Well, it seems like the first chapter got a good reception after all, my other Escaflowne fic? Well I did two chapters really quickly, and though they did have good reviews I really don't think I'm interested in it anymore because...I don't know it seemed like after the first two chapters nothing was coming together quite how I wanted, so I think if I can't write another chapter I'm going to take it off ff.net.
Anyway, back to this story, thanks for your lovely reviews, it's nice to get peoples opinions on stories. I rewrote chapter one because I read through it and saw so many mistakes I'd made in typing error! Please forgive me. I hope you enjoy this next chapter, please review. If this gets confusing then I promise it was straighten out!
For some reason I was watching MTV and, as much as I hate her, when Avril Lavigne's new song 'With You' or whatever came on, the chorus reminded me of Hitomi for some reason and as much as I hate to say it this is what I would imagine Hitomi's dub voice actress would sound like if they did a new soundtrack for the English release. Even if no one can top Maaya Sakamoto's vocals, this is what I'd imagine English Hitomi sounding like. I really don't like Avril though so it's very grudging to say this.
I also actually talked to a girl I know who had an abortion recently (or so she says) and she didn't seem that bothered!
Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne
* * *
"Hitomi? You've been in there for half an hour, I heard you pee around 20 minutes ago so get on with telling me the result already!"
Yukari sounded pretty anxious but nothing could compare to Hitomi's voice when she finally replied, it sounded like death itself.
"It's gone pink..."
Yukari shook her head "You're the one with the packet my love, I don't know what that means"
She heard Hitomi fall against the door and begin to cry.
"Hitomi?" she called desperately, she couldn't stand it when people cried where she couldn't help them "Hitomi, what does it mean?"
Hitomi didn't reply for a few minutes and then came the sniffed reply "It means that I'm pregnant"
"Open the door Hitomi"
Yukari waited as the lock was pulled back, Hitomi sat on the floor with massive red rings around her eyes surrounded in leaflets and packaging on pregnancy that the Pharmacy woman had insisted on giving Yukari, the supposed pregnant teenager.
And here was Hitomi who was pregnant, sitting on the floor of Yukari's bathroom.
Yukari felt nothing but heart filled love and sympathy for the poor girl on the floor and did nothing but put her arms around her friend and hold her while she cried.
Hitomi herself felt shattered, she'd known it would come to this; there was no other option for her but this one. She couldn't stand the thought of something inside, it was terrifying that she was going to be giving birth in less than half a year, and she wouldn't even be 16.
Her head was filled with worry and questions, why now? What would her mother say? What would the people at school say? How could she get rid of it?
She just cried and cried and cried, she didn't know what else to do but cry and there was no one else in the whole world except Yukari who knew.
"Hitomi" Yukari said gently when Hitomi had calmed down a bit "How did this happen?"
Hitomi said nothing but sniffed silently.
Yukari bit her lip, she ought to tell someone, Hitomi's mother or something but her friend looked as shocked as she did and Yukari didn't want to cause trouble.
"Who's the father Hitomi?" Yukari asked, suddenly having the wild notion it was Amano
Hitomi didn't reply.
"You have to tell me something Hitomi, when was your last period?" Yukari was getting desperate for information; she needed to know so she could make the situation better
The green eyes blinked and Hitomi whispered "Four months ago"
Yukari blinked back and then cried "Four months? You're four months pregnant?"
She pulled up Hitomi and began to feel her friend's stomach, to search for the beginnings of a bump "Hitomi we have to do something? Is it too late for an abortion?"
Hitomi suddenly came to life and jumped away, hugging her arms "I am not having an abortion, Yukari! How could you even think like that?"
Yukari stared at Hitomi "Hitomi, you're fifteen! You haven't told me who the father is, you haven't told me how this all came about, how do you think you can even cope with a child? What else can we do? We're going to have to call your mom or something sooner or later!"
Hitomi's lip shook "I know, I know, but I can't" she sat down
Yukari sighed, she didn't know what to do "Just tell me how did this happen?"
Hitomi looked at her straight "You wouldn't believe me..."
