Thank you everyone for the reviews! I'm so touched sniff.......bawl!!!
meq: Thanks so much! Hehe..yes, since school is now out, and my annoying brother is free to terrorize the neighborhood, I shall be updating a lot sooner!
Sarcasm Girl8: Aww! Thanks so much! It's because of you guys I write...otherwise I would be left to day dream by myself..sigh...=)
nightmare keeper: Thanks! I'm goin' for that "punk ass/dark/mysterious" approach..hopefully I can accomplish it..I'm usually hyper and perky so it's kinda OOC for me, but hey! Even I have my days!
Thanks to all! Oh, and btw, the Jerry Springer is a one-shot! Check out http:www.brainsluice.com
Here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy, and please, review!
(P.p.s., I don't mind flames so long as they aren't too...uh...brutal...constructive criticism greatly welcomed! Arigatou Gozaimasu!)
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Black Wings
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Chapter 2: Unwanted Memories
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She hissed as she bandaged her arm tightly. A small puddle of blood worked its way through the first layer of cloth, only to be covered by another as continued to wind the bandage. She sighed as she fought down the pain. Her escape hadn't exactly gone as well as she had hoped.
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She looked around quickly for an escape route as the footsteps reached the other side of the door. She mentally cursed herself for leaving her secure line at the other site. No way to access it now, she was stuck in an open window, with most likely big men and big guns coming in any second.
Her eyes shot around, as they came to rest on a tree a few feet below. She stood, and with a push, leapt into the air, arms spread out as she flew towards the tree. Behind her, sounds of the door being bust down and men running across the floor echoed. A few shouts were heard as they discovered the dead body.
She was almost there...almost there! She extended her arms, as she neared the branches. A sharp pain suddenly shot through her left arm, and she cried in pain. Flying into the leaves of the tree, her right arm flailed widly as she grabbed for nearby branches to break her fall. She caught one, and winced, swinging so as to lessen the impact on her shoulder.
She inspected her limp arm, as a sickening warmth flooded down her forearm. She winced, as she looked to the ground about forty feet below. She swung her feet back and forth, before releasing the branch and using her momentum to propel herself forward.
She let herself fall about half the distance, before grabbing another branch again. Looking at the ground below, she carefully calculated her distance and approach, never forgetting her time was limited.
Releasing the branch, she fell towards the ground and landed on her feet, quickly rolling into a ball to reduce the impact. Cradling her wounded arm she ran for the front gates, and to freedom.
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She lowered her head and breathed deep as she rose from her makeshift bed. Walking out her bedroom, she headed down the hall and to the small kitchen in her one-room apartment. Reaching up over the sink with her good arm, she grabbed some painkillers. Taking a cup out of the cupboard, she let the water run for about a minute, before dipping it under. Swallowing the pills, she placed the cup on the counter and headed back to her bedroom.
Lying down on her bed, she tried to find a comfortable position. She settled for flat on her back, as her head rolled to the side lazily. The electric clock showed quarter to one. Joy. She was scheduled for an early appointment with the head tomorrow, and had really looked forward to some sleep. After a job like last night's, she could really afford to have a vacation.
Sighing once more, she closed her eyes, as sleep slowly claimed her.
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She glanced at her wristwatch. She was ten minutes early. Beginning her climb up the vast amount of steps, she headed for the office. Reaching the top, she strode determingly to the front doors, and opened them, walking into the lobby and towards the gold elevators.
The giant office building, known as just another business location to others, was also the headquarters of her occupation. Where people came to solve "problems". A few times the cops had busted in, receiving an "anonymous" tip, but each time they had found nothing, thanks to their extensive computer systems and hidden files.
The small ding of the elevator signaled her arrival at the top floor. She straightened, as she adjusted her coat a bit. Walking out the front doors, she made a left turn, another left, and finally a right, as she reached a small door with glass windows. Turning the knob, she entered, to a much bigger room with elegant furnishings, paintings and plant life.
