Next chapter! This thing is getting so much reviews, thanks you guys. Some people found the length of the last chapter too short so I'm going to try to extend it a bit, maybe by 1,000 words or so but no promises. We'll se just how much my brain spits out.
I awoke earlier than normal the next day. Wether it was because I was nervous or frustrated or simply had trouble sleeping, I'll never know. All I know is I woke up at around 6 that morning, pulled on a pair of faded jeans and a T-shirt, smoothed my hair over with my fingers, and made my way into the kitchen. It was still relatively dark with only the light coming from the street lamps outside. A fine mist had settled over the neighborhood and it did nothing to ease my tension. It only seemed to make me even more groggy, coaxing me to fall on the couch in the living room and sleep the morning away - which I very well could do. Mai was covering for me that day due to my meeting with Shizuru and I didn't have anything else to do other than searching for another job.
I stopped, moaning, and fell down on the couch anyhow with a hand over my eyes. I still needed to figure out how to get another job. It wouldn't be easy and no one was hiring - as far as I knew. Annie, Alyssa and I would need to tighten our belts a bit more just to scrape by. I didn't want to tell them to make more sacrifices than we already do, but it would have to be done if we were to survive . . . if I were to keep them.
With a sigh I rubbed my temples. Shizuru had better know what she was doing, I mused, staring straight at the electronic clock perched upon a table. It's red, blocky numbers blinked back at me like the lazy eyes of a cat disturbed from its rest. Otherwise my mother would wipe the floor with me and make my life a living hell, well, more of a hell than it already was.
"No," I muttered quietly so only I could hear.
I wouldn't give up so easily, I couldn't allow my mother to law her hands upon my sisters. She didn't deserve to do to them what she did to me. Alyssa and Anberlin deserved a better fate than that. I needed to have faith in Shizuru that she knew what she was doing. She seemed to be a pretty good lawyer and I had no doubt that she could charm her way out of any mess . . . just like how she charmed me.
A hot blush crept over my cheeks and I shook it away, sitting up. No, I reasoned. We hardly knew each other and with good looks like that she undoubtedly had a boyfriend . . . or a girlfriend. And in any case it wouldn't be good politics for a lawyer to be involved with her client and vice versa. No, it would be better to just leave crushes between nonfiction and fiction in the fantasy isle.
Rising up off the couch, I crossed over into the kitchen and flicked on the light. Harsh yellow light stung my eyes and for a moment I had to cringe, holding up an arm until my vision slowly adjusted. That was the one time I wished that the house was equipped with that kind of fancy lighting where you could move a dial-up and down and control the brightness.
Blinking away the blindness I stumbled towards a worn out coffee pot and grabbed the glass pot, filling up halfway with tap water. Working in a coffee shop, I often wondered why I wasn't sick of coffee (or didn't get a free latte when I wanted). Returning to the pot, I dumped it in and changed out the filter, putting in a couple scoops of the black stuff and pressing the On button and waiting for it to brew. The room filled with the harsh gurgle of boiling water and I leaned against the kitchen sink to stare out of the window into the darkness.
My mind wandered into nothingness I just stood there, staring. I almost bored myself to sleep and would have dozed off if I hadn't seen a flicker of movement in the window. Frowning, I peered closer at the reflection and sighed, shaking my head. Pulling away, I stuck my hands in my pockets and casually tramped down the hallway, shutting the door just as soon as Anberlin opened it.
"Where do you think you're going?" I asked pointedly. She stared up at me, thinking.
"Play basketball," she replied, holding up a worn ball for good measure, as if it would persuade me to allow her to leave.
I raised an eyebrow. "This early in the morning?"
She peered into the darkness of the living room at the clock. "It's 6:10."
A harsh sigh left my lips. I wasn't in any mood to deal with her antics. "You're not going out this early when the streetlights haven't even gone out."
"But Natsuki I promised my friend I would meet her at the court by 6:30!" she cried.
My brow raised even more. "What friend?"
"Irina Woods. She's a girl from school, total tech geek so I decided she needed to get out more." Anberlin brought the ball up to her finger and spun it, occasionally tapping it to keep it going.
