I'm back! Yes, I know it's been a long time but I've finally sorted out many of my problems in my life and suddenly got back my inspiration to write this. Hopefully you haven't lost interest in this story because of the wait but the drama has finally come. I got a review from ParadiseAvenger and they pointed out a very good point. In the last chapter I wrote that John got out of jail on bail and as all of my police/court knowledge comes from watching C.S.I. and Law and Order, which I normally fall asleep half way through, I didn't truly understand how bail works. But for the purpose of this story and because correcting it would mean taking a different direction with this story (something I really, really don't want to do!), bail does get you out of jail. I know that some people may find this annoying that I'm effectively changing the law to fit in with this story but it's fanfiction!
Again, sorry for the wait but updates will be more frequent from now on.
Disclaimer- I own nothing.
Waking up, Ulrich rubbed his eyes and groaned groggily. Reaching over, he grasped the beeping object and brought it to his ear, "Hello?" he mumbled sleepily.
"Ulrich!" came the frantic voice on the other end, "Ulrich, it's Mr Ishiyama."
Ulrich sat up in his bed, wide awake and alert, "Mr Ishiyama? Why are you calling?" he asked politely.
"Ulrich, is Yumi with you?"
Ulrich frowned, "No, why would she be with me? She's at home, isn't she?" Panic rose in his voice.
He imagined Mr Ishiyama shaking his head, "No. Can you come around, the police are here and we need your help."
"I'll be right over." Without saying goodbye, Ulrich hung up the phone and rushed to get dressed. Stumbling around his room in search for his shoes, he heard his door open and the hallway light flood into his dark room.
"Ulrich, what on earth are you doing? Do you know what time it is?" His mother questioned, annoyed at the disturbance of her beauty sleep.
Ulrich's head shot up at her, "Mom, listen. I can't really explain why because I don't know exactly what has happened, but I need to go to Yumi's straight away." Finding and slipping on his footwear, Ulrich began to head for the door, but his mother stretched out her arm and blocked his path, "Mom-!"
"It's your turn to listen to me." she cut him off. Ulrich nodded in agreement, knowing an argument would waste even more time, "After what you said last night, I understand your feelings for Yumi. I also understand that us moving to America is upsetting for you, but you've got to understand that it is for the best, no matter how hard it is for you to believe it but it's true."
Ulrich looked down at the floor, "I have to go." he whispered and ducked under her arm, running down the stairs and out of the door.
Her head spun, aching in pain. Below her, she felt the cold stone floor, her limbs bruised from lying on it. Her eyes slowly opened and she was greeted with the sight of a small dark room; the walls completely bare with damp growing on them. To her right, one thin blanket lay beside her, barely big enough to cover her shivering body. To her left, darkness. Groaning, she tried to lift up her fatigue body, only to fall back down.
A cold laugh made her snap out of her tired state.
Titling her head up she saw John figure hovering over her, a sly smile across his lips. "Welcome to your new home, Yumi?"
She flinched at her names on his lips, "Why?" she whispered.
John rose an eyebrow, kneeling down to her level, "Why, what? Why I came back? Why I did this? Why I choose you?"
She simply nodded wanting to know all the answers.
His hand reached out and rubbed her cheek, rough fingers pressed against her smooth skin, "You're so beautiful, Yumi. Just remember that." He pulled his hand away and left the room, locking the door behind him.
Yumi brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself, tears falling fast down her red cheeks. She wanted it to be a nightmare. She wanted to wake up in her bedroom. She wanted to see her family, her friends. She wanted Ulrich, to be in his arms and feel safe.
"Why didn't you say anything earlier?" Takeo yelled at the stunned Ulrich.
Upon arriving at Yumi's house, Ulrich knew it was going to be bad. A police car was parked outside and one officer was searching around the front of the house. Walking through the open door he saw Hiroki sitting at the kitchen table, eyes wide and the faint tracks of his tears down his cheeks. Before he could say anything to the young boy, Yumi's father placed a hand on his shoulder and silently guided him into the living room. After hearing the news of Yumi's disappearance, Ulrich told them about the letter she received.
"Yumi told me she wasn't going to go, that she had no intention of meeting him." He replied back, fighting back tears.
Takeo stood up and ran a hand through his thinning hair. The officer sighed and looked directly at Ulrich, "I know this is hard but can you think of anywhere he would of taken her, if he is responsible for her disappearance."
"If? If he's responsible? Of course he's behind it!" Ulrich snapped, "Yumi wouldn't run away, not away from her family, friends... me." he added quietly.
The officer placed down his notepad and pen and reached out to put a reassuring hand on Ulrich's shoulder, "John Wilson is are main lead but we can't let him be our only lead, otherwise all other possibilities are disregarded, meaning if our main lead turns out to be wrong our chances of finding Yumi are very slim. Evidence could be overlooked because we want to find something that fits the lead that John is behind this, something to make him guilty. Do you understand?"
Ulrich nodded and looked at Takeo, who was holding a framed picture in his hands, a sad smile on his lips.
"Here," he outstretched the photo to the officer, who gently took it out of his hand, "you said you wanted a picture to help you find her, this is the most recent."
The officer thanked him and slid Yumi's smiling face out of the wooden frame, giving back the empty frame to her father.
"If you receive any information please contact us even if you think it's not that important, everything helps. If we get any information you'll be the first to know. I'm sorry for what's happened but just know that we will try our hardest to find her." He squeezed Ulrich's shoulder once before turning around and leaving the home. Ulrich heard the car pull away and the soft footsteps of Hiroki entering the room.
"Dad?" He whispered, "They'll find her won't they, she will come back home, right?"
Takeo gave him a small smile and nodded, "Of course they will, she'll be home in no time."
Ulrich noticed that Hiroki relaxed slightly at his father's words and began to wish he was that innocent again. He wanted to believe Takeo's words too but he knew better than that. He had to believe that she would be found otherwise he knew he would breakdown. So why was there a small voice at the back of his mind warning him to prepare for the worst?