Destroying a Perfect Soul
Chapter 11: Paranoid
"I saw a vision of Soul this morning..."
"And he...He looked like he wanted to kill me..."
When I came to, I was on my kitchen floor next to the table and once again I had been sweating. Not as much as I had been that morning…though it was close. My tired eyes fluttered open and I struggled to help myself sit up and as soon as I could, I slammed my hand on my table to help me stand. Once I was on my feet, I felt like I was already out of breath, as if I was out of shape. I nearly doubled over again, but I took hold of the nearest chair to keep me standing, and then, something caught my eye. It was Rachel. She was still passed out at the table, her head firmly planted in her book, and her arms dangling from each side of her body.
If I didn't know any better, I would say she looked dead.
But, even though I knew she wasn't, I still set a finger on her neck to check her pulse. I was right…she was still alive. And…I was still shaking. "Damn it…" I muttered to myself as I turned around and made my way over to the kitchen counter. I needed to see the clock. I needed to see the time! "6 o'clock?" I breathed out as my green eyes fell upon the blinking numbers. Rachel and I had both been out nearly the whole day! "R-Rachel…" I called out as I looked down at the counter's surface. There was no answer… "Rachel get up." My voice sounded weak…I needed something to drink. My throat was dry and so were my lips and mouth…I was soaked in sweat and tears, but my mouth was just…terrible… "Rachel! Please, wake up!" I turned around and without realizing it, I threw the nearest thing in her direction. It wasn't a knife thank goodness…but it was the glass pot from the coffeemaker…probably just as bad…
"RACHEL!"
The glass hit the table and shattered into pieces; causing the brown haired girl to wake up with a shout and fly back in her seat. The chair fell over and brought her along with it as it crashed down to the floor, and as that happened, some of the glass fell over the edge of the table; one slitting her cheek open. Immediately I felt horrible about it…but just the thought of her being Medusa's messenger made me want to strangle that girl. I knew she was innocent, but I couldn't help it…I was beginning to get paranoid.
"Ow…Ow…Ow…"
"I-I'm sorry Rachel," I called out as I turned around and reached into the medicine cabinet. I pulled out a cloth, got it wet, and then took out a Band-Aid. "I didn't mean to throw anything…really," I then said as I walked over to her while she cried from the pain, and then, I knelt down and took the cloth to her cheek. After cleaning off the blood, I set the cloth down and covered the wound with the Band-Aid. "It's 6 o'clock…you might need to go home…" She looked confused for a moment, but her shaking eyes found the clock and she understood that I wasn't lying.
"I…I don't even remember falling asleep…"
I paused as I cleaned up the healing supplies, but quickly set them aside and helped her stand and shove things in her bag. "I lost track of time," I told her as she tried to help; only to get things swiped out of her hands. I slammed her snake book shut and set it in her bag while she finally gave up and just watched me. "You fell asleep during the tutoring, and I let you sleep…Sorry I didn't wake you up sooner."
Rachel seemed to notice something was wrong… "Are you ok?" I heard her ask me with a quivering voice as I struggled to get her papers together neatly. I was shaking too much for it to happen. "Miss. Albarn…you look terrible. You're sweating," She then said to me as my hands continued to shake as I packed her things. "What happened? You look like you've just seen a ghost—"
"Maybe I did!" I gasped with a loud shout; causing her to jump and take a step back. "Or maybe I didn't!" I then said as I finally zipped the bag shut. Then, I held it up to her and licked my dry lips with a small glare. "Now, get out and go home, Rachel." She looked terrified as she reached for her back pack. And when she finally got it on, she made her way over to the front door and made no hesitation before leaving. I licked my lips again and quickly made my way over to the phone. Was what I saw just a dream? Or did Medusa really have Soul? I needed to make sure.
"Hello?"
