DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING...:(
The only thing I have to say is that I'm going to be posting new chapters more often than I originally said. So please ask questions, R&R, and always remember...
^^THe SHaDoWPuPPeTTe iS aLWaYS WaTCHiNG^^
Previously, on 'The Death Games'...
In the woods waits the only person that I can truly be myself with. Soul "Eater" Evans. I can feel my face relaxing and my pace quickening as I climb the hill to our spot, the old communications tower. It looks kind of dull, but from the top, it overlooks a valley, and a large circle of fruit trees hides it from unwanted eyes; we're completely safe. The sight of him waiting for me on one of the poles makes me smile. It's true, as Soul says, that I only smile in the woods.
"Hey, Gregory."
"Hey, Gregory." Souls says. My name is Maka, but I had boasted about how I had a Grigori Soul, which is very rare today.
"It's Grigori," I say through my teeth. I can feel a vein pulsing in my forehead, and my left brow twitching from annoyance. "And do you have to call me by my soul? You don't see me calling you Alberto or something like that, do you?"
"Whatever," Soul holds up a loaf of bread pierced with a butcher's knife on a stick. A miniature scythe. My mood brightens instantly, and take the loaf in my hands. It's real bakery bread, not the horrid bread made from the grain Death City gives us. "Look what I caught."
I remove the "scythe", and hold the puncture in the bread to my nose, inhaling the aroma that makes my mouth water. Bread like this should not be wasted, but we're probably going to. At least, Soul might.
"Ooh, it's still warm," I moan. He must have been at the bakery before sunrise to trade for it. Then I realise something, and begin to feel annoyed again. "How'd you steal it this time?"
"Actually," he scoffs, and it looks like he's pouting as he glares at me. "I traded for it. Old man Shinigami had it and decided it was only worth one squirrel. I think he felt sorry for me, he even wished me luck."
"Well," I reply sarcastically. "Don't we all feel a little closer today?" I suddenly remember something, and grin. "Oh, I almost forgot! Crona left us a cheese this morning!"
As I pull out the treat, I see his expression brighten. He suddenly places his hands together and bows his head.
"Thank Death himself," he says. "For Crona. This is gonna be so cool!"
Then he starts mocking Marie Mjolnir, the insanely positive woman who reads the names at the Reaping. I don't get how someone could be so bright and preppy for an occasion like this. It's kind of scary, especially with the black patch over her left eye.
"Oh, silly me, I almost forgot! Have a dandy Death Game!" he says while tossing a berry my way. "And may Death Himself…"
I catch the berry in my mouth, breaking the fragile skin. An explosion of tart flavors fill my mouth.
"...be ever in your favor!" I laugh. We always joke about the Reaping, because the alternative is to be scared into madness. Besides, almost anything sounds funny when Marie says it, because she can be so clumsy.
I watch as Soul pulls out a knife and slices the bread. Kids mistake him for a demon, and it's not very hard to see why. He has an Albino soul. His hair is white and spiky, his teeth are sharp and pointed, and his eyes are a deep crimson color. But, these traits don't make him a monster, he's just a one-of-a-kind human. Most people in Sector 12 have dirty blonde hair and emerald green eyes like me, which is why Soul, Crona, and from what I've heard the Shinigamis, stand out. However, Crona is special for a different reason.
Crona was born just like me, along with basically everyone else in this district. She lived with her mother in an apothecary shop out in the field. Her mother was obsessed with alchemy, and a believer in witchcraft. She often experimented on poor Crona. If Crona tried to escape, she would be severely punished. The side effects of these experiments changed Crona's hair from blonde to bright pink. Her eyes became dark; unless she's scared or stressed, then they glowed an electric blue. The creepiest outcome of all of this, though, is that her blood is now black.
My parents noticed her meandering the streets; bruised, bloodied, and nearly driven insane. It took them a while to catch her and calm her down, and even longer to get her name. When they realised who she was, they reported to the Death Seals. Her mother was turned in for child abuse, and my parents were given permission adopt her. I met Crona a year before the accident.
Soul spread the soft goat cheese onto each slice of bread, carefully adding a basil leaf on top, while I gathered fruits and berries. We settle down at the top of the tower, on a plank of wood sticking out over an apple tree. We can't be seen; however, we can still see the field if we really look.
It really is beautiful: the breezy blue skies, the luscious green grass, the sun reflecting off of a lake filled with mysteriously colored yet delicious fish. The food was even better, with cheese seeping into soft, sponge like bread, and berries bursting in our mouths. Every once in a while, Soul would pull out a pre-kishin soul to eat. It was simply a part of his diet, I was more than used to it by now.
If it were a holiday, this would have been fantastic. I could just spend the rest of my day reading, hunting, and goofing off with Soul and Crona. Despite her many fears, she can be really sweet, understanding, and funny. Unfortunately, we have to be in Death Square by two o'clock and wait for the names of young souls to be called out at the Reaping.
"We could do it you know." I jump as Soul whispers in my ear.
"What?" I ask confused.
"Leave the Sector, run off as outcasts, even live in the woods if we have to," he replies. He holds up a fist. "You and I, we're pretty cool partners. We could make it."
I leave him hanging, I just don't know what to say. He must have really gone off the edge this time. Soul lets his arm drop back down to his side dejectedly, disappointment flashing before his eyes briefly.
"If we didn't have so many freaking kids." he quickly adds while smiling.
They're not our kids, but they might as well be. The kids he hangs out with at his place, and Crona, because they can't live on their own. Who would feed the mouths that always asks for more? Even though we hunt and gather everyday, sometimes the game has to be traded for shoelaces or wool, and we go home empty handed and hungry.
"I never want to have kids." I whine. In all honesty, that wasn't true. However, I didn't want to raise kids if I was just going to lose them; and, I didn't want to end up like my parents. I loved them, but they were horrible. My dad was a huge flirt, and he scared my mom of right after we got Crona. Mom leaving hurt both of us, and Dad's sulking didn't help. In desperation, we turned to each other, even though our relationship was rough. Since then, I've been Crona's mother, and she's been my comfort. We're closer than sisters.
"I would, if I didn't live here." he replies with a shrug. That was it.
"I'm sorry to inform you, but you do!" I yell as I knock him upside the head with my hand.
"Ow!" he growls, rubbing the now sore spot. "You know what? Forget it."
This conversation just feels wrong. Leave? How could I possibly leave Crona? No, not gonna happen. Plus, Soul's devoted to his life in the sector. He knows all too well that we can't leave, why bother talking about it? We're too old to be dreaming like that, not when we have to look after ourselves as well as others. And even if we did find a way to leave, where did this stuff about kids come from? There's never been anything romantic between us.
When we met, I was a scrawny little twelve year old; unlike his fourteen year old self, who already looked grown. It took us a lifetime to even talk, then another to stop arguing over every trade. We still argue over the stupidest things, but I can't help if he acts like an idiot! Besides, if he really wants kids, Soul won't have any trouble finding a wife. He's handsome, strong enough to work in the mines, can cook, and to top it all off, he's a hunter who can defeat pre-kishins. The girls at school never shut up about him; heck, even Blair likes him! It makes me jealous, but not for the reason you may think. I don't need a man in my life, but I mean, come on. A good hunting partner is hard to find!
"What do you want to do today?" I ask.
"We can hunt, fish, and gather," Soul ponders. "Why don't we go hunting? I can finish making the new fishing poles later, and it looks like you have plenty of fruit. You go one way, I'll go another, and we'll meet up at old man Shinigami's."
As we turn to go our separate ways, he smiles at me and softly speaks, "Remember to bring something nice for tonight."
