Chapter 3: Stalked

The next day, Watanuki couldn't help but feel uncomfortable as he felt an unwelcome gaze fall upon him ever since he first awoke. However, whenever he couldn't take it anymore and would turn around to see who was there, would always find nothing. Even while walking down the street as he headed for school he could still feel something watching him.

"Maybe I'm just being paranoid because of last night. I'm probably thinking too much about this," Watanuki reasoned under his breath.

"That'd be a first," a monotonous voice said bringing him out of his thoughts.

"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?" Watanuki shouted as he whirled around facing the voice that clearly belonged to Doumeki.

"You're too loud," he stated putting a finger in his ear in an attempt to readjust his hearing. Watanuki humphed and continued walking down the road still feeling the same awkward stare but with less intensity. Doumeki followed closely behind.

"So what happened last night?" said archer inquired.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Watanuki denied, hoping to fool the archer into dropping it knowing full he would get involved one way or another.

"You're not fooling anyone, I overheard you mumbling to yourself. So spill," Doumeki ordered in his usual apathetic manner. Sighing Watanuki complied.

"It was no big deal, I just felt like something was following me home last night."

"A spirit?"

"I think so but I never really turned around to see for myself."

"So you were too scared to even see what it was?"

"I was not scared!" Watanuki snapped even though Doumeki knew that was pretty much hitting the nail on the head. "Anyway, ever since then I've felt like someone or something's been watching me."

"How about now?" Doumeki asked casting a sideways glance.

"Yeah, but its not as intense now," Watanuki admitted. Doumeki turned around to look behind him but saw nothing. He looked all around to see if he could pinpoint the source from wherever it was hiding.

"I don't see anything so most likely it is a spirit," Doumeki announced after surveying the area. "And you didn't catch a glimpse of it whatsoever?" Watanuki shook his head.

"No, every time I tried to it just seemed to disappear." Doumeki was silent for a moment before speaking again.

"I don't have practice today so I'll walk home with you."

"WHO SAID I NEEDED YOUR HELP?" Watanuki spat. "Besides I'll be heading to Yuuko's place so I should be pretty safe and if things get worse I can just ask her about it."

"You should at least keep the Kudakitsune with you from now on," Doumeki suggested.

"WHAT ARE YOU MY MOTHER?" Watanuki yelled making Doumeki cover his ears. As the duo continued their walk to school, neither of them noticed a small spiritual cloud of smoke that lurked a distance away in the shadows, "smirking" ominously.

Once at school, Watanuki and Doumeki went their separate ways and headed to their respective classes. In first period Watanuki, who sat in his usual seat in the back row by the window, started to feel the same sensation of being watched once again with even more intensity than before.

"I guess it really must be a spirit seeing as how it's gotten worse now that Doumeki's gone," Watanuki thought. "Forget about that now, I have to focus," he thought shaking his head slightly and turning his attention back to the lecture. However, it became increasingly difficult to focus, as the awkward sensation of being watched began to change into a feeling of desire with each passing second. Watanuki felt chills spread throughout his body as he knew what the feeling of "desire" meant to a spirit.

"Great, its getting worse," he thought as fear began to form in the pit of his stomach. "If this keeps up I'll be devoured before I even get to Yuuko's place." He shifted uncomfortably in his chair as he continued to feel its cryptic gaze. To make matters worse it seemed to get even stronger as Watanuki somehow could feel it draw closer. Now hunched over his desk he couldn't take it anymore as he slowly turned his head around but before he could see it fully, he felt something firmly and swiftly wrap around his upper arm. Watanuki couldn't help but let out a yelp as he shot up from his seat. The teacher stopped speaking and everyone in the class turned to face him. The sensation that was once behind him seemed to cease for the moment. Embarrassed, Watanuki excused himself saying he didn't feel well and left the classroom before the teacher could ask questions. As he walked down the hall, the phenomenon returned shortly, lingering behind him.

During lunch Watanuki was unusually silent, this made even Himawari, despite her obliviousness, notice something was amiss.

"You seem awfully quiet Watanuki-kun. Is everything alright?" Watanuki stopped staring and poking at his lunch and looked up.

"Yeah, I'm fine Himawari-chan," he replied masking his concern with a fake smile. However Doumeki saw through his lie.

"You don't look fine."

"Well nobody was asking you," Watanuki responded annoyed as he took up a bite of rice with his chopsticks.

"Something happened didn't it?" Doumeki asked causing Watanuki to visibly flinch and nearly choke on the chunk of rice he was currently chewing. Again Doumeki took notice.

"Nothing happened!" Watanuki snapped.

"You're lying," Doumeki stated. The two looked at each other in the eye and all was quiet for a while as the stare down continued. Sighing Watanuki finally caved.

"Okay, fine. Yes, something happened," Watanuki began unhappily. "That thing that was following me made another appearance." Doumeki continued to stare at him as his eyes narrowed slightly but kept silent.

"Doumeki-kun told me about it already, so another spirit is following you Watanuki-kun?" Himawari asked. "You didn't get hurt did you?"

"No," Watanuki responded shaking his head. "But it did grab my arm and I pulled away. It hasn't tried to touch me since however, I still feel it stalking me."

"And you still don't know what it is?" Doumeki asked finally speaking up.

"Actually, as it was hovering over me in class, I managed to catch a glimpse of it."

"And?" Doumeki pressed for more information.

"It looked like some sort of dark cloudy mass. And when it grabbed me," Watanuki paused motioning to his arm. "It felt like some sort of…tentacle."

"Any marks?" Doumeki inquired eyes narrowing further.

"A little, I checked when I excused myself to the nurse's and there were some marks that looked like…something stung me," Watanuki said mumbling the last few words. Himawari raised a hand to her mouth in concern and Doumeki placed down his chopsticks rather roughly.

"I'll walk you to and from that woman's shop from now on until we figure something out," Doumeki asserted staring hard at Watanuki.

"Who said YOU get to make my decisions for me?" Watanuki retorted a little loudly. Doumeki "glared" at Watanuki causing him to be slightly taken aback.

"Ask her what to do about it when you head back there today," the archer demanded referring to Yuuko.

"I was going to without you saying so!" Watanuki snapped. "Although she's going to add it to my debt, I just know it."

"At least we know Yuuko-san will have some sort of solution, she always does!" Himawari commented trying to lighten the mood. Watanuki gave a more realistic smile and nodded as he began to feel more relieved now.

"Probably. After all, things could be a lot worse," Doumeki noted causing Watanuki look at him with a hint of curiosity. "The police could be hounding you for disturbing the peace or acting like some kind of lunatic."

"WHAT KIND OF CRACK WAS THAT YOU JERK?" Watanuki hollered and began his usual rant to Doumeki who covered his ears with his palms and Himawari not helping but giggle at the expected outburst.