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11
Aya opened her eyes slowly and found herself in an unfamiliar room flooded with the sunshine. The pleasant feeling and the warm travelling over her body made her think that she’d died and was already at heaven.
“You’re feeling better?”
The voice took Matsuura to reality again. Well, she wasn’t dead, but she wasn’t at home either… The gentle expression in the face of the woman in front of her just made Aya to feel more insecure and take a defensive pose.
“Who are you?”
“Kaori” answered the woman quietly.
Of course, the younger didn’t recognize that name and her first reaction was to try to get up from the bed and run away. But she didn’t think about two complications in her plans; her wound and a pair of strong arms keeping her lying on the bed.
“It’s ok, Aya” said a friendly voice “She brought you back”
Seeing her patient a bit more relaxed, Kaori decided to leave the girls alone to talk.
“Maki? How…?”
“We almost lose you. If Fujimoto wouldn’t carried you here in time…”
“Miki…” whispered the younger in an almost inaudible voice, trying to recap in her mind what happened “The last thing I remember is that we argued…”
“Well, you should thank her”
Matsuura stared at her friend and an awkward silence filled the room for a moment.
“Look… Aya, I’m going back home with Eri”
“Great. I don’t wanna be here another se…”
“You’re not coming” said Maki emphatically “We can’t take that risk. Anyway, I’ll be back soon. I’m just going to take the girls here as you sister wanted”
“What?! You can’t make that decision on your own!”
“I did it already” answered Goto with a resolute tone in her voice “You know it’s the only chance we have to survive”
***
“You’re ok?”
Fujimoto turned to the opened door and saw Rika looking at the blood stained clothes on the floor.
“Yeah, don’t worry. It’s not mine” answered the younger pulling down the importance to the fact that she almost die hours ago.
Her friend’s indifference made Rika angry and, walking towards her, she took Fujimoto’s by the arm, turning her to make the younger look at her eyes.
“When you’ll stop doing this, Miki!? When you’ll stop risking your life as if nobody cared about it?! I don’t wanna lose you too…”
“That didn’t seem to matter when you asked me to go back that day and risk our life for something that was already lost it!” Miki got rid of Ishikawa’s grip “Do you really think that I don’t know that you still blame me for leaving her? You told me then, remember? That I let her die ‘cause she wanted to take you away from me!”
“You know I didn’t mean it…”
“Of course you did!”
Suddenly, a knock interrupted the conversation.
“Miki, you’re lady’s awake”
Hearing Kaori, Fujimoto gave the talk for finished and walked towards the door. But before closing it behind her, she turned to Rika one more time.
“You know? I’d had exchanged my life by hers just to make you happy…”
***
Matsuura had decided that she wasn’t to stay another minute there. Even if Maki had told her to not move ‘til she came back, Aya couldn’t stay in that place, much less alone. So, without taking in consideration her friend’s prohibition, she made her mind up to go home on her own.
She saw her clothes on a chair next to bed and began to get dressed as quickly as her leg allowed her, until she heard something. When she turned to the door, Aya found a stunning Fujimoto leant against the frame with a wide mischievous smile in her lips, which remembered the younger that she was still half naked.
“Going somewhere?”
“Home” answered Aya while passing her head through the collar of her shirt.
“Well, good luck then”
“Thank you” replied the younger with sarcasm.
Aya was ready to leave the room when one of Miki’s arms blocked the exit.
“Ok.., I didn’t save your life out there to let you now serve them the breakfast in a plate”
“No one asked you to do it”
The younger pushed Miki and tried to get out of the room but Fujimoto wasn’t going to give up so easily and took her by the arm.
“You’re not going anywhere”
“Stop me”
And she did it. Aya fought desperately against Miki’s grip and even tried to punch the older, but with the disadvantage of her wound, Fujimoto had enough time to hold her tightly. With her resistance, Aya just got to lose her balance and take Miki with her. Luckily, the other girl was fast enough to make them fall on the bed. Even so, Matsuura kept fighting and Miki didn’t have another choice but take the younger by her wrists and, using her own weight, make Aya unable to move.
Both breathing heavily, stared at each other without saying a word. Then, unexpectedly, Miki’s lips were on Aya’s.
“What the hell are you doing?!” shouted Matsuura, finally reacting.
“Keeping you here…”
Fujimoto’s words weren’t more than a whisper that caressed Aya’s lips before kissing her again. This time she didn’t stop with the younger’s complaints and deepened the kiss, exploring every inch of Aya’s mouth with her tongue. Soon, Matsuura gave up at fighting…
What the girls didn’t know was that, from the door that they forgot to close because of the fight, a surprised Maki and Yuko were watching the scene.
