I remembered . . .
"This won't hurt one bit."
Fragments . . . like splinters piercing every corner of my mind.
"Heart rate's dropping!"
"No! We can't lose her!"
Bits and pieces sometimes wormed their way into my dreams, turning them into nightmares that haunt me for days.
"Isn't this what you wanted? I heard you in your sleep."
"Clamp this on."
"It's rejecting it again."
"We're losing her!"
"This is everything you've wished for, my dear."
I shot up, my breathing failing me. The numbers on my clock read 4:16 a.m. A full moon shone through my window. A light sheen of sweat covered my body. Once my breathing came back to normal, I pulled the covers off me. My feet touching the floor, I shivered at the iciness of it and walked to the kitchen for a glass of water. Setting the glass down, I walked back into my room and settled further into the sheets. It didn't help. Nothing ever did when they came. The nightmares. I didn't dare close my eyes and try to sleep again. They would come back. I still heard his sinister laugh no matter how hard I tried to block it. For me, in my mind, he was always there.
"Anya, would you quit rubbing your eyes?"
"Sorry, Botan. Couldn't sleep." I rested my head in my left hand, stirring a hot cup of coffee in the other.
"Nightmares?" she whispered. I nodded and almost fell asleep in that split second of closing my eyes.
"Anya!" I shot up.
"Huh?" She pointed her finger at me.
"That's it. You're going home. I'm telling Koenma you are sick and throwing up all over the place."
"Botan! Eww!"
I threw a piece of bread over at her. I scooted out of the booth and got myself a cup of coffee, to which I added about ten packs of sugar. Hey, if there was a way to keep me awake and hyper, coffee with a ton of sugar was the answer.
"Aah! Sweet bliss." Botan sipped my coffee. She began coughing and sputtering.
"Yuck! Sweet is an understatement for what's in there, Anya."
"Hehe. It works."
"What works?" an unknown voice asked behind us. Botan and I slowly turned around to face a huge head of gel eating one of my pancakes.
"Yusuke!" Botan slapped him upside the head.
"OW! What the hell did you do that for!"
"You ate her pancakes," Botan said, pointing to me.
"Which are really good today, by the way." He grinned. Botan sighed.
"Anya, this is Yusuke. Yusuke, Anya."
'It's the guy from yesterday.'
"Yo."
"You ate my pancake," I said flatly.
"So?"
He went to reach for another. I grabbed the plate and hid it behind my back, sticking my tongue out at him, but alas, I heard munching. Not very wise. I turned around again to see some ugly guy eating the rest of my pancakes. My jaw dropped.
"What's with everyone eating my pancakes today!" I huffed and then whimpered. "No more pancakes." I placed the now empty plate back on the table.
"Kuwabara, you dolt!" Yusuke yelled.
"What?" this Kuwabara asked. He scooted into the booth, Yusuke following suit.
"You ate her pancakes, Kuwabara!"
"You ate them first!" I yelled to Yusuke, crossed my arms on the table, and laid my head down.
"Chill out, you guys," Botan said.
"Hello, everyone." Two figures appeared outside of the booth.
'Great. Just great. There are more of them!'
"Hi, guys," Botan said cheerily. Cheery morning people...may every one of them burn.
"Hello, Botan."
"Hn."
"What's going on?"
"The usual. Yusuke and Kuwabara messing up the morning."
"And eating my pancakes!" I yelled, my head still down and my finger pointed to the ceiling.
"They were still good," Yusuke said. I growled. And I still didn't know who the hell the two guys were.
"Botan, who is that?"
"Anya. AAANNYYA," Botan said, shaking me.
"What?"
"I want you to meet some people." I raised my head.
The one nearest me looked like he would rather stab himself than be anywhere near us. I'd agree with him. His red eyes were hard to forget and his spiky hair, you could easily pick him out from a crowd, if it wasn't for his height deficiency.
"Fuck you, onna."
"Oh, a telepathic. Interesting."
"It would be in your best interest if you kept your kept your mouth shut."
"...My mouth is shut. We're talking in our heads. Or did you forget?" He growled at me.
"That's Hiei. Don't mind him. He's always in a bad mood," Botan said.
"I know." I took this chance to look over his companion. Yup, pretty boy. He smiled at me, for a moment, at least. His face soon contorted into one of surprise...why?
"That's-"
"My name is Suichi," he interrupted Botan. I nodded my head. He had a dazzling smile. I wouldn't mind having him around. Hiei scoffed. I flicked him off.
"Nice to meet you, Suichi." I didn't see the various looks of confusion his friends were giving him. "Well, it's been a pleasure, guys, but I have to go back to work." I pushed myself out of the booth. "See ya."
"Okay. Time for questions. Why did you tell her your name was Suichi?" Botan asked, facing Suichi.
"Well, technically, it is my name."
"I know, but we're in Spirit World. You only tell the people back home that your name is Suichi. So why did you tell her?" Yusuke asked.
"I have my reasons, Yusuke. That's all you need to know." He walked off, Hiei following him.
"What's up with him," Kuwabara asked.
"I have no damn idea. Kurama's always been one to keep things to himself," Yusuke said.
He grabbed Anya's cup of coffee and sipped it before a frenzy coughs overtook him and Kuwabara laughed at him. Botan didn't pay any attention to them. She watched the two boys step into the elevator, numerous thoughts and questions swirling around in her head.
