Hitomi scanned the floor and cradled various toys in her arms as she dragged herself on hands and knees, wearily dodging the corner of the sofa and oak table. She got grip of a small, plastic sword, and smiled. She dropped the large bundle into a wide tupperware box, and rubbed her long and slim, yet floor burned, legs.
Prepared to lie back in her bedroom, she noticed an empty water bottle and a granola bar wrapper on the table in the living room. Frowning with a whine, She carried the dishes to the sink. Lazily dropping the objects in the containment, she managed to remember the window above her was still open. Reaching across the sink, her hands grazed the side of the plastic drawer. Her surrounding darkened slightly.
The reflection of a hairless man stood in her sight, a chilling snarl darkening his appearance. Hitomi gasped and leaped back, spinning around towards the openness of her apartment. All was silent. The room was completely empty.
She regained her breath, questions of panic rolling in her mind. She paused, and her eyes became alert.
…That…it couldn't have been…a vision…? Clueless and disapproving beyond belief, she still wouldn't take a chance.
Hitomi walked hastily to Ty's room and creaked open the door.
"Mommy," he whispered.
She glanced down, his bright eyes wading up in her direction. She opened the door to its full outstretch and took her child's hand.
"Ty, I want you to go upstairs to Mrs. Reno's room. Don't come back until I say, understand?" Hitomi led him to the front door and escorted him into the silent halls.
"Be careful. Don't let the bad man hurt you, mommy," he said clearly and solemnly. He made his way down the stairs with confidence, leaving a dumbfounded Hitomi in the halls.
"…How did you…" she finally asked into the emptiness. She cupped her hands over her mouth, closed her eyes, and set her arms at her side. Taking a deep breath, she stepped cautiously into the apartment.
The silence was different now. She wasn't sure what the quiet atmosphere would bring. Her eyes jolted in all directions, afraid that a simple turn of her head would result in a shocking surprise.
Caught up in expectations, Hitomi was too late to react when the door she had failed to shut slammed by an automatic push. She propelled to the floor by a force from behind. She let out a cry, and glanced over her shoulder.
"It's you!" she trembled, struggling to pick herself up by the power of her arms as she stared in utter horror at the same bald, cruel eyed man in black robes.
He grinned devilishly with approval. "That's correct. And I, indeed, know who you are."
Hitomi stood still on the floor in an awkward position. "You're the one who took Marina's address book…?"
His grin widened, and he took a step forward. Hitomi stumbled back. He was obviously the one who had attempted to call her on the phone, so why was it she could understand him now and not when she heard the message on the machine?
The flash of a silver blade caught her attention. She rolled in the opposing direction as he dove aggressively towards her, the twisted iron clenched between in his fist. Hitomi leaped to her feet, shielding herself behind the large sofa.
"Why are you hiding?" he asked. His tone was cold and unforgiving, and chillingly patient. He approached the coach, the blade ready and his reaction attentive.
Hitomi reached for the lamp on the end table and lifted it above her head in a threatening matter.
"Get away," she warned, her teeth clenched in anger.
A chuckled of disbelief escaped the shadowed person. "You think you can stop me with measly threat?" He ran in her direction, and Hitomi raised the fragile object. Before she could strike, the entire darkness of his figure disappeared below her, and two cold hands were suddenly attached around her neck.
Without a grasp, the lamp fell to the ground and shattered. Hitomi outstretched her hands over the restraining ones, rushing to regain her breath before it ran out. His force was too strong. She couldn't fight it. Instead, she raised her knee in the air, and blew a swift kick in his leg.
He let go, cowering below her and snarling with fury. Hitomi stormed into the kitchen, slamming open the drawers in search of an acceptable weapon. She pulled out a knife, and realizing the man was slowly grinding to his feet, she ran out the door of the apartment. The halls were as empty and silent as before. She glanced over her shoulder as she ran, returning her gaze in front only to come to a halt beyond layers of black robes. The knife gasped in her hand was knocked away.
Realizing she was without defence, Hitomi opened her mouth to scream, but the same cold hand prevented the sound from escaping.
He pushed her sideways through the hall, and shoved her through the doorway. He closed his fists in a tight knot, and with a hard punch, shoved Hitomi to the ground.
Her sprawled out body lay helpless on the rough carpet as the tall, dark figure closed the door. She watched with weak eyes as he slowly returned towards her, focusing the grip of the twisted knife in his hand.
"He can't save you anymore. And you certainly can't save yourself, even if you are the Dragon's bitch." He kneeled beside her head, and wrapped his free hand around the lower section of her neck. He studied the crooked blade with interest.
"Why are you doing this," she pleaded, determined not to give into fear and suffering.
He leaned over her body until he was hovering inches above her face, and then whispered, "Because you are the key to our victory." He raised the blade above his head.
Hitomi turned her head away and shut her eyes, clenching her teeth as if she had already experienced the worst to come. A sharp pain pierced the side of her neck. She realized he wasn't stabbing her, but carving.
She felt a warm substance drip down her neck. Her eyes squinted with each touch of the blade, and she would let out a cry whenever she could until she became too weary to speak. The green hue of her eyes glistened, and her eyelids began to close.
Before more dreariness could prevail, the pressing motion on her neck ended with a loud crash and numerous grunts. Opening her eyes to the direction of the startle, two figures knocking around aggressively in attack modes appeared in her view. The shredded black robes were flattened to the surface of the rug, a black boot holding the stance with great force below the dark man's chest.
Her sight was extremely blurred, and the explicit details were hard to make out. However, it was quite clear that the victorious attacker was strangely familiar. Golden blond hair, shortened at the shoulders, flowed beyond his face. The sword he held reflected the blueness of his eyes; the sword that was almost buried in his opponents ribs.
"Why you?" the bald man choked out weakly.
"There is no response I can insure for you," he replied, "Only that it was you who brought on your end." With that, the sword dug into the matted body without hesitation.
The dark man cried in pain, and in seconds, his shrouded body disappeared in a vague, black mist.
Hitomi watched as the blond man retrieved his sword without a stain of proof of the assassination. Her lips curved in the desperate attempt to free the words; the name, but failed. There was no need for words. Hitomi knew who had saved her and left her as safe as he could have. Though she could barely believe its truth, she knew it was Allen Schezar.
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More to come! BUT, not until I receive at least five good reviews!! Mwahahahaha!!!!