* * * * * *
"So you're going back to the Mystic Moon?" Millerna asked
It had been a week since the end of the war and peace was beginning to slowly peak its way through the countries of Gaea and the people were losing their fear about war.
Millerna had invited the 'old gang' to the castle, which consisted of Hitomi, Van, Allen and Merle once their affairs had all been settled and it was safe to travel. Dryden was out on the frontiers with his people and so Millerna was managing affairs, Hitomi couldn't help but notice that she wasn't wearing her wedding ring.
Van hadn't really spoken to her, at least not properly, he seemed...almost embarrassed around her, like he'd never been before. Hitomi found it amusing because he was actually acting like one of the boys at her school on Earth and it looked like he was actually getting to grips with how he felt about himself, Hitomi and the world.
Still even if he did find it difficult to express himself at the moment, she found that Merle and Allen made good company even when Van was being hormonal and Hitomi felt perfectly content to wait for him.
Yet though it was all alright now, and she didn't feel fear about Gaea any longer, her heart sank because she knew that she would be returning soon to Earth, it was inevitable, there was no way she could stay. Perhaps that's why Van was avoiding her, he was savouring the taste of their feelings for that moment longer, the unspoken feeling that they felt long before it was confessed.
Although actions proved louder than words in their case.
Here they were now, sitting in a white drawing room all five together as if no war had ever happened, even though lists of damage and wounded were coming in all the time and a national morning and victory celebration were being planned all around them.
"Yes" Hitomi replied smiling as best she could "You can all go home and I feel it's time for me to return as well"
"Well we'll miss you Hitomi" Merle grinned and nudged Van
"We will, certainly" Allen smiled and placed his hand on Hitomi's shoulder "I'll arrange for you, Van and Merle to travel back to Fanelia as soon as possible"
"Will it be possible for you to return home from Fanelia, Hitomi?" Millerna asked
"I hope so" Hitomi replied with a nod "It's where I found myself first after all and it seems to be the centre of mystical power in Gaea"
"She was told that by a lady on the road" Merle giggled
Hitomi blushed and nodded "Correct"
Van didn't say anything; he just sat there and stared out the window. No one said anything; they all stared at him feeling conscious of the tense atmosphere that had suddenly appeared.
"Van, how do you feel about Hitomi leaving for the Mystic Moon?" Millerna asked good naturedly, forgetting what thin ice she was treading on
Van stood up and adjusted his sword before saying coldly "It's not my decision or business as to what Hitomi does with her life, if she chooses to go then of course it's my duty as King of Fanelia to escort her to her departure point"
He marched out of the room with a brief nod to all but Hitomi and Merle following him with a whine of "Van, why did you..."
* * * * * *
"Hitomi, we have to tell someone about this" Yukari said quietly
They'd been sitting in Yukari's bathroom for two hours, reading through the pregnancy leaflets and sitting in silence.
"No, no, no" Hitomi said standing up "No one ever needs to know"
"Fine. Then as soon as the bump shows, we run to Hokkaido with self help books, rent a hotel room and deliver the thing ourselves!" Yukari stated sarcastically, rolling her eyes "But that will solve our problems how? Come on Hitomi, how will not telling anyone help us?"
Hitomi sat down again and sighed, "I don't know, but I just don't want to say anything yet, I want to sleep on it"
"Hitomi..."
"Listen Yukari" Hitomi looked her friend in the eye "Tomorrow I promise I'll tell my mom, but for now don't say anything, I'm still trying to work out how it happened in my head and I don't need a ton of other people asking that too"
"Well..."
"Please?"
Yukari thought for a moment then replied "OK, but if I don't hear anything by midnight tomorrow I'm telling her myself"
"Thanks Yukari" Hitomi whispered
It really helped to have a friend at this time, Hitomi was glad Yukari was here with her.
After a few minutes of clearing up Hitomi decided to make her way back, it was around 8'o'clock at night and her mom would be wondering soon where she'd gone so it was best to go back now while the night was still young.
Yukari was a bit reluctant to let her go on her own but Hitomi insisted she would be fine and set off into the night.
It was a cool and clear night and Hitomi could see the shadow of Gaea behind the moon and it gave off shining warmth and Hitomi knew that she was looking into the same sky that they were looking into and felt like she was not alone even though the street was empty.
