Disclaimer: I don't own ghost hunt. Never have, and never will.
Hi again…it's been a while since the last update. Its 5am and I am pooped! Well here's the next installment. The chap ties in with the previous ones, so you may need to skim the ch. 1,2, and 3 if you forgot.
Thanks so much again for all your support!!! :D btw this chapter is darker and more violent than the previous. I even scared myself o.o
Enjoy! Happy spring break (if you have one.)
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Good god.
Lin stared at the endless amounts of books in another "mini" library, as Wong-san called it. The bookshelves were 15 feet high, and there were two winding staircases on each side leading to the second floor. In the center of the library were leather chairs for reading and leisure, with lamps and tables to boot. 'This definitely does not describe the word 'mini'' he thought as he walked up the staircase.
Due to Naru's one-man search and rescue, Lin went off to research for particular books before the others arrived. All he had to go on was a few notes Naru marked in the case files, and whatever information he could get on the area. Well, at least there's the hitogata…I can communicate in dreamscape at the bare minimum.
He let out another sigh. Who knew Naru could be so reckless?
Lin ran his hand down another bookshelf, and picked up a random book.
Interim Mundo: The Seventh Circle of Hell.
A book of demons, Lin thought, as he quickly looked through the pages, He could not believe this whole library division was devoted only to the supernatural. There were many books that were hundreds of years old, and worth just as much. Looking around, he saw a plethora of different supernatural works, witchcraft, voodoo, crystal guiding, exorcism, and much more. Needless to say, if Lin needed to find references for what was going on, he would fare better here than any online search engine.
He continued to look through the heavy and fragile book (it was rather old), and thumbed through illustrations of grotesque creatures. Who knew the interim mundo could house so many beings? If Mai was in there…Lin stopped at the thought. No wonder Naru was such in a hurry to get to her. Mai attracts dangerous spirits to her in the way garbage meat attracts dogs.
As he continued to browse through the book, something caught his eye. Lin stared at a picture, taking in every detail. In the middle of the page, A black and white drawing popped out at him. It showed a white, pale faced being, with no eyes, and claws the size of an average kitchen knife. It had a figure that almost looked feminine, but was too disfigured to be categorized as a woman.
Wasn't there something in the file that described this…?
"You won't get what you want out of that one. It's just a picture book." A small voice called out to him.
Jolted by the sudden voice, Lin made a quick turn of his head, so quick it almost gave him whiplash. He was welcomed by a thin figure of the young girl earlier…Kana. She stood at the doorway, casting a long dark shadow into the library. Peering up at him with her shining ghostly eyes, she gave him a crooked smile. If she had not been wearing teddy bear pajamas and fluffy pink slippers, he would have immediately categorized her as a ghost.
"Good evening, Kana-kun." Lin greeted her politely, while doing a small head bow.
Lin remembered that Naru seemed to have a strange connection with her, even going so far as to ask him to look after her. Now, what exactly did he need to do? Did Naru think she was in some kind of danger in the manor? It seemed like Wong-san cared for her deeply, even taking her in despite her mental condition.
Walking over to Lin, she put a pale hand on his shoulder. In turn, he returned the book back to its place, and crouched down to her level.
"Hello, Kana-kun." He said, while bowing his head slightly. "I suppose we haven't been properly introduced. I'm Lin from SPR. We've come to help your new dad to solve the situation here. He's been kind enough to direct me to this library."
Kana withdrew her hand slowly, and stared up at Lin seriously. "He's not my dad." She turned her face away. "Just like how that picture book is not a real book." With that, she tilted her head sharply, only to focus on a bookshelf in the opposite side of the room.
Slowly the shelf on the room began to shake and a single large red book came flying out - Coming straight towards Lin. It zoomed over to him within seconds, stopping to hover in front of Lin's widened eyes.
Impressive.
"This is better." Kana said even more quietly, pointing a small finger at the hovering book.
"I see, thank you. But how did you know this if this is a book I need?" Lin inquired. Kana shook her head, and put a finger to lips, indicating to not speak. Grasping his hand gently, she led him towards the library's tables.
While they got comfortable in their seats, two very specific things happened next: Kana shut the door quietly with a slight hand movement. Two, in that moment of the door closing, Lin felt as if the sounds around him silence. This was much different than merely "toning down" but rather any other sounds, like birds chirping outside, or the slight hum of wind against the windows, all vanished. She smiled innocently at Lin and signaled he was free to talk.
Lin was amazed. The little slip of a girl who sat swinging her fluffy slippers- a girl who could barely peer over a small desk- could already make sound barriers, and use her telekinetic power quite easily. Lin had no idea how vast the girl's power extended. To top it off, his shiki could not get an accurate power reading on her.
Lin smiled gently, as he put his hand on the book. "Are you not supposed to be resting? You used quite a bit of energy earlier. From what I understood, even your guardian even said to stay in your room?"
She thumbed the book casually. "It's hard to keep me in one place." She smiled up again innocently. "You DO want to know about Himiwara, don't you, mister Lin?"
"It would be most generous if could help." Lin said politely, while looking at the red book in front of him. The title was written in golden letters: Absconditus. The book intrigued him. The English term for Absconditus was 'concealed.' Hmm…
She stared at him with shining eyes. "I really like you, Mr. Lin. I also like the other mister earlier too."
Lin continued thumbing through the red book, the amount of specific information was more than enough to start listing some possible causes of the interim mundo. Unlike the book earlier, this one had provided illustrations along with descriptions of various creatures, warnings, and ways to destroy or appease them.
"Thank you. I'm sure we don't deserve such attention." Lin said humbly, while still focusing on the pages.
"Yes you do." A small hand swiftly reached for the book. "We all are the same."
Lin's eyes flicked up at her, curious of her meaning.
"You, me, and the other mister, we can all break things…things normal people can't break." She repeated, in a sing song voice.
"What do you mean by that, Kana?"
She opened the book in front of Lin and flipped through the pages, appearing not to have heard what he had said. After a few moments of haphazardly flipping the pages in the book, she stopped abruptly on one page, and slid the book back to Lin. Her face deadpanned.
"He is going to need your help. They've decided to go after him. "
In the middle was the same figure he had saw in the previous book, but looked a lot more familiar to him. In this picture, the disfigured form rode on a chariot of black smoke and fire, and held small skulls in one hand, while pulling the chariot cords with the other. Small gold lights glowed in its deep black sockets.
