PROPHECY, DESTINY, AND TRUTHS
Stranger's and Umi's destinies are told (cont.)
Early morning sunlight filtered in to the front foom, peeking through Umi's eyelids.
She turned away from the window, covering her head with the blanket, and moaning tiredly.
But she was already awake, and it was hard to go back to sleep when she was partly awake.
I hate you, sun...
She groaned angrily, lifting her head up slowly from her pillow, and staring directly out through the window.
The sun contracted her pupils painfully, causing her to look down and squint out.
"Ugh..." she opened her mouth, slipping from under Stranger's hugging arm, and placing her feet on the ticking flat grass carpet.
She shuffled tiredly in to the kitchen, taking in water and splashing it on her face.
As she lowered her towel, taps at the door called her to attention.
She walked slowly to the door, and slowly opened it to mind the creak that squawked.
The Queen stood there, hands behind back, and smiling greetfully to the restful human.
"Good morning, Umi," she spoke softly.
I hope you rested well?"
Umi made a affirming moan, rubbing her groggy eyes, and staring back at the three other villagers behind her.
"That's good," she nodded, still staring at Umi with gentle lavender eyes.
"What's up?" Umi spoke.
The Queen slowly looked back up to Umi.
"It is time, for you two to depart," she announced.
Umi made a little chuckle.
"Can't this wait, 'til ol' Stranger gets up?" she thumbed overf her shoulder to the giant hump breathing on the couch.
The Queen looked over Umi's arm, then gave a heavy sigh, as she leaned back to Umi.
"The Seer requires you to come down to the Native's Village, so he can see you two off," she nodded with a frown.
"but, we can wait until Steef is awake,"
"Thanks. I'll let 'im know when he gets up," Umi smiled gratefully.
She looked back in the house, then back to the Queen with a sincere frown.
"D'you..wanna come in out of the cold, ma'am?"
But she shook her head refusingly.
"I'm sorry, Umi. I must get back to the Elder. But we will be ready for your arrival,"
The Queen bowed her head, turned to her villagers, and swept away with them.
Umi sighed, shutting the door away from the outside.
She walked back in to the front room, and closed the blinds, so when the sun got higher, it wouldn't bother Stranger.
She looked back to Stranger, giving a gentle smile to his sound sleeping face.
This is going to be a helluva day, Stranger...
Stranger let out a sleepy sigh, shuffling in to a more comfortable position away from the window.
Umi giggled at his action, then slipped down in front of the matress.
She rested her eyes, not realizing that she had fallen asleep.
Her conscious began to imagine the journey to the last Steef tribe, travelling through the vast green, rolling fields, spotted with colorful exotic flowers blooming at their feet, and creatures, grazng peacefully at the soft baby-soft grasses.
Hopefully, she would see new and exotic creatures she never seen before, rather than Clakkers, Grubbs, and Fuzzles. It would add to her growing mind of what Oddworld was really like.
Then, a roaming hoard of four-legged creatures stampeded across the fields, trilling with glee, while running with their partners.
Steef stampeded across, roaring their energy out ahead. Their eyes were filled with joy, as they lived free and wild.
But one stood out. A familiar face that ran along behind the Steef herd.
At that moment, she realized who it was, but she didn't smile at the fact she knew who it was.
It was who he was running with.
A female.
That would make her proud, if Stranger got a mate to spend his life with, rather than a kid. It would be a new discovery for him, to have a real family, instead of a human and Steef.
But as the Steef rumbled by, the clouds suddenly clapped to a pitch black.
The fields disappeared, swirling to a deep red.
Umi jolted to attention, staring fearfully around at the sudden change of atmosphere.
Three sets of eyes dissolved from the darkness, glaring deeply at her.
Umi couldn't bare to stare in to them, but she couldn't look down from them.
Something about those eyes were familiar.
Was it someone she met back in the days of bounty hunting?
Someone possibly she hated?
The eyes ringed around her, and spun, tormenting her with words.
She snapped from her thoughts, only despirate to escape the dementing eyes.
"STOP IT!" she yelled.
The eyes only chuckled, continuing their tormenting.
Umi growled, hating the antagonizing.
She ran through them, the eyes keeping a good distance near her back.
But then, the eyes shrouded back in to a dark veil, camouflaging themselves within the darkness.
"Huh?" Umi looked over her shoulder.
Relief flooded over her chest, looking back ahead.
But suddenly, she came to an abrupt halt.
A trail of red liquid trailed near her foot, growing in to white-stained red snow beneath her feet.
She followed the sprouting trail of blood to an image slowly coming in to view.
As it came to view, Umi's mouth hung open in disbelief.
"No..." she scarcely spoke.
The picture was clear, a body soakened in its own blood.
Not just any body.
Hers.
Her body lay in a bloody tatter, staning the snow a bright red, bullet holes torn tenderly through her body.
Umi's lip quivered fearfully, as the body now began to disappear, along with the snow.
She knelt down forcefully on her knees, her head slightly dropped.
She sat in a pitch black aura, alone...
Did she view the future?
Or was it only a dream?
It felt too real to be a dream.
But yet, she never had dreams so real like this.
Something odd was happening.
She felt herself fall apart, her breath fall short. Her breath cut off, only leaving her with a final scream.
"NOOOOO!" she screamed, flinging her head back in an energetic roar.
Umi? a voice called, leaving a chilling echo.
She didn't listen, continuing her roar.
This fear would hold her down, during the journey, and after.
And it seemed nothing wold break it.
"Umi!" Stranger shook her.
Tears flushed down her face.
"Kid! Wake up!" his grip grew tighter.
She gasped in, opening her eyes wide with shock.
"Stranger...Stranger..." she panted hoarsely.
"What's wrong? I'm right 'ere..."
She snapped her gaze up to his terrified gaze, a hand gripping tightly on his arm.
"Oh my odd...oh my god..." she panted quickly.
"It was horrible...I-I saw myself,"
She began to cry.
Stranger's lip drooped down, fearing the worst ahead to what was going to come next.
"What? What did yer see?"
She blinked fearfully, her lip quivering uncontrollably.
"I saw myself...in the snow...dead..." she tried to say calmly.
No...
The worst did come.
What he saw now was giving off to her.
And he knew she was weak to control it, much as if he did.
She crumbled down to his chest, crying soberly, and remembering her dream.
"Then...there were eyes...familar eyes..."
Stranger frowned concernly.
"Who were they?" he asked gently.
She slowly moved her head up to him, her eyes wide open.
He watched her, with gentle green eyes stuck on her tear-glazed eyes.
She gave a calm sigh, wiping her eyes.
"I'm...not so sure anymore..." she said calmly.
Stranger looked in to her eyes, reading her thoughts.
He could tell she wasn't lying of this, which only brought him to fear.
"Well...it's all over now...I'm 'ere..." he smoothed her hair down her back, resting his jaw on her head.
She wanted to believe it was over, that she wouldn't dream of this any more.
But she also felt it wasn't done yet. They would be back.
For it was only the beginning of her nightmares, and the beginning of a true vision.
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