(Rises stiffly from the grave of homework, tests, babysitting, tennis, intense craft-work and paperwork to type at the keyboard.)
SHE LIIIIIIIIIIVVVES!
Had to say it. Sorry for being gone, and all, really busy and all those other excuses you routinely hear from me. But guess what? I'm going dog sledding over New Year's! It's a whole Ididerod training and winter survival camp thing for ten days! I'll even get out of school for the first two days after break ends! Woo! I'm so happy! But I will be going for ten days in sub-zero temperatures with no showers… that'll stink… I'll stink. Oh! On with a chapie!
Warning for violence, strong language and suggestive themes in this chapter!
We all knew the violence was coming, (Yay, violence! Fairly Odd Parents) Sorry about the cursing (cussing) but it's going to come into play in a later chapter. And the theme thing isn't descriptive, just, well, suggestive. (This picks up a bit after the last chapie ended, you might want to read the last few chapters before reading this.)
Chapter 6 Dead Man Walkin'
Ah, left, right two, left, right ,left, right? Argh! I don't know!
Why don't you ever listen to Ami? She told you how to get back to the school, not to navigate the back-alleys!
I do listen! I'm just no good with directions, and that stupid boy-who-was-NOT-a-demon distracted me!
My "alter-ego" sighs.
If you remember, why do you insist it was a dream?
Cause it's bakaga! Look, can we focus on the real problem here?
That you're insane? Okay, how does that make you feel?
You're not funny…
I'm hilarious.
I glare inwardly.
No, the 'problem' is the accumulating gang following us! I mean, me!
Oh, them? They don't look so tough.
I hazard a glance over my shoulder. Six teenage boys all dressed in jeans or leather and only one with a shirt on. Oh, but do chains draped all over your upper-half count as a shirt? They all have silver earrings with a dangling skull somewhere on their visible body. Lips, eyebrows, noses, ah…pecs… ears seemed to be the taboo place for this gang. However, dark mascara was most certainly not.
As I passed him, another man with a Godzilla hairstyle joined the group.
Uh-huh…
Well, look at the bald one! You could probably take him.
The bald one must weigh quadruple what I do!
Indeed, Mr. Shinyhead's fat rolls wave with every step he took. Which is timed perfectly with his group's stride, whose stride is, coincidently I'm sure, in perfect step with mine.
My shoulders are starting to quiver. I walk faster to keep my knees from shaking.
The gang alters slightly, and keeps my pace.
Okay, Miss I-know-all, now what are we going to do?
Why don't you ask those nice men to give you a piggy-back ride?
I steal a peek over my shoulder just in time to see them spreading out across the alley, blocking all escape.
Hm, that does look bad, doesn't it?
Ya think!
Okay, turn left.
I make a sharp left turn and brake into a run. I have to find a way into the open again, out of these back-alleys.
Right!
Startled cries of anger and surprise burst out behind me as the gang discovers my fleetness of feet. Unfortunately, they see me turn right and the sound of their running echoes off the buildings behind me.
I pass two tiny intersections before she yells, Left!
My feet veer that way. My panting is sounding more and more like high-pitched sobs. A few drops of salty water run down my cheeks, but I can't tell if it's sweat or tears.
I run past another man in a green jacket and sunglasses.
Oh, joy, I think, another one to chase me.
Ano, right!
I dash down another alley, dipping my head to wipe the water away, and running straight into a wall.
The gang of eight walks in behind me, standing shoulders to shoulder across the only exit. There's no room for Mr. Sunglasses, so he stays towards the back.
Ok genius, I think, now what do you have to say?
Crap….
Crap? Yeah, deep crap! Why'd you tell me to go this way?
Seemed like a good idea at the time…
The gang laughs spitefully and I belatedly remember Ami's warning:
"This may seem a like the round-about way, but it'll keep you away from the bad side of town."
"Well, well, well," says Mr. Chainshirt, on the right end. "Whadiya think we have here, Rex?"
The man with the Godzilla hair, to Middleman's right, sticks his tongue out, it's been cut down the middle to make it forked. He smiles and hisses at me.
"I dunno, Chains, how 'bout you, Bones?"
One person to Middleman's left, an insanely skinny boy in leather pants leans back. His cheeks are hollow and I can count each of his ribs. He grins, showing sharpened teeth.
"Looks like gohan, don't it Lard?"
Mr. Shinyhead laughs, to Rex's right, his fat rolls jiggling over the top of his torn jeans.
"Sure does! And I'm hungry! You up for some munchies, Bat?"
