Chapter 4: Beyond her Nightmares

2 Days Later

Days past slowly. Akin and I shared a room but still managed to stay isolated in our own worlds. She went to class, studied, and went to sleep. I stayed in my room and thought. There was no conversation. Every so often though, I would catch her staring at me. I'd look at her and grin a bit, but she wouldn't see it. Her head would be buried in her books everytime I looked even remotely in her direction. Although my grin always faded a few seconds after I looked at her. Above her head. It was like a silent ominous countdown. Twelve days and this poor girl would drop dead. It disturbed me, I had never seen a life span so short, but that was the least of my concerns. I was devising my escape plan. Leaving Wammy's House would be simple enough, but after I made it out...well then what? I hadn't been fifty feet outside Wammy's in my life. I knew America was the location, but I had no idea how to get there. I knew that I needed someone who had lived and seen the world outside. I needed Akin.

It was silent. Maybe nine o'clock. She sat in her bed and wrote into a notebook. I thought of what to say. "Akin?" I said. She jumped and stared at me. I had her attention. "Where did you grow up? I mean... what was it like?" My questions seemed to shock her. She looked back at her notebooks and thought, then spoke very hesisitantly.

"Well, um, I... I had a mother and a father, and an older brother. I was raised in a small house with my parents, near the city. My brother was...put up for adoption when he was born, so I didn't see him growing up, but the situation was better when I was born and my parents raised me. In fact I didn't even know I had a brother until...well... Everything was fine growing up, there was lots of places to go in the city, and for the most part things were great... until I turned thirteen..." She stopped for a moment. Tears filled the brims of her eyes. "They... died in a car wreck. My brother was eighteen at the time, as my last remaining family member he became my legal guardian, and he took care of me, then enrolled me in Wammy's House when he thought I was ready, and here we are." She spoke her words carefully and waited for my response.

Her backstory circled my mind, but I had to strain it for a piece of useful information." So... you know the city pretty well, huh?" She looked confused.

"I suppose so?"

"So you would know how to get to the airport from here, and things like that?"

"Yes, but why are you-" It hit her. I wanted to leave and needed a guide. She looked upset. Like I had tainted her backstory. Like I was using her. "No... no i'm not.. leaving Wammy's House. My brother finally let me come here, i'm not leaving dammit."

She wanted to be in Wammy's House? Well, whatever the case, I didn't have time to argue. She was my only chance of getting out of there. My only chance of revenge on L. A passport, I had. The money, I had, well the leaders had but it could be easily taken. I just needed a guide. And there she was, but she would expire soon. I needed her help before her twelve days were up. I tried to be smooth and persuasive.

"I just need a little help getting there, then you could come right back, I promise." I said. She wasn't for it. She shook her head and got back to her books. I was losing my guide. A bit of anger rose in me, no, not anger more like frustration. I surpressed it, and as a last resort, I tried to hit her heart strings. I made a stride over to her bed and sat, doing my best to put on a charming grin.

"A smart girl like you would be the best guide I could ask for, won't you do it. For me?" She looked at me, studying me, and thought. Mulling the concept over in her head. For a moment, I thought my flirtatious words had gotten though to her. Then she looked away quickly and shook her head. "No...I can't... Now I need to go to sleep, I have class tomorrow." She said. She gestured me away from her bed, flipped the lightswitch off, and went to sleep.

That was it. I had lost my guide.

5 hours later

It was dark when I woke up. Everything was hazy, except the screaming. My other senses were still asleep , but my hearing was alert immediatly. Akin was screaming and flailing in her bed, I heard her fall to the floor. She was breathing heavily. It all happened so quickly, I tried to make out her words.

" NO! YOU CAN'T TRAP ME ANYMORE!...the cases...the murders...YOU CAN'T KEEP TRYING TO PROTECT ME...i'm trapped...I'M TRAPPED! I NEED TO LEAVE!"

I got out of my bed and walked cautiously over to her in the darkness, and scooped her into my arms. I rocked her a bit, trying to silence her.

"Akin, wake up, it's okay. Just wake up." My words soothed her a bit and she stopped screaming. Slowly she woke up, and put her arms around my neck. Then whispered into the darkness quietly.

"I'll...bring you to the city...if you let me come with... you." She said, half asleep, but still very concious of her words, and with those words, we had a deal.