Chapter 7: How

He continued to stare at the young women for a bit longer and she returned his gaze steadfastly. Those haunted eyes unwavering. His mother's eyes. He hadn't seen those eyes in a very long time and never had he seen them quite so grim. So melancholy. Not even on her saddest of days had his mother's eyes ever looked even a tenth as despaired as this girl's.

What the hell happened to her?, he thought disjointedly. When the shock finally abated a bit he realized Tanaka was still speaking and cut her off. He had no clue what she was talking about anyway.

"How?"