Seiji
It begins with a roar. At first, Seiji imagines some massive beast, some leviathan of the soil. But as he continues to walk, something pricks at the back of his mind. Memory: the crash of waves, the roiling black beyond his window. He continues to walk, his feet soft over the summer grass, his finger tips brushing past tree bark as if he maps his way by touch as well as sight. In truth, this forest looks the same in all directions, and he is at the mercy of the trees. But he feels no fear. Not yet. The sun sings somewhere high above, and a stiff breeze rifles through his hair, and curiosity wins over fear this time around.
And it is water. The nearer he draws, the more certain Seiji becomes. It is water. Not the sea, as he desperately hopes. Too small; too focused. No, it's merely a great plume falling from a distant height, crashing and thundering, dissolving into mist at the crown of a ruby red pool. As he reaches the shore, Seiji pauses, and blinks.
The water is reflected in his black eyes: red. Flawlessly red. Ripples feed out from the mouth of the falls, but near his toes the ruby liquid is still as a mirror. He stares down at it, and a shadowy, muted version of his face stares up at him, like an eclipsed moon. Seiji blinks then and looks up, rather unsettled. Someone sits near the edge of the pool several paces away, and he thinks he might recognize her. Or, if not her, then her strange companion...
Because he has nothing else to do, because he is more than a little lost, Seiji approaches. Rather than shout over the roar of the falls, he lifts a hand to wave until he has gained a little more distance. What is she doing here? Maybe she is lost, as well? Or maybe she can help him get back home...
And it is water. The nearer he draws, the more certain Seiji becomes. It is water. Not the sea, as he desperately hopes. Too small; too focused. No, it's merely a great plume falling from a distant height, crashing and thundering, dissolving into mist at the crown of a ruby red pool. As he reaches the shore, Seiji pauses, and blinks.
The water is reflected in his black eyes: red. Flawlessly red. Ripples feed out from the mouth of the falls, but near his toes the ruby liquid is still as a mirror. He stares down at it, and a shadowy, muted version of his face stares up at him, like an eclipsed moon. Seiji blinks then and looks up, rather unsettled. Someone sits near the edge of the pool several paces away, and he thinks he might recognize her. Or, if not her, then her strange companion...
Because he has nothing else to do, because he is more than a little lost, Seiji approaches. Rather than shout over the roar of the falls, he lifts a hand to wave until he has gained a little more distance. What is she doing here? Maybe she is lost, as well? Or maybe she can help him get back home...
