Alice

This was why I hated Shun being a ninja; he could cover a lot of ground in a short matter of time. Snake and I searched down the streets, occasionally asking people if they may of seen him go by. I had no clue why Shun was in the emotional state he was when he showed up in the store, but I knew that Snake's snide remarks didn't help the cause. We both stopped and asked a young couple if they had seen him go by.

Yet again, another no. I heard Snake sigh behind me. I turned to face him and asked, "What?" He had stuffed his hands into his pockets and said, "The sun's setting, and it'll be dark soon. This part of town has been getting more dangerous everyday, and I don't think we should be walking around here late at night. Besides, the halfway house I stay at has a 10 'o' clock curfew, and with all the increases in crime I think they'll probably shorten it soon."

I couldn't believe that Snake just wanted to give up searching for Shun. It's partly his fault Shun ran off anyway. "So you just want to give up and leave Shun out here? Where you're complaining about being too much crime?" He didn't seem to take my comment kindly. "I don't want to leave him out here, but I also don't want to be the reason my friend's girl gets hurt by some thugs on the street. Considering he still thinks of me as a friend. Besides, Shun can probably last a night out here. He seems street smart. More than I can say for myself."

The shooting that took out the back window of my car only a few days ago, replayed in my mind. Shun knew what to do, even if he had to think up something last minute. Every second made the sky grow darker, and all the criminals would emerge from their daytime slumber and prowl around the city. And Shun would probably be caught up in some part of it. "At least let's ask a few more people. Maybe they have seen, Shun." Snake nodded his head and walked with me down the sidewalk.

We asked anyone who would stop and give us their time. None of them had seen Shun. "Maybe Sparky took off into an ally. If he did that, then he could be anywhere in the city." I didn't think about that. I didn't want to think about it either. Thinking about Shun turning corners in a maze of buildings and getting lost, made me think of his running through the icy forests around my house.

Everything would look the same to him. Before he would know anything, Shun would be lost. I was sure of it. Snake pulled out his cellphone to check the time. "Come on. We better start heading back." I grabbed his wrist and stopped his from walking away.

"We still have some daylight left. We still have a chance to find him before nightfall." Snake jerked his wrist away from me, and movement that reminded me somewhat of Shun. "It'll be dark by the time we get back to the shop, ok? Sparky could also of gone back there, or to your house. What if he did go back to either one of those places and we didn't know? We could stay out here all night and end up getting shot or mugged. It's too dangerous to be out here."

He had a point, but I felt as though I should keep arguing. Keep fighting to find Shun. But what if he is back at the store and sitting on the couch waiting for us to walk in? "It's too dangerous for Shun to be out here, Snake." He placed his hand on top of his red and black hair and sighed. "I'm aware of that. Please…..Just make this easier and come with me back to the music store."

I could hear the guilt in his voice. It reminded me of the guilt I felt when Dan and I accidentally kissed because I was so stressed out about Shun being in the hospital. "Fine." Snake thanked me and we started walking back the way we came. I didn't think we covered this much ground.

Shun could of traveled all this way in less than an hour. It took us several just to get here. Then again, we were looking, not running. I kept wishing for my phone to ring, and Shun would be on the other end telling me where he was. But that wouldn't happen. He had left his phone at the house earlier that morning because it was nearly dead from not being charged. Night had almost fallen when we got back to the store.

Snake was right about saying it'd be dark when we got back. I opened the door slowly, hearing the little bell, and looked around. Shun hadn't come back here. My only hope was he had gone back to the house. Somehow.

Shun

I didn't know where I was in this city, but all I knew was that I want to get away from it all. I turned onto another ally, each one looking just like the one before. I probably couldn't of found my way back the way I came, even if I tried. The lamps on the brick walls had all turned on, giving the dark allies some form of light. I had stopped running. My body was too tired to do it anymore.

But I was still walking. I wanted to get away. Away from the confrontation I had with Fabia hours ago, the words exchanged with me and Snake, and just reality itself. I stepped in a deep puddle of water, and the splash echoed against the walls. The water came up past my ankles, cold and bitter. Stinging me more and more the longer I stayed in it. There was no telling what was all in the dark water, and I didn't want to know. I looked at the water as it rippled from where I just stepped out of it.

The lamps turned the surface yellow like the light they produced. I wonder if Alice is looking for me? She never even crossed my mind when I ran out from the store. I felt guilty, thinking about how Alice was reacting to this. My hands were in my pockets, and my fingers held on tightly to my mother's necklace. I tightened my grip on the charm whenever I thought about what kind of drama this was putting on the orange haired girl. Up ahead of me, were two dark, crooked looking people.

I was apparently out of their sight, although I could see them clearly. I saw something exchange between their hands, and ducked behind a dumpster that was behind some kind of business. It's a drug deal. I knew that if they caught me, they probably wouldn't hesitate to do whatever they needed to make me be quiet. Whether I said I'd stay shut up or not. I peered out from behind the dumpster, careful to remain hidden. It wasn't them I was afraid of, it was whatever weapons they may have had on them, and how high they were right at the moment. I was able to tell that one had a rather large knife, while the other had a small hand pistol.

If they had no weapons, I would of easily been able to hold my own against them. But if I got into a fight with them and didn't take away their weapons quickly. It would be game over for me. It was too risky for me to go back down the ally I just came from because they may see me this go round. And I couldn't just walk right past them and hope they'd play me off as a side-effect of the drugs if they were on any.