I didn't reply right away. I had never met Irina Woods (but then again I haven't met many of Anberlin's friends, if she even had any). I didn't want to let her go running around so early in the morning - especially on a school day.
"Why're you even up this early?" I asked. "It's a school day, normally you'd still be in bed."
"Oh, didn't I tell you? It's a furlough day. You know, budget cuts and whatnot." Anberlin shrugged, hoisting the small sports backpack higher upon her shoulder. "Yeah we got the day off, Alyssa too."
"Really?" I had been aware of the budget cuts in the schools and it sounded plausible, and Anberlin wouldn't bring Alyssa into it unless it were true . . . "Okay, how long are you going to be gone?"
Relief sparkled in Annie's blue eyes and she offered a small smile. "I dunno. Maybe half an hour, an hour?"
I nodded. "Okay, I have somewhere to be later, so make sure you're here by the time I leave." I opened the door for her, watching as she jumped onto the porch. "And stay with Alyssa while I'm gone! I don't want you two running around the streets and I don't know where you are."
"Natsuki, chill!" Anberlin cried, turning back to face me from the curb. "Geez, we're not going to do anything crazy. Trust me, okay? Later." She took off down the street at a swift run, disappearing around the corner in a matter of seconds.
For some reason I had the want to go after her, to bring her back and coax her into staying in the house. Still, I had to trust her. She was a growing girl and even though she got into trouble and was a pain in the ass more often than not, I had to give her the benefit of the doubt that she would do the right thing. Sighing, I stepped back into the house and closed the door behind me.
The house was silent, which wasn't anything unusual. Alyssa was still asleep and Anberlin was still out. The fog outside was so thick that no sunlight was able to penetrate through, leaving me alone in the darkness. After a brief session of lazing on the couch, I ventured towards the kitchen once more to drain the last of the coffee. It was probably cold now, I reasoned with a yawn, but a quick trip in the microwave would fix that.
Oddly enough, the hall to the kitchen seemed a lot longer than usual and the more I walked, the longer it seemed to be. Frustrated I broke out into a trot then a run, but the pathway seemed never-ending. What was worse, my limbs were sluggish and slow, making a simple task such as running a chore. I became winded before long and had to stop for breath, the light from the kitchen bleeding into the pitch of the hall, teasing me, taunting.
"This is weird," I finally concluded after I caught my breath. Standing straight, I began walking once more, but the light still eluded me, drifting further and further the closer I got until I finally gave up. Coffee wasn't worth the trouble. Shaking my head, I turned to walk back toward the living room when I was suddenly met with the horrendous sight of Nao.
I cried out, surprised and fearful, and stumbled back so suddenly that I tripped over my ankles. I fell with a hard crash onto the floor and stared up at her. She was glaring at me as if I were the worst monster in the world and in the dark of the hall her eyes glowed a poisonous green. My throat ran dry and I was thrown into a panic.
"H-How did you get in here?!" I yelped. "How did you know where I live?"
She smirked and chuckled in a way that sounded like bones breaking. My blood ran cold. "You've lived in the same house all of your life," she purred, walking towards me even as I scooted back. The click of her boots echoed in my ears like gunshots.
I thought fast, holding up a hand as if it would shield me. "Listen, whatever it is we can talk it. I'll pay back the money, I'll do anything."
"Stop your blubbering, Kuga," Nao sighed with as bored a tone as ever. It was as if I wasn't worth her time, as if this was no more than an annoying errand. "You should know that at this point there are no negotiations." She reached into her pocket and toyed with something. I heard a click! and I blanched.
Nao smiled like how a cat would smile after it cornered a bird and she withdrew what she was playing with in her pocket - a gun. "You know how the game works," she said as she loaded five bullets into the chamber. The tips of said bullets were painted bright green - Nao's signature color. "I'll give you to the count of ten to run as fast as you can. If you can outrun the bullets, you're free to go." She cocked the gun and glanced back at me evilly.
The blood pumped so hard and fast in my veins that it hurt. My heart was raging against my ribs in fright and every last ounce of warmth left my body. I was frozen, scared and terrified of what would happen to me. In all the executions Nao had carried out, she never missed a single target - and I would be no different. My time had come and there was only one chance I had to live.
