Previously...
She was standing in front of the stove stirring some of the noodles when she felt something sharp press into the small of her back and she froze.
"Move and this sword paralyzes you for the rest of your short life."
"C-Carmen?" She stuttered, eyes wide.
There was a laugh behind her, followed by the pain leaving her back. "You recognized me, even though I lowered my voice?" She giggled, waltzing over to the table as she slid a long knife back into its sheath.
Chloe stood for a minute, willing her heart back into place before whirling around. "Don't do that!" She exclaimed angrily.
Carmen cocked her head. "I was just messin' with ya." She hopped over to the fridge and opened it.
"That wasn't funny." Chloe set her jaw and crossed her arms.
Carmen flipped an apple out of the fridge and shut the door with her foot, taking a bite out of the juicy fruit. "Mmm, there's nothing like a nice, cold, juicy apple." She sat cross-legged on the table again.
"Would you get off there? It's impolite to sit on a table; we eat off of that you know." Chloe tried to hide her annoyance, but it didn't work so well.
Carmen tilted her head, her pastel green bangs falling into her eyes. "Loosen up Chloe. I'll wipe it off if that's what you're worried about."
Chloe glanced out the window, checking her driveway. "You can't be here; my parents don't allow anyone here with me when I'm alone. And why do you keep speaking to me like you know me?" She turned back to the stove, stirring some of the food.
Carmen made a face at her back. "Because I do know you."
Chloe paused, her eyes moved with confusing. "P-pardon? You know me? How?"
Carmen took another bite of the apple. "Mmm, yummy apple."
Chloe sighed. "Please tell me." She asked again.
Carmen smiled secretively. "That would be telling, now wouldn't it?"
Chloe bit her lip, frustrated. "Wouldn't I remember you if we knew each other?"
"I didn't say you knew me."
"What does that mean?"
Carmen simply hopped off the table and strolled out to the living room, still happily munching her apple.
Chloe eyed her back, wishing like crazy that she would leave. If her parents found out she'd been there she'd get in so much trouble. She stirred the pot, anxiously listening for Carmen to leave. She was so intent on her reflections that she jerked when there was a knock on the front door. "Ouch!" She exclaimed as her spoon splashed boiling water on her hand. She let go of the spoon and grabbed a towel, running cold water on it and pressing it to her hand. She peeked out the kitchen window, gulping and flushing when she saw Shuiichi standing on the doorstep.
Carmen looked at her from the other room. "Aren't you going to answer that?" She asked bemusedly.
Chloe swallowed hard, taking a deep breath and fighting the blush from slowly walking to the door. She cleared her throat and blinked back the impending tears from the pain in her hand. She unlocked the door and pulled it open a little, still blinking at the tears. "Yes?" Her voice was a little more high pitched than normal they both noticed.
Shuiichi glanced down at her wrapped hand. "Are you alright?" He enquired.
Chloe felt a blush rising, but fought it frantically. "I'm fine. Just splashed some boiling water on my hand." She explained, still trying to get her voice under control.
"You should put ice on that so it doesn't blister too bad." He advised.
Chloe nodded in short, jerky moments, at this moment intensely aware of Carmen in the other room. "W-was that all you needed?" She asked, unconsciously biting her lip as soon as the words left her mouth.
"Actually, I came over to be sure everything was alright. I thought I saw someone else in the house with you, when last I knew there was no one but you home." He glanced behind her, as if trying to see.
Chloe's eyes widened against her will. "W-why would there be anyone else here but me?" She asked, uneasy. If word of Carmen's presence got back to her parents, there would be consequences. She could have died when Carmen coughed in the living room. The teen glanced over her shoulder, then back up at Shuiichi.
"Miss Scott, is someone in the living room?" Shuiichi asked quietly, looking directly at her.
"Nope." Carmen danced up behind Chloe, grinning widely as she bit into the apple. "I'm in the doorway now."
Chloe's eyes went wide and her heart dropped into her stomach. She was sooo dead.