I'm going to have to wait here till they leave. I leaned back behind the dumpster, but this time my heel caught a shard of glass from a bottle. I froze, and I heard one of the dealers say, "Hey, I think I heard something. Come on, let's check it out." Adrenaline pulsed through me. I scanned my area quickly. There wasn't anything for me to grab onto and scale up the sides of the walls.

And even if there were, the buildings were too tall. I'd only get so far, then fall. I heard a click, and knew that a gun had been cocked. The minute they see me, they'll shoot me on site. Think, Shun! Think! I noticed a small gap between the dumpster and wall. Small enough that it wouldn't be noticed, but large enough for me to try and squeeze into. I looked behind it and saw a large dent in the back.

One that was probably caused by a car, and gave me enough room that I wouldn't be squished against the metal and brick. I contorted my body quickly, and slid between the two objects. I saw the shadows of the two men, and heard one say, "Guess it was a rat. Filthy creatures."

I hoped they didn't hear my racing heart as they walked away, or my quick breathing. I looked at where I was hiding. I was standing in tons of wet and disgusting garbage, and some other items I'd rather not name. I felt as though I'd be sick as the smell finally reached me.

Please let them be gone. I couldn't stand the smell anymore, and pushed my way through the opening I went in. The fresh air wasn't enough to calm my stomach, and once I was freed from the space, I threw up from the sheer stench. God I hope I don't smell like that. No gunshots were being fired my way, so I assumed they had left the ally. Good. Good. I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. It was just like the forest. Everything looked the same, and I had no clue where out was. Only one thing to do. Keep walking and hope to find it.

Alice

I was sitting on the couch at the music store, and easily picked up Shun's scent over Snake's, and anyone else's who sat there. Snake was about to lock up the store and head back to the halfway house where he stayed. "I was never one that was good with keeping friends." I looked up to see Snake turned away from me as he was cleaning the store's front windows.

"You don't say." He jumped up a little to clean the top part. "As crazy as it seems, it's true. Anyone that's ever claimed to be my friend has only used me in the past. And anyone who I was friends with was usually skrewed up in the head. And a lot of them didn't want to be my friends before they even figured out who I really was. I guess you could say I don't have good judge of character."

He did a low, sad chuckle. It was an all too familiar sound, cause I had heard it from Shun many times. I still couldn't see his face, but I didn't have to see it to know what it looked like. "I thought I had myself a decent friend this time. Somebody to joke around with and have jam sessions. But as usual I skrew it up."

I felt slightly sorry for him, but I was too focused on if Shun was ok or not. Snake continued talking. "I mean, I was doing my job though. I was basically the person who runs this whole place, and had authority over employees. And work comes before friends. This isn't the first time though that my job has messed my life up."

He mustn't of known that I wasn't halfway paying attention. Snake looked up at the sky through the window. "Remember how I said that this place is all I have? I wasn't kidding. Listen, I don't care if you're listening or not. But sometimes it just feels nice to vent, even if nobody is around. I've had to do that many times, and it's kind of weird to have a person around. But it's a good weird."

Shun had told me Snake's story. How all of his family was killed when he was very young, all because they made stupid choices. I could tell he tried not to make those choices as well, but it seemed to be in his nature to mess up. Almost like it was a curse on him and his family.

Except he'd avoided it much longer, and only taken a few blows. But not enough to take him out. "It looks like it may rain." I got off the couch and looked out the other window. I could see large, dark clouds against the dark night. A flash of lightning split the sky in half. And Shun's about to get caught in it.

Shun

Light cut through the sky as I walked down another ally. Again, looking the same as the last. Does it have to rain? Haven't I suffered enough? "I guess I haven't!" I didn't know who I was screaming at, but I just wanted the world to hear me. Maybe that's who I was screaming at.

The world. The wind picked up and sounded like light voices laughing. I covered my ears with my hands, to block out the sound of the wind. A drop of water hit my arm, and more followed. Soon the bottom fell out. The water turning from black to clear as it neared the ground.

"Are you having fun watching me suffer?" The wind still laughed, stabbing me with chills as it breezed past me fiercely. I staggered over to a brick wall of a building. I slid down it, still holding my hands to my ears to block the sounds of the wind. I couldn't tell if my face was wet from the torrential downpour, or if it was tears. Perhaps a mix of both. This time I just screamed. Nothing said. Nothing directed at anyone.

Just a scream. I felt my body shake, and I felt as if I was on overdrive. My breaths were short and difficult to get control over. I knew what it was. It was a panic attack like the one I had around Alice because I was under too much stress from just life itself. I brought my knees up to my chest, thinking it would help calm me. It didn't.

If anything, it made if harder to breathe. I said between what was a mix of gasps for air and sobs, "Why? Why does this have to me?

Why can't I ever get a break? Why? Why?" My voice trailed off, still saying the same thing over and over again. My tired body laid over on the cold, wet ground that was covered with papers and trash like most of the alleyways. Just make it end. Please. I just want to go home. Home was the best sounded this to cross my mind all night.

it's cold, it's raining, and it's dark. o.o why can't it be this way in the morning when we march? guess the cosmic universe doesnt want that. oh well. I dont think there will be an upload friday, being our homecoming parade and stuff. and the band has to march in it. And i know there wont be one friday cause we have our homecoming game. -.- i cant wait for all this homecoming crap to end. bleh. well, read, review, and other things. ~Copperpelt~