A dark-haired man with an inverted Mohawk slings and badly done tattoos of bats with bloody fangs slings a metal bat over his shoulder, almost hitting Bones in the head.
"Don't know, Lard. She looks kinda skinny. What type a eatin' diya think she'd make, Hentai?"
On the end next to Lard, a man in short jean cutoffs looks like he tried to put his hand in his pocket and missed, but has found something interesting anyways.
"I wus atahlly thinkin' uh suhmn' diffurt, Bat."
He laughs while staring at me with elevator eyes. I start shaking.
"Now, now boys," Middleman finally speaks, "Can't you see you're scaring the poor thing?"
He throws his arms over Rex and Bat, smiling with big block teeth at me, glancing around at his gang like he's sharing some private joke. They all laugh.
"Aw, c'mon Skull! Just one little bite!" shouts Lard.
"One little bite of yours and she'd be gone!" laughs Chains.
"Yeah! Thun I'd huve nuthin' tah cuddle wiff!" says Hentai, hugging himself.
"You always have Bones!" yells Rex in his hissing voice.
Bones glares. "I thought Bat was your—"
Bat begins pummeling Bones while the rest of them laugh. I lean against the grimy wall, knees shaking too hard to hold me up.
Well, now wasn't that a nice little introduction. Now we know everyone's name but quiet Mr. Sunglasses.
My stomach is in too many knots to even consider answering her. I sink down to the ground, next to a stinking heap of garbage, making sure my skirt is curled around my legs. I don't like the way Hentai is looking at me…
"Boys, boys," Skull speaks up again, everyone quiets down to malicious snickers. Bat and Bones pick themselves up like nothing happened. "Enough fun, lets get down to business." He pulls out a kodachi from its sheath at his hip, flipping it from hand to hand. "Hey, girlie, you got any money for some gentleman?"
"Or are we gonna get all un-gentlemanly on ya?" says Chains, cracking his knuckles.
They laugh, advancing as one.
"Oi! I think I've heard of you guys."
A new voice speaks above their snickering. They all stop, turning their back towards me, looking at Mr. Sunglasses.
Oh, deep…deep crap.
"Yeah, you're the Seven Skulls gang. You guys think you're tough, huh? Scaring a little girl then going to beat her up and Kami knows what else? Yup, that sounds like the regular cowards' tough-guy routine."
Why didn't I recognize…
"We're the Seven Skulls of Hell, baka," growls Bat.
It's him.
Urameshi glances over the top of his sunglasses, a cocky grin tugging at his lips. "Nah, anything that came from Hell would be at least twice as strong as you. You just look like circus freaks."
They growl as one.
"What? Now you're dogs?"
Several curse at him. Skull holds up his hand. They all go silent, but none take their eyes off Urameshi.
"You lookin' for a fight?" Skull asks in a monotone.
"With who? I don't see anyone worth it here."
Rex hisses.
"But hey, I've had a shitty day. It might make me feel better to turn you all into a bloody pulp."
My stomach heaves at 'blood' but I choke it down.
"Go, Hentai," says Skull.
Hentai steps forward, still keeping one hand in his shorts. Urameshi eyes this, the cocky grin pulling wider.
"What, you trying to get it to grow?"
Hentai charges at him with a yell. Urameshi waits until he's almost upon him and kicks him in the crotch. Hentai squeals and crumples to the side.
"Whoops, did I hurt your twinkie? Well, I'll have to have my foot washed."
"Chains!" barks Skull.
Chains swings a chain and ball around like a lasso, whipping it towards Urameshi, who watches as it flies over his head, completing missing him.
"Gotcha!" Chains yells, jerking hard on his whip.
"You've got to be kidding me," Urameshi mutters, taking a few slow steps sideways.
The ball and chain fly back at their owner, crashing into his face and knocking him out.
Urameshi sighs.
Skulls growls and yells, "Lard, Bones!"
"Right!" They shout in unison.
Unfortunately—or, fortunately, from my point of view—Lard trips over Bones's ankle and belly flops on him. The sound it makes it pretty impressive, accompanied by several crunching noises from Bones's ribs.
"Oops…" says Lard as he peels himself off the ground, nudging Bones to one side.
"Bat," Skull murmurs, barely audible.
Bat streaks out, lightning fast, at Lard's head. The baseball bat clangs as it makes contact. Lard collapses to one side, blood seeping out of his head sluggishly.
Urameshi looses his cocky grin, quirks an eyebrow at Bat, but says nothing.
"Clumsy imbecile," Bat mutters.
Skull nods once, his cool restored.
"Rex, you know what to do."
Rex snakes toward Urameshi, sticking out his forked tongue and hissing at him.