The streetlights shone brightly and Hitomi's steps echoed down and away into the distance, after all the deal at Yukari's Hitomi felt peaceful out here and she knew that soon her life would be in an uproar, not that it wasn't already.
Pregnant.
Hitomi knew she was in trouble, she feared for herself really and for the baby, the comments that would come from others in her family or out on the street, the safety of her child.
Her child.
The words formed on her tongue were difficult to place, she felt like she ought to be 25 and saying them, not 15. She was stupid for getting into this situation but she knew she had to deal with it as best she could.
It was scary to her. Of course it was.
But fear hadn't helped her in Gaea one little bit and it certainly wasn't going to help now or make the situation go away, no good being frightened, she told herself, things were going to be all right. It was hard to say that and think it as well.
'Who's the father?' Yukari's voice rang in her ears
How was she going to explain that to everyone? She could see in Yukari's face that her friend thought it was a possibility that Amano was the father, impossible of course, but none the less, who else had Hitomi had a crush on and had any chance of dating four months ago?
No one.
Maybe she could make someone up? A rape possibly? That she couldn't tell to protect the identity of the father? A dead man? A sperm donator? There were so many lies to choose form them and all of them seemed more impossible than the truth!
She could ask Amano to play the part but then that would crush Yukari and Hitomi knew that he wouldn't have done it anyway and she wouldn't have wanted him to do it either.
Everyone was going to think she was some kind of woman to open her legs for anyone.
It wasn't anyone; Hitomi let a tear slip out of her eye, the melancholy of the Tokyo scenery at night and the clear air creating a kind of loneliness in her after the peacefulness a few moments ago. Of course it wasn't just anybody. Virginity was special and not something to be taken lightly or given to just anybody either. And she hadn't...just the fact of pregnancy hadn't been thought of.
People said that loneliness was one of the most powerful emotions that a human being could experience and Hitomi was feeling it now, she couldn't really talk to anyone about how she was feeling that much and certainly not now, even Yukari seemed preoccupied a lot of the time and now Hitomi wasn't sure that Yukari would be able to cope with Hitomi's story and the father of the child. Most likely she'd be locked away.
A lot of the people she cared about most were on Gaea. While she'd been there they'd all become so precious to her.
She loved her friends, her family and the people on Gaea and maybe, just maybe she was beginning to love this presence inside her.
In the cold night air it felt warm, she felt the beginning bump through her clothes and smiled, no matter what she could overcome it as long as that warmth continued. Shaking her head she walked back and listened to her footsteps.
Somehow several other pairs of footsteps joined them.
A can rolled beside her and Hitomi leapt three foot in the air. Stopping and turning around she searched for the cause of the affect.
No one stood anywhere. The street was quiet, no cars, and no people, nothing except the shadows lingering on the sidewalks.
"Hello?" Hitomi thought, maybe Yukari was making sure she got home "Yukari is that you?"
There was no reply; the silence began to make her feel uncomfortable. Was someone following her or weren't they?
Great, thought Hitomi beginning to get nervous, this is how horror films always start.
Hitomi began to back away and walked as swiftly as she could with out it looking like she was walking as swiftly as she could, back to her home and towards her street.
But. She could swear she was hearing footsteps behind her and soon it got to the point where she couldn't help speeding up out of fright.
She thanked God that she was on the track team at this moment in time.
A scream went up behind her, like a bats but ten times louder and it hurt her head it was so high pitched, the street lights dimmed and went up again as Hitomi ran as fast as she could.
The screeching wailed behind her as she reached her door and just as she slammed it shut she could have sworn she saw a dark shadow leaping at her before disappearing under the street lamp. The lock of the door clicked.
Hitomi sighed as she leant against the door, her heart pounding in her ears.
First one thing, then another, who'd want to be chasing her?
Hitomi didn't need more supernatural events than that had already happened in her life.
But still...had they been chasing her? She might have just seen something that wasn't there.
A pain.
Hitomi grabbed her stomach and held it firmly; a pounding ensued in her belly, where she knew the baby was lying. What was it? A miscarriage? Hitomi couldn't bear the thought of it.
