Part Three

Changes Within

 

I felt uncomfortable. That could be confirmed. My arm was hurting but I couldn’t figure out why exactly. Damn, my brain hurt…

 

I sat up as I did so I realized I had been lying on the ground. There was a faint outline in the dust where I had been lying just as there was a layer of dust coating my clothes. I took a second to look at my arm which had stopped hurting so badly. The reason: I had been lying on it.

 

Considering my cluelessness as to what had happened, or as to why I was sitting in the dirt in the middle of nowhere I guessed that I had passed out. Why had I passed out? I wasn’t sure but there were a few hazy memories that were starting to come back.

 

Rapidash….ghost town…ghost…wait what am I missing here?

 

It took a few seconds for the answer to come…where was my Pokemon?!

 

“Rapidash? Rapidash! Where the hell are you?” I scrambled to my feet, ignoring the dust that was rallying all around me.

 

The wind gave a howl and me, thinking it was the ghost, let out a yelp and covered my head. Oh no. Oh no. Where was Rapidash? Where was I?

 

For a few minutes I sat there, shaking like a leaf in a heavy wind, trying to console myself. It took a good portion of those few minutes to realize that I needed to calm down and regain control.  

 

I got up. I dusted myself off. I began walking.

 

There came sounds from everywhere. And every one of those sounds made me want to scream. Was this whole ordeal worth it? Just to meet up with a man who I wasn’t even sure returned my feelings for him…his actions always led him to believe contrary even though he told me how he felt…

 

I closed my eyes. It was just too painful right now to think about that. I had bigger things to worry about. Maybe when I found Rapidash she would knock some sense into me, she would tell me to just give up on him that he wasn’t worth it.

 

A small sound came from behind me.

 

What was that?

 

I spun around. I could’ve sworn I heard somebody giggling.

 

“Rapidash?”

 

No answer. The wind whistled through cracked window panes.

 

“RAPIDASH?”

 

Nothing except the resounding echo of my own voice.

 

Wait; there it was again a child or a Pokemon laughing.

 

Am I going mad …was I always mad?

 

The noise seemed to be coming from one of the buildings lining the street. It looked like a café or a bar. There was a foot high wooden platform that was covered by a wood roof and decorated with many little tables, also wood.

 

The entire area was barren of trees I wondered where these people had gotten all this wood from?

 

The floor creaked as I put my foot down on the platform, as did the entire building when my entire body weight was applied.

 

I stepped into the bar, as it turned out to be. There was dust here too. Good God a lot of it. I sneezed heavily and the whole building quivered.

 

I held the next sneeze before it came. I, teary-eyed, looked around the room. It was empty. Were there more ghosts? Little baby ghosts?

 

A disturbing thought came to mind…was Rapidash a ghost?

 

I felt a shiver go up my spine.

 

I left the bar shortly after that, it was way too creepy. I resumed my slow search for my Pokemon. She had probably run off without knowing I had fallen.

 

With this theory I made my decision to leave town. If it were her she would do the same thing. I think.

 

I really have changed a lot. I know I would never have done this before. I would’ve searched this whole place up and down and when I was sure my friend wasn’t here then I would go. What had happened?

 

The town, being small, ended fairly quickly, the dilapidated houses gave way to flat desert and the horizon could be seen once again.

 

Rapidash had taken off with the map but I was sure there was a river around here and a few kilometers onward was my destination, Red town. A small little settlement much like the ghost town except it was actually inhabited.

 

Rapidash would probably meet me at the river. I’d better head over there.

 

 

<<>> 

 

But she wasn’t. I felt instantly guilty, well, perhaps more so than I had when I had left town.

 

When I put my feet in the water I knew how little I deserved the pleasures of the water’s liquid caress. Or when I purged my thirst by cupping the water in my hand and drinking it I knew I didn’t deserve it.

 

But even though I knew it was wrong I couldn’t turn back. I can’t identify the feeling I felt. It was as if the very shame that was driving me to return was also holding me back.

 

I decided to go on to Red Town. It was only an hour’s walk, an hour of pure torture where my conscience would berate me and I would have nothing to distract myself.

 

 

End Part Three