Foremost, I want to say thank you to the following people for their reviews:

blue eyed lullabye

Valeangel1987

Quinhwyvar

WorldisMine

Sana Jaegerjaquez

indescribable music

Batman

metsfan101

music watch

BANEHiwatari

I also want to thank the numerous people who took the time out of their busy lives to read this story.

Thank you so much!

Furthermore, it has been brought to my concern that when I repost a chapter several times, you all get messages regarding the update. If you see alerts for this story regarding a past chapter that has been reposted, ignore it. I like to proofread past chapters to rid of as much error in grammar and spelling as possible. I apologize if my reposting of the newly proofread chapters cause annoyance.

Anyways, I was so thrilled by the kind reviews that was given for Chapter 7 that I felt the urge to show my gratitude by posting this chapter as quickly as possible.

So here it is. I changed Sayuri's reaction to make her seem more like a better person. Haha.

I hope you all like it.

-O-

Chapter 8:

Void of Fear

Tears stung fearful eyes.

She was in a deep abysmal darkness. She was scared - so very scared.

From the black engulfing her, red marbles stared hungrily at her shaking form.

They were merciless, famished, and otherworldly.

A silent scream fell off her lips, desperately crying for some sort of help. She needed an escape from this smothering darkness.

Those bloody eyes made her feel cold.

Lifeless.

-O-

The restless body under the bleached covers rose in a sudden heap of flying black hair and painful gasps.

"Your awake!" the voice of a young boy exclaimed.

Sayuri around her as the images of her nightmare faded to be replaced by the sight of white.

'Why must hospitals always be so white?' she first thought as the pearl colored walls, floor, and ceiling deeply contrasted from the dark setting that had overwhelmed her mind as she had slept.

Her mind felt blank and empty as though those red pools had eaten her soul.

"Sai? You ok?" came the same voice.

Turning to her side, she saw her younger brother's worried glance.

She nodded her head as her voice still felt sore from her unheard screams during her horrific dream.

"Ok, good," Shin said, grinning, "I will be right back. I need to tell Mama and Papa that you're awake. They went out to talk with the doctor a little while back."

Sayuri cleared her throat in an attempt to revive her lost voice, "O-ok."

Before leaving, the younger sibling gave her injured sister a relieved smile and then disappeared behind the bare door.

When he was gone, Sayuri closed her pale blue marbles and felt tears fight their way through her eyelids.

She could feel the cast on her left leg but did not bother to look. She knew her ankle was in poor condition -she knew she was in such poor shape because the face of her attacker was that of a monster.

Though she tried to expel the fear away from her thoughts, the griping emotion maintained its steady attack, turning the injured female into a shaking and sobbing figure.

She allowed her loosened black hair to cascade around her face as tears landed on her lap in an endless rain. In an attempt to regain control of herself, she covered her mouth with her hands to stifle her sporadic sobs.

Regardless, fear had effectively taken root within her.

"Why do humans show such unnecessary emotions?" a familiar baritone sound asked.

Eyes widened in surprise, the black haired teen looked to her left to see the mysterious man leaning casually against the monotonous wall.

Her eyes widened as she noted Ulquiorra's appearance. Who he was, what he was, and the things he could do dawned on her. It was like truly seeing him got the first time.

'That white armor on his head...' her thoughts sped along with her pulse, 'That hole in his chest...He resembles...'

She could not finish her sentence.

Her body automatically bolted back in an attempt to place as much space between she and it.

Ulquiorra remained unfazed at her actions as his intimidating stare took in her frightened movements.

As Sayuri scooted further to the right side of the small bed, she felt her hand land on nothing but air and realized too late that she was falling.

Her hands reached forward as a last minute venture to stop her fall. Strangely, unexpectedly, something strong wrapped itself around her wrist.

When her long curly hair finally settled , Sayuri traced the strong hand holding her up to the face that caused her trepidation.

"What attacked you was a hollow - a creature that failed to move on to the afterlife," he began as his deep gaze set steadily on her reddened face, "They are creatures that feast on other hollows and...human souls to increase their strength."

