C.O.T.D.S. - Recovery - Part 2

Tyhei, all I can say is, more please.

 

Yes, yes, more, more!

 

Greetings, all...

You can look forward to a post from me pretty soon now. PERHAPS even tonight (2/15), though I make NO promises.

Thanks for your continued support and encouragement!

--SRS

 

Awww...

What the bloot is Emi up to?

Go SRS! We need more! You can supply! This leads us to an interesting proposal...

[This message has been edited by Hiroko01 (edited 02-16-2000).]

 

Well, sorry people.

I got some comments from beta-readers, and decided that the post cannot be considered anywhere NEAR done.

Planning to do some MAJOR work, and post it...whenever I feel it's ready.

Again, I apologize.

--JLS

 

D'oh!

Take whatever time you need to get it right. Just because we whine, don't hassle...

 

Question: What do you get when you add up all the numbers? -- Answer: Another number...

Obi-Wan Kenobi found himself in darkness. But the simple peace of darkness was only illusion, for soon, the images began to appear. Slowly at first, they came, but at a steadily increasing speed - terrible, maddening images! They began to pulsate around his paralyzed being; movement was hopeless.

The images: too horrible to identify. First of himself, then of Alec, then of Anakin - all in pain - mental, physical, or both. And they all induced terror - sucking his soul away, with the fat, bloody, handless fingers of human agony.

Endlessly, they dragged on, the images piling up before him, like bricks in a wall. As if in hell, he found that his temperature, as well as the tension across his body, seemed to increase as each brick crashed violently into place.

Help! Kenobi?s mind appealed, desperately, to any sympathetic force. If he got no aid soon, he was sure to burn up, or be pulled apart.

Alec only motioned, helplessly, to an area of darkness.

But before Kenobi could focus on it, the numbers began. Recited slowly, but growing faster and louder with each digit, they echoed through his consciousness. Obi-Wan was now paralyzed even more completely; thoughts, and feelings other than terror were now hopeless...

?Fifty four...point...five...four...SIX...N-I-N-E...? The linings of the dimension itself emitted.

Kenobi looked desperately, once again, to Alec. He could no longer speak.

And again, Alec pointed to the area of darkness - but this time, a message appeared. Glowing digits of an indescribable brightness, spelled out a defense. A hammer with which to tear down the wall...another number!

Closing his eyes, and flattening his body as if pressed against a hard, flat surface, Kenobi embraced the number, allowing it to echo through his drained soul, cooling the inferno and easing the tension...

THIRTY FIVE POINT NINE TWO ZERO SIX six six six six six six...!

Crashing back down into his body, Obi-Wan Kenobi woke up covered with sweat, digits echoing through his mind, metaphorical hammer in hand.

?...Anakin!? he screamed aloud, sitting up in the darkness.

Only a dream...only a dream...only a...

Relaxing a bit, he allowed himself to fall back down upon his bed, the blessed darkness soothing his tormented psyche.

?Anakin,? he repeated, again aloud, but much more softly.

I better to talk to him...soon! How long has it been since the healing? Three days? How long have I been here? No...two days. Tomorrow, I?ll talk to him... With that, he found resolution. But the numbers would not fade...not until the sleep of exhaustion finally overcame him, sending him back into a deep, dreamless rest.

***

Obi-Wan Kenobi stood silently in the hallway, resting his head against the door to Lab 3. Though he had slept to mid-day, he still felt exhausted. He knew that there would be pain ahead - the pain of memories. Closing his eyes, the blurry, redoubtable images of his dream began to pop back into his head - he pushed them away.

?From the first, to the last,? he thought. ?I?ll have to share every memory with him. It?s the only way...?

You?ll hear all of his, too - are you ready for that? Are you ready for that??

He opened the door before he could answer himself.

Anakin, who appeared to have been meditating, opened his eyes, and turned around. ?Obi-Wan...??

?Hi, Anakin,? Kenobi said, slowly, ?were you just...meditating? What?s wrong??

?I was just nervous? the boy explained. ?It?s pretty weird, being in here, alone...?

Kenobi nodded, sitting down next to Anakin. ?All these machines and things...I don?t blame you. I?d be nervous, too.?

Anakin smiled. ?So how come you?re here,? he asked, ?don?t you need to rest and stuff??

Obi-Wan smiled. ?I?ll be fine, Anakin. I just came down to check on you - thought maybe you needed someone to talk to...?

Anakin seemed confused. ?You mean you want to hear about what happened to me? I?m not so sure that?s a good idea...?

?Why?s that?? Obi-Wan was surprised by the strange comment.

?I just don?t

 

Nice job SRS! Keep it up! The number nightmare thing is TOO bizarre and creepy.

 

Neato! I agree with JMA'F, that was just eerie... Nice on the Obi-Wan and Anakin bonding and charactering too.

 

I really hate numbers and the way they stick in your mind forever.
starts singing 800-325-3535

[This message has been edited by HealerLeona (edited 02-18-2000).]

 

Wow! Excellent post, SRS!! I agree, the number sequence is eerie and very effective. Nice way to expound upon the connection between Anakin and Obi-Wan!

as for annoying numbers...867-5309...aarghhh, No More! Get out of my head!!!

 

To the top!

 

Yay, SRS! I'm a little behind on my reading. Great job!

