I'm sorry for the long wait, but things came up that I couldn't control. I hope you don't hold it against me though and enjoy this chapter all the same.

He was walking down the street, moving a little faster then he normally would. In some ways, he was glad for the warm weather. However, along with it came the crowds of people and that he could live without. He was practically dodging around the people in front of him. He didn't mind the weather, nor did he blame people for wanting to get out. But they did not need to form mobs while doing so.

'I'm late.'

Ayumu stopped at the corner, waiting for the light to change so he could cross the street. It really was abnormally warm to day. He was beginning to regret not changing out of his school uniform and into something more comfortable. Though, he could expect to see Hiyono there. She always seemed to be in a good mood on days like this.

The light changed to green and he hurried across the street along with a dozen or so other people. Yeah, she would still be there. She would wait a lot longer then thirty minutes before thinking he wasn't going to show. Besides, he was never late, not unless something important had come up anyway.

And it figures that he is called back home right at the last minute. He was in some ways glad that his sitter-in-law was going on a business trip for a few days. But then when he thought of how much it disrupted his schedule he really didn't care for it again.

Ayumu went around a corner and began to dodge even more people. The sidewalks were almost too crowded to stand. Part of him just wanted to turn around and go back to where it wasn't so crowded, to just head back home, but he was almost there. At the other end of the block, Hiyono would be waiting for him. That is where he told her to meet him anyway. There was a chance she had left, or maybe not even showed up yet. But he was sure she was there and still waiting for him.

'Why are all these people here?' He wondered, nearly being shoved into a wall. 'You would think that people would start to leave when it got crowded, not keep coming.' That's what it seemed like. The further along he got the more people there seemed to be. There must be some kind of sell going on. And he just had to choose what would be the most crowded place to meet.

After barely avoiding being pushed into the road by a passing man and women, Ayumu managed to catch sight of Hiyono through the crowd. She was waiting right where he asked her too. It was just a quick glimpse, but at lest he knew she was there. He didn't bather shouting out to her, he knew she probably wouldn't hear him in this crowd, especially if she was lost in thought and not paying attention.

He made his way slowly towards her. Several times, he had to stop and wait as people cut in front of him or stopped to go inside. More then once he lost sight of her in the crowd. There were so many people it was wonder he could see her at all. He was almost there now. He could probably shout out and actually get her attention now.

However, just before he could he felt someone run into him from behind. He lost his footing and fell against the wall. He hissed slightly at the stinging pain that erupted as his arm scrapped against the cement (Now he regretted taking off his jacket and wearing just the T-shirt). He heard somebody say sorry as they rushed by, most likely the one who just shoved him in the first place.

He straightened up, giving a quick glance at his arm. The skin was badly scraped and bleeding in some places. He turned his attention back the sidewalk in front of him, grimacing as his arm stung. He was more cautious of the people around him, not wanting someone to run into him again. He started looking for Hiyono, having lost sight of her when he fell. He could see a few other students from school, still wearing their uniforms. He tried to spot the familiar golden hair, knowing that he was close to where she had been standing.

However, no matter how much he looked he couldn't spot her. He stopped where he knew she had been. He looked around, confused, trying to see if she had moved to somewhere else. But he couldn't see anyone who even resembled her. It was as if, in those few minutes that he wasn't watching her, she had disappeared.

'She was here,' He thought, looking around. He saw her, he knew she was here. But now where was she?

His first thought was that she might have gone into one of the stores. There were plenty lining the street and any number of them looked like they could attract her attention. But he dismissed that idea on realizing she would have had to pass him to get to the nearest one. Plus, he had told her to meet him outside, though he now wished he had said to meet in one of the stores. She could have decided to leave, but it hadn't been long enough for her to get far and he should still be able to see her if she did.

So then, where was she?

Ayumu went to turn around, deciding to look in the stores all the same, but stopped. He turned towards one of the shop signs, a color not belonging to the sign catching his eye. He bent down beside it, picking up the piece of cloth lying on the ground. It was a creamy white with a light blue outlining, colors that stood out against the sign. It was a handkerchief, one he recognized as Hiyono's.

