Chapter 2

Her eyes were dark and shallow, and as she said the word hollow, the colour and heat drained from my face and I felt sick.

"Who are you?" I asked trying to stop my voice from breaking. She knew who I was, she knew about my hollow powers.

"Me, why, I'm just like you" Her hand came towards my face and I wanted to move but I didn't. Her fingers stroked down my cheek bone, along my jaw, and a sudden desire swept me up. I wanted to touch her skin too. My face went red. My palms went sweaty. Her nails dug in a little as she made it to my neck and I had to breathe in deeply to remember why I was so afraid, why this wasn't right.

"You're a shinigami?" I asked between clenched teeth, my breathing deep and raspy. What the hell is wrong with me?

"No, I'm not one of those pathetic creatures any more, I'm a vizard like you, Shinigami powers with hollow powers, I haven't been a full shinigami in a long long time"

"How do you know me?"

"How could I not, your spirit pressure is like a bacon for all to see" She laughed and the sound made my stomach turn, yet my desire grew even stronger. I had to physically stop myself from moving one more step towards her.

"Oh little hollow why are you so afraid?"

"Who the hell are you!"

"You've already asked me that.."

"What do you want!"

"Now that's a better question. Hmmm let's see, what do I want, hmmm well that's easy…you."

And then she was gone. Just like that.

I was standing alone with sweat dripping from my forehead, and the space where she had stood was empty. My heart was racing as if it would thud out of my very chest. Who the hell was she, what did she mean she was after me?

I started walking for home, but then ran instead. The movement it gave my legs was a great realise of energy. I felt better by the time I had reached home, but there were still a lot of things she hadn't explained. Why didn't I sense her spirit energy? Why hadn't any of the others? And most importantly why did my body respond to her in such a way? Every single hair on my arm stood on end. Right now all I needed was my bed. I unlocked the door and headed in not even saying hello to my sisters or answering back to their shouting questions. I needed to be left alone.

I slammed my door shut and dived under the covers. The darkness was better, much better. I breathed slowly and closed my eyes trying to think, or more thinking about not thinking. What's going on with me?

I kept seeing her face in my mind. Her small slim body. Those red lips. Those dark eyes.

I shook my head trying to block them out. Whatever she was, I could handle her. I had handled much worse hadn't i? I laughed at that thought.

As I forced myself to sleep I heard a voice. Maybe it was all in my mind, but I could have sworn I heard a broken voice shout out to me in anger.

I didn't sleep for long that night. I woke up near midnight and sat up. My room was bathed in darkness the only light coming from my window as the moons shine broke in through my curtains. I didn't feel so well again. I was even more tired, almost drained.

I kept thinking about that woman. Thinking that I should talk to someone about her, but then again wouldn't that get them into trouble? Wouldn't it be better if I deal with it myself, besides, she will probably leave me alone now, I have nothing to give her.

I sat like that for some time. Seeing nothing and trying to work things out. What puzzled me most was the fact that something inside of me seemed drawn to her. I shouldn't have walked towards her, but I had, and not because I wanted to, because I had to.

The next morning I woke up hearing the commotion of breakfast being made downstairs. I rubbed my eyes. They felt sore and heavy. I swung my legs to the floor and unbuttoned the shirt I had forgotten to change last night. I flung it on the floor with the rest of my clothes and found a dressing gown in my wardrobe. I walked numbly to the bathroom and ran the shower. I waited before stepping into it, not wanting to get the shock of the cold water before the heat kicked in. While I waited I stared into the small square mirror above the sink. My hair was messy, its orange spikes were flattened in several places, and my eyes looked slightly red. I sighed again which was getting to be quite a habit of mine lately. At least they weren't so red that I looked like I had been crying or something. I was lucky my eyes were light brown and shiny, if they had been darker they might have looked worse.

I shrugged out of the dressing gown and stood there for a while lost in thought. I'm not sure why I stood like that, but that's what I did, I can't even tell if I was thinking or not. My thoughts were interrupted by someone knocking on the door telling me to hurry up. I stepped under the water, and as soon as the warmth hit my skin I felt refreshed at once. The water flattened my hair and made it appear longer as it lay down the back of my neck. I closed my eyes for a while letting the droplets warm me and then I got to business washing and was ready for school in ten minutes.

