Ch. 27 The Dark World And The Meeting
"I'm glad you came," Ken said when he saw sight of me.
"No problem, I kind of wanted to talk to you," I smiled.
"Let's start with when we were on the phone…I called to see if we could meet…I wanted to talk about something else…But what happened to you is more important," Ken decided.
"When I passed out…I heard you, I heard Izzy, he put his phone up to my ear so I could hear you. I did hear you," I tried to explain.
"The spooky thing is, I heard you cry for help. I didn't know how to help you, so I told you. I don't know how I heard your thoughts, but I did," he admitted.
"Ken, what else did you want to tell me?" I questioned.
"Right…About that…Last night, I had this dream…And it was really scary. You were there, and Davis, and everyone was there. I was chasing after you, with a knife…Davis was telling me not to hurt you, he was trying to stop me. I kept on hearing this voice telling me to kill you, but you told me that you were my friend, and that I had no reason to harm you. The other voice grew louder, I didn't know what to do…I ended up killing both of us. Kari, I heard the others say things…Davis was yelling at my still, dead body that I took away everything he ever lived for. Tai was asking himself why I did what I did. T.K. was saying how he couldn't love someone dead, yet his feelings were stronger than ever! Cody said that he knew that they should have never trusted me. Yolei and Sora were full of tears, they couldn't even speak, that went for Mimi too. Matt and Joe were shaking their heads, asking why did you have to go now. Then Willis was there, he was saying how he didn't even get to know you. Izzy, he was crying…He said something about him wishing us a better life…Even though our lives were perfectly fine…And at the end Izzy asked…Why did the Dark World have to get the better of them." Ken explained.
"It will be ok, it was just a dream," I smiled.
"But Kari…That dream…It felt so real…It was like I was really there…It scares me a lot, and I just don't know why," he told me.
"That dream will never become reality, I won't let it, and you won't either," I folded my arms.
"I don't think I'm strong enough," Ken frowned.
"Davis once told me you're as strong, as brave, as smart, as you want to be, you are the only one stopping yourself. That you should do what you want, and you shouldn't let anyone hold you back! Ken, you're holding yourself back, don't put yourself down…You are strong…If I am…You are…I believe in you, now you have to," I let him know.
Ken stared to laugh. "Davis said that? He said something that would help other people? I find that hard to believe, I find it hilarious!"
"Davis can say the sweetest, smartest things, but he is usually just talking to me. I guess when Davis is around me, his brain starts to work. I honestly don't know, but it is so cute and nice what he tells me!" I started to blush.
"Maybe you just bring the good out of him…Davis is pretty lucky to have a girl like you. I just don't understand why you like him," Ken stopped his laughter.
"I answered this once, who asked me? Oh, Davis asked me. I told him the truth…When I first met him, he was really nice, and cute! Then I started to get to know him better…I started to feel safe around him. I got this feeling; I found this protection from him…A protection I couldn't get anywhere else. I don't know why, but I do," I tried to tell him.
"I bet he enjoys caring for you…Davis likes to be the hero," Ken was smiling now.
"Oh, he does, he told me," I clarified.
"Can I ask you a question Kari?" Ken slowly asked me.
"Of course! Go ahead!" I happily said.
"Izzy was telling me about his website thing, he said he showed it to last night. He was telling me about this picture he took of you and me…When we first met…It hit me, that picture, you were just trying to get to know me, and I was kind of flirting…I liked you when I met you, I kind of still do. Here's my question, have you ever had feelings for me?" Ken admitted.
I was turning bright red. "You see, um, Ken, in that picture, I was, um, flirting with…You…And I kind of did like you. I can't say why, seeming that I don't know why. You remind me of Davis a little, cute and good at soccer, but you were missing something…You were really serious, while I like someone that can just joke around sometimes," I confessed.
"Yeah, I really am too serious, I don't really have fun, not since Sam died, and that was, wow, um…A real long time ago," Ken tried to smile.
Let me fill you in real quick. Sam is, well, was Ken's older brother. He died along time ago. Ken became depressed and lonely…His world soon filled with darkness. That is how he went to the Dark World. Now the group sometimes has to bring his spirit up because he still suffers from depression, but we help Ken through.