Shuiichi looked at Carmen with a small smile, although his face seemed off somehow under Chloe's gaze. "So I see." He responded shortly.
Chloe felt an awkward tension between the two, although she couldn't explain why. She suddenly heard a fizzing going on in the kitchen. "The food!" She exclaimed, dashing back to the kitchen. She turned down the heat, grabbing hot mitts and pulling the pot off the stove and setting it in the sink. She took a step back, suddenly feeling the throbbing pain in her hand. She pulled off the mitt and look at her hand, a large portion of which was looking rather lobstery red.
She walked over to freezer and grabbed a tray of ice, dumping some in a mug. She then filled up the mug with cold water and stuck her hand in.
Cold. Burning cold.
She gripped the counter, squeezing her eyes shut. The burning sensation from the freeze was almost unbearable. She gave a small whimper and bit her lip hard, trying to concentrate on her breathing; it wasn't working too well so far.
She couldn't stand it anymore. She pulled her hand out, wrapping it up in the towel again. She walked back to the front doorway, her apology dying on her lips. "Shuiichi?" She pulled open the front door, looking around. Neither Shuiichi nor Carmen were anywhere in sight. It was unsettling the way those two seemed to come and go so suddenly. She shut and locked the front door, cursing her ill-luck to be looking so crappy and being such a ditz when Shuiichi had come to check on her.
"Why didn't I just invite him in for a minute? It certainly would have been the polite thing to do; Mother and Father couldn't have had a problem with it..." She mumbled, angrily kicking the door. "Back to cooking I guess."
Loud laughter erupted from the front of the house. Chloe glanced up from her desk, an annoyed look taking over her face. They were so loud, it was hard to do her homework with that racket going on. 'Can't they ever have a quiet party?' It was almost embarrassing, the way her parents refused to fit in with Japanese culture. They were foreign and were not shy about showing it. But she bent her head, putting herself to her task again.
More loud laughter and she slammed her pencil down, her lips taut. "This is too much." She shoved her books into her bag, slipped on shoes and a jacket, grabbed a flashlight, and crawled out of her window. She left it open behind her and crept along to the front of the house, avoiding the living room window.
"Running away?"
She whirled around with a gasp. "S-shuiichi!" She exclaimed, then planted a hand over her mouth and glancing over her shoulder. No one seemed to have heard so she let her hand drop. "Sorry, I just...um..." She bit her lip, not sure how to explain her actions. She was also caught up in the fact that she hadn't seen him since him and Carmen had just disappeared on her earlier, and she was mighty curious about that and the tension between the two. But she didn't dare ask.
He leaned against the car. He was standing between the open driver's door and the main body of the car, his keys held in the hand resting on top of the vehicle. Obviously he'd been preparing to leave, probably to go back to school. He waited patiently for an explanation.
Chloe finally gathered her thoughts and tried again. "It's too noisy in there, so I thought I'd go to the park or train station or something." She explained, coming a little closer so she didn't have to speak so loud.
Shuiichi glanced at the lit up house and the noise emitting from it with a knowing smile. "I see. They won't mind you going out by yourself this late?"
Chloe looked down at the ground. "They won't miss me for hours, and I left a note on my door asking not to be disturbed. I figured I'd be back before they even realized I was gone."
"Do you think this wise?" He queried. "What happens if they find you missing?"
She swallowed hard, not wanting to think about what her parents might do to her in their drunken state. "It'll be fine. I've got to get this homework done somehow. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."
He nodded slowly. "Alright, well, I really have to get on my way back to school. Take care of yourself."
She gave a small wave as he backed out of the driveway and drove off, her hand dropping back down to her side. She glanced over her shoulder again at the noise coming from her house. His words were haunting her now: "Do you think this wise?"
"He's right, you know."
She whirled around and found Carmen leaning nonchalantly against the porch railing. "Why do you keep coming and going like this?" She hissed. It was unnerving the way Carmen seemed to be able to sneak up on her without so much as whisper of sound.
