Hey! YES I HAVE UPDATED! 'Tis a miracle isn't it. Anyways, I'll try to update more often. Oh and by the way, this was spell checked by Llama, so if there are any spelling mistakes… blame her. But, thank you Llama for checking!!! Your kindness and sarcastic editor's notes will always be treasured!
Thank You's
MysticalDreamer32
Seida02
Ferai
c'fay
Koriina
blue ice2
Kiya
Llama ~thanks x 2!~
Inverse-chan
Kya77
Dreamingofflyingaway
Night of the Raven
sweet life
SabineballZ
Hitomi turned her head to look at the man who was halfway through the window and onto the quiet street. He stared right back and did something rather unexpected- he gave her a wink. Then, he ran off into the night. By, the time Yukari and the others had arrived, he had already disappeared into the shadows.
"Hey 'Kari? I thought you said he was dead."
Dragon Coffee Shop
"He gives new meaning to "Dead man walking", that's for sure," muttered an obviously stressed Yukari. She along with another young woman were sitting in a dimly lit coffee house. Soft jazz could be heard in the background, as well as the soft words coming from the conversations of others. Yukari's sarcastic comment was met only by silence and the red-head's eye twitched, she hated being ignored. Glaring at the girl across from her, she realized that Hitomi hadn't even heard her. Instead, she seemed to be more engrossed in her lemon tea.
"Hello? Earth to Hitomi!"
"Huh, what?" Two green eyes blinked back in confusion. Yukari didn't answer, instead she glared.
"Seriously what?"
"Nothing." Yukari fought the urge to snap at Hitomi. She knew why she was so out of it. Hell, almost anyone would be out of it if they'd gone through what Hitomi had. Three days ago, Hitomi saw a dead man in her hallway, and on the same day, the same dead man walked again. Christ, the man defied the balance between life and death! Yukari forced these facts to the back of her head and tried to concentrate on her current situation. Her eyes looked Hitomi up and down before resting on the mug in front of her friend.
"I don't get it."
"What?"
"We're in a coffee house, and you're drinking tea."
"Yeah, so?"
"Coffee house, coffee, ring any bells?"
"Well, I don't know any tea houses around here!" remarked Hitomi with a smirk on her face. Yukari scowled and muttered something incoherent under her breath causing the smirk to grow larger. Soon, her lips parted and a clear laugh could be heard. Yukari looked up in disbelief and shook her head, a smile playing on the corners of her mouth.
"Crazy girl who drinks in tea in a coffee house." Hitomi responded simply by sticking out her tongue. "Real mature."
"I know." Now both girls broke down into a fit of giggles. Their laughter slowly died down and now they once again heard the soft jazz music and light conversation around them. Yukari's eyes moved to the clock that hung on the wall above Hitomi's head, it was 10 o'clock. A frown played on her lips and worry was obvious in her eyes. We should really go home, who knows what might happen at night...
"Alright, let's go," said Hitomi as she pushed her mug away from her.
"Wha...? Do you have any unknown psychic powers that you want to tell me about? "
A slim eyebrow arched on Hitomi face as she stared at her friend, "No, I'm not psychic. I just noticed that you were staring at the clock above my head."
"So...?"
"So, you never do that unless you're bored and want to leave."
"I'm not bored! I'm just-" Yukari managed to stop herself from saying something stupid.
"You're just worried, right?"
The redhead blinked back in surprise. "Are you sure you're not psychic?"
"Pretty sure," laughed Hitomi. With a smile still lingering on her lips, Hitomi grabbed her coat and slipped her arms through the sleeves. "Come on, let's go." Yukari took her purse off the table and checked if they left anything before following Hitomi out the door. A cold wind sent chills down the spines of the two girls as they stepped out of the warm building. Hitomi and Yukari semiconsciously pulled the collars of their coats closer to their necks.
Walking along a well-lit street, Yukari glanced at Hitomi. How can she be so calm? It's almost as if she forgot her whole ordeal! Maybe that's what she want to do, forget the whole thing ever happened. Hard to forget though... "Hey Hitomi," asked Yukari tentatively, "are you alright?"
"Huh, what do you mean?" A confused Hitomi stared at Yukari, green eyes blinking once or twice.
"I mean, are you okay? You've been so… calm about... Well, about the thing that happened. You know. At the hospital?" Yukari played with the buttons on her jacket, a sure sign of nervousness. "Well, if you really don't want to talk about it, it's okay, I mean I could totally understand." Hitomi continued to stare blankly as Yukari babbled on and on about "understanding" and "talking".
"Er… 'Kari calm down for a sec. I think you need to breathe."
Yukari took a deep breath and looked at Hitomi with a sheepish smile.
"I understand Yukari, honestly I do. I just don't want to talk about it now."
"Well, you know I'm always there right?"
