Reflected Reality

Chapter 8
The Watcher

~Len~

The coughing fit ensued for a full five minutes before he could stop. He swallowed hard, feeling like he had a large lump in his raw throat. He cleared it and, with eyes streaming from the coughing, peered at the girl. She had been coughing as well he noticed. He wondered if what happened to him here happened to her there. She really was his reflection.

He cast his gaze about the clearing, wishing water would magically appear before his eyes. He thought about leaving the clearing to search for a river or going home for a drink, but the thought was banished from his mind when he remembered the lonely four years he had suffered. He looked up at the sky, wishing for rain. The sky was still as blue as ever, with no cloud in sight. He sighed. What was he to do?

He tried to hum, but his voice still cracked and faltered. He turned back to the girl and watched her with sad eyes. "I'm. Losing. My. Voice," he mouthed to her. She frowned, and her eyes glistened with unfalling tears.

"Me. Too," she mouthed back. So it was happening to her as well as him, Len realised. So, sometime soon their song would cease to exsist and there would be no way they could save one another. He again shot a look over his shoulder. He'd only take a few minutes to find the water and then come right back. He remembered passing by a stream on his way to the clearing. He couldn't lose his voice now.

"I'll. Be. Back. Gotta. Find. Water," he told her, standing up on cramped legs. She did the same, looking behind her as if she knew where the stream was as well. "We'll. Both. Come. Back. OK?" he asked her, wanting to make sure before he left that she wasn't just leaving him. She nodded and grinned at him before rushing off into the background trees. He watched her leave and then turned on the spot to follow suit. When he reached the treeline, he glanced back and saw the mirror still stood where it was supposed to be. He then ducked under the branches and went to search for water.

The boy had left the clearing and on the oppposite side, so had the girl. It stood alone in the clearing, glimmering under the dappled sunlight. The Watcher moved from its hiding spot. It floated over to inspect its creation. Placing an unseen hand onto its glass, it judged how thin the glass had become. It ran its fingers along the glass until it found what it was expecting to find.

A tiny crack.

Smirking, the unknown Watcher melted into the surrounding trees and disappeared back to its hide-out. It was certain the two would be reunited soon. But its twisted game had only just begun...

Len ran through the bush, his belly full of water from the nearby stream. He charged through the ferns and halted once he came into sunlight. The mirror stood where it was still, it hadn't moved at all. He was very happy when he saw the girl standing at the same distance. She looked relieved and beamed when they both approached it.

His throat felt soothed and he hummed a tune to check it was a bit better. He could at lest hold the tune without it breaking, so he thought it was about time they continued their duet.

"Someday,
Believing it'll reach each other.
Will we be able to sing forever?" He was certain now they could. He was also positive the song was about to end. He placed his hand on the glass and laughed with so much happiness, his eyes teared up and his ribs ached. He had seen the tiny crack in the centre of the mirror and so had she.

~Rin~

The coughing fit ensued for a full five minutes before she could stop. She swallowed hard, feeling like she had a large lump in her raw throat. She cleared it and, with eyes streaming from the coughing, peered at the boy. He had been coughing as well she noticed. She wondered if what happened to her here happened to him there. He really was her reflection.

She cast her gaze about the clearing, wishing water would magically appear before her eyes. She thought about leaving the clearing to search for a river or going home for a drink, but the thought was banished from her mind when she remembered the lonely four years she had suffered. She looked up at the sky, wishing for rain. The sky was still as blue as ever, with no cloud in sight. She sighed. What was she to do?

She tried to hum, but her voice still cracked and faltered. She turned back to the boy and saw he had been watching her with sad eyes. "I'm. Losing. My. Voice," he mouthed to her. She frowned, and she felt her tears form in her eyes when she realised she was as well.

"Me. Too," she mouthed back. So it was happening to him as well as her, Rin realised. So, sometime soon their song would cease to exsist and there would be no way they could save one another. She again shot a look over her shoulder. She'd only take a few minutes to find the water and then come right back. She remembered passing by a stream on her way to the clearing. She couldn't lose her voice now.

The boy was looking over his shoulder and when he looked back at her, she knew what he was thinking before he even began to tell her. "I'll. Be. Back. Gotta. Find. Water."

He stood up and she did the same, looking behind her. "We'll. Both. Come. Back. OK?" he asked her. She nodded and grinned at him before running from the clearing. She had enough faith that the mirror would still be there and so would he.

When she had drunk her fill from the river, she ran back through the bush. She charged through the ferns and halted once she came into sunlight. The mirror stood where it was still, it hadn't moved at all. She was very happy when she saw the boy standing at the same distance. He looked relieved and beamed when they both approached it.

Her throat felt soothed and she hummed a tune to check it was a bit better. She could at lest hold the tune without it breaking, so she thought it was about time they continued their duet.

"Itsuka wa,
Todoku yoneto.
Itsuka made bokura ueru deshouka" She was certain now they could. She was also positive the song was about to end. She placed her hand on the glass and laughed with so much happiness, her eyes teared up and her ribs ached. She had seen the tiny crack in the centre of the mirror and so had he.