He straightened up, standing beside to wall the avoid anyone running into him again. He turned the cloth around, looking over it. He knew there was the possibility this was someone else's. Though, he couldn't think of many people who carried a handkerchief around these days. And he could distinctively remember her saying once that it had belonged to a close relative or something.

He found himself looking around again. He knew it was rather pointless. If he hadn't seen her yet he probably wasn't going to. He looked back down where he found the handkerchief, lying just behind the sign. Judging by the position it was in he would say that it must have gotten caught on the corner of the sign and then fell to the ground. But because of the angle of the sign, that could only happen if she went behind it.

He felt a twisting sensation in the pit of his stomach. He lend against the sign, looking around behind it. Now he noticed it. Behind the sign, between the two buildings he stood in front of, he could see a thin alley way. It was almost unnoticeable; if he hadn't spotted the handkerchief he wouldn't have found it.

He fell back into a standing position, that feeling in his stomach getting worse. Why would Hiyono go behind that sign? There was no reason to, no reason at all. There were no shops down there, no people. She probably won't even notice it was there.

But maybe she dropped something. There was just enough space between the wall and the sign for something to roll or slide behind it. She might have went in one of the stores or shops and quickly bought something, and with the sidewalk this crowded it wouldn't surprise him if she had been ran into as well and dropped the bag, or even ran into someone herself if she wasn't paying attention.

Still, even with those thoughts he didn't feel comfortable. He still felt like something was wrong. He stood there, staring at the alley entrance as his mind worked out several possibilities. He gave his head a slight shake. What was he thinking? None of those even sounded possible, not on a street this crowded.

He tightened his grip on the handkerchief, staring down the alley way. His stomach continued to twist, tying it's self in a knot. He gave one last look through the crowd before moving behind the sign and stepping in to the alley.'I don't like this,' he thought, 'I don't like this at all.'

XxXxX

It was quiet again.

Ayumu leaned against the wall, staring up at the ceiling. The hall light seemed dimmer somehow, fleeting. Probably because he was so tired. He raised his hand and rubbed his eyes. They watered as he closed them, burning slightly from fatigue. He wasn't sure how long he had been standing here now, his body and mind in conflict over what to do next. He should get some sleep, but he was sure his body wouldn't stay still just yet.

He opened his eyes. He looking to his side, his bedroom door a few yards away. The door was half open. Light flooded into the hall, making it brighter then it would usually be. He had left the light on, sure that Hiyono wouldn't want to wake up in the dark.

"Please let me die-"

He pushed the memory out. He stared down at the lower part of the wall. 'Don't think about it.' She was just in shock, traumatized. She couldn't have meant that. He wouldn't believe that she did, that she really wanted to die. It was just ridiculous.

He narrowed his eyes at the wall. For the countless time he replayed the whole night in his mind, analyzing part after part, wondering what should have been done differently and where it went wrong.

His memory finally came up the last few hours. It had took some time before Hiyono finally clamed down. He was mistaken when he had first thought she was calming down. She started to cry harder, clinging to him as if she might break if she let go. He didn't push her away. He couldn't have pushed her away even if he wanted too, she was clinging to him so hard.

Even as he thought back on it now, he wasn't sure he had done the right thing. But what else could he have done? He wasn't a doctor, a psychologist. He didn't know enough about this to know what to do or to expect.

When she finally stopped crying, when he was sure she was actually calm, he gently pulled away. He convinced her to lie down and rest. He knew she wouldn't want to, but he also knew she needed to. She needed to sleep, needed to rest her mind and body the best she could. Even if she didn't sleep she would still be resting, and that was better then nothing. But to his surprise she did fall asleep, just after half an hour in fact. It was sooner then he estimated.

He checked on her every ten or so minutes. He told himself it was a pointless action, that nothing could possibly happen to her. She was sound asleep, and would probably stay that way for a few hours. But in the back of his mind, how ever impossible he told himself it was, he was worried she would hurt herself again. An even more irrational part was worried she would disappear again.

He didn't want to feel that numbing cold again, that fear. That feeling he got when he realized what was happening. . .

