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Three Years Later.

Kim's POV

I sighed as I hoisted my backpack up my shoulder. Another day, another eight hours of school.

"Mom I'm going to school!" I shouted through the house.

"Ok honey!" she shouted back from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish cloth as she came into the hall. Her smile softened as she put the towel down, reaching up to fix a loose strand of my hair. "You goanna…have a good day?" I sighed, nodding but refusing to meet her eyes.

It had been three years since…it had happened. I hated when people brought it up, each of them making up stories on what they think happened to Jack.

Jack.

I missed him so much. All of us missed him but I think I had taken it the hardest. Milton immersed himself into his studies even more, only letting Julie help him. Eddie got as many jobs in the mall as possible, just trying to keep himself busy and Jerry took extra P.E. classes, joined a gym and is now the trainee Mall Cop. He wants to be a police officer one day, I think it's because he never forgave how quickly some of the cops gave up looking for Jack's killer.

And me? I lost myself completely. I focused on school and my new hobbies: Reading and writing. When the book was in front of me my shields were up and no one was allowed in.

I left the house, heading down the street towards the school. As usual I passed by the Andersons old house. After Jack died his mom couldn't stay in town anymore. She tried selling but no one would buy the house after the rumours started. People say that it's haunted, others say that Mrs. Anderson still lives there and has gone crazy.

Me? I think its an old boarded up house with a draft by the window. Since she couldn't sell it Mrs. Anderson simply boarded it up and left town. The only thing she left behind was a photo, given to me the day she left. It was of her, Jack and me shortly after Jack and I became friends.

We had just finished a class at the dojo and Jack's mom insisted on a photo. We had our arms around the others shoulders, grinning madly at the camera. I still had it, it was kept in a draw in my dresser along with everything else that reminded me of Jack. It hurt to look at those items.

Finally I got to the school, heading straight to class. Milton, Eddie and Jerry all said their hellos but I didn't respond past a small wave.

The day progressed like I expected it to. People wouldn't talk to me but they talked about me. They thought I couldn't hear them but I wasn't deaf. When it finally ended I left school and headed straight to the mall. I passed the Black Dragon Dojo, the battle cries ringing out from the open doors. Their business had tripled since Bobbie Wasabi shut down, Milton, Eddie, Jerry and I unable to win enough belts to keep it up to code.

Rudy had fought as hard as he could to keep it but in the end he had to give t up. He now works with Phil at his restaurant. Every time I go in there he gives me ten percent off my check if he serves me.

Finally I reached my destination. I sat on the bench facing the closed mall sector with saddened eyes. The sign was still hanging, dirty and half broken. No one knew why it was still there, we had all seen store owners try to buy it but whenever someone went in to inspect it they simply refused to make the final deal.

"Why did you have to go?" I whispered to myself as I stared up at the small portion of the sign that still existed. WASABI! In big letters.

"Hey look! Crawford's out in public!" I instantly pulled out a book from my bag. Before I could open it a hand grabbed it and yanked it out of my hands.

"Give that back!" I demanded, staring up at Donna Tobin with malice in my eyes.

"Oh no, we finally got you out in the real world, might as well see what keeps you so anti-social all the time." with a laugh she flipped open the book. "Beastly? The novelisation of the movie?!" she cackled loudly, her snotty friends joining in.

"Hey! It's based on a classic fairy tale!" I defended.

"It's lame! Like any one cares about someone's personality," she laughed.

"I did!" I snapped. Donna cracked a smirk, lifting a thinly plucked eyebrow mockingly.

"Oh like you only liked Jack for his 'personality'." even some of her friends quietened at that remark, eyeing Donna warily. I felt my fists clench.

"Don't talk about Jack," I hissed. Donna smirked again.

"Or what? You'll use your out of date black belt to kick my ass? Sorry to inform you but there are five of us and one of you." I sunk back as weighed my options.

Despite being a black belt I hadn't felt the spirit to fight in years. I sunk back, bowing my head. Donna laughed again.

"Good. Now if you want your book back, go and get it." with another laugh she threw my book as hard as she could into the abandoned Dojo, a resounding thump echoing in the silent mall.

Donna and her group laughed as they walked off, joking about how wouldn't have the guts to go and get it. Well they were wrong. No way was I afraid of an abandoned store.

Gulping, I walked inside. It was dark. Really dark. Everything was covered in dust and the only light was from a flickering bulb in the boys locker room.

Despite being on a mission, I couldn't help but feel caught up by all my memories, Jack holding a place in all of them. The way this place used to be filled with laughter, be it me and Jack yelling insults at each other as we sparred or as we laughed at some scheme Eddie, Jerry and Milton were trying to pull off.

"Oh Jack," I sniffed, feeling the tears start to build again.

A brush of air whipped past me and I turned sharply, shivering and holding my coat tightly against me. "Hello?" no answer. "Is…is someone there?" the squeak of Rudy's office door made me turn again. The door swung from open to closed. I edged closer to it, my hand reaching out towards it and pushing it open.

The office was just like I remembered only different. By different I mean trashed. The couch was ripped open, the stuffing and cushions splayed out around it. It looked almost…padded down? I walked over, touching the still soft cushions. When my hand touched something else I pulled it back.

"Fur?…Damn rats," I mumbled, dusting the dark brown fur from my hands before continuing on. The desk was toppled over, some of the legs smashed beyond repair. I walked over, running my hand over the dusty wood. My fingers hit a grove and I stopped, looking down at the wood.

Four long slashes marred the otherwise smooth wood, all even. My brow furrowed as I touched them again.

"Claw marks?" before could question it further I jumped as something hit my leg. I suppressed my scream but couldn't keep the little squeak from coming out. I looked down, stunned to see the dark blue cover of my book resting against my leg. "Wasn't this outside?" I questioned myself, leaning down to pick it up.

"Just go." I froze at the deep voice, deeper then any mans I had ever heard.

"H-Hello?" I called faintly, already feeling my body start to shake.

"Just take your book and go!" the voice snapped. I tried to see where it was coming from but the Dojo was too dark.

"Please show yourself?" I begged.

"No." I narrowed my eyes.

"Why not?"

"LEAVE NOW!" this time I screamed as the voice took on a growl, the command roared at me so loudly I could almost feel the walls shake. I ran out of the office and out of the Dojo as fast as I could, never looking back.

I only stopped once I was sure I was safe, halfway back to my house. I was panting, my eyes shut as sweat rolled down my face. Behind the closed eyes I could still see the last thing to catch my eyes in the Dojo.

A figure, towering over my frame by at least four feat, standing in the shadows. I could only see its outline, the claws pointed by its sides and its bent legs ready to pounce.

One thing was for sure, I would definitely never be going back in there.


Not much going on really, it was more of a 'set the scene' chapter.

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