Two bold words stood out on the bottom of the image, along with a short description.
Soul Eater. Demons or evil beings that feed off the raw energy of humans. Energy is extracted by pulling and devouring the soul, ultimately killing the human prey…
Lin's eyes widened. "Isn't this…?" He had started to say, while noticing there was an extensive amount of information written about her.
"…Mister Lin, make sure he uses those magic stones."
Lin looked up at her seriously. "What do you know about them…? How do you know about all this?" But before Lin could start his interrogation, he was cut off by Kana reaching for her throat.
Kana, who had been sitting calmly a few moments ago, was currently trying to strangle herself.
"Kana…What are you doing? Stop!"
What in the world is she doing? Is she choking on something? It seemed almost impossible, but she was turning paler than when she was earlier. "Lin…san…" She choked out.
"Kana!" He yelled, jumping in to pry her own fingers off her neck. Her huge black eyes rolled back, with the whites of her eyes only visible. Her lips started to turn a dull blue, as she choked out a few words. Saliva kept running down her neck, and her eyes were watering.
"It's Ok…Listen…"
What?! Lin could not believe what he was hearing. Was she being possessed?
She withdrew her hands off her neck, and stared at the wall. She seemed to no longer notice Lin's presence, but at the same time, she looked slightly off. Her eyes shined in a weird and disturbing way, almost like a patient in a mental hospital. She jumped up from her seat and spoke with a very MASCULINE voice.
The girl standing in front of him was no longer Kana.
"…I…I want his power."
Kana mimicked a female voice as a response.
"Master, how do you even know he has such power? I think you are overestimating him."
"No he has it. I can feel it. The massive power of destruction, and creation…the power I need to free myself from this miserable place."
"But his body will break, and then be will be useless once more."
"Break his mind. Make him suffer to the point of releasing his energy. Contain him, and then bring him to me."
"As you wish."
She started to sway now, while Lin dove to catch her. He set her down in one of the seats in the room, while starting to perform a small cleansing ritual. This would at least help her gain her energy. Whereas he could rely on Ayako to look after any other injuries when she returns. But what the hell had just happened? After taking a moment to collect his thoughts, he had to make a few decisions: should he believe what Kana said, or was that just a part of her mental condition? Did she even have a mental condition? This looked more like a psychic event that Masako-san, a medium, would have.
If it is that kind of event, she was no schizophrenic. Also, it would mean that Naru was in immediate danger. Keeping his calm demeanor, Lin stopped his train of erratic thoughts to assess the facts. She knew about the crystals. She was probably the one that left Naru that necklace-contraption to hold the crystals. She knows about the interim mundo, even going so far as to show him particular books, and point out a SPECIFIC demon. Lin's thoughts went wild, but he was able to slowly come to a conclusion:
Speaking of which, that monster…a soul eater…will usually take the form of women, and seduce men into taking their souls. Soul eaters have to break the spirit first to even get domination over someone's shiki, often using the weaknesses or fears of the victim to do so. If that's the case, then the conversation that Kana was repeating must be true.
Lin took some pillows and propped them snugly under Kana's head. He stared at her innocent face and made a decision. For now, I'll trust her leads, and verify them as we continue the investigation.
As Lin continued to make the girl comfortable, the words said earlier echoed in his mind: It's true that Naru can break things no one else could break. But how will he fare when a demon will try to do the same thing to him?
***flashback***
"What did I tell you about breaking your toys?" A woman knelt in the middle of a room, cradling a five year old boy in her arms. "Look at you! You're as pale as a ghost. I told you what would happen when you use your powers…" She laid him on a nearby sofa, and started to pick up the shattered pieces of a Nintendo. She was obviously angry and a little scared.
Suddenly sniffing the air, she looked as if something dreadful was coming into her nose. Her eyes darted around the room to stop at the offending object. She lost all the color in her face as she stared at what used to be the game console.
"Honey! Honey, come here!"
"What is it?" A large, grey haired man walked into the room, tea in hand. Following the direction his wife was staring, he spilled the content of tea all over the floor.
The once new Nintendo game console was now on fire.
"Holy moly. That's the first…"
A completely blue fire fumed on the surface of the console, but did not spread to anything else. It looked like its only goal was to devour the game console only.
She grabbed her husband and took him to the kitchen. With one last look at her son, who lay silently on the couch staring at the ceiling, she said sweetly, "Honey, just rest there ok? I'm just going to talk to daddy for a second."
The boy continued to lie on the sofa, listening to the hushed whispers of his parents.
"This is not so bad. At least he didn't blow the electric fuses again, I mean it's not like that time when the whole town had a black out. It's just a small fire. Please don't be so over stressed."
"I'm scared he will really hurt himself one day! Look how frail he is! Not to mention, he can cause fire in this house! I'm at my wits end darling…our other son too, he also says strange things. He says he see the future…! The other day, he said that old Mrs. Murphy should stop driving, and she died from a car accident that very same week!"
"That's just coincidence dear."
"Also! They keep talking to people who don't exist. They keep saying another boy lives in this house, but there's no one there!"
"They're just imaginary friends…kids always have imaginary friends at this age."
"Honey. I can't take this anymore…"
"What do you want ME to do about it?"
"Nothing we can't do anything about it. Maybe there are other people who can…I heard of a couple in England who specializes in these kinds of cases."
"What are you saying? You want to give the boys away?!!!"
"I'm saying that at this rate, they'll end up killing themselves…and us."
The boy lay on the couch for some time, silently listening to his parents. It looked like a deep heavy rock started to build on top of his heart, keeping him from breathing properly. His parents were fighting over him again...
"All I wanted was to defeat Bowser, and then the whole system caught on fire." He quietly muttered to himself. "I'm going to become smarter, and control myself better… then mom and dad wouldn't be fighting so much…"
Two small shadows cast over him, putting a halt to his depressing chain of thoughts. Blue eyes stared back into his own.
"I guess you didn't get the princess." A voice said, disappointed.
The boy looked up, only to be staring at his brother, which was very much like staring at a mirror. They were the same in every way, except the boy tended to destroy things more than he did. The other shadow was cast by their new friend, Lin. This was a big deal, considering the two brothers usually just stick with each other.
"No. The game caught on fire." The boy replied in monotone.
His brother's eyes became round as saucers. "Do you think we can still make smores?! Where's the Nintendo?"