"That's why you have friends like Davis, Yolei, and me," I said.
"Do you think Cody trusts me yet?" he asked.
"Cody, see, he is a truthful and sensitive little guy. You'll just have to win his trust, but I don't know how."
"Why didn't you say T.K.'s name?"
"I don't talk for T.K. anymore."
"What about the older kids?"
"I think they trust you, but I don't know."
"What did you mean you don't talk for T.K. anymore?"
"I don't know him anymore it seems. T.K.'s changed, a lot. I guess he is right…Maybe we really are losing each other…I don't want to lose him, we've been friends forever!" I started to cry.
Ken didn't say anything; he just gave me a hug. It was then when I felt the wind shift. I hugged him back. A wind circled around us; I didn't feel like I was in Japan anymore.
"It will be ok, you won't lose T.K. if you don't want to," Ken told me. He didn't notice we were somewhere else.
"I'm scared to open my eyes, we aren't in Japan anymore," I whispered.
"That's why I haven't opened mine," I could hear the fear in his voice.
"On the count of three will open our eyes together…1...2...3!" our eyes opened, but we still held onto each other.
"It's as if we touch, we get pulled to this Dark World," he said.
"What does this place want with us?" I questioned.
"I know I suffer from depression, that's why I came here the first time. I don't understand why you would be here, it's not like you have depression," he told me.
I hesitated to answer.
"What is it Kari?" he questioned.
"I do have depression…I've just been trying to over come it. Not many people know about it, just my mom, Tai, and myself. My dad doesn't even know! I've been suffering from it since I was 9 I think. Maybe that's why I never had any friends…See, I have medicine to help me and everything, but sometimes it doesn't help…Have you ever got anything for you depression?" I replied.
"No…I've refused any help my parents tried. Once I was so sad, I stayed in my room, on my bed, for weeks…My mom would offer food, but most of the times I didn't take it. I felt alone and helpless…But, when I met you and the others, my life seemed a little happier…Of course I had those times when I couldn't help crying, or feeling alone," Ken admitted.
"You see, Tai tries to deny the fact that I am a depressed person. He thinks I shouldn't be on the medicine…That I'm perfectly fine," I told him.
"You're a very happy girl, no one would think that you have depression…But I do have one question…Why haven't you told anyone?" he asked me.
"I'm not that sure…I guess I haven't because I don't want them to treat me different. I know when we found out that I was suffering, my mom started to treat me different. My dad was out of town when I was told, my mom thought it would be better if he didn't know…He wasn't around that much anyways, he wouldn't notice. I'm just trying to live a normal life; I don't want to be treated different because I have a mental disorder! I guess I really should tell the others, you know about this now, and you're not acting different," I decided.
"Why should I? Kari, you're the same person that I've known this whole time…Do I have a reason to treat you differently? No, I don't because you are the same Kari that I've known and loved…There isn't any changes, I just learned something new," he explained.
"What do you mean by that?" I questioned.
"What are you talking about?"
"You said the same Kari I've known and loved, what do you mean by that?"
"When I first met you, you acted the same way you act now. I love that Kari, and she…You've…Never changed."
"It wasn't acting."
"Are you always this difficult? I meant it as how I knew you, what you did…Understand?"
"I understood the first time…I just like messing with you!" I smiled.
Ken looked around. "I almost forgot that we were in the Dark World. I guess we should look around…Maybe there's an exit."
"I did forget…But I don't think there's an exit. I think I now understand this place. We aren't in an actual world; just a part of our own minds…It's as if we created this world…Together!" I said.
"An evil attacked me, so when I came to this place, it grew, taking over my mind!" he told me.
"Better yet, something evil attacked this place…You weren't strong enough to fight it, I was, so I wasn't affected by it," I decided.
"Sounds right, but why wouldn't it take over now?" Ken questioned.
"Good question! It's either, the evil is gone, or you are finally strong enough to fight back," I told him what I thought.
"Sounds like a good reason," he agreed.
"What were you thinking about when you hugged me?" I asked.
"About how much I didn't want you to cry," Ken replied.
I smiled. "I was the same thing…What about when you were holding me, the other time we came here, when you tried to kill me?"
