Short Stories with Tragic Endings

Chapter 3

-Syaoran Li-

It was frustrating to say the least. Every clue we followed led to a dead end. Every lead we got led us to nowhere. We searched that apartment from top to bottom. We climbed over tables and under cupboards and all we found were dust bunnies. And one hair.

It's that hair that's bothering me. Everyone said Miss Glen had a love for wigs and would wear them to parties just for the fun of it. Her collection in her closet proved it. But they also said that she got rid of some of the old ones recently. What makes it more difficult is that all the wigs were actually made from human hair. They weren't fakes.

Was the hair we found one that was left behind by an unfortunate wig being disposed of, or was it from the killer? If it is from the killer we have a slight lead on what he or she might look like. If the killer is a she, then that hair includes almost every damn female in this city. If the killer is a male, well then, my job just might be a little bit easier.

That butterfly… That little silver thing you put on earrings to keep them from falling off… I wonder. All the butterflies on Miss Glen's earrings were accounted for, and she had some spares tugged away in a little plastic bag for future use as well. But none of them matched the one we found. Did it belong to Miss Glen who replaced it with the kind she seemed to have preferred, or was it our killer's who lost it when he struggled with her?

"Hey, are you up for lunch?" I looked up to find Eriol and Tomoyo standing at my door with big goofy grins on their faces. They must have done something again. They are always causing trouble, leaving me to please and explain what where had gone wrong.

"I'm not covering for you this time." I got up and grabbed my jacket. "What ever you did."

"We didn't do anything. It's just a joke someone told."

I lifted a brow at Tomoyo. "Really, and how did it go?"

"I'm not a suspect Xiao-lang Li, so don't you use that tone with me. I'm up for a pub launch by the way. Something greasy, with lots and lots of chips and meat."

"Ewe! After that body you just examined? Ewe, gross Tomoyo." I laughed silently as Eriol pulled a disgusted face at our little coroner. "That guy was practically falling apart and still you want to eat."

"I'm hungry! I haven't eaten yet. And if you've seen one decomposed corps, you've seen them all. They are all dead Eriol. Maggots, flies and beetles doesn't change it."

"Yeah, but it makes it extra gross." The cold nipped at my skin when I stepped outside. I pulled my coat closer to my body and followed the two arguing lovebirds down the street. Winter was suddenly upon us. Only two weeks ago it was still cool, not cold. Only two weeks ago I comforted the girl.

Sakura…

That name will haunt me for the rest of my life. Every night when I am alone I think of her. I don't know why. I have so much to keep me busy, training and the job, but still… It's when I am alone, really alone, in a dark room in a cold bed… I miss her the most.

-Sakura Kinomoto-

Marissa's dead eyes were staring up at me. They were blank and have lost their usual friendliness and sparkle. They just stared at me. That's all, stared. Her hand touched my cheek and I froze at the warm and cold touch. Her skin felt cold, like metal, but her blood was warm and burned.

Slowly her hand brushed against my cheek, allowing her blood to stain it. Her fingers brushed my hair from my face and she leaned closer. Her lips touched my forehead in a soft kiss. All I could do was stare up at her. I stood frozen as she touched me. Her arms wrapped around me and I could feel her body pressing against mine. I could feel her warm blood soak my clothes.

And I just stood still, unable to move, unable to breathe. "Sakura… I'm coming for you Sakura. My sweet girl." It wasn't her voice, it was someone else's voice. A voice I didn't know. And it scared me. It scared me so much. Tears blurred my vision. I can't move. Why can't I move? "Oh, don't cry. Hush, hush, it will be over soon."

Her lips touched my cheeks as she kissed away the tears, but it wasn't her lips. It was someone else's, someone I couldn't see. His body pressed against mine as he continued to kiss my face. His hands were cold as he held onto me. "My sweet girl. My lovely girl. I'm coming for you." His lips brushed against mine. Harder and harder. He forcefully kissed me and I tried to push him away.

His harsh laugh echoed through the air as he pressed himself harder against me. I struggled against him and he kept laughing. "There's no way out. You're mine." I pushed him hard and he let go of me.

"Sakura run!" It was Marissa. "Run!" I ran and he grabbed my wrist. My back hit the wall hard. I can't breathe. I can't breathe.

"You're mine girl! Do you hear? Mine!"

