Hello everyone! Against my expectations (since I am on a vacation) I am able to update! My sincere greetings from the French Alps where I have, to my surprise, wireless internet connection! . Sooo I was able to write and I present to you: the next chapter of Fear the Witches!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the storyline...

The light that fell through the open window felt like an arrow to Tenma's eyes. His hands moved over his face, trying to wipe away the lingering sights of his vivid dreams. Reina and Tsurugi, plotting together to overthrow the town with their witchcraft. In his dream, their eyes had turned a deep shade of red and they had smiled at him with twisted grins as they pulled him apart slowly and painfully. Tenma sighed. He had waited for three days, thinking whether or not to pass this piece of valuable information to Kariya. Tsurugi and Reina had gone back to their usual daily activities, probably to avoid any unwanted attention. Tsurugi was helping his father and brother with their trading business while Reina was helping Haruna in the city garden. Tenma had avoided them like he avoided the plague. His parents had noticed Tsurugi's and Reina's absence as Tenma often took them home for dinner and they would have lots of fun up until the late hours. His parents had asked him where his two best friends were but he had stubbornly gulped down some more soup so he wouldn't have to answer the question.

After quickly pulling his shirt over his head, he entered the living room where his mother was washing some of her husbands clothes.

"Goodmorning, sweetie," she said when she saw Tenma enter the room, "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah," he answered, "Quite well. You want some help with that, mom?"

His mother shook her head, "No, don't bother. I'm almost finished anyway. Why don't you have some breakfast and go off to meet with your friends? I baked some bread. Take a loaf and go and enjoy the weather while you still can. It will be winter before you know it."

"Thanks, mom!" Tenma walked towards the small wobbly table and took the last loaf of bread and walked out the door.

Kariya lived in a small apartment consisting of one room that held nothing but one wooden bed, a table, two chairs and a wooden tub to wash in. His mother had died from starvation 2 winters ago and his father was practically always in the local church, being the preacher and such, which meant Kariya lived alone. He managed just fine as his dad got some money from the church donations to support his son.

Kariya himself was a weird kid who sometimes seemed to have two personalities. One moment, he could be friendly and polite, and the next, he was a cunning prankster who did not let go of any opportunity to ruin someone's day. Even to Tenma himself, it was a mistery why he felt attracted to the boy.

He was not surprised when he found the blue haired prankster in his apartment together with Inoshishi Kirito, the hazel eyed shoemaker's son. The two boys had met through both trying to pull a prank at Kirino Ranmaru at the same time and they had been causing trouble around town together since. Seeing the look on their red faces and their chests heaving up and down, Tenma assumed they had just made someone very mad at them.

"Tenma," Kirito managed to say between panting, "Have you seen my sister? She's on a rampage."

Tenma raised his eyebrows. He knew Kirito's twin sister Chikai as a shy girl who never got angry, let alone go on a rampage.

Kariya seemed to see Tenma's confusion, "Well, not Chikai really. It's more Midori who's rampaging," he said grinning.

Seto Midori was the daughter of the owner of the local bar. Her mother had been a prostitute and her father had taken her from her mother after she was born, convinced that the woman could not take care of a small child. She had been under his care ever since and now, at the age of 15, she was often found in the bar where she worked as waitress, hostess or bartender. Apart from that, the girl had the reputation of being a dangerous hothead with a temper that would scare the average street brawler.

"You guys can be so stupid," Tenma sighed, "You know how she is when you mess with her. You should know best, Kirito," he said as he pointed at a bruise on Kirito's chin: Midori's treat when Kirito had tried to match her up with Nishiki Ryouma, the son of the Chef of Order.

"Anyway, I'm not here to talk about your problems with Midori, I'm here for something else." This seemed to catch the attention of the two pranksters as they bent over towards the brown haired boy, eager not to miss anything of what was about to be said.

"It's about Tsurugi Kyousuke and Narumi Reina..."

A red haired girl stormed through the streets on her way to the golden eyed pranksters home. Her green eyes glared daggers and steam seemed to come out of her ears. Behind her followed a more delicate girl in a gown for middle-class citizens. Her auburn hair bounced with her steps and her hazel eyes were filled with worry as she tried to stop furious redhead in front of her.

"Midori, it's no use! They're gone already! You can get your revenge next time." Hearing this, Midori halted and turned around. She seemed to count to ten, inhaled and exhaled deeply to calm herself down and finally managed to put on a smile.

"You're right," she said, "but next time I see your beloved twin brother, he will end up with his head so far up his own ass, he can see what he had for breakfast." Chikai didn't particularly like the eerie grin that spread on Midori's face.

"Yeah, I''ll make sure I will not be there to watch when that happens,"she said pricking a finger into Midori's shoulder.

Apparently, there was something interesting behind Chikai's back because Midori smiled softly, grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around. On the other side of the street walked no one else than her life-long crush Kageyama Hikaru. The innocent looking boy was quickly pacing down the street with an expression plastered on his face that was a mix of anger, fear and worry. Chikai felt her face heaten up and she could swear she was as red as a tomato could possibly be. Midori smiled.

"Now, why don't you go talk to your little friend, while I continue my search for your asshole of a brother and his partner in crime. See ya!" Before Chikai could protest, Midori had already run off, her long skirt disappearing behind the corner of the street.

Now there was nothing left to do but go and start a conversation with the indigo haired boy. Before she actually realized what she was doing, she called out Hikaru's name. He looked up from the ground, his eyes found Chikai and he tried to smile, failing miserably.

"Oh, hey, Chikai," he said and Chikai immediately saw that something was terribly amiss.

"What's wrong?"

"I have to go see my uncle."

When Hikaru went to his uncle, it usually meant bad news. The last time that happened it ended up in a dead person hanging in the plaza.

"There are witches in the village. I heard it from Kariya," he told her and she asked the question that immediately came to mind.

"Who?"

Hikaru hesitated before answering her question.

The answer made her gasp for some air.

I curse your behavior

Sooooo... What did you guys think? Did I portray your OC 's right?

Though I am personally not too happy with this chapter, I'm happy I posted it.

Review, my friends!

Xx Riley