Carmen shrugged. "Nothing better to do. 'Sides, I like ya. You can be fun, when you're not being boring. And," she took a step forward "I gotta check up that you're not breaking our deal."
"You can hardly call it a deal. You threatened me-"
"Get over it already. You haven't done anything, so obviously you've agreed to keep my secret."
"Why is that box so important anyway?" Chloe couldn't help asking. It seemed so strange to be so serious over a little box. It was hardly bigger than a box for an engagement ring. What could be so important about that?
"None of your concern." Carmen hopped up and balanced on the rail, her hands coming up and playing with her braid.
Chloe scowled. "I don't understand any of this. What is the deal with that box? Why is your hair such a strange green? Why are your eyes yellow? Why-" Her words were cut off by Carmen's hand over her mouth, yet again.
"You ask far too many questions." Carmen's yellow eyes peered into her's, burning, dominating, threatening.
Chloe shrank from the intense gaze cast upon her. "Fine." She mumbled, relieved when Carmen finally removed her hand.
"Good. Then we can get on with our lives."
Chloe pulled her bag strap tighter. "I should do my homework." She headed back towards her bedroom window. She risked a glance over her shoulder prior to climbing back inside; Carmen was no where in sight.
A few weeks passed, dull and uneventful. Carmen seemed to have disappeared off the face of the planet. Shuiichi was at school. Chloe had almost forgotten about the mysterious box, until today...
"31."
"Nope."
"72."
"Nope."
"85?"
"Nope."
"27."
"Nope."
"Haru, are you sure you're thinking of a number under a hundred?" Chloe asked, her brows furrowed with frustration.
Haru nodded from his place beside her on the bed, knowing she could only see him in her peripheral. "Yup."
"Well whatever it is I think it'll probably take me ninety-six more guesses to figure it out."
"Don't be grumpy."
"I'm not grumpy."
"Yes you are. I can hear it in your voice."
"You're imagining things." She rolled over to face away from him.
Haru propped himself up on an elbow, flipping some stray hair out of his eyes. "Chlo, what's bothering you?"
Chloe rolled her eyes. "Do you really wanna hear about girl problems?"
"You know I don't mind."
She blinked a few times, then repeated. "GIRL problems, Haru."
"Yeah, I still don't see why-Oooooh." He closed his mouth and laid back down, finally getting the picture. "Don't they have painkillers for that or something?"
She chuckled. Haru was so simple-minded something. "Pain isn't the only thing that comes with it, Haru. Besides, Mom won't buy anything for me. She never had bad cramps, so she insists that mine can't be any worse than her's were."
Haru sat up. "That's not fair. Everyone is different."
Chloe rolled over to face him. "Trust me, I know. But I just have to deal with it."
Haru shook his head. He liked Chloe's mother well enough some days, but time and time again he was amazed at the way that woman's brain worked. "How about I just get something for you? My driver can be here in two minutes flat." He started to pull out his phone.
Chloe put her hand on his phone. "Don't bother. If Mom finds out she'll make me work because obviously the drugs will make me feel one hundred percent." She rolled her eyes.
"They don't make the pain go away?"
Chloe gave a small smile. "Not really. It can help a lot, but it's not a magic pill that makes it all better."
"Anything I can do?" Haru asked, putting his phone away.
Chloe pointed at her movie shelf. "Stick in a movie and watch it with me."
Haru nodded, padding softly across the room. "Any idea when Shuiichi comes back again?" He asked, running his finger across the movies as he decided which to put in. "You've been over to his house a few times since he left, haven't you?"
Chloe pulled herself to the head of the bed so she could watch the movie. "Yeah, his mom is incredibly nice, but I haven't heard anything of when he's visiting again."
