From: Ardith Hi, Another rough draft. I should be finished at part 16 after this quarter. Ardith Mirai No Yakusoku: Part 13 - Hunter If she smiled at another middle-aged salaryman, she swore she was going to scream. Fumi stifled a sigh of frustration and a yawn of boredom. She wanted nothing more that to take a hot bath and to get some sleep. How do these kids survive on this much sleep? Don't they have school in the morning? She had wasted half the night for nothing. Not even a nibble. The voice in her ear warbled, telling her that the stakeout was over for the night. "Okay. See you tomorrow night," she whispered to the watchers as she gathered her stuff to leave. She would just have to try again in the morning. Great. I can't wait. "Little girls like you shouldn't be wandering out at night. It might be hazardous to your health." The voice came from the shadows. A curl of white smoke lazily floated from the dark, then the burning tip of a cigarette. Ooh, finally a pervert comes out. "What's life if you don't take risks, mister." Fumi just wanted to leave. She was sick and tired of- "Dark things go on in the night, little girl." Was he just a perv or was he the killer? She couldn't see him. As if he could sense her frustration, he stepped out into the light. She couldn't breath. He was.... Get a grip, Fumi. Those are just dreams. Rei watched the color drain from the girl's face. Girl? No, she was older than the schoolgirl uniform led a person to believe. In her twenties. "Hmmm, not a little girl after all...." He knew her. She was the one. "Tokio...," his voice was a harsh whisper in the night. This was no dream. He knew this woman. He knew her smell. Her voice. Her attitude. The past and the present suddenly came into sharp focus. He closed his eyes and accepted his fate. His hand was shaky as he took a slow drag off his cigarette. She, of course, had different ideas. "Yeah. This is Tokyo. Shibuya," she shot back. "Need directions? The train station is over there." No way was that whispering voice familiar. No way. "You're Tokio." Ah, you were always the more pragmatic one, love, he thought, anticipating her answer. "Mister, I don't know what you are talking about. I got a name, and Tokio ain't it. And if you haven't heard, smoking is bad for your health." She shifted her legs, pulling her bag closer in an artless schoolgirl gesture. He didn't buy it for a second. "No," he mused, putting out the cigarette. "That's no more your name than if mine were 'Hajime.'" He watched her color flow back and forth. She could never hid from him. "How about if I buy you a drink and tell you about my dreams?" She didn't resist as he took her hand and lead her into the night. ***** She wasn't there. Again, she had escaped from him. Again. No more. You will be mine. You will be. But for now, you will have to suffer. To know that I'm waiting. Watching. You. We belong together. My beloved. Oh, love. Everything I do is for you. Everything. How could you turn away? How could you leave me? He left the room, silent as the night, and turned off the light. I wait for you. ***** Yuukiko slammed the phone down. She had tried 10 times. No answer. Neither of her parents was picking up the phone. They weren't answering their cells, either. Where were they? "What's up?" Aya asked, talking around the takiyaki she was eating. Rui quickly grabbed the remaining half before she could stuff it in her mouth. She slapped his hand as he stuffed the warm, fishtail shaped end of her sweet bread in his mouth. Yuukiko smiled at their antics, then frowned. "Um. Nothing. I just can't get in touch with my parents. I tried calling this morning and they weren't answering." "Maybe they're busy. You're parents are always busy," Aya reminded her. "I'd be worried if they were sitting at home by the phone waitinf for your call." "But they aren't answering their cell phones either." Yukiko worried at her hair, twisting it around her fingers again and again. "You're really worried." It wasn't a question. Yuukiko didn't worry over little things. "It's silly, but I can't shake this feeling that something is really wrong." She looked like she was going to cry. "I should have went home with them last night. They just insisted that I stay with the Myoujins." Rui got up. "I'll get Kakushin." The girls watched as Rui walked off to find their friend. "Yuukiko?" "Hmm?" "Are you getting one of those weird feelings?" "Yeah. We should hurry." ***** The door was opened. Yuukiko felt her stomach drop as she reached for the handle. Her parents would definitely not leave the door to their home ajar. "Mom? Dad?" Yuukiko started yelling.. Something was wrong. It was very wrong. Oh so wrong. "Where are you guys?" "Yuukiko, wait." Kakushin pulled her back. "Don't just rush in." "Let me go. Something is wrong." Kakushin didn't loosen his grip, but ran with her to her parents' room. Even before she opened the door, he knew. That smell. Death. "Oh. God." Yuukiko fell to her knees. "Oh, God." The blood. It was all over. Tears filled her eyes and the world began to waver. "No!" she screamed. She could see her father from the doorway. His body was in the bathroom. His throat was slit, his stomach cut open. Her mother lay on their bed. He did more than slit her throat or stomach... Mommy. She didn't want to know. She didn't want to believe. Her beautiful mother. Her father. Words written in blood marred the walls of her parent's beautiful home. I'm waiting for you. Where are you? Come to me. "Kakushin," she whispered and felt his arms around her. She fell into his warmth and struggled not to gag. She lost the battle and ran to the other bathroom. Kakushin was ashened as he followed her. "I'll call the police," Aya whispered, shakily. Rui quickly moved forward before she could faint. "Don't touch anything except the phone," he said flatly. He looked around, forcing himself to make note of the details. "Rui... They were the nicest-" The words choked her. She couldn't believe that this could ever happen. Not to Yuukiko's larger than life parents. She shakily dialed for the police, her voice strained as she whispered what they had found. She would not break down. Yuukiko would need them all strong. She felt Rui's warm hands pulling her towards him, heating her much too cold skin. He looked as pale as she felt. "He wants her. He wants Yuukiko..." Someone was watching her, wanting her. Rui felt his stomache tighten. He knew that Kamiya Kaoru was murdered in much the same way in the past. Was someone trying to take her life again? "No. He's not going to have her. No." The sounds of sobbing echoed from the other room. Yuukiko never cried. The tears she shed now, the wracking sobs, cut into Aya's heart. The bastard is going to pay. I want to cut out his heart myself.... "Protecting her is our top priority," she stated flatly. "And he's going to pay." She closed her eyes and leaned into her love as the the aproching siriens wailed. "For everything. He's the hunted." ____________________________________ ardith@ucla.edu http://www.webslacker.com/ardith/ --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- Go to school... Slay demons... Go shopping!!! Buy all the coolest BUFFY items at NextPlanetOver.com -- and your FIRST ORDER'S FREE!! Click Here ------------------------------------------------------------------------