I now have two pages of reviews! (squeals) Thanks soooo much to everyone! It means the world to me! A huge thanks also goes to Kuramafan-06, for her intense thought on Yoko Kurama. So, without further ado…
Chapter 5: The Search
For the first time in months, I don't dream of the thunderstorm and the Girl.
I dream of the sky.
I dream of the atmosphere and the stars swirling softly beyond it. Faintly, as though from far away, I hear singing. Soft and low, like my mother's voice from the other room.
Another voice drifts out from the night to accompany it. This voice is higher, sweeter and carefree, like the voice of a flower. A form slides across my vision, a girl of about fifteen on a long wooden oar. The picture shifts. Now I see her from above, flying over what looks very much like the roof of this house. Her long, blue tresses fly from a high ponytail. Her pink kimono matches her eyes. She stops singing, but her voice continues. Though, now it looses its carefree innocence.
Where are you?
I can hear her thoughts!
Poor thing, where have you gotten to? I know you're not dead.
She flies on, past the house Kur-Shuichi and I am sleeping in. She wheels above the city, heading towards the apartment I live in.
Why can't Hiei find him? It should be perfectly obvious with his Jagan….
She hums a little tune to cheer herself.
I'll send the boys out tomorrow. They'll find him. I know they will.
The girl turns her oar into a cloudbank, picking up her melody again. The song is suddenly cut off with a sparkle. I'd like to see it longer, but it's gone in a soft flash. Almost like something's saying,
You'll get your chance.
(space divider)
It feels like I'm being shaken gently.
Drowsy, I think it's my mother.
I try to call out, ask her where she's been.
The feeling vanishes.
Then the real wake-up call arrives.
Rrrrr-awrrr!
If you can't tell, this is what happens when you barely have lunch, barf, and then skip dinner. In other words, as tummy says, "Feed me!"
I turn over, almost jumping out of my skin when my elbow slips off the mattress and fall with a crash to the floor. Kur-Shuichi moans in his sleep. I jump, my heart races while my brain catches up.
Hm-m! The girl in my head quips, You've fallen out of bed, had impact on a hard surface within your first five minutes of consciousness and there's a strange boy sleeping in the bed next to you. Everything seems to be in order!
You, I order, shut it!
My stomach makes it's own demands known. Somehow I doubt there'll be anything editable in an abandoned house.
Jogging downstairs, I swing through the front door and into the plot of land out front. It can't really be called a yard. Food on the brain, I jog through the gap in the stone fence. There really should be a gate there, but the whole place is run down. What's the difference in one missing gate?
(space divider)
Drat it all!
Okay, so scavenging through a forest for hours can make a person grumpy. Adding hunger to this, it can drive a person mad, especially those who have no idea what food without an expiration date looks like.
Getting whapped in the face by branches, stumbling through poison ivy, bashing into trees that pop out from nowhere. That pretty much sums up what I've been doing for the past few hours. Honestly, it's like this forest has something against me!
Most people who die from starvation, lost in the woods, are often no more than a foot from life-saving food.
I remember reading it in a book somewhere. If only I'd bothered to check it out! Cursing my lack of interest in botany, I continue to struggle through the trees.
I trip over a root and the forest coughs me up into the same clearing. I glare at all the sunny flowers, they smile back. Forging my way trough the flora, I plop down on one of the giant oak's roots.
Its bark is rough, but warm from the sun. I watch listlessly as ants crawl up the trunk, carrying bits of leaves for their own lunch. My other side hints at them.
No way. I'd have to be starving to eat live, squirming bugs.
Hate to burst your bubble, Stupid, but most people can't count half their ribs in the mirror.
I ignore her. So what if I hadn't had a decent meal in a while? It's not like I can't get by. I'll just go over to Ami's sometime. Mrs. Ito is always willing to stuff anyone who walks through the door.
I really wish I had more of those cookies…
I gasp.
Ami's bento! She said it was a kako! Oh, where is it?
I dig frantically through the greenery. Finding the bento trapped between two tree roots near where I fell. I thank my lucky stars as I pry it loose.
Please have food and not some stupid trick…. Please have food!
Undoing the metal clasps, I yank the lid open.
"BOO!"
