sweet burden

K. L. Ogden

Sweet Burden

Copyright © 2012 by Kristi L. Ogden

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or

transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or

other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of

the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews

and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Printed in the United States of America

First Printing, 2012

ISBN-13: 978-1469913926 ISBN-10: 1469913925

The events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to persons, living or dead, is coincidental

and not intended by the author.

5

Chapter 1

The alarm screamed in Hitomi’s ear. The repetitive beeps causing her to squeeze her eyes shut and smack the plastic box. She took a deep breath and rolled over toward the wall. Slowly opening her eyes, she stared at the dull blue of her bedroom. The room was dark and the tapping of rain against her window could be heard. There was a deep crack of thunder and she sat up quickly. The room lit up with a bright flash of lightning. It felt as though the storm was hovering right over her house.

There was a light knock on the door and then it creaked open letting in a flood of light from the hallway.

“Hitomi? Are you awake?”

Her mother’s silhouette appeared in the doorway blocking half the light. The outline of Regina Beaumann’s hair was the only thing that made her recognizable. She had long brunette locks, but always kept them gathered in a tight bun on top of her head. Hitomi rubbed her eyes as they began to adjust and noticed her mother had her scrubs on. Her mother worked as a nurse at the local hospital and most of the time pulled double shifts, leaving Hitomi home alone often.

“Yup,” she nodded. “Heading to work or just getting home?”

“Heading. Now get up sleepyhead before you are late again.” She quietly shut the door as there was another crack of thunder so loud the window shook.

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Hitomi fell back onto her pillows dreading pulling back the covers and loathing the idea of another day of high school.

After forcing herself to get up she pulled on her jeans that lay on the floor and rummaged through drawers to find a t-shirt. She slipped on her sneakers and buttoned up a cardigan over a t-shirt depicting a beach resort. She had never been to the beach. Actually, she had never been anywhere outside of Beach Village, Ohio. Hitomi couldn’t help but think when they moved there when she was a baby that Regina thought there was actually supposed to be sand and an ocean. But there wasn’t. There wasn’t anything in Beach Village.

Hitomi secured her long hair into a ponytail and grabbed her backpack as there was a blaring honk from the driveway. Opening the bedroom door she stuck her head out into the hallway.

“Mom! Tell Kerry I will be right out!”

She hurried around the room grabbing keys, wallet and a cell phone. There was another short honk and she realized her mom had probably already left. She ran downstairs and out into the rain. It was cold out. Unseasonably cold and she immediately wished she had grabbed a jacket. Hitomi plopped down into the warm velour of Kerry’s passenger seat quickly pulling the door shut.

“About time Hitomi. We’re going to be late,” Kerry smiled and backed out of the drive. Kerry was her best friend since grade school. She was the lucky one graced with curves, gorgeous blond hair, and rich chocolate eyes. Not to mention a car and a boyfriend. She felt a twinge of jealousy towards her friend. Hitomi was the exact opposite of her, long straight brownish-blond hair that always just hung there and not much in the curve department. She was barely 5’4” and built like a pole. The only thing going for her was the blue of her eyes, which Kerry described as the color of the ocean. There was another twinge of jealousy. Kerry had been to the ocean.

“We’re always late,” Hitomi rolled her eyes and dug through her pack hoping she had remembered everything.

“We are not turning around if you forgot anything,” Kerry laughed, knowing Hitomi too well. “You’re coming with Shane and I tonight, aren’t you?”

Hitomi shrugged. “I haven’t asked my mom yet. So, probably no.” Her mother had always been protective of her. Hitomi chalked it up to the fact she

7

was an only child and her mother had never married, but now she was almost 18 and was beginning to expect a little bit of freedom.

“Oh, c’mon. She has to let you out of the house sometime.”

“Not according to her,” Hitomi sighed and leaned back deep into the seat. She glanced out the window and up into the sky. It was sinister and caused her to shiver. The cold was affecting her more lately, as if the chill was creeping into her body and trying to take over.

Within a few minutes the car pulled into the school lot. They were one of the last cars to pull in forcing them to park near the back with the freshman. Hitomi dug through her pack again searching for an umbrella.

Damn. She had left it by the front door. Kerry was already out of the car hurrying towards the building with her umbrella hovering over her head. Hitomi swung the door open and secured her pack on her shoulder. She hung her head down starting after Kerry as she concentrated on pacing her steps quickly and not the thunderous sky looming overhead.

Once inside, the school lights flickered with promise of a power outage. Hitomi combed her fingers through her ponytail and tried to brush any water from her.

“Ladies, finally,” a deep voice boomed with a laugh. Hitomi glanced up as Kerry practically bounced into the arms of her boyfriend. She turned away from the couple trying to fight off another twinge of jealousy. Shane Noble was as good as boyfriends could get. He was tall and muscular. Hitomi let out a slight huff. Okay, Shane is more like a Scandinavian god. She shook her head and turned back to them forcing a toothless smile. They were quite perfect for each other; blond god and goddess. And there stood Hitomi, plain and alone. The bell rang and they hurried off to their classes.

After school, the weather had decided to calm. Glad that she left a jacket in her gym locker, Hitomi pulled it on and headed for the doors. She walked outside to the clouds releasing a misting of water. Again she shivered. But this time it was from the odd sensation that she was being watched. She felt eyes burning into her skull. Hitomi looked around trying to spot the origin of the creepy feeling. There was no one even looking at her. Most everyone had left for the day, while she had struggled with the lock on her locker.

8

Shrugging it off as paranoia, she practically stepped in front of Shane pulling up in his midnight blue Bronco with Kerry in the front seat. The car let out a squeal from the tires.

“What are you doing Hitomi? Trying to get yourself hurt?” Kerry yelled at her out the open window.

“Sorry, I was just…” What were you exactly doing? “thinking,” Hitomi finished.

“Well, do you want a ride? I’m going to go with Shane, but we can drop you off.” Kerry gave her a warning look to say ‘no’.

“Yah, c’mon,” Shane motioned behind Kerry in the driver’s seat.

Hitomi shook her head. “Nah. I’ll walk. But thanks.” Shane gave a shrug and Kerry mouthed ‘thank you’. “Can you pick me up later though?”

“Are you coming with us?” Kerry beamed.

“Yah. I think I could use a Friday night out. Mom will just have to deal with it.”

“Okay. We’ll see you at nine then,” Shane gave her a wink and they pulled out of the lot.

Hitomi let out a loud sigh and started walking. It really wasn’t a long walk and she decided she could use the time to think. The wind had picked up and she tightened the jacket around her. Her hair whipped around behind her and her fingers started to hurt from the cold. She wanted to kick herself for not taking the ride offered, but she knew that Shane’s parents weren’t home after school and Kerry was eager to get to his house.