The boy became silent again. He turned his back away from them and faced the couch. Quietly he mumbled out, "I don't want to go into the kitchen."
Their new friend sat down gracefully next to Naru's feet, making himself comfortable. But his brother stared at the boy curiously, while still standing above his head. After a few seconds of being stared at, the sickly boy turned to look at his brother, irritation apparent on his face.
"What?"
Suddenly two little hands grabbed the sides of the boy's face and stretched his mouth.
"You're such a grouch, Noll! Don't worry about them. They're just like two fighting chickens." In the next moment, his brother started to wave his arms and cluck, while kicking and pecking on the ground.
"Right Lin?! Come on, you do it too!"
His friend smiled slightly, and turned to look at the boy. He made a feeble 'cluck', but absolutely refused to peck and claw at the ground.
The boy couldn't help but smile at this. Suddenly a hand grasped his arm and yanked him out of the couch.
"Come on, Na-RU! Let's go get some mallows and chocolate!" His eyes twinkled at the boy. "Besides," he added, while pulling him to the door that held the arguing couple. "As long as we're together, we don't need them. Who knows, we might even get better parents!"
***end flashback***
Lin remembered that day...since it was exactly two days later that they were told they were going to an orphanage. He still remembered that Naru almost killed himself again by blowing up all the cars in front of the Children's Home, after his parents left without so much as a goodbye.
It was only when they were teenagers when Lin started to train Naru in controlling his PK. He was able to control small blasts, a little at a time, before being thoroughly exhausted. After a certain point, the energy always, ALWAYS exploded out of him, without any control or limitations. Because of this, Naru was forbidden to produce flames.
Even though the blue flame shiki was not particularly used for destruction, but rather for purification (according to Lin's studies) especially during exorcisms, he only trained Naru to be able to extinguish the flame if produced, rather than methods of manipulating it.
Although…I do remember seeing Naru and Gene eating smores in their bedroom once in a while…
Lin smiled to himself. Martin and Luella even said they were far more concerned about the house burning down with their boys, than just a few little black outs.
Lin sighed, and sat down in seat adjacent to the now unconscious Kana. Out of all things he has been through with Naru and Gene, he wished the most for their safety. He already lost Gene; he did NOT want to lose Naru too. After one quick look to check on Kana's sleeping form, Lin grabbed the Absconditus, his laptop, and went to work.
Only a few more hours until the others get here…
***
"You look lost."
Mai blinked her eyes one more time to see the tall blonde and an outstretched hand towards her.
"…You could say that."
Bright blue eyes twinkled back at her. She felt a strong sense of relief surge through her in an instant. "I'm Sebastian, my friends and I have been lost in here too. It's been a couple days since we've seen someone." Sebastian gestured at the red head next to him. "This is Mika."
Mai blinked to focus on the two dazzling people in front of her. "Hi, I'm Mai Taniyama. I just got lost down here in the forest a few hours ago."
My got up, and brushed the dirt off of her.
"I'm looking for a way out. Can you help me?"
"…we are ALL looking for a way out." Sebastian replied quietly. However, Mai now had her full attention on the beautiful girl standing in front of her.
The girl stretched a hand out and gently took her hand. The woman had bright red hair, and had such a gentle expression her face. She had the aura of a princess, with half lidded hazel eyes and not to mention, great posture. Sebastian put an arm around her, as she smiled shyly at Mai.
In fact, both Sebastian and Mika had looked rather regal for people her age. There was something about them that set them apart from normal people. Like me, Mai thought to herself. Nonetheless, Mai brightened up at the thought of being with other people in the large forest. With a few more words of introductory exchange, she felt a wave of ease flow over her. Mai was immediately reminded how comforting it felt when working in a group versus being alone.
When her parents passed away, she got used to the loneliness and doing things by herself…but since she joined SPR, her life became more exciting and thrilling - they almost felt like a family to her. She felt her heart pain a little, knowing that they would probably be worried about her.
Except for Naru, no…nothing could faze that guy when he's doing business. He was probably barking out orders to everyone by now, grouchy as hell without his damn tea.
Looking at Sebastian and Mika was like looking at a perfectly matched couple … absolutely the opposite of her and Naru. Heck, he probably barely thought of her as a friend.
She felt something hurt her chest. No matter how hard she tried to hide it and forcefully lock away her feelings, in the back of her mind she was always calling for him. Even though she loved Gene wholeheartedly, it was Naru that made her hate and love him at the same time. HE was the one that got her heart racing when they went out on cases together. He was the one who offered her support, and changed her life forever by inviting her into SPR. But…it he was also the one who still didn't give a damn about her, even though she had stupidly confessed her love to him at the airport.
Mai blinked violently, and gave an inward shake of her head. Dammit Mai! This is not the time or the place to feel like this! Mai screamed at herself. You still need to find a way out of here, or you really never will see him again…
Now, there was the still a third person she needed to be introduced to. Mai suddenly had a very unpleasant sensation fill her.
She turned around immediately to see dark eyes staring at her.
He looked of European-asian descent, about medium build, but had striking features. If he had not gotten the soil on his clothes, he probably would look like those typical rich kids on Tokyo TV…the ones that were too good for anybody. The boy looked at her critically, as if sizing her up. A moment later, he clicked his tongue and laughed at her mockingly.
Mai immediately wanted to punch the guy in the face.
"Please, save me from the friendly introductions." He scoffed. In the next moment, he swiftly turned his heel, and put his attention on the tall blonde.
"Sebastian. Do we need to really need to pair up with this girl? We can probably get along better with just us."
Mai had encountered many types of people in her life, but this was the first time she felt such hostility and burning hate from someone she literally just met. First impressions, eh? Mai gulped and took a deep breath. He simply kept his head turned, as if there wasn't a bewildered and fuming girl standing in front of him. His whole body language screamed 'get the hell out of my face' as he continued to ignore her.
Gasps from Sebastian and Mika exploded beside her.
"JIRA, you can at least listen to her story before you decide to leave her behind!" Mika said, stunned by his actions.
Jira's eyes dead locked back onto Mai's. He clicked his tongue, and shook his head. "It's no good. After seeing what she did to that sinestra, I already know what kind of person she is."
Mai's mouth gaped open. Seriously, was this guy on crack? She felt her blood pressure go up out of the sheer rudeness that was being pelted at her. What nerve! On top of it all, she did not know what in the hell he was talking about. Maybe the evil black goo that almost killed her? She squeezed the straps that dangled on the side of her backpack. It was the only thing keeping her from lashing out.
