Author: Wow. I typed this chapter really quickly! Yay! This also switches up a lot so be prepared. I hope you all like it!

Chapter Eleven

The young boy sat in the corner, his arms wrapped around his knees. He never let his eyes leave his captor resulting in an attitude of fear. Of course, he had always been afraid, but now without any sleep, every little noise made the boy jump. But he kept his act up.

Keiichirou glared at Rene. "I demand you let me go!"

Rene glanced at him, but the expression wasn't of one in charge, but of a hurt boy. Hie eyes were glassy with tears as he said. "I didn't want to hurt her; only help."

"Huh?"

But the moment of softness was soon dashed away as Rene climbed to his feet, his eyes filled with a deep coldness. "I am not answering any of your foolish questions, but you shall answer this: Do you want to save your sister?"

The boy looked confused. "My sister? She's hurt? In trouble?"

"Yes. Do you want to save her?"

Keiichirou nodded his head vigorously. "Of course I do!"

"Then join me." H held his hand out to the boy.

"Who is Shin?"

"It doesn't matter. Where's Keii? Is he all right?"

"Keii?"

"Yeah. Satsuki's little brother. Did he make it out all right?"

"From where?"

She tipped her head to the side. "Didn't Satsuki tell you? About Rene—"

"Stop! I do not want to hear about him. From Satsuki or you. I just don't!"

She turned away from him. "You don't understand. No one ever does. No one understands my pain. No on e understands how many loved ones I've lost. But all everyone else can think about is themselves. I don't get you people." She let her eyes rest on Hajime's face. "Maybe your heart is breaking because you don't know the whole story. You don't know the truth and you're breaking inside because you think the world is against you. But…if you would just listen."

He stared at her steadily then nodded his head. "Okay. Tell me everything."

How could he? How could he? How could he leave me all alone? I wiped the tears off my face with the back of my hand, my heart hurt and broken. What happened to that moment of compassion he had shown me? What happened to the 'I love only you'? What happened to the Hajime I had a crush on when my eyes had first rested on him? What happened?

I shivered with fear; every little sound was magnified making it echo in my thought filled head. The sound of a car off in the distant. The sound of a child's laughter. The sound of footsteps…following me.

Join me.

The voice echoed in Keiichirou's head as he stared at Rene's outstretched hand. The young boy reached his arm forward.

Hajime was stunned into silence when Zoë had finished her story. The girl swung her legs over the edge of the bed and climbed to her feet, taking a step forward even as the world spun around her in lop-sided circles. Hajime reached out to stead her.

"We have to save Keiichirou!" Zoë cried out.

But a doctor was fast approaching. Hajime pushed the ghost girl back onto the small hospital bed then dashed for the door.

"Hajime!"

He stopped.

"Meet me outside that window…" She jerked her thumb at the only source of natural light in the room. "…in an hour. Deal?"

"Sure. Whatever."

Then he was gone.

She couldn't see anything except for the darkness all around. Shadows stretched across the floor of her mind. There was a strange echoing noise like someone talking in the distance.

Satsuki. No sound came out.

I threw a quick glance over my shoulder, but I couldn't see anyone. Only the empty, desolate street. Maybe it was only my active imagination, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. My every move. My every breath. My every heartbeat.

Their hands were now only inches apart.

She jumped out the window landed squarely on her feet in a low crouch. She straightened up and stepped forward to meet Hajime.

"Let's go!" She yelled and they took off down the street.

"Where are we going?"

She looked back at him before answering. "It's a place where I used to stay. Before I was living with the Miyanoshitas"

They walked in silence the rest of the way until an old barn came into view and Zoë slowed her pace.

"Is this it?" Hajime asked.

"Yes. It's called Sherayana meaning cursed."

"Cursed And you lived here?"

"Only at night, but hurry up! Let's go!"

She slipped out of the hospital bed her purple hair flowing down to her back.

"The time has come." She said in a low voice. "The time of judgment."

Why? Rene thought. Why all the pain? And he withdrew his hand.

The echoes were getting louder filling my screaming mind with even more fear. Help me! I tried to scream as I raced down the street, but my vocal cords refused to function right.

The bard door burst open making both of the occupants inside jump. Rene leapt to his feet and made a dash for the only other exit — a window. When he had disappeared from sight Keii climbed to his feet and ran towards the door right into the ghost girl.

"Zoë!" he cried and flung his small arms around her.

She hugged him back and ruffled his hair. "Hey, kid, you okay?"

He nodded then asked the one question that he had been dying to ask. "Where's my sister? Where's Satsuki?"

"Yeah." I said turning to face Hajime. "Where is she?"

He shrugged. "I haven't seen her since I brought Momoko to the hospital."

"What?! You left her alone?! Are you crazy?!"

He opened his mouth to speak.

"No! Don't answer that! Come on! We have to go find Satsuki!" At that the tree people raced out of the barn.

Voices whispered in my head, telling me to just give up and lay down my will, but I refused to listen to the persisting voices. My hands were clenched tightly as I ran in the direction of my house, but I never seemed to get any closer and the footsteps only seemed to get louder.

Turn. Something hissed in my head. You're going the wrong way. Turn.

I turned then instantly froze and began to retrace my steps, but it was already too late. She was standing in front of me, her purple hair fluttering in the wind. I took a fearful step backwards my whole body trembling.

Momoko's jet black eyes were directed on my face and I could practically feel her probing through my mind, but then of course she wasn't human. Not anymore. That is, the thing inside my best friend wasn't human. Everything was completely quiet and still for a moment then Momoko let out a blood-curdling scream and attacked me.

He couldn't interfere. He couldn't save her. Not without risking Zoë's life. No one knew. No one understood him. His pain. He wasn't evil, only…confused. He didn't hate, only followed. But no one cared.

Author: Okay. How weird was that? I hope it was good. And if any of you have suggestions for me just tell me. Like if I'm doing something wrong or it's way too boring or too unrealistic. Whatever.