| THE ADVENTURES OF THE O'CONNELL FAMILY Page 35 |
| "I am coming, I just had to get some supplies." As she approached him and they began to move forward she noticed his limp again, becoming more concerned with his welfare she once more asked him if he was fit to travel. His answer was "Yes, I am fine for the time being, now let us move." "Damn it Ardeth, no you aren't! You can't hide from me under your tough skin, as much as you don't want to know and will not admit I can see what's wrong, you are injured, let us stop now--" "I am hiding?" Disbelief riddled his features. "Really Nefret, say that with a straight face. I am not the one hiding here. All you do is hide from me, from other people, I can not help you come into the light, you must do that for yourself. I can guide you, but I can not physically drag you into life, that is something that only you can do." Her face turned scarlet with anger and Ardeth began to notice the seething fury that built up inside her. He could see this all through her eyes. Eyes, he had learned early on, would make and break a person. Looking him straight in the eyes Nefret began to yell. "You know what? You have no idea why I am the way that I am. I do not try to cave in on myself. It happens because everyone else seems to launch themselves at me!" By this time tears had once again formed in Nefret's dark eyes. Ardeth could hear the distress in her voice and began to think that maybe he shouldn't have brought up the subject, but then immediately changed his mind as he realized it would come out sometime, and that now was as good a time as any. "Well, while we are on this subject, why are you the way that you are?" His voice was calming, but still she found herself saying, "You would not understand." She averted her eyes, turning her head away from him as she did so. Her words were like a blow to Ardeth. He took a sharp intake of air to his lungs as he tried to control his fury. "Nefret, " he choked out, "do you think that I do not care about you? Because, if you do, then you are an insensitive human being. Do you know how hard it is for me to be feeling this way? I am not supposed to, I am a Med-Jai, protector over all that is good. Nefret, do you hear me, I am not allowed to love, but yet I love you because I sense that you are different, that you are unique and that you are mature. But now I am not so sure. If we can not even discuss the little things in life that trifle us then how do you expect this relationship to work? Allah works in mysterious ways, and we must learn to embrace him, and get as much from him as we can, all the while giving back. You are not giving back." She turned from him then, biting her fist to keep from crying out. She did nothing to stop the tears from coming, her shoulders sagging as she stood shaking in fury and sadness. He did not feel sorry for afflicting her with so much pain, she deserved it for how she was acting. He had thought that she needed to be opened up to the real world where everything didn't just revolve around her. He bit back these words because he still did not know the full extent of her life. What she said next made him wish he could take back everything that he had just thought and said. "Ardeth, do you know what it's like to have a sibling slain before you? Do you even know how it feels to know that you could have done something but did nothing to prevent it, not even if you tried? She was so innocent, not even four. She had so much promise; she was gorgeous. She never had the chance to live, to experience life. The way she died, my father to this day will not speak of it. But I will and maybe in so doing I will put her little soul to rest." Ardeth whispered, keeping his distance, "Go on, I am listening." "I was barely ten, just a little girl really. It was two days after my coming of age ceremony that they came. We still to this day do not know who they were and why. It was quarter past ten when they attacked. We were all sitting around the table playing a game. I had a premonition and reached for my father's scimitar, which always hung by the cupboard in its sheath. My family all looked at me, wondering what on earth was happening but then they heard it, the distant warbling, the common noise of attack. My mother and siblings rushed to the opposite end of the house while my father searched for a weapon. I would not let him have his scimitar insisting that I knew how to use it. Even though still to this day this puzzles me seeing that I had had no previous experience with weaponry before hand. When they broke through the door I was ready. I slew three of them before one escaped beyond my reach running straight for my little sister Asyria, who had, unknowingly to me, come into the eating room screaming for me. I watched, shocked as he lunged forwards thrusting his sword straight through her. She let out a bloodcurdling scream before he ripped the sword from her, a grinding sort of gyrating noise followed. I ran to her side as she took her last breath, holding her hand, reassuring her that she was going to a better place and that one day I would be there with her. Before she faded she told me that she loved me, as well as our family. It broke my heart, but I rose to the occasion fighting and killing the remaining attackers. The murderer of my sister escaped however, and I am sure is living right now. I have never stopped blaming myself for her death. But I swear that if I ever meet that man that took her from me I will torture him like there's no tomorrow. He will die wishing he had never lived." She said the last with indignation, her eyes flaring with demonic fury. Ardeth reached out his hand, brushing her tears away. "Her death will be avenged, I promise Nefret." ~*~*~*~*~ Asyria gazed down upon her sister smiling her sweet angelic smile. "You saved me Neffie, I am no longer alone, you are with me now, I love you." And with that the little dark haired girl lept up into the shining stars, disappearing from sight instantaneously. Krista ([email protected]) April 26, 2002 As Jonathan and Gabrielle remained on one side of the gate, the others continued forth in the rescue of Alex. As Evelyn and Olympus silently walked, Rick watched his wife quietly from behind. She was still somewhat covered in blood by her battle with Anck-su-namun. He frowned, thinking to himself how some of the wounds would get infected. Then he frowned again as he thought of holding Alex, who was worse than his mother's present state. Glancing down at his hands, Rick realized for the first time that his hands were covered in a light coat of dirt and possibly his son's blood. 'How long have my hands been like this?' He wondered. |