Urameshi's hand darts out, grabbing Rex's tongue. Rex freezes, not even hissing. Urameshi doesn't waste time, aiming a quick punch to Rex's spiky Godzilla head. Holding him up by his ear, Urameshi wipes his fingers on Rex's shoulder before kicking him away.
"Damn," he says, staring at his finger in disgust. "Now I'll have to wash my hand, too."
He busies himself with wiping his digits on his jacket while Skull scowls and Bat remains emotionless.
Skull doesn't do anything, but Bat suddenly whips his metal bat at Urameshi's head while he's not looking. He doesn't have time to react.
No!
Somehow, Bat's bat stops, just for a second. Urameshi grabs it, his other hand immediately punching Bat's lights out.
"Guess that just leaves you and me," Urameshi says to Skull, tossing Bat into the wall.
Skull almost snarls, glaring at Bat.
"You're a dead man," he growls and I almost die.
"That's right," Urameshi says with a grin.
I really wish he hadn't said that.
Skull yells and charges. Urameshi blocks, kicks and Skull goes down.
One move, I think, burying my head with my arms, he took them all out with one move.
Hands in his pockets, Urameshi picks his way through the groaning gang members, stopping casually in front of me. I'm shaking all over.
"Yo, kid."
I won't look at him.
"Kid, they hurt you?"
What? He cares
I stop quivering and shake my head with out picking it up. My whole body is numb.
I hear him sigh again.
"You're lost, aren't you?"
I nod. Urameshi sighs again and I glance up. He's looking away from me, one hand on his hip, the other rubbing the back of his neck. I quickly hide my face again as he looks back.
"You're wearing Sarayashiki uniform. You go there?"
I nod again.
"You know how to get home from there?"
A third nod.
"You gonna look at me?"
I shake my head, he sighs.
"I really don't have time for this," he mutters to himself. I hear him shuffling around, and he says "All right. Hop on."
I glance up through my bangs. Urameshi's turned around, kneeling in the grime of the alley. He has his hands behind him, open as if they're trying to catch something.
"C'mon, kid," he says, "I don't have all day."
Tentatively, I uncurl, placing one knee in each of his hands. I grip his shoulders as he stands up to keep my balance, resting my head on his back. He hops around the gang members, kicking Hentai in the face as he reaches out to grab him. Urameshi's stride is stronger than Ami's, with more bounce to it. He goes slowly, presumably to keep me from falling off. But a piggyback ride on him is cake compared to Ami. I almost chuckle at that.
A dead man is giving me a piggyback ride.
I plunge my uniform up and down in the steamy bath water. Thinking quietly of the past two days as I work the mud and grime from them. He is asleep on the couch, recovering from the last of his hangover. We're out of Advil, and I still need to swipe some big trash bags from the school. I hope no one noticed I was gone today. I know he won't notice the Advil until his next booze binge.
But for now, I'm lost in the steamy bathroom, watching my clothes drift absentmindedly in the tub, resting my sore body in the scalding water.
It's so…I let the sentence trail.
Soothing? Peaceful? Not painful? My other side purrs. She can be polite sometimes.
Nice…
Of all the articulate words…She starts to complain, but apparently the day's taken its toll on her, too. That works pretty well.
I stare at the steam swirling above me. Words that shouldn't have interested me at all won't leave me alone. Ears ringing, stabbing knives, kitsune… healing powers.
Crimson, like blood…
(No, not like blood, like that hair)
A human in the demon's place, dragging him through my dream landscape, broken only by the girl flying above the city, softly singing in her pink kimono.
Silent hate…
(Not going to think about him)
Kuwabara and Urameshi showing up together, not beating each other up.
Seeping disdain…
(I won't)
The Seven Skulls Gang, they were creepy, Urameshi was scarier. (Not as bad as I thought he'd be.) But both are scarier than those stupid, arrogant, ugly, probing….
His eyes….
(No!)
"…if proved a nuisance, they are easily disposed of." The little girl tugging her companion across the street, as if they were safe there. "Hn, at least one of these ningen recognizes its doom. Smart girl." Searching, searching… Fox found his own way back, never anything to worry about… They want to find the girl. "Baka ningens…" Irritation, grudging compliance… A flash of white, a purple glow. Purple eyes? No, no, red eyes, purple eye. Sensations flying across the city, homing in, the girl, mist… resistance, pitiful… Harder to get in, wheedling, pushing, the resistance falling…
(Stop!)
A shiver runs down me despite the steaming water. Those eyes, the thoughts that accompanied them, they won't leave me alone!
