Ghosting

Chapter One

It was almost dawn; in fact, it was the hour before dawn. A young man, who appeared to be only fifteen years old, lay huddled in the corner of an alleyway, slumped over like a broken doll. He would have gone completely unnoticed, were it not for the occasional shuddering breath and his constant, convulsive shivering. He was unaware that four men were on their way home, using the same alley as a shortcut through the darkness.

"Well, at least that mission went without a hitch." One said, as he eyed his bloodied clothes disdainfully.

"It would have gone even better, if you hadn't tried to get our target's phone number beforehand." Another grumbled, moodily. The first man muttered something unsavory under his breath and continued walking, nearly tripping over the prone form of the young man.

"What the hell?!" the first man yelped, as his fellows joined him and looked down. At first, the four men stared at the youth in silence. Then they all turned to the youngest of their number.

"Do you know who he is?" the second man asked.

"Nope. Never seen him before. He sorta looks like you, though, Abyssinian." The youngest replied, when he used his flashlight and too a good look at the youth.

"Do you have any family that we don't know about, Abyssinian?" another man asked, this one barely older than the youngest.

"Only my sister." Abyssinian replied, as he kneeled down and checked the young man for any identification.

"Anything on him?" the first asked.

"Nothing." Abyssinian replied, as he went to stand back up.

"What are we going to do? We can't just leave him here." The other young one asked, his cerulean eyes a little concerned.

"Yet we can't take him back with us, either. Persia and Manx would have our hides." The first said, shuddering when he thought of the dressing down they would get if they brought the youth back with them like some foundling kitten.

"Well, I don't care what they say. We wouldn't be any better than the ones who left him here if we ignore him. Better us finding him than that other group." The other young man said, knowing that he was understood when he'd mentioned the 'other group'.

"Fine then. We'll take that chance. But who's carrying him?" Abyssinian asked.

"Not me." the youngest said.

"Don't look at me." the first muttered.

"I'll carry him." The second young man said, as he gently eased the youth off of the ground, surprised by how light the youth was.

"Now, let's get home. We don't have much time before daylight." Abyssinian said, as he led the way back to their home.

When the youth next opened his eyes, he was in an unfamiliar room. Then he sighed when he felt the comforting warmth of the blankets that were on top of him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt warm and safe. But, then again, he couldn't remember if he'd ever been warm and safe!

"So the kid has finally decided to wake up! How do you feel?" a man's voice asked, as the owner walked into view.

"Tired. Where am I?" the youth asked.

"My apartment; for the moment, anyway. What's your name, kid?" the man asked, as he casually leaned on a wall, facing the youth.

"I………………..I don't know………………" the youth said, his face paling when he realized that he couldn't even remember his own name! The man immediately did a face fault.

"You can't remember?!" the man asked. The youth nodded, miserably.

"Great, we'd brought home an amnesiac!" the man muttered, sarcastically. As the man continued to rant and rave, the youth tried to piece his shattered memories back together. Just who was he? How had he come to be here? Yet he seemed to remember something about a fox…………………

"Wait……..there is something…….." the youth murmured, as he came out of his thoughts.

"Oh? What might that be?" the man asked, breaking his tirade off abruptly.

"A name………….I think………." The youth replied, uncertainly.

"And what name might that be, kid?" the man asked.

"Kurama." The youth replied, quietly.

"Kurama?" Ran asked, as Youji recounted what had been said between him and their guest.

"Yeah. Sort of an odd name for a kid, though." Youji said, puffing on a cigarette while Ken worked on getting the shop locked up for the night.

"Why do you say that?" Omi asked, curiosity lighting his sapphire eyes.

"Well, from what I remember from a mythology course I took back in college, Kurama was the name of a particularly sly kitsune. I'm on the assumption that 'Kurama' is only a nickname." Youji said, as he leaned back in his chair.

"And the great detective is on the case." Ken muttered, sarcastically, in the background.

"Shut up, Hidaka, or you will wish you had remained in that burning warehouse." Youji grumbled. Aya, who had been listening quietly, merely shook her head and laughed.

"Well, it's almost time to go. Can you take care of him while we're out, Aya-chan?" Omi asked.

"Sure thing, no problem!" Aya said, brightly.

"All right, then. See you later." Ran said, before he and his compatriots disappeared into the depths of the Underworld.

"Be careful, minna." Aya murmured, knowing that long hours waited for her.

Kurama moaned as he struggled in his sleep. Nightmares swirled around, bringing shadows and phantoms into his mind.

"No………………Leave me alone…………….no……….." Kurama groaned.

"Remember…………………" a voice whispered, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

"Remember what?! What is there that I need to remember?!" Kurama shouted, at the voice.

"Remember…………………" the voice hissed, before his dream self turned to face something that looked human, but definitely wasn't. His eyes widened in fear as the creature smiled, revealing that it had fangs.

"No! Help! Get away!" Kurama screamed, bolting upright, his body covered in sweat.

"Whoa! Calm down! You've just had a nightmare!" a girl's voice said, gently. Reacting to the voice, Kurama looked at the speaker. She was slightly older than him, had shoulder length dark brown hair and soft lavender eyes.

"Who are you?" Kurama asked.

"My name's Fujimiya Aya, but everybody here calls me 'Aya-chan'. You must be the Kurama Youji-san was talking about." The girl said, smiling slightly.

"Is Youji the man that was in here a little while ago?" Kurama asked. Aya nodded.

"Youji-san, Ken-san, Omi-san and my brother brought you back when they were returning from their night job." Aya said, noticing how much Kurama looked like her elder brother.

"What is your brother's name?" Kurama asked.

"My brother's name if Fujimiya Ran. He's a bit grouchy and belligerent, but I guess he's all right." Aya said, as Kurama chuckled and shook his head.

"That description sounds like someone I know………….or knew………..or should have known…………….I don't know……….." Kurama said, frustrated with himself.

"Don't worry about it, I'm sure it will come back to you. Now, get some rest. I'll be right here in case you have any more nightmares." Aya said, as she gently pressed down on his chest, taking care not to bump his ribs that were, Kurama noticed, extremely sore, for some reason.

"Thank you, Aya-san." Kurama murmured, tiredly.

"No problem. Pleasant dreams, Kurama-san." Aya said, as Kurama drifted back off to sleep. For the rest of the night, Kurama's dreams were filled with pleasant images, some of them familiar.

"Maybe someday I'll figure it out." Kurama thought, as he enjoyed the warmth and familiarity he felt from the dreams.