A blast of frigid air suddenly swirled around her causing her to stop and shake. Hitomi felt the gaze on her again. Is someone following me? She trembled not wanting to turn around but sensing that someone or something was there. Her heart began to pick up speed. She was starting believe herself to be crazy. She wanted to turn around and prove herself right. But she was also scared she’d prove herself wrong. Rubbing her hands together, Hitomi leaned down and pretended to fix the laces on her shoe. She closed her eyes slowly turning her head and then quickly opened them. She abruptly stood up and turned around.

9

There was no one there. The wind howled and the rain started to pick up again. Satisfied that she was going crazy, she picked up her pace and rushed home.

She passed a few neighborhood stores and hurried through the park. The small white house sat across the park with a perfect view of the slide and swingsets. In the summer she would spend hours in the recreational area taking photos. These days the amount of summer days was growing shorter and shorter. She passed by the bus stop bench and hastily carried herself across the street and up her front steps.

Once inside, Hitomi couldn’t help but peek out through the curtains in the living room out to the street. She glanced up and down both sides, but saw nothing. The rain was falling harder now and she lay down on the couch happy that she was not soaking wet.

Hitomi faintly heard the beeping of her cell phone indicating there was a message. Sitting up in the dark room, she wiped the sleep from her eyes and turned to the clock on the DVD player. 8:30! She scrambled up from the couch catching her toe on the leg of the coffee table.

“Damn it!” she yelled, hobbling over to her back pack on the floor by the door. Three missed calls all from Kerry. She flipped on the light and hit send on her phone, then went up to her room.

“Where have you been? I was getting ready to call the police!” Kerry said with worry in her voice.

“I fell asleep on the couch.” Hitomi stripped off her jeans and started to pick through her closet.

“Are you ready to go?”

“Umm.” Hitomi frowned at her options. “I will be.”

“Wear something tight and black,” Kerry giggled.

“Sure. I did just get back from Whores ‘r Us.”

“Enough sarcasm Hitomi. I’ll bring something for you then. Be there in a bit.” Kerry had hung up and Hitomi closed her phone. She walked over to her vanity and sat down. Pondering why she hadn’t started to fill out a bit, she started to put on a bit of make-up knowing that Kerry would add to it when she got there.

10

“See, it fits perfect,” Kerry said as she lay on Hitomi’s bed moments later.

Hitomi turned in the mirror. “My butt is practically hanging out.” The black pleated mini skirt and black tight t-shirt left more skin uncovered than she was comfortable with. “And my legs are going to freeze.” The fishnet stockings left little to the imagination.

“That’s why I brought you my boots.” Kerry held them out to her and Hitomi slipped them on lacing them up to her knees. The boots easily gave her another inch of height. She looked at herself in the mirror again. “You look great,” Kerry nodded behind her.

“I look like a hooker.”

“Perfect! We’re going to a club, not a library.” Kerry had already painted up Hitomi’s eyes with black eyeliner and mascara; the outfit completed the whole transformation.

Great. I’m a goth-reject. Hitomi shrugged to herself and Kerry pulled her out of the room. She left her mother a note and they were off to Club Scarlet.

“So, I wanted to tell you that Bradley was asking about you today. He’s going to be there tonight,” Kerry said leaning over the back of the passenger seat.

Hitomi tugged at the skirt trying to pull it down a bit and glanced up at her. “Why was he asking about me?”

“He’s got the hots for you. And dressed like that, he won’t be able to keep his hands off you tonight.”

“I don’t like Bradley.” Hitomi continued to struggle with the skirt.

Kerry rolled her eyes. “Give him a chance. He’s nice.”

“Maybe Hitomi doesn’t want a nice guy. Maybe she wants a bad boy,” Shane mused as he gave her a smirk in the rearview mirror.

Hitomi sunk into the backseat bench. “I don’t know what I want,” she said under her breath. The rest of the ride consisted of Shane and Kerry arguing over what to listen to on the radio. Hitomi wanted to tell them about the odd sensation she had been having of being watched, but she knew that Kerry would start going on about something paranormal and Shane would shrug it off as

11

paranoia and then joke that maybe she had a stalker. Needless to say, she kept her mouth shut and listened to their argument over hard rock or club music.

They only had to wait a short time to get into Club Scarlet. Shane seemed to know every important person within a thirty mile radius, and that included the bouncer for Club Scarlet. Hitomi scurried past the overweight tattooed man, holding onto Kerry’s arm. The club was bathed in red and the dance floor was lit up by the occasional flashes of strobe lighting. On the dance floor, Hitomi could only make out various moving shapes clad in fake leather and chains. The light reflected off the black shiny material and the silver glistened every time it flashed. The club smelled like sweat and alcohol and her feet stuck to the floor with every step.

“Pretty cool, huh?” Kerry yelled as they followed Shane to the bar. Hitomi just gave a nod trying not to get lost in the sea of people. Once at the bar Shane handed them each a drink and Hitomi took a sip fully expecting some sort of alcohol, but was surprised to find it just a simple sparkling water with lime. They moved over towards the wall and found an empty red velvet couch near the dance floor. Hitomi yanked on her skirt again as she sat down, careful to keep her knees together. She looked around at all the people feeling incredibly out of place. Her Friday nights were usually spent either doing homework or pouring over photography books.

Hitomi held the straw of her drink in between her teeth when she felt the shiver of someone’s eyes again. People were glancing over at her, but no one was outright staring. Her body shook so hard that her glass fell out of her grip and crashed to the floor.

“You okay Hitomi?” Kerry nudged her with her eyebrows furrowed in concern.

“Yah, yah. Sorry.” Hitomi blinked hard and shook her head. “I’ll be back. Just going to run to the bathroom.” Without waiting for directions from Kerry, Hitomi got up and started pushing through the people still feeling the gaze on her. She was hoping to escape it within the walls of the ladies’ room. She felt panicked and rushed not paying attention to where exactly she was going. The place and lights made her dizzy. Just as she had broken through a large group of people into a somewhat open area, she tripped over someone’s foot. Hitomi quickly put her

12

hands out in front of her to try to soften her fall on the concrete, when she felt an arm around her waist and a hand on her back.

Whoever it was had caught her and she stumbled back upright to reclaim her balance. The boy removed his arm around her and rested his hands on her shoulders.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

Hitomi straightened out non-existing wrinkles in her clothes and nodded. “Yes. Thank you.”

“You should watch where you’re going. If you end up on the floor, you might not get back up,” the boy chuckled.

She shivered again and raised head up to look at the boy who had saved her from another skinned knee. He looked incredibly out of place in the club, dressed in jeans, black t-shirt, and sneakers. His hair was hidden by a grey beanie. Then Hitomi gasped taking a step back from him. His eyes were as crimson as blood.

His hands dropped to his sides. “Maybe you should sit down.”

“Your eyes…” she mumbled and then clasped her hand over her mouth. The music was still loud in the side area and she wasn’t sure if he had heard her. Slowly a grin crept up the left side of his mouth.