“See? She’ll be ok” whispered Yuko on Maki’s ear “Miki can take good care of her…”
Aya and Miki were too busy to notice their presence and Nakazawa, as quiet as she could, closed the door in silence to not bother them. Then, she took Goto along with her and began to walk with a smirk in her face.
“We should make a party, don’t think so?”
To be continued...
Labels: Traveler
Almost three hours passed and there were still some girls standing at the party, although the younger ones went to sleep already. Nakazawa, as a good host, ordered to arrange a room where her guests could stay, but just Kaoru used it that night. Rather than follow the younger, Maki remained at the party, trying to discuss with Yuko some details about the possibility of moving there as Hitomi wanted, something really difficult when the listener is completely drunk. On the other hand, Yossi couldn’t leave Rika’s side. She was sleepy to death, but the need to know more made her stay awake.
She stared at the older sitting next to her. Rika hadn’t said anything in a while and Yossi felt a bit guilty for was going to ask.
“So… What happened?” Yossi stuck her eyes on the floor, regretting the question even before asking it “I mean… Why Aya seems to… hate you so much…?”
Rika refused to look at her after hearing the question and stood up, moving away from the younger. Yossi thought that she was going to leave and tried to take back her words.
“Sorry.., I can ask someone else if…”
“It’s ok” said the older still with her back turned to Yossi “It’s just… I don’t know where to start…”
“Well, you could start with the reason why Aya thinks that the people here’s the enemy”
The older finally turned to her, with her arms crossed and a sad smile on her lips. Then, looked at the sky, lightened with the first rays of sun, and began her story.
“You can call it the ‘Yoshizawa effect’” she said “I never knew him, but people say that Hitomi’s father was a rough and stubborn man that never accepted help from the others. So, I guess that Aya’s got his temper. Luckily, her own daughter was completely different and, when her father died, Hitomi tried to sort out all his mistakes…”
Rika kept telling her story, sometimes with her eyes glued to the clouds in the sky… sometimes staring at the other girl when Yossi didn’t notice.
All began like almost everything began in their world; with a battle. The difference was that the enemy was another kind of monster. It had passed no more than a week since Hitomi’s father died and the situation was chaotic. The few men remaining in the group didn’t want to follow a girl and she wasn’t willing to leave the people she loved in the hands of a bunch of haughty men. So, they fought. Not just verbally but a real fight, with long sharpen knifes and blood. Of course, no one was expecting for Hitomi to win… After the brawl, the men left and she took the control. Her first decision; to talk with and old acquaintance of her father.
She wasn’t probably more than twelve the last time she saw Nakazawa and Hitomi was glad to see that all the things that her father told about Yuko weren’t true at all. Maybe her character was a bit special, but she was a good woman, with good intentions, who received Yoshizawa’s idea with delight.
“One of the days that Nakazawa-san was going to meet with her, she brought me and Miki too. I didn’t know Hitomi ‘til that day ‘cause Yuko always took Kaori and Nacchi with her and, honestly, after hearing the stories about her father, I was expecting to find some kind of rough manly woman. But she was…” Ishikawa paused a moment and looked straight at Yossi “…she was like you, a kind smile and a determined look in her eyes. It may sound stupid but, when she looked at me, I felt as if I’d been waiting for that moment my entire life”
They night after they met, for the first time, Hitomi didn’t return home and stayed with them. After that, they reached a point where Nakazawa realized that she wasn’t wanted at the meetings and left the youngers alone, but not without asking Miki before to take care of them.
“Hitomi knew that she had to tell Aya soon or later if she wanted to take the girls here, but her sister had grown with the same stubbornness than her father and it was difficult to persuade her to talk with us” Rika breathed deeply before continue “The day we finally met everything went wrong…”
“It was when…”
Ishikawa nodded before Yossi could finish the answer and tried to face the next part of the story with fortitude.
“Aya came with the firm idea to make her sister return home and forget about her plans and, right from the start, she made clear that she didn’t like us. Miki’s not the type that keeps her thoughts for herself and they began to argue. Hitomi saw that the situation was out of control and shouted at Aya. Of course, she shouted back and, before leaving, told her sister some things about their relationship with her father that really hurt Hitomi. I told her to calm down and go after Aya to try to clear things up but then… they…”
The girls didn’t have time to react. They were in the full sun and, before that day, the beasts had always attacked at night. That’s why they weren’t expecting them to surround them so quickly.