"Hitomi?"
Hitomi smiled up at her mother and said, "I'm so sorry I'm late, I was at the library with Yukari and we lost track of time" the pain ceased and Hitomi stood up straight.
"I can see, you do look like you've been running" her mother smiled "You disappeared so fast earlier that I got worried"
"Yeah" Hitomi forced herself to grin and replied "I realised I was late"
"Oh well" Her mother headed toward the kitchen "Dinner is in half an hour, Hitomi"
"Thanks"
Hitomi watched her mothers retreating back and listened to her father and brother laughing at the TV momentarily before heading up to her room to dump her things, things consisting mainly of pregnancy leaflets and help line phone numbers.
She dumped them on the bed and turned to her bookcase.
Tarot cards.
She'd done no readings since four months ago and then after her return to Gaea she'd given up, but for some reason she had a craving to know her fate. She felt her stomach, what was going inside her?
She brought out the box of cards and sat at her desk.
Cut, divide, and cut again. She put the cards out in their orders out on the desk and thought firmly on a question as she did so.
Hitomi drew cards and placed them firmly out on the desk. One they were all in position she turned them over and read the meaning.
Life.
Love.
Danger.
Courage.
Light.
All the meanings sprang into her head as she drew out the fortune:
"The life inside will grow," she repeated, "Love will go and hand in hand with danger. Courage will be needed. Stay in the light, the life is wanted."
She lay her hand on her stomach protectively, this morning she hadn't even known she was pregnant, and now she was being told that danger was coming and courage would be needed, it was similar to the reading she'd had before being taken to Gaea the first time.
Hitomi closed her eyes.
The feeling of the air in the room was charged with the power she'd used to read the cards with, it made the hairs on the back of her neck rise. Funny, she'd never noticed the humming noise it had given until now.
What danger would be coming? The things outside, the shadow that had screamed at her and she'd shut out. The life is wanted? The things outside...
Were they after the child inside her?
* * *
I hope this chapter lived up to your expectations. Did it? I wanted to try and add an element to it to continue the saga of Escaflowne correctly, anyway I can always rewrite these things, eh? Please review, I love to hear comments!
Anyway, back to this story, thanks for your lovely reviews, it's nice to get peoples opinions on stories. I rewrote chapter one because I read through it and saw so many mistakes I'd made in typing error! Please forgive me. I hope you enjoy this next chapter, please review. If this gets confusing then I promise it was straighten out!
For some reason I was watching MTV and, as much as I hate her, when Avril Lavigne's new song 'With You' or whatever came on, the chorus reminded me of Hitomi for some reason and as much as I hate to say it this is what I would imagine Hitomi's dub voice actress would sound like if they did a new soundtrack for the English release. Even if no one can top Maaya Sakamoto's vocals, this is what I'd imagine English Hitomi sounding like. I really don't like Avril though so it's very grudging to say this.
I also actually talked to a girl I know who had an abortion recently (or so she says) and she didn't seem that bothered!
Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne
* * *
"Hitomi? You've been in there for half an hour, I heard you pee around 20 minutes ago so get on with telling me the result already!"
Yukari sounded pretty anxious but nothing could compare to Hitomi's voice when she finally replied, it sounded like death itself.
"It's gone pink..."
Yukari shook her head "You're the one with the packet my love, I don't know what that means"
She heard Hitomi fall against the door and begin to cry.
"Hitomi?" she called desperately, she couldn't stand it when people cried where she couldn't help them "Hitomi, what does it mean?"
Hitomi didn't reply for a few minutes and then came the sniffed reply "It means that I'm pregnant"
"Open the door Hitomi"
Yukari waited as the lock was pulled back, Hitomi sat on the floor with massive red rings around her eyes surrounded in leaflets and packaging on pregnancy that the Pharmacy woman had insisted on giving Yukari, the supposed pregnant teenager.
And here was Hitomi who was pregnant, sitting on the floor of Yukari's bathroom.
Yukari felt nothing but heart filled love and sympathy for the poor girl on the floor and did nothing but put her arms around her friend and hold her while she cried.
