New Appreciations

Never a Peaceful Moment

Late at night, while she was in bed, Shera heard the creaking of the floorboards in the next room. Trained to react to any noise from that room, she quietly got out of bed and dressed. Realizing the routine of 2 years ago, she had to smile to herself, as she followed the sounds of his footsteps out the front door, and down the path towards the ‘lookout point.’

Sure enough, there stood the Captain, gazing up at the sky-no, gazing up at the rocket, leaning over the town, with a pensive look on his face. She knew better then to disturb him when he was in one of his thoughtful moods. So she just stood, a few paces behind him, and watched him, as he watched the rocket. Eventually she turned around, and went back into the house.

When he came in later, Cid didn’t seem to think anything of the fact that there was a pot of tea all ready to pour on the table, but Shera didn’t care. She crawled into bed again, and fell quickly asleep, utterly at peace with the world, as most people would never be after what she was usually put through.

Cid was less unaware than he appeared. He had known the whole time that she was behind him, and it had oddly pleased him that she was concerned and caring. "Stupid over-worried girl," he muttered to himself. "Should be getting’ her rest, not worryin’ bout me." He climbed into his own bed, mumbling to himself until he fell asleep. Same old routine, he thought.

* * *

Shera awoke the next morning to a loud roaring going on outside. She fell out of bed, and scrambled to the window, in her nightgown, her hair still unkempt and falling down around her shoulders. Looking outside, she saw a mob of people pounding at the door, apparently trying to break it down. "AaaaAH! Captain!" She tripped on the way to his room, and fell over. "Cap-!" "S’aight, calm down."

He was standing by the window, looking out with a calculating expression on his face. "Don’t suppose they’re here to borrow a goddamn cup of sugar, huh?" He extended a hand and helped Shera up. "Get in the back." "But, Captain, I-!" He turned on her. "You heard me, girl! Get the hell in the back of the house! This’s gonna get really ugly. Now go!" He shoved her in the proffered direction, and, opened the door, yelling out. "Yeah, whaddaya want? Can’t a guy get a bit of goddamn sleep in this town??"

There was momentary silence from the raging throng outside. Then it roared to life again. "You’ve got some nerve coming back here after what you done, Highwind!" "Take your ship and get the hell out of our town!" "We were all doing all right until you showed up! Revived the old memories!" "You ruined our dreams!" "Aight, stow it!" Cid yelled. An angry person yelled back, "You’ve got no right to tell us what to do." "YES HE DOES."

Everyone stopped short at the voice, even Cid. "Wha-?" He spun around, and saw Shera standing behind him, eyes flashing. "He’s got every right to tell you what to do. Look at you all," and she filled her voice with as much scorn as she could muster, "standing here acting as if you own the world. You think you all have a right to do this? Sure, you say, Cid ruined your dreams. Sure, you say, Cid stopped the rocket, and the town’s hopes with it. That only proves he has more courage, more morality, more kindness then any of you. So, you’re saying that in your case, you would have launched the rocket? You would have killed me? Is that what you’re all saying? I was ready to die for the dreams of this town. Seeing what I’ve seen today, I don’t think I’d do it again. You disgust me, all of you." She turned away.

There was utter silence in the whole town for a full 5 minutes, with Shera glaring, Cid staring in amazement, and the townspeople sticking to their own thoughts. Then, one person spoke out, "Just go, Cid. Just go. We don’t want you around this town anymore. And that’s all we gotta say. Maybe you had your reasons for doing it, but it’s done, and you did it, reasons or none. So just get out." Then they all turned, and left, mumbling amongst themselves.

Shera sighed. "Captain, don’t even listen to them. They’re-!" He shook his head to quiet her. "Nah, Shera, they’re right." "But-But-!" "No buts. They’re right. I ruined their dreams, their lives…their hopes for the future. And you played your part in it, so shaddup about all this righteousness stuff. I’m gonna go pack. I shouldn’t stay here. This ain’t my home anymore."

Shera reached out a hand, and grasped his shoulder. "But…you just came…home…" She looked so lost, completely different from the blaring angry girl he’d seen only a moment before. "Well…" He scratched the back of his head. "I…dunno, I guess…you could…come…with me. But nah, that’s a bad-!" She had disappeared into her room, calling over her shoulder, "I’ll just hurry up and pack!"

He stared at the doorway, blinking in confusion, and thinking to say something about the danger of the rest of the world, and how she should stay home and…well…stay home. But he shrugged, and yelled, "Make it quick, I don’t have all day!"

Go on to Chapter 3