Those eyes……there they are again…..why, why do they keep haunting me? Every time… every time I sleep, I see them…they're……they're….indescribable. God….but who's eyes?….I can't see the face…nothing else but blur……
Miel awakens with a start, sitting up abruptly in her chair where she'd been sleeping on her desk. Then she realizes what awoke her from the reoccurring dream she'd been having, "The bell…damn, end of class. If I don't hurry I'm going to be late."
Miel jolts from her seat and hurries out of the classroom grabbing her black messenger bag and shoving her books into it as she walks out of the building. She meanders deftly through the courtyard in front of the school, weaving in and out of crowds of people, not seeing anyone around her because her eyes are focused on what she's doing, but making her way through the bustle just the same. She's so busy checking to make sure she grabbed everything, that she doesn't even see she's about to walk straight into a tall, hard wall of green, cloth-covered male flesh.
"Umph," the man grunts in discomfort. "Miel, you need to pay more attention to where you are going. That almost hurt," he says in a whining tease as he brushes off his chest.
Miel gasps in surprise, "Oh Yusuke! I didn't see you there." As she regains her composure she can't help but to chastise the dark-haired man standing in front of her, because, with that stupid grin of straight white teeth in place on his amused face, she knew the run-in was as much his fault as hers. "You know, if you knew I wasn't paying attention, you should have warned me I was about to run into you. You don't fool me for a minute, Yusuke Urameshi, so you can just wipe that look of accomplishment right off your face."
"Nice hair," Yusuke snaps back, meanly about Miel's new layers of straight, flame-red hair. Then, realizing she only caught him in his own game mumbles something under his breath about smart women and an apology before asking sullenly, "Where are you going in such a hurry anyway?"
"I have a date," Miel says, her attention back on the contents of her bag. Satisfied that she grabbed everything, she turns to Yusuke and sees his perturbed glare. Miel clarifies, "With Jonathan, Yusuke, calm down, you know he's as gay as the day is long. He's a hairdresser for crying out loud; he even wears makeup. Plus, he's new in town and I'm the only friend he has. Not that who I go out with or don't go out with is any of your business anyway."
"Don't start this with me Miel," Yusuke says determinedly, "you won't win."
Miel blinked at Yusuke's authoritative, severe tone. He really was serious about her not dating unless he was informed. Well damn. All she needed was for her cousin to start getting protective and utterly male on her.
Miel swipes a hand through her hair and tries to pacify Yusuke by telling him, "No need to worry yet, Yusuke. I'm completely unattached, and if the past has any impact on the future, I won't be turning any heads, holding any hands, or dating any time in this century. Common Yusuke, you know as well as I do that there are much more attractive women out there than myself. For you to think they would have anything to do with an awkward thing like me… It's laughable, and for you to think that I'd believe such a thing insults my intelligence"
She walks away, quickly, ignoring Yusuke's surprised and stuttered protests to her statement. Checking her tasteful silver watch face on an exquisitely soft band of unfinished leather, she picks up her pace. She's going to be late, and she doesn't want to do that to Jonathan, him being so new in town.
Jonathan had just arrived in town 3 weeks ago; he'd been transferred from one store in a salon chain to another. Miel had gone in to the salon to get a quick trim and style from her regular stylist and emerged from the salon with a 'do she hadn't expected from an almost painfully pretty man in tight jeans, a tank top, and more makeup than Miel thought she owned and a lunch date for the following day. Since then they'd hung out as often as possible discussing everything from Jonathan's previous life to how much he wanted to cut off at least 5 inches of Miel's hair, something Miel wouldn't even consider letting him do.
Deep in thought, contemplating whether she should call Jonathan and tell him to order without her or to just show up late, Miel doesn't notice the rustling in the bushes just ahead of her on her right. Just as a huge, slimy blob that almost has a discernable human form, charges out of the bushes at her, she jumps out of the way, narrowly missing the attack. She is so shocked that for a moment she just stands there, mouth agape.
The beast looks more akin to a wolf than a human, but there are some aspects that are neither of those species, like the bird-of-prey-like feet for example. There is some viscous material oozing from its flesh. It smells awful, and Miel's stomach roils against the stench. The thing isn't pretty, by any means, but it hadn't tried to harm her, at least not that she could prove, so Miel started her walking again. However, when the blob moves to take her by the throat, she becomes extremely alert darts around behind it, puts her hands on either side of its head, and twists.
As the attacker, if that's what it could be called, crumples to the ground, Miel stares at her hands, shocked at not only their actions, but the swiftness of her moves. Confused by how she had instinctively known to break the beast's neck, she shivers at the thought that she just killed a living being. No matter how ugly and ill-intentioned it was, that was something inexcusable.