"Stein! I-It's me, Maka!" I gasped as soon as I heard my old sensei's voice on the other side of the line. I didn't even let him finish before I spoke again. "Y-You check up on Medusa every month, right?" I then asked him; causing him to respond with a "yes". "Can you do me a favor and check up on her right now?"
"What's all of this about, Maka?"
"J-Just do this for me! Please!" I shouted as I turned around and slid down the side of the counter and onto the floor. I didn't realize I was crying again…but I guess it didn't really matter. I'm sure he was listening to it from the other side of the line since he hadn't answered me yet. It was a long and uncomfortable silence as I cried silently to myself. "Please…Stein…" I breathed out after another minute of the silence. Finally…he spoke up.
"Alright," I heard him say to me; causing me to smile with dry lips that had been touched by my tears. "I'll get back to you tomorrow."
"Th-Thank you Stein…"
"You're welcome…Sleep well,"
As soon as the line was cut, I threw the phone across the room and hugged my legs close; staring at the far wall. In the corner of my eyes, I caught sight of Blair peeking at me from the bedroom doorway, but soon, she disappeared and left me alone in the main room again. I was sure that Kid and the others were going to arrive soon…so, I probably needed to get cleaned up. My hands, shaking still, I let go of my legs and pressed down on the floor so I could stand up. I didn't even bother cleaning up the glass on the ground…or picking up the chair that had fallen over…I just walked into the bathroom, started the water and took one of the loneliest showers I probably would ever have.
Stares are often considered as rude…some are meant to tell people certain things. Like, "I hate you" or "I love you" or sometimes they can even mean "Maka, what the hell is wrong with you, I'm worried for the sake of your well being" … When I saw my friends stares in the restaurant, I realized that theirs'…was the 3rd option. I noticed that they had been giving me the same stare ever since I left the apartment with them. I hadn't let them inside, but I was sure they saw what was in there anyway. They probably saw the glass…the knocked over chair…and all that stuff…Shit, now that I think about it…I had no idea where the phone went…
"Anyone gunna have the last one?" I asked as if I hadn't noticed the concerned stares I was getting. I looked around with a small smile and then when no one responded, I reached over and took a piece of bread from the basket in front of us. I put in my mouth and looked up to see that they were all still giving me the same looks. "Wow…" I breathed after swallowing the food that was in my mouth. They only made their stare more visible…Even Black*Star wasn't eating to do it…that was pretty incredible. "You guys can sure go a long time without blinking—"
"Maka!" Liz gasped as I went to take another bite of the bread. Finally their stares had been broken and she set a hand on her forehead to let out a sigh. Tsubaki, from right beside me, reached over and took the bread from my hand to set it aside and take both my hands in hers as Liz spoke again. "We saw the mess in your apartment and we can't help but be a little worried…oh and curious…" She seemed to glare at me, but I knew it wasn't because she was mad, she was just…worried. "If something is happening, you know you can tell us—"
"Nothing happened, really." I told her with a small shrug of the shoulders before glancing away to my right; catching sight of the eldest of the Evans brothers. My eyes widened slightly only for a moment before I pulled one of my hands away from Tsubaki to take a drink of my soda. What a coincidence to see him and Natalie there…I was planning on talking to one of them about this "Chrona" person anyway… "I…dropped the coffee pot when I was refilling my mug…"
"You're lying, aren't you?"
"No…" I breathed out as I watched Natalie stand from her seat and say something to her husband before making her way over to the restrooms. I flashed a quick glance to Liz and set my drink down. "If you will excuse me," I then said as I pulled my other hand away from Tsubaki. I stood up and set down my napkin so I could begin making my way over to the restrooms as well. And on the way, I think Wes saw me. "Hi, Wes." I spat out quickly as I kept on moving past him. I felt my feet moving faster, the closer I got to the door and I hadn't really realized that I had nearly thrown the door open. "Natalie," I half yelled; causing the pregnant woman by the sink to jump in surprise.
