Chapter 2: Step into the Light
Cloud hesitated before reaching his hand for the
newly shined brass doorknob. He had an
undeniable feeling that something was not right… or rather out of the
ordinary. Throughout his walk from the
park, numerous people had stopped to talk to him and several attempted to
coerce a conversation out of Skylar. As
even Cloud’s closest friends knew, he did not have the patience to listen to
idle chatter nor did he appreciate this unsolicited attention. Usually, the residents of Promise respected
Cloud’s space, but today, just like everything else, it was different.
Now, in full light of all the day’s circumstances
and faced directly with his own three-story coble stone house, Cloud wondered
if by opening the door he was just letting in more problems than he could deal
with?
“My feet ‘urt, Uncle C-oud,” Skylar tugged
pleadingly at Cloud’s shirt.
Looking at the wide-eyed boy, Cloud sighed. What was he thinking about anyway? He was just going to open a door! Firmly
resolved not to contemplate this insignificant action any longer, Cloud
fingered the knob and with a quick turn, pushed the door ajar. Without a second’s indecision, Sky whipped
past him from behind and clamored down the hallway, dragging Alyssa by the
hand.
Cloud, of course, was left standing in the doorway,
observing a few obviously forgotten brightly colored streamers drift over the
floor. His head slowly began to pound…
Why did I open the door?
Trying to gain control of the situation, Cloud
forced himself to complete the five steps into the brightly decorated living
room that branched off from the passage leading from the front door. He stood upright in the center of the room
and waited until everyone, noting his arrival, stopped in the middle of their
tasks to stare dejectedly at the expression on his face.
It was not one of joy or pleasure, as they had hoped
optimistically for. Neither was it the look of rage, as each of them secretly
dreaded. His appearance was instead one
of utter depression and misery as if this were not a party at all, but a form
of torture.
“We don’t decorate all THAT bad,” Cid griped as he
carelessly dropped the sign he was attempting to tape up in frustration. “I mean, if your going to look at us like
that after you ruined the damn surprise, I don’t know why I agreed to help…”
Shera, with the cooing Lark in her arms, jabbed Cid
not at all lightly in the side after seeing Tifa’s equally downcast expression.
“I know what you must be thinking…,” Shera paused,
searching for some way to fix this predicament, “… but you don’t have to
worry. Vincent and Nanaki will be here
soon. After all, none of us would dream
of missing your belated birthday party… you being hurt and all when we
originally planned it…”
Tifa, sitting motionlessly, looked up longingly from
her clasped hands to see if what Shera suggested was in fact true.
Still positioned in the midst of the group, Cloud
still had this overwhelming feeling inside himself but also understood how Tifa
had undoubtedly organized this whole mess in some crazy attempt to lift his
spirits. She, the loving nature that
was blessed upon her, just wanted HIM to be happy…
Noticing Barret, entangled in streamers, avert his
eyes from Tifa to himself worriedly, Cloud sighed.
“Yeah, well….This is…. nice…..” Cloud managed to say
with a slight smile as he thoughtfully bent down and kissed his wife gently on
the cheek.
“Damn right it’s ‘nice’!” Cid chimed in, still
mulling over the wasted time. After
all, why did Cloud have to crash his own surprise party? It just wasn’t right…
“Oh, well…. was that the oven bell?” Shera asked,
noting that Tifa and Cloud needed to talk. “Cid, why don’t you help me in the
kitchen?”
“What? Maybe you need your ears checked ‘cause I
didn’t hear….” Cid began with furrowed eyebrows but was quickly interrupted
when Shera thrusted Lark into his arms.
Shera proceeded to lead Cid, a bit forcefully, by the arm out of the
room, while motioning to Barret to follow.
Privacy was something she knew their friends needed right now…. if
nothing else….
“I’m sorry, Cloud,” Tifa apologized softly as he
positioned himself next to her on the floral patterned couch. “I never should have…”
Cloud raised his hand, shaking his head to silence
her. “No, I’m kind of glad you did… it’ll be nice to see everyone and to
talk..”
Tifa looked at her husband with a mix of disbelief
and sorrow, “If only you could have seen your face when you came in. I know this was a bad idea. I just wanted to
help you though.”
Yeah, but how can anyone do that without me telling
them what’s wrong?
After a long pause, Tifa sighed, “Please tell me
what you’re thinking honey.”
Cloud shook the thoughts from his mind and half
smiled at Tifa. “I know that I love you and will keep you safe…no matter what
even if….something unexpected happens.”
Tifa opened her mouth sympathetically with wide eyes
but she couldn’t seem to find her voice.
“C-c-cloud?”
After tearing their eyes from each other, Tifa and
Cloud both simultaneously twisted their heads towards the faint voice. There, in the adjoining passageway between
the hallway and living room, stood Alyssa biting her bottom lip timidly.
“Yeah?” Cloud asked nonchalantly, unaware of Tifa’s
bewilderment pending the mysterious girl’s appearance.