A woman sat behind the solid oak desk off to the side. She had black hair, usually up in a small ponytail. She couldn't really say she liked her. Se always seemed to formal for her taste. When she would don an expensive dress, or nice business suit, she would personally show up in either jeans or track pants and a shirt.
She walked past her, towards the giant wooden doors, behind of which her boss resided. She ignored her forced hello, and sneeres, as she opened the doors, and enetered the room.
The leather chair her boss sat in was facing away from her. She looked out the glass windows at the far end. She had always loved them. They were so big, it was basically a glass wall, and the skyline glittered beautifully in the night and evening sky. How she would love to have such a view from her own shabby apartment.
He turned to her in his chair, and a smale smile crossed his face. He motioned for her to sit down, and she did, crossing the floor and filling the space between them, resting in a similar leather chair.
"Higurashi," he said with a smile, as he crossed his hands on his desk.
"Cut to the chase, I'm busy," she said icily. She really wasn't in the mood for any of his suck-ups.
He looked a bit shocked, but soon smiled again, as he sat back and relaxed slightly. "I've got another job for you," he said, and gauged her reaction.
"What the hell!"
"Before you start refusing, I think you should listen to the description-"
"Why can't you send Koga, or Kagura? Jesus Christ, I almost lost my goddamn arm on that last one, which, by the way, is still in a large amount of pain. You told me they had minimal security who couldn't hit the floor with a hat. Bullshit!"
"I think you might be interested in this job, which is why I chose you specifically. Please, just hear me out."
She huffed and sat back in her chair, crossing her arms as she scowled slightly.
He pulled out a tan folder, and threw it down infront of her on the desk. She leaned forward and picked it up, opening it and examining its contents. No different than before, background information, locations, daily routine. Same stuff as always. She didn't realize she had been blocking out his voice, until he coughed and spoke a bit louder.
"-So you see, I think you'll be able to handle him." He finished, as he watched her movements.
She sighed and closed the folder, removing a picture of the target first. She held it in her lap and frowned slightly. Something about him...she remembered, she could've sworn she'd seen him before. She studied the picture carefully, taking in every inch of detail. Amber eyes, silver hair...handsome face...
She mentally slapped herself. Continuing on...
"So why exactly do you think I'd be interested in this particular job?"
"Because," he started, his voice low, "He's the one who killed your family."
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Revving the engine, she sped out of the parking lot, the folder secure in the bag on her back. Her mind was racing, but not nearly as fast as her heart. She forced down the traumatic memories, as she raced through a green light. She turned abruptly, before heading down a side street. She forced herself to focuse on getting home safely, as she swerved through a red light, barely missing other cars, resulting in horns blaring and some people yelling strings of curses at her.
The wind blew her hair around, seeing as it was down instead of in its usual braid. She gripped the handles tightly, as she increased the speed, dodging in and out of cars. She made a sharp right, and went down the street leading to her apartment. Nearing the underground parking, she stopped as the motion senser picked up her prescence and the old garage door opened. She drove in, and went down three levels, before finding her parking space and pulling in, turning off the engine, and propping the bike up on it's kickstand.
She headed wearily for the elevator, and punched in her apartment level, standing in silence as it slowly made its way up. It stopped, and she walked out, heading for her front door, and unlocking it as she stepped in, closed it, and locked it once more. Throwing the keys on the table, she blew out her bangs as she flopped down on her couch, mindful of her arm.
She closed her eyes and frowned as she processed the new information. It made enough sense...She remembered those eyes, those piercing eyes. His silver hair the only sign of his prescence in the moon's light. It had to be him.
'Bastard,' she thought, 'I'll make you pay for what you did.'
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That night, her sleep was restless. Tossing and turning, her head filled with unwanted images, as memories from a time long ago filled her mind like they were yesterday.