"Oh! Maka, you…scared me." Natalie breathed as she set a hand on her chest and shut her eyes with a sigh. Her thick Italian accent caused my ear to twitch, but I put that aside and shut the door as she opened her ice colored eyes again. "Ciao, how is Miss. Albarn doing today~" She sang in question with a petite and cute smile as I set my hand on the counter.
"Just fine," I then said to her in a lie; causing her smile to fade. I wished for it to stay…her cute face made it easier to relax… "I need to ask you a few questions,"
"Va bene"
I lifted a brow at her Italian and saw that she had another smile on her face…so I guess it was her way of saying "Ask away" … "Well…you lived beside Soul and Wes right? You were their neighbor…?" I asked her as the music from the speakers seemed to quiet down. She nodded to me with another smile. "So that means you knew about Soul's friend…the one who cut his chest open…right?" She seemed a little confused this time so I looked to the side only for a moment before looking at her again; this time saying it a bit differently. "The boy, the one who cut Soul's chest open, do you know who he is…or maybe even…was?"
"Non del tutto—"
"English, please, Natalie!"
"N-Not quite…"
I didn't mean to frighten her…but I guess my paranoia was turning me into an angry person… "I'm sorry," I said to her as she looked away from me with a frown. "I know you aren't well with keeping your Italian in, but please, make sure I know what you're saying," I then muttered out as I looked away as well. "I…I feel like I'm slipping…one small thing gets me angry now…so…please…"
"Scusa…" Natalie breathed as she rubbed her left arm with her right hand. Then with a small sigh she looked back up with a smile and reached over to lift my head up by the chin. "I do know…just a little bit," She then said to me as her hand dropped down onto her stomach. "He was a little boy who lived down street from both our homes," I nodded to her as she began her explanation. "Very shy he was, yes, but Poco Soul seemed to like him anyways. I remember his hair…" She lifted both her hands and presented her own hair to me. "So messy it was, and pink—no—purple I believe! One of the two! Always, he asked "how do I do this" and "I do not know how to deal with this" and Poco Soul would always help and explain." She dropped her arms and set a hand on her chin to think. "Mmm…Scusa, ma…I do not remember boy's name…"
"Was it Chrona?"
Natalie looked up quickly and saw me watching and waiting for an answer with anticipation. The name seemed to strike something in her memory since she had given me a smile and nodded. "Sí" she then said to me. "That was it. I can never remember that boy's name," She let out a small giggle and smiled to me with perfectly straight teeth. "Strange one he was…"
"What about his mother? Or Father…do you know about them,"
"Not a clue...I never met them."
-"That…is a mystery that I've been trying to solve for many years." Wes said to me quietly; causing me to look back up. He was looking away again, and this time his eyes were glossy as if he was remembering something. "Mother and Father knew Medusa before their deaths…she was the mother of a friend of Soul's…" He then said as if describing the memory he was having. My eyes widened slightly, and I felt Soul's soul shift within the room and come to the door. "That's all I've figured out...I knew who is friend was…but, I hadn't met the mother. And...I'm glad I didn't, but sad at the same time…"-
My eyes narrowed and I looked at the ground by our feet for a moment. Chrona had to have some kind of connection with Medusa since she had told me that the conflict was because of two boys who hadn't played safe. Maybe from what Wes had said…maybe she 'was' the mother of Chrona. It would make a little more sense…I'm sure when she told me that little "story" she meant that by saying she was probably Chrona's Mother…so when he cut Soul, his parents got mad at…Medusa? "Natalie," I breathed out in question as I looked back up into her eyes. She lifted a brow and tilted her head to the side. "What about Medusa, the one who killed Roselin and Sosano. Do you know why she attacked them for money? There has to be some kind of reason she attacked 'them' out of thousands of other families out there."
"What happened between Medusa and the Evans family is…well…only in the knowledge of Medusa, Roselin and Sosano."