Ayumu sighed, sliding down the wall to the floor. Exhaustion was settling in, both physically and mentally. He had tried earlier to lie down on the couch, to try and get even a few moments rest. But he was too anxious, too tense to sleep. If he was tired before he wasn't tired now. Worry for Hiyono and remaining tension from earlier kept him awake and had his mind working in overdrive. He couldn't stay still. He couldn't get his thoughts to calm down. Even though he knew he should sleep, he instead kept himself busy. He felt like he might go crazy if he forced himself to stay still. In the past few hours he had cleaned the bathroom of all the blood and evidence of their struggle, started the laundry, and put some food in the oven for when either of them got hungry. He had certainly made himself busy enough.

But now there was nothing left to do.

Ayumu closed his eyes, leaning his head against the wall. Four thoughts at a time seemed to trying and cross his mind, only resulting in frustration for him and a headache sure to follow. Now that he thought about it, even if he managed to get to sleep his dreams would probably be too twisted and strange for him to get actual rest.

He opened his eyes. There was a moth flying around the light, casting a faint shadow on the ceiling and wall. He watched it for a minute. Despite the headache he would probably get, he started to try thinking through his messed up thoughts. He was too tired to find something to calm them and he couldn't avoid doing it for long. He closed his eyes again. Besides, rest wasn't the only reason why he needed to organize his thoughts. He also needed to figure out what to do now and what could happen next. . .

xXxXx

Hiyono eyes snapped open. For a minute she just stared at the wall in front of her, blinking in confusion. Her mind was hazy, her thoughts slowed and covered by the grogginess of sleep. 'That's not my wall.' She thought, blinking again as if expecting it to change. A few seconds passed before her memory caught up like lightning to her sleepy mind. Her stomach seemed to sink. Of course that wasn't her wall, because this wasn't her room. It was Ayumu's room.

She was still. A part of her wanted to roll over and see what time it was. She had fell asleep, something that surprised her. She was curious to know exactly how long she had slept. But she couldn't seem to move. Her body felt strangely numb. It wasn't the fear freezing numb that had covered her earlier, though her sleep covered mind almost thought it was. No, this time it was the warm effects of slumber that had her frozen.

It felt strange, lying here under the warm blankets, welling her now warm body to move even a little. It was strange to be here at all. It was strange, when just hours ago they had been running through cold rain. . .

She finally made herself roll over onto her back, turning her head towards the nightstand. She stared at the alarm clock, her drowsy mind taking a few minutes to read the numbers. Three-fifty three. She had been asleep for just over two hours.

She turned head again, staring up at the ceiling. Ayumu had left the light on, an act she was more grateful for then she realized. She traced the varies shadows along the ceiling and upper walls, observing but not really seeing them. She wanted to go back to sleep. She wanted to go back into the recesses of her mind where she didn't have to think, didn't have to relive that in her mind again.

'Stop it. Just stop thinking about it.'

It wasn't as easy as that. She wished it was, but it wasn't. She couldn't keep the events of the day buried. They just kept repeating themselves over and over again in her mind, the some horrendous cycle again and again.

"You-"

Hiyono sat up. She could feel her body trying to shake as a faint echo repeated in her mind. 'Stop it. Just stop it.' She pulled her knees up against her, wrapping her arms around them. Her hand moved over the bandages on her wrist. She felt her breath catch in her throat. The insane urge to escape washed over her, the simple but complex knowledge that a way to stop the nightmare lay right in her grasp returned. She raised her hand in front of her face, staring at the bandage. A faint stain of blood showed against the white binds.

She could rip it off. The cuts couldn't have held yet. There might be a slight scab over them, but it could be easily scratched away. Her fingers moved almost dream like over her wrist, searching for the clip that held the wraps in place. 'You can stop it.' That thought, that knowledge, repeated in her mind just like the images. It was just as bad, just as torturous. And she could. She could stop thinking about it, stop seeing it, stop that face from hovering just beyond her sight, stop it from flashing through her mind when ever she closed her eyes. Her fingers found the clip. She dug her nails under the fold. She could stop all of it so easily, right now

"You can't do this!"

