Subject: Leaving.
Date: Mon, 09 Nov 1998 22:55:03 -0500
From: Teri-Chan <techamp@vassar.edu>

>Teri groaned as the sunlight hit her face and she began to wake up-- in the
>next heartbeat she had bolted up in her pallat and stood looking at the
>empty patch of floor that had, a day ago, contained Stana's stuff. It had
>already begun collecting dust. Why had stana left? where had she gone? why
>hadn't she had the decency to say goodbye? where was clip? with stana? why,
>when it was Teri he had kissed that night, hours before they must have
>left... Why had they left her alone, without so much as an explanation? She
>felt it welling deep in her stomach, too much emotion too quickly: Hurt,
>Lonliness, Panic, Rage, Loss, and Fear.. bubbling deep inside her and
>rising. She closed her eyes. She was on her knees and her hands were
>clutching her head tighly down as she balled herself up-- too much, too
much!
>
>The Jiy whirred fitfully, spitting staccato sounds as colors flashed
>against the glass skin. White, Black, teal, yellow, red, grey,
aquamarine...
>
>Things in the room started shaking, then. Waves poured out of the girl,
>too much for the Jiy to contain, and spread outward, pushing against the
>constraints of the room. Wood creaked, and the glass of the window bent
>outward, tinged red to the small remains of teri's comprehending vision.
>
>And then it was over, and she lay panting on all fours, cold sweat
>dropping steadily to the floor. Her body ached raw from the inside out,
>her throat scorched from silent screaming. She was pale and drawn, and out
>of breath.
>
>THe Jiy still shuddered, on the pallet from which it had had no chance to
>move. Nearly translucent, but fogged with a pulsing pink-- much the rawness
>that Teri herself felt.
>
>The bible was poking into her shin, she noticed remotely.
>
>She grabbed it, and not even lifting her head, hurled it against the wall.
>
>The anger, the fear, the 'why did you leave' was still there inside her,
>but she was too exhausted to...
>
>She pushed herself to her feet a while later, the sweat finally drying and
>her shaking lessening. She had her things packed and was contemplating what
>to do with Stana's two belongings (throw them away like the betrayer
>deserved, or keep them-) when Shinji stumbled into the small room, grunting
>in pain.
>
>She looked up--
>
>"What happened?" they said simultaneously.
>
>Teri's brows furrowed dangerously. "What the hell have you been doing." It
>wasn't a question.
>
>"Are you alright?! You look awful!"
>
>Teri continued to glare. "I'm fine. Get your stuff together, we're leaving
>here."
>
>"You don't want to wait around for the others?" he said, working a muscle
>knot in his neck.
>
>"I hope I never see them again," she said softly and a bit too casually.
"Are you ready to go?"
>
>* * *
It had taken less than half an hour for them to be ready. It wasn't like
they had much stuff to pack, but still the speed in which they had finished,
not to mention Teri's haste in leaving, had greatly alarmed Shinji. He
picked up a final small item, threw it into his makeshift duffel bag, and
turned to glance at Teri.
The girl had finished packing up, and was looking at a stuffed animal
that was seated by the table. After what appeared to be a second of
hesitation, she picked up the bear and tucked it into her bag. She made for
the door.
"Hurry up. We're moving out," she said without turning to face him. With
that she stepped out the door. Shinji picked up his own load, then made to
follow her. He stopped in mid-step, an unfamiliar feeling causing him to
stop. He looked into the open doorway which led to the bed room, and felt an
urge to look in there one last time. Unable to control himself, he stepped
inside and was instantly drawn to the small book that Teri had flung at the
wall earlier. He reached down and picked up the book, what had Teri called
it?, the Bible, and examined its slightly worn cover. Tentatively, he opened
the book to something called Genesis.
His head was suddenly filled with a white heat, causing him to grip his
head and crouch down in shock. Scenes, as if scene through bloodied eyes,
flashed across the video screen of his mind.
Bright light.
Beautiful music.
A horrid scream.
A insane, small little man glaring at him, laughing with wide, gleeful,
eyes.
Another scream, this time his own. Blood. Feathers as white and soft as
clouds fluttered in the air. Then darkness, total and absolute.
Shinji....
...Shinji...
"Shinji! Are you even listening to me?!"
"Huh? What...?" he murmured vaguely. The pictures were gone, leaving a
hurtful emptiness to fester inside him. He looked up to see a very impatient
Teri standing over him.
"I swear," she said, exasperated. "Sometimes I don't know what's going
on in that head of yours. Can we go now?" she asked. She knew she was being
a bit cold, but right now behavior wasn't her primary concern. Shinji got to
his feet and picked up his bag.
"Um, whatever. Lets get moving," he answered. He waited for her to exit
the room before slipping the Bible under his chest plate. Something told him
it was important, though for the life of him, he didn't know why.