.::FOUR::.
Bushes cut her skin and her bare feet throbbed as she ran. A stitch in her side had even begun to form. But despite all of this Maka pressed on. She wasn't stupid. She knew it wouldn't be long before Soul ventured out to get her. He wasn't letting her go. She was a meal and after a while the chase would be on.
Knowing this, she still had to try. The ground soon became uneven, with more large hills and deep valleys, making it difficult for her to continue with the pace she had hit once her feet had first touched the soft lawn.
After a while the side stitch became unbearable and she was unable to go any farther. Maka rested up against a tree, attempting to catch her breath. She kept her eyes peeled in all directions waiting for the moment Soul came.
She held back a sob that wanted to escape. How was this her life right now? Was this even real life? Blood trickled down her scratched legs and it reminded Maka of the mark Soul had left on her moments ago. Drawing a hand up she hesitantly touched her neck. There was a ring of raised marks but pulling her hand away she found no blood covering her hand. Had Soul really drank her blood?
It was then when Maka realized the woods were completely silent. Her breathing had finally evened out and the pain from the side stitch was lessening. She listened hard. There were no birds in the trees singing their early morning songs. No crickets chirping away in the underbrush. There was just total silence. All around her. And then. . .
A twig snapped.
Maka's eyes popped opened wide, searching the surrounding area for the source of the sound. With her heart pounding out an uneven rhythm within her chest Maka ducked between two trees trying her best to conceal her body between the trunks and a baron bush. Everything was still in the gloom of the misty forest.
'Run,' her mind whispered suddenly. Maka sucked in a breath, her heart thrumming hard against her ribs. 'Run,' it repeated desperately.
Despite what her conscious was telling her Maka stayed put, peering out between the trunks as fear rooted her to the spot.
Dark outlines began appearing in the mist before her and immediately the voice in her mind erupted again with loud cries to 'Run!' She did not need telling twice this time. Maka took off, running for her life. Leaves rustled and branches groaned as the wind suddenly picked up around her. Her feet carried her deeper into the forest and she knew she couldn't keep up this charade for much longer. Maka was desperately gulping for air as the side stitch clung to her ribs once again.
All of a sudden she broke free from the trees in full sprint; running on the last amounts of adrenaline she had stored deep within. Her steps lead her out into a large clearing. Maka quickly put on the breaks as she came face to face with a cliff, the edge of the ground crumbling beneath her feet. She fell down and shuffled backward, her gaze taking in the surroundings. A large lake spread out before her, the one she had noticed on the way in, its dark depths shimmering in the morning sun as a low mist clung to the still water. Maka stood and turned back around, peering through the trunks of the pines for any signs of the shadows that she knew had been following.
Just like before all was eerily silent. The quiet was even more unsettling than the shadows.
Without warning, the five teenagers leaped out of the treeline and stood before her. Screaming, Maka scrambled backward forgetting she stood on the edge of a cliff. That bit of a mistake sent her floundering down and into the freezing lake. As the water erupted around her it poured into her mouth. She coughed and spluttered, gulping down even more. Her lungs began to burn and her limbs flailed, trying desperately to keep herself afloat.
It wasn't long before she gave up. Who knows, maybe it was better this way. Once she stilled, the freezing water welcomed her like an old friend, pulling her deeper into the dark abyss. Maka's mind went completely blank and white lights flashed before her eyes. The lake tugged her down deeper and it wasn't long after that when her eyes slowly fluttered shut.
..::::..
"Maka! Maka! Wake the hell up!" Liz yelled, bending over the girl's limp body and slapping her cheek.
Liz raised her hand to hit Maka again but was stopped when the human's eyes flew open and water spewed out from her mouth. Liz sprang back from her as if the girl held some sort of plague. Patti then came over and dropped to her knees next to the girl. She pulled off her jacket and slung it around Maka's shoulders and helped her sit up. After a moment, she attempted to stand but wasn't too successful as she fell forward and onto Patti. Patti laughed playfully and with ease slipped her arm behind the girl's knees and picked her up carefully; carrying her up the hill without a fuss.
Soul rolled his eyes. He was disgusted with Patti and her friendly actions towards the human girl. He turned, walking away from the group back into the shadows of the trees where he could be alone. Around him, the morning mist was finally lifting and the sun began to filter through the dense canopy. Soul centered himself, closed his eyes, and extended his mind (he was only curious) and touched upon hers.
Right away he was hit with a barrage of emotions, the first being fear, and the second anger. Images of the water and her phobia of swimming blurred with those of downtown Tokyo, which floated again and again to the forefront of her mind like a stuck record player. Snapshots of her friends and family passed through too, and one of a man in his late forties caught his attention. Soul focused in on it and then instantly recoiled from Maka's mind like he'd been slapped. He whipped around and in a flash caught up with Patti; the others were already gone.
"What is your last name?" Soul yelled at the girl, spitting on her face. She recoiled and turned, burying her face in Patti's chest.
"Albarn!" she shouted after a moment, her voice muffled. Albarn. The name did ring as familiar but he still couldn't place it. Who was the man with the red hair?
"Who is your father?" Soul demanded.
"What?" the girl questioned, redirecting her confused gaze up at him.
"Your father. Who is he?" he growled, a hand running through his hair. Her brow furrowed. "Name, name. What's his name girl?" Soul questioned quickly, snapping his fingers hoping to ignite a spark within her synapses so he could piece this confusing puzzle together.
