Author: So…here's my sixth chapter. This is where it might get just a tad bit confusing, but…I know what's going to happen. Heh. Heh. I tell that to my sister all the time and she gets all upset and anxious to know what it is, but…I never tell her…usually.

Chapter Six

"Love is joy and love is pain.

It's kissing in the rain.

It's doing dishes when it's late.

Isn't it, baby.

It's the art of compromise.

It's hellos and long good-byes.

It's the picture of our lives.

Isn't it crazy."

She was singing along with a CD. At freaking three a.m. in the morning! I pounded on her door and the noise died down, but as I stepped inside Zoë was gone.

THE NEXT MORNING

Zoë stepped into the bathroom and shut the door. She fastened it shut with a deadbolt then turned to look in the mirror. Her eyes were wild with fright and she took deep breaths through her mouth. Her whole body trembled and her legs buckled sending her to the floor. Tears pooled down her cheeks and into her mouth.

Climbing shakily to her feet her gaze rested on the bathtub and a vision flashed through her mind.

The girl's prone body lay in the blood filled bathtub. Her eyes are blank and glassy. Her clothes float around her dead body.

Zoë gasped and turned back towards the mirror, taking steady, but uneven breaths. Another flashback.

The girl looks in the mirror, a man is standing behind her, a knife visible in his blood stained hand.

Zoë whirled around. Nobody. She let her head drop into her hands and sob escaped her lips. There was a quiet knock on the door and the ghost girl's head shot up. She quickly wiped her tears away and stilled her breathing before opening the door to reveal Keiichirou, my father, and me. My brother's eyes were puffy with tears as he ran over to Zoë. Throwing his arms around her waist he let out a pitiful moan.

"Zoë!" He sobbed. "I don't want you to go!"

She glanced around at Reiichirou and me before turning back to the weeping boy in front of her. She gripped his shoulders firmly and forced him to look into her eyes.

"Keii," she said slowly. "Everythin' will be fine."

He shook his head miserably. "No! Daddy says that you have to leave!"

She looked up at Reiichirou, causing him to hang his head in shame. "I only want what's best for my family."

"I understand." Zoë said nodding.

Keiichirou stared at her. "Don't' you want to stay here?"

"Of course, Keii! But itsa better if I go. I don't want any of ya to get hurt. You're the closest thing I got to a family and I don't wanna lose any of you."

"Then why are you going?"

She let out a sound, half so b and half sight. "Keii, it's too dangerous if I stay here. For you."

"But…but…"

The girl placed her fingers on his lips. "Shh." she cooed. "I'll see ya again someday." At that she stood up and turned to me, her eyes were glazed with unshed tears and glittered like rain.

"Satsuki." she whispered. "I know I was harsh to ya an' stuff, but…" she faltered. "But…oh! you remind me of my sister so much! And I love ya!" She threw her arms around my neck and wept into my shoulder. She pulled back instantly, her eyes directed to the floor. "I won't be goin' to school anymore." she finally muttered.

"Huh? Why not?" I asked.

She looked into my face, her eyes boring into mine. "Satsuki, itsa way too dangerous. You of all people should know that."

I nodded and she turned to leave. Keiichirou grabbed her hand, his cheeks wet with tears. "Zoë, please don't go!"

The girl looked down at him, then slowly knelt beside the quaking boy. "Keii, I have to leave, but…" she reached to the back her neck and unhooked her silver cross necklace. "I give this to ya. It will protect ya from evil."

He nodded and Zoë placed it around his neck before standing up to turn to the exit. As she walked out the door, my brother and I rushed to the window to watch her make her departure. But right when her foot touched the pavement the boy in black, Rene, was in front of her. Zoë gasped and took a step backwards. The boy grinned at hr then spoke in a low, raspy voice. "So, this is where you've been hiding. Well, I'll take care of that."

The ghost girl stumbled and fell backwards onto the road. Rene stretched his hand out to her, offering her a way back to her feet. She glanced from his hand to his face and back to his hand again. She reached a trembling hand up, gripped is tightly, then pulled with all her might. Rene fell to the ground, giving Zoë just enough time to jump to her feet and make a run for it.

Rene climbed slowly to his feet like a body rising from the dead, then he made a slow turn like a body rising form the dead then he made a slow turn until he was facing the retreating form of Zoë. He stretched his hand forward and the ghost girl suddenly came to a halt as a black force field loomed up in front of her. She gave an involuntary gasp then turned to run in another direction. Another wall blocked her path and another until she was in a box of see-through walls. She turned back around to face the boy.

