Reliving the Nightmare

By Kuro Kin'youbi

Chapter 2


"These breaks are not helping." I complained.

Torn glared at me, so I glared back. He took a bottle of water out of the fridge and sat back down. I sat down too, after getting myself a bottle of water. I put my feet up on his desk and looked at him.

"What are you looking at?" He demanded.

I shook my head, and took my feet off the desk. I took a sip of the water and scowled.

"YOU stop looking at me like that!" I ordered, "Get on with the story!"

"t's not a story." Torn huffed, "It's something that happened in real life! A... while ago, though."

He scowled and opened his desk drawer. He produced a photo and closed the drawer.

"What's that?" I asked.

"What does it look like? ... A photo, of me and Nor before our tattooing."

"Don't you mean... Nor and I?"

He said nothing. I wanted to ask him why he never talked about Nor, even if he was still alive.

"Let's continue." Torn said finally, massaging his cut hands.

"I'll get the popcorn!"


"Well..." Nor said to Torn, "You look very... elegant, in that suit."

Torn looked at his friend, and at the suit HE was wearing.

"Thanks. I'll take that as a compliment. Oh, and did I forget to mention, you look terrible too?"

Nor laughed. Torn rolled his eyes and reached into his bag.

"What are you getting? Oh, don't tell me you smuggled your camera!?"

Torn took out the camera, and grinned.

"Praxis will kill you if he finds out!" Nor exclaimed.

Torn shook his head and stood by Nor. He pressed the button for the automatic film, or whatever it was called, and the flash filled the room.

"He doesn't have to find out now... does he?" Torn said slyly, grinning.

Nor looked at Torn as though he was the stupidest person alive.

"I think you are so strange." Nor said, "Now! Let's go to this dance... I hear that Praxis' daughter's gonna be there, and they say she is hot!"

Torn raised an eyebrow with interest. Nor left the room and he followed slowly.


"There she is!" Nor said.

He grabbed Torn by the collar and pointed to a girl, standing close, but not too close, to Baron Praxis. She had flaming red har, tattooes and a very slim wasteline. She wore a long black dress, strapless, and heels.

"Out of your league buddy." Torn grumbled.

He attempted to walk away from Nor and his girl obsessivness, but Nor had a firm grip on his collar and was aready dragging Torn over to Praxis and his daughter.

"Nor... let me go..." Torn groaned, "I don't pick girls up. You do, and I don't."

Nor looked at Torn. He released his grip and shrugged.

"Don't you see? You want to do something with your life, right? Getting to know a girl as high on the social level as her, you'll get to other places from there."

Torn wanted to object, and he was about to when they were stopped.

"Did I interrupt something?"

It was Praxis' daughter. Torn glared at Nor, who shook his head.

"I'm Ashelin." She said, extending her hand.

"Nor." Nor siad, shaking her hand, "And... let me tell you... what a strong grip you have. Now can I have my hand back please?"

Ashelin laughed and let his hand go. She turned to Torn and held her hand out. Torn grinned at Nor and shook her hand.

"Torn." He said.

"Torn..." She repeated... "Why doesn't my death grip affect you?"

Nor rolled his eyes. "He's probably in heaps of pain, but wants to impress you so much that he would go to the ends of the world to please you."

Torn shook his head and said to Ashelin "I'm used to it."

Ashelin nodded. "OK, so you may have a strong grip. But how good are you at dancing?"

Torn looked at Nor, panic on his face.

"I haven't... had that much... lessons... in dancing." He replied.

"Oh, really? Well come and dance with me, and I won't embarrass you too much."

Nor grinned. "Later, Torn. Go dance your head off."


"Actually..." Ashelin said at the end of their fourth dance, "You are a good dancer."

Everyone in the room, who had been watching them with interest, clapped and cheered. The dance floor had been cleared for them and they hadn't even noticed.

"Wow, I didn't know everyone was watching us." Torn said.

Nor walked over to the two of them.

"You guys... were great!" He exclaimed.

Torn scowled. Anyone could dance like that. He thought.

"Nor... anyone could dance like that." He said.

"Nobody else had the guts though." Ashelin said.

Torn looked at her. That was true, Torn would admit that. But even with being near Ashelin, and hanging around with Nor, Torn suddenly felt this odd... feeling. He didn't know what it was, but it bothered him.

"What's the matter?" Ashelin asked.

He looked at her, and just behind her he could see... Praxis, walking up to them.

"ASHELIN!" He barked in her ear.

She clamped a hand over her ear.

"Yes, I know." She said. "We're leaving now."

Praixs nodded and walked away. Ashelin turned to Torn and Nor.

"Well... it was nice meeting you two... and dancing with you Torn." She said, "See you guys in 3 days."

"Three days?" Nor said, "But for what?"

"You guys are in my squad for KG." She replied. "So, see you then."

She walked away. Torn watched her go, with a huge knot in his stomach.

"Something wrong buddy?" Nor asked, patting Torn on the shoulder.

"No."


"Oh god..." Torn breathed.

Nor put it down and grimaced.

"Isn't it awful?!" Nor said, "They're going to put that in us! In our faces!"

"ON our faces, Nor. And besides, it's only an evil looking needle with inky stuff for out tattooes."

The needle looked... evil. Nor couldn't look at it without turning green, but Torn could. He picked it up and held it in his hands for a while.

"Well?" The tattoo man asked, "Who is going first. Tell me before I run out of patience."

"Torn is." Nor said.

-----

Torn looked at Nor from the seat he was strapped to.

"When I get out of this chair!"

Nor looked amused. He sat on a bench at the end of the seat and laughed.

"You will what? Kill me?" Nor suggested with a smirk.

"Yes, I might just do that." Torn said.

The last thing Torn saw before blacking out was Nor laughing.

"Hah hah hah... poor Torn. Does it hurt?"


How is it going? Please let me know, and see if I have let any more clues out for who Torn is talking with, huh? Thanks!