Darkness Falls - Chapter 11: Lovelorn Lovers Lost Part One
Caroline sighed, holding her head in her hands. "Why me?" she groaned, forcing herself to stand. The muscles in her legs, bruised from the falls she had taken before, protested, and dull aches danced up and down her legs. She took no notice, however, and stared down at the confused blue hunter.
"Caroline, where are we? How did we get here? And… just… what's going on?" X shook his head, a thick cloud of dust blooming around his head. "And just what the hell is going on?!"
"I think you already asked that," she replied dryly, holding a hand out to help him up. He grasped it and pulled himself up, nearly pulling her down in the process.
"I know that," he snapped, crossing his arms. "But I'm in the middle of some… decrepit, old… house. I wake up with a horrible headache. I can't remember how I got here, I don't know where Cain, Alia, or Zero are, I remember Iris' dead body or ghost or whatever you want to call it appearing before me, I'm covered in dust and… just what are you doing?"
Caroline was staring at him, a small smile playing across her lips. "Nothing," she informed him, shaking her head. "I just wanted to see how long you could go with a single sentence."
X blinked, unsure of how to respond to that. "I… see… now, can you please explain some things to me?"
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It sighed, draping itself around everything like an all-too-friendly cat. A small, mewing noise came from it as it slide soundlessly over the floor, coming to rest just in front of the feet of a young lady.
Alia stared sightlessly forward, a dazed expression on her face. Her mouth was open slightly, adding to the effect. With another mew, the thing wrapped itself around her legs, pulling itself up and curling up on her lap. Her arms, which had been carelessly lying on her lap, came up and rested on the armrests.
I was wrong about you, Malice mused, watching with interest. You proved to be more than just a weak littler girl…
This shall prove very interesting.
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"… do you understand now?"
X shrugged, making a noncommittal answer. "I don't get it. You say that something known as Malice, a force that your grandmother fought and resealed about… 50 years ago with the help of the spirit of a Rope Shrine Maiden, the very one who kinda caused all of that… and that the mansion was torn down, with Hunters built in its place… and that, somehow, Malice was set free again? And that Iris came back to warn us all? And that Malice has already killed Cain?"
The girl nodded, strands of hair falling forward into her face. With a scowl, she brushed that back. "Exactly… but you don't have to act so disbelieving about it."
He raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me, but how would you act if someone told you that your girlfriend was abducted by ghosts from that past that hates you because your grandmother attacked it?"
"… girlfriend?"
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Malice stirred, its interest caught. What's this? This man… he has feelings for this girl?
Alia shifted underneath it, groaning. Her eyes fluttered ever so slightly, but beyond that she made no movement.
You're more than useful. If only I had realized this before…
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Shaking her head, Caroline lead the way through the hallways, darting between the ropes. "X, you're just going to have to believe me if you want to save your 'girlfriend," she teased, grinning. X blushed, glaring at her.
"Shut up. That was just a slip of the tongue."
"If it was, then why are you blushing so much?"
He shut up, sighing. She gave him one last triumphant smirk before turning her attention back to where she was going. "Now, where to go from here…"
Little girl, I have her. If you come here, you could possibly save her… Caroline's head snapped up, eyes blazing. "You bitch… c'mon X, she's this way!" Without even bothering to wait to see if he was following, she ran at full speed, nimbly jumping over fallen pieces of timber and holes in the rotting wooden floor.
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Malice sighed, a shiver running through its entire body. Alia shook, her eyes momentarily breaking free of their glazed look to stare down at the abomination wrapped around her. Then, the look went back to her eyes, causing her to smile slightly, content with everything.
I'm not a bitch… I'm not a bastard… you have to have a gender to be either.
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X watched the young girl go running off, so sure of herself. He trailed after her, slower, checking to make sure he didn't land on a weak piece of wood and go crashing through it to the next floor.
She ran into a wide-open room. Sighing aggravatedly, he walked in after her, only to stop and stare.
Alia was sitting on a chair. On her lap was a man wearing a white kimono, grinning at both of them.
"X, Caroline." He nodded, giving them a gesture of welcome. Alia smiled slightly, looking all her part of the cracked-out girlfriend. "So nice that you could come…"
Caroline growled, her grip on the camera in her hands tightening. "Malice? I thought you were a woman… would make sense, though. A-" X winced at what she called him- "like you wouldn't have a gender."
He laughed, throwing his head back. "Touché. Correct, I have no gender… though I tend to appear opposite of my victims." He grinned again, all teeth showing. "And this time my victim happens to be this lovely lady underneath me."
X could feel his 'blood' draining from his face. His knees suddenly felt rubbery and, with great effort, he forced himself to stay standing. Often he had been put into danger, his life had been threatened, but never Alia's. He couldn't bear the thought oh anything happening to her.
And yet, now she was in danger. And there was nothing he could do to help her…