Chapter 2: Inukashi's Hotel
The boy continued to run for quite some time, the street around him slowly changing from the crowded, busy market to a more open, sparsely populated field of pavement.
Only when he was completely alone did the boy stop and take a glance behind him. Nobody was following him, or at least nobody that he could see. Especially not a certain someone with girlish features and long black hair...
He shook his head in disgust. The boy's face was practically seared into his mind. To take his mind off of him, he looked around. He had forgotten to pay attention to where he had been heading.
The street looked abandoned; road in great need of repair; weeds shooting out from every crack in both the the street and sidewalk; The houses and buildings were all in various states of disrepair, crumbling and covered in moss. It was late and the sun was already setting behind the ruins of what once was No. 6.
To his great surprise, he spotted what looked like a hotel in the distance. Lights were on, and it looked to be in business. He moved towards it quickly, hoping that maybe he could get a room.
Upon opening the door, he was greeted with a wet tongue and cold nose. The dog, who had tackled him, was now happily licking his face and sniffling his hair. The boy laughed. Animals had always seemed strangely attracted to him.
"Get off him," said a voice from above. A girl in dirty, worn rags glared down at him from the top of a huge set of stairs.
"What are you doing here?" The girl asked. At least this one actually was a girl... The boy shivered, but he wasn't entirely sure it was from the cold.
"Um, looking for a room, I suppose," the boy answered shakily, scratching the back of his neck nervously. The girl was pretty intimidating.
The girl gave a loud laugh and doubled over with it, "You and Nezumi fighting again? Isn't this, like, the third time this month?"
She continued to laugh, but the boy stared blankly at her. Who was this "Nezumi" person? And why would they be fighting? The boy shrugged it off. She must be confusing me with someone else, he thought.
The boy felt in his pocket for a few coins. He pulled them out and showed them to her, saying "I can pay for the room."
The girl slid down from her perch to examine the coins. Then, she shook her head and closed the boy's hand back around them, "Keep 'em. Room's on the house this time. Besides, you're taking the little brat this weekend, and you may need them."
The boy had no idea what "little brat" she was referring to, but he wasn't about to pass up a free room. He quickly followed the girl through the hotel, barely able to keep his eyes open. The dogs followed behind them, wagging their tails happily.
"Something isn't right about Shion," Inukashi whispered to her dogs that night, after making sure her guests were settled for the night. There weren't many tonight, only a couple regulars, and a few new faces. And Shion. Inukashi She grabbed a scrap of paper from her secret stash. With a quick, precise hand, she scribbled a note and handed it to a blonde Labrador Retriever.
Whispering instructions into its ear, she swiftly attached the note to its collar and watched it run off into the darkness. Hopefully, it would arrive safely. And then, hopefully, Nezumi would come.
I'm back! Sorry it took so long (internet hates me). Gomen nasai! Anyways, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter.
And a BIG THANK YOU to all of you who favourited, reviewed and/or are following this story. To tell you all the truth, I literally jumped up and down with joy for each one of them. And to the people with questions on what the heck is going on, I promise to try and answer them within the next few chapters.
Hopefully I don't disappoint y'all. Favourites and Follows are awesome; Reviews are wonderful; and constructive criticism tops them all!
Thank y'all for reading!
