He's alone.

In his house up there.

Far far away.

He sleeps with his eyes open.

Day three.

Still on edge.

I haven't spoken a word to anyone since I got here. I open my mouth to eat, drink and breathe - that's it. It's weird not talking to anyone, but I've got nobody to talk to. I'm not gonna talk to myself... I'm not crazy or anything.

…

I don't particularly dislike it though… the silence, I mean.

It's not like I miss the Riot… I can live without him howling in my head. He was the one who got me into the mess in the first place.

And I definitely don't miss Orochi. That guy can go suck a fat one.

I guess, well… I guess, by comparison, this is nice.

The sound of rain on my windshield.

The faint squeaking noise of the wipers against the glass.

The smell of fresh, cold mist in the air.

The throaty rumble of the car… I turn off the ignition and the sound cuts out.

… Yeah. This is nice…

I pull off my seatbelt and exhale.

The breath fogs my window, so I roll down the glass pane. Some rain sprinkles into the car, but I'm not too concerned about it. It'll evaporate soon anyhow. Sometimes the cold is refreshing. It chills me down to the lungs. It's pleasant. It's calm. I'm alone.

I've disappeared… I'm gone.

Ahead, I watch the car's headlights flicker off. They had automatically turned on even though it was just early afternoon. Perhaps they're programmed to detect rain?

Lots of technology… Can they track this thing?

The road ahead is narrow and winding. Large pine trees have conquered this land. They've stood here for generations, spreading their canopies over the sky. I lean my arm against the windowsill and crane my neck to look out. Rain falls on my cheeks and I gaze over the undergrowth. All manner of ferns, moss and grasses have flourished there. Everything is damp and green and earthy and it smells nice. Above, the clouds are light gray.

I should change cars again… I don't know who'll be looking for me.

The methodical beating of a woodpecker echoes from somewhere. The low hooting of an owl comes from somewhere else.

If it's Kagura… then… hm, I definitely should change cars.

I should get moving again.

I don't think anybody has been following me, but I'm not good at these things. I've been plotting my winding journey across the Swedish countryside with confusion in mind. Some days I chose small roads, ones that nobody traveled. Other days, days where I felt more paranoid, I chose long straight ones. I figured that if anyone was following me, I'd be able to spot them.

Not sure what I would've done if someone had been following me…

Well, luckily I haven't spotted anybody yet.

I can't have anyone know where I'm staying.

Ah, yeah… I rented this cabin.

It's really out of the way. In the middle of nowhere. Apparently the closest town has fourteen people and is painfully isolated. They have a single satellite television that they share in the community centre. Otherwise there's no contact with the outside.

Perfect.

Pathetic.

Nobody can find me there.

Coward.

It'll be safe.

What a disgrace.

I switch on the ignition. I want to drive as much as possible while there's rain. People come out less in the rain. The fewer people who see me, the better.

… I should get moving.

Decided to do a stream of consciousness format. Warning btw, this fic is gonna be pretty strange. I wrote the entire thing last night from 12:00-4:00 am.

Yag's in Sweden btw.

^(OK, not everyone has read into my universe (nanoverse) and knows what 'Sweden' is supposed to mean. Right after Iori almost kills Kyo and Shingo during a KOF tourney, Ash steals his Magatama - stopping the Riot and stealing his flames. As a result, Iori loses his fireproofing and is on the run b/c anyone with powers can blow off his head. ie, Kyo and company can just set him on fire and he's done. He's run to Sweden because that was the soonest flight. This is where this fic picks up. Peace.)