Luffy closed the steel door behind him with a soft, scraping sound. It, like everything in the psychiatry, obviously needed to be lubricated, fixed or better - completely replaced with a new one.

The rain was still pouring outside, hitting mercilessly everything within its reach. The wind was howling sorrowfully, giving the raven-haired boy the creeps.

He started walking down the slippery stone staircase, while putting on both of his hoodies, tying their laces securely under his chin and sticking his hands in his pockets in a vain attempt to warm himself up a little bit.

"You cold?" asked Vivi, eyeing him from head to toe. She was walking or more specifically floating next to him. While he had been talking with Mrs. Laki, the ghost-girl had disappeared but Luffy assumed she had been following them all the time and eavesdropping prudently to their conversation. Not that the boy really minded, tough. He found her presence extremely calming and reassuring.

"N-no, not really," lied Luffy, meanwhile making a desperate attempt at snuggling deeper into his clothes in search of some warmth.

Vivi arched an eyebrow. "You sure?"

The boy sneezed. And again. And again. His cheeks and his button-nose flushed, his eyes watering and becoming puffy and red. Vivi couldn't help it and smiled against her will, her features softening. She was just about to scold him for the apparent lie but Luffy was just way too adorable.

"Y-yes," murmured the boy and sneezed again, putting his small and scratched to blood hands in front of his reddish nose.

"Someone is thinking about you" said the girl devilishly and bumped his shoulder slightly, not really managing to hit him for obvious reasons but the action achieved the effect she was hoping for - attracting the boy's attention.

Luffy looked at her and snorted.

"What!?" exclaimed Vivi. "Some girl, maybe…"

"Yeah, yea-" started the boy but sneezed again. From where did this sneezing come from all of a sudden any way? He was fine like 2 minutes ago for God's sake!

"See? You know I'm right," smiled the girl cheekily.

"Y-you a-a-are," sneeze, "n-not," sneeze, "right," finished Luffy finally.

"And why?" questioned Vivi and jumped from the middle of the staircase, where she and the boy had been standing, right to its bottom and swiftly turned around to look up at her new friend.

Proceeding with going down, Luffy felt his nose itch again but began nevertheless, "B-beca-a-a-"

And he sneezed. Hard. The boy lost his balance and in one second he was trying to gain it back and in the next, thanks to the rain and the slippery stone under his feet, he found himself sprawled at the very bottom of the staircase with an aching back and a bump starting to form at the back of his head.

A mellifluous laugh filled the air.

"You just have a thing for falling down, don't you?" said Vivi, leaning over Luffy's body. The boy looked at her with half-lidded eyes. Everything was swirling and he felt dizzy.

Vivi chuckled slightly, putting a hand over her mouth to conceal it. The ends of her long, blue ponytail were swaying just above Luffy's face. The boy tried following their movement with his gaze but this only seemed to make him more light-headed.

Luffy closed his eyes for a few seconds until he felt he was in a proper condition to sit up.

"You alright?" questioned the ghost girl, staring at the bent figure in front of her.

"Y-yeah," answered the raven-haired boy, forcing the words out of his throat. He didn't feel like talking right now, but he didn't think he would be able to endure nodding too.

After a few moments, once the spinning had disappeared, Luffy stood up. Vivi moved backwards to give him some space.

When the boy was up, he looked down at his body.

Great. I look even worse than before.

He sighed. Thanks to the slippery staircase and his sneezing, he was even more wet and dirty. And scratched. If someone did tell him 5 minutes ago that this was even possible he would have laughed at their face.

"How bad do I look from 1 to 10?" asked Luffy, turning to look at Vivi. The girl blinked at the question and eyed him. The boy watched how her icy gaze travelled over his body - from his trainers, to his shorts, then to his hoodie and raincoat and finally, it stopped at his face.

She opened her mouth to say something but closed it right afterwards. Luffy sighed again and lifted his hand to rub off some of the muddy water that had landed on his face thanks to the puddle in which he had landed.

Well… Maybe rubbing wasn't the right choice of an action, due to the fact he proceeded in smearing the mud all over his cheeks and nose.

Vivi who had been watching him, turned her head to the side to hide her amused smile. Seeing this, the raven-haired boy just dropped his hands down in frustration and with another annoyed sigh said, "Just.. Just let's go. Okay?"

Vivi chuckled slightly but nodded nevertheless.

Later on, while they were making their way through the wood, the pair took their time to discuss everything that had happened so far. Vivi had been extremely intrigued about Luffy's previous experience with ghosts and especially with demented ones. Which in reality wasn't much.

Oh, and she wanted to hear with what plan for action he had come up with.

