Nov 2, 2013

Chapter 9: Midnight stroll

In the dark of the night, the girl was walking. 
Gathering all the strength left, she tried to go as fast as possible.
She couldn't allow her feeling to be swayed.

They are just all liars.
They can never be trusted.

That's the thing she learned about this world. 
This world taught her about cruelty, about treacherous.  
They were all the same.

Were they?

The girl stopped for a while, to catch a breath, and to think.
Thought about why.
Why did she act like that?
Why did she ask for help?
Why them?
She had a goal, yet didn't know how to achieve it.
Only thing she could do was keep on going and watching.
And she thought she was right, until she saw them.

Two of them, similar yet different.
Their existence tied with each other.
It was suprisingly strange to see a soul left in this place.
And all of the people, the soul chose to reside in a hollow man.

What did he saw in that man?

Whatever the answer, it didn't matter for her now, she thought.
Since she had made up her mind, one soul would not stop her to achieve her goal.

And the girl kept on walking, slowy and steadily.

-------------------
Meanwhile, not very far away.

"Darn, where could she possibly go in such late hour like this?" The night was not a favourable condition for Kai due to his not-so-good eyesight.

"Really, why do you care? She'll be fine on her own if she manages to left without you noticing." His companion didn't seem to take silence treatment seriously. 

"At this point, even if I tell my reason, what could it change? You will eventually deny it like always." He ran around, looking in every corners.

Seems like he's genuinely worrying - for the first time his soul saw Kai actually put his thought onto some things, moreover, someone. Bad as it was, there's nothing he could do beside desperately keeping him out of trouble. 

"Cheh, so that's how it goes." he said, "seems like I have no choice but to help you then."

"Huh? I just thought that you might come quietly, but not expected to receive help from you." Kai questioned.

"I'd love to stay and watch, but my duty does not allow it. Don't think that I will change my opinion about this later on." The voice returned to his normal assertive manner.

"Whelp, it's good to have you along anyway, thanks bro." Kai smiled, a smile no one could see.

"Don't thank me just yet. Anyway, do you have any ideas where to find her?" A just question.

"Well, ummm.... nope." Typical answer from the guy.

"Christ, you ran off to find someone you just met and you don't even know where to look? Are your brain actually functioning?"

"I just thought that I have to find her, and about the details..." He scratches his head. This boy rarely thought something through before making action.

"[Sigh] and what's with that thing?" His voice turned his attention to the bag Kai's carrying.

"Oh this? I guess she will not welcome our appearance, so I need an excuse."

"You always think about the unnecessary." He frowned.

"It's important for me though." Kai replied.

Important? cause you've fallen for her you idiot. 

The answer was obvious for the soul. He had known all along that Kai had a thing for that girl from the start. It was not something hard to understand, for a guy to meet an indescribable beauty, no, even further than that, to see an omen in his dream. That alone could help that girl claim a major position in Kai's mind. However, only Kai was the one who had his feeling wavered, and that bugged the soul. Since they both shared the same memories and emotions, then why the soul only had such uneasy feelings toward the girl? Was this hostility? Was this fear?

Whatever it is, it can mean only one thing.
Danger's close by.
Then if it's danger, it's my duty to keep him away, but why am I helping him?

He knew the answer, it's the soul's job to give advice, and the mind to decide the action. He had given his piece, but Kai refused to follow. Even this was not the first time, but more than ever, the soul felt the weight of responsibility was on his shoulders (if he had one). For the first time, he actually knew the feeling of powerless. It was like being dragged into the maelstrom, no matter how hard you tried to swim, only one conclusion awaiting.

"Hey, guess I know where to go." Kai's voice pulled him back.

"Huh? where?" He quickly concealed his thinking. A convenient ability that the soul can perform.
I can't afford to show my weakness.

"Think about it, she had no where to go, no one she could run to. However, she managed to make a contact, then the place where she made the contact would mean something right?" Kai proudly explained his idea, kinda confusing.

