Post by Skyler Striker on Aug 10, 2007 4:25:04 GMT -5
Morning
While black and white may be absolutes, blue is a much less definite colour. So many shades of it exist. It’s bright, yet dark, able to represent happiness or despair. Today, however, the lighter shades of blue light up the sky. The darker shades of blue splash among the ocean that slides into a harbourside. Boats chug and float along the water, all shadowed by two of the most famous structures of the modern age. The Sydney Harbour Bridge, also known as the Coathanger, and the Sydney Opera House, with is strange design and curved roof, shadow a lot of the early-morning tourists who visit Australia as a summer holiday. Regardless of the fact that it’s winter. And it is this site that will host Tribulation in just a few days time. And not only this, but one more vital fact – that Sydney, Australia, is Skyler Striker’s hometown.
And so as the plane hits the tarmac of Sydney airport, the familiar voice over the intercom finishes, and the seatbelt sign is switched off, Skyler Striker stands up from his airplane seat and grabs his bag, and strides into the airport, where two very, very important faces wait for him in the crowd. Skyler lifts his daughters into his arms as he drops his bag. Katie has a big smile on her face and Jade simply grins at her father quickly before going straight back to her PDA. Skyler has not been home for just over a week and Jade and Katie both chose to stay behind this time, for whatever reasons children would have. Skyler’s ‘formal’ clothes appear regular to the Australians lining the airport, Skyler is a familiar face to some and unknown to others. A few children want autographs and Skyler signs them as he heads through the crowd, towards the door where a driver awaits him with ‘Striker’ written on a card. Skyler nods to him and then drops his bag again, hugging the driver. The driver is Dylan Ryder, Skyler’s old friend, and Skyler shakes his hand eagerly before looking around, as if something is missing.
Skyler: Where’s Jayden?
And then Skyler spots his friend. Jayden is over at the vending machine, where one of his coins has lodged unfortunately in the machine and will neither go further nor come back out, and so Jayden kicks the machine with some force before turning back to Dylan and seeing Skyler. He looks sheepish as he returns and shakes hands with his former partner.
Jayden: Hey, Skyler. How’s life?
Skyler: On the up and up. This is my week, guys, I can feel it.
Dylan: Jade seems to think otherwise.
Skyler looks at his daughter behind him, but she shows no shame or remorse at having though such.
Jade: You told me yourself you’ve been having strange dreams. You’re not on the up and up at all, you’re paranoid that you’re going to do something wrong or that something bad is going to happen and you’re also afraid that you’ll lose at Tribulation, which is still a solid five days away and you have plenty of time to get ready and go to a psychoanalyst.
Skyler turns to Dylan and nods, acknowledging Jade’s perfect answer. The five walk out the door and to the car that Dylan has parked as close as possible, which in Sydney airport is naturally far away. Everything in Sydney is busy, even the quietest of streets is-
Why does everything seem so normal, Skyler?
-a nightmare to drive through at this point in the day. After about twenty minutes, Dylan makes it to the hotel and parks the car underneath, and the five exit the car and catch the elevator up to the lobby. Dylan goes to get the room organized and Jayden helps him, Jade takes photographs (a recent hobby of hers) and Katie looks around eagerly, enjoying being in the massive hotel. Skyler, however, is distracted. He looks around and goes to the far wall, which is actually a giant wall of glass that is perfectly see through, although only one sided, so no-one can see in. And in that moment, Skyler sees-
Why are you so paranoid?
-of all people, the one he loved most – Shaneyah Phoenix.
Shaneyah Phoenix is walking right outside of the hotel, getting closer and closer to Skyler, and she doesn’t even know it. Skyler spent a lot of time earlier in the year hiring professional detectives to search her out but she ran away again and Skyler let her go. But now she’s so close, within his reach, he could literally break the glass and-
Why, Skyler, that’s the question everyone’s asking, why, why, WHY?
-then he is interrupted by Dylan.
Dylan: Why are you staring into space, Skyler?
And Skyler being Skyler, chooses to once again close his mind and past to a close friend and lies.
Skyler: Tired.
Dylan leads them to the hotel rooms and they all enter the luxury suite that Skyler has booked for his stay in his hometown. While Skyler lives in Perth, he was born in Sydney, and coming back for an extended stay, which is not usually possible, returns a lot of memories to Skyler. Some are painful, some are-
So here’s your chance to answer, Skyler. Answer why. Why you have such loyalty to a company. Why you have such friendship towards even your worst enemies. Why you have such anger towards those who you feel are in your way. Why, Skyler, why?
BECAUSE THAT’S WHO I AM!!!!!
-not. Some memories are based around Skyler’s very early childhood, some are of his teenage years before leaving for America, in which he explores Sydney and all of its amazing structures and sites. But the most memorable still stands out in his mind.
Flashback
Early morning, the sun shines brightly as a teenage figure stands tall on top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge with his five friends. Their silhouettes outline perfectly against the sky, and if life had a moment for Sepia tones, this would be it. The future Index Five.
Reality
But this is only a memory, and it fades back into Skyler’s mind as he returns to unpacking his bag, sitting on his bed.
Because that’s who I am… I’m Skyler Striker.