Sayuri felt her jaw drop slightly, and chills ran a marathon down her spine.

As if aware of her internal struggle, the man of porcelain skin continued, "I am a hollow."

'So that's why he seemed hesitant when I asked for his preference in food,' she pondered despite the threat before her, 'Because I am his ideal meal.'

Already frozen in fear from her recent experiences, Sayuri no longer knew how to respond to this enlightenment.

Should she run? No, she would not get very far with her leg.

Should she scream? Her throat felt dry and sore.

Was there anything she could do?

That same helplessness that had coursed through her veins during her attack has now left her unable to be ambulatory in the face of yet another possible attack.

She clenched her eyes shut as fresh salty droplets left new trails down her cheek.

In that instance when fear was the only thing coursing through her thoughts, something else -something she naively did not think of before - brought itself forward. Realization dawned on her.

What did she have to fear? If Ulquiorra had wanted to murder her and her family for his next meal, then surely they would all be dead my now.

'I'm being a coward,' she concluded, 'Ulquiorra would not hurt me."

Throughout the short time she had known the man, she was able to feel a sense of honor that radiated off of him and a sense of discipline.

'He will not attack.'

"I will not attack," was all he said next, mirroring and solidifying Sayuri's conclusion that she was safe with this mysterious man.

Eyes snapped open, Sayuri blinked disbelievingly as the strong arm pulled her gently to the center of the bed.

After another blink, the ashen man was gone before any apologies could escape the rosy lips of the formerly fearful female. He was like an ephemeral dream: difficult to catch but even harder to forget once caught.

Without his dark form, the hospital room looked disgustingly bland. She felt disgustingly bland.

It was as thought he was never there and that it was he that had properly added decor to the otherwise dull room.

The only proof that acted as evidence that he had been there was the cool touch his hand had left on her wrist.

The door opened moments later but was not heard by the confused teenage female.

"Mama and Papa are still talking to your doctor," Sayuri heard her brother, finally realizing that he had recently entered the room .

"I heard the doctor say that you can leave in a little bit as soon as they confirm that nothing else besides your left leg is broken," he commented.

"At least, I think that's what she said," Shin added almost as an afterthought.

"Oh I see," Sayuri forced herself to speak.

Looking around, the young boy realized that the room had one less occupant than when he had left.

Questioningly, he set his gaze on his bedridden sister, "Where did Ulquiorra go?"

Sayuri hid the turmoil and anxiety behind a composed facade. "I don't know. He just left the room. You know how he is."

She technically did not lie. Ulquiorra did leave suddenly, but she did not want to explain to her younger brother that it was her fault that he did because she failed to make him stay.

"He will come back right?"

The female looked solemnly at her sibling, "I don't know."

A frown painted itself on his youthful features.

"You haven't thanked him at all have you?" he asked.

A well shaped eyebrow quirked up in confusion.

"What?"

"He brought you home today," Shin explained, "You were unconscious, so he told me to tell Mama and Papa."

A small gasp that Sayuri was unable to suppress echoed in the tiny space to which she was confined.

Shin scratched the back of his head as a light chuckle rumbled below his chest, "Yeah, I had to lie to mom and dad. I told them I found you near the house since they wouldn't believe me if I mentioned Ulquiorra. You're right. They can't see him. He was here the whole time the doctors were treating you, but no one seemed to notice him. Which reminds me, you have to come up with a reasonable excuse as to why your bones are like grinded meat. The doctors say your ankle is completely crushed like a boulder had landed on it..."

As her brother droned on and became immersed in his own babbling, more guilt crawled its way to Sayuri's mind and permanently replaced the fear that was seated there moments ago.

Guilt now took root and engulfed her -the fear that had once been so prominent was now merely a shadow of its former self.

She sighed mentally.

"I am a fool."

-O-

Please let me know if you believe that Sayuri's actions appear natural or not.

I want to insure that she acted "human" as much as possible.

Thank you for reading!