Well, I'm back! I looovveee this story of mine, and so I'm continuing!!! A lot of people had questions about how the story was forming in the first chapter. I'd like to answer one that I could remember. Alex Warlorn said "Strange that the story is called cuts when Lain shot herself." Well, I called it CUTS because the voices cause their victims to cut themselves. Not trying to sound like a bitch or anything....I just wanted to explain, because the wrist slicing is importent throughout the story. O.K...On with the story.

CUTS part two...STICHES

STITCHES chapter two Chasing Arisu

"Present day...

Present time..."

Lain walked out into the cold night, putting on Taro's green jacket. She was glad she had finally given in and took the jacket. She watched her breath puff up in the dark, night air as she walked down the street to her destination. It was a fifteen minute walk to the Fuji Rentals video store. As she walked in she passed a gang of high school girls with spiky purple and/or blue hair checking out the horror movies.

She walked up to the counter where Reika was sitting. "Lain! What are you doing here?" After Arisu had moved Reika took a job at the video rentals to get over it. "I need Arisu's adress. It's important." Lain said simply with her cold and distant voice. "No." Reika said and peered over at the gang of girls. Lain looked over at them. They didn't seem too menacing, but a gang was a gang. They all looked like they were in the eleventh grade, except for a shirt girl in the middle, who was the size of an eighth, maybe ninth grader. Lain turned back to Reika. "Please, Reika."

"NO!" Reika repeated. "I have it, but I'm not giving it to you!" Reika said, still glaring at the gang. Lain glared. Something had changed, she looked the same...yet different. She looked like the girl at Cyberia that night. Reika didn't like it. "Give me the damned adress!" Lain shouted, slamming her fist on the counter. The gang glanced over at them and then turned back to the rack. "L-Lain. Give up. I'm not telling!" Reika shot back.

Lain pulled the sleeves of her jacket up. "Have you been hearing voices? Voices that cause you to cut yourself? They pry on the depressed." Lain explained, just below shouting. "I'm scared that Arisu is hearing them too. I NEED THAT DAMNED ADRESS!" She screamed, and the gang snickered a bit. "So what. You're insane, hearing voices. I'm sure Arisu is fine." Reika sneered. "Explain this!" Lain whispered as she parted her hair to reveal a bullet hole. "I killed myself to get away from the voices. Everyone who hears them do. Only, it sends you to the Wired version of Hell." Lain explained, in a soft voice. Reika started to cry, it was just too sureal for her. "I WENT TO HELL, REIKA! And I was lucky to get out." Reika, choking from her sobs, got out a pen and paper.

"Oh. My. GOD." She managed as she shakily wrote down Arisu's adress and phone number. "I-it's too l-l-late to call her-r now." Reika explained as she tried to get a handle on her tears. "Reika." Lain said, softly placing her hand on the girls face, her anger gone. She looked like Lain again. "Reika, stay happy. Don't be sad, because we need you alive. I need you, and I'll need you again. You are importent, so stay happy, and They can't get you." She smiled warmly at Reika and left.

As Lain stood outside of the video rentals she looked at the adress on the paper. "She moved too far." Lain muttered and walked down the street to Taro's house. All the way there her thoughts were with Arisu, and what she might be doing,

A/N: Read and Review. I forgot to mention something (and I'm too lazy to go back and put it in) the gang of girls have black leather jackets with the same patch on them. The patch says 'SWARM' which is the gang's name. It doesn't come up for another couple of chapters (I think), but it comes up. And so does the short girl, also....oh, just keep reading and you'll find out!!! But, I'm VEERRYY proud of this story (it's like my baby) so PLEASE be gentle when you review. Constructive critisism is great, (and helpful! I'm no Stephen King) but flames on this particular story will REALLY piss me off! So, no flames. O.K. Buh-bye!!!