Run!
Before I knew what was happening, my legs were carrying me straight down the hallway faster than I ever thought possible. My lungs burned and my legs already ached but I kept running. I wasn't going to die.
Nao's wicked laughter echoed around me, surrounding me. "That's it! Run, Kuga, run!" A sudden explosion bounced off to my right and I yelped, pumping my legs faster. Nao had missed that shot on purpose. It was a test, a way to entertain herself before she went in for the kill.
"Ten . . ." Nao counted, humor lacing every single syllable. "Nine . . . Eight . . . Seven . . . Six . . . Five . . ."
She fired again, this time to my left, nearly grazing the skin of my elbow.
I was so scared. Even though I was running as fast as I could, it wasn't fast enough. Nao was gaining and so was Death. I could feel the icy grip of his hand upon my back, ready to squeeze every ounce of life out of me.
"Please," I begged, keeping straight ahead for the light. If I reached it, I could find my gun taped under the kitchen sink. "Please, help me!"
"Four . . ."
Bang!
Shrapnel bounced off my heels and I screwed my eyes shut, running with all my might until every muscle burned. Sweat poured down my face until the collar of my shirt was soaked.
"Three . . ."
Bang!
"AH!" The skin of my arm ripped open as the bullet grazed the skin in a deadly kiss. Hot blood dripped out of the wound and I fought back the urge to stop. I needed to keep going. A wound to the arm would heal, but nothing could heal the dead.
"Two . . ."
Bang!
Sharp pain worse than I could imagine exploded in the calf of my right leg and I screamed, losing balance and crashing to the ground. My hands flew to my calf, squeezing the muscle as hot blood poured all over my fingers. I lay there grunting like an animal, trying to fight back the pain. It felt as if my whole leg had been amputated, the bone inside shattered and poking into every soft fiber it could. I had to get to a hospital.
The clicking of heels on the ground sent me shivering again and I looked back to see Nao approaching. She was moving the chamber of the gun to fit the last bullet and I panicked. Desperately I clawed at the ground, inching myself along towards the light. It was so close now, just a few more feet and I would be safe. I could call for help, I could get my gun - I could live.
A sudden crushing pressure on my wounded leg stalled me in place and I moaned, falling back against the ground in sheer agony. I thought I would surely pass out, it was so intense. Nao forcefully rolled me over onto my back and smiled down at me. I could only stare.
"Please," I begged, holding up a hand again. "Please, don't. I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
My pleas were unheard as Nao slowly raised the gun until it was eye-level with me. I lost all feeling in my body, shaking violently as tears coursed down my cheeks in a torrent. I had met my end.
"One," Nao grinned and pulled the trigger.
"Natsuki! Natsuki! Wake up!"
Bolting upright from the couch I yelped and looked around frantically. Sunlight seeped in through the windows and nothing seemed disturbed. Alyssa stood next to me, brow crumpled in worry.
"You okay?" she asked in a timid voice. "Did you have a bad dream?"
Panting hard, I continued to stare at her, the terrifying image of Nao fresh in my mind. That had been all too real for my taste and even though it was a nightmare, I felt like I had lived every waking moment of it. Even as I sat there I could still feel the dull pain in my leg where Nao shot me through.
I ran a hand through my hair, trying to calm myself so Alyssa would be at ease. "Yeah," I nodded. "Just a bad dream." I smiled ruefully. "Don't worry about it, okay?"
Gazing up at me with her big blue eyes, Alyssa pursed her lips as if she were thinking really hard. It was as if she could see right through my carefree front to the real trouble beneath and for a moment I was worried she might expose me.
"What was it about?" she suddenly asked and I blanched. How could I tell a little kid that my ex-drug lord came at me with a gun and murdered me in cold blood? Alyssa was still ignorant to my dark past and I preferred to keep it that way.
"A monster tried to eat me," I lied. "It was really scary." I gazed down at her sheepishly and placed a hand on her head, ruffling the soft locks of blonde hair. "Sorry if I woke you up."