Instantly, Mai put on a dazzlingly fake smile, hoping to diffuse the situation. "Look, I don't know what this sinestra is, but you can explain to me later. We need a plan to get out of here. In this forest we need to work together to find a way out, so let's try to understand each other. I have a feeling this is no ordinary place." Mai said, adding the last part quietly.
"Mai is right." Sebastian said softly. "We need to work together so we can leave this horrible place." Mika nodded in agreement, and took her place next to Mai and Sebastian.
The dark haired boy looked back at them incredulously.
"How would she know about the type of place this is, if she didn't have some kind of supernatural powers?" With eyes still narrowed and locked on Mai, sneering. "I've heard of people like you. People who have control over things - who have abnormal abilities."
The boy named Jira continued to stare her down. "Yes, I know who you are…"
Sebastian and Mika looked in confusion between the two. Mai felt her blood pressure rise again.
"… A witch."
Mai's eyes widened in surprise. Pffft… She swung her head away from him, as she tried to stop a laugh midway. This guy…really, out of all the ignorant things to say! A witch of all things …! She almost wished the others were stuck here with her, just to laugh at the outright stupidity of the situation.
While Mai tried to subdue her humor, Sebastian and Mika looked back at Jira in shock and bewilderment. It was only a few moments when they heard Mai's explosive laughter.
"Are you laughing at me, witch?! That confirms it!" Jira screamed angrily. He took a firm hold of Mika's hand.
"We can't trust her. Let's go." He commanded, while tugging her towards him.
Mai already turned around to see the exchange. Mika looked as if she was about to object by the way her wrist started to twist under Jira's firm grasp. He was literally pulling her.
"Hey wai-" Mai started, she didn't mean to make him that mad. Not intentionally anyway…and there was no reason to run off already. Besides, Mika looked REALLY uncomfortable. But before she could finish her sentence, Sebastian had grabbed Jira's offending wrist.
"Don't be so hasty, my friend." Sebastian said quietly. His previously friendly blue eyes were replaced blue shards of ice. He was inches away from Jira's face, and he was a little more than irritated. "There is no reason why you need to drag a lady."
Immediately, Jira went red in humiliation and rage. He twisted out of Sebastian's grasp, and effectively shoved Mika aside. "Fine. I don't need either of you. Besides, who called you leader, Sebastian? You've been calling the shots this whole time, and look where it's got us- Nowhere." He shot another wicked glare at Mai. "Forget this shit. I'll find my own way out."
With one more glowering look, he started to walk away briskly. He was already had gone a few feet, before Mai could say anything. Mika looked at him with her eyes wide in horror, absolutely baffled that Jira would even think of leaving them.
"Wait hold on, sorry…" Mai called out to him, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty."No you're wrong. If you're talking about the black ooze as the sinestra, I never stopped it. If I had gone a little farther into its territory, you know, I would have been killed for sure. You don't need to go, Jira."
Sebastian smiled, and relaxed his shoulders. "See Jira, the girl's already explaining herself. Now let's just stay together, and we can combine our information to find a way out of this place. Besides," he pointed at himself, "I and everyone else seriously need some rest."
"That sounds like a good idea." Mika said quietly, while shooting Jira a let's-think-about-this-rationally- expression.
Jira still looked unimpressed. With that, Sebastian gave the girls a 'let me talk to him alone' look, and strode over to Jira (who still was a few feet a way) in a gentleman-like manner. Jira again turned his head to the side stubbornly as Sebastian approached him within a few feet.
Stopping a few inches in front of him, Sebastian lowered his head. His blue eyes locked with his dark brown ones.
"You know we need her. She has a sense of direction of this place, intuition and a plan. That beats us wandering around aimlessly…Besides," he said a little more quietly, "if, and that's a big IF, she has some kind of power over the black river of goo, than that's significantly better than ONLY relying on the protection charms of that man."
Jira clicked his jaw, and pressed a finger to Sebastian's chest, hard enough for him to step back from the pressure.
He gestured at Mai who was still making some friendly chat with Mika. Biting on a fingernail, he continued to scrutinize her. "That girl-she isn't normal like you and me. She's a freak! She belongs in this damn forest. I feel dirty just being around her."
Jira rubbed his arm absent-mindedly as he continued to bite a fingernail. He stared at Mai with such disgust in his eyes, as if trying to will her to disappear. It would be analogous to a person looking at a cockroach.
Sebastian smacked pointed finger away from his chest and took a step forward to Jira, immediately getting back in his face.
"Can you hear yourself talk? Get off your high horse and just stay with us. She already said that she didn't have anything to do with the black river! You're too damn paranoid! We still know nothing about her or this place! Also, if you're going to be talking about strange people, you didn't seem to mind when that man came to help us." Sebastian countered.
"That was because we were about to die." Jira growled, pushing past him. "You can stay with the witch, I am going to go look for a better way out. I don't need to be relying on someone like her…or you." Jira walked slowly back into the forest, the opposite direction from the black river.
Sebastian looked soberly at his back as he walked away. "IF that's your choice then fine!" Sebastian called after him. "…just die in your ignorance." Sebastian turned to walk over to the girls.
At this point, Mai saw Sebastian coming towards them, while Jira walked briskly into the thicker woods. She stopped mid-sentence with Mika, and ran towards Sebastian.
"What the hell happened? Why is he leaving?!" Mai demanded to know. Even though she knew Jira was being a total jerk, she felt responsible for breaking up the group.
"Let him go, Mai. I've known Jira for a long time, now. Once that guy's mind is made up, he won't ever go back on it. Just like a spoiled child." He said bitterly.
What the F-? He can't be serious that he thinks I'm a witch…is he really leaving because of that? Mai thought to herself. Before her brain could register it, her feet rocketed towards Jira's departing figure. He was heading at a steady pace into a nearby growth of densely packed trees.
"Mai stop! Don't go so far over there…!" she heard Sebastian's voice call out to her. She just couldn't let him go. This was all a big misunderstanding, if only she could talk to him again. This forest was just too dangerous to be alone.
Mai ran straight into the dense thicket of the forest. She could feel the ground go slightly up, as her shoes dug in the rich soil. She could still see his dark figure walk slowly in front of her, dodging tree trunks, and walking around tall grasses. After a few moments of running, Mai saw the trees change around her. Tall pine woods and sequoias to gave way to more tropical looking trees and bushes. Before, the sunlight came through bits of the forest, and now did not come through at all. The trees' canopies were way too thick. Mai felt a slight chill run up her spine -It was like when she first fell, and almost died in that black ooze.
