Chapter Two
The Ex and the Reaper
It took most of the night but slowly she forgave me. I think the seven beers helped a lot. After a night singing karaoke she crashed in the bed shortly followed by myself. The last thing I remember is coming home, Jacob again on the Xbox.
I woke up with dry eyes and a terrible hangover. Alice was still passed out and I wasn't about to wake her. After two aspirin and, as many glasses of water, I set the same out for her before going down stairs. All they away to the back door, was a trail of clothes, good thing her pants and shirt didn't start till half way up the stairs. It's unlikely Jacob saw anything, doubt he would notice anyways.
I found him in the kitchen next to the toaster. "Pop tarts and a Redbull?"
"Yeap," he looks at me. "I can't believe you're up. You two were pretty messed up last night."
"Couldn't sleep." I opened my milk and drank right out from the jug. "How many zombies you kill last night?"
"Didn't. Played regular multiplayer."
"You need a girl." I handed him another redbull as he walked out with his pop tarts in hand. He sat down starting to watch a movie. I stepped outside to get some air.
The sun is bright but the fresh air helps. I sit down and for a second cannot remember where my car is. The bar. I calm down and call a cab. I don't want a ticket or it to get towed so it's best to get it right away.
Half way there I send a message to Alice. "Getting the car be right back. Love you." Once at the bar I back track to my parking space. Sadly there is a ticket on the windshield but at least it is still there.
After turning the car on I roll down the window. With my attention elsewhere I don't notice someone approaching the driver side. "Hey Sam," I twisted my head around. A guy with short black hair, gray eyes and a scar on his left cheek stares at eye level with me. "We need to talk."
"I'm sorry, just who are you." He seems not to care what I have to say or my personal space. "I'm not going to talk to you; I don't even know your name."
He sighs lightly, "I'm Fallon."
It hit me; don't know why it took his name to realize it. He is Alice's ex-boyfriend. I put the car in gear and drive off, leaving him in the rear view mirror. The farther I got though, the more the question as to just what he wanted bothered me. Was he going to try and get between me and Alice? I grip the steering wheel hard, trying to push the thoughts aside.
Jacob is gone by the time I get home. Beside gaming and working it's hard to tell if that guy ever sleeps. Alice is still out but the aspirin are gone and glass is empty. Slipping back under the sheets her arm wraps around me.
I wake up to Alice fumbling out of the bed. She mumbles a good morning, even though it had to be late in the afternoon by this point, before getting dressed and going down stairs. After a shower I meet her in the living room hunkered on the couch. Sitting down next to her she curled up against me.
We watched some romantic comedy but I didn't watch much of it. By this point both her hangover and mine were gone and we wanted to go get some food. She didn't feel like dressing up so we settled on some fast food. She put her hair up, putting on a red top and blue jeans and we were out the door.
While still not all together Alice opts to lip sing and stay rather still so her headache doesn't comeback. We pick the local McDonalds and go inside. A man with a scythe and syringe tattoo on the back of his neck walks out complaining about having to get food for a "stupid Raggedy-Ann looking freak."
We picked a booth off to the side of the restaurant. Sitting at the table her, her phone goes off with some pop song I don't know the name of. After answering it, "Oh, hey. It's been a long time." I couldn't help but wonder if it is who I think it is. "Yeah, he's right here."
She passes the phone to me, "Hey it's Isaac, you're not answering your phone." I relax. I left mine at home. "Look, I'm out here in the park and I can't find this plus anywhere. You think you can give me a hand."
"No."
"Come on, it's getting late, and cold." I didn't answer. "Alice won't let you?" He didn't wait for me to answer. "Look, just tell her I want you two to hang at the park with me. It'll be just like the old days when we would run through the forest pretending we knew what we were doing."
"Would take the bows our dads gave us and play hunters. We thought we would be the best Quincies there ever will be."
"Yeah. You were such a better shot then I was." I could hear him give a faint laugh. "So are you going to come down here or not?"
"Hey, he wants me to tell you he wants to hang at the park." She gives a look. Without looking away I say to Isaac, "She doesn't believe me."
"I don't want him getting into any fights," Alice says loud enough for him to hear.
"Let me talk to her." I pass the phone back. After a few moments her eyes turn sad. "Okay." She hangs up the phone, telling me we are going.
I'm a little surprised to say the least. Normally Alice wouldn't want to get involved in any supernatural mess, but a lost girl would be a soft spot for most. We finish our food quickly then head out to the park. She stays mainly quiet on the way as well as when we get there.
Isaac doesn't answer our calls so we began walking, looking for the girl and him now. The evening is winding down, the sun beginning to disappear over the horizon. The strange thing is I can't sense him anywhere, nor the plus. Did he leave?
I decided to check by the playground and work my way out from there. Nothing. The park is unusually quiet and the air is still. Alice doesn't seem to notice at all, mostly worried about the plus. This goes on for an hour and nearly two trips around the park.
"Babe it's getting late, we should go home."
"No."
"You have work in the morning."
We start to go back and forth over the situation when a ghostly white aura appears. The girl from yesterday stands in the open field with the same look on her face as yesterday. Alice sees her too and tries to get her attention. She doesn't respond.