“Contacts,” he winked. “You should get back to your friends.”

“Um, yah.” Hitomi felt like a bumbling fool, fidgeting and staring. “Thanks again…” she pressed for a name.

He continued to smirk, “You’re welcome, Hitomi.” He turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Hitomi spun around searching for him but immediately lost sight of him. Her jaw had dropped. How did he know my name? She shuddered again. Maybe he hadn’t said her name. It was very loud and she could have misheard him. She closed her mouth and pushed back through the people back to the couch where Kerry and Shane had been. The couch sat empty, only their drink glasses left as evidence that they had been there. She scanned the dance floor but couldn’t find them. Desperate to find them or the beanie boy she stood up on the couch and

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scanned the crowd. Finally she spotted the bright glow of Shane’s hair during a blast of light. He was over at the bar again, but she didn’t see Kerry.

“Hitomi? What are you doing?” Kerry appeared below her.

“There you are.” Hitomi dropped down to the floor and plopped back down on the couch. Kerry sat down next to her.

“You’re shaking. What happened?”

“I’ve been having these weird feelings that someone is watching me,” Hitomi sighed and went into the entire story of her walk home and the odd boy she met by the restrooms. She still felt like there was some sort of presence around her. Kerry launched into ghost stories just as Hitomi had predicted, stating that a strong paranormal entity must be around her.

Hitomi pushed her hair away from her face and just let Kerry continue to talk. She knew that is wasn’t some ghost following her around. She didn’t believe in ghosts. This was a person. It was a person that followed her and watched her. As Kerry rambled on, Hitomi adjusted her top and glanced at her shoulder. She yanked at the neck of the shirt and saw a red handprint left on her skin. She hadn’t felt burned and it didn’t hurt, but it was definitely a handprint. Ignoring Kerry now, she looked at her other shoulder seeing an identical mark. Her head shot up as she looked for the boy. Is he the one following me?

Hitomi adjusted her shirt, not wanting to share the new revelations with Kerry. The rest of the night, Hitomi searched for the boy. When Bradley had approached her later in the evening, she brushed him off and continued to weave her way in and out of people.

After Shane dropped Hitomi off at home, she rushed up to her room to strip off the goth gear and hide it. She put on her pajamas and then went to the mirror to inspect the handprints more. She gasped when she saw they were gone. She curled up on her bed with her laptop, but couldn’t help but think of the night. The boy’s hands hadn’t felt hot or cold. But she felt herself tremble in his presence. Maybe Kerry was right and he was some sort of spirit following her. She shook her head at the notion.

The sound of the car pulling in the driveway brought Hitomi away from her thoughts. Hitomi put her laptop on the floor and shut off the light only minutes before her mother came in to check on her. She had just arrived home and had no

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idea that Hitomi had even been out. Hitomi pretended to be asleep as her mother closed the door. As soon as the door was closed again, Hitomi leaned over the edge of her bed and grabbed her laptop. Maybe there was something that could explain it on the internet.

15

Chapter 2

The cavern was dark, except for a flicker of light emanating from a single candle. Outside the cavern opening, voices could be heard talking in groups. A figure rested on a makeshift bed, his head leaning against the cool grey rock. Someone pulled back the thick fabric covering the entrance and entered, letting in a stream of yellow and green light. The colors quickly faded as the fabric fell back down.

“There’s a new list,” the short portly figure stated. The small minion fidgeted stroking his white beard that seemed to glow in the darkness.

Slowly the figure on the bed opened his eyes revealing red glowing orbs. Any other features were hidden in shadow. He turned to the minion and motioned for him to come closer. He took apprehensive steps towards the silent figure. Once bedside, the thick paper was snatched from the minion and quickly he dismissed him with a wave of the hand. The small man bowed and scurried out of the room.

The figure stood revealing his lean muscular body. His crimson eyes scanned the list and he let out a yawn. Laying the list next to the candle, he relaxed back against the rock for a nap before heading out for the night.

****

The weekend had passed by with nearly a blink. Hitomi found herself up Monday morning late again. She dressed quickly realizing that she had slept through her alarm and Kerry’s horn honking. Even though her cell phone was

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dead, she threw it in her bag while slipping on her shoes. She rushed downstairs to find a note from her mother reiterating that she would be home late that night and had left early. Hitomi pulled on a jacket and remembered to grab an umbrella.

She practically ran the entire way to school and was surprised to find herself barely late. The first bell rang as she rushed towards the entrance. Not concentrating on her steps, she tripped on a crack splattering to the pavement as her back pack knocked her on the back of her head. Her head and hands scraped across the concrete.

Hitomi winced as she sat up. Holding her fingers to her forehead, she pulled her hand down revealing blood. She brushed the dirt and blood from her hands against her jeans and then noticed the gash in her jeans and her knee. Letting out a defeated sigh, she pulled herself up from the ground and went directly into the bathroom to attempt to fix herself up.

In first period, Hitomi got scolded in front of the class by Mr. Bardall for being late again. When she was finally able to take her seat, Kerry leaned over to her.

“You look like hell,” Kerry smiled.

Hitomi’s lips tightened and she gave Kerry a glance with the undertone of ‘don’t ask.’

“Where were you this morning? I sat outside and honked until your neighbor threatened to call the cops.”

“I couldn’t wake up,” Hitomi mumbled.

“Still being followed by a ghost?” she changed the subject.

“I didn’t really sense anything the rest of the weekend, but I don’t really think it’s a ghost,” Hitomi shrugged.

“Maybe you have a secret admirer,” Kerry raised her eyebrows.

“Ladies, since you are wasting my time, I will waste yours. Detention tonight Ms. Beaumann and Ms. Belden,” Mr. Bardall said loudly. Kerry and Hitomi both sunk down in their seats.

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At lunch time, Hitomi avoided the lunch room and went to the school nurse. She was going to get her cuts cleaned up and bandaged, but upon the nurse’s observation, none of the cuts or scrapes looked to be bad. The nurse even asked her if they had happened over the weekend, instead of just a few hours ago.

After detention, Kerry drove her home and Hitomi sacked out on her bed. She pulled open her school books and started on homework. Later she made dinner and put the leftovers in the refrigerator for her mother, then headed upstairs for a bath. She went into her room and started to undress when she heard a loud bang on the roof above her room. Hitomi grabbed her robe and pulled it on as she turned to the window. Realizing she had forgotten to draw the curtains, she walked over to the window and peered outside. The streets were practically empty. She closed the curtains and started back to the door figuring she had imagined the noise.

Abruptly feeling an overwhelming sensation she was not alone, the hairs on the back of her neck stood and she spun back around. Everything was in its place. There was nothing out of the ordinary. Hitomi shook her head and went to take her bath convinced she was losing her mind.