She wiped the hair out of her tired eyes, and considered going back. Her body ached from lack of sleep deprivation and the mental stress this place put on her. She still wasn't used to the diverse and dramatic environment changes, which was combined with the presence of dangerous unknown monsters/goo that could be lurking anywhere.
Mai breathed in and out, forcing air into her lungs. Man Mai, time to get in shape. She ignored the burning pain in her legs and the cramping in her shins. The backpack on her was getting heavy too. Stupid me, I should have left it…Mai stared at the figure still gliding in front of her when an idea struck her: why hadn't she caught up to him yet? She could swear she should have caught up moments ago…after all she was running…
She could hear two pairs of footsteps behind her- probably they belonged to Sebastian and Mika's.
For the first time, Mai noticed how dark it was with all these trees growing and curling around her so thickly, as if they were a part of a vegetative tunnel. They merged together to make a cylinder of branches, trunks, and leaves. Mai started to panic. Trees bending their shape into a tunnel? That's friggen impossible! The warped pattern the trees and also the decreasing sunlight disturbed her to the core.
To make matters worse, she had lost sight of Jira.
"JIRA??!! JIRA LET'S GO BACK!!! This place seems dangerous!!! Where are you?"
No response. The environment had really changed dramatically. She couldn't see very far above or around her. Mai felt a twinge of fear and panic rise in her chest. What to do now? Mai coughed and still rejected the idea of going back. She didn't like the guy yes, but leaving him by himself was unacceptable. IF they wanted to get out of this alive and well, it would be better that they could stick together.
Finally, she again spotted Jira's dark figure standing leaning his back against a large tree. She almost missed it due to the low lighting…but now all she had to do was convince him to go back…
She walked a few more feet towards him with his back facing her.
"Jira." She huffed. "You don't *breathe* need to run *breathe* away, *breathe* let's just go back *huff* and work this out."
She touched his shoulder to have him turn around. In an instant, Mai jumped.
A familiar, cold, nauseating feeling swept over her as she tried to catch her breath. She knew this feeling. It was the same feeling she got when she fell off Himiwara- when that thing appeared on the bike trail.
Mai backed away slowly, still facing the figure in front of her. The figure she thought was Jira was now turning around slowly. Mai retreated even faster, nearly tripping on a tree root. It didn't help that she could barely see around her.
Come here…
Come closer…
Mai's survival instincts kicked in full drive. She took a quick look around her for the best escape route, planning to sprint. She was about to act, when felt the chill of bony slimy hands grab her arm. The movement jerked Mai around to become face to face with the monster behind her.
A disfigured face of a woman/creature showed itself in the dim light, millimeters away from her. Its cold hands wrapped tightly around her arms. The all too traumatizing black sockets stared back at her, as sharp teeth and decaying blue lips hovered over her face.
A blood- curdling scream echoed through the woods.
***
"Disgusting."
A black haired man arose out of black ooze, carrying a wet backpack. He wiped himself down with a towel he had in his backpack, which didn't do much since it was also wet with goo.
He trudged out of the black slime onto steady ground. He gracefully put his backpack down on drier, "cleaner" dirt, as he took out his compass.
If I'm not mistaken, Mai should have landed somewhere around here.
"If I was Mai, what would I do?"Naru looked for any trails around him. I would try to get a sense of direction, almost die, and then go somewhere familiar-somewhere that would lead me home.
Hmm… Mai always talked about some kind of cave around here. Probably an overhyped tourist spot. Naru took out a map he had grabbed off of Wong-san's office desk. Naru, being an expert on maps since his brother died, immediately spotted the cave. Narajara…
Naru just needed to know if his assumption was correct. A faint mist surrounded him, as well as large trees. As far as he knew, no one was within a few meters. He breathed in the forest air, as he closed his eyes. He could feel that Mai passed there recently, within the last few hours. Gold strings started to appear in the darkness of his closed eyes, as he focused his whole body to feel into the energy around him.
The strings of light now turned into complicated webs that represented everything around him. He pulled on the strings and their tendrils of energy, sifting through the web structures until he found Mai's specific pattern.
He was doing what Takigawa would call 'opening the third eye.' It was something Naru was best at doing at, since it was one of the only things he could do with his abilities without having to end up at a hospital. Even so, using the third eye was a rarely used method and quite rare. It involved the control of the mind, and the ability to heighten one's senses, without using any raw physical power.
Naru smiled slightly. If only Takigawa could see him now.
**flashback**
"Isn't this like…invading someone's privacy?" Takigawa whispered.
Naru kneeled next to the famed SPR couch, which in the past few weeks, had become Mai's new bed. Lo and behold, a sleeping brown-haired girl laid peacefully in it.
Ever since she started going to night school, her SPR investigative hours were switched to early mornings. She could save time between the two, by simply staying the night at the office. Naru leaned over her sleeping form, and eyed her peaceful face. He held a smile in.
"It's because she is such an overactive idiot that I need to resort to these measures." Naru said calmly as he closed his eyes. He outstretched his palms above her.
Takigawa sat by the door watching as Naru made small wave like hand movements over her body. His fingers began to sway slightly, as if gently strumming the strings on a guitar.
"This is a VERY sensitive thing to do, Naru!" He whispered loudly. "Although invisible to the naked eye, every living thing leaves traces of themselves behind. Just like a footstep in mud, or fingerprints, all living beings leave a bit of their energy or 'essence' wherever they go. Energy mapping, (usually only reserved for the most talented of spiritual beings) is the method to find these 'essence patterns' in an open third eye state, and you are doing it without her consent!"
Naru continued to ignore him.
"…Oliver…"
He paused for a split second in the air. Turning his head slowly to Takigawa, Naru glared at him with slight irritation.
"Please refrain from using that name."
Takigawa gulped slightly, knowing that Naru reserved the use of that name for members of his family, or any of his few contacts in England.
"I still don't get how memorizing her energy makeup is going to help in this case." Takigawa mumbled.
Naru began moving to Mai's head while quietly waving his palms. His fingers made slight movements, probably in response to the energy he felt beneath them.
