Don't Look Now: CHAPTER 4
Thanks for your patience! Ch 4 is finally heeere! :D
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Sora Takenouchi's heart pounded violently as she desperately tried to lose the bushy-haired teen in a series of twists and turns. She avoided running under the light of the street-lamps. She took shortcuts and ran through murky alleys. Yet, no matter what tactic she used, the bushy-haired teen persistently kept up with her.
"GIVE ME BACK MY WALLET!" Taichi Kamiya yelled. Though the night was dark and without a moon, he could almost clearly see her outline. Just a little further and he would be able to tackle her down.
All of a sudden, the fleeing redhead tripped over a small object on the ground and landed on her stomach. She cursed loudly for not seeing it sooner.
"Perfect," Tai thought, when he saw his escapee fall to the ground. Now was his chance to catch her. He was about to leap to pin her down--
"TAKE THIS!" the redhead screamed as she rolled over onto her back and raised her leg high to kick him squarely in the stomach.
Tai doubled-over in pain and groaned. He could have sworn this girl knew how to play soccer WELL with the way she kicked.
Sora scrambled to her feet and continued running. Beyond the alleyway was an intersection where she could make a quick turn to lose the chaser. "Left or right? Left or right?" Sora was so absorbed in her planning that she completely failed see a truck come dangerously her way.
The headlights were so bright that they blinded her eyes. She could not see where to dodge and had no other choice but to scream.
Behind her, someone also screamed.
"WATCH OUT!"
Tai threw himself forward, wrapped his arms tightly around the girl, and purposely shifted his weight to crash-land on the safety of the street pavement.
He breathed heavily. Sweat beads rolled swiftly down his face and his heart thumped wildly in his chest. That was TOO close. They had BARELY avoiding being run down by the truck. Too close, too close, too--
"Let me--go--Please," the redhead pleaded in a defeated voice between ragged breaths.
Tai immediately returned his attention to the girl, who lay crushed in his arms and beneath the weight of his body. He suddenly realized that his face was only a few inches away from hers. He was so close that he could see sweatbeads rolling down the side of her face and tears brimming quickly in her lovely eyes.
"Let me go... Please…" she repeated, and her voice now trembled." I-I'm sorry I took your wallet--I was in desperate need of money--"
"You could have asked," Tai told her bluntly.
"You don't understand--I wasn't in need of just a dollar or two--I needed a fairly large amount of money to buy medicine..." The girl's eyes were round with dread and tears were finally streaming down her face.
"How do I know you're not lying to me?" The expression of his face softened just a bit, but he was still pinning her down to make sure she couldn't pull a fast one and get away.
"I'm not--You have to believe me. Please let me go..." The red-haired girl was sobbing now.
And he believed her. Taichi Kamiya suddenly felt a wave of pity for this girl--this complete stranger--who was shedding real tears of desperation. He knew nothing about her except that she was a thief who deserved to be turned in to the police, but somehow, he could not find the heart to do it.
So instead, he decided to talk to her. He got off her, helped her up as well, and kept one hand firmly on her right wrist.
"Explain yourself," he commanded quietly.
But Sora was too choked up too respond. Tai watched as she hurriedly wiped away the tears with her free arm. As he waited for her to recompose herself, he took mental notes of her appearance. He noticed that her red hair was in disarray and that the condition of her clothes was less than satisfactory. They were battered and dirty, and even ripped in several places. She looked so miserable that Tai couldn't help but feel bad for her.
After a minute of waiting, the girl finally spoke up. "Here," she said, and pulled out his wallet from her left pocket. "Nothing's missing, except for the money--I spent it all on medicine." She carefully avoided eye-contact with him.
With a deep sigh, Tai finally let go of her hand and took back the wallet. He flipped through it quickly. Indeed, everything was there except for the money. Tai was thoroughly convinced she was some unfortunate girl living a sad and difficult life. He didn't have the heart to turn her in to the police.
"I'm sorry," Sora murmured, eyes still averted. "The money--"
"Forget it," Tai cut her off and quickly stuffed his wallet into his pocket.
