[R1999] Short Stories' Collection

Vertin x Schneider: At the end of the dream

Vertin opened her eyes and looked at the sky above.

It was a peaceful blue sky with floating white clouds that had various shapes, such as a gun, a feather, a pearl necklace and an orange.

She found herself lying on a meadow with a vague memory.

Where was she? On a meadow.

What was she doing? Just waking up after a nap.

First and foremost, was there any sign of raining on the sky?

Sitting up, Vertin didn't know why she even put that question on her mind above all the things she should ask herself. However, she still checked the sky carefully.

The clouds still kept its white and the breeze was still as gentle as ever, although the sun was nowhere to be found.

There was definitely no sign showing that rain would suddenly pour down...

"...And flows upward towards the sky." She mumbled.

Next, she stood up and looked around the green meadow. Nothing like a person or a house could be seen from here, so she had to move to another place.

Before leaving, Vertin felt like she lost something because her head was supposed to wear a hat and her right hand should hold a rather big suitcase. Similar to the previous question about rain, the thought about hat and suitcase just popped out on her mind, as if it was a responsibility of her to remember. But the sunshine wasn't too bright at this time of the day, so she didn't think a hat was required. About the suitcase, it may contain her important possessions, then she must find it.

Vertin began her travel. Along the way, she met many mysterious creatures and object playing together or doing their things.

On the left of the road, a white duck with a sparkling badge on her chest was chasing a white bear wearing a red cloak, an orange dog which had a diamond band was reading a newspaper, a raven with a black hat was listening to the floating tombstones and a pack of six black wolves were curling and sleeping together in the shade. On the right of the road, a calico cat which was equipped with a strange machine on its back was having a heating conversation with a lion cub which wore a black sunglasses about flea market, while a pair of silver gauntlets holding a sword was singing a French song with the attempt to cheer up the owl holding a small umbrella in its mouth.

Inside the wood, there was a black cat moving swiftly between the branches of the trees, a white terrier began its adventure with a pink plushie that had green eyes and a white-tailed deer, a plover was finding small fairies and a fat snowy owl with an ushanka was flapping its small wings to find the way out. On the sky, two eagles were flying with lighting speed and not far away, a marmot which could fly was using its camera to take pictures.

Although watching them was a new and fun experience, Vertin didn't stop any times on her journey, since there was a voice whispering in her ear that at the deepest part of the wood, the thing she was seeking for was there.

As Vertin nearly reached the deepest part of the wood, light gradually faded away from her vision and what was left behind was the endless darkness. The only sound she could hear was her own footsteps and sound of broken branches. Despite the fact that blindingly walking like this would lead her to nowhere as well as making her hurt, she kept going forward, following the rushing beats of her heart.

CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP

After falling down and standing up again several times, with many bruises, Vertin finally heard other noise from something else other than hers. By following that familiar noise, she eventually had a direction which lead to another source of light. She saw a yellow cricket that had a red neck, singing its melody, as if a present for the person who didn't give up on their journey till the end. Next to the cricket, her hat and suitcase were lying there.

When Vertin approached her assets, put on her hat and picked up her suitcase, the cricket was no longer singing, just watching her in silence.

"Thank you for helping me again, Schneider." She talked to the cricket.

As soon as the hat and the suitcase came back to her, Vertin also regained her memories. She remembered all the things, including the girl with ruby eyes and red feathers.

The cricket didn't reply to her, but somehow, she could see that girl smiling with her.

"I will come back again. I promise." She said.

Vertin sat down before the cricket, lowered her head and put a light kiss on its head.

"See you again, Schneider."

Then, she picked up the suitcase again and left the wood to continue on her never-ending journey - braving the Storm.

As the master of the dream departed, everything inside lost their shapes and colors, all became one with the mist, except for the cricket, which turned into a girl with short brown hair.

"...I knew that you would return to me at the end, My Lord."

The girl smiled gently and silently waited for their next meetings.