Perfect Sacrifice

by Parker, Jack

  Chris and Leon were taking this just as hard as Ray was. Neither boy really wanted to hear this, but at the same time neither one could stop listening. It was in so many ways disturbing yet so very intriguing. This was like a horror story, only this one wasn't fiction. Not only that, but the woman they were sitting with had experienced it first hand.

  "By the time we saw them," continued Dr. Solaris in a much softer tone. "You couldn't even tell what they were anymore." Ray hung her head as she fought back tears for her parents for the second time in her life. So many people had wondered if she would ever be okay after the incident. She hadn't cried once. She wouldn't let herself, even at that age. She couldn't. It had just been too much of a shock for her seven year old mind. Her brother had cried. She could remember it all so vividly. It was one moment in her life that she wished would just fade away. Why was it the bad memories that stayed so clear in the mind?

  She clenched her fists tightly, and Dr. Solaris was afraid that she'd break the skin on her palms at this rate. It's not like she would care. The mental agony was so much harder to deal with. Now he had just put his two sons through what Ray had had to experience. He wondered if they were as horrified as he had been when he had first seen it. The GRC instantly knew it had been Ramirez. His name had been panted in blood on the wall.

  "Why?" asked Ray softly, her voice barely audible anymore. "What did they do? Why did he kill them?"

  "They were officials for the GRC," explained Dr. Solaris. "They were also spies for us. When they had been discovered, Ramirez vowed to get revenge." Dr. Solaris lowered his head. "He never stops when he's set on something."

  Leon was beginning to worry. Did this mean that he was never going to be safe? Was Ramirez going to kill him no matter what? How had he gotten himself into this again? He was beginning to wish that he had never followed Ray that one day. His fate was now sealed because of just one small mistake.

  He thought this over a little more, and he was hit with realization. He looked over to the ace knight who sat next to him, her head also down in thought. She was off of her probation period, yet she had asked if she could come back. He hadn't known why until now. She came back for me. For some reason, the idea quelled a little of the fear. Maybe he'd make it out of this whole thing alive after all. However, that was an awful lot of faith to put into one person, especially since she seemed to have enough problems of her own to deal with.

  "Dr. Solaris," she said, catching the older man's attention. "Thank you for telling me." She forced on a small smile and raised her head. "However, I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight."

  "That's alright," he assured her. "I won't force you to." He turned away, now facing the door. "Come on boys." Leon and Chris stood up and began to follow their father. It was time to give Ray some space. She probably needed some time to think. They'd give her all the time she needed.

  Ray sat on her bed, staring at her hands that were now gently folded in her lap. She finally knew the whole story. She knew what had happened to her parents. Ramirez was sicker than she had originally thought. He didn't only kill her parents, he slaughtered them. Now he was killing her new family. He had to be stopped, and she was going to be the one to do so. Someday she was going to kill him. She'd make sure of it. Besides, as long as he was alive, she had to remain at the Solaris base. After all, a promise was a promise. She couldn't just abandon Leon now.

  After about an hour of thinking, she began to get bored. She couldn't just sit there. She needed something to do. Therefore, she decided to get up and walk around for a while. She got out of her bed, dressed in only her moon blue shorts and white t-shirt. She quickly left her room and began to head towards the living room. She had nothing better to do, after all.

  Ray walked over to the window, looking up at the clear night sky. It was absolutely breathtaking. A beautiful white glass moon hung amongst the sparkling stars in the velvety black night. The moon on Des was beautiful on its own. It was a rich white moon that shed light across the desert, painting the sands a pale blue. It reflected like silver, sparkling from a distance.

  Ray hopped up onto the window ledge, turning her attention to the vast sea of stars and silver before her. She was content for now. Just staring at the clear desert night was fine for tonight. Despite the fact that it was two in the morning, she wasn't tired. It was kind of hard to be after a nightmare like that. She would probably be up for the rest of the night. It didn't matter though. She was fine right where she was.

