene. That was the name in which she had been christened into her new life with Millerna. Much as her old life had been buried in the grave of her memories, her new one had been heralded by giving her a new name. Everyone accepted Marlene into their small village, and they were all very kind. The villagers made her feel welcome in her new home. The elders taught her how to work in the fields and in the sea, while the younger people helped her get accustomed with everyone, with Millerna and her savior by her side, helping her each step of the way.

She couldn't be thankful enough for her blond savior. To Marlene, he was the ultimate definition of a man. He was everything she ever needed and wanted. He was everything she had ever hoped for. He was her ideal—even before she realized that she had an ideal. Charming, courteous and exquisitely polite, he was like a diamond in the rough; a common man so uncommon and so urbane he almost gleamed.

"Joyous new year, ladies," said a musical voice from their doorstep. "May I come in?"

The visitor had long, flowing blond hair and soft, sparkling blue eyes. He had beautiful, glowing, fair skin—a bafflement of the other fishermen—and perfect white teeth. He spoke in a very cultured manner; his gestures were polished and gentlemanly. He was tall, with a body that was neither too muscular nor too slim. He could as well serve as a model for a statue. And he was absolutely, indescribably gorgeous.

It was Marlene's handsome savior, the one who makes her heart flutter.

"Allen," Marlene sighed, and she blushed. She quickly turned around so he wouldn't see. His presence had always made her clumsy, so she prudently avoided unexpected and sudden conversations with him, lest she makes a fool of herself, or die with embarrassment. After all, Marlene couldn't let Allen know that he occupied her thoughts from every waking moment. Her mind might still be foggy, but she was still a lady! But if anything else, she thought that he was even more handsome than he was when she saw him this morning.

Marlene was like that sometimes.

"Oh, do come in, you big goofball, you're no stranger to ask permission from us first, you know." Millerna chided. "Oh, and happy new year to you, too," she quickly added.

Allen laughed as he came inside. It was an honest, musical laugh, and it made Marlene's heart skip a beat. She silently noted that he really had perfect white teeth. "I brought some fruit," he said.

Marlene teased him a bit. "Fruits, Allen?"

"Well... I cooked some stew for supper, but I don't think you ladies would like it."

"Why not?" Millerna asked.

"Because I don't like it myself." He answered with a charming pout.

It was Millerna and Marlene's turn to laugh. "Come on, Allen, join us for dinner. Marlene made the stew, and I'm sure the three of us will like it."

It was a pleasant evening to start the entering year. They had a bountiful harvest last season, and so they had quite a spread on the table. There was Marlene's stew, steaming in the cold air and smelling every bit as delicious as all the chunks of beef and vegetables floating in the rich sauce looked. There were freshly baked biscuits dripping with butter (Millerna made them; she insists she's still the better baker between the two of them), steamed vegetables and corn, creamy potatoes, a leafy herbed salad, and a large roast duck that Millerna had also prepared the whole day. The three ate slowly, savoring the food and the chatter and the pleasant company. Allen complemented Marlene on her cooking, and she liked that. He also spooned three bowls of the heavy stew that she cooked, and she also liked that.

"Oh..." Allen said, groaning. "I think I ate too much."

"You'll work it off when the planting starts," Marlene said as she helped Millerna clear the dishes.

"I should live far away from you two," he groaned, standing up with some difficulty. "Or I'll get fat."

"That's not true, Allen." Millerna disagreed, tying up her long, wavy blond hair so as not to get in the way of washing the dishes. "Marlene eats all the time, but she never gets fat."

"Millerna!" Marlene gasped, her green eyes huge with indignation. Her cheeks were blossoming with color. "I most certainly do not!" Allen was laughing gaily, which made Marlene's blush spread to her ears.

"Oh? You should see yourself eat, then. It's nothing but gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp, then a breath of air," she turned around and held up four soapy fingers. "That's four gulps to one breath! Astonishing!"

Marlene's face could have put ripe tomatoes to shame by then. "That's not true!" she was embarrassed that Allen had to hear Millerna tease her.

"And no chewing, too! What an amazing ability!" Allen joined in, blue eyes twinkling with mirth.

"Allen!" Marlene pouted at him. Millerna and Allen laughed even harder.

"Come on, you two. Let's sit outside and watch the fireworks. I'll get the fruits Allen brought. I've chilled them, and we could have them for dessert." Millerna said, wiping her hands clean on her apron.

"I knew I should've lived far away from you two," Allen muttered, looking ruefully at his belly.

They sat outside under the blazing night sky, enjoying the colorful display and the cool sea breeze. They ate the chilled fruit, not really talking anymore, but just admiring the wonderful explosion of colors painting the midnight sky. Marlene secretly stole glances at Allen's beautiful face, relishing the play of shadows and lights the bursting fireworks spilled onto his face.

Millerna gazed at the night sky, her bright blue eyes soft. "I do hope it'll be a bountiful year ahead," she murmured.

Allen smiled as he looked at the last remaining fireworks lighting up the sky. The noises were also gradually fading now, as the villagers have come to stop their own fanciful celebrations and went back to the real world. People the world over mark the first day of the New Year as some kind of definite point in time, like a goal or a fork on the road where in you can leave everything behind and start from scratch. For village people like them, it wasn't like that. The New Year's celebration was the recognition of the continuity of their known lives. It was the gratitude that they had another year to go on doing the things they have been doing since they all could remember.

Remembering was something Allen and Millerna knew all too well, but such was not the case for the newest addition to their little family. "It's another year for you, too, Marlene." Allen told her gently. "Can you remember anything now?"

