A TRUE DESTINY
PART 5
BY GOLDNHEART





FLASH-BACK A chil ran up Ash's spine. His breathing grew shallow and labored. He was on the verge of blacking out agian, when, as quickly as he came, the mysterious man disappeared, right before Ash's eyes.

END FLASH-BACK
AAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSHHHHHHH. . . .. .
The voice echoed throughout Ash's mind. The voice grew stronger and louder.
I'm comming for you. . . . It's just a matter of time. . .
The voice was so loud he thought his head would explode. He held his hands to his ears, trying to stop the terrible sounds.
You WERE dead, Ash. . . . .Dead. . .Ha ha ha ha. . .
Ash screamed as he sprang up in bed. He lay on top of the covers, his shirt drenched in sweat. He turned his head quickly to the left, and then to the right. His hands had never trembled so bad in his life. As he sat there in stunned silence, his mind was flooded with the thoughts of last night. That man. Those words he spoke. He said that Ash was dead. . . .Could it be true?
When he made sure nobody was there, he got out of bed. A pain echoed through his body, keeping him paralyzed on his bed. It was probably because of the odd position he slept in. He braced himself, and tried again, this time getting off the bed, but the pain continued to cycle through his body.
"Damn. . " Ash cursed.
It felt as though he was a baby deer walking for the first time. There was a pain every step he took, and had a hard time keeping his balance. Oh well, mornings aren't his best time.
Clenching his lower back, he wearilly stumbled out of his bedroom doorway, and down the hall. He passed the bathroom door, and stopped at the top of the staircase. From there, Ash could smell the delicious wafer of freshly cooked food. He could hear the sizzilling of the frying pan as his mother cooked the sauseges. Usually, the smell of food made Ash happy, but today was different. His stomach lurched. He felt sick.
He tightly grabbed the railing, and made his way down the steps. Five minutes, and twenty-two steps later, he had finally reached the landing. He crossed the living room, and finally the kitchen. Pikachu, as usaul, was sitting on his seven phone books, eating his eggs, and his favorite food, ketchup. Ash found a seat across from his pet, and plopped himself down. He couldn't have been more happy to sit. It felt like three years since he had last relaxed.
His plate was already made, with a delicous veriety of eggs, bacon, toast, and sauseages. Right then, he was not in the mood for food. His mind was on other things. His mother turnd from the stove, and spotted Ash's full plate.
"Ash, you haven't touched your food!"
His stomach lurched again.
"I'm not hungry, mom," Ash said. "I feel kinda sick."
His mother gave a worried expresson.
"Well, I have something to cheer you up!" She said cheerfully.
"Some girl called for you."
At those words, Ash sat straight up, eyes widdened.
"What girl?" Ash said with excitement in his voice.
His mom sat down next to him.
"I think it was. . . .ummm. . . Mistque?"
His mother was close.
"Misty?" Ash almost screamed.
"Ya, that's it," his mother said.
"And she left a phone number and address."
His mother handed him a slip of paper. Written in curly letters were:
456-2321 710 Beech Ave.
He folded the peice of paper and slipped it in his pocket.
"Uhhhh, Ash?.. . " His mother asked.
"Is this girl. . .your. .. uh.. . girl-friend?"
Ash practiclly busted three ribs trying to keep from laughing.
"No." He stated.
"We just met yesterday."
He took the piece of paper back out of his pocket.
"The only thing I don't understand is how she got my number."
Ash wondered. He hadn't left her the number, and he wasn't listed in the phone-book.
"I think I might go over and hang out there for a little while."
Pikachu looked up cheerfully as he wolfed down the rest of his eggs.
"Pika pi pikachu!" (Great, more for me!)
Pikachu leaned over the table and tried to snatch Ash's plate, untill Mrs. Ketchum slapped his paw away.
"Not so fast, Pikachu. Remember our little discussion yesterday?"
His mom held up a rather nasty-looking, red, high-heeled, leather shoe. It was completely covered in tiny teeth marks, and the leather was hanging in shreads. The top the shoe was drenched in saliva. This terrible site made Pikachu nearly fall off the chair, and Ash's stomach lurch again.
"Looks like it's kibbles and bits for you, squirt."
Pikachu shifted uneasilly in his chair. His face fell.
"Like I said, mom," Ash started, changing the subject.
"I'm gonna go up to Misty's house a little while. OK?"
"Fine,"
"Just be back at twelve!" His mother screamed as Ash bolted out the door.
The sun was still rising. There was still a faint purplish and pinkish color streaking the horizen. Ash stepped off the porch, taking in a refeshing breath of cool, crisp air. Beech Avenue was a good hike from there. Maybe three miles. Four at the most. He ventured through the woods, (Thankfully without any disenbodied voices. . ) Snuck quietly past his hillbilly neibors, in fear of being shot, and finally hiked up the large hill that led to Beech Avenue.
By the time he stumbled onto Misty's front porch, he was breathless and weak. He walked up to there fancy wooden door, and rapped gently. He stood back, waiting for a response. Soon, a figure walked up to the door, and pulled it open. There stood before him was Misty. Red hair, lucious aqua-green eyes, and that heart warming smile. . .. The only thing that was different, was that her hair was down, and clad in a white shirt and shorts.
"Hey!" Misty yelled, acting surprised to see him.
"Hey Misty." Ash greeted back, grinning, There was a moment of silence.
"Come in." said Misty.
