It was the whimper which alerted Lex to the small child curled into a small ball between the dumpster and trash cans in the alley. He was young with brown hair and brown eyes.
He also had no jacket and was soaked to the bone.
"Hey there. You okay kid?" Lex softened her voice. He looked at her with wild eyes. He tried to run past her but something made her reach out and grab his harm holding
him still. It was a gentle touch. The boy collapsed against her in a flood of tears. Lex was not good with children. She really wasn't good with children. She couldn't tell how
old he was. As the boy wept against she felt one wild moment of pure panic. He didn't cry for long thankfully. She kneeled next to him, feeling the water soak into her pants.
"My name is Alexandra." He sniffled.
"Suuichi"
"Suuichi, huh? Wells that's a nice mane. You know my friend call me Alex"
"Alex is a boys name"
"Yeah, imagine my parents confusion." The boy's lips were tinged blue. Lex shrugged out of her jacket and wrapped it around the boy. It was thigh length on her but on
him it barely cleared the ground.
"Suuichi, why were you hiding in that alley? It's almost dark. It's not safe to be hiding in alleys." He started to tear up again.
"I didn't want to play in the hall way! I didn't! They dared me though!" He started crying again and Lex started to panic.
"Then the light went out and there was this noise and then a monster attacked"
"A monster? What are you talking about"
"It was hiding in there! In the museum! It chased me and I ran and I don't know where I am! I just to go home! I miss my mom. I miss my brother." Alex gathered him close
in a slightly awkward hug as he cried.
"I see. So you're lost." That part she could understand.
"Well how about I get you home then"
"You promise"
"Yeah, I promise."
Kurama arrived twenty minutes before the museum closed. Even explaining why he was there the gate employee didn't want to let Kurama in. Unfortunately the power had come back
in a hour before so he couldn't stop Kurama from entering. Time was of the essences so Kurama ran the path his senses laid out for him. Suuichi had passed though here. HERE. No, now it
was gone. This is where Suuichi had wandered away from the class. Another museum employee, this time a young woman, started his way. She was discreetly pulling up her skirt to flash a
little more leg and undoing the top button of her already straining blouse. The Yoko part of his mind accessed and scored the woman while Kurama braced himself.
"I'm sorry sir, that section of the museum is closed still due to electrical problems earlier. I'd be happy to show you around the rest of the museum." She smiled flirtatious.
"I see. I'm searching for my younger brother. I thought he may have gone up this way"
"Oh, you must be related to one of the three little boys. You know we found one of the little boys on the stairs. Looked like he bumped his head pretty bad. We couldn't wake him
up so he went to the hospital. No word on the others, huh?" She made a sympathetic cooing noise.
"No. My mother and I are quite worried"
"You know the museum closes in about five minutes but I'd be happy to help you look got him once I'm off duty." She assumed what she thought was sexy stance. Kurama face was bland
but Yoko noticed how her blouse gapped deeply.
"Thank you but that's probably not necessary." Kurama murmured. Was that a demonic signature over there? It was faint and fading fast. What ever had made I had been week. What was a
low class demon doing in a museum? The woman let a small frown cross her face.
"Oh, well, in that case the museum in now closed. I'm going to have to ask you to leave." She couldn't quite keep the sour noted out of her voice.
"Yes alright." Then despite her best attempts to walk behind Kurama, he stayed even with her, ever the gentleman. Being foiled from watching his fine backside was the last straw. She sighed.
You win some, you lose some.
The rain stopped falling as the sunset. There was an nip to the air and an unpleasant chill was spreading as the twilight darkened. Alex was carrying Suuichi close to her chest to perserve
as much warmth and the last bit of modesty as she could. It's what she got for wearing a white shirt on a rainy day. They were nearing the high school where Kurama had once attended. Suuichi had gone
with Kurama on the first day of registration so he knew that they were close to his home now.
"Okay Suuichi, which way now?" He pointed. Alex hid her grimace. It was so cold now. The closer to she got to getting young Suuichi home the more the cold settled into her bones. She ran her tongue
over her teeth trying to dispel a quick bitter taste in her mouth. 'With my luck, I'm probably catching a cold from hell.' Alex thought. They tracked on towards the school.
In the deepening shadows of approaching night shadows gathered, following the signature of the woman and boy. They shadows were many but their purpose united. They hungered.