Chapter 2 Kubinashi Raida

"I'm so sorry…" I breathe out a whimper, running faster than I ever thought I could. Hiro, Hanako, Kyouji, Kinen…. I fight back tears, biting my lip until it bleeds. Kinen; she wasn't supposed to die. How could this have happened? What went wrong? I shake my head.

As I look up, the wind cools my face. I slow down, breathing heavily, and look around. I intertwine my fingers behind my head, taking long, slow breaths, and think over the situation.

My eyes go wide, and I turn around. Damn it, I left them alone back there! I pace back and forth, running my hands through my hair. Oh, man. Hiro's probably furious right about now. Oh, god, what are we going to do about that body? I freeze. B-body… I just…. I look down to my hands.

I just ran from a crime scene… I know this is more than that, but… I still… ran from a….

I clench my fists, looking up the road where I came from.

"Now that I think about it…" I mutter, grasping for a different topic. "I have no clue where I am…" All around me, the town I knew my entire life seemed incredibly foreign to me. Even the familiar sounds of insects had quieted to a deathly silence in my mad dash to safety. I begin walking; anywhere was fine, as long as I stayed far away from whatever killed Kinen.

A sound caught my attention, breaking the silence I had began to loath. A light clip clop echoed down the streets, no quicker than a decent walking speed. The insects around took notice of the sound and began buzzing again, as though it were an invitation to safely make noise, until the sound I had heard disappeared into the chaos.

That's a little better.

The cacophony cleared my mind, and I looked around. "Oh, wait. I know this place!" I can't believe I hadn't recognized it sooner. In front of me was the arcade, a place I come to most afternoons on the way home from school.

I looked back and forth before running across to it, placing my hands on the windows and smudging my nose on the glass. Inside was pitch black, but I could faintly make out the arcade games lining the walls.

Oldies were crammed in the back; Donkey Kong, Mario, PacMan. All the newer games sat where everyone could see; Sonic Blast Heroes and Eternal Wheel being my two favorites. Hiro always complained that I beat him in SBH, but I can't help it if he punches like a girl. I came here just yesterday, thinking I would run into him.

"Seems like an eternity ago..." I whisper, backing away from the window.

I gaze at my reflection and suddenly gasped. Whipping around, I looked frantically for whatever had just bolted past me. Seeing nothing, I turned back to the store, shaking.

Something big definitely went past me. I'm not crazy. I know I'm not…

That light clip clop sound returned, coming from around the corner. I ran over, easing my head around, but saw nothing.

Suddenly, a breeze hits me, chilling me to the bone. It's a bit early for a cold front. My breath forms clouds in front of me, and suddenly I'm shivering. Not just a normal shiver-once-and-you're-done; no, it racked my entire body, moving to my mind, making me sway on my feet and nearly fall down.

I crouch near the wall, hugging my arms around me, and tucking my head underneath them. Once again, the cold makes me shake violently, and I hold myself tighter, willing my body to cease its movement. As suddenly as it came, the cold filtered away, leaving me heaving for breath and sweating profusely.

I lean over, peering back around the corner and listening closely. Clip clop, clip clop. I jump up quickly. It's closer now, and moving fast. I don't know what it is, but I know I don't want to find out.

I cross the street, going straight through the woods, and brush through the trees.

"Hiro." I breathe out the name, grasping to form a map of the area in my mind. I've been going this way, so if I turn slightly…

I trip over endless brambles, thorns clawing at me, pulling me back. Birds fly above me, squawking at their intruder who has disturbed their sleep. I glance up, the moonlight barely filtering through the treetops, and a sudden, overwhelming sob escapes me, nearly stopping me in my tracks. Why? Why? Why?

I burst out of the trees, running along a sidewalk. Behind me, I hear it again. Clip, clop.

Oh god. It's following me.

The thought struck me deep. I felt my body grow cold as I ran, able to do nothing but move forward, faster. Perhaps it was my fear blowing the whole situation out of proportion, maybe not, but it was almost like the noise was getting louder and louder with each breath in.

Clip clop.

I keep walking, searching for somewhere to hide. None of the stores were open anymore.

Clip clop, clip clop.

I speed up, my feet fumbling over cracks in the sidewalk.