Still closing his eyes, he answered quietly, "It's for any future cases. She runs off chasing anything that moves, and lacks the common sense to not tell anyone first. More times than not, it's going to be something that could kill her. Knowing her essence map will make things easier for me to find her, especially when I need to distinguish her in an area containing various energy sources."
Takigawa grinned at Naru as he stood by a food cart next to the doorway. He raised an eyebrow, "So… Mai getting lo-jacked has nothing to do the feelings of love and over-protection you have for her?"
Naru now moved slowly down to Mai's feet, again, circling his palms. "Such feelings are irrelevant. This is for standard safety precautions." After a few more moments Naru retracted his arms. Opening his eyes, he walked over to his tea - which sat right next to where Takigawa was standing.
Takigawa grinned at the tea-sipping man. "If these are standard safety precautions," Takigawa said slyly, "then how come you told Lin-san that YOU wanted to perform Mai's mapping, even though HE'S the one more experienced at it?"
Crickets chirped outside the window.
Naru looked up sharply at Takigawa, gracefully picked up his tea cup, and shut the door behind him.
***end flashback***
Naru opened his eyes in horror. There was her pattern. As far as he could tell, she was in a high energy state, possibly running. All he needed to know now was location. He continued to focus his energy on the tremors in the air around him. He put his full attention the vibrations he felt in the air, and looking for the energy wave pattern that was identical to Mai's. It was much like looking at a three dimensional map in his head.
Bingo. He felt Mai's pattern only a few hundred meters away. Not only that, but she wasn't alone. Naru felt spikes of an intense power that surrounded and followed her- pursuing and hunting her like dogs after a rabbit. If his readings were correct, she didn't have a chance at surviving.
His eyes darted around to see if there were other modes of transportation. They stopped at the black ooze bubbling from the ground. Supposing I would be able to use my pK here, I may be able to manipulate…
Suddenly he felt like something slammed into him that made him lose his train of thought completely. The first thing he noticed was that he was now upside down, and from what he could see, his vision was warped around him. He could see the outside, so he knew he hung in the air above 5 feet above the ground. However, his skewed vision could indicate a barrier between him and the outside. Am I in a giant bubble?
"I must say, it IS a nice view from here." Said a voice from below.
Naru looked down, and focused on the woman that stood smiling condescendingly at him. Her green eyes shined like a predator just capturing her prey.
Shock claimed him for a moment, but then was immediately replaced by irritation.
"What do you want, Lilith-san."
Green eyes flashed back at him. The woman below him smiled a gentle smile, yet her eyes remained cold and cruel. Just like how Naru had seen the first time they met. She was thoroughly enjoying the view of Naru hanging upside down in a bubble.
"Is that all you can say to someone you are already acquainted with? Hmmm…Naru-kun?" She traced a finger on the bubble. "Especially to someone who can change your acute circumstances. No one has yet to break out of my energy sphere." She sneered.
"Well then, Lilith-san," Naru said sarcastically, "I have things to do, so tell me what your purpose is already, and let me out."
Lilith smiled slightly and folded her hands together. "My, aren't we gutsy! Well this is what I want. Our prime investigator trapped here, like a hamster in its cage. My master will be certainly pleased with this view."
Subdue and contain. How typical.
"…And who might that be?" Naru said casually. Meanwhile, he was upside down in the 'energy sphere', held in suspension by some invisible strings. He looked around the sphere, trying to remember ways of escape. He looked closely at the sphere. It's made of pure power. He was able to map Mai in a few minutes; he could also be able to map the sphere. Then afterwards I can use my PK to break the forces along with the sphere's barrier. He put his focus his PK on the suspension forces around him. Here goes…
The air around him electrified. He felt like he was going to pass out.
"Nu-uh," Lilith wagged a red painted fingernail at him, "don't worry about such trivial things, or you may kill yourself. I designed it to absorb more energy from the victim every time an escape attempt is made." She chuckled to herself. "Say, why don't we get a little friendlier, hm? I had to be so cold and professional around you at the manor; it was really ruining my mood."
Naru inwardly sighed in frustration. Not only did he half to deal with a crazed maid who was speaking to him, but he had to start using his own PK powers, only to feel close to fainting. His PK was exploding around him again, not channeling at all. At this rate, not only would he not be able to get to Mai, but would just pathetically self-destruct in the sphere.
This is wrong. Naru thought. I have to use them…those crystals…Takigawa said they were for channeling…
"…I know everything about you. For a long time, I have been hearing rumors of a special human who can manipulate the laws of nature. Two humans actually…"
Naru's head shot up with the implication of Gene.
Lilith came around to face him, and he could see her now in full view. She was no longer wearing her maid outfit, but had a black body suit, multiple gold bracelets, and her long tresses of black hair swung severely around her. She crouched in front of him, and peered into the bubble's skin.
"Let's see, yes I'm sure there was another. One of them had a useless body, couldn't even handle a little his own shiki, and the other just had…a well…a dead one. Too bad for either of them. So much potential…but not enough physical stamina." She tapped her chin and licked her lips.
Naru felt the blood rush to his head and tried to lock out his emotions once more. Focus...into the crystals...the necklace around his neck significantly warmed up. Testing his endurance, he released a little bit of PK. Naru exhaled. He was able to handle it. Now only to find a weakness in the sphere's map, and he could shatter it with a huge blast of PK. Easier said than done… Naru thought. If only she wasn't here. The maid was driving him to distraction.
"If you are done with your observations demon, I'd like to be let out now."
"And how, pray tell, would you know if I'm a demon?"
"You reek of one. The interim mundo has a way of bringing out the true nature of any being."
Lilith's eyes narrowed, as she clicked her teeth.
Slam.
She hit her hand against the bubble barrier, making waves of energy scatter and spread across the surface. Naru saw the golden threads explode, making him lose sight of the sphere's map. He opened his eyes briefly and glared at Lilith.
She stood up, threw him a mocking look, put her hands on her hips, and thrust them out accordingly.
"You should just forget about that girl, Naru-san. I know about all of it, seeing how I needed to investigate you all before we sent that little invitation to come to Himiwara Manor. That girl is clumsy, emotional, and will only bring you down. She has no power you can use, and even if she did, she wouldn't know how to use it. Whereas I," she paused, opening her palm to produce a huge ball of fire. She threw it at a nearby tree. It and neatly cut in half. "I am one of the most powerful demons to ever walk this plane. If only you were to join me and my master, we'd be invincible." With one huge ball, ate the part of the forest behind her.
