Chapter 3: The Ferry

*NOTE: THIS CHAPTER IS VERY LONG. *

"Akiya, what are you doing on the bathroom floor?" Asked Akiya's friend.

"W-What?" Akiya realized she was on a bathroom floor. As she un-balled herself, she clutched the doll in her hand and shoved it in her pocket, quickly, before standing up all the way. As Akiya and her friend made their way out the store, her friend said,

"Oh shit! I'm sooo sorry Akiya, but I promised my mom I'd be home before my curfew this time." She looked at her watch and started to run mumbling,

"I'm so dead, I'm so dead…" Over and over again. Akiya waved "Goodbye." Silently as she continued walking down the street. Turning a corner, Akiya was pulled into a dark alley way and shoved against a cold brick wall. Looking up to the sky, Akiya noticed a small light. The light was on, but flickering between on and off. Each time it flickered the light's glow got weaker. All while looking at this light, Akiya never got to see the man's face (assuming it was a man that grabbed her.) She looked back at an eye level view of the alley way. Quick hands tied a piece of cloth around her mouth.

"Where's the stuff?" someone asked. Akiya realized the voice. It was none other than her childhood friend, Ren.

"Hmm hm hmm hmmm?" Ren un-tied the cloth from around her mouth, but still had her held up against the wall.

"WHAT STUFF ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!" Akiya yelled. Ren quickly tied the cloth around her mouth, again. "Shh…" He whispered.

"You know what stuff." Akiya realized this voice, too. It was that greedy old man, Ganuro.

"Figures you're behind this, Ganuro." Akiya practically spat his name when she said it.

"Please, call me Shin." Offered Ganuro. "Anyway, enough of this luxury treatment. The stuff, please, Ms. Yamakashi."

"I already told you I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUCK YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, such language and anger you have Akiya."

"I never told you that you could call me Akiya, Shin." She smiled devilishly as she spat his first name, the same way she spat his last.

"Well then, enough of this. Kill her." He tossed Ren the gun. Akiya looked at Ren with eye's that had, "Why are you doing this?" all over them. He just shook his head, and prepared the gun he held in his hand to do what it did best. Just as he put the cold metal against her head, Akiya yelled,

"STOP!"

"What?" Ren said. He didn't say it intimidatingly or anything, he just sounded confused.

"Ren, why are you doing this? I mean, we were such good friends. W-what happened to you?" Akiya looked up at Ren. And he looked back; there was nothing in his eyes, or on his face. Nothing.

"I grew up. When you left town that was all I could do. Grow up." He looked down, as he began to lower the gun, he looked back up and pressed it harder up against her head. "Now this is what I do. If only you would've grown up, too." He shook his head, back and forth.

"So this is my fault? All of a sudden, I can't live my life for longer than 16 years, before you decide to ruin it, by killing me? Well, I guess I should've stayed at home for this semester. Here, Ren" She handed him the doll. "If you want to get out of this mess," whispered Akiya. "Then give that doll back to me, if not" She snatched it out of his hand. "Then I'll do it for you, and for me." She whispered so only he could hear what she was saying.

"Alright, alright. Let's keep it moving people…" Ganuro hurried. Ren shook his head as if to say no. Akiya pulled the string anyway.

"Then I guess this one's for me." She slid down up against the wall, laughing with joy and revenge. Ren looked more confused than he ever had. Pointing at Ganuro's body, she said "Look…"

So he did, Ren turned around and saw his body, hollow and soul-less. She continued laughing. "Ren, let's go. You don't have to worry about being under his control now." She lowered his gun with her index finger. And grabbed is hand. "Leave the gun." Akiya ordered. So he dropped it onto the concrete. They ran across the street. Akiya was laughing; Ren still couldn't believe what was going on.

As for me, I a soul to ferry,

Oh pitiful shadow lost in the darkness...
Bring torment and pain other...
Oh damned soul wallowing in your sin...
Perhaps it's time to die..."

Ganuro screamed, and began to cry. Trying not to laugh at the old man crying like a 2-year old, or trying not to shake my head asking the question, "What did you expect?" was hard. So I just looked ahead, at the gate, as I ferried his soul to hell…