Final Fantasy VII: Lifestream - Book 3: Pursuit

SIXTEEN

A chilly breeze swept through the air, biting at my ears and cheeks as I guided the boat silently across the water. It had gotten steadily colder as we'd traveled further north, and I shivered even through the thick jacket I wore. Aerith wasn't much better off, but we didn't complain. She sat next to me, as oddly quiet now as she'd been for the whole trip. Then again, I'd been pretty withdrawn as well, anxious and uneasy about what we were doing and the situation I'd somehow gotten myself into.

I was dreaming, watching as Aerith and I sped through the water on a small Shinra motorboat—stolen, I somehow knew—toward a cold and forbidding landscape and something—or someplace—hidden within it. I didn't know how I knew, only that I did. But where was everyone else? It didn't make sense. Why were we by ourselves?

Off in the distance, I saw a wooded shore lined with dark green pine trees. They rose up the jagged, snowy slopes of the distant mountains in a vast evergreen forest. Even from dozens of miles away, the peaks were tall and ominous. I felt like they were frowning down at me. The only sounds I heard as we made our way across the narrow strait were the whisper of the wind and the thrumming of the boat's engine.

"Which way?" I asked as we got closer.

Aerith pointed at a small stretch of land off to the right. "Over there, Jessie. Don't ask me how I know. I just... do."

I didn't argue. "Okay. We should get there before dark."

It was already late in the afternoon, but this part of the shore wasn't too far from us, and as the day wore on and we got closer to it, I saw that it curved around. At Aerith's direction, we followed the shore here until it opened into a tiny inlet enclosed by towering firs and pines. I hadn't seen it at first, as closed off by the trees as it was. But Aerith had guided me to a small opening so cleverly hidden that no one who didn't know about it would've ever found it. I cut our speed and cruised in slowly, not the least bit surprised to see a small dock at the far end.

It was old, made of carefully crafted wooden planks and posts, and it didn't look to have been used in years. But even so, it was in surprisingly good condition, and I knew I wouldn't have any trouble securing the boat there. But I still felt uneasy, and as we approached the dock, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up and a sense of foreboding came over me. A winding dirt trail led away from the shore and north into the forest, but I was hardly aware of it as I shuddered in recognition.

I'd seen this place before.

As I pulled up at the end of the dock, I cut the engine, then stood up and dropped the anchor over the side. It went into the water with a loud splash that was almost jarring in the stillness. While Aerith gathered our few supplies, I looked around, a weight growing in my mind. But nobody else was here. It was just us and the wind whispering through the trees. I sighed, adjusted my jacket, and climbed off the boat.

I made it onto the dock easily enough, my boots thudding across the wooden planks, but I felt like my feet came down more heavily than they should've, as if I'd fallen from somewhere higher up and landed on them. For a moment, I stood there and tried to make sense of it, but I couldn't. This whole place felt strange, eerie, and dark. Or maybe it wasn't. Maybe it was just me. I hadn't felt right since this trip began.

What trip? The me that was dreaming didn't have the slightest idea. Why would Aerith and I go off on our own and leave the others behind? Where were we heading, and what were we gonna do when we got there? Or rather, what was Aerith gonna do? Because I had the feeling this was more her journey than mine. I was just there to help her get to where she was going, protect her, and keep her company.