However, the problem was that the boy wasn't sure himself what he was going to do with Alvida.

Yes, he went to the library and to the psychiatry. Yes, he gathered information. But for what? He didn't have a goddamn idea of what to do with it. There wasn't any plan or whatever. This wasn't 'The whisperer' for God's Sake! Or some other American TV series for that matter. Plus, he wasn't some kind of an exorcist or a priest. (Not that he was religious, but who knows…)

He was just lost. He couldn't think of any way to stop Alvida's unexpected and if he might say so, without offending any demented ghosts for the matter, unpleasant visits. He didn't really understand the whole ghost-thing either.

He could see them, hear them, sense their presence, their touch, their breath and etc. To him they felt as alive as every other human being he had met, with the only exception they couldn't hurt him in any way or make any difference to the environment. For instance, they can't move things around or do you any physical damage. The only way they can harm you, is if they have their way with your dreams and fuck up your psyche.

"Well, can't we find that fortuneteller from years ago?" asked Vivi curiously.

"I doubt we'll be able to find her," answered Luffy turning his head to look at her. "You know, they travel from town to town. Plus, I don't even remember the name of the carnival."

"You sure that if you force yourself and take your time to think, you won't be able to remember?"

The boy sighed and looked forward. "I don't know. If I've to be honest, I don't have an idea of what to do from now on."

A warm hand was placed on his shoulder. Luffy blinked in surprise and looked at Vivi that granted him with a warm smile.

"Everything will be alright," said she with a caring and reassuring voice. The raven-haired boy returned her smile and nodded slightly. He could feel his tensed muscles loosening up a little bit and his body relaxing. He didn't know how Vivi was doing it, but she could really calm down a person. There was just something so mother-like in her.

"Well, why don't you at least try to remember something about the carnival? Until then, we will be searching of other ways to deal with Alvida," suggested she.

"O-okay."

They walked in silence for a few minutes but then Luffy decided to break it. Rubbing his head sheepishly, he said, "U-um, by the way, d-don't feel obliged to help me or anything. I-I guess I look kinda pathetic right now, but really I can deal with it, so don-"

"Are you crazy!?" exclaimed Vivi, startling the boy. "Do you know how tedious is it to be dead? Even if you don't want to, I'm helping you!" declared the girl. She had her eyes closed and her hands were crossed in front of her chest. Her whole posture pretty much said 'Don't you even dare to argue with me'.

"Plus," began Vivi, opening one of her eyes to look at him, "I really like you."

Luffy's eyes widened but on his lips blossomed a genuine smile. The girl returned his smile and a few moments after, they both found themselves laughing unrestrainedly, their voices resonating through the whole forest.

An hour or more later, they finally managed to find Luffy's brother's house. The sun was already going down and the sky was tinted with purplish and pinkish colors. Well, okay. Maybe they wondered around the forest a little bit more than an hour, having in mind that Luffy left the house early in the morning.

This was all due to the fact the boy didn't exactly knew where he lived + he was definitely not good in describing things, which made the process a lot slower. The pair pretty much made a panoramic tour through the town and the woods, in order to find Ace's house.

In the end, Luffy at least learned that his neighborhood was called "The Red Line", because of the fact it was at the center of Earth. And there lived the richest people in this part of the country.

Sweet.

Now they were walking down the street from where the boy could pretty much see his house. Finally. While they were chattering, Luffy noticed something when they neared. They were walking from the side of the woods. Nearby was the small garage that was closer to the mansion.

While passing by it, he could clearly make out that there were way too many cars in it. Expensive cars. Like really expensive cars.

Vivi whistled next to him, looking through the garage's window, "Your brother either is filthy rich or his friends have pretty good financial state too."

Luffy didn't know what to answer to this. But any way, they had to talk quieter now, because he had seen Ace's Bugatti in the garage, meaning his brother was home.

He silently went to unlock the door, scanning his eyes, and they got inside. He could hear deep and hoarse male voices, coming from the hallway that was just behind the glass staircase.

Whispering, the pair headed stealthily towards it, trying not to attract any attention from the noisy group, sitting on the couches.

The hallway pretty much consisted of an enormous room that had large windows, facing the street, that were almost eating up the whole wall. They were made from the same dark glass the wall in his room was made of, meaning you could see everything outside without any passengers seeing what you are doing. Plus, what Luffy had discovered in the previous morning - they weren't obstructing any light from coming in and they didn't change the depth of colors you see.

It was kinda cool.

Not far away from the big windows, in the center of the room, was placed a big, glass, rectangular, table that was surrounded by two large couches and two armchairs. Every piece of furniture was made of expensive black leather. Under them, on the dark wooden floor, was sprawled a white, fluffy mat.

