Hello my dear readers. I have some news to you. I don't know what kind of school days or holidays people all around the world have at this time of the year, but my summer holiday just started today. Hurray!

But, because I got a grade that I was not happy about, I will have to study almost the whole summer and take an exam after. Soooo, I will try to continue writing, but as they say: "Education first." Plus, this is a subject I can not fail, no matter what… I am serious. My family is also planning on going on a vacation to abroad and of course I have to go with them. No offense to those who love traveling, but I prefer sitting in my house, drinking tea and reading something. :) Much more relaxing than moving around the place and looking at ancient buildings.

Anyway, if your summer vacation has already started, or will at some point in the future, have fun enjoy and relax (if you are a school-worrywart-freak like me, then you definitely won't) and like my principal said today in a speech: "Eat lots of ice cream!"

But do enjoy this chapter and have an amazing day… night… noon or whatever your time is wherever you are.

dizzydaz97: …Seriously. People like you (this is also to those who have been reading my stories to this point) make me smile with every review. If you read my babbling from above, I also wish for you a good holiday (sorry if you don't have one yet).

Misia0123: Once again, my loyal follower, thank you for your opinions and reviews on this story. I pretty much want to say everything I did on the previous reply above you. As for your question about Momo meeting 'the-one-who-shall-not-be-named', you might get your wish granted. Read to find out and have a good holiday (I repeat: sorry if you don't have one yet).

Momo's stares up at the unfamiliar face and his face stares back with lines of a pleasant smile under the mask. Her facial muscles twitch, but other than that she doesn't show any sign to this new development. Though, that is probably what the people in the room think, at least. In fact, the young girl's feels so uneasy, that her stomach has started to hurt.

Nobody had explained anything to her. From the start, nobody seems to even bother. She has noticed how vague the people working in the hospital have been. Both in sharing the information and feelings. Even now, as she glances around uneasily with her mismatching eyes – something that makes her feel ashamed of – and tries to read the faces of the very young nurse who brought her here. The mint green mask must be on her face for a reason, because it works like an armor and doesn't reveal a twitch from the nose below. Even her hair is covered – Momo had seen it once, dark brown – like revealing it would let out a secret.

The young girl looks back at the man. She doesn't know why, but his smiling face starts to look unpleasant. He can't be that much older than her and yet she feels a little afraid. Although, he does have very heavy and dark bags under his eyes. They look like they could pull down his grey eyes out of their sockets. Not to mention the male's skin is whiter than the protective outfit all three of them are wearing – like a piece of chalk from the giant blackboard in a class room.

Class… School… Momo never would have thought she would miss those things. She would rather be sitting behind her desk near the window, watching the leaves of the nearby tree barely scraping the glass surface from the other side, than stand here and face whatever doom will be placed on her.

A small childish and shaken part of her is afraid of a disposal. There had been a young girl sharing a room with Momo and other people around their age before, but her heart monitor had suddenly started beeping so violently in the middle of the night. After that, the doctors and nurses had taken her away. And now, that bed in the corner has been filled with a young boy who hasn't stopped crying for his mother every day.

Okaa-san.

Momo's eyes start to sting and she bites down on her lower lip. The nurse has lately been in an irritated mood and slapped her across the head few times, but now the woman behind Momo doesn't make a move to stop her.

"He will be your therapist," she says instead with monotone voice.

That moment, the young girl freezes and whirls around. "What?"

"Your therapist," she repeats, using the same tone, but doesn't meet the younger girl's distressed eyes. "Your time will be forty-five minutes. Sato-san needs to be transmitted back to her ward after."

'Sato-san' – nobody has ever called her that. But in here, it feels like anyone – even those under the age of ten – are like adults. It doesn't make sense and sounds almost laughable, but Momo has noticed that this nurse does that a lot.

The nurse turns away and without hesitation Momo tries to grab her hand but stops. It isn't like they have become friends, this is the third time that they have met. But, Momo wants to hold something, anything that moves. Something that would not leave her alone with a stranger.