"What?" Her eyes finally met his. There was a mixture of surprise and relief on her face.
"I said forget it," he repeated. He kept his face expressionless. "I need to get going now." He turned heel to leave.
Sora stayed rooted to her spot, baffled. "That guy just let me off the hook…" she thought with wonder.
Just before the bushy-haired teen was out of earshot, Sora shouted out to him in a grateful tone, "Thank you--and thanks for saving my life! That was very courageous of you!"
Tai quickly spun around to face her, but she had already run off. He smiled diminutively. Courage was, after all, his best quality.
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The elevator was coming down. Tai rubbed his injured stomach and scathed elbow as he waited. The throbbing pain bothered him, but he was too preoccupied with his thoughts to let it distract him. He had been thinking about that strange red-haired girl during the walk back to his apartment. He had already decided that she was a despondent girl living a tough life, but Tai couldn't help wonder *what exactly* drove her into the desperate act of stealing. After all, she didn't seem that bad--not the type who stole for no good reason, anyway.
He remembered staring into her eyes--his face was only a few inches away from hers then. Her eyes seemed rather kind and affectionate, but at the same time, they also reflected of misery and sorrow, as if there were too many pains and problems in her life. Tai was certain that if the things that made her unhappy could disappear from her life, her eyes would have a bright, happy glow and she would look very, very lovely.
Perhaps he would get to see her again. Maybe next time he would ask her a few questions and try to help her out with her problems. After all, he wasn't as insensitive as people thought he was.
The elevator door finally opened and Tai stepped inside. He leaned against the side of the wall and closed his eyes. It was now late at night and he was beginning to feel exhausted. After all that thinking and running around, plus the new information that Gennai and Izzy gave him, Tai just wanted to plop onto his soft bed and sleep.
"YOU'RE FINALLY HOME!" Kari exclaimed as soon as he opened the door to his apartment. "I was considering running over to Izzy's to haul you back here. Mom and Dad are furious! Do you have any idea what time it is?"
Tai shrugged. He was tired and bit annoyed by Kari's nagging.
"It's almost midnight. Mom and Dad are worried about you. Don't you know it's dangerous to stay out late in Odaiba? Thieves and gangs lurk around on the streets at night!"
Thieves, huh? Tai knew of one...
"Tai, are you listening to me?!" Kari exclaimed, exasperated. "Mom and Dad say you're grounded."
Now that got his full attention. "What?! Nooooo! But this time, it's not really my fault..."
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It was well past midnight and Sora was finally home. It had been an extremely exhausting and crazy day--and she would have been killed if it weren't for that Taichi Kamiya. Sora sighed heavily. She was relieved that the madness was finally all over.
She took off her battered shoes and set them near the old black-and-white TV with a crooked antenna. Then she removed her fading sweater and tossed it onto the worn-out gray couch. The red-haired girl stood in the middle of her small living room and looked around. In the dark, the old squalid apartment didn't look *too* shabby... Nonetheless, someday, she and her mother would be able to move out into a better apartment--one with more space and nice furnishings and--
She shook her head and quickly pushed the thought away. After all, she had no idea when that "someday" would come, and it only made her depress to think too much about it.
Sora crept as quietly as she could across the living room and into her mother's bedroom. For a few minutes, she watched her mother's sleeping form. Mrs. Takenouchi was deep in sleep, but occasionally coughed, murmured, and tossed in bed. Dark brown hair with flecks of gray partly veiled her pale, aging face. Sora bent over and gently brushed them aside. Then she softly kissed her mother's forehead.
"I love you, Mom," the red-haired girl whispered tenderly. She set the new bottles of medicine on the drawer and then tip-toed quietly out of the room.
In her own bedroom, Sora stretched her arms and yawned. She was exhausted now and ready to crash--nevermind changing into her pajamas. The red-haired girl was about to plop onto her bed when she suddenly jerked in realization of the gray-blue device that was STILL in the right pocket of her battered jeans.
The name Taichi Kamiya instantly crossed her mind.
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What will happen next? You will find out in Chapter 5! ^_~ Stay tuned!