“She protected you”
“When we realized it was too late…” tears began to roll down Ishikawa’s cheeks “Miki took me out of there the best way she could a…and… she…”
Seeing the tears overflowing Rika’s eyes, Yossi couldn’t help but took the older in her arms. She never could stand to see the other girl crying, even if it was a different Ishikawa. Besides, she felt guilty to make her remember all that painful memories.
“Do you love her?” asked Rika with her head buried on Yossi’s chest.
“Who?”
“The other me. The Rika of your world. Do you love her?”
Yossi didn’t know how to answer that question. Did she love her?
Maybe years ago, when they were so close that the lines between their friendship and something more began to blur.., when the secret whispers made the other girls to burst in jealousy.., when a single kiss meant a world… Maybe then she’d be answered ‘yes’ without doubting…
“I…”
Yossi’s words were interrupted by a persistent knock on the principal door. In fact, more than knocking, whoever it was was kicking it.
“I’m gonna kill someone if you don’t open the damn door now!”
To be continued...
Labels: Traveler
9
Maki’d never been there before and she was really impressed. That place was totally different from their underground refuge. She could raise her eyes and stare at the clear sky of the night without worrying about some beast jumping over her. It was a dream. A fortress erected over the ruins of a building complex, still with enough of the original structure standing to keep them safe. But there was something more fascinating that made Maki close her eyes and enjoy the moment. The air; the cold and soft breeze caressing her skin.
“I did exactly the same the first time I came here”
She heard a deep woman voice behind her and turned to see who she was. It didn’t matter if Maki was still a kid the last time she saw her.., not even almost ten years can make you forget Nakazawa Yuko.
“That’s why Hitomi wanted to take us here…” said the younger raising her eyes to the moon again.
“Your leader was a smart girl and wanted to give you a better place to live. Not to mention that she was better than her father in a lot of ways…”
Maki was going to say something but the woman just turned her back and walked towards Ishikawa with a worried expression.
“Where’s Fujimoto?”
“You know her…” answered Rika trying to not sound too concerned “Miki isn’t happy without doing something stupid from time to time…”
“Someday, that heroine complex of hers will kill that girl… What’s now? Another kid or some lady?”
“A girl”
“She stayed to help Aya” said Maki taking part in the conversation.
“Oh… Interesting. I’m sure they’ll have fun together”
Yuko began to laugh and everybody got really confused. Where was the joke?
“Well… Who do we have here?” this time was Yossi who attracted her attention “Extraordinary, really… Longer hair and some scratch here and there and I’d think that I’m seeing a ghost… Anyway, the girls told me that you have a little problem with your ‘means of transport’…”
“I think it was damaged at the shooting…”
Kaoru raised her hand and showed the machine on her wrist to Yuko, who watched it carefully inch by inch, trying to find where the problem was.
“You know… I don’t understand that kind of things” said Yuko finally defeated “We better let this to Asami. She’s the brain here”
“Konno-san?” Kaoru’s face glow with the mention of the name “She’s here?”
“Not right now. She’ll be back in two days. So…” Nakazawa smiled and passed her arm around Yossi’s back “…that give us plenty of time to know each other, don’t think so?”
***
Yossi had to be imagined it already… Nakazawa Yuko was Nakazawa Yuko, no matter what world they were. That means to use whatever reason, like the arrival of another world’s visitors, as an excuse to have a party, even if one of the guests was totally against it.
“Sorry about this” Rika apologized with a smile and sat next to her, away from the party.
“It’s ok. I’m already used to her”
“It has to be difficult… being away from home…”
The younger looked at Rika, who had her eyes glued to the sky, and then at the girls laughing at the party.
“Someway…, I’m at home…”
Rika lowered her head and stared at the woman at her side. It was as if she’d never gone away. She could touch her… she could kiss her… she could lose herself in her arms and forget the nightmare of the last months.
But then again, it wasn’t her.
The noise from the show in front of them brought Rika to reality. Yossi was entertained watching how Nono had taken a pair of wood sticks and was using them as
“You’re ok?” asked the younger.
“Uhm?” Ishikawa wasn’t expecting the question “Yeah… I was just thinking…”
“Miki..., she’ll be fine, right?”
“I hope so…” sighed Rika.
***
“Aya… Aya!” Miki shouted and slap the younger a few times “Princess, wake up!”
Miki’s suspicions were right. When she uncovered the wound, Fujimoto could see clearly that the cut was infected and it could go worst if she couldn’t find help soon.
She looked outside. There were just a few hints of light… Still too early… Still too dark to take the risk…
“Shit! I’m not gonna let you die, do you hear me?!” she took Aya’s arm trying to lift her up “I don’t wan…na have your ghost prow…ling around me the rest of my life…”
To be continued...