"Sakura?" I know that voice. "Sakura? Sakura, are you okay?" Warm arms wrapped themselves around me. I know this voice. I know this smell. I know his smell. I clung to him. "Shh… I'm here for you, always. Remember?" I love his voice. I lifted my face from his shirt and looked up at him. His dark eyes smiled down at me. "I'm here for you."

"You're mine!"

I awoke with a start. Sweat clung to my face as I sat up in my bed. I looked around my apartment. It was still empty, the way I had left it when I went to bed. Everywhere lights were on. I hate the dark, I loathe it. But not even the light can save me from this nightmare.

I looked at myself as I stood in my bathroom. I felt sick again. I can't sleep and I can't eat. And the little I do eat comes out again. The toilet complained about me using it at this time of the night, almost as to prove my point. I felt sick. My lunch just went down the drain, literally.

My skin seemed paler than two weeks before, before… My hair was in a mess and dark circles were clear under my eyes. I touched my cheek and pulled my hand away to look at it. My fingers looked strange. Thin, very thin. I don't remember them being this thin. Or this pale.

I lifted my shirt and looked at my stomach. It too looked thin, too thin. My arms, my legs, my hands, my feet and my face. I'm thin, too thin. I'm sick. I touched my hair and it felt dead. I looked at my eyes.

I couldn't see me in them anymore.

He watched as their hands found one another. Fingers just barely brushing against one another… He let them hold onto one another. He let them have each other. It was sinfully delightful to watch.

-Syaoran Li-

It's two in the damn morning and I am still not able to sleep. My bed feels cold and empty. No matter how many blankets I pull over me, I still feel cold. My bed still remains empty. My body feels cold and empty.

I only spent one night with her, one night, and my body still remembers her. I closed my eyes as I let my memory take me to the happiest day of my life. What bliss I experienced that night. What heavenly emotions I experienced. I long to return to that, to my heaven and to my angel.

It was years ago. Her hair was still long then and her cheeks hadn't lost their redness. She still laughed openly and loudly, she still smiled without a care in the world. Although her love for jeans and jerseys remained, her spirit seemed to have dwindled a bit. She's seen too much hardship and hatred in this damn city to go back to the way she was.

To the girl I fell in love with.

I can still remember her kisses, soft and sweet, tasting of cherry lip gloss. I can still remember the sensation of my fingers running through her hair, gently pulling the strands away from her soft face. Her body pressed against mine, her heart beating loudly in her chest, her soft fingers touching my face…

I remember holding her as I fell asleep. Her back was pressed against my chest and her fingers were laced with mine. I remember waking up with her still in my arms. Her head resting on my chest, her warm breath almost burning my skin as she breathed, and her long hair messy and fanned out. I want to wake up like that again.

Mostly I remember her eyes. They were dark and green and sparkled with life. They held so many hopes and dreams, so much love and faith. I don't see that in her eyes anymore. All I see now is heartache and longing. I don't see a girl ready and willing to take on the world anymore, all I see now is a girl who is sad and alone. All I see now is my beautiful flower wilting away.

Year after year her passion faded way and along with it some of her beauty. She is still beautiful, but she doesn't have her sparkle anymore. Her cheeks are pale and her eyes blank. Only the lip gloss remained.

I jumped at the loud knock on my door. Sighing I stood up and walked through my empty dark apartment. If it is Eriol again I am going to kill him. He can sleep at Tomoyo's. I pulled open the door and froze. It was sure as hell not Eriol. "Sakura?"

"Li." Tears were rolling down her face. She was pale and thin. It looked like she hadn't slept in days and her clothes hung on her like a bag, instead of showing the sexy curves she always had. "I'm sorry." She sniffed loudly and turned to walk away. My hand shot out and I took hold of her shoulder. I cringed, she feels like bone.

"Come here." I pulled her against me and she clung to my shirt crying. I some how managed to steer the girl inside my apartment as she continued to hold on to me. I just stood in the middle of nowhere with the girl in my arms, allowing her to cry her heart out. I know I shouldn't have left her alone that night. I should have stayed with her.

"You'll always have me, remember?" She nodded against my chest and I pushed her away slightly. "How about some tea and something to eat?"

"I'm not hungry."

"It's not an offer Sakura. You're going to eat something and you are going to keep it in that body of yours. No arguments." I steered her to my kitchen and sat her down on a counter chair. This girl is not leaving my sight until she's back to her normal size again. She is much too thin.

