Chapter four: Where we part ways...
Linian shivered under Dark's coat as he carried her though the hallways, farther away from the infirmary. Cold chills, like the ones she felt when they first arrived traveled up her spine.
"Dark, I can walk." She meekly said, but he shook his head.
"It's a better idea that you don't, you twisted your ankle really bad. Besides, I don't mind carrying you." Linian rolled her eyes at him and Krad gave a slight snort. The three stopped on some stairs that led up to the third floor. With hopped up on Dark's shoulder as he leaned against the wall.
"So now what?" Krad asked as he leaned against the railing.
"We have no idea where to look to find the first victim's tongue. These corridors go on forever and they're all dark, the tongue could be in any of them."
"Well what do you suggest we do?" Dark asked with a frown.
"We could split up." Krad suggested.
"No! Bad idea." Linian stood shakily, holding the edges of Dark's coat around her shoulders.
"The spirit that helped us said it was better we stay together rather then split up. If we do split up, there's no telling what may happen."
"Linian's right about that. It's a better idea to stay together." Dark agreed. A cold breeze brushed over Linian and she turned.
"Dark, Krad, Look.." They turned to see a young girl standing at the top of the stairs, looking down on them with blank eyes. Her uniform was black with red and white trim and her brown hair was tied back with a red ribbon.
"Creepy girl." Dark muttered. Linian took a hold of the railing and slowly started to climb the stairs towards the girl, one by one.
"Hey, it's okay... I'm Linian. What's your name?" She asked gently and the girl didn't move. She just stared blankly at the ground. Her lips moved slightly, as if to speak but no words escaped. Linian took a step closer and she heard her voice.
"Though the thought of seeing my friends all dead gives me sadness, I can't stop apologizing, Mao, Seiko, all of you, I'm sorry that I'm so...Useless."
"She's gone insane." Linian muttered to herself.
"Being trapped here must have made her sanity become unhinged." The girl's head slowly lifted, until she made eye contact with Linian. Linian gasped.
'I... Can't move.' It was like she was frozen in place. She couldn't turn away from the girl or run. She could hear Krad and Dark calling to her, but she couldn't move.
"Save...Me..." The girl mumbled before her eyes closed. She fell backwards on the ground with a Thud and Linian exhaled. She dashed up the stairs and knelt at the girl's side, checking for any remote sigh of life. Krad and Dark joined her at the top of the stairs.
"She's dead."
"She was alive a moment ago, what do you mean she's dead?!" Dark asked.
"I don't know, but she lost her mind being trapped in this place. God knows how long she was trapped here." Linian stood and glanced back at the other two. Another cold breeze blew though the hall and Linian gasped. Her eyes drafted to the next stairs leading up to see nothing but black darkness that stretched beyond the staircase. Linian stared at the top of the staircase with clenched teeth. She knew that something, or someone was there, she just couldn't see in the darkness.
"Linian? What's the matter?" Dark asked but she didn't reply. Linian took a step up and the stair creaked under her weight.
"Ring around the rosy..." A childish female voice was heard from the darkness. The hairs on the back of the trio's necks stood on end as the voice echoed though the small stairwell. It echoed so much that they couldn't tell where the voice was emitting from.
"Pocket full of posies..." The line was said very slowly and Linian suppressed a shiver.
"Ashes... Ashes..." Linian frowned as she collected her courage. It wasn't the smartest thing, but it would prove that she wasn't afraid.
"We all fall down." Linian completed. A laugh, this one childish echoed though.
"Linian..." Dark said as he scanned for the person the laughter belonged to. With kyu'ed in a small voice and the stairwell began to violently shake. Linian gasped as she and Dark linked hands. Krad gritted his teeth as he braced himself against the wall, dodging falling debris.
"What the hell is going on?!"
"I don't know, but hang on tight!" Dark pulled her close and leaned against the wall with his arms shielding Linian. After a few moments of shaking and rumbling, everything went still. Dark and Linian glanced around.
"Krad?" Linian asked but there was no reply.
"Krad, where did you go?" Dark peered around the corner to see that his other half was no where to be seen.
"Kyu?"
"Where do you think he went?" Linian asked, her voice shaking with fear. Dark pulled her close.
"I don't know, but we'll find him. I'm sure that he's okay." Linian swallowed and nodded.
"Come on, this stairwell is giving me the creeps." Linian took a hold of Dark's hand and the two walked up to the third floor. Dark peered around the corridor to find nothing but darkness. Linian stepped up behind Dark and let out a strangled cry. She fell to her knees, clutching her head. Fear and agony were clear in her wide unblinking eyes.
"Linian, what's going on?" Dark asked kneeling. Panic and fear for what was happening to her in his voice. Her head fell forward and her hands kept her from falling to the wooden floor. Her bangs shielded her eyes from Dark.
"Linian...?" Dark asked. She looked up at him and he gasped in surprise. Her eyes were dull, like they were dead and they weren't bronze like before. They were dead soulless gray.
"Kyu..?" With asked. An unnaturally wide grin stretched across her face.
"What the hell?" Dark asked though clenched teeth.
"Come play with me, Dark..." She whispered and started to giggle. Dark turned to see a spirit watching not far.
"The poor girl, she's completely lost her mind and wouldn't get it back. Possession is a very ugly thing. To your own thoughts suppressed and replaced by another's." Dark looked down at the other angel, who was giggling madly.
"Possessed? We'll just see." Dark knelt and touched her forehead, making her freeze and her giggling stop.
"Linian, you need to break though. You're stronger, I know it. I've seen it myself..." Dark felt a presence inside resist, but after a few moments, her head lunged forward. Dark pulled his hand back and watched as Linian's eyes changed from soulless gray back to lively bronze.
"Ow... My head hurts." She muttered holding her head.
"At least you're back to normal." Dark muttered and she looked at him.
"What are you talking about?" Dark described the incident that occurred not a few moments ago.
"I was possessed?" Linian asked, her mind still trying to comprehend what she was told.
"Yea, and it was creepy." Dark stood and pulled Linian to her feet.
"Thanks." She murmured and he nodded. They walked silently though the hallway. Linian walked with her head down. She looked like she was very deep in her thoughts. Dark placed a protective arm around her shoulders and she just mumbled thanks.
"Linian? Is something on your mind?
"Hmm? I don't know."
"What wrong?" Linian and Dark met eyes and Dark saw very deep sorrow in her eyes. Sorrow that he couldn't begin to understand.
"When that little girl died on the staircase, I felt like I did when I found Katsan dying." She hugged her arms very tightly.
"I felt so helpless." She turned away and clenched her teeth as tears started to roll down her face. Dark's gaze softened.
"Linian..." He gave her a hug, letting her cry into his chest. He placed a hand on her head and the other on the small of her back.
"Linian, there wasn't anything you could do to help either of them. Look, it will be okay." Her sobbing soon quieted after a few minutes of just standing there with Dark comforting her. Linian pulled away from him and wiped her eyes.
"Thanks Dark, I'd probably drive myself insane if I was alone." Dark wrapped an arm around her and she smiled.
"You're welcome. Come on!"
A/n: Wow, I really haven't touched this one in a while. Poor Lin, she was possessed. But anyways, I only own Lin, Kat and my characters. Hope you enjoyed!