No… Momo starts to see the entire room as one small cage and cold sweat trails down her back. The protective suit is starting to become too hot. Don't leave me… Of course, she doesn't say this out loud. But stays on the spot and watches the door open and close. Lately, the sound of it has been used to reply most of the young girl's questions and this serves as another answer for her.

She is on her own.

"Let's start with introductions," the strange man's voice makes her tense up even further. "My name is Yamanaka Kotaro. It is nice to finally meet you, Momo-chan."

"Momo-chan!"

"Mo-chan!"

This time, she actually flinches, like a bucket full of ice water has been dropped on her. It has been over four months since anyone referred to her like this. She doesn't like it one bit. It is worse than the fact that he already knows her name. Her chest feels like it is being squeezed again. Although, it wouldn't be surprise, if the virus is taking a hold of her body again. She wishes for the latter to end her suffering.

"Don't call me that," she says quietly and turns meekly around to face him. Hesitantly, Momo raises her eyes after a while and meets Kotaro's. "Call me… either Sato-san or Momo-san."

"But, you are younger than me," he states with humor in his voice and it doesn't leave, even when he notices that the young girl in front of him stares boldly back with blank eyes. "Anyway, lets start our session. Come and sit down."

Momo clenches her hands into tight fists. "I don't want to."

He chuckles easily to her cold voice. "The door is kind of locked, so you can't exactly leave," he says, sounding a bit bothered by Momo's attitude. But then… "There was actually one girl of your age that did jump out of the window last week. Want to try it out as well?"

Whatever she has wanted to say freezes in her throat. She stares at the man before her with wide slightly wide eyes, her heartbeat rising a little from his words. This is not what she had been expecting from someone who worked with patients with unstable minds – she isn't like that, mind you. Nobody in here has talked to her or other patients like this, as far as she has heard.

But, there have been indeed few incidents of suicides lately. Practically with those who haven't been able to bear the gravitation of the situation and grew insane. I'm not like them. So why do I have to speak with this man?

Swallowing, even though her mouth is as dry as a desert, Momo straightens up. "Why am I here?"

"Because the doctors have found your behavior disturbing and troublesome?" He seems to ask.

Momo flinches again. His bluntness cuts through her like a knife. But that is not exactly why she has shown that the words have had an impact on her. Kotaro's voice… sounds kind of cold to her ears, for a moment. It seems that, in the end, he is just like those other doctors who have kept her here.

"Well, you aren't the only one. There are plenty of people in this hospital who are wackier than you," Kotaro says lightly and then walks to the other side of the room.

Momo watches him go to an armchair and sit down casually but doesn't still move from her spot. He is relaxed, a complete opposite of her.

He raises his eyes and she takes once again a notice of the bags under them. Honestly, they are worse than hers, so a small mental cheer of victory echoes inside her head from the realization. At least now she feels a bit more superior on something.

"Then, Momo-san," he gestures towards the couch. "Let's begin."

She has not even agreed to this, yet, the fact doesn't seem to bother him.

"Stop!" Kotaro's whisper is very faint. It can barely be heard through the rumbling of a train that passes by, but Momo can hear it just fine. And if it weren't for his hand that has an iron grip on her upper arm, she definitely would have missed his warning.

The blood flow on her arm feels like it has been stopped, but nothing makes it freeze more than a sight of an army man passing by. She draws in a quiet breath and holds it, unconsciously taking a small step back so that she can feel Kotaro's body heat against her back. T-that was close. Too close for both of their liking.

The soldier stops, making the two people hiding behind a corner stiffen further. The young woman bites down on her tongue, hoping the slight pain will distract her distorted and panic filled thoughts. Hearing hear own heartbeat adds a new weight of fear to those thoughts, because she worries that the dull thumping can be heard outside of her ribcage.

Kotaro's other hand comes up to her shoulder, steadying her body from any kind of swaying it is about to do. He gives it a firm squeeze, sending a silent warning for her to remain calm.

The soldier luckily only turns his head around few times, inspecting his environment. He never once glances to the direction where Momo and Kotaro are. It seems almost too good to be true to the two of them. And then – an eternity passes – he starts to move back towards where he came from and disappears out of sight.

