Close your eyes
By: Beloved Kitten
Chapter Two: Pain renewed
Cafe Mew Mew. It used to be a place filled with activity and vigor. An air of welcome becoming all. It was a place where people went just to communicate with friends and family and take part in fine sweets. The employees where always friendly though sometimes scary. One always put on a show. But that life had long since faded. And the flow of costumers over time noticing this lose diminished. The ones who came talked little and most came for take out only. It was clear that the meaning of Cafe Mew Mew's existence was dieing.
There were no customers. The store was closing early. Lettece sat at the cash register adding up tabs as Mint sat and stared with an empty glaze in her eyes into her cold tea. Pudding in at the other side of the room ear phones in her head listening to an ipod as she half heartedly scrubbed the tables.
Keiichiro stood there in the kitchen door way watching the three. Noting that it had been over a year and a half since Lettece had stopped dropping plates and was more focused on getting into college. She was still soft spoken but saying what was on her mind came easer to her now. At least he didn't have to worry about purchasing more dish wear. Mint was still sarcastic but had less heart. She barely even wanted to come in for work at all. And when she was forced to mop or clean she'd only go half way before giving up and setting back down. Customers seeing this would because nervous as to how clean the facility was.
Looking over at Pudding Keiichiro knew that she was the one that had changed the most in the past three years. She had just turned thirteen and her attitude was more mellow. At truth she was the most distant. She never spoke a word to them and wasn't interested in taking part any anything with them as a group. She concentrated on her work and was never seen without her headphones in her ears. Keiichiro wasn't sure if it was puberty or not but she was no longer hyper active.
No matter how it was seen the cafe was almost depressing. He knew that it must depress them to be here knowing what was no longer there.
Smiling he stepped forwards attempting to lighten the mood.
"Lettuce, Mint. Why don't the two of you go shopping for some more groceries. The kitchen is running out of supplies."
Lettece was the only one to register his presence as she secede what she was doing to look at him.
"Sure. I don't mind." She said.
Mint and Pudding just went about their business.
"Mint got along with Lettuce. I'll finish closing the store off along with Pudding."
Mint just sat there and lifted her arm and took a sip of her cold tea...Lettuce got up and went to the girl and lightly tugged at her arm. She smiled apologetically at Keiichiro.
"Sorry. She's just a little down today."
"It's alright."
Lettuce managed to usher Mint out of her chair and the two of them went into the locker room to change.
Keiichiro turned to Pudding. She watched him as she slowly wiped the table down with the damp rag. He wasn't sure just how to approach her.
"Pudding would you mind putting the chairs up too. Thanks."
She turned and left the room leaving him standing there on his own.
Lettuce brushed her liquid sea green hair from her eyes as the two girls walked down the street with bags in their hands. Glancing over Mint walked with her back straight and stiff her eyes faced ahead of her. Lettuce noticed how Mint's beautiful brown eyes looked almost haunted lately...mostly she knew...it must be the dreams.
"hay Mint what do you think about going to a movie after we drop this stuff off. We haven't done anything together in a while."
"No."
Lettuce signed and looked away...she knew there was no point in continuing.
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Pudding walked into the kitchen and pulled down her ear phones letting them drip from around her neck. Opening the fridge she looked inside and pulled out a small bowl filled with yellow cake batter. She thought she might as well start up the cake for Keiichiro since he would be in the lab until the girls got back. At least all the customers where gone.
Pudding hadn't liked the constant chatter of people. She had gotten used to complete silence; people refusing to talk about the past as if it never happened and it upset her deeply. She had developed the nack for music; a way to ignore the people who wanted to pretend everything was just fine.
Turning; closing the door to the silver fridge she froze and dropped the glass bowel. It shattered to pieces at her feet batter splattering the floor and covering her shoes.
Crouched over the sink was something covered by a black cloak. Hood pulled up to conceal it's face. It slowly rose towering, casting a shadow over the frightened girl. Eyes wide Pudding stepped back as long, curved claws slipped out from under the right sleeve. They were dark gray riveting with black veins. The tips were so sharp that they seemed to bleed the very air.