 

C'mon, people, post! Fans, authors (MOST preferably), celebrity stalkers, anybody! I'm going to sit here and give myself Blue Goo tattoos whilst I wait...

 

Skywalker Ranch Security and Jake Lloyd's Shrink are dead...

This is me from now on.

Just letting you know the deal.

--V/L

P.S. Post soon. Few days max, I hope. No promises, though.

[This message has been edited by Victor Leopold (edited 02-22-2000).]

 

Whoa...SRS man, what's up? ICQ me next time you're on.

 

Wow, so cool. Don't you dare stop now, guys!!

 

Hey, Tyhei! Check your hotmail please, chica! Or give me a call! (God, I miss ICQ!)

 

Scully-Wan! I got some mail from Alabama yesterday so *wink wink* be expecting a second package in the mail veeeery soon indeed.

And on the COTDS frontier...just thought I would encourage people, while waiting for new posts, to go and read the older stories. Catching up on your classic COTDS is essential!

 

Yeah! Let's hear it for mysterious packages from Alabama!

Man, and here I thought somebody'd posted some story...

 

Hey guys, where's the next post?!?!

 

Hey all! Posting again, but I have a few things to say first.
One, VL and I are hoping to finish this story in the next coupla weeks...the plot just got twisted around by my wonderful partner again, and it may just shorten things. Yea!
Two, this is technically part one of a two part post, though they have very little connection to each other. The next post should be up tomorrow, and consists mostly of RPG by SRS and I.
Three, I regret an error I have made MANY a time, though more in "Obi-Skewered" than this story. Ki-Adi Mundi should be referred to as "Jedi," not "Master," as he is still a Knight. Ooops!
Four, I am always listening to music...and I have two little pieces which, while they may not be TOTALLY appropriate to the post, are very cool.
This one is simply EXTREMELY cool:
<url> http://members.xoom.com/seramuun1/lodosstv-sea.rm</url>
This one sort of fits with the end of the post:
<url> http://members.xoom.com/bonkershrine/animemusic/fy/nocturne.rm</url>
Both are are RealPlayer files, and you can play them by copying the URLs above and placing the in the Location box of RealPlayer. (Go to File, go to Open Location, you know the drill! *g*)
Enjoy!

Anakin and Obi-Wan talked for?oh, it seemed hours, though in reality it was closer to a singular hour than many. Their reminscening turned, ever so slowly, from memories of Olney to the present and the coming future. Anakin was rather curious about Obi-Wan's Padawan days, and Obi himself was shocked that he'd never told the boy those stories. He had just gotten through his choosing on Bandomeer when the boy yawned, a huge, jaw cracking breath that the boy's hand could barely cover.
"Tired?" Obi-Wan asked, humor in his voice.
The boy missed it; he nodded seriously. "I haven't been sleeping well," he admitted. "Being off the?the drugs?and the nightmares?" He shuddered.
Obi-Wan put his arm around the boy and squeezed his shoulder. "It's all right now, Anakin," he said softly. "There'll never be that horror again."
The boy nodded carefully, eyes bleary. "I know, Jedi Kenobi?"
"No need for such titles, Anakin," he replied. "You've never used them before."
"But?but don't I have to use formal address with you, now that I'm awake?" Anakin asked. "Jedi Mundi said?"
Obi-Wan waved it away. "We're friends, Anakin," he replied with a slight grin that touched his eyes. "No need for titles with friends; at least, not in private."
The boy grinned, and nodded-then yawned again. Obi-Wan smiled back, then asked, "When do you think they're going to release you?"
He shrugged. "I don't know," he replied, "but I hope its soon. I?I?"
Obi-Wan stopped the boy with a nod, saying, "I know, Anakin. I know." He stood up and stretched, muscles creaking as he did so. Anakin gave a little giggle, and Obi shot him a dark look. "We'll see who aches more when you finally get your lazy self out of bed, Padawan Skywalker," he shot back at him. He moved off towards the door, then paused. "Do you think I should send for Master Jinn, Anakin? I'm sure he wouldn't want you un?"
Now it was the boy's turn to wave him off. "He needs to sleep," he replied softly. "I could feel it?how tired he was."
Obi-Wan hid his shock well; he nodded instead, saying, "Sleep well, Padawan."
"I will, Jedi Kenobi?and?"
"Yes?"
"Thanks," the boy replied, face softening.
"No problem, Anakin," Obi-Wan replied, then slid out the door Force quick, leaving the boy alone in the room.
Anakin sat still for a minute, then commanded in a firmer voice, "Half light." Obediently, the lights in the lab went down a few notches, and Anakin slid from his bed. He rubbed at his eyes; he WAS tired-there had been no need to fake it for Kenobi, though that had been his plan if the conversation had kept up any longer. He didn't want to risk his Master coming in upon him; it would raise some questions he didn't want asked right now, when he was still so unsure of himself.
Moving across the room, he quickly found what he had discovered two days ago-a batch of candles, a

 

*breathlessly*
Guess what I was listening to when I read what music you suggested? *g* Yep. Lodoss. Keep up the great work! I'll be sad to see this end though.

 

*takes out tennis racket, balls up thread, throws it up, and SMASH! Overhand serve...and UPPERS!!!!*

Oh, BTW, I lied about posting tonight. I can't...I have a birthday present to work on.

Hasta!

 

Yay for posts! cool.gif
Boo for net congestion! mad.gif