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Natara:

I blink the the sleep from my eyes, not even realizing where I am for a moment. I was hoping it was a dream, a nightmare that would be chased away by the morning sun.

It's when I look around that I realize that this is real, that the nightmare doesn't end.

I'm under the barely-stable roofs of the two buildings next to me that form an alleyway, seeking shelter from the nights cold air. It's the second day I've been here, and I've already lost all hope of escape. The 'police station' that called me is nothing more than ashes. When I try and navigate through the streets to find the bridge again, I only end up going around in a circle. I don't want to pick myself up again, to have the disappointment of spending another day walking around in circles, knowing its useless. But I do anyways, painstakingly getting up to begin a second day of walking. I'm just about to leave the alleyway when I see it, a tiny figure in the mist. I can't make a face, but I can tell from here that it's a very young child. Judging from the short hair, I guess a boy. The figure stops, staring at me for a second before taking off.

"Wait, come back!" I call. I hear a high pitched laugh and the child begins to run, and I chase after him "Stop!".

I catch up to the child easily, grabbing his shoulder and turning him around. He grins widely, laughing as if this were some sort of game. He can't be more than eight, the very picture of child-like innocence. But there's something off about him. His hair is a darker blonde, the kind of color a child might have before it changes as they age. His eyes are a deep, charming blue, and it's as he looks up and smiles that I realize where I've seen this child before.

I'm looking at a younger version of Mal. Everything about him, other than the hair, is simply a more juvenile version of him.

"Who are you?" I ask, unable to keep the desperation out of my voice. This kid, weather he looks like Mal or not, could know a way out. "What is your name?".

The child grins widely again, showing off his missing baby tooth in the front. "I'll tell you…but first you have to catch me!".

He brakes away from where I was still holding his shoulder, and I have no choice but to chase him as he disappears into the mist. "Wait, come back!".

Mal:

I watch as Hannah, barely looking at her brother, picks herself up off the ground and brushes the broken glass off of her jeans. Without another word she walks, as if in a trance, to the back door.

"Wait, where are you going?" I call after her, but she ignores me. Only giving Haru's body a quick second glance as I follow her outside, I follow her out back to what looks like a large graveyard. She's standing over one of the crumbling headstones, rocking back and forth from on her heels as if she's nervous. As I get closer I know something's wrong. Her eyes show none of the grey-brown color, and her pupils take up her entire eye, making them look completely black. As I walk around the headstone I can see that it's one large headstone, one a family might share. The first one's faded, as if it were carved on long time ago.

'Harriet Ryuzaki. 1942—1982'

Beside it, in newer letters is:

'Haru Ryuzaki, 1967—1984.

Hannah Ryuzaki, 1972—1984.

Harry Ryuzaki, 1940—1984'.

"I saw it" Hannah says, staring at the headstone with tears in her eyes. "I saw the fire before it happened, before the mines caught on fire. But Dad didn't believe me, and neither did Haru".

I can't help but stare down in disbelief at the headstone. Hannah and Haru—they can't be dead…can they?

"I knew it today too" she whispers "I told Haru something was going to happen, but he didn't listen. But it's okay…He's where he belongs now. He's not trapped here anymore, he's gone to the other side".

I want to ask her about this 'other side', but I don't. All I ask is "How do you know this?".

Her head snaps up, and she whispers quietly "Because I listen". Without another word she takes off, sprinting as if her life depends on it.

"Wait!" I yell, running after her. But she's fast, her strides seamless and long. I chase her out onto a street corner, but as soon as I round the turn I run right into somebody, nearly getting knocked over. At first I think I've run into Hannah, but then I see who it really is.

"Natara?".

My jaw drops. It's her, the real Natara.

"What are you doing here?" she ask, looking around as if looking for someone.

"Looking for you". She keeps whipping her heard around, looking confused. "Lose something?".

"Have you seen a little boy? I saw him earlier, but he ran off!".

A little boy? "No, no ones here but—".

I turn to look for Hannah, and there is a girl standing there, but it doesn't look like her. The girl looks twelve like Hannah, but the resemblance stops there. She has the same soft brown hair as Haru, the same large green eyes and bony face. For the first time it actually looks like they could be related.

"If you follow those instructions you can take the mine tunnels out" she whispers softly. She grabs my wrist, turning my hand up and pressing something into my palm. She curls my fingers around it and let's go, walking away and disappearing into the mist.

"Shouldn't we go after her?" Natara asks.

"No" I say "she can take care of herself, she has for a long time".

Natara gives me an odd look, but I ignore her and look at what Hannah pressed into my hand. It's a map, or a fragment of one, that shows where the mine tunnels start. Written over it, in the same tiny and untidy scrawl of the notebook, it says:

'Love will light the way'.