"This is...awkward," muttered a black cat.
Indeed. Such an awkward sight that many people started to stare; their eyes landed and started to dance upon the strangest group of people they had seen. It was composed of a short, grubby, sly looking middle-aged man, a sullen, serious looking younger man, and a silver-haired girl with a blank expression on her face. Cradled within the arms of the girl was the black cat. Huang, Hei, Yin, and Mao were making their way through the night time city. They were hardly ever together in a group, let alone in public.
"It's fine," Hei said quietly.
"Yes but..." Mao started to say, but Huang cut him off.
"This has nothing to do with them, it's just us.■
Mao gave both of them a nasty look (as nasty as a cat could give), and turned to take in the surroundings. They were definitely in the upper class area now. All the windows were spotless, the gutters grime free and the streets swept clean of all litter and dirt. The people also managed to add to this effect. Many of the men were dressed in neatly pressed business suits; tie straightened beyond what a human could do. The woman were clutching onto handbags, diamond incrusted, and made from the skin of some endangered animal. Beads and necklaces were strewn across their necks, and their fingers peppered with rings. This was no doubt, not a place for a group like them. Nevertheless, Huang had insisted they come with him. He had not told the group as to where to but had assured them it would not be something dangerous.
Mao looked away from his surroundings and began to see exactly what made the crowd stare at them so intently. Hei had his hands in his pockets, and was looking at the ground. He didn't look like the kind of guy to pick a fight with. He would be deemed a "ruffian" in these parts. Then there was Huang with his low placed hat, cigarette, and his beady little eyes. He would be called a "Gangster". Then lastly there was Yin, sporting silvery hair, slightly gothic clothing, and a blank face all whilst clutching a black cat. She fell under the category of "Bizzare". Mao sighed.
It was little past 9:30 PM when they arrived at a bus stop. Huang had felt no need to bring his car to finish the last part of their little journey, so they took the bus. It was completely empty save for the Driver. This must have been the last stop for the night. They worked their way to the back of the bus and took the very last seats. Huang sat in the middle and immediately took out a newspaper. Hei sat to his right and Yin to his left with Mao curled up in her lap, taking a short nap.
Yin was now staring out the window though she was unable to see anything. It was difficult to live with this yet been blind had enabled her other senses to grow past what a normal human would have. Many people would swear by first sight she was not blind. Yet once they saw her fumbling around with items, they were all the same. She disliked their pity; as it was impossible for all of them to be sorry. They did not even know her personally, so their was no reason for them to be genuinely sympathetic. Yin wished, just for once that she could see even if it was just for a day, just to see everyone▓s faces, their clothes, their expressions...but she knew that it would never be possible. Regardless, she still wanted to find things out concerning the visual world.
"Huang?" Yin's voice was quiet...
"Hmmmm?" Huang grunted to show he was listening,
"Colour...What is it?"
Huang was very taken a back by her question.
"Well uh...let's see..." He was clearly having a difficult time trying to produce an answer after all how do you explain something like this? He turned to meet her blank eyes and was surprised by that tiniest little bit of curiosity he saw in them.
"It's kinda hard hard to explain. I guess the easiest way to explain it would be...it gives things definition." He folded up the newspaper and continued. "Think about if your sad for example, the colour would be similar to blue or if your angry it would be red...understand?"
Yin looked slightly puzzled at this analogy.
"Sad...Angry...?"
Huang jumped up when he realized his own mistake. He seriously felt like hitting himself severely over the head. ▒She's a doll you fool, a doll! What would she know about those things?▓ he scolded himself.
"Just forget that. I'll explain it properly another time." He returned to his newspaper. Yin felt a slight pang of disappointment with Huang. The bus rumbled on and the four bounced around in their seats. There was no more talking for the rest of the trip.
"Stop 43!" yelled the bus driver.
"That▓s us," Huang muttered to the group.
They got up and left the bus.
"Where to now?" asked Mao who seemed to have awakened from his nap.
"It▓s just down this street," Huang pointed towards a fancy looking restaurant.
"So that▓s the place huh? Some smart joint?" Hei turned to Huang.
He grinned. "What can I say? My treat."
Mao glanced at him curiously. "Unusually kind of you"
Huang fixed his jacket and dusted off his hat. "You guys smarten up a bit. We're not royalty but we gotta look like something.■ With that the group started straightening up. Mao even groomed his fur, casting a beady eye over them.
Huang waved them over. "Ok let▓s go"
It saw them. All of them. It saw them in the street. It saw them on the bus.
It even felt the disappointment from the young girl. Now It saw them in the street again. Should It attack? Tear? Kill? Instinct wanted to take over, but It somehow restrained Itself. It needed to strike soon, but not now. An opening was needed...
Standing outside the restaurant a thought suddenly struck Hei. "Wait┘what about Mao?"
Mao looked indignantly at Hei. "What about me?
Huang turned to Hei. "Dont worry about that. I▓m friend's with the manager here. It's all been taken care of."
