YAY FUN! ^_^ This chappie gets a little creepy, so be forewarned! R&R!!
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"Rei, I really wish you wouldn't ride that thing. After all, it's going to be your first day taking over for your father. . ."
"So what? He's the one retiring, and he's also the one who made the mistake of making me his successor. So I say he's gotta take what he's got and run with it."
Kira's eyes fluttered open, the sudden exchange from downstairs stirring her from her uneasy sleep. She sleepily turned and glanced at the clock.
5:30?! She sat bolt upright. What the heck is Rei doing up at 5:30? He only went to bed around 1! Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, the blond artist threw on her robe and charged down the steps. "Rei! Rei, you can't ride your motorcycle on 4 hours of sleep!" She turned the corner into the kitchen to find only her father-in-law's secretary, who had come to help the young protégé on the first day on the job.
"Good morning, Kira," she said brightly. "Sorry, but Rei just left. Was it important?"
"I'm gonna try to catch him before-" The sound of a motorcycle rumbled to life outside, and Rei was speeding off down the street. "-he leaves," she finished sullenly.
"What did you need him for?"
"I wanted to tell him that 4 hours of sleep wasn't nearly enough for a safe ride. But it's a little late now, wouldn't you say?" She added dryly.
The secretary chuckled. "If I know that boy, he'll get there safely with time to spare. He could win a race without sleeping in a week, if he had to."
Kira laughed. "Let's just hope he never does." Nodding a goodbye, she walked back upstairs to her and Rei's room. Her footsteps fell lightly in the mammoth hallway, emphasizing the overall size of the structure. She opened the door to her room.
Crash.
"Huh?" Kira turned, letting go of the ornate doorknob. The sound had come from the dark room down the hall. Sei's room.
"What the heck. . .?" The blond girl stared at the closed door. She had sworn never to go into it again after finding the suicide note, but the crash had perked her interest, however fearfully. As if drawn by some invisible force, Kira walked the fifty yards to the ordinary brown door. Reaching out, she took the handle that looked as familiar as all the others in the mansion. She took a deep breath and turned it. The door creaked open, and a waft of oily, paint-laden air escaped. It felt like opening a crypt.
Blond paintings stared at her from every direction, leering at her behind smiling eyes. She ignored them, looking for the source of the noise.
Across the room, a canvas had fallen from the stack that reached halfway up the wall. Dust still swirled in the air from where it had hit the floor; the floor that hadn't been walked on since the teenager had taken his own life.
Kira sighed in relief. The paintings had always been precariously balanced, and one had just finally fallen. She laughed at her own fears. What was I expecting? Some ghost? Still chuckling to herself, she walked over to retrieve the artwork.
What's this?
It wasn't a painting that had fallen. It was a mirror that had been hanging above the pile. Its surface was now shattered from its fall, ornate cracks spreading spidery fingers across the shining surface. Crap! She thought Man, I hope this wasn't worth anything. . .
She tried to assess the damage, but the only light came from the hall. Tucking the mirror under her arm, she went to flip the lightswitch.
The lights sputtered to life, not used to being used after so long. Kira sat down on the floor and examined the mirror.
"This looks expensive. . ." She fretted, running her fingers along the broken glass. [Author's note: Stupid of her, no?] "Ow!" An edge of the glass caught her skin, drawing a drop of blood. She stared at it as it cascaded across her finger and fell to the mirror.
"Crap!" Shirt tail already in hand, she leaned over to wipe it up. Then she froze.
A young boy of about 14 stared back at her from behind the shattered mirror.