"I was thinking, I wonder what happened," he said.
"I was thinking the same thing," I told him.
"What were you thinking the first time you went to this place?"
"Um…I don't really remember."
"That's ok, neither do I! The first time I ever went to this place is such a blur."
"If we take ourselves here when we have the same thought…Maybe we take ourselves out when we think about the same thing."
"Before we try that, I just really want to look around this place."
"Sounds like a plan! If we created this place, we should get to know about it!" I smiled.
We started to walk. Even though we thought we created this place, we knew nothing about it.
"Is that a tower?" Ken asked me as we walked.
"I think it is!" I told him.
"Maybe that's a control tower, where everything is created," Ken thought.
"How about we find out?" I questioned as I started to run.
"Wait for me!" he ran after me.
We came closer and closer to the building. It was so tall and there weren't any lights on. It looked abandoned, it was dark.
"Should we go in?" I asked when we got to the door.
"I guess so…If we want to find out what this place is," Ken said.
"Ok, um…Open the door Ken," I told him.
"Ladies first!" he smiled.
"I'm not going in there by myself…Um…I'll open the door and you can go in first, I'll follow behind you," I decided.
"I'll open the door, and we'll go in together."
"Fine, good plan."
Ken slowly opened the door; I was looking at him the whole time. We walked in at a slow pace, we weren't in any hurry.
"Nobody's here," I said.
"We can put people here," Ken told me.
"What are you talking about?" I was confused.
"Think about it Kari…If we really did create this place, we can make it how ever we want it. Like, let me think…It's really dark in here…Would you like some light?" he asked.
"Sure, but there aren't any lights," I let him know.
"Close your eyes."
"Ok."
"If we want light, all we have to do is think about it!"
"Right, we want light."
"Open your eyes Kari and be amazed!" he instructed me.
I opened them slowly. "That is so creepy! It's as if we think of something it happens."
"It's kind of weird," Ken said as a door opened and something flew out.
"Ah! What was that Ken!" I yelled as I ran by his side.
"I'm not that sure…Now I am…Look Kari…Bats!" he told me.
"I don't like bats! Do something Ken! You can save us…Can't you?" I asked.
"Give me your hand Kari!" Ken reached out and grabbed me.
"I'm scared, so scared!" I screamed.
"Just, stay with me, you have nothing to fear…I won't let anything happen to you. Just stay close…Nothing's going to happen," he said as he held me.
"I don't like this place, not now, not ever!" I cried as I closed my eyes and laid my head on his shoulder. I started to feel safe.
"I don't like this place either," he softly said.
I started to feel something on my head. "What's touching me?"
"It's just me, don't worry," Ken whispered.
"I don't like it here, I really don't," I said weakly.
"Why was this place ever created?" I heard Ken yell.
After he said those words, the darkness started to fade away. I was thinking the same thing.
"Are you ok Kari?" we were at the same place we were before we went to the Dark World.
"I'll be ok," I told him.
"No time passed. Let's get out of here," Ken decided.
"I was thinking the same thing you were when we got out of that place!" I blurted.
"About creating that place?" he questioned.
"Yes," I simply answered.
"It will be fine, are the others still at the concert place?" he asked.
"I'll call them to make sure," I took out Izzy's cell phone. It started to ring.
"Are you going to answer that Kari?" Ken asked me.
I picked up the phone and put it to my ear. "Hello?"
"Hey Kari! It's Yolei, T.K. told me you wanted me to call," Yolei said.
"Can you meet us by the school?" I wondered.
"The school? Sure, give us a couple of minutes!"
"We'll be waiting."
"Tell Ken I said hi."
"I will, I got to go…Bye," I hung up the phone.
"I'm guessing we're going to your school," Ken said to me.
"Yeah, Yolei said hi…Maybe we'll see Jordan!" I started to blush.
"Come on Kari, let's get going," he took my hand and started to walk.
"Do you even know where we're going?" I questioned.
"That building, that's your school," he pointed out.
We walked to my school. When we got there, there was a girl sitting outside. I didn't know who she was.
"That's Jordan," Ken whispered to me as we walked over to her.
"Um…Are you like the person who is letting me in the school?" Jordan asked me.