Mao changed from indignant to nervous at these words. "W-what▓s taken care of?" Hei gave Mao a smile and continued on inside. The group followed suite with Mao still looking edgy.
The matridere (the fancy guy at the front desk of restaurants that seats people) was at his desk to greet them and mentally reeled in shock at the sight of the four people approaching him. Trying with some difficulty not to sound rude, he cleared his throat and asked, "May I help you?"
"Huang."
The name instantly brought about a change in the man and he now seemed to be willing to jump of a bridge for them. "Of course, sir. Right this way."
Huang grinned at the group and took the lead.
Yin let go of Mao and took Hei's hand so as not to collide with anything. Following the matridere to their table they accumulated many disapproving stares along the way. The stares followed them like knives and would be just as deadly if the group were normal people. Fortunately in this case, they weren't. Yin was steered to her chair which Hei pulled out for her and helped seat her. She then stared into vacant space; her thoughts were anyone▓s guess.
Hei and Huang took their seats and Mao took his spot on the floor, looking suspiciously at all the waiters. The restaurant had that posh feeling to it with the many lights, the red decor and the snobbish people.
A waiter soon came up to them with menus.
"Anything you want, guys? Don▓t worry about the price," Huang said with his new found grin. Huang himself ordered the Escargot for him and the biggest piece of meat they had for Mao. The waiter scurried off towards the kitchen. In the meantime Hei read all the items for Yin, helping her decide.
"So what you going to have?" he asked.
Yin thought for a minute then replied, "Ramen."
Huang scowled at this. "I said you could order anything you know. You don't want something else?"
Yin shook her head. Huang shook his too, sighing.
The waiter came back with Huang's escargot and the biggest piece of steak anyone would ever see. Mao's eyes were as large as dinner plates and he immediately attacked the meat.
The waiter was now ready to take Hei's and Yin's order.
"Two bowls of ramen please."
The waiter once again scurried off to the kitchen.
Whilst waiting, Hei took in the surroundings and noticed something odd.
Seated right in the corner was a man with long black hair, and black trench coat. He was staring right at them. The man didn't appear to have a meal and was just as out of place as they were. His hair partially covered his face, so Hei couldn▓t get a good look at him. The man never turned away and continued to stare at them. Hei▓s eyes casually landed on a glass of water directly in front of him, and had an idea.
"Yin," Hei whispered to the silver head.
She turned to him.
"There's a man with long hair and a trench coat in the corner. I want you to check him out."
She nodded and felt around for a glass of water.
Once found, she dipped her fingers in it. After a few minutes she drew them out again.
Hei glanced at Huang and Mao, not wanting to attract their attention.
"Did you get him?" he whispered.
Yin shook her head. She whispered back in her monotone voice, "there is no such man in this room."
Hei drew his head away from her and turned towards the corner. The man had vanished. Was it his imagination? A Phantom? Or had the man had already left?
"Here▓s your ramen┘" the waiter said, ending whatever thoughts were planning on appearing in Hei▓s head.
It happened so quickly. No warnings or signs. Just happened.
Hei grabbed Yin, flipped over the table, and covered her. An explosion rocked the restaurant and sent glass flying .He didn't know how it happened, but his reflexes had probably saved him and Yin.
Once the dust had settled he let go of her and cautiously peeked over the table. Debris was everywhere, tables and chairs crushed beneath most of it but strangely no bodies or people. He looked around. No Huang or Mao. Nobody.
Still Shaken from the suddenness of the explosion, he stepped out into the centre of the room. Hei began to grow suspicious. What was this? He started to frantically sift through the rubble. Yin walked up behind him, silently; a glint of steel from her hand. He turned around just in time to spring out the way. She stumbled forward, but regained her balance.
Hei saw the knife in her hand, anger and confusion rippling on his
face. "What do you think your doing?!" he shouted at the doll.
She was different, much, much different. There was a demonic smile plastered to her face and her eyes looked mad and alive. Instead of purple her dress, it was now black and full of blood. The blade was drenched in it too. Silently gliding towards him, she raised the blade over her head preparing to take another swipe. Hei ducked and ran around her, testing something.
Yin's eyes followed his moves all around the restaurant confirming his fears. Her eyesight was defiantly restored as well. Instantly, he was struck with an idea. He decided to take cover in the storage room to work out what was going on.
Yin once again glided towards him in her trance. He waited for her to step close enough and threw a handful dust into her eyes. She screamed and stumbled back as the dust hit her square in the face.
Her smiled faded into an angry scowl as she tried to rub the dust from her eyes. This gave Hei the chance to duck into the kitchen. He darted from there straight into the storage room. The locked sounded with a loud click. It would take Yin a while to find him in here. He sat down behind a box, putting his head into his hands. Just what the hell is going on here...?
Author▓s notes: Once again been ultra busy, that▓s why this one took so long. Sorry about that. Hope you liked it and thx again for reading. Any suggestions or comments let me know (R&R please?) Chapter 5 is coming up! Thx once again to Wayra :)