"One's completely nuts and on the bad side while the other two are dead." I told myself quietly with a sigh as I looked down again. Once again I heard her say "Scusa" as she set a hand on my shoulder. Then, she took a step forward, lifted my head again and kissed me on the forehead with a goodbye. Then she walked over to the doorway and left me alone in the empty and quiet restroom. I stared at myself in the mirror and watched for a moment. Everything seemed to be like some kind of mystery nowadays. Where did Soul go? Even though I was sure it was Medusa now…it was just too hard not to believe. Why did Medusa kill Soul's parents? Was she really Chrona's Mother...and was Chrona involved in the whole conflict or not? I shut my eyes and tried to make sense of it all. Why would Medusa even ask me to bring her money? Why was the amount enough to fill her whole life's savings?
"Mother?"
My eyes flew open and I looked up again to see that no longer was I in the restaurants bathroom, but now I was in a normal household one. My hair had become white again and once more my eyes were red. Again I found myself as Roselin…in a normal, casual dress standing before her mirror. Behind me, a young Soul stood in the doorway in a white and blue striped shirt and black pants. He had both his arms behind his back and a small smile on his face. Why had I come back to this place…?
"Mother can I go play with Chrona?"
I turned around and faced the younger version of the pianist I knew so well and stared at him for a moment. "Yes…" I then breathed out quietly; causing him to smile a little more before saying his thanks and turning around to leave. "W-wait, Soul," I called out quickly in Roselin's voice and accent; causing him to pause and turn back around. I walked over and knelt down in front of him before taking one of his tiny hands in mine. "Soul…uh, darling…can you tell me something?" He nodded with a lazy but loving childish stare and I smiled lightly in return. "Can you tell me the name of Chrona's mother?"
Soul seemed puzzled for a moment, as he tilted his head to the side, but soon enough, he spoke up. "I've never met her, Mother, but her name's Medusa…I thought you knew that." He then said to me in his own childhood accent. "She's the medical student down the street…" I fought hard not to show that I had been surprised slightly. "I thought you two talked?"
"W-we do," I said to him quickly with another smile. "I was just making sure you knew that." I then whispered before leaning over to kiss him on the cheek. "Now, run along." I stood up and turned him around to give him a light push and then watched him leave with a wave. But I wasn't satisfied with what I learned, so I walked forward and left the bathroom and turned right down the hall. I made my way over to the nearest window slowly and set my hands on the windowsill to watch my "son" run over to a tall and skinny child with light purple colored hair. 'So that's Chrona…' I thought to myself as I saw Soul run up to him and walk away from the yard. I went to walk away, but suddenly I saw a hand in front of my face snap.
The world around me came crashing down and I was me again and not Roselin. I wasn't in the bathroom anymore either…I was…in the dining area right in front of our table with my hands down on the edge like I had my hands on the windowsill. Black*Star was the one to snap in my face and instead of concerned stares, they were now giving me confused stares.
"Dude…Maka what the hell?"
"Sleepwalking?" Tsubaki pondered quietly; receiving a shake of the head from Liz.
"No…She couldn't have been asleep, she was in the bathroom for like five minutes."
"But her eyes…she looked like she was in some sorta trance,"
Black*Star laughed and eyed me with a grin. "Oh, so were you put under some sorta spell while taking a shi—"
"What we all mean to say Maka," Liz interrupted as Tsubaki shoved a piece of bread down his throat. "What the hell was wrong with you?" I sat down with a lifted brow and set the napkin back onto my lap. "You walked out of the bathroom and began making your way back over as if there was nothing around you. You almost killed that waiter over there because you didn't even acknowledge the fact that he was walking towards you with a bunch of wine glasses in his hands." I went to look but she kept talking so that caught my interest even more. "When you got over here, it looked like you were trying to see something but your eyes looked so lifeless…like you weren't even here,"
"I wasn't," I said in response; causing all of them to fall silent. "I…I was Roselin…in the mansion…" I then muttered out, this time, making them look at each other as if trying to find out if they heard the same thing. "I was…watching Soul run off with a friend…outside the window." They all stared at me as I looked at the nearest window with a distant gaze. And if my belief was correct, they were about to say something, so I faced them again and smiled. "But, that's all in the past, let's eat!"