  * * * *

  Leon was walking down the hallway, his hands shoved into his pockets. He was supposed to be sleeping, but he didn't care. He wasn't tired anymore. He would probably just have nightmares anyway after that bedtime story. He was surprised that Ray was even able to sleep one peaceful night with a memory like that. Just how young had she been when it had happened? Normally he'd just ask a question, but not this time. This wasn't a subject she liked discussing; he could see it in her eyes. More like in her eye, since the whole left half of her face was covered. Why he didn't know. Maybe he'd ask someday.

  Leon walked out into the living room, but he froze in the entryway as his eyes fell on the window. Ray was sitting there, staring out at the desert. She was just sitting on the windowsill, unaware that he was even there.

  Leon began to feel strange as he watched her sit there. Her figure was bathed in moonlight, reflecting off her soft hair. It paled her skin, making her appear otherworldly. She looked like a goddess as she just sat there, the moon shedding its grace on her. Her lone cherry eye had a glint of silver in it, reflecting in the window pane. She was beautiful, something that Leon, being a guy, couldn't help but notice.

  He began to back away, not wanting to disturb her. He knew that if she saw him, she'd leave. However, he wanted to stay and watch her some more. He liked just staring at her. Unfortunately, he stepped on one of the few creaky boards in the floor, and Ray jumped. She turned to look at him, and he just stood stock still, feeling nervous under her eyes. They just stared at each other for a while, neither one knowing just what to say.

  Ray got down from the window and walked to the couch, not saying a word to Leon. It was only after she sat down that she spoke up.

  "What are you doing up?" she asked him, making sure to keep her voice down.

  "I couldn't sleep," he answered just as softly, not moving from where he was.

  "Sorry," she said as she hung her head.

  "No, no, it's not your fault," he said, feeling a little nervous. He hadn't meant to make her feel guilty.

  Ray sighed. She knew that despite what he said, it was her horror story that was keeping him up. That's why she had debated with herself until the last minute whether or not to ask Dr. Solaris while his sons were present. However, she had thought that it would be Chris who would be kept awake, not Leon.

  "You can sit down you know," she said after a while. It didn't take long for Leon to make his way over to the couch. He sat down next to her, still not saying a word. Exactly what was he supposed to say? What could he say to her after a nightmare like that? He couldn't offer her any comfort or condolence. He could only keep his mouth shut to make sure he didn't make things worse.

  Ray must have sensed his distress, because all she did was sigh and lean forward. She propped her elbows on her legs and placed her chin in her hands.

  "You don't have to feel sorry for me," she said at last, drawing his attention. "I don't need any sympathy. It happened a long time ago. Forget about it."

  "But I thought…" he began, only to get cut off.

  "I don't care," she said, but her voice gave her away. "It was long ago. You should just forget you ever heard it."

  "Ray," he began softly. "It's alright if you…want to cry about it."

  "No," she said, nearly cutting him off. "I said I'll be fine. Besides, I don't cry. I didn't then, and I won't now." Leon turned to her, surprised at what she had just said.

  "You never cried for your parents?" he asked. She just shook her head.
>
  Leon stared at her for a while, wondering what would posses her not to. He had cried for his mother. How couldn't she cry for hers? She had lost both parents. He couldn't even begin to imagine the pain. To have so much pride that she couldn't even cry wasn't healthy. She was holding in everything that needed to be let out.

  "It doesn't matter," she said as she sat back up. "I don't want to talk about this anymore." Leon only nodded, deciding that it was best to leave the subject alone. It's not like he enjoyed such a dressing topic in the first place.

  Ray began playing with the black queen on the chessboard that Leon and Chris had left out from earlier. Leon had barely won that game. She suddenly felt the urge to play. Before she could ask, it was as if Leon had read her mind.

  "Do you want to play?" he asked, watching her roll the black queen back and forth between her index finger and thumb.