She raised her chin triumphantly. "Spirit Albarn. And he's the head of Japan's Self-Defense Forces." She smiled smugly up at him, pleased with herself, clearly thinking her father's position of power would save her.
But maybe it would. . .
Dread washed over Soul and he exchanged a look with Patti, who looked just as worried.
"You've done it this time," Patti moaned in Soul's direction. The girl in Patti's arms stared openly at Soul's distressed gaze and was instantly confused by what she saw.
"What?" she asked and looked down at Patti. "What is it?"
Patti ignored her and said, "The Professor won't like this."
'No, of course he won't.'
Soul said nothing and fled back toward the house. The short run allowed time for the panic to finally rear its ugly head. Soul was already on thin ice with the Professor and bringing Spirit's own daughter, his own flesh and blood, into their world would not help things in the least.
'Why didn't I just kill her? It would have been easier.'
When Patti finally came into the foyer with the girl, Soul immediately grabbed the human's wrist and pulled her from Patti's arms and up the circular staircase before anyone seen her. He needed Tsubaki.
Soul knocked quickly on her door and it wasn't long before it was opened. Tsubaki stood before him, her gentle eyes accessing the dirty human before her. She smiled politely to the girl.
"Oh, Soul what have you done now?"
Soul dropped his head in shame. Tsubaki could read emotions so of course she could feel the heavy dread upon his shoulders. She was right. What had he done? Without another word Tsubaki reached for Maka's hand.
"Soul. . ."
He raised his head slightly. Tsubaki was staring intently into his eyes and Soul knew she was attempting to search his mind. With a scowl he looked away, as there needs to be eye contact for someone to know what's going on within your mind. Shaking her head, Tsubaki turned and headed down the hallway, retreating into a room with Spirit Albarn's daughter in tow.
As the two disappeared into the bedroom a dark presence rose from down in the foyer. He already knew. Soul swallowed a large gulp and turned, walking out of the dark hallway and down the stairs. Soul straightened and clasped his hands behind his back, looking at anything but the hollow green eyes that were piercing straight through him. Pleading ignorance of the girls' name wasn't going to work and so Soul accepted the brewing storm with as much enthusiasm as he could muster.
"Good morning, Professor. I brought breakfast."
..::::..
The room was huge. The wooden floor gleamed. A mahogany four-poster bed stood upon a large black rug, its deep indigo drapes falling to the floor. Black and purple voiles hung around French doors that lead out onto a large balcony. Beside it were several arched windows with ledges just big enough to sit on. Maka, still shivering in her wet clothes, soaked it all in as the girl bustled about introducing herself and pointing out different things, although Maka was only half listening.
"That's the closet over there. This room doesn't have an en suite but there's a small washbasin in there for you. And the bathroom is just across the hall." Tsubaki attempted a smile but it quickly faded as she turned to face Maka. "Don't say much, do you?"
Maka stared at her, blankly; blinking away her astonishment as she eyed fangs. This girl had to be crazy; thinking she was just going to have a friendly conversation, as if she hadn't been kidnapped by deranged psychopath killers! Maka's head swam and she suddenly felt quite sick.
"Well, you should get out of that filthy dress, so I'll leave you. There should be a change of clothes within the closet." Tsubaki began to exit the room but stopped, poking her head back in. "And I'll send word for someone to bring some food up. Okay?"
She smiled in Maka's direction and when Maka didn't reply Tsubaki finally pulled the door closed. Maka waited for a few beats before she dashed into the closet. She found the basin in a small room within the wardrobe. Leaning over it, she vomited. Turning on the faucet Maka splashed her face with water and sipped a few drops from her cupped hand as she held them beneath the cool tap. She closed her eyes as the memory of Viktor falling dead onto the pavement replayed over and over again in her mind.
'Don't dwell on that,' she told herself.
She splashed her face with water again before walking back out into the closet. A full change of clothing had been laid out already. She quickly removed her soaked dress, cleaned herself up as best she could, and pulled on the clothes. They were baggy sweats but she didnt mind. At least they were clean.
Maka found a tray of food waiting for her on the bedside table. She hurried over to it, realizing for the first time how hungry she actually was. On the tray was a mixture of small triangle sandwiches, a glass of lemonade, which she drained in one swig, and a note. After stuffing her mouth with a small triangle she picked up the paper and unfolded it to reveal a beautiful, sprawling script.
Maka,
Feel free to venture from your room whenever you please, however, do not leave the house. My bedroom is two doors down on the right hand side. I will do what I can for you.
-Tsubaki Nakatsukasa
Maka read through it twice before crushing it into a ball and throwing it into the corner of the room.
"Screw you," Maka muttered walking over to the French doors that led outside to the balcony. She tried the handle. It was locked!
Of course it was. She was practically a prisoner here. They weren't taking any chances. She leaned her head against the cool window, irritated, feeling the huge barricades she had thrown up around herself begin to finally crumble. Her eyes stung as tears started to prick them. The dismal hope she had tried to maintain dissolved, replaced with an increasing sense of frustration as she realized she had no control over the situation she was in.
Maka pulled the huge silken blanket from the bed. She wrapped it around her shoulders and she curled up on the ledge of one of the windows, listening to the gentle tapping on the window as rain began to fall. After a while it lulled her into an exhausted state; the drizzle eventually becoming sheets that battered the grounds. She yawned as the first claps of thunder sounded, shaking the windows. A storm. How fitting. Maka closed her eyes, the sound fading into the background as she finally allowed the release of sleep pull her under.