Labels: Traveler
8
“We won’t be able to return ‘til morning…”
Miki was looking at the clear sky through a little crack at the ceiling of the improvised refuge. It was early night and they had to wait there until the sunrise. Maybe, Miki on her own could reach home safely but, with her companion hurt, it would be a suicide. Then, she turned to the girl seating on the ground and complaining while looking at the wound on her leg.
“Let me see”
Seeing Miki kneeling in front of her, Aya moved back ‘til lean against the wall to keep herself away from any touch.
“Stop acting as if you were some superior being, princess” said Miki a bit angry “You’re not made of steel, you know?”
Fujimoto took the younger’s leg and Aya couldn’t help but let her do. It hurt too much to fight against it. Taking a knife from her belt, Miki tore the fabric to have a better view of the wound.
“It doesn’t look good…” she took off her belt and tied up over the cut to stop the bleeding “What were you thinking about? They almost kill you…”
“Why do you care?” asked Aya still with her cutting tone.
“If you didn’t notice, we’re running out of people lately. We can’t afford the luxury to lose someone strong” Miki ripped one of the sleeves on Aya’s shirt, with the consequent complaints, and bandaged the wound with it “Besides, I’m not the kind of girl that leaves someone behind…”
“You left Hitomi that day”
“That was different” Miki knew that Aya was trying to start another fight but she wasn’t really in the mood to any verbal attack so, she kept herself down and answered as serenely as she could “It was too late… And I had to take Rika out of there”
“Never it’s too late”
Having the wound finally covered, Miki stood up and moved away from the younger.
“Look, if you wanna blame someone, blame me. Rika’d preferred to stay there and die with her…”
“I don’t wanna hear your lame excuses!”
“Good! Then hear something else!” this time Miki was really pissed of and, tired of the younger’s stubbornness, she shouted at her “Wanna know why you hate Rika so much? Because the princess couldn’t stand that there’d be someone else in Hitomi’s heart…”
“Shut up!”
“She took you’re place and it felt like a kick in your guts, right?” Miki continued her attack kneeling again in front of the other girl and placing her hands on the wall, leaving just a few inches between them to make sure that Aya heard what she had to say “You felt betrayed…”
“You don’t know anything!” fought back Matsuura with a tear menacing to drop “You can’t know how I feel!”
“I know more than you imagine…”
***
After the running to reach a safe place, the six girls were trying to recover their breaths, hidden from the monsters in a basement under the bamboo floor. Nono told them that there was an underground corridor at the other side of the building that connected the shrine with their place, but they decided that it was better to wait a few minutes, just to be sure that it was safe.
Laying on the basement floor, with her back against the wall and studying carefully the katana that Eri gave her, Yossi caught someone staring at her.
“What?”
“I don’t even know how to call you…”
“Yossi it’s ok”
The taller answered Rika’s question with a sweet smile and Ishikawa took that as a signal of agreement to sit next to her.
“You’re so real…” she said looking at Yossi’s eyes “It seems impossible”
“Yeah, I know. This situation is surrealist” the younger scratched her head and looked at the others in the room “Yesterday I was watching lions on TV with the girls and five minutes later I’m in an unknown world in the midst of a war. After that, I even miss Miki’s silly ideas to improve the group…”
“Our Miki?” asked Nozomi who went closer to take part in the conversation “She’s in your world, too?”
“All of you”
Nono had a surprised expression on her face and was going to ask again when Maki stood up and look at them seriously.
“Don’t you think we could leave this conversation to another moment and try to find Aya and Miki? They may be in trouble…”
“Don’t worry” replied Nozomi careless “She can handle those beasts on her own”
“It’s not them what really worries me…”
***
Even if she tried hard, Miki couldn’t help but fall sleep. When she woke up a few hours later, being still at dark night, she found a head leant on her chest and a pair of arms surrounding her waist. Something that made her wonder how restless must be Aya while sleeping to end like this.
This will be really fun if she wakes up now…
But Aya remain asleep and Miki found herself caressing the younger’s hair and removing a lock from her face. She looked so different from the haughty and stubborn girl that she’s being awake… Then, somehow, with Aya in her arms, Fujimoto felt something warm growing inside her, as if she realized the real reason of her existence.
This is crazy… It has to be the high of the moment or something. I’ve risked my life to save her.., I’ve carried her here.., I’ve took care of her wound.., all that to have a fight as a reward… And even so, I’ll do it again…What’s happening to me?
Trying to not wake up the sleepy, she leant to place a soft kiss on Aya’s forehead and found something that worried her.
God, she's burning...