I skipped breakfast and ignored the worried expressions of my sisters. My father was nowhere to be seen and for that I was glad. I left for school my shirt un-tucked under my jumper.

It wasn't as warm today. There was a chill in the air. I walked faster no wanting to be caught in rain, one shower was enough for today.

Just as I stepped into the school building the heavens broke. But it was one of those summer showers, it wouldn't last long, I could already see the sun trying to creep back through the rain clouds.

I went to the vending machine before heading to the class room and stared at the cartons of drink behind the glass. There was bottled water, and juices, even milkshake. But seeing those cartons made memories return so I picked a carton of orange juice instead pushing the coins into the slot. As I bent to reach my drink a pair of feet stood next to me. I looked up with drink in hand and the feet belonged to legs, then a body, then a head. The face was Orihimes to my relief.

"Are you okay?" She asked her eyes were worried.

"Fine why?"

"I just sense something is wrong that's all?"

"Its fine don't worry" I tried smiling at her, but that made her even more worried.

"Come on we'll be late"

The rest of the day went pretty slowly, the lessons I didn't really listen to, the people I didn't really listen to, I was like a zombie, just there in body but not in soul. My mind kept shifting, I know I was maybe worrying to much about that woman, but there was something about her I didn't like.

By the end of the day I was tight lipped and scowling and Orihime looked scared and uncomfortable she wanted to help me but didn't know how to. I wanted to comfort her to tell her everything was fine, but I couldn't bring myself to even speak. I left my desk and was out the building before anyone else was. It was sunny again, the rain long gone, only a few drops on the grass lingered.

"Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime came running up behind me.

"I'm sorry, I know you probably want to be on your own, but if there is anything the matter that you can talk about, I am here, you know that right?"

I nodded at her and did the best smile I could, which was something of a half-smile if I could see my own face I bet it would be pretty grim.

I thought for a minute, is it so bad if I share my worries with someone else for once? I don't have to tell her everything I could just maybe ask her about what she thought about that woman.

I opened my mouth to speak but before any word left I noticed someone staring at us over the court yard. It was her. She beamed at me and came skipping over. My heart literally stopped and then started pounding so hard I thought it might stop all together.

Orihime noticed my reaction and turned around. She didn't smile back at the woman but her face changed into contentment almost automatically, as if she didn't want to show what she was feeling to anyone, not even me.

"There you are Ichigo, I've been waiting for you" Her red lips smiled up at me and she hugged me even though I made no attempt to hug her back. Why was she here, why was she touching me?

"You do remember our date don't you Ichigo?" She laughed. Orihimes eyes went wide and she stared back and forth. I was frozen, I couldn't even move my face. I couldn't shout for help even if I wanted to, something was stopping me, something was pulling at my stomach, it was a strange sensation like a hook was stuck in my navel and tugging me forward. There wasn't anything physically there but it was real. Very real.

"What are you like, you did forget, him and his memory eh?" She said laughing and smiling at orihime. She nodded back but I could tell her whole face was false when she looked at this woman.

"My names Akahana what's yours?"

"Oh ermm Orihime, pleased to meet you" Her voice was quiet but polite all the same.

"Didn't you serve us yesterday?"

"Oh yes, I did, after everyone left, Ichigo here couldn't keep his hands off me, terrible isn't he!" She said with false delight. I wanted to be sick. Worse I wanted to not exist at that moment. The look on Orihimes face hurt me more than anything could, she looked crushed, or more disappointed in me. I didn't know which one was worse.

Akahana if that was her real name glanced at me, and that was all it took for a smile to stretch my lips. I didn't mean to smile, I didn't want to smile. I wanted to run. But that smile crept onto my face like an unwanted cold. It was her, she was making it happen. I didn't know how she was doing it, but I was being controlled in some way.

"Come on lets go" she tugged on my arm and I followed her like a lap dog. Orihime was left there staring after me.