04-15-2018, 10:45 PM
As Kaleigh bounded down one of the empty paths of the Nexus, she considered her plan for the future. Specifically, how she didn’t have one except to stay positive and keep moving. Each step was both advancing her goal and reminding her that she needed to think of something to do. Hope mixed with uncertainty, creating a confusing cocktail that swirled around in her stomach, occasionally bubbling up as fleeting instances of doubt that caught in her throat.
She stopped suddenly, pausing to banish the negative feelings that had somehow accumulated inside her. This was a new start, a new beginning; the last thing she wanted to do was to start it off with anything other than enthusiasm. With a deep breath, she let a wide smile escape her, and then prepared to begin again.
This time, she was interrupted by the sounds of rapid footfalls behind her, accompanied by the soft sobs of a person in pain.
She turned as she noticed the new sounds, just in time to catch sight of a girl running straight towards her, clearly distressed about something. Her head was down, her arms wrapped around her chest like she was afraid her feeling were going to physically tear her apart. Everything about how she moved seemed to be calling for help, some parts not as subtle as others.
Without hesitation, Kaleigh faced the oncoming girl and raised one arm perpendicular to the path. A second later, the girl ran straight into it, and Kaleigh quickly caught her and pulled her into an impromptu hug in an attempt to calm her down.
“Hey, wait-” Kaleigh tried, but the girl struggled and shoved the restraining arm out of her way.
“Non!” the girl screamed in response, pushing herself away and making it a few more steps down the path before collapsing to her knees.
Kaleigh stepped forward cautiously, watching the girl as she sobbed loudly. It was hard to resist holding the girl and trying to calm her down, to help her relax, but that had already failed once and Kaleigh wasn’t too eager to try again.
“What’s wrong?” She tried, genuine concern in her voice, “Maybe I can help?”
“I must…” The girl choked out, lifted her head to look down the path towards the gate she had started running towards, “I must… save my friends...”
Kaleigh’s heart jumped at those words, adrenaline pumping through it as a wide smile crept on to her face. Just when she had been doubting what path to take, one had fallen right in front of her. A way forward, just the thought was enough to revitalize her spirit! She watched the girl struggle to her feet, and as soon as she was standing Kaleigh put a hand on her shoulder.
“Let me help! Which way are they?” she asked, excitement evident in her voice.
The girl looked forward down the path, then slowly turned her head to look one at a time at the gates on the paths next to the one they were on.
“La mémoire est perdue…” she mumbled.
“What?”
“I said, ‘I do not remember.’” The girl repeated herself, a bit more understandable this time.
If this slowed Kaleigh’s excitement, it didn’t show. She put a little force on the other girl’s shoulder, moving them both forward.
“Well, no point in standing around then.” she declared cheerily, “Let’s just try and see where we end up.”
“O-oui… and if it’s wrong?”
“The only wrong choice is not trying.” Kaleigh responded confidently, “I’ll stick with you till we get it right, how’s that? My name’s Kaleigh.”
“M-myst. Cassandra Myst.”
She stopped suddenly, pausing to banish the negative feelings that had somehow accumulated inside her. This was a new start, a new beginning; the last thing she wanted to do was to start it off with anything other than enthusiasm. With a deep breath, she let a wide smile escape her, and then prepared to begin again.
This time, she was interrupted by the sounds of rapid footfalls behind her, accompanied by the soft sobs of a person in pain.
She turned as she noticed the new sounds, just in time to catch sight of a girl running straight towards her, clearly distressed about something. Her head was down, her arms wrapped around her chest like she was afraid her feeling were going to physically tear her apart. Everything about how she moved seemed to be calling for help, some parts not as subtle as others.
Without hesitation, Kaleigh faced the oncoming girl and raised one arm perpendicular to the path. A second later, the girl ran straight into it, and Kaleigh quickly caught her and pulled her into an impromptu hug in an attempt to calm her down.
“Hey, wait-” Kaleigh tried, but the girl struggled and shoved the restraining arm out of her way.
“Non!” the girl screamed in response, pushing herself away and making it a few more steps down the path before collapsing to her knees.
Kaleigh stepped forward cautiously, watching the girl as she sobbed loudly. It was hard to resist holding the girl and trying to calm her down, to help her relax, but that had already failed once and Kaleigh wasn’t too eager to try again.
“What’s wrong?” She tried, genuine concern in her voice, “Maybe I can help?”
“I must…” The girl choked out, lifted her head to look down the path towards the gate she had started running towards, “I must… save my friends...”
Kaleigh’s heart jumped at those words, adrenaline pumping through it as a wide smile crept on to her face. Just when she had been doubting what path to take, one had fallen right in front of her. A way forward, just the thought was enough to revitalize her spirit! She watched the girl struggle to her feet, and as soon as she was standing Kaleigh put a hand on her shoulder.
“Let me help! Which way are they?” she asked, excitement evident in her voice.
The girl looked forward down the path, then slowly turned her head to look one at a time at the gates on the paths next to the one they were on.
“La mémoire est perdue…” she mumbled.
“What?”
“I said, ‘I do not remember.’” The girl repeated herself, a bit more understandable this time.
If this slowed Kaleigh’s excitement, it didn’t show. She put a little force on the other girl’s shoulder, moving them both forward.
“Well, no point in standing around then.” she declared cheerily, “Let’s just try and see where we end up.”
“O-oui… and if it’s wrong?”
“The only wrong choice is not trying.” Kaleigh responded confidently, “I’ll stick with you till we get it right, how’s that? My name’s Kaleigh.”
“M-myst. Cassandra Myst.”