Labels: Traveler
7
“Yoshizawa-saaaaan!”
Yossi and Rika were still in shock, staring at each other, when the singer found herself being hugged tightly.
“Hey! No hugs!” exclaimed Yossi trying to move away from Kaoru “What’s up with you?”
“I though you were dead… I was so worried…”
“Worried? It’s your fault if that thing almost killed me!”
Even if she was acting cold, Yocchan knew that she was glad to see the girl safe. Besides, the fact that Kaoru was the one with the Traveler and the only way to get out of there it was a significant point.
“Kaoru told us about your trip” said Miki walking towards Yossi and watching her thoroughly “Obviously, we didn’t believe her until she showed us that folder of hers and a photo”
“I think that Rika-chan’s in shock since then…” stated Nono.
“Maybe because she began to feel guilty after all?” said an unknown voice.
Everyone turned to the end of the stairs where two silhouettes had appeared.
“Matsuura-san…”
“Yes, Eri. You really believe that I was so naive to not notice that you’re double-dealing?”
“Kamei, can you explain it, please?”
Maki’s words, at least, didn’t seem a direct attack to the poor Eri. She remained quiet and tried to hold Aya’s fury ‘till the younger could tell why she acted that way.
“I’m not betraying anybody, Goto-san” answered Kamei without losing her temper “I just wanted to help Yoshizawa-san to find her friend”
“What a coincidence that she was with the enemy, right?” said Aya with a mocking tone in her voice.
“Why do you insist in that? We never did anything to hurt you…”
Matsuura turned to Rika who finally had reacted after the initial shock. The younger’s face wasn’t too kind after hearing those words.
“I must remember you that it's because of you that my sister was killed?”
Rika didn’t know how to answer to that statement and, with her silence, she just got to make the younger even angrier. She’d walked towards Ishikawa and everybody knew that the next step could end in a fight between the two girls. Seeing that everything was getting worst, Yossi felt the urge to do something. Somehow, all this was because of her…
“Enough!” said someone before she could open her mouth to say something.
“Don’t meddle…” threatened Aya.
Miki had placed herself between Matsuura and her friend and was looking at the younger without any fear in her eyes. The menacing expression on Aya’s face didn’t impress her at all and, taking some steps, she went closer to the other girl before speaking with a deep and serious voice.
“I’m not gonna let you hurt Rika…”
“Stop me” reply Matsuura still with her arrogant attitude.
“Wanna fight?”
“Come on”
Miki fell silent suddenly. She saw something moving in the shadows, behind the trees. Something that she didn’t like it at all…
“Now you’re scared?” mocked Aya.
“Shut up”
Ignoring the continuous verbal attacks against her from the younger, Miki bent over a bit and took off a pair of
“When I’ll tell you, run” she said to Aya but keeping her eyes in the shadows.
“Why I should do that?”
“To live?”
It was then when Matsuura noticed the eyes watching them.
“Now!”
At Miki’s shout, all the girls began to run towards the building. All of them except the one too haughty to accept an order from the enemy.
Aya had taken the crossbow from her back and began to shoot the deformed silhouettes coming from the shadows. They were falling like flies, pierced by the sharpen arrows, one by one. Until something happened… A sound from her left made Aya turn and she noticed that one of the monsters was almost over her. As quickly as she could, she aimed the crossbow towards the beast but, before she could shoot, a claw took her leg and made her fall, loosing her weapon with it. It was the end.
But, when everything seemed lost, someone stood in the monster’s way.
“Stupid girl…”
The younger, still in the ground, heard Miki grumble some other complaints while kicking the beast’s asses. One of them went too close to her and, as a reply, got a sharpen sai into its chest. She kept fighting without loosing it a bit ‘til the last of them fell dead.
Sweating and still breathing heavily, the older offered her hand to Aya.
“Can you walk?”
“Don’t touch me” rejected the younger avoiding looking at Miki.
“Ok. Stay here and get killed”
Seeing that Matsuura won’t accept her help, she turned and began to walk towards the temple leaving the other girl behind. But, when she had made just a few steps, Miki saw that it would be impossible to reach the building in time.
Shit.
Slowly, she move back and went near Aya again.
“You should get up, now”
The younger saw what was coming too and this time she didn’t reject Miki’s hand, that help her to stand up and let her lean on her shoulder to walk as fast as they could.
“If we get over this…” said Fujimoto looking at the girl in her arms and then at her back them “… remember me to kill you”
Labels: Traveler
6
The waiting was starting to be unbearable and the weariness began to overcome her. But Yossi had told herself that she couldn’t sleep ‘cause Eri could return at any moment. Maybe, after all, it was better to not have a watch to count the seconds.