At the back of the room were standing proud three imposing cabinets. In the middle one were stored all kinds of expensive, repeating expensive, alcohols. The other two were filled with all types of guns and knives.

At both sides of the cabinets were, again, two big windows that were facing the woods.

At the walls were hanging different pictures, presumably expensive and from famous artists, and some photos. And guns. And knives.

Around the table have gathered around 12-13 men that were all laughing at something, filling the air with their resounding and deep voices. Some of them were literally howling.

When they calmed down a bit, Luffy had almost reached the staircase. But like a déjà vu, when he was just about to place his foot on the first step, he heard, "Oh, Ace, your brother is here."

The boy squeezed his eyes and bit his lip just in time for his brother, who had been facing away from him, while sitting on the couch, to turn around. Everyone followed suit and now they were all staring at him.

"Why is that kid dripping wet again?" asked someone with an amused voice, whose Luffy recognized as Marco's. He was from those who saw him soaked to the bone in the police station.

Ace made him a sign to go to them with his right hand. Judging by his look, he wasn't very happy to see him.

The raven-haired boy looked at his feet and started walking towards the group reluctantly. He chewed at his lip and fidgeted with the hem of his hoodie nervously. Ace looked really angry. Probably because he had interrupted him and his friends. Or because he was late. Or maybe both.

Luffy was becoming more and more frightened, while he was approaching them. His body became tense. A big ball formed in his stomach and another in his throat, suffocating him. He started shivering.

At the time he reached the couch, he was shaking all over.

His big brother was glaring at him with narrowed eyes and hands crossed over his bulky chest. He had eyed him from head to toe, while the boy was nearing and was definitely not pleased with his looks.

Luffy's whole body was covered in mud, scratches and bruises. And he was soaked.

Again.

They stayed like this a few more seconds in silence - Luffy in front of his big brother with bowed head and Ace examining him.

Luffy could feel his brothers steal and piercing gaze burning a hole in his head.

Jets of cold sweat began forming and rolling down the boy's back. He squeezed his brown orbs again. Luffy really didn't want to make his big brother angry.

What's more, he didn't want to get beaten.

At that moment bad memories started flooding the raven-haired boy's head. Memories that caused the scars on his body to start itching and some to burn. Memories, whose button he wanted to turn off. To lock them somewhere and forget about them.

Unfortunately, this just wasn't possible. And now images of his previous home, of his grandpa and of their basement began appearing in his head.

No. No. No. - Just not that…

But it was too late. He remembered. The cracking of a whip. A boy's screams. Cold and hateful eyes. The pain. The hatred whose target was him only. The desire to die, of it to just stop… He just wanted it to stop. Everything to just stop.

Please.

"-ey. Hey."

Luffy's head suddenly shot up at the distant voice that had reached his ears. His eyes wide. He was met with everyone's gazes fixed on his trembling form. A few people were laughing silently. The boy felt his cheeks heating up from embarrassment.

The voice apparently belonged to Ace, who was now expectantly looking at him with a raised brow.

A single "A?'' was the boy's response to this.

More people started chuckling and snorting amusedly, more openly now.

Luffy's cheeks heated up even more because of that.

"I asked you where have you been and why you are so dirty and soaked?" asked Ace.

"I-I, u-um, I-I t-took a-a w-walk," answered the trembling boy, not daring to meet his brother's eyes.

"Where? In the sewerage?" Luffy almost winced at Ace's mordant tone.

"N-no, i-in the w-wood."

"The wood? What business do you have in the wood? Plus, didn't I tell you not to go out in such clothes? You're going to freeze and get ill. What's this head of yours for?"

The boy just twisted in himself, trying to get smaller. At that moment, he really wanted to disappear. If just the ground could open up under him and swallow up his body, it would have been great. But no. No such things in real life.

"I-I'm r-r-really-y s-sorry-y," stuttered Luffy out silently with a trembling voice, hands shaking madly in front of his tiny form.

Ace stayed quiet for a little bit and when he was just about to say something, Marco interrupted him, diverted, "Ace, leave the kid alone, you're scaring him. Just let him go and change."

The latter sighed and rolled his eyes at that, but said nevertheless, "Go straight in the shower and put some warm clothes on. There is a first aid kid in one of the cupboards in the bathroom."

Luffy nodded hastily and apologizing for bothering them, he took this chance to leave. While he was hurrying towards the staircase with eyes glued to his shoes, he heard his brother adding, "And wash your clothes."

The boy just nodded again and began climbing the stairs with the speed of light.