As Ash was ushered trough the door-way, and led into the kitchen. Her house was beautiful. It was definately an old victorian, with light walls and white carpet. Ash followed Misty through the dining room, and finally into the living room. Misty led him to a smooth, leather couch, and Ash plopped himself down. As for Misty, she sat down on an arm-chair across from him. They sat there for a while, just clearing their throats, and staring down at the floor. Finally, Ash spoke up.
"Uh- Misty, how'd you get my n-"
Before Ash could even finish her sentence, Misty reached over and snatched something off of the end table. She held up a green, bullky, leather wallet. Ash recognized it. It was his wallet. But how did she get it?
"How?. . .Wha?. . When. ." Ash's voicre trailed off.
"Remember back at the lake, when you ran off?"
"Ya. . "
A smile crossed Misty's face.
"Well, it fell out of your pocket when you were running. I tried yelling for you, but I geuss you didn't hear me."
Ash just stared.
"I thought you might want it back, here."
Misty tossed it over to Ash, who caught it just before it hit the floor.
"Your phone number was inside."
"Uh- thanks." Ash muttered.
He couldn't believe it. There was over three-hundred in fifty bucks stuffed in his tiny wallet. She could've stolen all of the money and never talked to him again. But she didn't.
Ash began to say something, but his sentence was cut short, when he saw something in the mirror, that was hanging on the wall. It was that man. The tall, dark figure he had heard in the woods. The man who once stood at the foot of his bed. . . . .The man who still haunts all of his dreams. Ash immediantly felt a surge of panic.
"Ash?" She asked quietly. He just stared up at the mirror, as if terrified by his own reflection. She gazed up, and saw nothing but her own face staring back at her.
"Ash, are you ok?" Misty asked once again. He just stared.
"ASH!"
This must have snapped him out of his trance, because he finally took his eyes off the mirror, and back at Misty.
"Are you ok?" inquired Misty oonce again.
"Y-y-ya, fine." Ash stuttered. But Ash knew deep down inside, that he wasn't ok. Was he going CRAZY? He was seeing a man that isn't really there, (or IS he?) and hearing a disembodied voice. What was next? A padded room and a straight jacket.
"Hey Ash," Said Misty, trying to change the subject. "Have you been having any weird dreams lately?"
Ash's jaw dropped. How could she know?
"Uh . . . . Sometimes. Why?"
"I dunno. I've just been having these really off-the-wall dreams and nightmares lately. Truth is, It kinda scares me." Misty sat there, staring into space. Ash, on the other hand, was sitting on the edge of his seat, listening closely to every word she said. Could she be having the same dreams he's been having?
"You know, the kind with- "
Ash cut Misty's sentence short.
"A man dressed in black?"
Misty seemed astonished.
"How'd you know?" Misy asked.
"You might not believe me Misty, but I keep having the same ones."
"Really?" Misty still didn't seem convinced.
"Ya." Ash insisted.
"The same exact ones." Ash added.
Misty and Ash sat in an awquard silence, just staring at each other.
"Remember back at the lake, Misty? Well I-I can't remember how I got there. I was walking through the woods, and I kind of ended up at the lake."
To Ash's surprise, Misty didn't look at him as if his head fell off.
"In fact, I can't even remember when I was seven. I can remember being six, I can remeber being eight, but I can't remeber being seven. I don't know why."
Misty didn't give him a dirty look. She didn't scowl. She didn't laugh. She sat there and nodded, as if the same thing happened to her.
"I know what you mean," She said comfortingly. "I've been through it all, to."
Ash nodded. This girl really understood him. Maybe even more than he understood himself.
"And you know something else weird, Ash? When I first met you down by the lake, I could've sworn I'd seen you before." Misty rambled on.
"Really?" Ash asked surprisingly. "Me too."
As Ash relaxed back into the couch, his mind was flooded with memories. Suddenly, His world became a hazy gray. He felt dizzy. In his mind, he saw a young boy. The boy lay in a hospital bed, with resperators hooked up to him. From what Ash could see, he was in a pretty bad condition. And then, beside the little boy, was a girl. A young, vibrant, red-headed little girl. Ash could barely hear them talking.. . .
Ash, I have some bad news.. . . .
What is it?
Ash, . . . . I'm going home. . .
And then the images faded out.
"ASH!"
Ash snapped back into reality with a sudden jolt. He was already in a cold sweat, hands trembling.
"Ash, are you alright?"He heard Misty ask him At this point, he felt as though his stomach was doing summer saults. He leaned backwards on the couch, holding his head.
"Ash, are you SURE you're alright?"Misty asked again. She seemed concearned. she wanted to help.
"Ya, ya, I'm ok. Just feel a little sick, that's all."
"Well, ah, maybe your mom could help you." Msity said enthusiasticly.
Ash knew what she mean't. And maybe she was right. He would be better off at home.
"Ok. Misty. Thanks for the wallet," Ash said, as he lifted himself off the couch. "I really appreciate it."
"Oh, it's nothing."
Misty led Ash through the room, until the reached the front door again. Ash opened the door, and stepped back into the warm breeze. Ah.. . Just what he needed.
"See ya Ash! Come back when your feeling better!" Yelled Misty as Ash strutted down the porch stairs, and onto the grass.
"Bye Misty!" Ash yelled back. And with that, Ash started back down the hill, back to his home. . ..

END PART 5

Well. . . How'd ya like it? E-MAIL me comments!!! In the next part, Part 6, Ash finally realizes his past! Stay tuned !!