Tumbling backwards off the tree root I was perched on, I land on my butt while the jack-in-box laughs.
"Ahahahahaha! Fool'd ja! Fool'd ja! Ahahahahaha!"
No… Ami! I need food! How could you let me down?
I grab Jack by the bell of his jester's hat, smushing him down into the box and clipping the clasps behind him. The creepy laughter stops. Ami knows how much I hate clowns.
Disheartened, I trudge back towards the house. Maybe there'll be something to eat there after all.
(space divider)
My stomach is starting to cramp, as are all my other muscles.
Need … food! I groan mentally.
Nah, really? And here I thought you were an energizer bunny!
Do I look pink to you?
I trudge around the stone fence, forgetting about the gap in my fatigue. That's weird, my footsteps sound heavy. I frown. They sound fast, too, with heavy breathing. I stop, the sound continues.
That's not me! I realize, twirling.
Too late.
I'm almost bowled over, but this guy must have fast reflexes. He grabs me up, tripping over his own feet in the process and falling. Thus, for the second time in two days, I find myself face down on some guy's chest.
"Whoa kid! Where'd you come from? I didn't even see you."
Wait, I recognize that voice! I scurry away, hunger momentarily forgotten. It's Kuwabara Kazuma. I like him. We share a class together, though I can't think of it now. He still has his uniform on. He's Elvis-styled hair is messed, like he's been running for a while now.
"Hey, kid." He obviously doesn't recognize me. "I'm lookin' for somebody. Have you seen a guy runin' around here?"
Tch, my other half says, thanks for being so specific. I'll have no problem identifying the person you're searching for by your acutely detailed description.
I raise an eyebrow, hoping he'll somewhat of that idea. He's probably out for another fight. He was always coming to school with bruises.
"You know! He's got white hair, over 300 years old…" Kuwabara groans, "Oh come on! You can't miss him! He must be bleeding all over!"
Now the other eyebrow goes up. That sounds suspiciously like the youkai.
"Kuwabara!"
Another boy I've seen before runs up behind him. This one has back hair and a green jacket with a yellow shirt and blue jeans. He clouts Kuwabara forcefully on the back, forcing him cough instead of speak.
All I can think is, No…freaking…way.
"Uh, what this numskull here means is that we're lookin' for a boy about 15 who's a bit scraped up. You seen 'em?"
I shake my head, though I'm sure my eyes are just about the right size to golf with.
"Well, uh, thanks anyhow!" he calls, grabbing Kuwabara roughly by the shoulder and leading him past me. They walk quickly, almost running. Once they're all the way to where the gavel slopes down towards the city, Urameshi Yusuke smacks Kuwabara upside the head.
"What did I tell you, dimwit! You can't tell people stuff like that! They just don't understand about demons and…" they muttered as they passed out of hearing range.
Holy Kami, I think, there's a dead man walking.
Visibly shaking, I drag myself back to the bedroom I'd placed Kur-Shuichi in. Collapsing by his bed, my hand still grips the bento's handle. Not that the stupid thing does me any good. I smell… cookies.
Now explain the symptoms to me again, Miss Shin? Okay, ridiculous dreams of fictional characters, vomiting, anorexia, want to adopt wounded strangers, hallucination… uh-huh. Yes, Miss Shin, I'm afraid you have an advanced case of insanity.
Leave me alone, I think back irritably. I would eat if there were anything edible around here!
She looks pointedly at Kur-Shuichi.
You are gross! Disgusting! I'd have to be a lot hungrier to consider cannibalism!
Ew! You're the one who thought of eating him! She sneers; I was merely suggesting you search his pockets.
Leave me alone!
Frustrated beyond thought, I pitch the bento at the opposite wall. It leaves a dent before falling to the floor and popping open. Luckily, that stupid clown-thing bounces out and under the bed. But I can't believe my eyes as twelve chocolate discs roll across the floor as well.
I dive at them like a madwoman, desperately sweeping them all back into the bento.
Twelve! Oh Ami, you're a lifesaver!
Thoughtlessly, I cram one after the other down my throat. At five, my stomach is bursting and the finicky thing now complains that it's too full. Hunger satisfied, my brain couldn't take any more stress. I lean over onto the bed and pass out.