"And your point is?"

"The lake man, that's where she first met us." Oh, so that was us he referred to. 

"Hmmm, I'm not sure about that, but it worth a shot. Better one than nothing then." The soul also couldn't have any better ideas, he was too occupied with analysing the situation.

They headed to the lake. It was around 11:15 pm, the street was completely empty, and the lights were dim. Somewhere, the sound of some cats fighting each other echoed to their place. The air was cold, but luckily the rain had stopped.  Soon it would be winter, and when it came, there would be no need to worry about raining. Kai rather endured the sheer cold than soaking wet in the rain. He couldn't tolerate heat and wet. The soul felt the same way, however, he didn't have any chances to experience winter in this town, considering that he just came to existence for a few months. So this would be the first winter of him. That thought and Kai's stories about the fun he had in winters made him light up a bit.

Untill he saw that girl again.

"See, I told you she would be here." Yeah congratulation Kai, I wished the opposite.

Thera was sitting on the bench with her eyes closed, making her look just like sleeping. But when Kai and his soul arrived, she suddenly stood up and turned to their direction.

"It's.....you." For a moment, the soul saw a glimpse of confusion in her eyes.

"You forgot this, it would be a nuisance for me to keep it so I return it to you" Kai gave out a bag, which contain her dress, washed and dried.

"So that's your excuse. And you are even trying to act cool." The soul tried not to laugh, and it turned into giggles.

Thera remained silent, the dress couldn't bother her one bit. It were those two.

"Why do you follow me? Didn't I tell you not to?" She looked away.

So that's how she told us, how distinctive.

"Your message was quite extreme. But I just can't let you run around like that." Kai shrugged.

"And why do you care? Aren't you people all the same? Isn't that only yourself you always think about?" So sudden, Thera voice's became all emotional.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Both of them surprised at how Thera was reacting.

"Isn't that correct? People, human, all of them, they are selfish. When they need help, they pray to different gods, they give out sacrifices, they pledge their life to the one they think could help them. But when helps are no longer needed, when they get what they want, they turn their back at each other, at gods, at the world..."

What the hell is this girl babbling about? Is that the fever make she lost her mind? 

"....Ungrateful." Thera sat down, cast her eyes to the shadow around her.

"So what? what does it have to do with your situation?" Kai knew it would be better not to ask, but again, he couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"Just say, what would you do if you know I am about to kill someone? Will you still help me?" Thera kept saying strange things, which cause the soul trouble thinking.

Kai stay silent for a moment. Mostly because he couldn't comprehend what was going on in the girl's head. Moreover, it was hatred they felt.

That's right, you will leave, you will turn your back at me. No human will bring themselves to trouble by helping a stranger, like me. No one will....

And then Thera felt some one was grabbing her arm.

"Enough of rubbish speaking, you coming back with me." Kai was standing next to her, about to raise her up.

Surprised, Thera could only stare at the guy in front of her. Then, she looked at his hand, holding to her arm.

"That's what you get for wandering around when not fully recovered. It's a good thing you can still stand." Kai awkwardly stepped back, noticing Thera look.

"If that didn't get to you, then I will repeat. I don't need your help, no, you shouldn't help me at the first place."

This girl really is getting me on my nerve. Just what is she? A tsundere bugged robot?

"I get it, but sorry I couldn't follow. You know, not listening to advice is one of my habbits."

"And more to the point, he can't just leave you be, after what you've done to him." The soul spoke out.

"You.... are his soul. What do you mean..." Thera didn't expect to hear Kai's soul.

"I didn't plan to tell you this, but consider how Kai's devotion and feelings toward you, I guess this is best for both of us. The truth is..." And just when he was about to finish...

"Finally we found you, divine one."

He heard a voice. A voice which was even colder than the winter in his imagination that Kai  had described.

Startled, they turned to the direction where the voice came from.

And they saw two shadows. Slowly emerging, as if approaching their preys.

-End chapter 9-

Chapter 8

 Chapter 10

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