I climb out of the tub hastily, pulling the plug and snatching my clothes from the forming whirlpool.
I won't allow myself even to think about him, I hardly allow myself to think at all. I focus only on what I'm doing. Keeping your focus dictated on only your actions is actually very hard.
Somehow, I hang my clothes on the shower to dry and manage to pull on my PJ's before staggering to my closet, stumbling over books and flopping into bed. I'm shaking as I pull the sheet around me. I don't even think of venturing out to steal one from beside the couch. I feel safe in my closet.
Covering my head with the sheet, gripping my tiny pillow, I shiver, trying to persuade myself to believe today never happened.
It's a holiday. There was no school. I spent the day in bed, reading because I had no homework. He was out all day, boozing. I washed my uniform because I was bored. It's hanging in the bathroom. See all these bumps and bruises? I got them just walking around the house. I'm such a klutz. Now I'm going to sleep. I'm not afraid. There's nothing to be afraid of.
But that didn't explain my missing schoolbag or book….
…Or the dark pressure, pushing at the top of my head.
(Space divider)
"OI! SHRURINPUU!"
Ami runs up at breakneck speed.
"Ohayou, Satu! Wasn't that awesome yesterday? What'd you do? I was out running laps. I tried to check in on you, but you were gone."
I tensed, but continued walking towards the school. Hoping she wouldn't press the "What'd you do yesterday" question.
Wait, she said yesterday was awesome… she ran laps?
When Ami did laps, she ran around the city, normally all day. I cocked my head at her.
What happened yesterday?
Ami gives me a shocked look, but it mellows quickly into an airy surprise.
"Earth to the kawaii shurinpu, school was cancelled yesterday! Remember all the glass in the halls? They had to clean it all up. Obaa-chan tells me that they still don't have it all, so today will be mostly free time!"
Two hours later, I find that she was right. Mr. Iwamoto made us all pick up glass in his classroom, but the English teachers are making us clean up the library. Luckily, they already have new lights and most of the glass gone; we're just picking up the last splinters of it.
Free time my butt, my other side says as I crawl around on my hands and knees, tossing glass into a little bag. This is slave labor.
Quietly, I agree. My hands are cut and oozing, but twitchy around all these books. There's a nice thick one, just at the very end. It's covered in old, red binding, and the pages are yellowed. It sits there quietly, seemingly emitting an irresistible hint of untold secrets within its jacket.
I can't help it, two-tenths of a second later, my glass bag has been ditched and the book is in my lap.
I stare at the cover and have an unnerving sense of being stared back at. It seems to whisper of mysteries beyond my knowing, enticing me, luring me in.
I touch the corner of the front cover; let my finger slide down to the middle of the pages. With a flick of the wrist, the book lies open before me. My eyes widen. A full-page picture done in an unrecognizable style adorns the right-hand page. In it, a woman is suspended, arms open, eyes closed, feet pressed together and toes pointed. Her lips are pursed slightly, poised as though she was about to speak. Her dark hair swirls around and over her head, as if caught in some powerful wind. The background is all swirls of bright red, orange and blue. I can almost hear the roar of a super-heated wind…. It radiates of densetsu.
I don't move.
I don't breathe.
Yet I hear a breath…
My head snaps up so fast it pops. Not even three feet from me, Urameshi stands frozen, bug-eyed and starring.
Clap! We both jump as my fingers slap the book shut and slam it back on the shelf as if of their own intent.
"Oi, uh, Shin…?"
I stand hurriedly, bob my head in a quick bow, turn to leave… and run straight into the bookshelf.
Urameshi stares. I grimace, feeling another goose egg developing.
Okay, let's try that again.
I give another quick bow, this time darting to the right. My shoulder clips the edge of the bookshelf, spinning me around the other way and landing flat on my rump.
Urameshi's face bubbles up, one hand goes to clutch his stomach while the other extends until one finger points at me. I guess the natural reaction just couldn't restrain itself anymore.
I crawl away as Urameshi doubles up with his rambunctious laughter.
As the hours of the school-day crawl by, the image of the woman in the picture is plastered to my brain. But I keep seeing Urameshi. In the halls, walking by my class, he even tried to sit by me at lunch. (Luckily, the bell rang just as he spotted me.) Kuwabara is nowhere around… and I can't help wondering what happened to him, he's not one to skip.
Keiko keeps shooting glances at Urameshi, carefully avoiding me. I ran into them (literally) between classes when they were coming down from the roof.
Doesn't she remember?
I've had the chills all day, but finally, I'm walking home and Urameshi is nowhere in sight. I even found my bag and book in the office.
"Shin!"