Hitomi herself felt shattered, she'd known it would come to this; there was no other option for her but this one. She couldn't stand the thought of something inside, it was terrifying that she was going to be giving birth in less than half a year, and she wouldn't even be 16.
Her head was filled with worry and questions, why now? What would her mother say? What would the people at school say? How could she get rid of it?
She just cried and cried and cried, she didn't know what else to do but cry and there was no one else in the whole world except Yukari who knew.
"Hitomi" Yukari said gently when Hitomi had calmed down a bit "How did this happen?"
Hitomi said nothing but sniffed silently.
Yukari bit her lip, she ought to tell someone, Hitomi's mother or something but her friend looked as shocked as she did and Yukari didn't want to cause trouble.
"Who's the father Hitomi?" Yukari asked, suddenly having the wild notion it was Amano
Hitomi didn't reply.
"You have to tell me something Hitomi, when was your last period?" Yukari was getting desperate for information; she needed to know so she could make the situation better
The green eyes blinked and Hitomi whispered "Four months ago"
Yukari blinked back and then cried "Four months? You're four months pregnant?"
She pulled up Hitomi and began to feel her friend's stomach, to search for the beginnings of a bump "Hitomi we have to do something? Is it too late for an abortion?"
Hitomi suddenly came to life and jumped away, hugging her arms "I am not having an abortion, Yukari! How could you even think like that?"
Yukari stared at Hitomi "Hitomi, you're fifteen! You haven't told me who the father is, you haven't told me how this all came about, how do you think you can even cope with a child? What else can we do? We're going to have to call your mom or something sooner or later!"
Hitomi's lip shook "I know, I know, but I can't" she sat down
Yukari sighed, she didn't know what to do "Just tell me how did this happen?"
Hitomi looked at her straight "You wouldn't believe me..."
* * * * * *
"So you're going back to the Mystic Moon?" Millerna asked
It had been a week since the end of the war and peace was beginning to slowly peak its way through the countries of Gaea and the people were losing their fear about war.
Millerna had invited the 'old gang' to the castle, which consisted of Hitomi, Van, Allen and Merle once their affairs had all been settled and it was safe to travel. Dryden was out on the frontiers with his people and so Millerna was managing affairs, Hitomi couldn't help but notice that she wasn't wearing her wedding ring.
Van hadn't really spoken to her, at least not properly, he seemed...almost embarrassed around her, like he'd never been before. Hitomi found it amusing because he was actually acting like one of the boys at her school on Earth and it looked like he was actually getting to grips with how he felt about himself, Hitomi and the world.
Still even if he did find it difficult to express himself at the moment, she found that Merle and Allen made good company even when Van was being hormonal and Hitomi felt perfectly content to wait for him.
Yet though it was all alright now, and she didn't feel fear about Gaea any longer, her heart sank because she knew that she would be returning soon to Earth, it was inevitable, there was no way she could stay. Perhaps that's why Van was avoiding her, he was savouring the taste of their feelings for that moment longer, the unspoken feeling that they felt long before it was confessed.
Although actions proved louder than words in their case.
Here they were now, sitting in a white drawing room all five together as if no war had ever happened, even though lists of damage and wounded were coming in all the time and a national morning and victory celebration were being planned all around them.
"Yes" Hitomi replied smiling as best she could "You can all go home and I feel it's time for me to return as well"
"Well we'll miss you Hitomi" Merle grinned and nudged Van
"We will, certainly" Allen smiled and placed his hand on Hitomi's shoulder "I'll arrange for you, Van and Merle to travel back to Fanelia as soon as possible"
"Will it be possible for you to return home from Fanelia, Hitomi?" Millerna asked
"I hope so" Hitomi replied with a nod "It's where I found myself first after all and it seems to be the centre of mystical power in Gaea"
"She was told that by a lady on the road" Merle giggled
Hitomi blushed and nodded "Correct"
Van didn't say anything; he just sat there and stared out the window. No one said anything; they all stared at him feeling conscious of the tense atmosphere that had suddenly appeared.