Hiyono jumped at the voice. She snapped her head up and looked towards the door, fully expecting to find Ayumu standing in the doorway. The door was halfway open, but the room was empty except for her. Her hand hovered over her wrist, nails still under the clip edge. It trembled slightly before slowly pulling away, leaving the bandages intact.

"It's not your fault."

Wasn't it though? If she hadn't dropped her cell phone, hadn't went down there. It was cooler in the shade and not as loud. That's way she didn't turn back immediately. That's why she thought she could just wait there for a few minutes.

She should have went back. She shouldn't have stayed there. She shouldn't have turned and went deeper when she heard the noise. . .

She pressed her forehead against her knees, trying to block the thoughts out. How did she ever manage to fall asleep? And how did she manage the majority of said sleep without nightmares? She thought back, desperate for any type of escape from these thoughts. She had been so anxious, so restless. She had buried herself under the blankets, wishing she could do the same to her thoughts. She took a deep breath, trying futilely to calm her thoughts.

She raised her head a little, staring at the blanket in slight wonder. That breath had held the undertone of something, a scent that was as comforting as it was familiar.

That's right. She remembered it now. As she was lying there, half her face covered by the blankets, she found herself calming down. At first, she couldn't figure out why and a part of her didn't care if she never did. She was calming down. For the first time in hours she was starting to relax if even a little. It was only after she had lie there for a few minutes that it finally clicked.

Every time she inhaled she could clearly smell it. A scent, some kind of strange fragrance, covering the blankets. Every time she took a breath she clamed down just a little bit more. By focusing on it she could better push the thoughts away, could better escape the linger terror. She wondered what it was, and then she remembered she was lying in Ayumu's bed.

Which meant that the scent was his.

She had never noticed him having a distinguishing scent before, but she did then. Ayumu's scent seemed soaked into the blankets and something about it calmed her down. And the longer she laid there, the more sleep began to wash over her.

Hiyono buried her nose a little in what blanket covered her knees. She could only pick up traces of his scent now. The clean smell of her hair had started to mix with it, covering it up. She balanced her head on her chin, thinking back to before she fell asleep.

She couldn't say she remembered what happened in the bathroom. It all seemed more like a blur to her. In fact, everything after they where in the alley again seemed strangely dim, half forgotten. As if it had been a dream she couldn't remember, didn't want to remember.

The struggle: all she could clearly remember was the pain in her arm and the desperate need to escape the images. Ayumu's face hovered half formed in her mind. It was hazed over either by the frantic moment or her tears at the time.

'He was worried. . .' A thought whispered, barely heard through her spinning thoughts. She furrowed her brow, thinking further on the words. Even though it was hazy, when she thought back on it he had seemed more… frantic then he would usually be. She pressed her palm against her forehead, trying to remember while wishing to forget everything that had happened.

The only thing that even vaguely stood out was when he hugged her, and that was probably more out of surprise. She lowered her hand, staring at it as she rested it on top of her knees. Yeah, surprise. He had never hugged her before, had never had a reason to. The only time he had ever got that close to her was when he leaned against her shoulder.
She couldn't understand why he did that. Hugging her, staying with her until she stopped crying. It just didn't seem like something he would do. He had said something, she could recall hearing him talk but the words wouldn't form in her mind. Was it important? She couldn't remember. . .

She heard something slide down the wall in the hall, followed by an almost unnoticeable sigh. She turned her head towards the door. She wouldn't have heard it at all if the door wasn't half open.

Ayumu.

She stared at the door for a few minutes, contemplating. She finally unwrapped her arms and pushed the blankets away, swing her legs over the edge of the bed. He had told her to stay in bed, to rest even if she didn't sleep. Sleep. . . It was a nice thought, something she would gladly do if she could. But her body was slowly filling with that restless tension, that fear driven anxiety she just couldn't get free of. She realized she didn't want to be alone, couldn't be alone. If she was she knew she would do something drastic again.