She starts walking towards her. I follow a few feet behind wondering why she is just walking around the park. After nearly a day and a half the girl is still lost, her mind not yet together. Wait.
Alice gets closer, within a few feet. The girl's eyes turn to her, calling out for help. She reaches out and fear cuts through my chest. Everything is wrong here.
"Get away from her," I yell. Alice stops dead. She knows better than to question me when it comes to otherworld affairs. "Slowly walk to me."
She does so. On the way the girl begins begging for help. She lifts her hands, reaching out for Alice to take. "Don't do it. Just keep walking towards me." I need to keep her calm I don't want Alice to panic and get herself hurt.
This ghost or spirit is a fabrication. I didn't bother to look past its spirit energy, but now I can see through the lies. No soul would stay lost for this long, not only that but the way it seems to just appear without being able to feel it coming from afar is wrong. Normal souls don't emit a visible aura only a powerful one, ones far stronger than I. Not only that, but the ground behind her is devoid of reichi.
Something is behind it.
"Please," it calls. "Please, I'm so hungry." I focus as fast as possible. "Please, I'm hungry and want your souls!" This time the voice is male and husky. A set of eyes form behind the figure of the girl.
Behind a vale of shadows appears a giant mask nearly the size of my body. The lips are red and three holes run across the cheeks. The body is fur, a large ball of brown fur. The legs are red with three long claws extending out. An antenna connects its head the girl, to the lure.
It begins to laugh. Its vibrations pound against my chest. The lure splits and unfolds showing it is nothing more than a lie. With this monster standing before me I can only imagine as to what has become of Isaac.
"Come back here, pretty girl." Alice has finally made it to my side. "You look so sweet and tasty."
As fast as possible I form a bow and fire upon the beast. With a wave of his hand the arrow shatters. "Run." Alice takes off behind me.
"No, no. This won't do. But I guess I can work up an appetite by chasing her down. After the quincy from earlier." Isaac. "I'm a little full but I just can't help myself when it comes to women. They're so sweet, I can't help but splurge."
I fire again, but this arrow fairs no better than the last. The shower of blue sparks illuminates the hollow in the early night. "What is that," he laughs. "Please don't tell me you are trying."
My heart is pounding, I can barely hold my hands straight. My breathing increases as my muscles feel weak and stomach churns. The bow wavers. I can't beat him.
"How pathetic."
He jumps into the air, clearing over me and heading for Alice. I turn and fire. It hits but does nothing. I race after him. I have to figure a plan to stop him. All I know about Quincies runs through my mind but nothing will work. I'm not good enough to use any of the techniques.
Weak spots. Armpit, joints, eyes. The hollow is too fast to get ahead of it. I try using hirenkyaku to move in order to steady my aim. As I do, I can see he has nearly reached Alice. From the arrow, small bits of blue break away as it darts in the air.
It hits. Not enough to kill or injure but enough to stumble the large beast. I continue past it. My goal is to get her to the car. It's fast but not any match for a sports car. If she can make it to my dad's she will be safe.
The hollow is back on her trail almost instantly, hollering banter about his power. His eyes are the target, the weakest point on any creature. No matter how much I try he deflects every shot. It doesn't take long before my limit is reached. I can't stop his advancing and he over takes me.
I do the last think I can think of. Using hirenkyaku to move directly in front of him, my arm right in front of his eye. Bow drawn, I take aim. It's not enough. My strength fails and the bow fades away before I can fire. With its massive claw it smacks me aside. I crash on the grass unable to move, only watch as the hollow grabs Alice.
"Now that is better." He turns putting her and himself in full view for me. "I've worked up quite a bit of an appetite. Hey boy, why don't you watch as I eat this girl?" She struggles and fights but is unable to free herself.
My arms shake. The fear hits me again, this time in over drive. I can't take it and begin to cry. I've lost all hope, Alice is about to die in front of my eyes, I got Isaac killed and I have nothing left to do anything.
"Please take me," the last act of a desperate man. "Let her go and you can have me." The hot tears run down my face.
"What world are you in?" he chuckles. "I already have you. You can't make a deal unless you have something to offer in return."
"I'm begging you, Fisher, let her go."
"Fisher?" He took a moment to ponder the title. "Right. The name your kin has given hollows like me." He continues thinking. "I am a grand fisher that takes what I want. I don't answer to humans," His voice grows, "And most of all to you filthy Quincies."
My body will not move, all my energy is used up. I try, to stand but my body doesn't move. "Alice I'm so sorry."
"My, my," mutters a voice. The grand fisher and I search for the source. A shimmering gleam flies past the fisher. Blood sprays out from his arm that clasps Alice. She falls to the ground, scurrying away. The beast is crying out curses in another language as he writhes in pain.
"You pray on the weak and you have the nerve to call yourself grand." A man appears in the field, walking towards the fisher. He's dressed in a black suit, white shirt but no tie.
Is that?
"Die with whatever honor you have left." A blade forms in his hand. Without effort, he cuts down the hollow, splitting it nearly in half.
"Kutabare, Shinigami!"