Alyssa swallowed and swiftly crossed the room to
stand between Cloud and Tifa. She
mumbled a few incoherent words toward her own feet and then continued to wait
motionlessly under their stares.
“What? Iahmn munngahrr?” Cloud guessed to what she
wanted jokingly.
It worked. Alyssa smiled warmly and shyly, but
without reluctance, seated herself right next to Cloud, and leaning over,
whispered softly into his ear. She
leaned back and returned his smile after his nod of understanding.
“Just go in….” Cloud began but was hastily cut short
by Tifa.
“Who is this beautiful little girl… some sort of
princess?” Tifa smiled at Alyssa warmly, and then turned her inquisitive look
towards Cloud.
“This is Alyssa.” Cloud stated bluntly and seeing
that this answer didn’t quite satisfy her curiosity, continued, “She was alone
in the park so I figured Barret could help her out.”
Tifa gasped with concern and addressed the girl,
“You were all alone? Poor thing…. come
on, let’s get you something to eat.”
With that, Tifa considerately led Alyssa by the hand
into the kitchen and piled a stack of freshly baked chocolate cookies in front
of her. Of course, Sky, who had been
detained with finding his truck, promptly dropped the toy and extended his own
hand for a treat like his new friend had acquired as soon as he entered the
kitchen. Cloud watched silently as Tifa
charmed Alyssa into laughing along with Shera and Sky while Cid tried to
consume the mouth burning sweets. She
had always been good with kids…
“Barret, can I speak with you?” Cloud asked firmly
in a voice only the police commissioner could hear. After nodding, Barret put down his own cookie, excusing himself
from the table, and followed Cloud back to the living room, which still stood
incompletely decorated.
Cloud turned on his heels and inhaled deeply. “I’ve
got this feeling…”
“There’s nothing to worry about,” Barret quickly
reassured his unmistakably troubled friend. “I mean, Alyssa is gonna be fine,
no problem.”
Barret was by no means “in the dark”, as Tifa
recently referred to herself when talking of Cloud. He knew that Cloud was not just depressed lately, but that his
spiky hair friend had some secret…. and it would evidently hurt Tifa
emotionally if not physically. This was
the one thing Barret could not stand to be apart of, although he sincerely
wanted to help. As a result, Barret
chose to remain aloof, until Tifa at least comprehended the situation.
“No…” Cloud laughed softly to himself. He saw the
frantic puppy look in this supposedly big, intimidating man, realizing his
friend’s feelings. But containing something this big, and what he thought could
happen was driving him to complete exhaustion and possibly his breaking point.
Swallowing hard, he just wanted to get it over with. “I know that, but I’m not
sure if I’m… alright…”
“What are you talkin’ about, Cloud? Sure, your ribs
are a bit busted up right now, but bones HEAL.” Barret responded confidently.
“You’re actin’ like it’s the end of the world, when this is supposed to be a
celebration.”
“I don’t think I have much to celebrate,” Cloud
shrugged. It was the only truth he
absolutely knew at a time like this… when he felt as if he was being pulled in
all these different directions without any direction all at once.
What can you say to that? Barret sighed. Maybe this was
going to be worse than he originally thought…
“Heeeey! YOU left me!!” Yuffie burst into the room
from the front door with flaring arms. “I mean, my gawd, you just don’t LEAVE
and not tell a person. And now I suppose everyone blames poor abandoned me for
your sneaking off and ruining the surprise?”
Yuffie haughtily placed her hands on her hips,
awaiting an answer she was ready to dispute.
After all, she hadn’t wanted to take on the responsibility of
distracting Cloud and HAD tried her hardest to entertain him with interesting
stories and gossip. “You just left me there to talk to myself!?”
“Yes, and subsequently Nanaki, not to mention
myself, were afflicted with the remnants of the discussion Cloud so humbly
evaded.” Vincent announced indifferently.
He extended his hand to Cloud’s, seeing him for the
first time in almost a year. It seemed
that, while Cid did have a piloting business which required him to travel from
town to town, Nanaki and himself were the only of their little “band” not to
settle in Promise. Actually, even Reeve
resided in the prospering town. For
these reasons, Vincent could not help feeling a bit more at home here than in
the dusty libraries he repetitively traveled to in search of the always allusive
“answers”.
“Ah, happy birthday my friend.” Nanaki slinked
casually into the room, nudging Yuffie aside in order to gain full vision of
Cloud. “It has been a long time, but
the wait has made this moment exceptionally gratifying.”
Cloud nodded, reaching down and scratching Nanaki’s
ear in greeting.
However before Cloud could open his mouth, a
blood-curling scream rang through the house, echoing in all their ears to
convey a mind shattering terror.
Without a second’s hesitation, Cloud, closely followed by the others,
barged into the kitchen, but was stopped shuddering in his tracks.
……This can’t be happening………