Thanks for your patience! Ch 4 is finally heeere! :D
-------------------------------------------
Sora Takenouchi's heart pounded violently as she desperately tried to lose the bushy-haired teen in a series of twists and turns. She avoided running under the light of the street-lamps. She took shortcuts and ran through murky alleys. Yet, no matter what tactic she used, the bushy-haired teen persistently kept up with her.
"GIVE ME BACK MY WALLET!" Taichi Kamiya yelled. Though the night was dark and without a moon, he could almost clearly see her outline. Just a little further and he would be able to tackle her down.
All of a sudden, the fleeing redhead tripped over a small object on the ground and landed on her stomach. She cursed loudly for not seeing it sooner.
"Perfect," Tai thought, when he saw his escapee fall to the ground. Now was his chance to catch her. He was about to leap to pin her down--
"TAKE THIS!" the redhead screamed as she rolled over onto her back and raised her leg high to kick him squarely in the stomach.
Tai doubled-over in pain and groaned. He could have sworn this girl knew how to play soccer WELL with the way she kicked.
Sora scrambled to her feet and continued running. Beyond the alleyway was an intersection where she could make a quick turn to lose the chaser. "Left or right? Left or right?" Sora was so absorbed in her planning that she completely failed see a truck come dangerously her way.
The headlights were so bright that they blinded her eyes. She could not see where to dodge and had no other choice but to scream.
Behind her, someone also screamed.
"WATCH OUT!"
Tai threw himself forward, wrapped his arms tightly around the girl, and purposely shifted his weight to crash-land on the safety of the street pavement.
He breathed heavily. Sweat beads rolled swiftly down his face and his heart thumped wildly in his chest. That was TOO close. They had BARELY avoiding being run down by the truck. Too close, too close, too--
"Let me--go--Please," the redhead pleaded in a defeated voice between ragged breaths.
Tai immediately returned his attention to the girl, who lay crushed in his arms and beneath the weight of his body. He suddenly realized that his face was only a few inches away from hers. He was so close that he could see sweatbeads rolling down the side of her face and tears brimming quickly in her lovely eyes.
"Let me go... Please…" she repeated, and her voice now trembled." I-I'm sorry I took your wallet--I was in desperate need of money--"
"You could have asked," Tai told her bluntly.
"You don't understand--I wasn't in need of just a dollar or two--I needed a fairly large amount of money to buy medicine..." The girl's eyes were round with dread and tears were finally streaming down her face.
"How do I know you're not lying to me?" The expression of his face softened just a bit, but he was still pinning her down to make sure she couldn't pull a fast one and get away.
"I'm not--You have to believe me. Please let me go..." The red-haired girl was sobbing now.
And he believed her. Taichi Kamiya suddenly felt a wave of pity for this girl--this complete stranger--who was shedding real tears of desperation. He knew nothing about her except that she was a thief who deserved to be turned in to the police, but somehow, he could not find the heart to do it.
So instead, he decided to talk to her. He got off her, helped her up as well, and kept one hand firmly on her right wrist.
"Explain yourself," he commanded quietly.
But Sora was too choked up too respond. Tai watched as she hurriedly wiped away the tears with her free arm. As he waited for her to recompose herself, he took mental notes of her appearance. He noticed that her red hair was in disarray and that the condition of her clothes was less than satisfactory. They were battered and dirty, and even ripped in several places. She looked so miserable that Tai couldn't help but feel bad for her.
After a minute of waiting, the girl finally spoke up. "Here," she said, and pulled out his wallet from her left pocket. "Nothing's missing, except for the money--I spent it all on medicine." She carefully avoided eye-contact with him.
With a deep sigh, Tai finally let go of her hand and took back the wallet. He flipped through it quickly. Indeed, everything was there except for the money. Tai was thoroughly convinced she was some unfortunate girl living a sad and difficult life. He didn't have the heart to turn her in to the police.
"I'm sorry," Sora murmured, eyes still averted. "The money--"
"Forget it," Tai cut her off and quickly stuffed his wallet into his pocket.