When the hopelessness was almost taking control over her, the door opened.
“Put this on”
Eri left a pile of clothes on the floor for Yossi to use them while she was checking that nobody had followed her.
“What’s that?!” exclaimed the older when she saw something under the clothes.
“You hadn’t really thought to go outside at night without protection right?”
“But this?” asked Yossi waving a katana in the air “It wouldn’t be better some kind of gun or something?”
“Bullets don’t kill them and a gun is useless in a hand-to-hand fight”
“Oh… But…”
“Stop asking. We have to go”
***
“Where are we going?”
“Ssshh…”
Eri hadn’t said anything since they left the room. Of course, it was a measure to avoid that anyone could hear them leaving, but Yossi wondered a few times if there was something else. Maybe she’d judge that girl too fast. Just because she was like the Eri she knew it didn’t mean that she had to be trustworthy at all…
After a few minutes, they finally reached what it seemed to be the exit, but before they could go outside, they’d have to get rid of something. The guard.
“Wait here”
From the corner where Yossi was hiding herself, she couldn’t recognize the girl at the door, but hers was a distinct voice.
“Eririn, you shouldn’t do this. You know it’s dangerous”
“Wouldn’t you do the same for Hitomi-san?”
“Of course I’d do, but she…”
“She’s her, Sayu” stated Kamei “If you look at her eyes you can see her…”
Sayumi seemed doubtful for a moment… until she saw a ghost walking towards them.
“She’s…”
“I told you” said Eri when Yossi arrived “Now, can we go?”
“Ok. But please…” Sayu took Eri’s hands worried “…be careful”
Kamei nodded and give a reassuring smile to her friend who stayed at her place while the two girls went to the exit.
***
They were walking outside for almost thirty minutes already and they didn’t say a word. Yossi was still hesitating to talk but there was so much questions in her head that she reached a point that she had to let it out.
“Why are you doing this?” she asked almost whispering.
“Because I know you’re saying the truth”
“How?”
Kamei didn’t answer this time. Just turned to her and, in silence, pointed to a near building hidden in the shadows of the night.
It was a temple and, remembering how the city was, Yossi was surprised to see something still standing up. Through the years, even with whatever that happened to the city, that ancient shrine had survived over the glass titans that ruled the skies of
“They should be here already…” said Eri a bit worried.
“Who?”
Both girls reached the end of the stairs where, according to Kamei, someone should be waiting for them. But there was just the clearing in front of the temple entrance, illuminated by a faint moonlight.
Standing there, Yossi suddenly felt something…
“I don’t like it… don’t kno…”
Then, as if a sixth sense warned her, she took the hand that was trying to catch her from behind and, with a fast movement, she knocked down the aggressor.
“No doubt, it’s her”
Lying in the ground, a surprised Nozomi was rubbing her sore back while Yossi stared at her still trying to process what happened.
“It seems that our little time-traveler was saying the truth…”
Yoshizawa didn’t need to turn to recognize the owner of that voice immediately.
Slowly, as if she was measuring each step she took; a slender silhouette appeared from the shadows and walked towards the clearing, letting the moonlight to cover her body with a mysterious aura.
From the feet to the head, Yossi watched every detail of that woman. From the rough boots, the thigh leather trousers and the shirt showing her curves, to the scar across her right eye and cheek.
“Why I always end being the guinea pig?” complaint Nono while Eri was helping her to stand up.
“Because you wouldn’t be a great loss”
“Someday, someone will believe that you say that kind of things seriously, Miki” said another voice.
As if the presence of that stunning Fujimoto Miki wasn’t enough, the staging of another person emerging from the shadows made Yossi’s heart stop for a moment.
“Rika…”
To be continued...
Labels: Traveler
aaah~ another one done..
It feels so good when I finish a chapter.. XD
5
“You can’t really believe her”
“I don’t know what to think...”
“Another world? Come on, Maki… You know that’s absurd…”
“Do you have another explanation?”
“I…”
Aya became silent while they were walking through the corridors, after hearing the most incredible and surrealist conversation ever.
“Maybe, if we can find the other girl…” said Maki analyzing all the possibilities.
“I didn’t see any girl there”
“Anyway, we have to check it. Tomorrow, take Ai and Reina and go to the same place. Maybe there’s some trail you can follow”
Both girls stopped in front of a door that Maki opened with her key. She stepped inside and, before saying good night, she turned to the younger again. Goto knew her friend well enough to understand what she was going through.