She glanced over to see his reaction. His eyes were closed once again, clearly ignoring her.
Naru bent his arm and conducted his PK energy into it. He needed just a few more moments to be able to get a full map again and search for its weak spot.
"I refuse."
Lilith walked back towards the bubble. Wind and ash flew around her, making her black hair whip violently. Her green eyes looked red as the forest fire spread behind her.
"You know, every human desires power. Especially when the people they care about are in dire shape. You understand this right? I mean, all you had to go off of was a vision of your brother getting killed in that accident. But if you just had the power I have, you could have gotten to your brother sooner. He would be alive, instead of being gourmet fish food."
Naru clenched his hand so hard, his fingernails cut into his skin. Blood dripped from his palm, and floated in droplets around him. His emotions, that he locked away and buried deep inside for the past few years came exploding out…
Shut up. He blasted huge electrical energy around him. It reverberated into the sphere, electrifying the atmosphere inside. The violent rays spread out from his body, towards sphere's barriers, almost touching it. Go, Naru thought fiercely, break it…
But just as suddenly, the lightning waves he emitted stopped and dissipated. Naru felt his vision cloud, and his mind go blank. He had failed. Now, the consequences of being upside down for so long weighed on him, especially combined with the loss of most of his shiki. He was losing consciousness, just as he heard an evil laughter erupted from Lilith.
Shit, I messed up.
***
Crack.
She hit her head hard on the tree to pry its hand lose. Too bad she missed most of it and almost blacked out. Mai had her head completely grasped in clawed pale hand. While another clawed hand firmly gripped her neck. For the past few moments, the same creature that had her flying off the cliff was now currently suffocating her.
"L-let go…" She gasped out, trying to get her the clawed hand off of her. It's deformed and misshapen mouth hovered over her. Endless black holes stared at her, against pale bluish skin.
Your blood is so pure, so enticing…I want it. Give it to me. Mai heard its faint rasping voice in her head.
Like hell I would let you have it! Mai's thoughts screamed back.
Let? Permission isn't needed from a lowly human like you. Humans are so useless and weak in this world… they only live to be consumed by their desires. Such a pathetic existence…no purpose at all.
I have a purpose! My yelled back, seeing her life flash before her eyes yet again.
"I need to tell…tell them about this…he…coming for me…" She gasped out, using the remaining breath in her lungs.
I'll tell you a secret. They don't know or don't care you're gone.
Mai felt her eyes smart, trying her best to disagree with the cruel statement. Memories in her life began to replay in her mind. She tried to remember her thoughts about SPR being like a real family to her, enough to even ease the pain of losing her original one.
Even if they do come…it's impossible to take you back. Your body and soul will remain here.
The disfigured mouth mutated into a fanged grin. Even in the dark, the being in front of her no longer looked like a woman at all…it seemed to transform into something else entirely. Even the claws on her head were increasing their size. Now little lights in its dark sockets glowed faintly. He seemed to be reading her mind.
I see…that is no real family you have. Even the most important person to you is only using you for his own gain…
That's not true! He always asked me to make tea, I've always helped in the cases giving information that no one else could know…they need me, they appreciate me…love me…
It made a low predatory growl at her.
They know your abilities, they use you. Just like a tool. He doesn't love you. No one there loves you. Like I said, all humans are obsessed with their own desires. They all want your power… to help them achieve THEIR goals. You're dying here. Alone. The way your dead parents left you.
For the first time in a long time, she felt the burning sensation of tears form in her eyes. She didn't want to believe it. No! They wouldn't do that…and he wouldn't let me die here alone…
Tightening its hold on her neck, Mai felt her vitality draining her. The creature made licking sounds as saliva continued to drip on to her. It looked like it was closing in for the kill.
…I'm sorry everyone…Naru … Naru…
"NARU!" She screamed with her last breath.
***
At the same time he heard a blood curdling scream ring into the air. He tried to focus on its source, but was met with cloudy pools in his head. His strength was completely sapped away. At this moment, even breathing was a chore.
Lilith grinned maniacally. ""Uh-oh. It's showtime. Seems like your precious friend is in peril. Hmm…I wonder what all sorts of things will leak out of her decomposing body…"
Naru's eyes widened for an instant, knowing that the scream belonged to Mai. His heart exploded in pain. He tried to steady his emotions; they were getting in the way of his logical thinking. But Mai's scream still echoed in his head drowning out any other thoughts… this was too similar to the memories he locked in the back of his mind. Being a workaholic and an emotionless boss had helped him lock his emotions attached with them.
Now, feelings of regret, anger, and bitterness surged through him, almost overwhelming him. He was reliving his brother's accident: the shattering glass, his brother's blood spattering on the hood of the car, and how his body thrown mercilessly into that dark lake.
If she died now, it would be the same. Cold, hurt, and alone…she would die without knowing that everyone was trying all they could to get her. Knowing her, she would be apologizing for not trying hard enough, instead of being angry or scared. She would die without being able to see them for the last time. Before she would see him for the last time.
As if I'd let that happen.
Naru took a large intake of air. Closing his eyes, he once again concentrated on the barrier around him. He put started to see the tendrils in his eyelids that showed the intricate energy lattice of the sphere. He started to pull on the lattice in his mind, seeing patterns and strings flood in his head. His body could barely move, but at least he could use the last of his strength in one final blow.
Lilith stood gleaming in front of him, clearly enjoying Naru's struggling.
"You should stop wasting your time. You'll never be able to break this barrier! As for Miss Taniyama, enjoy listening to her scream- just like your brother."
Naru started to glow a blue light. The sphere around him distorted and curved, unraveling like a wooly sweater being pulled by a string. Lilith's green eyes widened in surprise. "What is the meaning of this?!" She screeched vehemently.
He moved his arms swiftly, facing both palms toward the sphere. The blue light got brighter, as waves of energy rippled the shapeless blob around him.
Naru's blue eyes shot open. Open and blazing.
"If anyone will be screaming, it will be you."
He took another deep breath, and sent a resounding blast of pK to the barrier's sides. Like a bubble popping, it shattered in a white light, with pieces of its ectoplasm raining to the forest ground.
Lilith's eyes widened in shock, as the boy that was once struggling in her perfect trap, now stood inches away. Dark blue eyes narrowed at her.
"HOW –how did you get out? You are supposed to be weak! What is this massive internal energy…?" She screeched incredulously.
