(This is the second and hopefully last part of this "filler" story.)
Not shifting my eyes from the ceiling, which is where they were positioned now, I simply state, "Well.... It's midnight.... Now what?"
"We could tell more stories?" Michiru puts the first idea that pops into her head out there. I reply unsurely while having a "I don't really want to" face on.
"We could tell good stories?" Machi throws out there. 'What does she mean by "good"?' I'm assuming she noticed my "What's that supposed to mean" face since she quickly continues uncertainly, "Success stories?"
"Or we could talk about guys?" Michiru suggests. 'I guess that's not too bad of an idea. At least it gives me a chance to learn more about them. Sorta.'
I ask Machi who she likes and she begins counting, or at least something similar to it, on her fingers. She finally answers, "Nobody at our school is specifically... Well.... You know...." 'Exactly what do I know?' "What about you?" Machi inquirers. Doing something weird with her fingers, that makes me think that she belongs in a psychiatric ward.
"Well... I haven't seen "anyone" in like a year so..." I hint, hoping that Machi would catch on that I'm referring to everyone I know in the Soul Society.
"How can you not have seen anyone in about a year?" Michiru wonders. 'There's no way she should catch on, unless she was secretly from the Soul Society. But I doubt that.'
"I see," Machi states, doing some wacko movement of her head that resembles a pigeon, "Maybe I could meet "anyone" there," she says, getting some crazy hearts in her eyes. 'I'll definitely start looking online for psychiatric wards once I have internet access again.'
"Right... good luck with that," I say, obviously doubting that something like that could work. A crash was heard from outside. It sounded like it was coming from inside the woods, probably in the clearing we passed by earlier. Machi's high pitched scream pierced my eardrums. It was almost as loud as the crash! "Anyone wanna go check it out?" I didn't exactly feel like fighting anything at that very moment.
"You do it!" Machi volunteered me. "Or wait... are there windows?"
I take a deep breath to calm myself, 'Just when I thought she couldn't get any stupider....' I sigh in defeat, "Fine.... And yes, there are.... There are ones right in front of you..." I inform Machi.
I swing my feet over the side railing and propel myself off the bed using my arms. Just barley missing, landing on Michiru I do manage to land right on top of a flashlight. My face contorts with pain as I do my best to keep the scream of pain from surfacing.
"Is there a bear? Or... an empty?" Machi questions, attempting to refer to Hollows as emptys.
"Yeah.... something with an EMPTY stomach," I state, playing around with her words. Opening the door I take a step outside. Machi quickly follows behind me, I guess she wanted to make sure nothing bad would happen. "Follow me at your own risk," I warn her.
" Yeah yeah... I'll just hide behind you," she informs me with a big smile on her face.
"Take care of it," I say, motioning to my gigai as I exit it, not bothering to eat a pill. They were inside the cabin anyway. "Better safe then sorry," I explain, quoting a famous quote. Taking a look around, I notice that many trees have been broken and slashed in several places. "Those weren't like that earlier... were they?" I question.
"Maybe a bear who can see ghosts attacked the Hollow?" Machi suggested, pitching out a ridiculous idea.
I give her a deadpan look and sarcastically say, "Yeah... That's what happened-" I get cut off by a roar that seemed quite close. I groan. Using my "amazing" speed I jump behind Machi, "You do it. I'm tired. And sleepy..." I inform her while I stifle a yawn.
"WTF I CAN'T FIGHT THAT THING!!!!!" Machi informs me extremely loudly. 'Michiru must think Machi's crazy at this point.'
"What thin-" I stop my sentence short because I just saw the "thing" she was talking about. It had an eerie resemblance to the Click Click Slide ghost from the story we had told earlier. "Ah... That thing..." I finish.
"Huh?" Machi questions as she turns to face the Hollow. "HOLY SHIT IT'S MAILBOX GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!" she exaggerats, considering that the Hollow didn't look too much like a girl. Or a Mailbox for that matter. The Hollow didn't seem to have any legs. It was dragging itself along the ground, just like the girl in the story did. 'The trees must be broken that way because the Hollow was using them to help manuver itself around.'
"Apparently there are some truths to ghost stories..." I state, 'Though some are still completely ridiculous.' "So Machi, want to do the honours?" I ask her, I still didn't feel like fighting a Hollow tonight.
"ARE YOU CRAZY?!?!" Machi agrues, "I guess I could throw a rock at hi- er... her. But that's it..."
I simply say, "Good luck," while raising my hand to salute her. Turning my back to her and the hollow, I head back towards the cabin. 'I wonder how she'll react.'
"NOO DON'T LEAVE ME HERE WITH THIS THING!!!!!" she yells at my retreating back. I just wave lazily, but otherwise ignore her. Machi keeps yelling as I step into the cabin.
This must have been one of the stronger Hollows for it could talk. "You know I can see you, right?" It says. 'No shit Sherlock.' "But you can see me," It continues, "so this might be a real treat."
"Bon appetit," I say as I drag my gigai inside.
"FUCK YOU BASTERD!!!!!!!!!!" Machi yells angrily at either me or the Hollow, I'm not sure who.
"Alright..." I sigh in defeat, there was no way Machi could take it on by herself, "I'll help..." I turn at step back outside the cabin. I direct my attention to the ugly Hollow, "OK, you can either leave now, or fight.... And I don't want to fight..." I trail off.
Apparently the Hollow doesn't like either option, "I will eat you both!!" It informs us, "And chop you in half!!" 'What a wacked up Hollow...'
"Fine... be that way..." I groan. Sighing, I unsheathe my zanpaktou.
"ATTACK!!!!!!" It yells as it well... attacks.
"What the fuck was the reason to yell out 'Attack'?" I ask it, trying to find its reasoning. I jump out of the way of its attack and just as I land I realize that its blow was headed straight for the cabin. I start to silently pray, 'Don't hit the cabin, don't hit the cabin...' We spend probably ten minutes just having a conversation with the Hollow. My mood had been dropping ever since we got here and it was not making it any better. I finally lost my patience and yell, "OH SHUT UP ALREADY!!!!!" I quickly attack it, and it appears severely injured. 'That wasn't even that strong of a hit....' "This is too easy," I say, voicing my thoughts out loud. The Hollow then takes its turn attacking me with its long arm like thing. I jump, evading the slash and run up its arm, getting to its head. I stand there and ask, "Why is there a story after you? You're so weak...." It mumbles something about a master, then finally dies. I re sheathe my zanpaktou and get back into my gigai.
"You know..." I start, "Michiru must think your a complete and utter retard..." I point out to Machi.
"I'll just say it was a crazy collage kid who attacked me," she says, giving me a thumbs up sign. 'I guess she might believe it but... It's still kind of wacked up...'
The next morning when Michiru saw the condition of the trees right outside their cabin, she freaked out and packed everything up. I wasn't sorry to be leaving, I missed my bed. And my soul pager.