Marlene was truly touched that he cared. She thought about the year that had passed. She had a lot of memories that year. She closed her large green eyes and replayed her favourites in her head. They were memories that she knew she would keep forever.

Unlike the memories of her past that evaded her still.

She opened her eyes and sighed. "No, Allen," she answered. "I still don't remember anything."

Allen smiled at her. "That's good." He said, patting her hand softly. "That means that you're staying with us a little bit longer."

Marlene blushed, and was glad that the darkness concealed it. The night had been cold and quiet once again, and she shivered a little bit, though the hand he had patted felt warm. Nearly everything about Allen made her very nervous, and it was quite obvious that she had feelings for him. She looked a bit sad, though. It had been four years now that she stayed together with Millerna and Allen. They live a quiet, simple life, surrounded by hardworking, helpful people, and she was honestly very happy and contented living here with them. She considered herself to be the most fortunate of women; she had escaped death, was given a new life, a brand new start. She had always been so thankful to be so blessed; she couldn't ask for anything more.

But there had always been something deep inside her that kept telling her that there was something more. There was something—or someone— that kept intruding upon her thoughts and dreams, chewing on her insides, making her feel that her new, happy life was somewhat empty, that it was lacking something really important. She couldn't really explain it; it was something so trivial yet haunting that even though it only exists at the back of her mind, it was a very powerful force nonetheless.

Marlene had contemplated on it for years now. There were times when she felt that she knew what it was that she was looking for, but just as smoke slowly dissipating into the air, the idea quickly vanishes and slips past her grasping fingers. There were also times when Millerna would catch her staring blankly onto the ocean, or gazing faraway into the horizon. Her sister had been quite troubled it, and had tried on several occasions to talk to her about it, fearing that she might wake up one day to find Marlene gone away. Millerna had grown quite fiercely protective of her, and clutched at her like she was some fickle dream that would shatter given the chance.

Marlene remembered one such occasion when Millerna had embraced her so ferociously, she could feel the fear pulsing in her sister's veins. She had reassured her that she was real, that she was not a dream that would fade at daybreak. This was her new home, and her new life, and she was happy and contented here.

But in spite of herself, Marlene secretly doubted that she was not. She had felt it. It was as real and yielding as the ground under her feet. She finally came to a brief understanding of the thing which kept nagging inside of her. It was a yearning for something. It was an unbearable longing, an overpowering urge of wanderlust that seemed to be calling her name to come, and search for it. She had always felt as if there was something—someone—out there that she needed to find, that she wanted to find. She couldn't help it anymore; she believed that somewhere, far beyond the great blue ocean, behind the towering peaks of the majestic mountains, over the endless blue skies, there was something wondrous that awaited her, there was someone calling her to come and find that person, calling to her soul, to the very core of her being, calling out her name over and over again.

But... I don't even know my name...

"Allen, Marlene! Look!" Millerna suddenly said.

The two of them looked at the white smear at the sky Millerna was pointing to. "A shooting star!" she exclaimed.

"I know what I want," Millerna said, a dreamy, faraway look in her eyes. "I wish for a safe, prosperous year ahead."

Allen closed his eyes and clasped his hands together. "I wish that Millerna and Marlene won't get me fat."

Millerna gently slapped his arm. "Be serious!" She then turned and smiled at her sister. "What do you want to wish for, Marlene?" she asked.

Marlene looked up at the sky, glanced away from the both of them, hiding the emotions swelling up in her eyes. "Marlene..." Millerna softly asked. "What's wrong, dear?"

She grew still for a moment. "I'm scared, Millerna." Marlene whispered. "I'm so happy living here with you, it makes me so afraid..."

Allen and Millerna watched her apprehensively.

"... Afraid that one day, I'll wake up from this dream, finding myself lost once again... Reminding me how fragile happiness really is..."

Millerna, her caring sister, gently gathered her hands in hers and smiled reassuringly to her. "Then you should wish for it. Wish for the happiness that you know you want."

But is that what I really want?

She closed her eyes and felt the beat of her heart, listening to its rhythm, its voice.

You already know that you're already lost. You have never even been found. You're just afraid to lose them, just as you lost everything else about you.

"I don't know what I really want," she lied. "But I do know what to wish for..."

Allen and Millerna looked somewhat sadly at her, obviously knowing what she probably meant to say.

She turned and smiled broadly at them. "I wish that Millerna will eat more than I do, then she'll get fat."

Allen laughed and Millerna let out a breath she was unconsciously holding. "You're crazy." She blurted, although she felt relieved. "It's late. We'd better get to bed if we want to wake up before twilight."

As Allen waved them goodbye and Millerna came inside the house to close the windows, Marlene looked once more at the now obscure sky. The shooting star wasn't there anymore, but the voice she heard in her heart was still there. I do wish to find my memories, she thought. I want to know who I really am. I want to know myself... I want to find my secrets, the ones hidden from me by my past. I want to know what is out there that keeps calling out my name...

... But I'm scared of losing my future with Millerna... With Allen.

Millerna called to her to come inside and to get some rest. Marlene took one last long look at the vast, endless sky, turned, sighed, and walked towards home. Soon, the small, flickering lights from the gas lamps faded and died, and the whole village was still once again, like a ghostly ruin where not a soul dwelled.

Somewhere from beyond the great blue ocean, a salty sea breeze blew in and rustled the leaves of the palm trees, swirling around the dust and the dried grass. Marlene's wish, a silent and encompassing prayer to the high heavens, rode the sea breeze and rose slowly and soared upwards, meeting with a warm unknown wind bringing in a message, a summons of a distant and unearthly voice, beckoning, calling out her name.

Hitomi...

If only she had listened.