****

The dark figure paced back and forth on the roof of the white house. Pushing his shaggy black hair from his face, he took a seat and pulled the paper from his pocket. Black lines were drawn across names, only one name visible at the bottom. Hitomi Beaumann.

He stuffed the list back into the pocket of his jeans and lay back on the roof resting his hands behind his head. Staring up at the sky, he waited to hear the girl re-enter her room. The sky was a vicious black and faint cracks of thunder could be heard in the distance. It wasn’t long until a car pulled into the driveway. He sat up in a crouch and watched a woman wearily walk into the house. Leaning over the edge of the roof, the girl’s bedroom light went out.

Waiting until the woman went to bed, he entered the house. Picking locks was something he had become accustomed to. He silently shut the door and crept up the stairs, stopping to examine a few photos. Calculating exactly which door was the girl’s, he carefully twisted the handle and stepped into the room. He was

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immediately filled with her scent and the overload caused him to take a step back. He could taste honey and vanilla pouring from her skin.

He swallowed hard and entered the room. The girl lay silent and motionless in front of him. He took a few steps closer and saw the slow rise and fall of the blankets. A few more steps and he heard the sound of her breathing. He felt himself being drawn towards her as if she had her own gravitational pull. Now standing over her, he couldn’t look away from her. Her golden hair cascaded around her face. She had prominent rosy cheeks and full cherry lips. He knelt down next to her taking in another deep breath of her scent. No one had ever had such a compelling smell to him before.

He continued to watch her sleep as he sat back and rested his chin in his hand. Confusion flooded his mind. He had never been drawn to human before. Without even considering what he was doing, he reached up and meant to brush a wisp of hair away from her face. The second he touched her, he felt a shock of heat burn his fingertip. He pulled his hand away as the heat traveled throughout his entire hand and started up his arm.

The girl let out a small sigh and he rushed from the room.

Arriving back in his cavern, the warmth had moved through his entire body. He sat on the edge of his bed and stared at his hands as they shook. He wasn’t sure what the girl had done to him or what power she possessed. His stomach turned and knotted. He dropped his head into his hands and tightened his fingers in his hair.

His room lit up as someone pulled back the fabric and entered.

“Done already?” a boy asked.

“She did something to me,” his voice waivered and he lifted his head. “Guri, I don’t feel right.”

Guri stepped closer and took off his grey beanie revealing a mass of silver hair. He attempted to smooth out his knotted hair and knelt down in front of him. “Her, who? What happened?”

His chest ached with a raw burning sensation and he couldn’t even bring himself to say her name out loud. “I feel like my insides are ripping in half.”

“What happened?” Guri asked with more demand.

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“All I did was touch her. She was sleeping and I touched her. I couldn’t stop myself.”

He noticed a hint of a smile cross Guri’s mouth, but quickly it was gone. “Just get some sleep. You should be alright. You can take care of her tomorrow.” Guri forced him to lie down.

“But the council? The list?”

“Tomorrow,” Guri repeated. “Get some rest Obsidian.” Guri left the room and Obsidian thought he heard Guri mutter. “You’re going to need it.”

He shook his head and rolled over in his bed. What have you gotten yourself into Obsidian? His insides continued to wage war until it finally subsided and he was able to drift off to sleep.

When he awoke hours later, the girl was the first thing he thought of. He needed to take care of her immediately, but more he just wanted to see her again.

****

“How’d you do on the math test?” Kerry asked as she and Hitomi walked out of school.

“Terrible, I’m sure,” Hitomi sighed rubbing a spot on her forehead that had hurt all day. She had checked in a mirror in the morning and nothing was there, not even a mark. But it felt sore and she had been exhausted all day.

“How could you do terrible? All you do is study,” Kerry nudged her as Hitomi let her gaze drift up to the sky.

The clouds had parted for the day and there was even a slight glimpse of the sun. She smiled as the sun hit her face and she closed her eyes feeling the heat. When she opened her eyes back up, she saw a guy sitting on the ledge of the school roof.

“Kerry.” She looked over at her friend and pointed up. “Do you see…?” Hitomi peered back up and the guy was gone.

“See what?” Kerry tilted her head back.

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“It was nothing. Nevermind. It must just be my imagination,” Hitomi said unconvinced and smiled at Kerry.

“Maybe it was your ghost,” Kerry wrapped her arm around her and gave her a squeeze. “Do you need a ride?”

“Um, no. I think I’ll walk.”

“Call me later,” Kerry kissed her cheek and hurried off into the parking lot.

“Bye,” Hitomi mumbled and sat down on one of the benches outside the entrance. She adjusted her back pack and glanced back up to the top of the building. She swore she saw a guy up there seconds ago. Staring at the roof, she squint her eyes spotting an odd red sparkle. With a blink it was gone. Someone had to be up there and maybe it was the source of her odd feelings lately. But she wasn’t feeling the eeriness from previously.

Not really considering what she might encounter, Hitomi rushed back into the building and started up the steps that accessed the roof. The lock to the roof door had been broken for years, so she knew she would have no trouble once at the top. Her legs burned as she hauled herself up. Once at the top, she swung the door open to the roof and stepped out. Catching her foot on the door’s lip, she tripped and fell to the ground.

Hitomi let out an irritated, “Hmph.” She stood up and dusted herself off, then glanced around. “Hello?” she called out. “Is anyone up here?” She placed her back pack in the doorway just in case the door happened to lock and walked over towards the ledge. “Hello? If you’re up here, show yourself.”

****

Obsidian stood with is arms crossed leaning against the ledge facing the girl. His eyes were wide with shock that she had sensed him. Obviously, she still was unable to see him staring right at her. But she had seen something or sensed something to cause her to come to the roof. Obsidian silently cursed himself for being careless with his invisibility. He brushed his hair from his eyes as she neared him.

“Hello?” she called out again with a sense of defeat.

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He stood perfectly still as she moved beside him, but couldn’t help but let out a slight gasp noticing her sapphire eyes. They reflected the color of the bluest oceans. He closed his eyes as her hair blew in the wind and he inhaled her scent. The ends of her hair whipped in his face and he found himself longing to touch her again.

She leaned against the ledge and looked down. She made a slight hum as if she was confirming a thought in her head. He looked sideways at her as she pulled a cell phone out of her pocket. She gave a dismayed look at the time and turned back around. If Obsidian had been smart, he would have taken the opportunity to move a few inches from her. She came within millimeters of touching him. He wanted her to accidentally touch him. He wanted her to know he was there watching her.

She hurried through the door and it slammed shut. Obsidian let out a sigh and turned around to watch her leave the building below.

****

When Hitomi arrived home, her mother’s car was in the driveway. She was surprised to see her home and she rushed into the house.

“Hitomi, is that you?” Regina called from the kitchen.

