Well here is chapter 2 of Eternal. I'm not sure what's going on right now but I really feel inspired these last few days. I guess it also helps that I have access to a computer at work and that there isn't much to do except write. I love my job but there's not much for me to do these days.
This is longer than my last chapter, however before you start telling me that my chapters have to get longer : p, my future chapters will be longer (probably double or triple the size of this). This chapter is more the continuation of the last chapter.
Hope you enjoy!
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Everything happens in threes
It was relatively early. The electronic clock was flashing 9:00 pm. The sun had just completely set 20 minutes ago. After taking her shower, she had packed the clothes she had brought in a used duffle bag. It was grey, stained and probably had wholes somewhere. The straps were about to rip but that was a minor detail. As long as it would hold her sparse belongings, it would do.
She was wearing regular dark blue jeans and a black t-shirt. Not too form-fitting as to not attract any attention. Her hair was tide into a low plain bun. Although beautiful when loose, it looked rather plain in this hairdo. Her bangs were too long and hiding half her face. She had no make-up or any kind of adornment on. The only other think she wore was a plastic electronic watch that she had bought in a dollar store a month ago.
She could have had nicer luggage, she could have had nicer clothes. Money wasn't an issue in her case. But it was a question of security. People noticed a beautiful woman; people noticed expensive things. That was exactly what she wanted to avoid. Her goal was to live her life as discreetly as possible. It was the only thing she could do. For her sake and everyone else's…
The young woman did a last survey of the apartment, making sure that every room was clean and that she hadn't forgotten anything. She wasn't going to call her landlord. He would come up knocking soon enough when the rent would fail to arrive. By then, hopefully, she would be long gone and out of reach.
Closing the door behind her, she slid her key under it. As she stepped out into the warm night, she looked for any signs of anything out of the ordinary. Her street, situated in a residential area, was deserted. Young couples with young children deciding it would be best to stay home; older couples staying home because old age didn't permit them to go out.
The full moon was shining bright above and the brightest stars could be seen despite the city lights. By all accounts, it was a beautiful night. Nobody would have thought that a young woman was being forced to run away again.
Slowly walking towards the busy streets, she never looked back on the place she could have called home during that one month she had lived there.
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On the other side of the city, a bank robbery was taking place. The owners of the drugstore were dragged to the ground and then shot repeatedly. Blood was splattered everywhere. It covered the floor, the walls, the candy rappers and packs of gum.
The one customer that had been there at the time was hiding in the far back corner hoping that the robbers would just take the money and leave. Still clutching the bags of chips he had wanted to buy, he hid his face behind his arms murmuring prayers.
The robber looking upon his handiwork with a calm acceptance, turned towards the cash register with a look of indifference. Passing by it, he went straight for the customer and shot him in the head.
By then the police had surrounded the area. With no hostages left to save, they didn't hesitate to rush the place. The supposed robber was shot in the leg. He fell hard still clutching his shotgun. Cops were upon him immediately. Grabbing the shotgun, they handcuffed him and dragged him to the police car.
Local people would say for many years to come that this had been the bloodiest incident the neighborhood had ever experienced.
Strangely enough, the robber defended himself by saying that he had no idea what had happened. He didn't remember grabbing a shotgun, didn't remember shooting these people. It turned out that he was just on his way home after a day of work. When asked what he did for a living, he answered accountant.
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During that same time in another part of the city, a young student was beating up her boyfriend with a baseball bat. Her face was contorted into an ugly grimace making her almost look inhuman.
The boyfriend had long stopped screaming and yet she continued her beating over and over again.
Her neighbor, alerted by the screams and hits, came knocking to her door. Worried that something had happened, she kept knocking and screaming for help at the same time. The landlord was finally fetched and the door opened to reveal the gruesome sight to all the inhabitants of the building.
The girl, realizing that she had an audience, launched herself with the bat at the first person but she was quickly overpowered by the men in the group.
The police was called and the girl arrested. Her eyes were unfocused giving her an eerie stare. She would then go on and defend herself that she didn't know why she had attacked her boyfriend. They had been going out for a year and half now and everything was fine. She didn't even know that they owned a baseball bat.
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In one of the richer suburbs at that same time, a young girl of eight years of age looked on as her mother started to put fire to the house. Not grasping what was going on, she stayed passive as her mother kept putting the lighter to the curtains, cushions, drapes, tablecloth and what not.
She could vaguely hear her younger brother crying in the background. Her father was still at work and probably wouldn't be back until the next morning.
As she was thinking these things, she realized that flames surrounded her. It was starting to get too hard to breath. She tried to call for her mother but she was gone.
The mother in fact had abandoned her two children and fled outside. Neighbors had gathered on the front lawn and looked at her with distrust. How had she gotten out and her children not? How could she have just left them there?
The mother just stood there frozen to the spot, looking at the flames engulfing her house, her children, her life. She seemed unfazed of what was happening to her. As if it was happening to a total stranger.
When her trial would come, she would state that she regretted doing what she did. The lighter was suddenly in her hand and she somehow forgot that her children were in the house. She couldn't state her motive, she would say before breaking into tears.
The murmurs that had emerged from the group suddenly fell silent as the scream from a young girl could be heard coming from inside. 'Mother!' it had screamed. A plea for help that would never be answered…
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That night, the evening news spoke of three separate tragedies. It would describe the horrors that had taken place in three separate neighborhoods of their city. Something to be mourned…
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A young woman would hear of the events of this night much later the next day. Getting off of the bus she had taken to get to the next big city of this wonderful country, she would be stopped by the horrific pictures that adorned the front pages of every local newspaper. Grabbing one of the newspapers, she would get back on the bus and continue her wandering.
She recognized the robber as a man that had bumped into her on her way back to her apartment. He had apologized and helped her put back her things in her purse. She could only remember that he had a nice smile. The young woman that had beaten her boyfriend had served her coffee at the local Starbucks. She had been a bit rude. She was probably having a bad day. The mother was one of those many mothers that took their kids to the park in front of where she had lived. She had been reading a book in stead of paying attention to where her children were and what they were doing. Kaoru, for that was the young woman's name, had just pointed that out to her. The mother had not appreciated the advice, offended that a stranger was telling her how best to take care of her children. All of them were people that had noticed her.
She had stayed too long in one place. People had died. It was unsafe if she stayed any longer in this area. Unsafe for them, never for her…
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Well I know this is slightly gruesome but it will get better. I hope you didn't mind too much. Tell me what you think since it is highly likely that I will write faster if I get some kind of feedback : p
(preview for next chapter: Kenshin finally makes an appearance and a bit of explanation on why these things keep happening to Kaoru)
Toodles,
missy-oa