  "Sure," she said as she set it back down. Leon quickly got off the couch and moved one of the chairs over to the coffee table. He sat across from Ray, quickly resetting all of his white pieces.

  "Ready?" he asked with a small smile.

  "I should warn you," she began, "that I'm no push over."

  "I know," was his only reply as they began the game. He wasn't playing with her because he thought he could win. He was trying to get her mind off of her nightmare. This was the only way he could think of right now. Hopefully it would work.

  They were an hour into the game, and each one was making strategic, cautious moves. Leon was currently taking his turn, and he was taking forever. It was a little harder playing in the dark with only the moonlight to show the board. He had been contemplating this one move for about ten minutes now. Strangely enough, Ray wasn't nagging at him to hurry up. In fact, she was being incredibly quiet.

  Leon finally made his move, still not feeling the best about it, but it was a move nonetheless.

  "Okay Ray," he said. "Your turn." He received no answer, nor did she reach out to move a piece. "Ray?" he questioned, finally looked to the couch. What he saw brought a smile to his face. She was sound asleep, lying on the couch. After a stressful and long night, she finally seemed to be at peace. The fact that she was bathed in moonlight only made her seem all the more serene.

  Leon stood up from his chair and began to quietly walk away. It was time for him to get some sleep too. If Ray could, there was no reason that he couldn't.

  "Goodnight Ray," he whispered as he entered the hallway. "Sweet dreams."

  CHAPTER 19

  The Final Three

  Ray's eyes fluttered open, blinking a few times to bring them into focus. She slowly sat up and proceeded to rub at her eyes. She was still tired, but that was only natural. It's not like she had gotten much sleep last night. Then again, she hadn't been expecting to get any. It's just that Leon had been taking so long with his move. She had just wanted to shut her eyes for a while.

  After stretching and yawning, she stood up and looked around. The chessboard was still sitting there from last night, the game left unfinished. She didn't care. It had been fun anyway. It was then that she realized that it was only seven in the morning. The rest of the base wasn't even up yet. Leon probably wouldn't be for a while, since she had kept him up so late.

  "What to do…" she pondered out loud. I should probably get dressed. She began to head back to her room, trying to think of what to do later. She didn't want to be at the base all day. She needed to think of something. Perhaps I'll go into Torran.

  She walked into her room and made sure to close the door behind her. In case any of the guys were awake, she didn't need to have any embarrassing mishaps. It's not like the door would stop Leon though. He had a bad habit of trying the knob first and knocking later.

  She quickly pulled on a pair of black shorts and a red t-shirt. She grabbed her backpack off of the bed stand and quickly swung it over her shoulders. Since breakfast wasn't ready yet, she'd just eat in Torran. Sam always had something for her.

  As she walked into the kitchen, she remembered what Dr. Solaris had told her before. She was to leave a note when she was going out somewhere. She quickly grabbed some paper and a pen and scribbled down a small note.

  "Done," she announced with a smile as she left it on the refrigerator. In the morning, it tended to get the most attention from the family. Back when she had first met him, Leon had mentioned that his dad and Chris were the reason he had to go shopping at least once a week. With that in mind, she checked the cupboards, only to find that they were indeed running out of food. She went back over and wrote down a few more things on the note before leaving the kitchen. She had a lot of errands to run now. Maybe she could get Sam to help…

  * * * *

  Nine o'clock rolled around, and the members of the Solaris family were making their way to the kitchen. It was time for Dr. Solaris to start cooking with what little food they had left. Leon and Chris both sat down at the table, Leon still seeming half asleep.

  "What's this?" asked Dr. Solaris as he took Ray's not off of the refrigerator. Leon and Chris both turned to him, wanting to know what he was talking about.

  "What's what?" asked Chris.

  "It's a note from Ray," said Dr. Solaris as he began reading it aloud. "I'm going into Torran for the day, took the car. I'll be back by dinner. I noticed that you didn't have any groceries, so I'll do some shopping while I'm there. P.S, thank you Leon for keeping me company last night. Sorry I kept you up so late. Bye."