"What?" Her eyes finally met his. There was a mixture of surprise and relief on her face.
"I said forget it," he repeated. He kept his face expressionless. "I need to get going now." He turned heel to leave.
Sora stayed rooted to her spot, baffled. "That guy just let me off the hook…" she thought with wonder.
Just before the bushy-haired teen was out of earshot, Sora shouted out to him in a grateful tone, "Thank you--and thanks for saving my life! That was very courageous of you!"
Tai quickly spun around to face her, but she had already run off. He smiled diminutively. Courage was, after all, his best quality.
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The elevator was coming down. Tai rubbed his injured stomach and scathed elbow as he waited. The throbbing pain bothered him, but he was too preoccupied with his thoughts to let it distract him. He had been thinking about that strange red-haired girl during the walk back to his apartment. He had already decided that she was a despondent girl living a tough life, but Tai couldn't help wonder *what exactly* drove her into the desperate act of stealing. After all, she didn't seem that bad--not the type who stole for no good reason, anyway.
He remembered staring into her eyes--his face was only a few inches away from hers then. Her eyes seemed rather kind and affectionate, but at the same time, they also reflected of misery and sorrow, as if there were too many pains and problems in her life. Tai was certain that if the things that made her unhappy could disappear from her life, her eyes would have a bright, happy glow and she would look very, very lovely.
Perhaps he would get to see her again. Maybe next time he would ask her a few questions and try to help her out with her problems. After all, he wasn't as insensitive as people thought he was.
The elevator door finally opened and Tai stepped inside. He leaned against the side of the wall and closed his eyes. It was now late at night and he was beginning to feel exhausted. After all that thinking and running around, plus the new information that Gennai and Izzy gave him, Tai just wanted to plop onto his soft bed and sleep.
"YOU'RE FINALLY HOME!" Kari exclaimed as soon as he opened the door to his apartment. "I was considering running over to Izzy's to haul you back here. Mom and Dad are furious! Do you have any idea what time it is?"
Tai shrugged. He was tired and bit annoyed by Kari's nagging.
"It's almost midnight. Mom and Dad are worried about you. Don't you know it's dangerous to stay out late in Odaiba? Thieves and gangs lurk around on the streets at night!"
Thieves, huh? Tai knew of one...
"Tai, are you listening to me?!" Kari exclaimed, exasperated. "Mom and Dad say you're grounded."
Now that got his full attention. "What?! Nooooo! But this time, it's not really my fault..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was well past midnight and Sora was finally home. It had been an extremely exhausting and crazy day--and she would have been killed if it weren't for that Taichi Kamiya. Sora sighed heavily. She was relieved that the madness was finally all over.
She took off her battered shoes and set them near the old black-and-white TV with a crooked antenna. Then she removed her fading sweater and tossed it onto the worn-out gray couch. The red-haired girl stood in the middle of her small living room and looked around. In the dark, the old squalid apartment didn't look *too* shabby... Nonetheless, someday, she and her mother would be able to move out into a better apartment--one with more space and nice furnishings and--
She shook her head and quickly pushed the thought away. After all, she had no idea when that "someday" would come, and it only made her depress to think too much about it.
Sora crept as quietly as she could across the living room and into her mother's bedroom. For a few minutes, she watched her mother's sleeping form. Mrs. Takenouchi was deep in sleep, but occasionally coughed, murmured, and tossed in bed. Dark brown hair with flecks of gray partly veiled her pale, aging face. Sora bent over and gently brushed them aside. Then she softly kissed her mother's forehead.
"I love you, Mom," the red-haired girl whispered tenderly. She set the new bottles of medicine on the drawer and then tip-toed quietly out of the room.
In her own bedroom, Sora stretched her arms and yawned. She was exhausted now and ready to crash--nevermind changing into her pajamas. The red-haired girl was about to plop onto her bed when she suddenly jerked in realization of the gray-blue device that was STILL in the right pocket of her battered jeans.
The name Taichi Kamiya instantly crossed her mind.
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What will happen next? You will find out in Chapter 5! ^_~ Stay tuned!