"AH!" Tohru doubled over to catch her breath. "Well... it was worth a try." She had woken up early that morning to explore the 'world.' It wasn't that big, only about the size of the house and yard. 'So that's what a full block?' It was a small world, and that gave Tohru a good idea of just how much power Un-mother could spare.
Tohru stood up and walked to the house. 'probably using as much power as she can afford to.' Tohru stood and stared at the roof.
She didn't remember the Sohma's house even being so tall? Her heart sunk into her stomach.
"Maybe I forgot something?" In that case she had to get back to work.
It was strange how the whole place worked. after a certain point on the property, the mist would appear. A white mist would cloud everything, and you would find yourself on the other side, opposite of were you just were. Every ware Tohru had tried it was the same. She wasn't having much luck in finding Tomas, or Bill, either. In a place as small as this it shouldn't have been that easy for him to hide from her. After all wasn't he supposed to be this good guy helper? So why wasn't he popping out and helping!
Tohru started to jog slowly over to the house. "Well I might as well get started on that key quest." As she neared the house she felt someone's eyes on her, watching. 'who could it be?' She stopped in her tracks and looked around her. She could see no one.
"Bill?" Maybe he was hiding? 'or..' Tohru looked up and scanned the house. The Un-mother was intently staring at her from her bedroom window. "Hey! What's she doing in my room?" 'wait why is she watching me?' The beast continued to stare at her after she'd been spotted, and continued to do so until Tohru reached the house.
Tohru walked into the living room and sat down to think. She reviewed what seemed to be every important detail of her life. All the memories of mom, the Sohma's and her friends. Nothing seemed to be out of place, or forgotten. 'but then again, how do you remember something you don't even know you've forgotten?' She sighed went he Un-mother walked into the room.
"Hello." She said and sat across from Tohru. She picked up a book and began to read, or at least seemed to read.
Tohru leaned back and rolled her eyes at the ceiling. How long had she been here exactly? 'Hmm' she thought, 'I guess it's been four days now? So this is the fifth day?' "Wow.."
"Hmm? What is it, is there a crack in the ceiling?" The beast looked up to examine her handy work. Nope, not a crack. "Dear what's wrong?"
"The usual." Tohru said hollowly, she'd given up on emotion days ago. She stood up quickly and stormed out of the living room.
Ever since her little talk with the children Tohru had spent all of her time looking for that boy and searching for the skeleton key. Two and a half days of no results was starting to get on her nerves. Normally she would have been patient and adapted a, 'go with the flow' attitude but she really didn't have time to waste in this case. Her very memory was at stake.
Tohru stood at the foot of the stairs, hands on hips, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. "So, where to look now?" Already she had checked Shigure's study twice, and the den. Every place that something important as a key would be kept. But knowing Shigure it would be in some place completely random.
"Now.. he would have put it in some place he deemed easily accessible.. and.." Tohru racked her brain for ideas, "Come on think! uuhh..." Nothing came to mind. The simplest of places, she knew it had to be in the simplest of places. Tohru turned and walked up the stairs. If she wasn't going to be pulling out results she might as well rest her mind and try again later. She reached the second floor and turned down the hall, heading to her room.
"So I hear you been looking for me."
Tohru gasped. Standing in the doorway of her room was a boy.
"Your- your Bill!" 'Bill' as he had been named, had unruly red hair and light brown eyes. He was tall and lean and wore strange tattered dress cloths. Seeing his red hair and lean build Tohru couldn't help but think of Kyo. Her eyes started to water, how could she miss Kyo this much? She sniffed and raced to embrace Bill. A show of affection was something she was in desperate need of.
"Wait you can't-" Bill grabbed thin air as Tohru slid straight through him and hit the floor. Tohru hugged her knees and started to cry.
"Of course I can't hug you, your dead, just a ghost. I wouldn't have been able to hold Kyo either." She buried her head in her knees so that Bill wouldn't see her tears. Not that it was of much use, he could hear her sobs just as well.
"Hey, " he knelt down next to her, "Look I understand how you feel, just stay string for a few more days. Can you do that for me?"
Tohru sniffled and looked up at Bill. "Yeah I guess. I'm Tohru, who are you really?"
His face darkened and he looked away, "I don't remember what my name is anymore, I think it started with a P." Apparently he had been there a long time.
Tohru smiled and stood up, now was not the time to be grieving over her situation. It was time to be strong and be brave for the others. "So what is it you have to tell me?"
Bill directed her into the bedroom and sat down on the floor. Tohru followed him in, shut the door behind her, then sat down beside him. "Actually Tohru, What I have to tell you Isn't good news." He lay down on the cool stone floor, "You know Tohru this was made of wood yesterday. You've forgotten something again." Bill turned to miss Honda.
She placed a hand over her mouth, how could she forget what her own room looked like? "It really was made of wood wasn't it?" They both stared as the floor slowly turned back into wood. "Even if it's bad news, I still want to know it."
He hesitated before speaking, "Your key lies in the hands of the boy."
"Guess I was wrong about that 'simplest of places' thing."