"Sorry, but I'm not, I'm just waiting for my friend, Yolei, and some other kids," I said.
"You know Yolei? She's in my classes…What are you doing all the way out here Ken? You don't go to this school…Do you?" she asked.
"Hey Jordan…I'm just waiting for my friends," Ken told her.
"Are you Ken's girlfriend?" Jordan quickly asked me, Ken was still holding my hand.
I let go of his hand and turned bright red. "No, I'm just his friend…My names Kari."
"Well, hello! I'm Jordan! Ken and I live in the same area; I just go to this school. Yolei talks about you a lot Kari," she explained.
"Really?" I was puzzled.
"Yeah…I hope that person will come soon and open these doors. I need to get my books…I can be forgetful!" Jordan smiled.
"My friend Izzy should have a key, he should be here in a few minutes," I told her.
"Awesome! I'll just wait with you guys…If that's ok," she said.
"Sounds fine, but you'll have to ask Ken," I pointed out.
"Oh, it's fine…Can I talk to you Kari?" he started to blush.
"Sure, we'll be back in a minute Jordan," I walked with Ken.
"Yolei's going to tell her!" Ken yelled.
"She might, you never know, she could have forgotten about that whole conversation," I said.
"I guess…I hope," he told me.
"Maybe I'll tell her," I smiled.
"Jordan thought you were my girlfriend," Ken changed the subject.
"We were still holding hands, from when you were walking to my school. She must of saw our hands…Anyways, I'm taken by Davis," I was blushing a little as I walked back over to Jordan.
"Hey Kari! About time you got here!" Yolei shouted when we got in view.
"Sorry, Ken wanted to tell me something," I told her.
"Which one is Izzy?" Jordan asked me.
"He's the one talking to the guy with the big hair," I pointed at Izzy then at Tai.
"I'll get him for you," Ken decided.
"Good, Ken is finally gone," Yolei told us.
"You say that as if you don't want him here," Jordan said.
"I just want to ask you a question without him here," she explained.
"What's the question Yolei?" Jordan wondered.
"Do you like Ken?" she questioned.
"I was afraid that was the question…I do like him, he's cool…But sometimes he's so mysterious, I don't always understand him…I was just scared that Kari was his girlfriend," Jordan pointed out.
"Kari's already taken by Davis, anyways, I'm the one out of the group who liked him…Don't worry, I'm taken now too!" Yolei smiled.
"Does Ken like me?" Jordan asked.
"You should ask him for yourself," I told her.
"You seem just as mystifying as he does," she said to me.
"Thanks?" I questioned.
Izzy walked over to us.
"Hey girls! You must be Jordan…I'll let you in the school, but don't tell any one know I did it, I'll get in a lot of trouble," Izzy told her.
"You don't look like you'd go to this school," Jordan pointed out.
"I don't, I'm in high school," Izzy said.
"I knew that," she lied.
"It will lock on its own, just close the door when you come out," Izzy informed Jordan.
"Thanks Iz! Could one of you give this to Ken? Tell him to give me a ring!" Jordan blushed.
"The names Izzy!" he said as he took the piece of paper.
"Sorry, Izzy, thanks," she walked into the school.
"Iz? I kind of like it!" I laughed.
"You're just so nice!" Izzy joked around with me.
"You know what Izzy…You should really be flirting with your own age group!" Yolei pointed out.
"Yolei, I wouldn't be talking, you're flirting with Izzy all the time," I told her.
"No I don't! At least I don't flirt with Ken and Willis…And T.K., should I go on with the list? You just can't be with one guy," Yolei said.
"What? Do you want me to name all the guys you flirt with? Davis, Cody, Izzy, Tai, Willis, Ken…Should I keep on going?" I countered.
"Don't fight…let's get to the others," Izzy decided.
"Right!" we agreed.
"We'll settle this little conflict by asking the guys we named," I told Yolei.
"Fine, you'll start," she decided.
"Ok, we'll start with Ken," I pointed at him.
"What do you need Kari?" he asked.
"Do I flirt with you?" I questioned.
"What? Do you really want me to answer that?" Ken countered me.
"Yes," I told him.