Hiyono stood up. Her legs shook slightly, almost making her fall back on the bed. She grabbed on to the nightstand, balancing herself. It was then that the cooler air outside the blankets hit her. She could feel goose bumps creeping along her skin, making her whole body shiver. When she was sure she wouldn't fall, she let go of he table. She rub her hands up her arms to smooth the bumps with little success. She looked back down at the nightstand, spotting the clothes folded on top of it. Now she remembered. Ayumu had brought them for her to wear. He had left them there just after he talked her in to lying down. Her mind struggle in thought. It was vague, but she was sure he had said something about the clothes right before she cut herself.

She stared at the folded clothes before moving towards them. Almost dreamlike she started to get dressed, pulling the shirt over her head. The dim realization that she had been naked since her shower barely registered in her mind. Maybe if she was actually thinking straight she would have taken that knowledge differently. But she didn't even notice the thought. At the moment she couldn't care less what she had or hadn't been wearing at the time. It was only the sense that came from her near buried consciousness that had her putting the clothes on at all.

She buttoned the pants before finally turning towards the door. The ends of the pants dragged on the floor as she walked, almost tripping her. Later, if she thought of it, she would have to roll the ends up. Right now though she wasn't going to worry about it.

She quietly opened the door the rest of the way, stepping out into the hall. She turned her head, instantly spotting Ayumu on the floor. He was leaning back, his head against the wall and his eyes closed. He had changed his shirt. She could recall the blood stains on the other one and vaguely wondered if they would come out. He was thinking, she could tell even from here. She also noticed how tired he looked. She wondered if he had gotten any sleep himself or if he had been up this whole time.

She wasn't sure how long she stood there watching him. After either seconds or minutes she walked over and sat down beside him. Ayumu snapped his eyes open as she did, sensing more then hearing her movement. He straightened up, turning his head towards her in surprise. He was so lost in thought that he hadn't noticed her until she sat down. 'How long has she been up?' He wondered. She was wearing the clothes he had got for her, so she had been up long enough to get dressed. And how long had she been standing in the hall before sitting down?

Then the thoughts from earlier broke through his surprise. He gave her a serious look, suddenly wondering why she had came out here. "Why are you up?" He asked, watching her face closely. "I told you stay in bed." She was sitting with her legs pulled up against her, her head balanced on top of them while she stared at the floor. Her eyes didn't hold the same blank gaze they did before, but they did look darker. It was still a look he didn't like.

She was quiet for a moment. A part of him worried she wouldn't answer and had slipped back into her silent trance. "I woke up." She finally answered, her voice low and quiet. She didn't say anything more and he translated the continued silence as "And I couldn't fall back to sleep". Ayumu turned his gaze to the wall, staring hard at it. Hiyono glanced at him from the side. He had the strangest expression on his face, almost like he was angry or upset about something.

"A nightmare." He stated more then asked. Her hand found the bandages again and her fingers moved back and forth along the edge.

"No." She answered. Her voice was still quiet. She couldn't seem to talk any louder. "Not…really." She was partly telling the truth. She actually couldn't remember her dream. It had been so twisted and strange that she couldn't have remembered it. But it was something about that twisted strangeness that caused her to wake up.

Ayumu watched her for a minute. Nightmares. . . It was actually something he had worried about. But there was nothing he could about them. He looked back at the wall. Silence started to fill the air again. It was something he didn't like now, silence. He was so use to Hiyono talking to him, trying to engage him in a conversation, that to be with her in silence just didn't feel right. How many times before did he wish she would shut up and be quiet for even just a minute? And now he was wishing just as hard for her to start talking again.

This wasn't something they were just going to be able to walk away from, to push to the back of their minds and forget about. It shouldn't be this hard, there shouldn't be anything wrong. But it was too complex, too involved for it to be simple.

Then he still had continued worry for Hiyono. If she didn't get better, if she continued to stay like this, he knew he would have to get her professional help. He didn't like the thought. He didn't want to draw attention they didn't need. But he wasn't a doctor and there was only so much he could do for her. Maybe it was too soon to think that. But the change in her personality had been so sudden, so drastic… He almost brought his hands to his face and buried it in them. It was just too much to think about right now.

Hiyono could sense more then tell Ayumu was thinking hard. She wondered if he was having as much trouble to think clearly as she was. Even now the memories had been hovering on the edge of her mind, just waiting to assault her. She could feel her stomach knotting up, could feel that dreaded sense of hopelessness creeping up on her. She wanted to pull out her brain and beat the memories out, wanted to do something, anything to make them leave her alone.