"Yes I do, you were just talking about it for a whole minute," said Hitomi with an amused smile on her face which only grew bigger when she added, "and on one breath!"
"Very funny," replied Yukari dryly.
The pair continued to walk until they reached a large building made of red brick. A neat line of trees formed a frame around it as well as black steel gates. The large wood doors with a cherry finish were at the top of a small set of stairs and had two small bushes on either side of it. Above the door, in gold cursive, was "The Asturian Rose". The two girls paused and stared at the building with a mix of complicated emotions in their eyes. One girl reflected nervousness and worry, while the other stared with fear and apprehension.
"You know 'Tomi, you could stay at my place. I wouldn't mind at all," said a rather worried looking Yukari. She continued to stare at Hitomi waiting for some kind of response. But, to her disappointment, Hitomi continued to look at the building, her eyes never moving away from it. "Hitomi?"
"I'll be fine Yukari, promise," said Hitomi with a reassuring smile on her face. Her eyes seemed to be calm, but there was something hidden in them, something that she didn't want Yukari to see. Yukari looked Hitomi up and down, searching for something and was about to say something. But, she was cut off by Hitomi. "I'm fine! Honestly!"
"Only if your sure…"
"I am, seriously. Come on 'Kari! I'm not some fragile and delicate flower!"
Yukari sighed, she should have known that her stubborn best friend would never give in. Sighing again, she said goodnight and continued to walk back to her place in the dark, eyes always aware of whatever lurked in the shadows.
Hitomi took a deep breath and walk through the black gates. Her hands brushed against the railing as she walked slowly up the stairs and stopped in front of the door. I can do this. I can make it through the night, I know I can. Taking another breath, she placed her hand on the door and opened it. Eyes darted around, searching for anything that was moving in the dark. Hitomi took small steps to the elevator, glancing behind her every now and then. She pressed the button, and became increasingly nervous while she waiting for the slow elevator to come down to her floor.
Finally, when it arrived, she practically ran inside and pressed the close several times. After that, she pressed the number 4 button and leaned on one of the four walls of the elevator. Her nervousness arose again, I should have taken the stairs, quicker… and more spacey… Her eyes wandered up to the top of the doors, watching as number 2 turned to 3 at a painstakingly slow pace. Hurry, hurry, come on! After 5 minutes, which seemed like an endless amount of time, the elevator reached the fourth floor and its doors opened.
Hitomi rushed out, running down the cream colour carpet, her boots making barely any noise. She stopped dead in her tracks when she reached there, the place where he had been found. A shudder ran down her spine as a jumble of thoughts streamed through her head. Silver hair, red eyes, his smirk. Why is this happening now? Eyes travelled to the carpet. Even with the countless amount of detergents and bleaches, the carpet still bore the deep stain of blood.
Hitomi attempted to walk over the stain, but it was too big. Gingerly, one boot touch the carpet then another. For a split second, she thought she could smelt the burning smell of blood. Crazy, and impossible! The custodian used so much bleach, it's impossible to smell the blood! Snap out of it Hitomi and get to your apartment!
Hitomi ran the rest of the way till she reached familiar wood door and fumbled for her keys. After a few seconds of searching and swearing, she fished her keys from her purse and opened the door. Quickly stepping inside, she slammed the door shut and slid to the floor. Her deep breaths echoed off the wall and into her ears. Oh shit… This is going to be a long night. Please let Yukari be awake…
Outside the Asturian Rose
A pair of eyes watched Hitomi Kanzaki. They were a brilliant shade of red and seemed to have a predatory glint in them. The eyes watched Hitomi as she sunk down to the floor and ran her hands through her hair. They continued to follow her as she went into her bedroom and shut the door. From the darkness, the possessor of the eyes emerged, clothed in black. An interesting colour to wear, because it exaggerated his already pale skin and silver hair. A smirk formed on his lips and he said, "Hello again, miss."
The man had been sitting on the ledge of one of Hitomi's windows, balancing himself with amazing grace. Slowly, one pale hand reached for the bottom of the window and forcefully opened it. The lock that had been holding the window in place snapped as if it had been made of cheap plastic instead of brass. The figure now pushed the window up and slipped through it with the poise of a cat. He carefully closed the window and with a smirk, kicked the broken lock under the carpet.
Taking a glance at his surroundings, he could not help but feel at home. The walls had been painted a rich wine colour that contrasted well with the pure white leather couches in the living room. The red also accented the cherry wood floor and shelves. He turned around and was faced with a walled in kitchen. The black marble counters were clean and had a bowl of fruit sitting on them. A few chairs surrounded the outside of the counter.
The man walked back to the living room, and slipped down into one of the white armchairs, barely making a noise. I'll wait for her to come out, after all, it is rude to interrupt. As he waited for an unsuspecting Hitomi, he picked up a newspaper from the glass coffee table in front of him. The headline: DOWNTOWN MURDERER CAUGHT? His eyes skimmed the whole article quickly, and a low chuckle rumbled from his throat. The last sentence had caused it: "Lately the murders have stopped, perhaps a sign that their will be no more bloodshed." He chuckled again. Stop. Oh no, they'll be plenty of bloodshed tonight. I'm sure of that.
