==Hey, guys! I had a panic attack this past Sunday night! :D No, I'm serious. It was awful. But it's okay. I'm going to be killing myself till Thursday afternoon once finals are done. I don't think I'll be able to update again before I leave for London, but I'll try my best. I also thought it would be awesome if I posted while I'm there XD Just keep checking for updates! I'll see you soon!==

Chace & Moksi - "For A Day"

I walked a thousand miles, left the city behind, and suddenly, my heart went blind. I saw it in her eyes; she's one of a kind. She kept on spinning in my mind. Yesterday, I was caught in the rain. Today, my troubles went away. Tomorrow, I will be glad to say: "I only loved her for a day…"

Haunted: Collapse into Caliginosity

Chapter 19:

It's A Trap!

The village was still dormant with no activity when I returned with Macca, who was still asleep in my arms. I arrived earlier than I had planned, the encounter with the spirit still fresh in my mind. All I could think about was to get Macca back into bed. Once she was safe, then I would leave. As much as it saddened me that our one night together was coming to an end, I had to do it. I had to get back to the monastery before dawn.

Very quietly, I entered the village from where the path began. When I sensed no conscious presences, human or animal, I climbed the side of a house and stood on the roof. Macca flinched against me as I ascended, so I slowed my pace to keep her asleep.

My feet seemed to not want to leave the snow, for the surrounding roofs were also covered in it. Macca wouldn't be bothered by me walking through it, but I had to keep in mind of the residents sleeping inside the houses beneath us. I detected the shallowest patch of snow to be under a partially overhanging end of the roof above. Very carefully, I crouched and tucked in her legs so they wouldn't touch the wall. I came through the other side and ever so lightly leaped to another roof. Macca didn't even notice we had moved, which assured me that I could keep going.

Many patches of snow were contaminated with my footprints before we reached the home. As I stood on the edge of a different rooftop, I scrutinized the open window. There was a possibility that I could jump straight into the room. Earlier, I had just jumped and snagged the bottom part of the window sill in order to be sure it was safe to enter. This time was more difficult to plan out, because I had another person with me. It was risky this time, but I was too timid to climb the tall wall and awaken her

I readjusted her body, resting her head on my shoulder and holding her legs in a way so that they would easily bypass the window. Examining the approximate length I had to leap, I cradled the back of her head. All along my objective had been to keep her asleep. That was being heavily tested at this very moment. Of course she wouldn't react like a child would, but I wasn't sure if she would be annoyed or calm. I preferred to not find out. She should sleep until she naturally awakened.

Finalizing my target, I took five steps back and held onto her more firmly. I sprinted and leaped. The air grew fast around me. The window grew bigger and bigger.

My feet made contact with the wood floor inside of the room. I kept my weight balanced, not leaning forward as I allowed myself to crouch to absorb the force. I didn't move after that. No sound was made from me, of course, but I listened for footsteps or movement from outside the room.

There was nothing. I lightly sighed with relief as I stood up, checking Macca's peaceful face. She was still stuck in deep sleep as I unwrapped the blanket from her body. I nudged the bed's curtain out of the way and laid her head on the pillow.

As I watched her steadily breathe, I thought about how my absence would affect her when she awakened. Would she be scared? Would she soon believe everything we experienced tonight was just a dream? I didn't know, and there was only one way to find out.

I removed her heavy coat and shoes before pulling the remaining blanket over her. Sadness swelled in my heart as I mentally delivered my final farewells. They were farewells that knew it was over now. I would never see her again, but maybe it's for the best. It can be dangerous to be around a ninja like me. Evil can find me at any moment. I can't protect everyone, I can only protect as many as I possibly can without failure.

My heart continued to swell with sadness. It caused me to not move. I didn't want her to think I was nothing but her imagination. The thought hurt me deep inside; it wouldn't be the first time I've been forgotten...

A gnawing, aching feeling came to my senses. I wasn't in pain, but Macca's face slowly turned into a slight grimace. A hollow feeling was added to my senses. Then I heard her stomach growl hungrily. An idea came to me.

She'll know I was real if I leave her food, I decided.

I left the room and snuck down the hallway. Many doors were lined against the walls. I could hear snoring coming from two of the rooms. Little by little, I went past them, stopping often to reexamine my current position. I was glad I did this, because one of the doors opened. I hid within the darkness as I sensed the person move into a different room and turn the light on. It was just a restroom break. I silently climbed up to the ceiling and went by that way.

The hallway eventually opened up into a bigger room. There was a lounge room with a fireplace to the right, and to the left was a kitchen. A new snoring sounded from one of the couches.

Why must simple procedures always be a challenge? I wondered, returning to the floor.

My footsteps were light and unheard. The continuous snoring assured me I had nothing to worry about. Whoever it was sounded much like my brother, Cole, when he slept: heavily snoring and difficult to accidentally awaken.

I entered the kitchen, keeping myself as low as the countertops. Each cabinet I checked contained no food, only appliances like pots and pans. The snoring continued nearby. I checked the four upper cabinets above the countertops. One had bowls and plates, the second had glasses, the third had serving dishes, and the fourth was simply for special dinners with dining dishes and glasses. Now I was stumped. Surely there was food here somewhere.

A door stood to my right, beside the countertop. I couldn't sense another room on the other side of it, but there were shelves. When I opened it, I was greeted by shelves of food. It was a pantry, and it was somehow cold inside, perhaps by a method I was unaware of. I released a lid from a wicker basket, and inside was fresh produce. Apples, tangelos, grapes, and burtle berries. It was just what I needed.

I took a small bowl from one of the cabinets and filled it with an apple and a tangelo. I made the grapes line the rim of the bowl and the burtle berries fill in the empty spaces. Before I closed the basket back up, I was sure to leave the remaining produce as if it had never been touched. The pantry was shut before I left to return to Macca.

The person who had used the restroom had already returned to her bedroom. I was able to casually go through the hallway without being spotted. The room Macca was in was just as I had left it. Once I placed the bowl on the nightstand, I went to the window and perched myself in it. I took one last look at her.

The blanket that was covering her was slightly moving. I watched with curiosity. I didn't think I awakened her somehow. The wool blanket from our journey rested on the floor in a snowy mess. Then it struck me: Macca was shivering.

Very quickly, I shut the window behind me and approached the bed. She shivered violently, her face distorted from being uncomfortable. The current blanket that covered her wasn't thick enough. I couldn't put the wool blanket back on her, because the snow that was stuck to it would make her even more cold than she already was. I was left with only one other option.

I lifted the blanket and climbed into the bed. She shivered the whole time. I didn't touch her, but I just laid there next to her. My body heat would transfer to her, and she would be warm. Once she stopped shivering, then I would leave.

The next few minutes that passed were hard to handle. For the first time all night, in the darkness, I was not moving. Sleep begged for me to stay. Just a few more minutes…

My eyes unknowingly closed. Her shivering stopped. Everything was peaceful…until she started moving. My eyes shot open and found her moving towards me. I tried to back away, but it was too late. Her arm wrapped around me and her leg coiled around mine. "M-Macca—" I started, her head tucking into my chest. But then she stopped moving.

I was frozen. Now what did I do? I couldn't move, or else she would wake up. When she refused to move again, I finally decided that there was nothing I could do to leave; I was stuck.

Zane will be leaving soon :( But a new story shall soon begin for this fan fiction…a dark story. Shoutout to ZaneLoverFan88 for her review and thearomanticninja for her 9 reviews XD Geez