'Something. . . Please. . .'

Ayumu sensed Hiyono moving. He didn't look over at her, thinking that maybe she was heading back to bed. He knew he would have to ask, even though he didn't want to. However, he didn't hear or sense her stand up like he expected.

Instead, he felt her head fall against his shoulder.

His body stiffened. He opened his eyes and turned his head, confirming she was really there. He almost jerked out from under her out of reflex, but was stopped when she grabbed his arm. He almost pulled away all the same, but made himself stay still, tense but still.

"Please, Ayumu." She mumbled. Her voice was a little louder now but it just made the exhaustion in her voice clear. "I let you borrow my shoulder once, remember? So please. . .let me borrow yours."

He remembered. With the events before it, it was hard not to. But he had been without sleep for two nights straight that time. Plus, there were no beds at a train station. "Why does it matter?" He asked. He didn't fail to notice that her face seemed to look more relaxed. "If you're still tired you should go back to bed."

"I don't know. . ." She was barely talking over a whisper. "Something about it. . .calms me." She turned her head so she could better inhale his scent. She could already feel the wave of rest wash over her, feel that wonderful escape right in her grasp. She had felt a similar feeling when he hugged her. She didn't know why his scent relaxed her so much. But if he would let her, she would rest like this. Even if it was just for a minute.

Ayumu stared at her, wondering exactly what she meant by that. He really didn't feel comfortable with her leaning against him. But as he watched her he noticed her face was beginning to look calmer, calmer then he ever thought it could be after tonight. It struck him how surprisingly small she suddenly looked. His clothes were bigger on her then he thought they would be. Even with the dim hall light he could see that her skin was still pale and even noticed the dark rings surrounding her eyes. They still looked a little puff and red from crying. Coupled with the varies bruises and her look of fatigue; she looked as defenseless as a young child.

He felt a wave of guilt wash over him. His insides seemed to twist as his conscious reminded him why she couldn't sleep, why she looked like that. He closed his eyes, turning his face back towards the ceiling.

"Just for a few minutes." He mumbled. Hiyono barely heard him. Already she was blocking the memories out, already escaping into the black oblivion of sleep. The wonder of why she felt so calm like this was lost in the waves of slumber. She could think about, worry about it later. She could deal with everything later. Right now she was just going to sleep.

Ayumu opened his eyes. He stared up at the ceiling, light chewing on his tongue. He was more then a little uncomfortable with the currant situation. But his guilt filled conscious wouldn't let him worry about it. He looked down at her. He could tell from the look on her face that she was less anxious then she was earlier. Judging by her slow and even breath he would guess she was about to fall asleep, if she wasn't sleeping already. If sitting like this really did calm her down and helped her rest, then he would let her. She needed to rest more then he did. It might even help her back to her old self.

No, that was naïve thinking. She wouldn't be completely back to herself for a long time. He would wait and see. It was most likely prolonged shock. If she just got some more rest. . .

He looked back up at the ceiling. If sitting like this really did calm her down then he would let her sleep, at least until she was deep enough in sleep that he could move her back to the bed. If either of them stayed like this for too long, it would lead to even more sore muscles then what they had. He didn't know why she wanted to sleep like this. She had mumbled something about it calming her but. . .

He closed his eyes. He could feel his body relaxing, adjusting to the feel of her against him. He still felt uncomfortable with the situation, but even that was starting to fade. He realized his body felt strangely heavy. A familiar warm numbness was spreading through him. He tried to open his eyes, but they wouldn't even lift. it was like weights were attached to them, keeping them down. He could feel himself beginning to drift away, forgetting everything around him. He had thought he wouldn't be able to sleep, not with his mind as busy as it was. But, as he was dimly aware of his head falling to the side, he must have been more tired then he first thought. Try as he might to open his eyes, to stay awake, he knew sleep was inevitable. Slowly his mind began to drift off. . . thinking back. . . remembering. . . Unaware the Hiyono was thinking the same thing as she fell asleep.

