U n l u c k y

By: R e s u r r e c t

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Here's chapter 2! I'll upload the 2nd Chapter of Fade really soon!

Insert text here - Thoughts.

Chapter 2 - The Good, the Bad, and the Bounty Hunters

Last time in Chapter 1 of Unlucky -

Oh no! Haru's gotten lost in that new town... how will she ever find her way back? Can she find her way back, before unwanted company finds her? Find out in Chapter 2, of Unlucky!

Haru shivered. It was becoming colder as the night drew on. She tightened the scarf around her neck. She wished that she had brought a coat with her...

This moment reminded her of when she was little, in her hometown. As pleasant thoughts filled her mind, her eyes began to close, weighed down by her fatigue. When they closed, she slowly entered a realm she could only go to in her dreams, and memories that had long past began to replay...

"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy, where are you?" A little girl cried out as she desperately searched the rooms of her house. She wore a simple nightgown, and carried a teddy bear with her. Lightning lit the sky and thunder boomed, while rain pitter-pattered upon the earth outside.

"Daddy!" the little girl cried as she spotted him in his room, looking out the window at the rain. He turned. "Haru?"

He hurried over to her and scooped her up in his arms. "What's wrong?" he asked, wiping the tears that tainted her rosy cheeks.

"Daddy... the lightning... it's going to hit the house, and the thunder is so loud... Daddy, I'm really scared! And I had a nitemare, too!" she said, hugging her teddy bear.

The man laughed slightly. "Is that all my Haru was worried about?"

The girl nodded. "You don't need to be afraid of them, Haru. Lightning and thunder won't ever touch you, as long as Daddy's around."

The girl smiled. "Really, Daddy?"

"Really."

He set her on her feet, and took her little hand in his. "Now, tell me about the dream."

As they walked to Haru's room, she began to explain her dream. "Well Tsuki and Hana told me that I had been bad, and that bad girls are always sucked dry by the vampires late at night. And in my dream... a vampire came out from under my bed and reached out to grab me!"

They reached her room. Haru's father set her on her bed. "Okay. Now, I'm going to look under the bed, okay?"

He bent down and looked under the bed. "No vampires." he said. He sat on the bed next to Haru. "See?"

He ruffled her hair. She giggled. He pointed to her teddy bear. "Your teddy bear..." he said.

"Mr. Fuzzy?" she replied, looking down at the plushie. "Yes," her father replied, "Mr. Fuzzy will always protect you from anything that would want to harm you."

She hugged her teddy bear. "I'll protect you too, Daddy."

All was silent for a moment. Then, her father laughed. And it slowly turned into a cruel, menacing laugh.

"Daddy?" the girl's voice trembled.

"You know, Haru... it's too bad that you couldn't help me when I died..." at that, he took the flesh on his cheek bone, slowly peeling it off, revealing the bone underneath.

The girl screamed. "No, Daddy! I was trying to help you! I was getting herbs because Tsuki and Hana were busy and-"

The decaying figure reached toward her. "Look what you've done to me, Haru..."

"Nooooooo!" she screamed.

Haru woke up with a start, shaking all over. She shut her eyes tight and hugged herself. "Why..."

Behind her, she could her someone walking from the alleyway. "F-footsteps?" she turned with a start. No one there. She turned back around, and found herself face-to-face with... a handsome man, who just came out of nowhere. His face was lit up by the ghostly light of the street lamp, making him look slightly eerie. He had pale skin, and stunning, golden eyes. Blonde hair framed his face. His clothes were strange, almost completely white.

He smiled. "Why hello, mademoiselle."

She could feel her cheeks become hot. "Er, um... hello." He was a little too close for comfort, and he kept staring at her. She looked at her feet. But after a moment, she dared to look at him again. She found herself staring into those brilliant, golden eyes of his.

This time, she couldn't look away. They were just full of something she couldn't understand... either curiosity, or wonder...

"Your bag?" he said. He held out the bag full of the things she had bought earlier. She took it from him slowly, focusing her gaze on the bag. "Thank you," she replied quietly.

"Are you lost?" he asked softly. She was shocked. How did he know? She looked at him and nodded.

He pointed. "Then I believe you should go that way, if you want to go back from where you came." She looked in the direction he was pointing.

There was an alleyway there. Why hadn't she noticed that before? "Thank yo-"

She found him staring at her again. "I'm glad to help, mademoiselle."

She nodded, and headed toward the alleyway. When she got to the entrance, she looked back to where he was standing. The man was gone. Had she hallucinated? No, no.. it seemed real. Too real.

When she got back to the inn, she was greeted by a scolding from Gurei, criticism from Rikka, and hugs from Myou. But most of all, she was happy to have found her way back.

- - -

The Next Day...

- - -

Crash.

"DAMMIT HARU!" yelled Rikka as she walloped Haru over the head. "No more washing plate for you! You're as clumsy as a duck!"

Haru ducked out of the kitchen and when to the front room, where Myou was cleaning tables and serving orders.

"Haru, going help Myou," said Gurei, as two new customers walked in. One was wearing a black hat, the wide brim covering his eyes from view. The other, who's hair looked like fire, had a slightly nervous expression on his face. They both sat down at a table in the corner of the dimly lit room. Haru walked over to their table. "What can I get you?" she asked politely.

The one wearing the hat pushed up the brim. He had amethyst-colored eyes, and wild, purple hair, that was mostly kept tame by the hat. "It depends," he started, looking her over, "What's in your shirt?"

WHAM!

"BAKA! YOU PERVERT!" she yelled after walloping him over the head.

The red-haired one had backed away slightly, his eyes wide with either fear or shock after watching what she did to the purple-haired one. She turned to him with a sweet smile. "What can I get you?" she asked sweetly.

"C-can I g-get some w-water? P-Please?" he stammered. The purple-haired one balanced himself on the table. "What about me?" he asked, giving a wink.

"None for you!" she answered.

"Who said anything about food?" he said, reaching over toward her chest.

...Uh-oh. He really doesn't know when to quit.

She cocked her hand back, and let it fly.

SMACK!

He was rubbing his cheek, which was turning quite red from when her hand had collided with it. She smiled at red-haired. "One glass of water, coming right up."

She retrieved the boy's order, and brought it back to him, setting it down on the table. She sat at the table with them, on the other side of red-haired, away from the purple pervert.

"I've never seen you two before. Have you just traveled here?" she asked. Red-haired took a sip of his water, remaining silent.

"Dark Mousy's the name. This-" he said, referring to red-haired, "-is my nephew, Daisuke. He's my apprentice."

"Nice to meet you two," she replied.

Dark went on. "We're bounty hunters," he said, "But we hunt mythical creatures."

"Mmhm," Daisuke said quietly.

"What did you two come here for? Fairies?" she said with a laugh. He grinned.

"We've come to kill a vampire."

Daisuke cut in. "Not any vampire," he said quietly.

"The vampire king," Dark finished.

Muhahahaha! Cliffhanga! Happy Easter to everyone, celebraters or no! Sorry this chapter is short, I had to rush it!