Queen Luana: It has been a while, ladies and gentlemen. Sorry, but you know how it goes. Stupid teachers, think they're so bloody perfect… I've come up with a new chapter, for those who have forgotten since I wrote the last one ages ago, Trunks turned pretty evil and wants to find out how long his dad will last. You can start your bidding now!

Part V

Determined by hereditary

Trunks refused to suppress a chuckle when his father enterred the kitchen next morning, eyes wide, nearly looking like an insomnia patient. "Slept well, dad?" Trunks said. "Get that smile off your face," Vegeta snapped while he took his spoon with shaking hand. As he did so Trunks spotted a big bruise on his forearm, hand shaped. "What's that on your arm, dad?" Trunks sniggered slightly too loud at saying this, imagining his father struggling to explain logically.

His father said nothing, slid away from the table, four paws of his chair rasping over the floor and left the kitchen. He was getting touchy. It seemed like Samara had already paid him a visit last night.

After Trunks got dressed, he checked his watch. Still ten minutes before the bus came. He turned on his computer again when suddenly the phone went. He ran into the hall downstairs and picked up. "This is Trunks." "Hello, sweety, how are you?" "Oh, hi mum." "How's everything going ohn over there? Your father sleeping?" "No, he's pretty awake." The irony. "Well, if he should ask, which I seriously doubt, tell him I won't be home for four more days. The covention has turned out to be slightly longer. Stupid idiots… always bossing me around… Well, love you, honey!" "Love you, mum."

He hung up and ran back to his room where he shocked and stood still. The phone rang again. His mum again? He ran back down, this time panting when he answered. "This is-" He choked, cause he was cut off by the whispering voice of a little girl… "I won't stop…" With a shriek he slammed the phone down again. The hell?

When the bus stopped in front of his school, Trunks still could not grasp what had just happened. Was Samara after him now? But that couldn't be! He hadn't watched the tape, she had no reason to follow him. Of course it were possible that the phonecall was meant for his dad, but somehow he had the feeling that idea was wrong.

He stepped out of the bus and suddenly, between the mass of students he saw a flash of a blackhaired girl with a white dress. This time he did not scream, he just stunned at the sight; he only saw her for a split second, then she disappeared within the crowd. Something awful was going on at this moment, this he knew now.

"Alissa!" The girl turned at hearing the young boy's voice and saw him running through the hall, panting loudly when he reached her. "Something's wrong!" he panted. "I see her everywhere!" "I told you not to watch the tape!" she cried, clearly ready to punch him in the face. "That's the point, I didn't!" Trunks said. Alissa closed her mouth. "I…" "What do I do now?" She pondered for a moment, then said: "Did she call you? Did she tell you you had seven more days to live?" "She did call," Trunks said, slowly gaining his breath. "But she didn't say that. She said she won't stop."

"There was a possibility it was meant for my father… but when I arrived at school I saw her, and obviously I was the only one who could see her." "When I hear you talking like this Trunks, I'm starting to believe you've gotten too involved in this case," Alissa said casually. "Way more than she likes." She looked at him seriously, sending shivers down Trunks' spine. "However, as long as she doesn't say your cursed, your safe. Except things won't be easy the following days."

It was even harder to concentrate during class than it had been the day he had to find a tape for his father. He was afraid to keep his eyes open, afraid to see Samara. But he refused to close them as well, not because of the teacher, because he'd fear she would be there as soon as he'd open his eyes.

"Trunks, are you feeling alright?" Loyen said halfway biology. "You like a little pale." "Oh… I feel a little ill…" "Would you like to go to the infirmary?" "No!" Trunks said, loudly. The idea of having to go through the deserted corridors by himself only was horrifying. "No," he then added, his voice calm again. "No, I'll manage." Loyen gave him a suspicious look then turned to the blackboard again, on which the picture of a bird's skeleton was taped.

That night Trunks awoke around midnight, because of a rumour on the stairs. Somebody was going downstairs. "Dad?" he whispered and got out of his bed. He slowly opened the door and peeked through. All he saw was the darkness of the hallway. Gathering all his courage he fully opened the door and stepped into the hall. The floor was cold underneath his feet and he slowly shuffled towards the stairs, his hand sliding among the walls. Carefully he placed a foot on the stairs, one after another and headed down. A dimmed light was illuminating the living room and as he reached the final step he saw it was from the TV. The static screen was casting his light upon his father's blanc face.

"Dad?" He set one foot in the living room when he froze. In the shadowy corner he saw the shape of what seemed like a little girl. He heard his father breath, loudly, in fear. "Dad, she won't hurt you…" he whispered although his knees were knocking together. "Not yet…" "I'm not afraid…" his father spoke through clenched teeth. Trunks reached for the light switch next to him and turned it on. Almost immediately the room was filled with a bright light and the dark shape in the corner was gone, nothing but blank wall. "So you're saying you enjoy watching static in the middle of the night?" His father slightly more comforted by the light looked at him. "It's just a stupid tape."

Trunks gave his father a look not of frustration, of pitty. "You know it's not dad. I can make it stop. But I won't until you finally accept you are cursed." He took deep breaths between the last three words and his father's eye twitched. "I am not cursed. It's just a stupid joke." Trunks placed his hand on the switch. "Fine." The lights went out and for a moment a soft wail was heard, but it wasn't Trunks. "G'night dad." Again the only light came from the static TV, but this time no girl was standing in the corner of the room. Trunks turned and went upstairs again, leaving his father alone, thinking if he would last the next three days.

Queen Luana: Man it took so long to write that chapter! I had like – three writer's blocks or something? Ah well… I've got lots of homework to do or I'll see you all later. By the way, although I've always said I wouldn't, I'm now thinking of writing The Grudge in DBZ? Sounds good? Please tell me what you think of that idea. (God damnit I hate the Grudge!)