"The barrier is quite strong, but it's only good as a sphere. Change its shape and it's useless." Naru made a gesture with his hand, and Lilith felt her body getting paralyzed and numb as if strings were suspending her in air, just like Naru had been.
"You irritating human! This is MY energy sphere. How dare you try to use it against me! Aren't you supposed to be weaker than this? How is it that you can use your powers to this extent?"
He touched her head with his forefinger. "It's your fault in making a sphere that can be easily replicated."
"Rin pyou tou sha kai jin retsu sai zen." He whispered, before a blue tendril of energy flowed out of his finger, and into her head.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Lilith screamed. She felt the insides of her eyes smolder and burn, like he had created a fire within her. The whites of her eyes turned into a flaming red, and her teeth began to grow large and fang-like.
The blasted pieces of light from the initial sphere now rebuilt themselves around Lilith. The only difference now was that the bubble had blue glow to it, rather than being fully transparent.
Naru clenched his fist. He did it. The crystals around his neck were still warm from the effects. This was nothing like the uncontrollable blasts of pK energy before. Even the opposite- his body was not weakened at all. He felt better than he did first coming in. Naru clenched his fist. I will have to thoroughly test this out later…
Lilith sat in the sphere sulking, as it hovered in the air about 3 feet. She started to think of a best plan of escape. Her master would definitely NOT be pleased with the current change of events. As she was doing this, Naru stood outside of the bubble and tapped on it.
"Since you already know, tell me the best way to get to her. A demon would know how to travel the fastest in an interim mundo."
"And if I don't?" she sneered back.
Naru smirked, seeming to recall a memory.
Immediately, the sphere's surface started to emit small blue flames. Lilith's eyes widened. "These purifying flames will be hotter than the one's you're used to. They'll use your shiki as their fuel… until they burn away your existence. It's very unpleasant, even for a demon."
Lilith stared at the blue flames grow larger and dance on the sphere's surface. It didn't destroy the sphere as it penetrated, but instead merged with the sphere's material. The whole thing was turning into a ball of fire.
Naru's finger tapped the sphere once more. Unsurprisingly, the fire had no effect on him.
"Your answer?" He asked politely.
As the blue flames reflected into the same blue of Naru's eyes, Lilith felt a fierce chill that went far beyond any demon she'd ever encountered.
***
A metallic smell. Pools of red liquid mixed in with the soil beneath her. It was too dim to see, but a distinct angry, snarling sound, was heard.
Mai grasped her mangled arm. She had purposely thrown her arm into its bite, and gave the thing a swift kick in the face with her free leg. Not to mention she also threw her backpack on its head.
Although she had stopped it from biting into the main arteries of her neck, but sacrificed her arm in the process. She twisted her way out of its grasp, but only had a few moments to catch her breath and scurry away.
Blood…want your blood…
"AS IF I'D LET YOU HAVE IT, YOU UGLY EXCUSE FOR A LIFE!" she yelled, while frantically trying to get a way.
Mai continued to run, retracing her steps out of the vegetative tunnel. She held onto her mangled arm as she ran past vines, twigs, and small trees. The snarling sounds were still behind her though, catching up to her. It didn't matter- she didn't want to die. All she could see were the bright rays of sunlight at the end of the tunnel. I can do it…I just need to get out of here, and find the others. We can look for Jira together...
A clawed hand pulled her hair back. She could feel pieces of her brown hair get ripped out of her scalp, as the thing behind her slammed her into the ground.
It made another growl, before it began started to speak vocally. Its voice rasped and gargled, it made her ears painfully sensitive. She almost preferred it talking to her in her head.
"You're…mine…human. Like I said…You'll …Die…alone…"
It grabbed her already swollen neck, and thrust her up against the wall. Baring its fangs, it came inches towards her neck.
Suddenly it yelped, immediately letting go of Mai.
"Hands off." A low voice commanded.
"Who…who is interfering?!!" the thing snarled.
Mai looked to the right, and could see the shadow of a tall figure, muttering a familiar chant. Before Mai could blink, a bright blue light blasted the creature into the air. Its body made a resounding crack as it hit the floor.
Mai was shocked out of her mind. There was another being here that was stronger than the one that was about to eat her alive! The next thing she knew the tall figure was coming towards her. Mai squinted in the dim light, trying to see the figure's face. It had a faint blue-white aura, that Mai had remember seeing before, but the intensity of its killing power was unfamiliar to her. It stood right beside her, and started to take a hold of her mangled arm.
"Please don't! You're not going to kill me too are you?!" Mai cried out. The figure paused and immediately let go of her arm, almost as if offended. Coming closer, a hand came up to brush some hair away from her face. First she flinched, and then she relaxed. Mai's eyes closed, fully enjoying the warm feeling filled her as she felt the touch of fingertips softly caressing her cheeks. She could almost smell the familiar scents of earl grey tea and mahogany wood. In all honesty, she was way too tired to struggle. If this thing wanted to kill her, she probably would have given it permission.
"Who's going to kill you, idiot?" A voice said in an obviously condescending way, "You must have brain damage to not even recognize your own superior."
That voice. That smell. That super annoying ego.
"N-naru???" she called out weakly. Blue eyes stared into her own. Fear and concern saturated them, a very un-naru look to have. I must be dreaming.
"Your arm needs some attending to. Can you get up?"
Mai shook her head, and felt exhaustion take over. Her body went limp, and her heavy eyelids finally shut. The last thing she remembered was being hoisted up gently and carried out.
***
"Haa…Haa…"
Jira breathed heavily in and out, as he jogged through the forest. He finally lost that wretched girl. Sinking down into the ground, he laid his head next to a tree. He looked around and immediately knew where he was. That man had advised them never to come into this place, something about soul eaters wandering here. But he just couldn't stand the girl who following him.
I need to get away from her evil effects…thank goodness…I was able to make it this far.
After catching his breath, a bright blue light caught his eye. He looked over to the see the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen in his life, suspended in a blue sphere of fire. The woman had silky black hair and sparkling green eyes. Those same eyes locked with his own.
She gestured him to come closer.
He hesitated. Perhaps she is a witch? He thought to himself.
The beautiful woman continued to look at him, her eyes became pleading.
No witch could be that gorgeous.
Jira came up to the sphere, careful to avoid the flames dancing around it.
The woman smiled at him, gratitude enveloping her face. Her voice sounded ever so sweet.
"Can you help me?"