The bedroom door opened with a crisp click, and the man put down the newspaper. He stayed still, blending in with the shadow that the big white armchair provided him. He could hear her feet, padding softly against the floor. A trademark smirk formed as he wondered how long it would take her to realize there was another in her home. A quick gasp along with the sound of breaking glassware was his answer. Not very long.
From the Kitchen
Hitomi stared wide-eyed in shock as she stared at the figure in her living room. It was a male, from the size and she could hear his soft laughed resonating in her apartment. How long has he been there? Was he watching me? Hitomi's curiosity and shock quickly turned to fear. How did he get in? The door is locked, I checked, and so were the windows. Unless… he broke in before I even got home. He shaking hand slowly reached for the white phone beside her stove and picked it up with trembling hands. But because of her fear, she dropped the phone. The sound of it contacting with the floor seemed so loud.
"Now what were you going to do with that, miss?" asked the figure. He stood up slowly, still partly hidden by the shadows. However, she could still make out a vague outline of his body. Tall, and by the looks of it well built. He took a step forward and Hitomi's eyes widened.
"You!"
"Yes, me." Hitomi looked at the man who was in front of her. It was him, the man who had supposedly died. He looked alive to her. The unmistakeable silver hair and red eyes were right in front of her, as well as the pale skin that she could see. But now, instead of sporting a hospital bed sheet, he wore something else. The outfit was completely black, from the fitting leather jacket and black jeans to the black runners. Nonetheless, it was him, the man who would not stop haunting her dreams.
Hitomi tried to speak, but her lips seemed to be clamped shut, allowing no sound to escape. A million thoughts raced through her mind as she saw him slowly walking towards her. RUN IDIOT RUN! No! Phone 'Kari! Pick up the damned phone and call 'Kari! Stay… just stay… Hitomi body stayed frozen until he was a foot away from her. It was then she realized that she had backed up into the stove, and really should be running for her life. Her eyes darted to the door, and she made a mad dash for it. A hand shot out, and grabbed her wrist, refusing her escape.
"Where do you think you're going?" asked a deep, rich voice. It enchanted Hitomi, and for a second, she felt so calm, so relaxed. Of course, after she looked up and saw his face, the fear returned. His face bore a smirk, the same one from the hospital and something in his eyes made her shudder. "Surely you're not trying to run away from me."
"Who are you?" whispered Hitomi. "How did you get in? I locked the door, the windows, everything. I checked."
He paused, as if contemplating whether he should answer or not. After a moment of silence, he replied. "I got in through the window," he stated simply.
"But I-" she was cut of when his hand pointed to one of her side windows. She squinted her eyes as saw that the lock on it had been ripped out. "That's impossible," she whispered. "Even if you did come from the window, you would have to climb 4 stories to get to it. No one can do that."
"I can." Hitomi looked up in shocked. He said it so calmly, like it was something you did everyday.
Now, he leaned forward, till there was almost no more space between their bodies. Hitomi's breaths became short and shallow and she shut her eyes. She expected a knife or gun to be pressed against her, but it never came. Instead, she felt a hot breath against her neck, and soft lips grazing it gently. The soft lips pressed firmly against her neck and Hitomi exhaled shakily. What is he doing?
"What are you doing?" Her question was silenced by his soft shushing. His lips continued to press gently against her smooth skin on her neck. Suddenly, Hitomi could feel him grinning and then pain. The pain, like a needle of white-hot fire running through her neck. A startled cry left her lips and she attempted to pull away. Useless though, since one of his hands was on her shoulder, holding her firmly in place. The pain did not subside, and she could feel something sucking her skin, directly on where the pain was. She moved her eyes sideways, hoping to catch a glimpse of what he was doing. She saw his red eyes instead, staring at her. Please, please stop. You're hurting me…
The man continued to stare, but shortly after broke eye contact. He pulled away slightly from her neck, and Hitomi's pain subsided. True, a dull throbbing was still there, but the white-hot pain had disappeared entirely. She could feel him leaning in once more and tensed up. No more, please no more. But the pain never came. Instead, a soft kiss was placed on her neck almost tenderly.
Now, he pulled away and drew himself to his full height in front of her. The emotionless face stared and her confused one.
"What the hell are you?" Hitomi asked in a soft whisper. Her voice was trembling so hard, she had trouble understanding what she had said. But, he didn't.
"Dilandau Albatou, vampyre mercenary."
Sort of a cliffie. Oh yeah, if you want me to send you e-mail updates, just leave your e-mail in the reviews. Remember to review! I'll be your new best friend! Until next time…
'Dana