“Aya.., I know it’s difficult to look at her and don’t think about your sister…” Maki caressed the younger’s hair as if she was a little lost kid “… but I’m sure Hitomi’d wanted for you to face this as serene as you can. We don’t wanna see dark Aya again, ok?”
Gottsan smiled while saying the last words and made Aya smile as well.
“I promise I won’t try to kill anyone” answered the younger, joking.
“That’s my girl”
***
Yossi had already lost the track of time. Without daylight or a clock near she wasn’t sure about how many hours had passed. There was only one thing that didn’t know about clocks or confinements and that’s her stomach.
“At least you could give me something to eat!” she shouted from the corner of the futon where she was seated.
As if some higher being had heard her prayers, someone opened the door.
“Excuse me…” said some tiny voice “…the dinner…”
“It was about time!”
The singer was so hungry that, at first, didn’t notice who the girl with the plate in her hands was. She just took the food and began to eat desperately. At least, it tasted good.
“If you don’t need anything more I’ll le…”
“Wait”
Finally, Yoshizawa had realized who the girl was and saw an opportunity to ask some questions that she had in her mind since the conversation with Maki and Aya.
“Eri, right?” she asked.
The younger seemed surprised to hear her name.
“They told me that I shouldn’t talk to you…That you could be dangerous…”
“I’m not going to hurt you. I just wanna ask you some things”
She looked at the door still opened, hesitating a bit and Yossi feared that the girl could ran away but, unexpectedly, Eri stuck out her head to check if there was someone else and then closed the door with a sigh of relief.
“Sorry, I had to be sure that there wasn’t anyone else around”
Yossi was clueless about why the younger was acting that way but there was some important thing that she wanted to know before asking about that.
“What’s this place?”
“A refuge”
“To protect you from those things that attacked us outside?”
“Yeah. You’re lucky to be alive after what happened”
“If you saved me…, why the hell I’m being shut in here?”
Eri hesitated a moment before answering.
“They don’t trust you”
“I know that. They think that I’m some kind of trap just because I’m exact to someone dead”
“You had to admit that this thing about time-space travelling is pretty incredible…”
Yossi took a hand to her head and caressed her hair before seating again on the floor.
“I know… I know…” she sighed “But that doesn’t mean that Aya has to treat me as a murderer or something worst…”
“You have to understand her. Hitomi-san was her only family and she’s still hurt. To see someone that looks like her sister it has to be a big shock”
“Her sister?” asked Yossi surprised.
“Well.., they don’t have any blood tie, but Yoshizawa’s father saved Aya when she was still a kid and they grow up together”
Now Yossi could understand the sadness on Aya’s eyes when she looked at her. It must be really difficult to stare at somebody who looks like a clone of someone dead that you loved so much.
“You should finish you’re dinner” said Eri bringing Yossi back “It’s getting cold”
“It doesn’t matter. I still need to know a lot of things…”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you more right now” answered the younger walking towards the door “I have to go before they begin to suspect”
Yoshizawa tried to stop her but the girl turned again and stared at her with a serious glare.
“Don’t worry. In two hours the others will go to sleep. Get ready ‘cause I’ll come to take you out of here”
After that, she disappeared behind the door and Yossi heard the key turning, keeping her alone again in that dark room.
At least now, she had someone to trust.
Labels: Traveler
The secret
“Ne… Gaki-san…”
“Hm?”
“Let’s tell Ai-chan”
“Nah…”
“But she’s your best friend. Shouldn’t she know about this?”
“Then tell Sayu too”
“She doesn’t like that kind of things…”
What’s wrong with her? After all, it was her idea…
“You know what?” I say turning to Kame “I’m thinking that maybe you’re doing this ‘cause you’re already tired of me…”
“No! Of cou… of course not! It’s just…”
“Just what?”
“I really want to do that with you… But it would be funnier with more people?”
“See? You’re bored” I shout back “If you need more fun why don’t you tell Miki-chan? I’m sure she’s better than me”
“Gaki-san!”
Why I’m so angry?
“Give me that controller and go find someone more amusing than me. My Wii and I can live perfectly without you…”
“You’re overreacting again”
Eri’s looking at me with her arms crossed and without any intention to give me the remote back. What’s she expecting with that cheeky attitude? That offended pose isn’t going to work with me…
“Fine. Do whatever you want” I say giving my back to her “I’ll be the one leaving…”
“Risa, stop it!”
She has taken my arm strongly and tries to make me turn to look at her, but I’m not going to give up so easily. I want to get rid of her grip with a fast movement, but she’s stronger than she looks and her hand remains glued to my arm even when we both lose balance and fall to the floor.
We ended being one on top of the other. Well, actually, I’ve managed to use Eri as a pillow to cushion the fall.