The thirteen year old had no idea what to do. She wasn't a mew any more – what in the world was an average girl do? Then before another thought it off the counter and swung those large slender claws towards her.
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Keiichiro looked up at the crash. He blinked. Lettuce hadn't broken a plate in years and she was still about with Mint. Pudding was the most coordinated of them all.
He was about to let is pass when a clatter echoed through the ceiling along with a few bangs. What could it be...he wondered.
--
Pudding hit her back against the wall and let out a strangled yelp. But before she could even react the claws sliced at her tearing at the skin at her upper arm. She cried out and dodged as they came for her again causing them to swipe through boxes of food above the refrigerator. A shower of grain poured around them.
Stumbling Pudding went around the island at the center of the kitchen. The form moved fluidly through the air as she didn't even see it as the tips sliced across the young girls cheeks. With a wail she hit the floor. But instantly scrambled to her feet as the four gray slices dug into the marble flooring as if it were nothing but gel.
It was too fast and the kitchen too small to give the girl lee way. As she pounded around to the other side of the island it was on her.
--
Frowning Keiichiro pulled back and stood from his seat. Could that have been a scream? Grabbing the slick almost snack like railing Keiichiro went up the stairs as faint sounds went through the walls. He became worried.
--
Hitting the floor she slid like a piece of ice across the marble and hit her back against the kitchen door. She was finding it difficult to breath. Her side screamed in an unbearable agony and blood went down her arm tingling with heat. Her sight fading out of focus sweat wend down her forehead in her labored attempt to move, but couldn't find the strength.
The clocked figure stood upon the counter and leaped through the air towards her, cap flying outwards. Pudding was slipping as she saw the claws inching closer; ripping through the air.
Suddenly the door swung open and she fell back. Quickly she was grabbed under the arms from behind and pulled backwards out of the kitchen.
The blond fell against Keiichiro's chest as the black figure went weightlessly through the air out of the kitchen. Ducking Keiichiro landed on his back the form flipped placing it's feet against the wall and pushing it self back towards them. Twirling it's claws.
Keiichiro rolled to the side and tried to stand but while holding Pudding in his arms he was hit in the chest by a force that threw them both across the corridor. Hitting his back on the ground he lost hold of Pudding as they slid across the floor and went right through the open to the lab down stairs.
They tumbled down the steps flipping over till Keiichiro's back struck the floor below. The breath being knocked out of him as his head thudded against the floor. He went wozzy as he found Pudding laying unconscious on his chest. A stream of blood streaming down her forehead.
Felling himself fading out of consciousness he saw two figures going out of focus at the top of the stairs when they cam together as one – a dark form leaping into the air and coming right for them he was snapped back. Grabbing hold of the girl he rolled to the side.
It came down light on it's feet as it struck the floor. Keiichiro's eyes went wide. It moved unbound by gravity.
Turning it's hooded head towards them without pause it was going at them again claws raised. In desperation Keiichiro rolled Pudding off of him and she rolled across the floor away from him. It was on him. Using his feet wile it was still in mid air he knocked it over his head grabbing the from and throwing over as claws went for his head.
Without it's feet ever touching the ground it extended it's arms and flipped over lightly landing as if it were weightless; made of feathers. His blood went cold.
"Keiichiro!!" Came Mint's frantic call from the top of the steps. The young man turned towards the call. Sharp points dug into his chest. The clocked from stood before him it's claws piecing his flesh. He gasped coughing blood. Thudding feet went down the steps and appeared the two girls. They froze. Lettuce shrieked. It's claws slipped from his chest and leaped twenty feet back. With one last look to the group the air around it wavered as if a rings of water and the figure vanished.
Felling himself fading keiichiro's legs buckled beneath him. As the ground rose to meet him Lettuce cried out. He felt nothing but the taste of his own blood.
Chapter Two: End.