Chapter 6: The Warning
Yumi stared after her boyfriend. With a sigh, she opened the door to her house and walked inside. Closing the door behind her, she wandered into the kitchen, looking for her parents, and not wanting to shout up the stairs for them and risk waking Hiroki.
Not finding them in the kitchen, which was somewhat odd, Yumi ambled over to the dining room, and then the family room, and even checked the basement. She was beginning to get worried. My parents would never go to sleep without asking me how my first date with Ulrich was. Knowing them, my mother would want to ask all the embarrassing things and my father would yell at me for doing them when I answered.
Grabbing a glass of water from the kitchen, Yumi settled down in the family room to watch some late night television before hauling herself into bed at eleven. Just as Yumi finished making herself comfortable, she heard a noise. It wasn't a loud noise, or even an unusual one. A creak of the floorboard in the kitchen. The only problem with that was there was no one on the kitchen.
Carefully laying down the remote on the couch cushion, Yumi silently hoisted herself up from the sofa and, picking up an empty vase that her mother had yet to put fresh flowers in, carefully crept towards the entrance to the kitchen, vase raised over her head.
With a snake-like motion, Yumi had swept into the kitchen like a quiet thunderstorm and threw the vase at the intruder who was standing in the kitchen, looking around at the sink and cabinets, his back turned to Yumi.
Caught by surprise, Yumi didn't actually think that someone would be in her kitchen. Without thinking, so as to give less time for the intruder to react, Yumi gave a flying leap and aimed her heel straight at the shady figure's gut. Almost even before Yumi hit the ground, she was back up and tensed for a fight. Looking around, she stared in astonishment as the strange man in a black cloak and old fashioned detective's hat fondled her mother's new vase.
Still poised for attack or defense, Yumi circled around the man until she was in front of one of the kitchen doorways, so that she could back out if she had to. Suddenly, the man turned to Yumi and stopped fondling the vase. He began to speak. "Beware the Brain, Cat, and Daughter. They will be your undoing."
With one fluid yet obviously completely non violent movement, the man placed the vase on the table and slipped a piece of paper inside it. Turning, the man walked out the hall and deeper into Yumi's house. Yumi tore around the corner, hoping to catch him and ask this intruder some questions, only to find that he was no where to be seen, even though the only place the hall way led to was the laundry room and a spare bedroom for guests, which had been locked when Yumi checked the room for her parents.
Rubbing her eyes, Yumi stared in confusion at the back wall of her house. I must have eaten too much ice cream with Ulrich. I'm seeing things. I should go to bed. My parents are probably asleep anyway. There was never anything to worry about.
Walking back through the kitchen, Yumi made her way upstairs and into her bedroom, walking past and completely ignoring the strange shimmering piece of paper sticking out the top of the vase that lay on the table, still warm from the strange man's touch.
I just realized that this chapter is extremely short and I apologize for that. If you are sharp though, you can pick up on QUITE a few little hints in this chapter. Its absolutely loaded with plot points. And now since you havent done it in a WHILE, I shall remind you to review the chapter. It warms my heart and inspires me to more chapters when I get a glowing review! And besides, Ronald was getting lonely. I had to send him to (gasp) DAYCARE!!!!