I hadn't realized that the whole restaurant was watching me…
"Hey, Maka."
A fork dropped and our surroundings were quiet enough for it to be heard throughout the whole restaurant. I think I saw Wes and Natalie eye us from their table, but my attention was quickly drawn over to Black*Star, who sat across from me. For some reason he had a somber look on his face as he stared at the bread in his hand, but soon, he looked up with a smile.
"I was thinking…" He began as he set the bread down; the people all around us finally beginning to make noise again. Guess my "sleepwalking" nonsense was already forgotten…"You can still see soul's right?" He then asked me in an inside voice—which by the way, kinda surprised me…I, nonetheless, responded with a nod. "So that means you've been able to see Soul's soul." I nodded again…though I wasn't sure what he was getting at. "So that means you're familiar with his presence…you say you can sense when he's nearby…so why not be able to sense him when he's far away…like some kind of…Soul Radar!"
'Now' he was being loud…but for once…he 'did' make a little sense…
"That's actually a great idea, Black*Star!" Kid said as he set his fork down as well. He gave him a huge grin as he turned his body to look at me. "Maybe you should try and concentrate…" Kid then said to me in his naturally calm voice. "Maybe you'll find out his exact location." I saw him give me one of his symmetrical smiles and then look at everyone else at the table. "What do you think?" He then asked them. They all nodded in agreement and once more, all eyes were on me. "Why don't you give it a try right now?"
"Ok…" I said to him with a nod. Then, as I sat down in my seat, I shut my eyes and took a deep breath. I was sure it would be just like looking at a soul when it came to being concentrated, but I was sure the process would be much more different. With my eyes still shut, I could feel Black*Star's soul, in front of me, shift a little to his right. He had moved within his seat to get more comfortable no doubt. But that was a soul nearby…I needed to see if I could find out where Soul was. I pushed my mind beyond the restaurant and I sensed the soul that belonged to Jacqueline O'lantern Dupree…she was Kim's best friend and roommate while in college. I could see that they were in their dorm doing work together…maybe studying or maybe even just gossiping…who knew…
Still…they weren't who I was looking for.
The next furthest soul I was familiar with was my mother's. She had already left and was in a small town a few miles away from the city. From what I could see…she was taking a bath maybe…or lying down in a bathtub. Either one…but I think the first choice was more logical. Finally, there was no one I found familiar for miles upon miles! I believe I found myself somewhere in the middle of the desert...surrounded by ancient looking pillars and statues…There was a building…I didn't know the details of it…but I knew it was there. And inside there were two souls I found familiar. One was pure evil and the other was…
"Don't stick your nose in other people's business, Maka-Chan~"
"Wha—" Suddenly some kind of force pushed against me and I was thrown back in my seat; hitting the person who was dining behind me and causing them to spill their drink all over themselves. I had also kicked our table up, so all the extra bread we got flew everywhere while all our drinks toppled over and drenched Black*Star and Liz's pants... I was blown away, confused and scared all at the same time from what I had just seen, and as Tsubaki helped me stand, I could tell she saw it all in my expression. None of them said a word… "M-Medusa…she…I think she knew I was trying to—b-but how did she know—"
"First you sleepwalk and cause a lot of commotion," Said the man I had caused to get a wine stain on his white shirt. We all looked at him as he rose from his seat and turned to face me with a grumpy stare. "And then you do 'this'?" He held a hand up to his shirt and kept his glare strong while I realized who exactly this man was. He was a very famous food critic…and I just ruined his meal... "I'm going to have a word with you, young lady…"
It was going to be a long night…
Ciao – Hello
Va Bene – Okay
Non del tutto – Not Quite
Scusa/Scusa, ma… – Sorry/Sorry, but…
Sí – Yes
