Page 12 (Strange Meetings) – Written by Rebecca Roach

(email: Screamer19@rocketmail.com)

"Hitomi!!!" shrieked Terra. She dropped the staff and fell to her knees at Hitomi’s side. Terra felt tears welling up in her eyes, but she pushed it away so she could focus on helping Hitomi. Terra focused on Hitomi’s bleeding leg. She had to stop the bleeding. Terra grabbed a small knife sitting by the cooking meat. Using the knife Terra removed a strip of fabric from her skirt. She tied the strip of cloth as tight as she could just above the wound to help stop the bleeding.

Hitomi groaned as Terra tightened the strip on her leg. "Terra….." Hitomi said struggling to remain conscious. "I have to tell you where we are." Terra paused to listen worried of her friend’s wound. "We are on Gaea, and up in the sky is earth…." Terra hesitantly looked up to the Earth and the Moon hanging low in the sky of this world. "Terra, you must try to find Van or Allen………" Hitomi slipped into unconsciousness from the loss of blood.

"Hitomi!" Terra shook Hitomi trying to reawaken her. Hitomi moaned but did not awaken. "Hitomi, please don’t leave me, Please! HITOMI!!!!!" Terra checked Hitomi’s heartbeat. It was weak but still beating. Terra burst into tears clutching Hitomi close to her. Terra’s mind was racing as the tidal wave of emotions surfaced. * How did this happen? John why, Why, WHY!!!!! How could he! That drunken bastard!! But, now where am I? Gaea? Who’s Van or Allen? And how does Hitomi know this place? What am I going to do now? I can’t just leave her to get help. But where do I get help? Oh God…….What am I going to do? * "Hitomi, please don’t leave me, please," she whispered.

Merle followed the scent of meat. She eventually came to a small forest. She passed through the trees. Eventually, she stopped close to the edge of the forest behind a tree. She peered down the gentle slope to see a small fading fire and two figures. One figure was bent over and clutching the other one. As Merle leaned further around the tree she noticed an oddly shaped dent in the bark. It seemed to be semi human-shaped. She purred in curiosity, then began her stealthy decent down the slope.

As she got closer, Merle could see there had been a fight of some sort. Some weapons were thrown about. She could hear that one of the figures was sobbing. Merle crept up behind the sacks and blankets on the opposite side of the campfire to get a closer look.

Terra continued to cry as she clutched Hitomi in her arms. She was slightly rocking her hoping to bring Hitomi back to consciousness. Terra paused when she heard a slight rustle. She cautiously looked around the campfire. She reached for the staff and shakily commanded "Who’s there!?" Merle froze with her back to the sacks and held her breath. Terra eased Hitomi to the ground, turned to the fire in a crouching position, and again commanded "Who’s there!! Show yourself!! I’m warning you…."

Merle startled and frightened unwittingly let out a slight "eeep!" Terra leaped over the dwindling fire to the sacks. Using the staff to knock away a sack and place the end of the staff on the body hiding behind them. Terra was enflamed with emotion. "Who are you, and you better answer this time or bones are going to start breaking!"

"Please, please don’t hurt me!!" Merle pleaded. "I didn’t mean any harm. I’m very hungry and I’m hurting. Please have mercy," Merle pleaded.

Terra seeing the fear in "it’s" eyes and the sincerity in it’s voice, "Alright, you can eat, but in return you must help me and my friend. Watch it though. Don’t do anything to suddenly or you will be in a lot more pain then you are now." Terra was not playing games. She was going to have obedience from this cat-thing. Hitomi’s life was depending on it.

Merle nodded, accepting the conditions. She slowly crawled to the meat and slowly began to eat never taking her eyes off of the strange girl with a torn skirt and staff and a gleam of raging determination in her eyes.

Terra cautiously returned to Hitomi’s side keeping an eye on the strange cat-creature that could apparently speak. "Hitomi," she whispered, "I think I might have found some help for you." She again took Hitomi in her arms, rocking her gently.

Merle slowed her eating to get a better look at who the strange girl was holding. Timidly she asked, "What kind of help do you need?"

Terra looked at the cat-creature. Terra’s rage faded out of her eyes. "My friend…" She resisted the tears that pressured her eyes. "My friend, Hitomi has been wounded." Merle ears perked up at the sound of Hitomi’s name. "She’s lost a lot of blood. I don’t know where I am or why the Earth is hanging in the sky. Please you must help us." The tears wouldn’t wait anymore. Terra resumed to cry. She knew Hitomi had lost a lot of blood and from the appearance of the men she battled this world was somewhat lacking the technology and assistance that Hitomi desperately needed.

Merle felt a wave of emotions. Slight joy to see Hitomi again, but sick, weak feeling when she realized that Hitomi was really hurt. Merle began to rush to Hitomi. "Don’t come too close!" commanded the weak and crying Terra.

"Please, I know Hitomi. Let me see her and help her," responded Merle.

"How do I know that I can trust you?"

"What other choice do you have?" replied Merle.

Terra realized that she was desperate. In this strange world, this cat-girl was Hitomi’s only chance of survival. "Alright," sighed Terra. Merle rushed to Hitomi. Merle gently pawed Hitomi and licked her hand. Merle looked up at the strange girl with eyes questioning what happened. "She was shot in the leg," Terra confessed. Merle cocked her head in slight confusion. * Shot? What’s that? * Merle thought. Terra realizing the cat-girl didn’t understand she resorted to the basics. "Listen, she’s lost a lot of blood and if she doesn’t get help soon she might die." Merle looked upset.

"There’s a road no too far up the hill. It probably leads to a town. I’ll help you carry her," offered Merle. Terra nodded in approval.

"Let’s see if there is anything useful here before we leave," Terra suggested. Terra lay Hitomi back down. She headed over to the blankets and proceeded to rig a stretcher with the swords and the staff. Merle hurried to the sacks and dumped them out. She pocketed some of the silver coins. Merle saw what Terra was making and helped. They took the stretcher over to Hitomi. They began moving Hitomi onto the stretcher.

"Oh," moaned Hitomi. She squinted in pain and opened her eyes. Terra and Merle stopped. "Hitomi," they said in stereo. Hitomi tried her best to focus on the two figures leaning over her. The light was very dim and the pain was still there. "Terra?"

"I’m here," she replied.

"Hitomi, It’s me Merle," Merle said.

"Merle? Where? Oh, please find Van…" Hitomi sighed as she slipped back into unconsciousness.

"Merle?" Terra questioned. "Let’s go." Terra let Merle carry the lighter end at Hitomi’s feet while she carried the bulk of Hitomi’s weight. Merle led the stretcher up the slope towards the forest. Terra looked up at the starry sky with the Earth and the Moon hanging in full view. She didn’t know how she got to this place called Gaea, but for now that question would have to wait.