If it weren't for the hand on her shoulder keeping Momo in this reality, she would let out a sigh and slump down. This isn't much, to be honest. There are worse things going to happen soon enough. Still, her heart feels like it had risen over the roof just now. How on earth is she supposed to survive without getting a heart attack before reaching the destination?

"This way," Kotaro gives her no time to think further or even calm down, when he is already pulling her along.

He is so calm. Momo almost trips over a rock but regains her balance quickly with cold sweat on her back. Unlike her, Kotaro walks ahead with such sure steps. His hands are dry and cool, while hers are hot, sweaty and shaking. Not only that, but their facial expressions are completely different as well. The man is collected – both mentally and physically – while the woman is a shaking, nervous mess. She wonders, if he could be like this, were the two of them to change roles. He could go out of the sanctuary of the walls, and she would stay behind.

Momo tries to ignore the warning noises of her consciousness but looking at this place makes it worse. The whole wide area is ominously quiet. It is an old, almost abandoned train station moving through the walls. It has a nostalgic air to it, though. Which is exactly the reason why she doesn't like it.

"I will not kill her," is what the vampire had said. Momo frowns from remembering his voice. He better mean it, because otherwise… what reason is there for this madness? The only reason Momo is even daring to take another step forward, is because of her former superior – of a life that might be lost, if she doesn't keep moving.

She wouldn't add another regret to her list. She can actually try saving Kikyo, and even if that attempt fails, at least she hasn't been hiding under a blanket.

The nearly crushing grip of Kotaro's hand loosens and makes the two of them stop in front of train tracks. Looking around, Momo sees that they are standing just few feet away from a train on an almost wholly crumbled staircase.

She glances up at the male who has broken the physical contact and whispers: "Now what?"

He doesn't look back at her, but points towards a single train – more like a one cart – that is standing extremely still. Another nostalgic wave hits Momo. It had been a long time, since she has seen or traveled in one.

"You will have to hang onto that door," Kotaro whispers, and his finger is directed at a single orange door with a small square window on it. "This is the last train, and nobody will be using one until morning. They are simply sending it back to storage."

Her stomach is starting to hurt again, and rush of adrenaline is making her restless. "But… when will I get off? And… what if-"

The words get stuck into her throat, the moment he raises a hand in front of her mouth. He is looking at her with an easygoing smile. "There is no 'if'. Stay quiet, jump off as soon as the train starts to slow down and run towards the nearest storehouse that you will see. Remember to check your clock to confirm it is past the guard duty and then you can go."

"But-"

"Don't tell me you want to cancel this?" He asks, silencing her once again.

Her face turns blank with her mind. She locks her eyes with his, for a while, before swallowing any other protest she might have left. Once again, Momo has no idea if this man is being serious or not. But, somehow, she wishes he would show any kind of emotion, like back when he bought a drink for her. His tone had been so different, when he told her about those disabled men.

But, it isn't like that anymore, it rarely was like that. He has a mask on. He has always been using it on her. Recently he has done all sorts of things to make himself suspicious. But Momo can't understand his true motive on helping her out with these sorts of things. It is honestly worrisome – like he could one day turn around and stab her. Kotaro could even reveal where she has gone, after he returns back to his apartment. Or maybe… he already knows about the imaginary vampire causing the nightmares not being so imaginary? That certainly isn't a reassuring thought. There is nothing I can do to change things now.

Not wanting to humor him with an answer – she is already emotionally drained – Momo takes off towards the cart. She doesn't run but isn't moving with walking pace either.

"I will take care of Yuki-san."

In case you won't come back.

Momo almost trips from his quiet voice, but then reaches out to the metal handle of the cart's door with shaky hands. The moment she clings to the cold surface, she notices how hot and sweaty her hands truly are and fears that they will slip during the trip. To be more comfortable and secure, the young woman crouches down on a very small platform to sit on.

The train chooses to jerk just few seconds after and Momo's hands clench the handle with dear life. Oh, my god. Oh, my god! The thought of falling makes her stomach turn around even more. She feels sick.

The cart moves, and slight breeze comes from the movement. Brown – mismatching under the contact – eyes rise to look at the man who keeps on standing where he was left. His form gets smaller and smaller, increasing Momo's urge to stop the moving cart and run back to her apartment. Tears start to burn her eyes and she has no other choice, but to close them tightly.