Now… this is too weird…
I can’t stop looking into her eyes…
“Gaki-san I…” she’s babbling trying to find some words “I’m sor…”
I don’t let her finish the sentence ‘cause my lips has sealed hers before she could say anything more.
I close my eyes and enjoy the moment. I don’t even know why I’m doing this but if there’s something I’m sure about it’s that I like it. And I could say the same for Eri, ‘cause she’s returning the kiss as if she’d wanted this for a long time.
Definitely..., I should have made this before.
“You know…” she says when I leave her lips to breathe “Maybe; to keep this just between us would be better after all…”
“Aha…” I lean to touch her lips again briefly.
“It will be our secret…”
“Our secret…”
Labels: Stupid Things
hey... what happened? Nobody posted any comments for the previous chapter u.u
well.. for that people who hasn't realised yet... there'sa tag board under Nyan Nyan in case you wanna left some comment there :P
4
Again, that annoying headache. It was the first reaction of her body when she woke up and Yossi wondered if someday she could rid off it. Once more, when she looked around, found that she was in an unknown place, this time inside a room almost in darkness, hardly lit up with a bulb.
Standing up slowly, she took a look at the room. No windows, no furniture… just a unmade futon and a plate with food. Yossi brought a hand to her hair and caressed it, trying to make up her thoughts. The first thing it was to know how she got there… She didn’t remember anything after the attack and the fight. Just that voice…
“Aya!”
Yossi ran towards the door. She must find her and told her what happened. Besides, where’s Aya, Miki isn’t far away and, if Miki’s there probably the others too. She could be in an unknown world, but at least she knew the people there. Well… theoretically…
She was so excited about seeing someone friendly that she wasn’t expected that the door’s knob didn’t turn. What was all that about?
“Matsuura! I know you’re there!”
No answer.
“Open the damn door!”
She shouted, stamped the door.., but the only thing that she got was to make worse the headache. Nobody was going to answer, at least for now, and she couldn’t do anything more than wait.
***
“You know it’s not her!”
Yossi woke up with the noise of an argument. There it was again… Aya’s voice, this time yelling at someone else. She decided to get up of the futon and went to the door to hear what’s going on.
“I know it’s impossible, but you can’t state that it’s a trap just because of that. Maybe there’s an explanation”
“I saw her die, Maki, right in front of my eyes!”
“It’s hard for everybody, but you have to calm down”
That’s crazy…
The singer, with her ear glued to the door, deduced with Aya’s words that the Hitomi from that world was already dead. She wondered what could have happened and why Aya was so affected.
“Maybe talking with her we could find answers…”
“I can’t do it” said Matsuura.
“Of course you can”
“Please, Maki…”
“Listen. It’s not easy for me either, ok? Just try it”
And after that, Yossi heard a key turning the lock. She had two options. One; run towards the futon again and pretend that she was sleeping and two; wait next to the door ‘til they get in and go straight to the main point, to know why she was shut in.
“Let’s see if she has some…”
Still with the door half opened, Maki went silent when she saw that the room was empty.
“Where the hell she is?” asked Aya.
“Right here”
Yossi, answering from the wall behind the door, took the two girls by surprise. Both girls turned to look at her. It’s impossible but there she was, standing against the wall, with her arms crossed and a defiant look in her eyes. She had decided to face the situation.
“Dear God…”
“Yeah, I could say the same” replied Yocchan at Maki’s words.
Without thinking too much, Yossi walked towards the younger and stopped just a few steps away from her. She watched her carefully and retained every detail in her mind, comparing it with the memories of her Gottsan. Her clothes were old and worn out, wide enough to be comfortable, her skin was covered with scars and her eyes showed the weariness after a hard life… But, somehow, deep inside that exhausted look, Yossi found something familiar… She had the same aura, the same mild soul that so many times was enough to make the older feel safe.
“You can’t be real…” she said still shocked.
“I’m pretty real”
Yoshizawa had her ‘defiant mode’ still switched on but seeing that Maki was really speechless she tried to be less rude with her words.
“Listen… I’m not who you think I am. And no…” said Yossi pointing to Aya before the last could say anything “… this isn’t a trap”
“The same voice… the same… eyes… How…?”
“You’ll thing that I’m completely nuts for what I’m going to say…”
“Try it”
Matsuura’s voice was a blend between distrust and sadness. Yossi looked at her and wondered what could have happened to that girl to have so much sorrow in her eyes.
Finally, clearing her throat, the singer was ready to say something that not even she believed yet.
“I’m from another world”
To be continued...
Labels: Traveler