  All eyes shifted to Leon, who seemed just a tad nervous. He liked being the center of attention but not amongst his family.

  "You were up last night?" questioned Chris.

  "Just what did the two of you do?" asked Dr. Solaris, quirking an eyebrow.

  "We played chess, that's all," said Leon before his dad could imply anything. He didn't need to be accused of something improper.

  "What were you doing up anyway?" asked Chris as he walked to the refrigerator.

  "I couldn't sleep," replied Leon with a small shrug. Dr. Solaris sighed in response as he put the note down.

  "I knew I shouldn't have told that story," he said while rubbing his head. "Just promise me that the two of you won't treat her any different."

  "What do you mean?" asked Chris, his hands now full of different food items.

  "The last thing Ray wants is sympathy," he explained. "She's too proud, and she doesn't want anyone feeling sorry for her." Leon and Chris only nodded, understanding what he meant. Ray wasn't the type who wanted pity. She wanted everyone to see her as the ace knight, a warrior who feared nothing, who didn't care about anything. She had an image to keep up, after all. Leon wouldn't have a problem with it. He had never mentioned anything about that one night either. He knew she didn't want him to.

  "So," began Chris as he sat back down. "What's for breakfast?" Leon just rolled his eyes at his younger brother, who already had a few selected food items in front of him.

  Dr. Solaris just smiled. Nothing will change. He was sure of it. Ray would still be seen as the arrogant ace knight that she was…or was pretending to be.

  * * * *

  Ray walked through the door to Torran's largest hospital. She had a visit to make, and she knew exactly what door to go to. She didn't need permission either. Being the ace knight did have a few perks to it, some she enjoyed more than others. This was just one of them.

  She walked down the hallway, passing nurses and doctors. There were people in all of the waiting rooms, either just sitting around or waiting for news that could change their lives. She passed rooms full of doctors, others with just patients. Hospitals were rather interesting. They were one place that brought extreme happiness but also the worst sorrows.

  She arrived at the door she had been looking for and slowly opened it. She smiled as she was greeted with the sight of Brian sitting up on his bed. He was currently watching the television, which only had about five channels, all in black and white.

  "Hey Brian," she greeted, instantly drawing his attention. He gave her a smi
le, his eyes shining brightly in the sunlight that filtered through his window.

  "Hey Ray," he greeted as she walked over to his bed. He was looking rather well after being shot only a few days ago. His skin had regained its color, and he just seemed brighter and more vivid.

  "I'm glad you're okay," she told him as she sat down next to his bed. "We were all so worried about you."

  "Sorry," he said with a sheepish smile.

  "What were you trying to tell me?" she asked curiously. Brian had to think for a while, but he eventually figured out what she meant.

  "Oh that," he said with a smile. "I just wanted to tell you that I was happy you were alright." Ray smiled as she rested her arms on his bed. She placed her head on them, watching him with soft eyes.

  "Am I the first guest you've had since you woke up?" she asked, wanting to know if he knew how much had changed in just a few days.

  "Yeah," he said rather softly. "I was a little disappointed that Abby and General Gordan weren't here when I woke up." Ray's smile fell. She knew why they hadn't been there.

  "So much has happened…" she said out loud, her voice sounding rather distant.

  "What do you mean?" he asked, earning her attention. "What happened?"

  "Well," she said while sitting up. "I no longer live at headquarters." Brian was indeed shocked, and he seemed even a little disappointed.

  "What? Why not?" he asked rather quickly.

  "Ramirez is going after Leon," she explained. "He needs me right now." Okay, so she hadn't been helping him much lately. In fact, it was the other way around. He was the one helping and comforting her.

  "I see," said Brian. "I suppose it's for the best, right?"

  "That's not all though," she said gravely, her voice darkening along with her eyes. Brian lost the humor in his eyes as he also became rather serious.