"Too bad for him." Haru muttered, putting in the DVD and walking back over to the bed. He crawled on, stretching out next to his friend and spreading his arms across the top of the pillows. Chloe curled in to his warmth, her eyes on the screen. Not even ten minutes passed before she found her eyes drooping shut. She was almost asleep when there was a loud 'boom!' followed by the lights going out.
Both teens jumped, Haru instinctively pulling her closer.
"What happened?" She asked, her heart pounding in her chest. "There's no storm."
Haru patted her shoulder. "I'm not sure. Maybe a tree fell on a power line. I'll go check the breaker." He released her and jogged out of the room.
Chloe stayed put on the bed, adrenaline and nervousness playing every sound ten times louder in her ears. "Haru?" She called hesitantly after a moment, crawling off the bed and creeping over to the door.
"Where is it?"
Chloe whirled around at the deep voice suddenly behind her. Lightening flashing outside, illuminating what seemed to be a very large man. "Wh-where's wh-what?" She stared, her feet inching backwards subconsciously.
"Don't pretend to be stupid." He took a menacing step forward.
She bolted, her feet almost losing traction on the ground she was desperately fleeing her way down the hallway. Before she even had time to scream she felt something hit her in the back and she went flying, crashing into the front door with a small cry.
"Hey!" Haru dashed in from the kitchen, glancing at Chloe before looking the other way. A hand grasped around his throat, tightening and lifting the boy off the floor.
"I'm not going to ask again. Where is the box?"
Chloe was too stunned to respond; she could barely comprehend what he was saying. Her head was swimming, and everything seemed somehow disjointed from her. She felt her lips move as if to speak, but no noise came from her lips.
Haru struggled weakly against the inhuman power in the hand around his throat, but his strength was fading rapidly. He felt his eyelids flutter as the lack of oxygen started effecting him. He felt himself suddenly ripped from the crushing grip and dumped near Chloe. Oxygen flooded into his lungs, and he immediately started coughing violently, one hand grabbing his aching neck.
"You should have known better than to cross me by involving them!"
Chloe jerked a little. Carmen? What was she doing here? "Carmen?" She whispered dazedly, sensation starting to climb back into her.
Haru took in a few more gulps of air, his eyes turning upwards. The woman that had appeared, dressed rather oddly he noted, seemed to be glowing. She wasn't afraid at all, despite the fact that this man towered over her by several feet.
"Get Chloe into the basement." The woman told him over her shoulder. "Do it!" She ordered. Suddenly both she and the intruder disappeared, although somehow Haru knew that they weren't really gone. But he wasted no time wondering what had happened. He leapt over to Chloe and pulled her to her feet. "Come on!" He pulled her along behind him as he ran through the kitchen and through the door that led to the basement. He flipped on the light switch as they entered and then pulled the door shut and locked it.
"We're safe now." He told Chloe, leading her more gently now down the stairs.
Chloe followed him quietly, although her vision seemed to be clearing more now; she seemed more aware of what was going on than she had upstairs.
"Sit down." Haru pushed her gently into a sitting position, bending to peer into her eyes. "How are you feeling?" He asked, brushing one hand over her head to see if there were any injuries.
Chloe smiled shakily at him. "I'm all right... I think. I just got the wind knocked out of me for a little while there was all."
Satisfied that there were no serious injuries the boy sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Do you know what that was all about back there?"
Chloe didn't say anything. Carmen had made her promise not to say anything, but after he was so involved now it seemed silly to try and brush the attack off as nothing. Screw Carmen. Haru deserved to know. "I'm not entirely sure why, but- no, I have to go back further. Nearly four weeks ago I had just crawled into bed when I got a funny feeling, like I wasn't alone..."
She told him everything, from the battle she'd sort of witnessed, to the box, even to Carmen's popping in repeatedly with no warning and without using a door. "There's been nothing for four weeks, and now all this." She shuddered, leaning closer to her friend. "I don't understand it, but I feel like there's something big going on and I'm unconsciously a part of it now."