“Who else would it be?” Hitomi replied dropping her bag by the front door and walking into the bright kitchen. The room was spacious with a small table for two. The cabinets were painted in a once vivid yellow that had faded over time. The countertops were littered with all the modern day small appliances.

Regina Beaumann stood at the sink munching on something and reading over a letter. She was still dressed in her blue scrub pants and a scrub top depicting numerous pictures of butterflies and flowers. Her brunette hair secured tightly on top of her head, she barely noticed Hitomi walk into the room.

“Mom, what are you doing home?”

“I just came home early.” Regina folded up the letter and turned to her daughter. “How was school?”

“It was just school,” Hitomi replied with a shrug. Although her mother was protective of her, she was never one for prying. There was no reason to worry her mother with the suspicions that someone was following her.

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“So, how about a girls’ night? We can watch a silly movie and eat popcorn,” her mother suggested as she leaned back against the counter and folded her arms. “We hardly spend any time together.”

“I’ve got homework.”

“Okay. After your homework.” A smile spread across her mother’s face.

Not wanting to disappoint her, Hitomi nodded. “Alright.”

Regina moved across the kitchen to Hitomi and planted a kiss on her forehead. “Is everything okay? You seem a little jumpy.”

“I’m fine,” she lied. “I just have a lot of homework to do.”

“Anything I can help you with? I’m pretty good with math,” her mother gave her a nudge.

“English and History?”

Regina laughed, “You’re on your own.” She moved around Hitomi and left the kitchen. Hitomi grabbed a can of soda and went up to her room. Tossing her bag onto the bed, she sat down at her desk and opened her laptop. She really didn’t have any homework for the night. She clicked the icon for the internet and typed ‘ghosts’ into the browser box.

After reading many definitions of ghosts and clicking through dozens of photos of supposed ghosts, Hitomi’s eyes widened as she opened up a website dedicated to ghosts and angels. Angels. Is that what I could be sensing?

She hadn’t realized she had been looking up information for over three hours, until her mother poked her head in the doorway and asked her to run to the store for a few items for dinner. She bookmarked the website and shut her computer.

Hitomi shoved the grocery list into her pocket along with money and started down the sidewalk. The market was only a few blocks away and Hitomi enjoyed the warmer air that was passing through. She glanced up at the sky as it darkened for evening and was surprised to see a few stars. She hadn’t been able to see the stars for weeks.

23

Inside the store, she picked up pasta, chicken, and some sauce. Apparently they had nothing at the house that her mother wanted for dinner. Hitomi picked up a few sweets for dessert and snacks for movie night. After paying, she gathered up the bags and started home. The street was quiet, only a few cars parked on the curb and a man leaning against the outside of the store. She adjusted the bags in her grasp, when she heard steps behind her.

She felt fear again as she stopped. The steps stopped. She glanced behind her and saw the man from outside the store peering at a parked car and fumbling in his jacket apparently looking for his keys. Hitomi let out a deep breath and shook her head, almost laughing at her new paranoia. She started walking again, but the footsteps behind her continued. Her eyes widened as she picked up her pace. Her heart began to pound. She looked around at the empty street and paused. Hitomi’s body tensed as the steps halted. She wasn’t sure if she should scream, but she was convinced that no one would even hear her. She squeezed the bags in her arms and closed her eyes.

“Everything alright honey?” a man’s voice said behind her. Hitomi spun around and faced the man. He was a tall husky man that she was almost sure she could outrun.

“Yah, fine.” She faked a smile and turned back around to another man standing in front of her only a few feet away.

“You sure are pretty,” the shorter lanky man snickered. He rubbed his chin as his mouth curved slyly.

“Just leave me alone,” Hitomi rose her voice, but it still waivered practically announcing her fear.

The man behind her cackled and she heard him coming closer. The man in front of her shook his head. “I’m afraid we just can’t do that love.” He took a step towards her.

Hitomi screamed and pushed the bags towards him. Without waiting to see if they hit him, she took off running. She squeezed between two parked cars and ran across the street. She could hear their thunderous steps trailing her.

“Come back sweetie. We’ll only hurt you a little bit,” the larger man yelled.

“Don’t make promises,” the second man hooted.

24

The thumping of her heart drowned in her ears as her eyes swelled with tears. She couldn’t believe this was actually happening to her. She tried to see how close they were, when she tripped on the curb and landed hard on the sidewalk. She felt the pain shoot up into her hands and she quickly pulled herself up to her feet. Hitomi began running again up the sidewalk, her lungs aching for air. The pounding of the men’s shoes was getting closer and suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Where in the hell is everyone? Hitomi let out another scream as the shorter man pulled her back and muffled her mouth with his hand. He secured his other arm around her tightly as she squirmed to get away.

“It’s no use trying to get away,” the man said pulling her head back against his shoulder. Her nose flared at the smell of whiskey on his breath and she let out a whimper. He tightened his grip more and dragged her back into an alleyway. The stench was horrendous as he pulled her further back into the darkness. She struggled kicking her legs at the strewn trash bags as tears began streaming down her face. The heavier man came into view and walked up to them.

“There’s no need to cry,” he said as his face became visible. He gave her a sinister grin and reached up touching her face. “But I do hope you struggle. That always makes it so much more fun.”

Hitomi’s eyes widened as she tried for another scream, which was still muffled by the other man’s hand. She struggled against the man and tried to kick at the one in front of her.

“Oh, she’ll struggle alright,” the man behind her cackled.

The man in front of her leaned forward, his lips at her ear. “Don’t worry. It’ll only hurt for a minute. You might actually enjoy it.” He rubbed his head against hers and Hitomi let out a squeal. She squeezed her eyes shut as his fingers began fumbling with the buttons on her shirt.

Hitomi couldn’t believe what was happening to her. She felt her shirt being pulled back and her skin exposed, when there was a loud series of thuds.

“Daryl? Daryl?” the man holding her yelled. “What’s going on? Who’s there?” The man let her go and pushed her down into a pile of trash bags. She couldn’t bear to open her eyes as she grasped at the edges of her shirt pulling it

25

across her. She held her shirt closed with one hand and covered her eyes with the other as she sobbed.

She heard the second man yelp, another series of thuds and something that sounded like skin dragging on pavement. Hitomi curled herself into a ball as her entire body shook. She had been released, but she couldn’t bring herself to move.

It was quiet for a few moments until she heard another dull thud and then footsteps approaching her. They stopped beside her, but she couldn’t bring herself to lift her head.

“Please leave me alone,” she whimpered.

“Are you alright?” a voice asked. Hitomi shivered and brought her head up. Through blurry eyes, she glimpsed a hand outstretched to her.

“I’ll be fine,” Hitomi mumbled in between sniffles and shudders while trying to make out who the hand was connected to. She wiped away her tears and saw a boy standing there. He was tall and slender, but his face was hidden in shadows.

“You should get out of this alley,” he pushed his hand closer to her, motioning with his fingers to come with him.