Just when her eyelids are closing, she swears she sees Kotaro's tiny form waving at her. No doubt he is still smiling.

The cart enters a dark tunnel, causing a hollow sound whip in the wind and against Momo's ears. Her breath hitches in her throat and her trembling worsens, as the rattling of the wheels against the tracks becomes obvious.

I still have time… to say my final prayers. She bites down on her tongue. She doesn't want to cry and make the contact slip away.

Like Kotaro had instructed, Momo does jump off, when she feels the metal box slow down. Without hesitation, too.

The moment her legs collide with the ground, they become like jelly. The loud sound of the ringing in her ears and her heartbeat do not cease, but after a minute has passed from the jump. And even then, the shock of such a stunt is still affecting her. The adrenaline is the only thing keeping her muscles working. Her form half staggers, and half runs towards the nearest hiding place – a building that is half-collapsed from the years of abandonment.

This location is not even near her old home. It is nearly on the other side of the collapsed city, maybe even further. But, seeing these giant buildings makes Momo recall the times, when they were still steady and full of people. It isn't like there aren't any high buildings inside the walls, but this place is bare from people. The road under Momo's feet is full of cracks and bumps where she could trip from. Actually, she does almost trip at one point. It is like a ghost city, now.

When she makes it to the building and hides behind a wall, Momo looks back towards the cart, which slides inside two giant doors that close soon behind it. The cart has arrived into its storage, so now she should just wait for the right time to start moving.

Glancing down at her wristwatch, the young woman sees that her waiting will be twenty minutes long. Until then, she must stay well hidden from the soldiers that are standing on top of the wall and looking around for anything that moves.

"You should just come already."

Momo's stomach clenches painfully and her fingers dig into the stone. She stops breathing all together and stares mutely forward. Every hair on her body stands up and the silence of the night becomes unbearably loud to her ears. She should have guessed he would make contact soon enough. She hadn't taken her medication, after all. Although, the pills are still available in her pocket.

The wind blows through the broken and glassless windows and openings. It hits the young woman and is another reason why goosebumps spread all over her body like a disease. She doesn't know what to say, or even what to explain to the vampire who definitely wouldn't care about her reasoning.

"I am waiting~"

She is starting to look around in panic, fearing that he might be near. But, all she sees are the decaying buildings and crumbled roads. The wall further away blocking any kind of view further from her eyes.

"I could always enjoy the blood of your friend while sitting here…"

I must hurry! Brown eyes dart from the giant wall separating the outside from the safer inside world and then further towards the unknown. It is night, so Momo's gaze can't outline much. There is only a small hallway that is covered by thick walls and at its end she can detect an opening.

However, a light from on top of the wall glides across the lower grounds and Momo has to hide again. She does it just in time to avoid being spotted.

"P-please," she stutters under her breath and looks back at the dark hallway. "P-p-ple- please w-wait."

"How long exactly?" The vampire's voice asks, sending another wave of nervous pain into her stomach. Even though Momo has feared this creature for years and her mind grows nearly completely blank, it does not mean she hasn't noticed some strange things with this even stranger connection. Somehow, he is able to sense her emotions – she wishes he does even now.

"We don't have all night, livestock."

There it is again. That name he uses on her. Like she is truly nothing but a blood bag. If Momo wasn't so frightened, she would feel anger.

A bit shaken, the dark-haired woman starts to move forward, when the light moves away from her hiding spot. Her hand takes support from the rough wall, as she moves forward with even pace. The loud beating of her heart makes it slightly hard to concentrate on moving. B-breathe in and o-out. Even her thoughts sound like they are stuttering from the sheer force of her fears.

The hallway ends, and she has ends up on the other end of the building. No light of the watchers on the wall will be able to reach here. Though, it also makes her more vulnerable. Vampires are not the only creatures lurking around this place, after all. The stories of those horrible monsters – Horsemen – are horrible enough to make still sensible people to stay hidden safe. But… it may be that Momo's sanity was lost long ago. Or, she would have done these things with her foolish and goofy personality – the traits she has almost lost completely and what she has rarely shown since Yuki went into coma. Though, she curses the fact how her brain can still detect danger and make her fear this very act. But the very thought of turning back makes her chest ache.

