TheRemnant: This is Not Flesh & Blood

The Beginning of the Trials (Episode VI)

Book One, Chapter 6: The Beginning of the Trial

JAMES 1:12

→ "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life..." ESV←

SCENE ONE :SPIRITUAL BOUND WORLD

Shikauhno is falling. Her hair flaps wildly and she guards her face from the windy draft. 

As she is falling she sees hundreds of images and "movies" of herself growing up. In one movie her hair is being violently pulled by her foster mom, in another one she is reading a Japanese manga called "Charle Lette" with a comet on the cover. Her foster sister snatches it and rips it shaking her head. A young boy and young girl are sticking their tongues out and pulling their eyes back, making fun of Shikauhno's eyes.

As the compiled movies flash before her, voices echo aloud.

"NO! Bad girl!"

"Your name is Sarah now."

"We don't speak that language here. Speak English! En-glish!"

"Your eyes are weird."

"Can you even see?"

"You eat that stuff?"

"Gross!"

SFX: GLASS BREAKING

"Stop." Shikauhno utters.

A younger Shikauhno is sobbing and sniffling in some of the images and movies.

In the final one that catches her attention Shikauhno is in the corner of a room, she is holding tissue down on her bleeding arm. She appears sad yet calm.

"Stop!" Shikauhno raises her voice to a stern tone.

Shikauhno places her hand over her ears and begins to shout, "JUST STOP! WHY ARE YOU SHOWING ME THIS!?"

Shikauhno finally lands gently on the floor with her hands still over her ears. She finds herself, in the middle of a colorful room. It appears to be a young girl's bedroom. 

SCENE TWO: PHYSICAL WORLD

The camera is zoomed in on an eye. The pupils dialate and restrict.

Naninatso is explaining to Saku and Maku, "One second he was moving, then the next he just...stopped."

They are all circled around the man who was walking his dog. Everything is still of course. Saku is pointing a small light at the man's eyes, her cup in her free hand.

"They all did." Nani explains as the camera pans out displaying their surroundings.

Opening Credits of TheRemnant

SCENE THREE: SPIRITUAL BIND WORLD

Shikauhno slowly stands up looking around the room. Shikauhno's mouth drops in wonderment and awe, "This is..." Before she can finish her thought a young Shikauhno materializes before her. She is resting on her knees, playing with two barbie dolls and a playhouse.

Young Shikauhno notices her and smiles expectantly, as if she anticipated her arrival, she then holds out the female doll to Shikauhno. Shikauhno slowly approaches and gently accepts the doll. She kneels down next to her younger self to join her and studies the doll. It is a beautiful doll with short black hair. The doll is dressed in a traditional Japanese kimono.

As she traces it with the tips of her fingers she says, "I remember playing with this. She was my favorite. It was given to me by..." Suddenly someone barges into the room. The person yells angrily, "Sarah!"

Both of them quickly turn. All they see is a bright light pouring through the door and the silhouette of a woman. 

The woman steps into view and little Shikauhno's eyes widen in panic and fear. Shikauhno stands up quickly as she faces her adoptive mother, Michelle.

Michelle angrily struts, with clenched fist, "What did I tell you about playing with your sister's toys? They don't belong to you; do you want to grow up as a thief?!"

Little Shikauhno promptly shakes her head. 

Michelle calmly kneels in front of little Shikauhno and speaks in a voice that starts off gentle, "I don't think you've LEARNED YOUR LESSON!"" She grabs a big chunk of her hair and tugs it at the root violently.

"Drop it now!"

Both Shikauhnos drop their dolls simultaneously. 

"Come here, you need to apologize to your sister." She yanks her all the way out the door.

Shikauhno yells as they walk away, "Leave her alone! She did nothing wrong!" She pleads, following after them. She tries to touch her foster mom's shoulder but her hand goes through.

Michelle slams the door behind her, causing a family photo to fall face down.

Shikauhno picks up the photo and studies it. It appears to be a nice family photo; the father, sister, and mother is smiling, and Shikauhno has a sullen look on her face in the picture.

She focuses on the photo remembering that day. Shikauhno's surroundings begin to shift. The wallpaper changes to a pastel color, the room expands, and the furniture changes into a living room set.

SCENE FOUR:

Saku is standing next to an open car door. She is checking the vitals of a woman in the driver seat. There is a child in a car seat in the back.

Saku removes a stethoscope from her ears and places it around her neck. She shuts the car door behind her and walks over to Maku and Naninatso.

Saku speaks, "Just the same as everyone else. All vitals in the vicinity are stable. Nothing abnormal. Other than this...unnatural state they're in."

Maku approaches and adds, "It appears that everyone is frozen in time."

"Or stuck." Naninatso adds.

"In limbo maybe...somewhere between consciousness and unawareness." Saku offers an explanation.

"Could it be an Independent fallen?" Nani suggests.

"Maybe." Saku says before taking a sip from her straw, "Or maybe not. Whatever this is at work, it's unprecedented and not human."

Naninatso looks at her, "Even at a time like this you can't sit that thing down can you?"

"Never." Saku answers back quickly, "It is my vitality after all."

"So what do we do?" Naninatso asks. 

"Let's..."

Saku's sentence is cut short when a blaring horn sounds from behind. The woman with the child is honking at Saku and the others to move. Other horns blare in the air and the area comes to life once again. 

To be continued---

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