Nine

Minako had made soup, but Rei had refused to drink it dwelling on the very exaggerated half-truth referring to Minako's unique culinary skills that tended to make everything taste like salty peas.

Much to both girls' relief, Rei had stopped convulsively shivering. The star-blister hadn't dulled at all, if anything, it had become more defined, as had Minako's own triangular mark on her temple.

Rei now sat on a large purple cushion in front of the fire, wearing thick woolen socks, Minako's gloves, trackpants and a warm, furry red turtleneck.

She had told Minako about her vision during the storm, about the recurrence of it during the night and her inability to control it, and of the stabbing cold of the screams.

'It's lucky I came by when I did,' Minako put the rejected bowl of soup on the floor, her eyes glancing at the shuttered windows a moment. Were those eyes still out there?

'Why are you here?' Rei croaked with genuine concern.

Minako came back to herself. She told Rei about the attack in the park.

Rei was livid and tried to rise.

'There's nothing you can do about it now!' Minako held her back easily. Rei was weak.

'Like hell,' Rei fired. 'Tell me what he looked like, Mako and I will scour Juuban and find him, and he'll be spitting out bits of his balls for the rest of his life-'

'It was a she, and-' Minako shook her head and winced a little. The fire crackled and began to glow scarlet, edged in deep blue.

'And?' Rei asked, abating.

'I think…I know her,' Minako muttered in near confusion.

'What, one of those preppy cows from my school? What did she look like, I'll rearrange her face so her own mother won't recognise her-'

'Stop it,' Minako said quietly, holding her head. 'There's nothing you can do about it,' she repeated, hissing.

She looked up to Rei, only to find the girl had turned pale again. But not from cold. Rei looked scared.

Her eyes were fixed on the scarlet flames.

Minako looked between the two.

'Rei-chan, stop it!'

Rei's indigo eyes snapped to Minako and the flames fell back to their original orange.

'What's going on?' Rei asked in a very non-Rei-like voice. She shrugged the blanket around her shoulders tighter.

Minako looked to the window shutters again, wishing that the crows would stop tapping. At least Rei hadn't decided to let them in.