The night air feels chillier than before and Momo starts to quicken her pace until she is running down the uneven road. She isn't exactly sure where she is headed to, but the vampire had told her nights before to simply move further and further away from the wall. Easier said than done. It is dark, and she is unsure to where to turn to whenever the straight road ends. It is like trying to go through a labyrinth with your eyes blinded.

Momo looks around and pants, jumping whenever a sound reaches her ears. She is completely on the edge and her heart keeps on fighting the strain it is put under. How much longer!? Her side has started to hurt, and she has to stop to take a breather.

Where am I now?

The voice in her head hasn't said anything yet, so does that mean that something happened to the vampire? Momo shakes her head and takes few steps forward and looks around. No, that couldn't be it. Right? He still has Kikyo – Momo prays she is still in one piece – and he wouldn't probably have gone all the trouble to get a single human here, only to cancel the whole thing.

Momo's steps become slower and unsure with every ticking second. If she could have enough light to see the small hands of her watch, she would look at them determine how long she has been in here.

Her shoulders rise and fall heavily from the run she took, but other than feeling that the exhaustion is nearly completely gone. She is on the edge, like a rabbit ready to bolt – why did you come here – and she soon might as well. Her eyes whip around blindly – nothing you can do – and settle on a what looks like a corner of a building. Momo frowns and then wraps her arms – don't play the hero – around herself for protecting from the chilly air. The air is getting even – you will die – colder.

She bites down on her lower lip, when suddenly warmth starts to spread all over her eyes. It isn't exactly comforting, for it feels too hot and stings. Momo rubs her eyes with the back of her cold hand and blows air onto both of them after.

All of sudden, Momo feels sick again. And it isn't because of rapid feeling of panic, or fear for her life – at least not immediately. Rather, it is because she starts to feel something on every part of her skin. The strange – like a warm and cold radiance – moves through her and the young woman freezes.

The chill, which shakes her body, isn't a normal one. Somehow, she gets this unnerving thought that someone… is watching.

And for a second, she can see a silhouette of a form before her. It is a flash of an image of a back of someone… someone with short dark hair and the coat of the color – it is me.

…

…

…

She is seeing herself from the eyes of someone else.

…

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…

"Humans get cold this easily?"

Momo lets out a short, but loud, screech.

The heart underneath the young woman's ribcage nearly leaps out. She whirls around, eyes widened, muscles tight and legs ready to make a run for it. This time, Momo definitely wants to empty everything inside her stomach. Her vision is still not that used to the dark, but it isn't obviously too hard to figure out who was the one who spoke almost right next to her ear. It didn't come from inside her head, it wasn't her imagination, and this definitely is happening.

She can see the outlines now. The large form of a beast – a predator – standing a mere arm length away.

The air, words, a scream get caught in her throat and her body starts shaking violently. The scars throb, clearly recalling the pain from two years ago. Now, the brown eyes start to burn again, and first tear threatens to escape from the eye socket.

N-no. H-he c-can't b-be this close t-to human territory, is what Momo thinks – a way to beg her mind to let this be an illusion – and manages to take a shaky step back. But then stops, despite her inner voice roaring for her to run for her life. A basic surviving instinct doesn't work, because she knows what this vampire is capable of. He would catch her, and finish her off, if she turned her back.

It is still almost too dark for her to see colors or many details. But, the young woman knows for certain that there is no mistaking the tallness this monster possesses. Nor the gleam of crimson slit eyes that stare down at her.

She can now nearly see that small – horrifyingly familiar – simple smile on his face.

"You kept me waiting, livestock~," he says easily, almost with humor. Such a light tone does not match the meaning of the words he used to call the human, though.

Momo prays to die quickly, painlessly and without having to look at those bright orbs at the hour of her demise. She doesn't think selflessly about Yuki's or Kikyo's happiness. Heck, she doesn't even think about her dead mother and friends. All she has in her head is the word 'run'.