"The truth?"
"That's what I'm looking for."
"Sometimes."
"You were supposed to say no," I told him.
"You said the truth," he smiled.
"Do I flirt with you?" Yolei quickly asked Ken.
"Yeah, you were once crushing on me, of course you do!" he exclaimed.
"You knew about that!" she yelled.
"Moving on, Willis…Do I flirt with you?" I asked.
"No, I'm usually the one flirting with you…But Yolei flirts with me," Willis blushed.
"Ok, do I not get any points?" Yolei yelled.
"Ok, we'll asked T.K. and Davis," I decided.
"Davis…I can't believe I'm asking this…Do I flirt with you?" Yolei smiled.
"I don't want to get Kari mad, but you sometimes do," he said.
"That's ok Davis, if it helps, Kari sometimes flirts with me," T.K told him.
"You stay away from my man!" Yolei and I yelled at the same time.
"We should have answered no," Davis laughed.
"Yeah, but we have to be honest with the girls," T.K. laughed along.
"Let's keep on going!" Yolei was angry.
"I said Cody, Izzy, and Tai for you," I said.
"Cody, do I flirt with you?" Yolei asked.
"No. Why would you ask?" Cody questioned.
"For something, it's not important; we have to talk to Izzy!" Yolei said as we ran off.
"Izzy, Izzy, Izzy! Doesn't Yolei flirt with you?" I asked him.
"I thought I said I didn't want to get involved with this," he told us.
"Just answer her!" Yolei yelled.
"The ladies after you again Izzy?" Matt questioned.
"Do I flirt with you?" we both asked at the same time.
"I'll answer this one for you…Yes, yes you do," Matt smiled.
"Let keep moving on," I decided as we walked over to where Tai and Sora were.
"Hey Tai," I said as we got close to them.
"Hi Kari, what do you need?" he questioned.
"Yolei wants to ask you a question," I told him.
"Gone on Yolei," Tai smiled.
"I was just wondering…Do I…Um…Do…I…Um…Flirt with…Um…You?" Yolei stuttered.
"Do you flirt with me?" Tai repeated.
"Yes," Yolei looked at the ground.
"Seeming that I don't really hang around you, I'm going to say no," Tai decided.
"Really? Good!" Yolei started to walk off.
"Why do you ask?" Sora questioned.
Yolei stopped. "Kari thinks I flirt with Tai…We just wanted to get some things straight with who we flirt with."
"Girls these days," I heard Tai mumbled.
"Brothers these days, always are so nosy!" I laughed.
"Go play with your friends Kari!" Tai yelled.
"Should we call this truce?" I asked.
"For now," Yolei smiled as we shook hands on our words.
"I'm going to talk to Willis, I've been avoiding him and, I'm kind of the one who invite him, what kind of friend am I?" I decided.
"I'll go talk to Cody, I've been avoiding him, it's kind of sad," Yolei told me.
I walked over to Willis with a smile on my face.
"What are you so happy about Kari?" Willis asked me.
"Does a girl have to have a reason to smile?" I questioned him.
"I guess not," he smiled back at me.
"I'm really sorry about this whole thing Willis. When I heard you were coming I thought we would get time to spend together, but I've been avoiding you. I wasn't going to tell Davis about me liking him until the day you came, but I decided to anyways. I've been avoiding you, it's not very friend like of me. I'm just a little messed up now a days. You weren't here when I told everyone the story, but I think you figured it out. I am a little different from your average teenager, I have this strange world that only Ken and I have really seen. I also have another problem, but only my mom, Tai, and now Ken know about it. Not even my dad knows," I explained.
"T.K. told me that you would lock things inside, and that's what made you so weak. You didn't seem weak when we met, so I thought you were the average teenager. Your problems don't change who you are, they make you who you are. If you never told anyone about your problems, you would still be acting the same…They don't make a difference unless you want them to," he told me.
"I guess I should tell everyone my other problem," I decided.
"I'll be with you the whole time, everyone wants to know the true you, but they can't unless you let them know who you are," Willis pointed out.
"I just need to tell Tai something first, will you come with me?" I asked.
"Of course I will!" Willis smiled.
We walked to where Tai and Sora were.