"Van, how do you feel about Hitomi leaving for the Mystic Moon?" Millerna asked good naturedly, forgetting what thin ice she was treading on
Van stood up and adjusted his sword before saying coldly "It's not my decision or business as to what Hitomi does with her life, if she chooses to go then of course it's my duty as King of Fanelia to escort her to her departure point"
He marched out of the room with a brief nod to all but Hitomi and Merle following him with a whine of "Van, why did you..."
* * * * * *
"Hitomi, we have to tell someone about this" Yukari said quietly
They'd been sitting in Yukari's bathroom for two hours, reading through the pregnancy leaflets and sitting in silence.
"No, no, no" Hitomi said standing up "No one ever needs to know"
"Fine. Then as soon as the bump shows, we run to Hokkaido with self help books, rent a hotel room and deliver the thing ourselves!" Yukari stated sarcastically, rolling her eyes "But that will solve our problems how? Come on Hitomi, how will not telling anyone help us?"
Hitomi sat down again and sighed, "I don't know, but I just don't want to say anything yet, I want to sleep on it"
"Hitomi..."
"Listen Yukari" Hitomi looked her friend in the eye "Tomorrow I promise I'll tell my mom, but for now don't say anything, I'm still trying to work out how it happened in my head and I don't need a ton of other people asking that too"
"Well..."
"Please?"
Yukari thought for a moment then replied "OK, but if I don't hear anything by midnight tomorrow I'm telling her myself"
"Thanks Yukari" Hitomi whispered
It really helped to have a friend at this time, Hitomi was glad Yukari was here with her.
After a few minutes of clearing up Hitomi decided to make her way back, it was around 8'o'clock at night and her mom would be wondering soon where she'd gone so it was best to go back now while the night was still young.
Yukari was a bit reluctant to let her go on her own but Hitomi insisted she would be fine and set off into the night.
It was a cool and clear night and Hitomi could see the shadow of Gaea behind the moon and it gave off shining warmth and Hitomi knew that she was looking into the same sky that they were looking into and felt like she was not alone even though the street was empty.
The streetlights shone brightly and Hitomi's steps echoed down and away into the distance, after all the deal at Yukari's Hitomi felt peaceful out here and she knew that soon her life would be in an uproar, not that it wasn't already.
Pregnant.
Hitomi knew she was in trouble, she feared for herself really and for the baby, the comments that would come from others in her family or out on the street, the safety of her child.
Her child.
The words formed on her tongue were difficult to place, she felt like she ought to be 25 and saying them, not 15. She was stupid for getting into this situation but she knew she had to deal with it as best she could.
It was scary to her. Of course it was.
But fear hadn't helped her in Gaea one little bit and it certainly wasn't going to help now or make the situation go away, no good being frightened, she told herself, things were going to be all right. It was hard to say that and think it as well.
'Who's the father?' Yukari's voice rang in her ears
How was she going to explain that to everyone? She could see in Yukari's face that her friend thought it was a possibility that Amano was the father, impossible of course, but none the less, who else had Hitomi had a crush on and had any chance of dating four months ago?
No one.
Maybe she could make someone up? A rape possibly? That she couldn't tell to protect the identity of the father? A dead man? A sperm donator? There were so many lies to choose form them and all of them seemed more impossible than the truth!
She could ask Amano to play the part but then that would crush Yukari and Hitomi knew that he wouldn't have done it anyway and she wouldn't have wanted him to do it either.
Everyone was going to think she was some kind of woman to open her legs for anyone.
It wasn't anyone; Hitomi let a tear slip out of her eye, the melancholy of the Tokyo scenery at night and the clear air creating a kind of loneliness in her after the peacefulness a few moments ago. Of course it wasn't just anybody. Virginity was special and not something to be taken lightly or given to just anybody either. And she hadn't...just the fact of pregnancy hadn't been thought of.
People said that loneliness was one of the most powerful emotions that a human being could experience and Hitomi was feeling it now, she couldn't really talk to anyone about how she was feeling that much and certainly not now, even Yukari seemed preoccupied a lot of the time and now Hitomi wasn't sure that Yukari would be able to cope with Hitomi's story and the father of the child. Most likely she'd be locked away.