Apprehensively, she stretched her hand out and placed it in his. Instantly her crying ceased and he pulled her up from the ground. Hitomi felt a sense of calm wash over her. She steadied herself on her feet and tightened her grip on her shirt.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” he questioned.

She looked down at herself. She had been terrified, but had not been physically hurt. Her gaze shifted to their hands still clasped together and she nodded. Hitomi lifted her head to see him as he squeezed her hand, but then he quickly let go and turned away from her.

“You should fix your shirt,” he motioned glancing at her, but then turning away again.

“Oh,” Hitomi brought her hand back, feeling embarrassed, and buttoned up her shirt. “Um, thank you for saving me.”

26

“Don’t thank me,” he grumbled and shook his head. “What were you thinking walking around alone?” He sounded angry at her.

“I just…I was just running to the store. Or back from the store, I guess. I’ve done it a million times before…”

“Don’t do it again,” he huffed and completely turned his back on her. He started to walk towards the street. “Go home.”

“Wait,” she hurried after him, stumbling over unseen things at her feet.

He stopped at the beginning of the alleyway, but did not turn. “What?”

“What happened to those two men?” she stepped up behind him. She had the most incredible urge to put his hand on his shoulder and spin him around. From the lights of the street, she could now at least make out his shaggy hair which was as black as the sky on a moonless night.

“Are you really concerned with them?” he turned his face to the side and glanced at her. She was barely able to get a good look at him before he turned forward again. “They won’t bother you again.”

“Um, okay.” Hitomi fidgeted with her shirt making sure it was buttoned. “Thank you again. I’m Hitomi.”

He glanced over his shoulder again, revealing the glow of red eyes. “You’re welcome…Hitomi,” he whispered and rounded the corner disappearing.

Hitomi stood there stunned. His eyes…they were glowing red. Actually, glowing. Her mouth opened and closed, trying to formulate words. She hurried to catch him. “Wait!” she rounded the corner expecting to see him. “What’s your…” The boy was gone- vanished. “…name?” she finished in a whisper. She looked up and down the sidewalk, but no one was there.

After the incident of the evening, she didn’t want to stand around any longer than necessary. Hitomi rushed across the street and gathered up her bags, then hurried all the way home. She arrived home and plopped the bags down onto the counter. Her mother wasn’t anywhere to be seen.

“Mom? Mom?” she called out. When there was no answer she went up to her room, stripped off her clothes and put on her robe. She went into the bathroom and started the shower. She sat down on the edge waiting for the hot

27

water and thought about what had almost happened to her. She thought about what could have happened to her. But she had been saved. He had saved her. She didn’t even know who he was. His hand had been warm and his touch calming. His hair was as black as midnight and his red eyes glowed with fierceness. But not even that scared her from him.

Hitomi shook her head and stepped into the shower. She hadn’t been able to clearly see his face. She wished she had seen his face. Now she needed to see his face.

****

Obsidian peered down at her from the roof as she searched for him below. His chest was rising and falling rapidly from his interaction with her. His fists clenched tightly digging fingernails into his palms. He could still smell Hitomi’s fear in the air and the salt of her tears burned his tongue. He gritted his teeth in pure rage as he gave a sideways glance at the dead bodies of the men next to him.

He was never going to be able to explain his actions to the council and he would pay dearly for the slaying of two humans not on the list. There weren’t many rules to abide by, but sticking to the lists was one of them. Among the few other rules was no fraternizing with humans. Obsidian turned his gaze back to the girl as she hurried down the sidewalk. He looked back at the dead bodies and couldn’t help but smirk. Figuring he’d dispose of them later, he brushed his hair out of his eyes and started following Hitomi. For her, he was willing to break some rules.

Settling himself on the roof above Hitomi’s room, he dropped his head into his hands. He knew he needed to return and report to the council, but he could not bring himself to leave her quite yet. Besides, her name was on his list and he couldn’t return with an incomplete list. If he returned now, there would be even worse consequences. For now, he still had time to figure out what to do.

He watched through the windows as she spent the evening with her mother in the living room and then she went to bed. She hadn’t moved for a few hours, when her mother came into her room and turned off the bedside light. As soon as all the house lights were off, he found himself outside the girl’s bedroom.

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Obsidian could no longer smell fear, but the scent of vanilla and sugary honey wafted from her room. Opening the door silently, he slid into the room and over to her bed. She was curled up in her bed tangled in the covers with her eyes squeezed tightly shut. The serenity was gone from her face. He knelt down next to her and reached out to touch her, but quickly pulled his hand back.

Obsidian had held her hand, but did not feel the same sensation he had felt before. Instead he had felt calmed. He had felt connected to her. He grabbed one of her blankets and pulled it up to cover her shoulders, brushing his fingers against her cheek. He felt the heat of her skin, but still did not feel the scorching that had passed through him previously.

He relaxed back on the floor and then leaned forward bringing his face within inches of hers. He took in a deep breath tasting her scent in his mouth, replacing the taste of salt and tears. Obsidian rested his chin on the edge of the bed and watched her. Every time she would exhale, her breath would tickle his nose. He felt as if it had been a lifetime since he had last slept and he found the rhythm of her breathing slowly made him tired. He fought to keep his eyes open, but gradually fell asleep.

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Chapter 3

She ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Footsteps thundered behind her. She tried to turn, but only saw shadowy figures trailing closely. As she turned forward, there was a bright white light ahead. Her eyes squinted and she stumbled ahead. Sweat fell down the sides of her face. Just as she thought she was about to reach the light, the ground gave out underneath her and she fell into blackness.

She hit a hard surface with a thud. The footsteps were gone and she could see nothing in the darkness. She began to tremble as she raised herself up to her knees. The ground beneath her felt like cold sand. She squished her fingers into the sand and stood up.

“Hello?” she called out. Her voice echoed and she spun around looking for any bit of light or direction on where to go.

“Hitomi?” a voice said.

She turned around again and was met with glowing red eyes.

“You?” she whispered. “Who are you?”

She could see a hand outstretched to her, but his face was shrouded in shadow. Slowly his body came into view. She bit at her bottom lip and put her hand in his. He pulled her from the ground and wrapped his arms around her. She looked up to see his face, but all that was visible were outlines and his eyes.

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His hands smoothed down her hair and just as his face was coming into view, he disappeared. She was left feeling cold and empty.

“Wait!” she screamed as she grasped for his hands unaware of which direction he had gone. She was alone again in the dark. “Please come back!”

“Wait!” Hitomi screamed as she sat straight up in bed. Her eyes fluttered open and adjusted to the dim light as she pushed her hair back from her face. Drenched in sweat, she panted while scanning the room. “It was just a dream,” she whispered as she fell back against her pillows. She rolled over on her side and took in a deep breath trying to calm her racing heart. She couldn’t stop thinking about the black haired boy and his hand outstretched to her. She closed her eyes as the scent of rain and fresh pine filled her and she fell back asleep.

