Past, Present, Future - 1/1
By KT
Copyright November 5, 2001

"Hey, what do you think this is?" Kita asked Michael as they stepped out of the sunlight into the tunnel. "An old underground, or something?" They often went exploring together.

"Don't know... just yet," Michael responded, his shoes crunching on the gravelly floor of the darkness. He held his flashlight high, scanning the walls of the tunnel. He turned to look affectionately at her, taking her hand. "Here, watch where you step," he cautioned, pulling her along.

She smiled into the beam of his flashlight, her pale blue eyes crinkling beneath her pencil-straight silver blonde bangs. Michael was her oldest friend, her best friend... always protecting her. She loved his hazel green eyes and soft auburn hair, with its wavy curls, so different from hers.

The darkness seemed to thicken as they moved slowly, the tunnel taking a definite downward turn. The walls were some kind of gray stone. Kita drew her hand along the slightly stubbley texture as she walked. As her fingers grazed the material, a curious sensation filled her, a strange sense of familiarity, as if they'd been here before.

"Michael..."

He turned, his serious expression changing to faint amusement as he took in her features, the beauty of her heart-shaped face, fraught with apprehension. The sound of his name, the way she said it, never failed to invoke a tenderness in him. The flashlight imparted an eerie quality to her hair, making it look nearly white. The shadows of her eyes, nose and mouth gave a bizarre mask-like impression. He stretched out his free hand and touched her cheek.

"Please, Michael, let's go back," Kita whispered.

He held her eyes with his. " 'Scaredy cat'?" He teased her like he used to when they were children.

She nodded. Then he saw her eyes shift, as if seeing something beyond them. He turned toward the void ahead and shined the flashlight along the ceiling. Shadows gathered around them, and Michael felt a presence. He took Kita's hand once again, urging her forward. As they walked, he turned off the flashlight. Kita gasped quietly, but Michael squeezed her hand.

"Don't be afraid."

The calm in his voice quelled her nervousness. A cool gush of air rose from the depths of the tunnel. Michael felt goosebumps rising, and for a moment, thought he heard something. They stood motionless, scarcely breathing. A rustling sound came faintly up the corridor.

"I'm here."

She nodded again, and he felt rewarded by her trust.

The tunnel began to widen. Their footsteps made tiny echoes, the sound mingling with the gloom. Michael stuffed the flashlight in his pocket and used his hand to keep contact with the wall as they went. There was something here. Whatever it was, he didn't sense danger, only wonder, and a very odd sense of melancholy.

Kita's low voice interrupted his thoughts. "Don't you feel it, Michael? It's weird. We've never been here before, have we?"

Her questions startled him. "Yes, I feel it. And no, we've never been down here."

The ceiling seemed to be getting higher as the tunnel widened, and the air became cooler. A vague breeze washed over them as they followed a curve in the wall, and then another, and another... like a snake, it led them on... the sound of voices seemed to whisper around them, swirling in the blackness.

Michael felt Kita begin to slow behind him, resistance in her hand as she clasped his tighter. He pulled her gently forward to his side, his arm moving around her waist, drawing her close until he felt the warmth of her against him. Her face was barely visible. He raised a finger to her lips.

"Shhh... I think we're nearly at the end of this passageway."

They stared ahead, not daring to breathe, as the sound of the voices rose faintly. Their eyes strained with the lack of light as two shadows began to take shape... one a man's profile, tall, well-built, wavy hair brushing his shoulders... the other, a woman, slender, supple, wispy pale cropped hair... standing face to face, their hands joined between them. Their voices became clearer as the intruders listened.

"It's happening again."

"Yes."

"Do you think we'll ever be happy?"

"I do."

"I love you. I always will."

"And I love you. Forever."

The figures began to shimmer as they merged into one, a silent explosion of color and light, expanding and illuminating the darkness, as the two illusions turned to face their young observers. Kita and Michael were suddenly enveloped with energy as the figures disintegrated into sparkling particles that rose and fell as they disappeared slowly into the void.

They stood in stunned silence as the glow of the vision finally faded. Without a word, they wound their way back toward the entrance to the tunnel. As they walked, Michael's hand pressed against Kita's back, then moved across her shoulder... hers snaked itself around his waist, bringing them hip to hip. Their stride changed, their steps moving together in perfect length and rhythm.

"Do you think we... imagined it?" she asked.

"We must have."

As they stepped out of the tunnel, they turned to look at each other. Their stunned amazement changed to deep understanding as the golden dust that covered them both glinted in the sun. They stood, face to face, hands joined between them, in quiet reflection.

Michael spoke softly. "Let's go home."

~ FIN