A lot of the people she cared about most were on Gaea. While she'd been there they'd all become so precious to her.
She loved her friends, her family and the people on Gaea and maybe, just maybe she was beginning to love this presence inside her.
In the cold night air it felt warm, she felt the beginning bump through her clothes and smiled, no matter what she could overcome it as long as that warmth continued. Shaking her head she walked back and listened to her footsteps.
Somehow several other pairs of footsteps joined them.
A can rolled beside her and Hitomi leapt three foot in the air. Stopping and turning around she searched for the cause of the affect.
No one stood anywhere. The street was quiet, no cars, and no people, nothing except the shadows lingering on the sidewalks.
"Hello?" Hitomi thought, maybe Yukari was making sure she got home "Yukari is that you?"
There was no reply; the silence began to make her feel uncomfortable. Was someone following her or weren't they?
Great, thought Hitomi beginning to get nervous, this is how horror films always start.
Hitomi began to back away and walked as swiftly as she could with out it looking like she was walking as swiftly as she could, back to her home and towards her street.
But. She could swear she was hearing footsteps behind her and soon it got to the point where she couldn't help speeding up out of fright.
She thanked God that she was on the track team at this moment in time.
A scream went up behind her, like a bats but ten times louder and it hurt her head it was so high pitched, the street lights dimmed and went up again as Hitomi ran as fast as she could.
The screeching wailed behind her as she reached her door and just as she slammed it shut she could have sworn she saw a dark shadow leaping at her before disappearing under the street lamp. The lock of the door clicked.
Hitomi sighed as she leant against the door, her heart pounding in her ears.
First one thing, then another, who'd want to be chasing her?
Hitomi didn't need more supernatural events than that had already happened in her life.
But still...had they been chasing her? She might have just seen something that wasn't there.
A pain.
Hitomi grabbed her stomach and held it firmly; a pounding ensued in her belly, where she knew the baby was lying. What was it? A miscarriage? Hitomi couldn't bear the thought of it.
"Hitomi?"
Hitomi smiled up at her mother and said, "I'm so sorry I'm late, I was at the library with Yukari and we lost track of time" the pain ceased and Hitomi stood up straight.
"I can see, you do look like you've been running" her mother smiled "You disappeared so fast earlier that I got worried"
"Yeah" Hitomi forced herself to grin and replied "I realised I was late"
"Oh well" Her mother headed toward the kitchen "Dinner is in half an hour, Hitomi"
"Thanks"
Hitomi watched her mothers retreating back and listened to her father and brother laughing at the TV momentarily before heading up to her room to dump her things, things consisting mainly of pregnancy leaflets and help line phone numbers.
She dumped them on the bed and turned to her bookcase.
Tarot cards.
She'd done no readings since four months ago and then after her return to Gaea she'd given up, but for some reason she had a craving to know her fate. She felt her stomach, what was going inside her?
She brought out the box of cards and sat at her desk.
Cut, divide, and cut again. She put the cards out in their orders out on the desk and thought firmly on a question as she did so.
Hitomi drew cards and placed them firmly out on the desk. One they were all in position she turned them over and read the meaning.
Life.
Love.
Danger.
Courage.
Light.
All the meanings sprang into her head as she drew out the fortune:
"The life inside will grow," she repeated, "Love will go and hand in hand with danger. Courage will be needed. Stay in the light, the life is wanted."
She lay her hand on her stomach protectively, this morning she hadn't even known she was pregnant, and now she was being told that danger was coming and courage would be needed, it was similar to the reading she'd had before being taken to Gaea the first time.
Hitomi closed her eyes.
The feeling of the air in the room was charged with the power she'd used to read the cards with, it made the hairs on the back of her neck rise. Funny, she'd never noticed the humming noise it had given until now.
What danger would be coming? The things outside, the shadow that had screamed at her and she'd shut out. The life is wanted? The things outside...
Were they after the child inside her?
* * *
I hope this chapter lived up to your expectations. Did it? I wanted to try and add an element to it to continue the saga of Escaflowne correctly, anyway I can always rewrite these things, eh? Please review, I love to hear comments!