Alyssa smiled and beamed at the touch, her icy eyes sparkling. "I was already up." Striding forward, she climbed up on the couch and moved to sit in my lap, leaning so that her back was pressed against my front. My arms instinctively wrapped around her, my chin resting on her head.
"Wanna know what I do when monsters try to eat me?" she asked.
I hummed, buzzing Alyssa's head. "Sure."
"I close my eyes, hug my bear, and tell it that it's not real," Alyssa stated as if it were the greatest advice in the world. "Then it goes away!"
The corners of my lips quirked upwards ever so slightly. "Is that so? That's good advice. You should be a therapist and make lots of money helping people solve their problems."
Tilting her head upwards, she smiled at me. "Really?"
I nodded, smiling back. "Really, really."
"Yay!" she squealed. "Then we can all live in a big house with a big yard and a swimming pool. We can have a bazillion rooms and fill them with ice cream and ponies and unicorns . . ."
She prattled on like this for at least ten minutes or so, but I had gone deaf to her. I had no doubt Alyssa would have a great future, and Anberlin too. They were both smart girls and had everything going for them, and to the deepest part of my heart I hoped that all of their dreams and wishes would come true where mine had ceased to exist.
"That sounds great," I praised once she had stopped ranting. "And just think, all of that could be possible. You just have to reach out and grab it."
Smiling again, Alyssa stretched out her hand and closed her fingers into a fist as if she might snatch something from the air. I blinked.
"What're you doing?" I asked as she tried a second time.
"Reaching out and grabbing it," Alyssa answered simply. She opened her hand only to find nothing there. "But how come I'm not getting anything?"
A laugh rocked my throat and I shook my head. "No, it's a metaphor. It means good things will happen to you as long as you're patient and you keep trying. You don't get anything if you don't work for it." And sometimes even if you work, you still don't get what you deserve.
"Oohhh. Okay, that makes sense, but Natsuki I want it now. How long do I have to wait?"
I could only shrug. "I don't know. Sometimes you could wait a very long time, and sometimes it could happen like that." I snapped my fingers. "It all depends."
"On what?"
That was a hard question. I would have liked to have said Fate or Destiny or even God, but that would only lead to more questions that I didn't want to answer. And besides, I couldn't answer that when I didn't even know myself.
"I don't know."
Alyssa pouted. "But I thought you knew everything."
"No, I don't know everything," I admitted with a laugh. "I wish I did though." Perhaps if I did, I could find out why my life had taken such a downturn over the years.
Setting her off my lap and into the floor, I stood up and stretched, the muscles in my back popping. For only being 21, I sure felt old. "Where's Annie? She back yet?"
Alyssa nodded, still watching me. "Uh huh, she's in her room sleeping. I think she got hurt."
I blinked. "What happened?"
The girl shrugged. "I dunno. She has this big purple bruise over her eye."
I frowned. "Hm, she might have overdone it on the basketball court. Make sure she puts some ice on it to keep the swelling down." I glanced to the electric clock and took a step back. 8:30. How long was I asleep? By the time I made it into the city, I reasoned, Shizuru's office should be open. Most business were open around 9 anyhow.
"Natsuki, you're blushing!" Alyssa jeered, giggling and pointing at my face.
"What?" Reaching up, I touched my cheek only to find it burning hot. Crap! I couldn't even think about Shizuru without blushing! "It's just hot in here," I downplayed.
Striding towards the door I pulled on my weathered pair of sneakers and the Letterman jacket left to my by my dad. Even after all these years I could still smell the faint musk of his cologne.
"I have to go somewhere really quick, but I'll be back later." Digging out the keys to the door, I fit it into the lock and opened it up. The air smelled fresh and clean. "If you get hungry have Annie make you something to eat." Bending down, I pulled Alyssa into a hug and I couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu. "I love you. Be good, okay?"
Alyssa nodded. "Always."
Yes, still no Shiznat, unless you count some Natsuki thinking about her. I don't want to keep the chapters very long because a) I don't have the patience or time for that and b) I don't want to bore anyone with extremely long chapters.
Okay, for sure this time. Next chapter will be all about ShizNat, I promise. It'll be mostly about Shiznat from now on and their relationship and how it grows.