XxXxX

The silence was deafening. The instant he was in the alley all other sound were cut off. It was like the building walls were made to block all the noise. Not only that, but it also seemed darker then it should be. If he looked up he could easily see the clear blue sky. The warm spring sun, however, didn't even seem able to reach the alley. It was almost like he had stepped off on to another planet.

Ayumu walked forward, blocking out the silence that pounded in his ears. It didn't take long to came to a turn. He looked around it, finding nobody there as he expected. He stopped, staring up and down the alley. A large dumpster was nearby. The smell of garbage and other decaying debris hung in the air. It didn't look like anyone other then a garbageman would came down here. He turned around, wonder what could have given him the impulse to even came down here.

The air shifted. He stopped. The alley smells changed with the air. For a split second he caught the scent of something different, something strangely familiar. But before he could identify it, it was gone. He turned back around, his mind struggling to place the name of the smell. Nothing came, but he felt his stomach twist as he continued to think about it. It was familiar, horribly familiar. Whatever that momentary scent had been, he had smelt it before. In fact, he was sure he smelt it multiple times.

He stared down the alley for a moment before walking again. He didn't move back towards the busy street sidewalks, like he had intended. He walked past the dumpster, going further down the alley. His footsteps suddenly seemed very loud, as if he was stomping the ground with every step he took. He made himself block the thought out, knowing it was just the effects of the heavy silence.

Blocking out the silence that pounded in his ears, Ayumu walked forward. He planned on going only a short ways, then he would turn back. He doubted Hiyono would be down here anyway. There was no reason for her to come down here, no reason at all. Yet he continued to walk forward. That smell, the twisting in his stomach. Something told him to go, regardless of reason. Something kept him moving forward.

He came to another turn, and he decided it would be the last. If he didn't see anything (and what did he expect to see?) suspicious he was going to head back. If Hiyono was running late too then she was already looking for him.

Ayumu stopped in his tracks as he went around the corner, two figures a good ways in front of him catching his view. So there were people down here. He wondered why for a moment, but as he thought about, it really wasn't so strange. They were probably employees from one of the stores, taking out garbage of slacking on the job. For a minute he just watched them, trying to get a good look at them.

He didn't remember thinking it or even moving. The next thing he knew he was sitting on the ground, hidden behind some near by trashcans. He sat there, frozen in shock at his own behavior. When he saw them, his instincts had jolted. The feeling that he didn't want to be seen spread through him so fast he didn't get a chance to even consider it.

Slowly he looked out from behind the cans. He tried to distinguish the two people, see if he could figure out why his instinct went on red alert. The people in front of him were a good distance away. Because they were so far away it was hard to clearly see them. Adding in the fact that the alley way wasn't that bright and it was getting later by the minute didn't help.

They were standing still, one blocking the other from view. He heard a low mumble of voices, one of them talking, but couldn't even make out the speaker let alone the words. The one was a man, he realized. He could tell from how tall them an was as well as how he was built. The other person was still in front of the man. He only knew there was someone else because he had caught sight of them before hiding.

He suddenly realized how completely foolish he must look, crouched down behind some trashcans as he watched total strangers like they were enemies. Scrowling at himself, he moved to stand up. What the hell was wrong with him today?

Ayumu had almost stood up when the man ahead of him turned. He saw him put something in his pocket, then he bent down slightly as if to pick something up. He realized a second later he was picking something up. He put it over his shoulder. From this distence and with the dim light, his first thought was that it was some kind of sack.

'Sacks don't have hair. . .'

Ayumu froze, almost standing up. An ice cold numbness spreaded throughout his body. He didn't move, his mind already beginning to race. That wasn't a sack, a bag of some form. That was the form of a person, a girl, unconscious for a reason he had yet to know. The man started walking. Her head swayed slightly, the braids of her golden hair hanging around her face. . .

Author's Note: And thus, the plot thickens. For some reason, this chapter was unusually hard for me to both think out and type. Maybe because I'm still, in a way, a beginner and there for have yet to build amazing confidence? Or it was just really hard to type. That could be it.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter and have both the time and kindness to review. It really is amazing how a little bit of feedback can give you inspiration.