A few hours later, Hitomi woke up to her alarm. She wiped the sleep from her eyes and looked around her room. Something felt different in her room, it smelled different. She inhaled deeply; the fresh rain and pine smell still filled the room. She noticed that her door was ajar. Figuring her mother had looked in; Hitomi shook her head and got out of bed.

Pulling her back pack over her shoulder, she stepped out onto the front steps. It was another sunny day. She tilted her head up drinking in the rays and a smile spread across her face as Kerry’s car turned into the driveway. Kerry honked the horn and Hitomi rolled her eyes. She hurried to the car and hopped in.

“You look happy this morning,” Kerry commented shifting into reverse.

“It’s the sun. It always makes me feel better.” Hitomi rolled down the window. The air smelled of burning leaves and fresh pumpkin. The leaves were turning brilliant shades of red and gold and they were starting to fall to the ground. The wind whipped through the park as they passed by and Hitomi watched as a cluster of leaves danced to the ground. But she didn’t get to see them hit the grass. Her eyes had suddenly focused on a figure relaxed on the bus stop bench.

His legs were stretched out in front of him and crossed at the ankles. His hair was as black as midnight and blew into his eyes. His hands were stuffed into his pockets and his gaze appeared to be staring right at her.

Hitomi quickly looked away and sunk down in the seat. Her stomach twisted as she let a gasp escape her lips.

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“You okay?” Kerry asked.

“Um, yah. I just forgot about some homework.” Hitomi shifted in the seat and peeked back up out the window. They had passed the boy and she looked into the side mirror to get another glimpse of him. His posture had changed. He was sitting forward, knees bent, and feet flat on the ground. His elbows rested on his knees and his eyes were following the car. Something about him seemed familiar. He became smaller in the mirror and all Hitomi wanted to do was turn around and go past him again.

“Did you see that guy?” Hitomi asked.

“A guy?” Kerry raised an eyebrow. “Did you really notice a guy?”

“Yah. He was sitting waiting for the bus. Did you see him?”

“Sorry. I was, ya know, driving.”

“Kerry, you always have a second to notice a hot guy,” Hitomi huffed.

“You just said a guy, not a hot guy?” Kerry adjusted her rearview mirror trying to get a look. “I don’t see anyone.”

“Well, we’re too far away now.”

“Want me to turn around?”

Desperately Hitomi wanted to say ‘yes’, but she shook her head. “We’ll be late.”

All day, Hitomi could only think of the boy on the bench and the boy that saved her. The boys were beginning to mold into one. The black hair, the lean body…Could they be the same? If they were the same guy, why was he outside her house? It could simply just be a coincidence. But the way that his gaze followed her in the car, it made her stomach twist and knot. Perhaps it was just her wishful thinking that she had seen her savior in the daylight. She was upset at herself for not getting a better look at him. His face had been tilted down hiding any features and she didn’t see his glowing red eyes, but she felt his stare.

As school ended, Hitomi decided to walk home in the hopes of the boy possibly getting off at the bus stop. She didn’t divulge anything to Kerry, because that would mean going into the story of her…incident. She wasn’t ready to share

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that yet. Kerry would turn it into some sort of Lifetime movie when she retold the story. Hitomi wasn’t ready to be the center of some dramatic incident.

She walked home quickly with anticipation. She rounded the corner by the flower shop to cut through the park, but decided to take the long way around to purposely get a good look at the bus stop. Hitomi paced herself as the bench came into sight. Instantly she recognized his utterly relaxed body. The black haired boy sat there just as he had that morning.

Hitomi’s eyes widened and she stopped abruptly. Her pulse had quickened and suddenly she wanted to turn around and go through the park.

“He was the only reason you came this way. You better walk past him and get a good look,” she told herself. She tried to compose herself, wiping her sweaty palms on the hips of her jeans and taking a deep breath. Her feet shuffled forward and she rounded the corner to walk right past him. She kept her eyes down, moving closer to him. She was about six feet away from him when his position instantly shifted. His body went rigid and he sat up. She couldn’t bring herself to look directly at him, instead settling on a sideways glance as she hurriedly walked past him.

She rushed across the street and into her house. Shutting the door behind her, she leaned back against it and gasped for air. She hadn’t realized she had been holding her breath. Her body shuddered and Hitomi raced up the stairs to her room.

****

Obsidian sat on the bench eagerly awaiting the girl to come home. He knew she had seen him that morning while in the car. A slight bit of recognition had glinted in her eyes and then she hid. It had taken all his effort not to smile as he thought about it. His body was still stiff from the position he had slept in. Luckily the girl had started to stir very early in the morning waking him and he was able to slip out of the house before she awoke. He couldn’t even imagine how she would have reacted to waking and seeing his face inches from hers. He sighed at the thought.

He needed to know more about this girl. He needed to know why she suddenly had a pull on him. Obsidian found himself wanting to know everything

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about her. His thoughts were far away from the council and the punishment that would eventually be handed down to him. Right now, he needed answers. He needed to know this girl. Hitomi.

And just as if he had beckoned her, Hitomi’s scent wafted through the air. Every muscle in his body tensed and he sat up. He turned his head to view the girl that was becoming his undoing. She was quite beautiful. Her long honey hair trailed down her back bouncing with every step. She had her eyes turned down, like she was refusing to look at him. Obsidian’s mouth went dry as his eyes followed her. Then she looked at him. It was only a brief glance, but she had definitely looked at him. That small peek confirmed that she was as interested in him as he was with her.

Obsidian watched as she rushed to her house and disappeared inside the white building. He quickly took a deep breath as his insides unclenched. He stared at the house wondering what the girl was thinking. Did she feel the connection between them as he did? Was she scared of him? Because he was scared of her. He was frightened of the way she was making him suddenly feel.

“Who are you, Hitomi?” he whispered into the wind, his gazed locked on the window to her room.

****

Hitomi pointed the lens out the window zooming in as much as possible. The lens focused and she realized that he was looking right at her. She ducked down under the windowsill and shook her head at herself.

“He’s the one sitting outside my house,” she told herself, quickly perching herself back up and pointing the lens. He was no longer looking in her direction, but instead looking up at the sky. She took the opportunity to snap a few pictures of him. He was tall and sculpted, from what she could tell, but this was the first time she was getting a decent view of his face. His eyebrows were as dark as his hair with a slight arch. His perfectly symmetrical nose led down to a full set of lips. He had cheek bones and a jaw line that actors and models would have killed for and a slight cleft in his chin.

However, she still could not get a good look at his eyes. She snapped a few more pictures and then suddenly his gaze returned to her. There was a small

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twinkle of red and then his gaze was gone again. She ducked down under the windowsill again, her mouth gaping open.