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Yawning, she grabbed her teddy, his head resting in the crook of her elbow. She went into the bathroom, and pulled up the stool, standing on her tippy-toes. Grabbing a paper cup, she turned on the water, and took a sip.
A crash downstairs startled her, and she dropped her cup onto the floor, spilling water. Bending down, she took the hand towel and tried to clean it up, her bear swaying with her movements. She heard footsteps behind her, as her mother came in. She turned around and smiled a toothy grin, but soon became a bit upset as her mother picked her up and ran with her quickly down the hall.
'Mommy, mommy,' she asked, 'where are we going?'
'Shh, darling, be still,' her mother said, as they continued to run down the hall. More crashes were heard from downstairs and she became frightened.
'Mommy, where's daddy?'
Her mother didn't answer, as she pushed open the door to her bedroom, and closed it behind her. Cradling her child in her arms, she held back tears. She kissed her head, as she gently laid her in the closet.
'Mommy, what's happening?' she asked, trying to be a big girl and not cry.
'Shh, baby, it'll be fine. Whatever you do, don't make a sound.' her mother stroked her hair lovingly. 'Me and daddy love you, forever.' she said with a sad smile, as she closed the closet door.
'I love you and daddy too, mommy!' she called to the door, then became quiet. A loud bang went off, and she curled in fear, pressing her hands against her ears, as she held her teddy to her chest with her knees. She wanted to help her mommy and daddy, she wanted to help...
A loud thump came outside her mother's room, and she pushed the closet door open. The bedroom door was now open, and her father lie in the doorway. She watched and waited for him to move, but he never did. Her eyes widened as a pool of red liquid started to seep out from underneath him as tears came to her eyes.
She gasped as her mother flew through the door onto the bed. She saw only the end of the bed and her mother's feet through the small opening of the door. Then she saw him. His silver hair flowed behind him, too gracefully for someone so evil, his eyes and ungodly amber. She watched as he walked up to the bed, and held up a gun, pointing to an object unknown to her sight.
She covered her mouth with her hand, as he fired. Then again. And again. Her mother's legs swung madly, and she cried as hot tears slid down her face. He never stopped firing. Drops of water spilled onto her teddy's head, as she curled into a ball.
'Mommy...' she thought, as she cried some more. She let out a silent sob, and the man turned to her hidden location. She gasped in fear, as she squirmed backwards against the wall. He walked to where she was and flung open the closet door. His mouth and nose were hidden behind a mask, and she cried some more as his eyes locked with hers.
He raised the gun and pointed it at her, as she looked up into the barrel. She couldn't stand it anymore, the pain and sorrow overcoming and filling her small body. He squeezed the trigger lightly. She cried out, as she flung her hands out infront of her, tears streaking down her face.
"NO MORE!!"
Her bear dropped off to the side, head bobbing slightly as it came to rest on the ground in a deadly silence.
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"NO MORE!!!"
She shot up in bed, her forehead damp with sweat. Her breathing came uneven and ragged, and she forced herself to calm down as she grasped her shirt over where her heart would be. A small drop of liquid landed on her hand, and she looked up in surprise. Lifting a shaking hand to her cheek, she brushed away the tear that had slowly made its way down her face. She hadn't even realized she was crying.
She slowly lay back down, as she rolled onto her side. The digital clock flashed "12:01". She frowned. There had been a power outage? Presumably right before, or as she woke up...
She shrugged it off lightly, as she forced herself to calm down. She'd reset it later, she thought. Her mind drifted off to the man in the folder. Her dream had brought back shocking parts of her past that she had never hoped to remember.
"Damn him," she cursed to the night, "I sware on the graves of my mother and father, I will kill him."
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Another chappie done!
Please let me know what you think, R&R, etc. etc., thanks again to all
Luv yaz!
Moshi
(P.s. another chapter to come soon!)
(P.p.s., SCHOOL'S OUT MAN! w00t w00t! XD)