Rene lowered his hand then turned towards my house, causing my whole body to shudder. I turned around to face Keiichirou, but to my horror he was gone. Vanished from sight. When I looked back out the window, Rene was nowhere in sight and a wave of relief washed through my body until the door was kicked open and the strange boy stepped into the house.

My mind raced in panic and my heart leapt up into my throat. I glanced hurriedly around for my little brother, but they boy wasn't anywhere. I spotted my father standing in the corner his eyes wild with fright.

Rene turned to me and said in a deep voice that seemed to echo around in the small room. "Where is the boy?"

My eyes shifted unconsciously up towards the ceiling. The boy's eyes followed my gaze and his lips twisted up into a cruel smile. I gasped as he shoved past me towards the stairs. What had I done? I led him right to my poor, helpless little brother? What had I done?

But my fears finally diminished when Rene came stomping back down the stairs his hands clenched tightly into fists by his sides and a gloomy scowl covering his face. His eyes flashed with cold fury as he came to stand in front of me.

His voice came out like a growl. "He's not there, so where is he?"

I stared blankly at my captor for a second and I was flushed with relief that he had not found Keiichirou, but my joy was dashed away when the boy stretched out his hand and grabbed my neck. He slammed me against the wall with the force of an eighteen wheeler making my body go limp. The only thing I was conscious of was the fact that I couldn't breathe. There wasn't any air! My body was now full of energy as I thrashed about in Rene's grasp. he finally released me and my body crashed to the floor in a heap of skin, bones, and blood.

He faced the window his eyes burning with hate as his gaze rested on the trapped Zoë who had sunk to her knees in distress. She finally glanced up to meet his stare and I could see her whole body shudder as if a cold wind had just swept over her.

Rene suddenly swept past me and flew out of the house heading in the ghost girl's direction. When he got there the blackened force-fields vanished and Zoë stumbled forward, crashing to the ground with a startling thump. The boy plucked her up off the ground with ease. His fingers were tight around the girl's neck as he pulled her up until her feet dangled in the air.

"Where is he?" Rene snarled.

Zoë didn't answer and the boy threw her against a large oak tree.

"Where is the boy?"

Zoë's gaze fell onto the ground. Rene's hands clenched by his side and he spun back towards my house. He stormed inside and grabbed a fistful of my auburn hair, pulling me out of the front door. He threw me down in front of Zoë. the ghost girl set her hand gently on my back then met Rene's fiery gaze. Something I had never seen before flashed through her eyes as she climbed slowly to her feet. Hate. Though it was mixed with grief and love.

The boy met her stare steadily then pointed his finger at me, saying. "I'll kill your friend if you don't tell me where the boy is."

She glanced from him to me to him and back to me. Rene yanked me back to my feet and as quick as a flash of lightening he whipped out a gun and aimed it at my head. My eyes widened with fright and I could already see my body falling to the ground, blood streaming out of the bullet hole, but he didn't pull the trigger; just stood there shaking with anger.

"Where. Is. The. Boy?" He finally asked.

Zoë sucked at the air and Rene tightened his finger against the trigger.

"Wait!" The ghost girl cried.

The boy looked at her, waiting for an answer, but yet again she didn't say a word. The gun was hard against my head and I could practically hear the gears turning around in the strange boy's head.

"No!" Zoë shouted. "I'll tell ya!"

"Don't tell!" I heard myself yelling. "Don't tell!"

Zoë hesitated glancing at me and Rene.. He pushed his gun even closer, causing me to let out a pathetic little whimper.

"Wait, Rene!" She said again. "I…I…I'll tell ya!"

"No, Zoë! No! Don't tell him anything!"

Once again Zoë paused and I was sent sprawling to the ground a nasty gash on my head ---Where Rene had hit me with the but of his gun---spilling blood onto the cold pavement. I could feel the tears spilling down onto my cheeks along with the red liquid.

"Rene, don't!" I could here Zoë shouting, but I felt so very far away. Like my body was there but not my mind. "Rene, please! I'll tell ya!"

Then there was only silence.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Author: So…did it confuse anyone? It would have confused me, but hey most things do. Review and tell me what you all think about it.