Chapter 008: Echoing Laughter
8 hours later...
It was two o'clock in the morning, and everyone was going home. "We can work more on this riddle tomorrow. I'm sure that everyone will be safe for one night.", said Doujima casually as she packed up her belongings and fixed her hair. "I suppose...", Karasuma replied, slightly hesitant. "Aw. Come on. We've been working on this puzzle for eight hours and have had to put up with Kosaka long enough.", Haruto complained as he pulled on his winter jacket. "OK, see you guys later then.", Michael said dejectedly while throwing them all an abandoned look. "I'll stay to keep you company, if you want me to Michael." Robin got up from her desk and came over to sit next to him. "You probably need to rest, Robin.", Amon interrupted. "After all, you've had a very long day and it's your first day back to work." Michael threw a discrete glare towards Amon, but no one noticed. "Yeah. That's true.", Doujima agreed as Haruto nodded vigorously, wanting to leave before Kosaka came back. "Well, I suppose I'll stay late tomorrow then." Robin reluctantly agreed. "Do you need a ride, Robin?", Karasuma asked. "Oh no, that's fine. I've got a few things I need to do on my way home. Thank you, though."
Walking out onto the dimly lit streets, Robin began to head home. She couldn't take her vespa, since it had broken down a while ago and was still in repair. It was strange, but the city's usual late night traffic was nonexistent and it left her with an unusual empty loneliness. Only one or two cars passed by her every minute, and even the moon's brightness was shrouded in wraithlike clouds. She wanted to stop by the post office and drop of a few letters before returning to her relatively new apartment. It had been cheap, and ideal for hiding from hunters because it was on the outskirts of the city where not many people lived, and those that did live there never asked too many questions. She had been working at a small coffee shop a block down from the apartment, where she could hear the latest gossip and have a discount on her espresso. However, the post office was in the opposite direction of her new home. 'Just a few blocks down...' she said to herself, looking up at the shadowy street signs. 'Everything looks so different at night.' she thought. 'But wait. Is this the right way? I must have made a wrong turn.'
Suddenly, a hand reached out of the darkness and grabbed her by the arm. "Not lost, I hope, are we?", a man's voice smoothly asked as the bodiless hand wrenched her to a halt. "N..n..no.", stuttered Robin, gasping with fright. His hands were deathly cold to the touch, and just as pale, as though no blood flowed through them at all. She should have waited until morning to drop of the mail, and allowed Karasuma to drive her home, Robin thought as she began to sweat. "If you had a guide, perhaps you would not be as lost as you currently are." His voice was as slippery as silk, but as deathly and cold as a vulture's shadow. "Here. Why don't you come into my shop. I have a parrot that may interest you." The thoughts that had been flapping around her head before now came to a sudden halt. The riddle resurfaced in her mind, and she gasped in realization. It all suddenly made horrifying sense. "B..beware the b...b...bird keeper...", she stammered, her heart pounding in her ears. She tried to pull herself away from the malevolent stranger, but he held on even tighter, nails digging into her delicate skin. Then, he began to laugh, sending echoes ricocheting all over the empty alleyway he had dragged her into. A streetlight a few blocks down flickered as Robin slowly lost consciousness, the world spinning before her eyes. 'What is... happening... to... me.' Her last thought slowly crumbled as everything gave way to total darkness. Nothing but his terrible laugh remained, endlessly resounding in her mind. She wanted to cry for help, but all that could escape her lips was a faint whisper. So faint that even the sinister stranger did not hear her.
'Amon...'
8 hours later...
It was two o'clock in the morning, and everyone was going home. "We can work more on this riddle tomorrow. I'm sure that everyone will be safe for one night.", said Doujima casually as she packed up her belongings and fixed her hair. "I suppose...", Karasuma replied, slightly hesitant. "Aw. Come on. We've been working on this puzzle for eight hours and have had to put up with Kosaka long enough.", Haruto complained as he pulled on his winter jacket. "OK, see you guys later then.", Michael said dejectedly while throwing them all an abandoned look. "I'll stay to keep you company, if you want me to Michael." Robin got up from her desk and came over to sit next to him. "You probably need to rest, Robin.", Amon interrupted. "After all, you've had a very long day and it's your first day back to work." Michael threw a discrete glare towards Amon, but no one noticed. "Yeah. That's true.", Doujima agreed as Haruto nodded vigorously, wanting to leave before Kosaka came back. "Well, I suppose I'll stay late tomorrow then." Robin reluctantly agreed. "Do you need a ride, Robin?", Karasuma asked. "Oh no, that's fine. I've got a few things I need to do on my way home. Thank you, though."
Walking out onto the dimly lit streets, Robin began to head home. She couldn't take her vespa, since it had broken down a while ago and was still in repair. It was strange, but the city's usual late night traffic was nonexistent and it left her with an unusual empty loneliness. Only one or two cars passed by her every minute, and even the moon's brightness was shrouded in wraithlike clouds. She wanted to stop by the post office and drop of a few letters before returning to her relatively new apartment. It had been cheap, and ideal for hiding from hunters because it was on the outskirts of the city where not many people lived, and those that did live there never asked too many questions. She had been working at a small coffee shop a block down from the apartment, where she could hear the latest gossip and have a discount on her espresso. However, the post office was in the opposite direction of her new home. 'Just a few blocks down...' she said to herself, looking up at the shadowy street signs. 'Everything looks so different at night.' she thought. 'But wait. Is this the right way? I must have made a wrong turn.'
Suddenly, a hand reached out of the darkness and grabbed her by the arm. "Not lost, I hope, are we?", a man's voice smoothly asked as the bodiless hand wrenched her to a halt. "N..n..no.", stuttered Robin, gasping with fright. His hands were deathly cold to the touch, and just as pale, as though no blood flowed through them at all. She should have waited until morning to drop of the mail, and allowed Karasuma to drive her home, Robin thought as she began to sweat. "If you had a guide, perhaps you would not be as lost as you currently are." His voice was as slippery as silk, but as deathly and cold as a vulture's shadow. "Here. Why don't you come into my shop. I have a parrot that may interest you." The thoughts that had been flapping around her head before now came to a sudden halt. The riddle resurfaced in her mind, and she gasped in realization. It all suddenly made horrifying sense. "B..beware the b...b...bird keeper...", she stammered, her heart pounding in her ears. She tried to pull herself away from the malevolent stranger, but he held on even tighter, nails digging into her delicate skin. Then, he began to laugh, sending echoes ricocheting all over the empty alleyway he had dragged her into. A streetlight a few blocks down flickered as Robin slowly lost consciousness, the world spinning before her eyes. 'What is... happening... to... me.' Her last thought slowly crumbled as everything gave way to total darkness. Nothing but his terrible laugh remained, endlessly resounding in her mind. She wanted to cry for help, but all that could escape her lips was a faint whisper. So faint that even the sinister stranger did not hear her.
'Amon...'