Had to think it, didn't cha?
I turn, spying Urameshi sprinting towards me.
"Shin! Oi, I've been trying to catch you alone all day! Listen, we need to talk…"
All my muscles tense and I take off in the opposite direction, pulling my bag to my chest.
I have a dead man for a stalker! Dead stalker! Dead stalker! My panicky thoughts flurry around me as I flee.
"Wait! Stop, Shin!"
I turn a corner and run smack into Ami, whose doing her afternoon jog. I land hard on my bottom, panting. My pleading eyes gaze up at her.
"Shin! Come…back."
Urameshi rounds the corner, stopping within feet to gawk uncertainly at us.
"Oi," Ami says, jerking her chin towards Urameshi, "This punk bothering you, Satu?"
"Huh? What? No! I just—"
I nod enthusiastically.
Yes! Yes, yes!
Ami's brow creases, she cocks her head and pops her knuckles. I back off, recognizing Ami's fighting stance.
"No sweat, Satu, I'll take care of 'im for ya."
A bead of sweat rolls down Urameshi's face.
"Uh, Ami…"
"Ito."
"Uh, right, Ito-senpai, can't we just talk about this?"
"No."
Well, Urameshi went home with a few more colors on him than before. Despite his reputation, Ami didn't have a scratch. She walked me back to my apartment, ordering me to always tell her if someone's bugging me.
"Abayo!" She calls as I close the door.
Oyasumi!
Ami gives me that same, slightly surprised look. But then she just waves, shuts the door and leaves.
I hardly glance at him, moaning over a sake bottle. Trotting straight to my room, puzzling over the day. The picture of the woman is still fresh and oddly familiar in my mind. At least there's one thing I can be certain of.
Ami sure took care of my stalker problem!
Glossary:
Ano- Um…
Abayo- Casual good-bye
Asagohan- Breakfast (shortened to gohan)
Baka- Idiot
Densetsu Legend, Legendary
Kami- God
Kodachi - A Japanese dagger, similar to a Katana but smaller
Ohayou - Good morning. Full version is: Ohayou-gozaimasu
Oi- Hey!
Oyasumi - Good night. Full version: Oyasumi-nasai
Senpai- Used when referring to another student, club member, etc, who is your senior. Yusuke uses it while trying to sweet talk Ami, cause he's not supposed to use any powers (including super strength) against mortals without Koenma's permission. (And because Ami has a reputation to keep up too. .)
I'm starting an e-mail thing for people who want to get e-mail updates on my stories. Whenever I have any news, or I update, I'll send you an e-mail about it. Just send me an e-mail at No payment necessary. And don't forget to watch my otaku site: www. myotaku. com/ users/ windfallen (underscore) star/
You'll never believe what came when I was typing this! A nomination letter to go to Australia! If I go I'll be a US delegate and get to do a ton of stuff not even native Australians get to do! Squeeee! I wanna go! I have an interview scheduled for Saturday. I'll tell you more about it if I make it. Everybody wish me luck!
Chapter 5 Review Replies:
Insaneningen14: I'm glad you read it too! Now reply to this chapter, please?
Crazyloony598: Well, here it is! But o.O If you're as clumsy as Toki… I pity you, and it's not my fault! (why only on Sundays?) Thankies!
Dumbrat: Awwww, Thanks! hugs
Lady-of-the-Dragon-Flame: Thanks for the whole introduction thing. It kind of influenced this chapter. (eye twitches at the threat) Well I'm sorry you feel that way Lady Vaoh, have a mint! (Lady Vaoh eats it) Ha! You just consumed a week's worth of writer's block! Nyah!
WritingWoman: I LOVE THAT QUOTE! Sorry I haven't gotten around to reading that story yet, been insabely busy. Um, but one question. Who is Sabe and how did I get inside him?
Fruit is NOT a Dessert: That was actually the chapter I forgot to put them in… Um, you see, ya put yer story in the editor, put the cursor where you want the break and click the button that has the line on it. If you scroll over it, it says " (But you might have figured this out already)
ButterflyOnna77: I love your penname! Good use of imagery!
Iaragon: ;; Someone flamed Vixenous? Awww… (hands you flame retardant shield) There ya go! No more ugly flames for you! Besides, that's one of my top favorite stories on ff.n! (And I still consider you famous) Oh! You can put me on your story alert list to get updates on when my chapters come out, or I can e-mail you.
Baka Hanyou Rahvin: Really? Wow! I'm really glad that you can relate to my story like that. A klutzy Amazon… you should make a story about that!
Nijuukyuu: Here it is! Thankies!
Please review!