I dream again, this time though it's Kur-Shuichi. Well, more like a picture of him. He's smiling slightly and standing in the back, next to, now here's a surprise, Kuwabara. In front of him is that scary little guy from yesterday! Next to that one is Urameshi. What, Keiko's here too! So is that blue-haired girl from my dream! I can understand the others; those are just there 'cause I'm loosing it. But why Keiko and Kuwabara?
Are they looking for me…? I hear Kur-Shuichi think to himself, his thoughts spiraling across our minds.
Curious, I realize I'm dreaming, but can't help to think back
Yes…. Is that bad?
Then am surprised ay a response.
Who is this? What… What are you doing in my head! Get OUT!
I yelp in fright at the sudden ferocity of the thoughts, startling myself into conciseness. It's like a door was slammed and I were shut out.
The birds chirping outside are a comfort. The sunshine coming through the window seems out-of-place. I put my hands to my face. My whole body is trembling. My head throbs.
Bakaga…uso… bakaga…
But Kur-Shuichi is mumbling in his sleep. Something about leaving… no he's telling someone to leave. Telling Me to leave. Could it be possible that I was actually in his mind?
Iie, it must be this house. I've got to get out…
I gaze down at Kur-Shuichi, tossing and turning on the bottom bunk.
If he really is a demon in disguise, then he should be more than capable of taking care of himself. I think of the man in black, goose bumps rising on my arms. Especially if that creepy Goth is on his side, not to mention Urameshi….
I let the thought trail. Not wanting another piece of evidence to testify for my insanity.
I'm leaving, I decide. Before I can't.
(space divider)
Okay this one was shorter than the others. (Only 6 pages in size 10 Times New Roman font.) But I hope ye liked it anyways! I know it's getting confusing, so I highly recommend that you look at what I wrote to Kuramafan-06 (BIG THANKIES TO YOU!) on my otaku site. It may help explain a lot. Oh! And either you guys are checking out my site, or the visitor counter's gone haywire, inferring it was the former, thanks!
Glossary
Bakaga- Impossible!
Bento- A lunchbox, in this case, a tin one.
Uso- You're kidding me!
Huh. Hardly any Japanese at all in this one. Don't worry, there'll be more in the next one.
Review Replies:
Fruit is NOT a Dessert- Sorry for confusing you, I tried to be as clear as I could when I switched perspectives, cause I knew I'd mess something up. Yes, Kur-Shuichi came to me as an after thought. ((ish proud)) Thankies fer callin' meh clevers! 0.o Umm, without wax... That's...uh... nice, Steven...
Kiari the Hell Cat- Yes, I try to add a touch of humor to all my chappies, much to the misfortune of your "LOL" keys. - I've read and seen so many things that I don't know where they all come from. Loved IMing with you!
Icefire2- Sorry about the wait! - Yesh, this is where things finally get interesting. You have no idea how hard it was not to skip straight to this chapter! Ah, crap... just saw a complete different direction I could've gone with this story. Oh well. Too late now. -.-
Sonya-White-Angel- Thankies! The next one will be up soon, but I'm working on two other stories as well, so it might be a while.
Kuramafan-06- ((falls down on butt)) Woo! That's the longest comment I've ever seen! Thanks go to you just for taking the time to write it all out. You made some great points, too. Like I said to Icefire2, I've been dying to get to this part, because yes, things were rather pointless before. But everything I wrote in chapters 1-3… ((A big cow with a banner advertising her Otaku site for secrets and more, walks by, blocking your view.)) …so look closely. I believe that the souls of Yoko Kurama and Shuichi have blended to a point where they are almost indistinguishable, save for when the two have extremely different options on a subject, but even then it is more like being torn between yourself. Alas, for this part of my story to work, I have to use your second theory. But yes, we loyal fans were never fully explained to as how this works, so we may only guess. (Wow! I wrote a lot! Go to my otaku site if you want to read more. Cause there is… a lot more….)
narfmaster - What a strange name! - Cool! Actually, I need a good name for the evil little voice in Toki's head. (hint hint) All suggestions would be appreciated
Go here!
www. myotaku. com/ users/ windfallen (underscore) star/