Clip clop, clip clop.

Running, I'm running now. I spot a man walking just ahead and practically tackle him. The sound fades as I look around frantically, the man muttering obscenities under his breathe.

"What's the big idea, kid? Watch where you're going." He turns to leave, and I hear it again.

Clip clop.

"W-wait!" I reach towards him.

Clip clop.

He turns to look at me.

Clip-clop.

My hand falls to my side.

Clip-clop.

"D-do you know where Boushini is from here?"

Clip-clop.

The man points to my right, and I breath a sigh of relief. Away from the noise…

Clip-CLOP.

I thank him and cross the road, the noise still loud and clear behind me. Could he really not hear it? Street after street, I race as fast as possible, searching for safety. "Hiro…" I breath out his name again. If anyone can fix this, I'm sure it's him. He's always level-headed, and he doesn't let things get to him as easily as I do.

I'm about to faint when I finally see it. The light from Hanako's front porch was my beacon, a lighthouse guiding me to a safe place. Her mother's car was just pulling up, and I cringe at the trouble I left them in. The thought of being inside once again made me laugh though, cold and empty. I just hope we can explain all of this to her...

Clip-clop-CLIP-CLOP.

I turn, and finally see what had been after me. In shock, my legs freeze in motion, and I fall to the ground, scrambling back up quickly. A horse, tall and dark, silhouetted in the dim moonlight, skids to a stop in front of me. Its rider, even more ominous, is dressed in a full suit of armor. I let out a cry as I noticed; they don't have heads…

Dullahan. That's what it's called… They were a myth though. My brain doesn't seem to process what it's seeing.

Towering and evil, like death itself had come to visit me. I fall back as the horse rises to its hind legs, letting out a terrible sound, like nothing I have ever heard before. "Wh-what do you want with me, Dullahan? I haven't done anything!"

Suddenly, a quiet chuckle arises from the horseman. It's coming from… the head at his side. "My name is Celty…" That voice…

My eyes widen. "C-Celty? You... you're the one we summoned, then?"

The Dullahan, Celty, ignores me, looking to the head, lifting it up to where it should have been, as though gazing at it from outside its eyes. I'm frozen in fear, though I will my legs to move while he is occupied.

He shifts the head back and forth, before leaping from his horse and landing directly in front of me. I let out a cry, jumping to my feet only to fall back down again.

I glance quickly to the house, and back to the Dullahan. If I could distract him, ask him questions, maybe... He pulls a sword from his side, and lifts it high above him. "W-wait! I don't understand! Why? Why me?"

Celty does not answer. I scramble for something else to say, and I freeze at the sound of a familiar voice. "Stop talking so much, Sora."

It was barely a whisper, but I heard him. "KYOUJI!" I scream, looking around frantically. The Dullahan steps closer, lifting the sword a bit more. I scramble to my feet, running towards the house. "Kyouji! Where are you?" I shout as loud as my voice will let me, moving my eyes from the house, to the Dullahan, to my feet, and to the woods.

"Here!" I whip around in the direction of his voice, cursing. He's on the other side of that… thing…

The Dullahan stands still, swinging its sword in an arc. I wait, breathing in and out, slowing my heartbeat. I stoop down, tucking one knee under my chin, the other leg stretching slightly behind me. The horse whinnies as I press my palms flat against the ground. "I've been able to outrun you so far, bastard. Let's see if you can keep up with me this time…"

I lower my head, launching forward, and making a curve around it. I hear it, going to cut me off, but I've already thought of that. I see the sword just in time, falling to my back as I skid past. I pick myself back up, running again, and call out. "Kyouji! Kyouji, where the hell are you?"

"Sora..." I turn towards the Dullahan, who is suddenly on right on top of me. He jumps off his horse once again, walking quickly up to me, rolling the head back and forth. I cry out, backing up until I reach the sidewalk, tripping over the raised side.

The Dullahan raises its sword once again, leaning the head to face me, it's burning eyes all too familiar. As I finally realize it, I let out a wailing scream. Only one name comes to mind. "HIRO!" The blade glints as it arcs down upon me.

"This is your own fault…" whispered Kyouji.

Kubinashi Raida - No-Neck Rider