Haru wasn't even really listening anymore. He'd already made up his mind. Give the box back to Carmen, tell her to stay the hell away from Chloe. Sounded about right, now he just needed a chance to say it.
They both jumped when the doorknob rattled above them. The both swallowed hard and stared up at the door, knowing if it was the intruder they were screwed no matter how far into the basement they hid.
There was a knock on the door followed by "Hey! It's Carmen. He's gone."
Chloe breathed a sigh of relief and they both went up and unlocked the door. They pushed it open and stepped out, glad to see he was no where in sight, just Carmen, who looked rather sober for once.
"Are you two all right?" She asked, genuinely concerned.
"We're fine." He turned to glance at Chloe. "About this-"
"Good grief, look at your neck!" Carmen exclaimed, her yellow eyes seeing something in the dim lighting. She skipped over to the freezer and got out a cold pack, pressing it gently onto his neck. "You'll wanna keep that one ice for a while, although you're still gonna have explaining to do."
He held it, obediantly, but opened his mouth to speak. Unfortunately, he wasn't quick enough. Chloe beat him to it. "What have you gotten me into?" She asked. She'd meant to demand an answer, but it came out more timid than impressive.
Carmen looked between the two of them, her mind obviously racing as she debated what and how much to tell them. "Before I explain anything, if I explain anything, I should add, let make one thing clear: I thought they wouldn't figure out I handed it off, least of all to a (mumble) human, and I didn't think they'd be able to find you. That said, I was just as surprised when that, uh, man showed up here."
"Doesn't matter if you were surprised." Haru spoke up, feeling irritation and anger swelling up. "You put Chloe in danger! All for what, a stupid little box?!"
Carmen's eyes flashed, and Chloe felt a flash of fear. There was something incredibly dangerous lurking beneath that woman's carefully arranged demeanor.
"Don't speak of what you know nothing of." She growled, somehow seeming more fearsome than her short stature would suggest. "That box is more important than you can imagine."
"Then take it back. Get Chloe out of this now." Haru was feeling a cold sense of fear grip his heart, but concern for Chloe kept him going on.
"Haru..." Chloe took his arm, trying to pull him back a little. She could see the murderous glint in Carmen's eyes; it looked like she was ready to tear the boy apart. "Let's not do anything hasty here..."
Carmen quickly hid her hands behind her back, although she certainly didn't seem to be backing off. "You cannot imagine the repercussions of that action. Besides, it is safe enough here."
"Oh yeah, real safe-" Haru began.
"They found her, yes, but I won't be far away this time."
"Why does it have to stay here anyway? Why don't you just take it and bury it or something?"
"You're getting on my nerves, human..." Carmen's eyes narrowed.
Chloe's eyes widened. "Wh-what did you call him?"
Carmen pulled back, immediately realizing her mistake. "Human. He's acting it." She covered, digging her fast growing nails into her palms to try and stop the growth.
Chloe looked up at Haru. He didn't seem to believe the woman facing them. "You're lying." He stated, taking a step forward. "What aren't you telling us?"
All three stiffened when they saw headlights through the kitchen window. "My parents." Chloe gasped out, panicked.
Everything happened in a blur. Carmen grabbed the two and whipped them down to the bedroom. "Remember, not a word." She hissed, shutting the door.
Haru snatched his things and bolted for the window, crawling out and landing softly on the ground. "I'll call you later." He whispered, creeping to the front of the house, his phone already out to call his driver.
Chloe crawled into bed after flipping off the light, pulling the covers up to her neck and take a few deep breaths, trying to imitate sleeping patterns. 'Please don't notice anything..' She prayed.
She heard a soft knock on the door accompanied by "Chloe?" from her mom. The door creaked, there was a short silence, then the soft click of the lock.
Chloe breathed a sigh of relief, daring a peek at her door. She jumped when she saw the window curtain ruffle a little bit. Her thoughts jumped to the intruder and what might have happened if Carmen hadn't shown up. Fear squeezed at her heart and there was one though on her mind now: I'm alone.