Sayonara Solitaire
Chapter 2: Red as a Rose
"So, you come from Japan?" Rosette asked, walking with Marc and Chrono through the courtyard.
"Yeah," Marc replied, trying to keep some of his black hair down.
"How'd you get here so fast?" Chrono asked biting onto some food he had not finished while eating breakfast.
"I actually went to southern Canada first, where my friend lives, and then took a boat from there to here," Marc responded, taking slower steps.
Chrono nodded and took another bite of his buttered muffin.
"Hey, I didn't get any of that!" Marc yelled, grabbing onto the food. "GIMME!"
"Hey, let go!" Chrono shouted, trying to pull it back. "I'm not gonna give you my MUFFIN!"
"BOTH OF YOU BE QUIET!" Rosette screamed, annoyed by their bickering. "You've guys have been fighting ever since we got back here."
"Not my fault," Marc said, turning to face the other way.
"Well, it's not mine," Chrono replied, turning around as well.
After a short moment, both sighed and gave a quick, "Sorry." They, afterwards, continued on.
"Where are we going?" Marc asked, looking at Rosette as she turned to face him.
"We have to talk to Sister Catherine," Rosette answered, turning around and walking again.
"Oh, HER," Marc said, sighing and walking slower. "Just what I need. The woman who thinks I'm a threat."
"You are," Rosette replied. "Oni blood isn't good to have."
"And just what exactly are you saying!?" Marc snapped.
"Well, I mean, oni demons ARE murderers, kidnappers, and muggers," Rosette said, counting off each thing she said with her fingers. "And perverts and rapists. Since there are many girls around here, I wouldn't be surprised if Sister Catherine made me tie you to the bed.
Marc turned to Rosette.
"Do you think I look like a PERVERT?" Marc asked.
"Yes, very much," Rosette replied. "You tried to watch me bathe last night."
"I...thought you were drowning!" Marc said. "Yeah! Exactly!"
"And you just stare when someone's drowning?" Rosette asked, making Marc turn a shade of red.
"Hey, I just got here!" Marc hollered. "Give me a break."
"I did," Rosette responded. "By not shooting you."
Marc backed up and shook his head, continuing on. Chrono just gave a small laugh, remembering Marc getting slapped after Rosette spotted him.
As the three were at the end of the courtyard, Marc stopped for a second.
"What is it?" Rosette asked.
"Ugh...just a stomach pain," Marc responded, grabbing onto his stomach.
"Are you okay?" Chrono asked as Marc sat down.
"Not that big of a deal," Marc replied, about to throw up.
"Hold on...Sister Catherine can wait," Rosette said, helping Marc up. "Are you sure you don't want to go back and rest?
"...Okay then," Marc agreed, getting up.
Rosette and Chrono brought Marc back to Rosette's bedroom, where Marc slept on some rags set on the floor. Chrono looked at the rags, feeling jealous and...
"Thanks," Marc said, facing Chrono and Rosette.
"No problem," Rosette smiled as Marc held his stomach. "Do you want me to stay here?"
Marc nodded and Chrono looked at Rosette and Marc, ready to ask if he should stay.
"Chrono, Sister Catherine might want to see you," Rosette said. "Could you go?"
With nothing to say, Chrono agreed and headed to Sister Catherine's office. As he walked, Marc and Rosette pulsed through his mind.
Back in Rosette's bedroom, Marc lay on the rags. He looked up at the ceiling. The pain slowly died down, but as it did, Marc slowly fell into a deep sleep.
Marc was standing on a tall platform, over a blood sea. He jumped onto another platform and looked down. A cold wind blasted through the air, almost knocking him off the silver platform, but Marc held on tight, so he could stay on. Marc stood up and looked over the crimson sea. It quickly formed into mountains, shocking Marc and making him fall off the floating platform. As Marc was falling, he set on fire, screaming and shouting for help. Marc landed in several rose bushes, setting them ablaze. He got up, injured and painted with red blood. Marc walked through the bushes, getting poked at by thorns. He got out of the bushes and fell down on the ground, dead from the injuries and blood loss. The day turned to night and the bushes became black due to the fire. The moon did not appear and Marc's body flew away with the wind, as ashes and dust.
Rosette shook Marc, making him wake up. He shot into the air, gasping for air.
"What's wrong?" Rosette asked, worried about the sweating and yelling from Marc.
"Just...a bad dream," Marc replied.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Rosette asked.
"I'm fine," Marc said, with a stern voice.
"Okay, okay, fine," Rosette responded, looking at the ceiling.
After a small while, Marc got up and sat down next to Rosette, shaking his head to become more awake.
"Sorry, just had a terrible dream," Marc said.
A couple of seconds later, Rosette looked at Marc.
"It's alright," she replied.
Chrono entered the room, looking at Marc and Rosette with a very serious look.
"What's wrong?" Rosette asked.
"A large boat was sunk by devils," Chrono reported. "We have to investigate."
Rosette got up and rushed outside with Chrono.
"MARC!" she called out.
Marc rose from the bed and dashed out of the bedroom and outside.