"I'm starting to wonder about your intentions too, fox." Hiei leaned against the elevator.
"Remember yesterday when we were in Koenma's office and she came in when Koenma shouted her name. Anya... it sounded so familiar to me, but I couldn't remember where I had heard it. Her long hair covered her face so I couldn't see what she looked like. But today..."
"You recognized her."
"...Yes. It took only that one glance at me."
"Who is she?" Kurama turned away from him.
"...Someone from my past..."
A single drop of sweat rolled down the side of Anya's face. She ignored it and continued organizing the files that "magically" appeared in the file room. The AC had been busted by one of the ogres and the room became a sauna in a matter of minutes. She grabbed the last file and neatly placed it in the file cabinet. Closing and locking it, she wiped her forehead and reached into her pockets for the keys.
"Anya!" Botan ran to her, a smile on her face. Anya quickly locked the file room and turned to the grinning reaper. "What are you doing today?"
"Uhh..going home. Koenma said I could leave early today."
"Too bad!" Botan sang. "You have a change of plans. You're coming with me and the guys to the beach."
"Why?"
"Because I said so! Now hurry up, go home, and get changed. We leave in thirty minutes." She ran off.
"Wait, wait, wait! Don't I get a say in this?"
"Nope!" Botan shouted back at her.
I sighed. What else could I do? When Botan wanted something, she got it. No questions asked. You asked, she screeched...cheerily. I picked up my purse from the front desk and headed to the portal where George was already waiting.
"Anya! Anya!"
'What now!'
My head turned back to see the last person I ever wanted to see, ever. He bounded up to me like a hyper puppy with a big grin on his face.
"Yes?" I questioned.
"Botan sent me to go with you."
"And you actually listened?" My eyebrow perked.
"Well, you know how Botan is. And besides, I get 50 bucks if we make it back safely."
"You're a whore for money, Yusuke."
"Hehe. I know."
George didn't ask me why Yusuke came along with me. Just a unsure wave and we were off. I got to know the better parts of the human known as Yusuke. I learned his last name was Urameshi, he was reinstated as a Spirit Detective when King Enma "pardoned" him after a minor fiasco concerning him and his ancestral father, of a girl named Keiko, yet to be named girlfriend I suspected, and his favorite food was cheeseburgers. He learned that I've been working for Koenma for the past five years, I didn't remember much of my past, I loved chocolate ice cream, and my favorite way to pass the time was watching movies.
"This is where you live?"
"Yeah. It's not much, but it's my home."
"I like it."
Not much was scattered about the place. Different shades of blue and green decorated the kitchen. While Anya walked to a door on her right, Yusuke strode to a door on the left. Opening it, the living room was a spic-and-span beigey color with a small TV in the far corner and seats aranged around it. A loud clatter in the kitchen tore his gaze away from the room.
Damn it! Stupid plates. I attempted to grab a plate from the highest shelf when I tripped and the plate almost crashed on my head. Thank God. I carefully picked up the broken pieces and threw them in the trash. Guess I wasn't going to eat anything. After I made sure no tiny pieces were on the floor, I walked back to my bedroom to grab my blue duffel bag, only to find someone going through my drawers.
"Yusuke!" He stumbled back, his hands in the air. I wouldn't have been mad, if it wasn't for the bright red lace panties still stuck on his finger. He finally noticed it and threw it on the floor.
"Sorry. I just-"
"There's no excuse for going through a girl's drawer, especially her underwear drawer!" I hated his cheeky grin.
"Won't do it again. Promise."
"Yeah right."
Clutching my duffel bag, I swung it over my shoulder, accidentally hitting Yusuke in the process. I locked the door to my apartment and we headed back to Spirit World.
"What the hell happened to you?" Kuwabara asked as soon as we appeared at the gates of Spirit World.
"Her," he said.
"He was looking through my underwear drawer."
"I must say, you have some very nice panties."
I swung my bag at him again. Sadly, I missed. I plopped down on the ground with my legs raised. My shorts and my yellow tank top rode up on me. The strings of my pink and white striped bikini popped out of my top and shorts. I took the time to scan the guys since Botan was currently yelling at Yusuke for the drawer incident and Kuwabara talked with Suichi. Kuwabara was dressed in a blue t-shirt and orange swimsuit bottoms. Standing next to him was Suichi in a red shirt and black shorts with a rose on the lower right. Strange. Wasn't roses a girl thing? I dismissed the thought. Hiei was dressed in his normal attire. No sign of a swimsuit could be seen.
I scrunched my eyebrows. I could have sworn I heard something. A buzzing sound. The others looked like they heard it too. The buzzing became louder and then a SWISH, POP, BOOM! I laughed. George's portals always made that noise when summoned. I was about to get up when a hand appeared in front of me.Suichi smiled at me as my hand slid into his offered one. He pulled me up and I patted my butt down, making sure no dirt stuck to me.
"Yes. Time for fun, sun, and food!" Kuwabara shouted.
"Be quiet, baka. Your voice annoys me." Guess who said that.
"Shut up, shrimp."
Botan went through first, followed by Yusuke, an arguing Kuwabara, and a stoic Hiei. I turned to Suichi and nodded toward the portal, signaling that he could go through before me. He shook his head.
"No. Ladies first."
I nodded and stepped through. Suichi followed a second after. He went through in hopes of talking to a certain girl, whom he thought was long since gone.