AN: Thanks again for all the reviews. It may be a while before I get the next chapter up, but I promise the next two are goingto be a major turning point! ^,~
Disclaimer: OK this is hard, but. . . . . I. . don't own Escaflone!*sob*
It was near quitting time the next day at work. That morning Hitomi had met Rinarel at the donut store, but he seemed uneasy for some reason. She couldn't blame him she herself felt a growing unrest within herself. She couldn't focus on her work, or on any thing in piticular. Her mind was a jumble of this and that, not allowing her to organize a single thought.
Hitomi sat in front of the computer, her fingers typing this and that rotely, with no real thinking behind it. Hitomi chose to do all of her more mundane and boring tasks today, nothing that would take any of her attention to complete.
Hitomi yawned, thank god it was almost quitting time she didn't want to be there any longer than she needed. Then, she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Outside the window something was falling.
' It's to late in the winter for snow,' thought Hitomi.
But there was something falling outside, something soft and white.
" A feather," breathed Hitomi as she turned to look it straight on. It was true there was a single white feather falling by her window.
Hitomi watched it slowly fall. Suddenly Hitomi's train of thought was broke by the bell to signal that work was over. For a spit second she looked up to the clock, then remembering the feather she turned back to the window to see nothing there.
Hitomi shook the shock off telling herself she had just imagined it. She quickly gathered up everything she needed and hurried home.
Today was her late day so it was dark by the time Hitomi had reached her apartment building. Hitomi's uneasiness increased as she exited the elevator. She could feel eyes on her, but from where? She couldn't be sure.
Then suddenly from her side hallway Alex stepped out, causing Hitomi to jump.
" Sorry, did I scare you Hitomi?" she asked, Hitomi didn't answer, " are you all right?" asked Alex worried.
' Why don't I smile and answer her like I always do?' Something about Alex worried Hitomi. Something just wasn't right, Something about her was false, but what?
" Hitomi?" asked Alex more worried. Hitomi pushed past her and went straight to her door.
There was something hung on Hitomi's door handle, something that looked almost like a necklace. Her necklace! Hitomi examined it just to be sure. Yes, she could feel it's power. But how had it gotten here? A Panic built in Hitomi.
" Hitomi?" asked Alex again. She sounded like she was coming Hitomi's way!
Hitomi fumbled with her keys, she didn't want to meet Alex face to face again. She just didn't. Hitomi threw herself throughout the door and locked it behind her. Then she leaned backwards on it sliding down to sit on the ground.
" Hitomi!" Alex yelled from the other side of the door, as she banged on it. Suddenly Alex's voice changed from the voice of the sweet little girl Hitomi had met two days ago to an extreme opposite, " Hitomi, answer me right now! Hitomi?!"
The change scared Hitomi, That voice wasn't Alex, Alex was a sweet American girl, This was a completely different person talking. Alex had been a visade for the person below, no more than a mask to deceive the foolish. The person behind the mask scared Hitomi to death.
Hitmoi sat there silently as Alex continued to bang on the door and yell. Finally after a few minutes Alex must have given up for Hitomi suddenly found herself surrounded by silence. She didn't even hear Alex leave, maybe she hadn't.
'Had Alex really meant anything but seeing if her friend was all right?' Hitomi asked herself, ' was it just paranoia that had made her run from Alex?'
The apartment was dark, and silent. Yukari had a date tonight. The only light came from the window. Hitomi stood up silently and walked to the window. The city lights were relaxing and began to soothe Hitomi's panic.
She pulled out her pendent. The pendant her grandmother had left her, the pendent she had given to him. It glowed warmly as she inspected it.
" Why?" she asked it as if it could answer, " Why now? Why is everything happening now?" The pendant continued to glow, " It's been nine years, if he really loved me he would have come a long time ago." There was no answer. Had she really expected one? The scary thing was she had. But the pendant's gentle radiance was all Hitomi found, the pendant choose to keep it's secrets. " Unless. . . ." Hitomi looked out into the starry sky, " unless it's not really him," she whispered.
Suddenly there was knocking at the door. Hitomi felt her panic raise, ' not again,' she practically begged.
She edged her way to the door and looked through the peep hole. It was Rinarel, and he looked worried. Hitomi immediately unlocked the door.
" Hitomi, I'm glad I got here in time," he said smiling.
" In time?" asked Hitomi.
Rinarel's features grew serious, " look Hitomi there are people who want to use your. . . powers."
Hitomi backed up a step, H-H-How would you know?!" she practically yelled.
" I'm here to help you Hitomi," he said softly, sweetly, " Hitomi come with me before it's too late, we have to get out of here now."
He sounded so sweet, and caring. . . Hitomi took his hand. He grasped her hand tightly, then turned and ran to the elevator with Hitomi behind him. He pressed the button and waited a second then seemed to decide they didn't have the time. He turned away and brought Hitomi down the outside stairs, the ones that didn't got through the lobby. When they got to the ground floor they took off across the parking lot. Rinarel whipped out his keys and pressed the automatic locks. He got in his car Hitomi climbed in the other side, and shut the door imeadeatly. Rinarel put the car in reverse, and backed out of the parking space.
As they drove away Hitomi looked up at her apartment building. On the top level, her level, she watched as two figures ran to the fence at the edge of the level, then stood there helpless. As Hitomi looked at the shadowed figures she couldn't see their faces, but she didn't need to. Then She looked away, she would be safe for now at least.