"I'm too thin, aren't I?" I turned to look at the girl. She was staring at her hands as she held the mug of tea I gave her. "I don't like the way I look, but I keep getting sick." Her voice was barely audible and I could hear the sadness that filled her heart filling her voice.

"It's only because you let yourself." I smiled softly at her. "But I'm here now and I'll make sure you don't get sick, okay?" She nodded silently and kept her eyes on her tea.

"I missed you…" My heart raced as I looked at the girl. A small unsure smile was dancing on her lips. "Syaoran." I haven't heard someone call me that name in such a long time. I sat down next to her and pulled her close to me, her head resting against my chest. It's the one thing I've been longing to hear the most.

"I know." I kissed the top of her head softly. "I missed you too." We sat like that for a while. The noodles boiled over a couple of times, but I didn't mind. She needs me more than I need a clean stove.

I forced her to eat everything I gave her and took her to bed. I held her as she fell asleep in my arms. In my baggy pyjamas she looked even more fragile and helpless. My beautiful flower has withered away and I did nothing to stop it. Now I am scared that it might be too late. Now I am scared that I might loose her.

I pulled her tight against me. I'm never going to give her up again. This time she'll stay with me, no matter what.

I can give you freedom from your guilt,

With a flick of my wrist onto yours.

I can give you peace of mind with a forced smile.

I can give you death with the look upon my face.

I woke up with the phone ringing loudly next to my bed. When I opened my eyes the girl was still sleeping next to me. I think she hadn't slept for days. I quickly picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

"Li, where are you?"

"I'm not coming in today Eriol."

"What do you mean you're not coming in? You're always in! And what about this case? The press is having a field day about it and apparently Kinomoto has gone missing too. Her neighbour saw her walking out of her home last night and she never returned."

"She's with me."

"What do you mean she's with you? Oh my… don't tell me you slept with her again! You know how screwed up you were after that. You're addicted to that girl!"

"I'm not addicted. It's impossible. Just call the neighbour and tell her the girl is safe, will you? And I don't know how long I will be absent from work, until I can get her to eat and sleep normally again I suppose."

"Is it that bad?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, okay then. I'll keep you posted."

"You do that." I hung up and looked at the girl again. They say never to get personally involved in a case. I was personally involved long before this killer decided to show up. In fact, I was personally involved even before I knew the girl's name.

I remember the first day I saw her. It was spring and Eriol and I went to a pub close to the park to celebrate. We didn't have a reason to celebrate, we just wanted to. I noticed the girl running down the road with her cell phone pressed to her ear. As she passed us I could hear her saying that she was going to be late. Late for what, I still don't know.

Her bag got caught on one of the pub's decorative fences and pulled it and the girl down. I've never seen anyone scramble so fast to pick up books, notes, pencil cases and other personal items that spilled out of the bag. And all the while she kept her phone to her ear. She had hardly touched the ground and she was up again, running to the train station.

Twenty minutes later she showed up again, but she was walking and sulking. She sat herself down at a corner table and dropped her head on it along with her bag. She answered her phone and cursed loudly. It died.

"Excuse me." She was standing next to our table, a look of desperation on her face. "May I borrow your cell phone please, I need to organise myself a lift and mine's battery just gave in."

I could not believe it, a sexy girl like her walking up to our table and asking to use one of our phones. Like I was going to waste a golden opportunity like that. I bribed her into going on a date with me, a date that only took place two weeks later due to her exams, but it was a date none the less. And we've been on a roller coaster ride since then.

This time it seems the roller coaster took a dip for the worse. I pushed stray strands of hair from her face. I wish we could go back to the days where the only things she had to worry about were her exams and organising a lift with her brother to visit her dad in Tomoeda. To the days where our jobs didn't get in the way of our lives.

I need to quit. I hate seeing people being killed by other people all the time. I want a nice quite job in a nice quite town where nothing really ever happens. A place where excitement is some teenager who decided to shoplift and got caught. I could really use a job like that.

If I had a job like that, would she have decided to stay? Would she be lying next to me as my wife, instead of a stranger I fell in love with?

I need to quit this city. It's caused my family and me too much pain and suffering. I'll solve this case, for the sake of Sakura and then I'm leaving. I don't know to where yet. Maybe I can ask for a transfer to a town that is under staffed. I want a fresh start, away from this madness and death.

I wonder if she'll go with me?