Disclaimer: OK this is hard, but. . . . . I. . don't own Escaflone!*sob*
It was near quitting time the next day at work. That morning Hitomi had met Rinarel at the donut store, but he seemed uneasy for some reason. She couldn't blame him she herself felt a growing unrest within herself. She couldn't focus on her work, or on any thing in piticular. Her mind was a jumble of this and that, not allowing her to organize a single thought.
Hitomi sat in front of the computer, her fingers typing this and that rotely, with no real thinking behind it. Hitomi chose to do all of her more mundane and boring tasks today, nothing that would take any of her attention to complete.
Hitomi yawned, thank god it was almost quitting time she didn't want to be there any longer than she needed. Then, she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Outside the window something was falling.
' It's to late in the winter for snow,' thought Hitomi.
But there was something falling outside, something soft and white.
" A feather," breathed Hitomi as she turned to look it straight on. It was true there was a single white feather falling by her window.
Hitomi watched it slowly fall. Suddenly Hitomi's train of thought was broke by the bell to signal that work was over. For a spit second she looked up to the clock, then remembering the feather she turned back to the window to see nothing there.
Hitomi shook the shock off telling herself she had just imagined it. She quickly gathered up everything she needed and hurried home.
Today was her late day so it was dark by the time Hitomi had reached her apartment building. Hitomi's uneasiness increased as she exited the elevator. She could feel eyes on her, but from where? She couldn't be sure.
Then suddenly from her side hallway Alex stepped out, causing Hitomi to jump.
" Sorry, did I scare you Hitomi?" she asked, Hitomi didn't answer, " are you all right?" asked Alex worried.
' Why don't I smile and answer her like I always do?' Something about Alex worried Hitomi. Something just wasn't right, Something about her was false, but what?
" Hitomi?" asked Alex more worried. Hitomi pushed past her and went straight to her door.
There was something hung on Hitomi's door handle, something that looked almost like a necklace. Her necklace! Hitomi examined it just to be sure. Yes, she could feel it's power. But how had it gotten here? A Panic built in Hitomi.
" Hitomi?" asked Alex again. She sounded like she was coming Hitomi's way!
Hitomi fumbled with her keys, she didn't want to meet Alex face to face again. She just didn't. Hitomi threw herself throughout the door and locked it behind her. Then she leaned backwards on it sliding down to sit on the ground.
" Hitomi!" Alex yelled from the other side of the door, as she banged on it. Suddenly Alex's voice changed from the voice of the sweet little girl Hitomi had met two days ago to an extreme opposite, " Hitomi, answer me right now! Hitomi?!"
The change scared Hitomi, That voice wasn't Alex, Alex was a sweet American girl, This was a completely different person talking. Alex had been a visade for the person below, no more than a mask to deceive the foolish. The person behind the mask scared Hitomi to death.
Hitmoi sat there silently as Alex continued to bang on the door and yell. Finally after a few minutes Alex must have given up for Hitomi suddenly found herself surrounded by silence. She didn't even hear Alex leave, maybe she hadn't.
'Had Alex really meant anything but seeing if her friend was all right?' Hitomi asked herself, ' was it just paranoia that had made her run from Alex?'
The apartment was dark, and silent. Yukari had a date tonight. The only light came from the window. Hitomi stood up silently and walked to the window. The city lights were relaxing and began to soothe Hitomi's panic.
She pulled out her pendent. The pendant her grandmother had left her, the pendent she had given to him. It glowed warmly as she inspected it.
" Why?" she asked it as if it could answer, " Why now? Why is everything happening now?" The pendant continued to glow, " It's been nine years, if he really loved me he would have come a long time ago." There was no answer. Had she really expected one? The scary thing was she had. But the pendant's gentle radiance was all Hitomi found, the pendant choose to keep it's secrets. " Unless. . . ." Hitomi looked out into the starry sky, " unless it's not really him," she whispered.
Suddenly there was knocking at the door. Hitomi felt her panic raise, ' not again,' she practically begged.
She edged her way to the door and looked through the peep hole. It was Rinarel, and he looked worried. Hitomi immediately unlocked the door.
" Hitomi, I'm glad I got here in time," he said smiling.
" In time?" asked Hitomi.
Rinarel's features grew serious, " look Hitomi there are people who want to use your. . . powers."
Hitomi backed up a step, H-H-How would you know?!" she practically yelled.
" I'm here to help you Hitomi," he said softly, sweetly, " Hitomi come with me before it's too late, we have to get out of here now."
He sounded so sweet, and caring. . . Hitomi took his hand. He grasped her hand tightly, then turned and ran to the elevator with Hitomi behind him. He pressed the button and waited a second then seemed to decide they didn't have the time. He turned away and brought Hitomi down the outside stairs, the ones that didn't got through the lobby. When they got to the ground floor they took off across the parking lot. Rinarel whipped out his keys and pressed the automatic locks. He got in his car Hitomi climbed in the other side, and shut the door imeadeatly. Rinarel put the car in reverse, and backed out of the parking space.
As they drove away Hitomi looked up at her apartment building. On the top level, her level, she watched as two figures ran to the fence at the edge of the level, then stood there helpless. As Hitomi looked at the shadowed figures she couldn't see their faces, but she didn't need to. Then She looked away, she would be safe for now at least.