“Red. His eyes were red,” Hitomi muttered to herself. She wasn’t sure she had snapped a photo at that moment. She needed confirmation of what she saw. Scanning through her photos, she stopped at the last one. The red sparkle was emanating from his eyes.

Hitomi gasped and dropped all the way to the floor. She stared at the photo. The boy had glowing red eyes.

“It’s HIM!” exploded in her head and repeated over and over. Her hands shook and she laid the camera down. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know if she should go thank him or hide in her room. He was obviously following her. She shook her head. He was protecting her.

Hitomi squeezed her eyes shut and chewed on her bottom lip. She fought with herself over what to do, and then she pulled herself back up to the window. Her pulse quickened as she opened her eyes. A sudden intake of breath filled her lungs and she desperately fumbled with the window locks. She threw the window open and stuck her head out peering up and down the street. He was gone!

She pulled her head back inside, but not before knocking the back of it on the window.

“Ouch,” she rubbed her head, but the pain seemed fleeting as she rapidly pulled her memory card from her camera and shoved it into her laptop. She tapped her fingers impatiently on the desk and waited for the memory card to open. She clicked to open the photos and scrolled down to the last ones.

There he sat in all his perfection, staring off into the sky and then staring at her. His eyes were even brighter on the computer screen. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. Something inside her quivered.

Hitomi fell asleep that night on her side still gazing at the beautiful boy that had saved her and made her insides tremble.

****

35

Obsidian slipped into Hitomi’s room that night through the window. He shook his head, upset that she had left it open for anyone to enter. He glanced at her intertwined in her sheets and blankets. He half hoped that she would open her eyes and scream. She should have been afraid of him. He had never met anyone that didn’t instantly feel fear in his presence. If she were afraid of him, she would stay away from him. But he felt it every time she looked at him; she was drawn to him as he was to her.

He pulled his eyes away from her dreamy face, flushed skin, plump mouth, and turned to her computer. His finger barely grazed it when the photo popped up on the screen. Obsidian rubbed his hand over his face and then took the memory card from the machine. He turned back to her saying a silent apology and then damaged the flimsy piece of plastic. He slipped it back in to ensure that it was unreadable. Satisfied with his work, Obsidian moved over to the bed. He sat down on the floor and studied her face.

He knew the situation was not good. He had killed two ‘innocents’ and had not completed his list. As drawn to Hitomi as he was, he knew he should stay away. Not convinced he could stay away from her, he needed to instill fear of him into her. He sat there pondering while relishing her soft features. Obsidian wanted so badly to touch her. He wanted to run his fingers along her silken hair and smooth jaw.

He argued with himself all night; between wanting to keep her away from him and wanting to pull her into his arms.

By the morning, he had decided to try at least one time to make her fearful of him. If it didn’t work, if she still was drawn to him, then he would take things from there.

The blue sedan pulled into the driveway and honked. Obsidian sat on the bench after leaving her room, relaxed and focused. He watched as the girl got into the car after a quick glance his direction. She had a noticeable scowl on her face. She had obviously discovered her memory card damaged, erasing the photos of him. He watched as the car passed him and Hitomi stealing a look at him. He narrowed his eyes at her and sighed as the car continued down the street. He knew a menacing look was not going to be enough to deter the girl.

Groaning, he leaned his head back as the stench of death filled his nose. A figure appeared behind Obsidian.

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“Hello Guri,” Obsidian sighed.

“Hey Obi. What’cha doin’?” Guri hopped over the back of the bench and landed perfectly seated next to him.

Obi closed his eyes as his nostrils twitched at the smell he was beginning to loathe. He desperately wanted the smell of vanilla bean and honey playing about his tongue. “Sitting,” Obi replied with irritation.

“Yah. I see that. Why?” Guri inquired.

“Because there is no need to stand.”

“That’s not what I mean. Why are you hanging out here?”

Obi cleared his throat and turned his head to Guri. He was an unkempt mess. His silver hair protruded from his head in every direction and he noticed a few buttons missing from his shirt. “Guri, why are you here?”

“Who was the girl?” Guri asked, completely ignoring Obsidian’s question.

“No one,” he shook his head.

“Didn’t look like no one. And why was she looking back at you?”

“She can see me,” Obi groaned.

A simple ‘o’ formed on Guri’s lips and Obi turned away from him. That wasn’t exactly the response that he had expected. They sat there in silence for what felt like an eternity until Obi leaned back against the bench. “What do you think they will do to me?” he whispered.

“Nothing good,” Guri shrugged. “I actually came down here because I need to talk to you about something.” Obi did not say anything so Guri continued. “There is something going on. There have been whispers and rumors that the God of Light has returned and possible dissension among the council and judges. Now is not the best time to be going against them Obi.”

“I’m not going against them,” Obsidian protested, then rolled his eyes at himself. “Who am I kidding?”

“Who is that girl?”

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“I don’t know. Shouldn’t you know something about her? You’re the one who marked her.”

“I just do what I’m told,” Guri shrugged. “Unlike some of us.” He gave Obi a nudge. “So, what’s the deal?”

Obsidian tried to pick words wisely. He wasn’t sure how much he could trust Guri, even though he had been one of the few to actually accept Obsidian. He wasn’t even sure he could explain it for Guri to understand. Hell, he hardly understood it himself. Obi shrugged figuring he was already in a heap of trouble.

He started at the beginning. He told Guri about the first time he saw Hitomi. He told how he had touched her and that was when Guri had found him in his cavern shaking with pain. He whispered the story of her being attacked and how he saved her and held her hand. From that day he had not left her; following her to school, sleeping next to her at night, and watching her from a distance. Obi started trying to explain the connection he felt with her and how he felt he couldn’t stay away from her and being around her just simply wasn’t enough. At the end of everything Obi turned to Guri.

“You must think I’m crazy.”

Guri had an odd smirk on his face. “Not really. Maybe there is a reason this girl ended up on your list.” The way that Guri said it made Obi think that possibly Guri knew more than he was saying. He narrowed his eyes at him and Guri turned his face to the sky. “It’s a nice day.”

“Don’t seriously try to change the subject to weather,” Obsidian warned.

“Just making an observation. I’ve never understood the aversion to the sun. It seems pretty nice to me.”

“Guri.”

“So, when are you coming back?”

Obi shrugged. “I don’t know. Have they found out yet?”

“No. But they will soon.” Guri closed his eyes and stretched out as if he was trying to get a tan. “What do you plan on doing? Are you prepared for punishment or are you going to complete the list?” Guri opened one eye peering at Obi.

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“I don’t know.” Obi shifted his entire body towards Guri. “But will you do something for me?”

“What’s that?”

“Will you keep her safe…if I’m not capable?”

“So, you’re opting for punishment?” Guri closed his eye.

Obsidian’s lips mashed together and a slight, “Um hm” came from his throat.

“I’ll do what I can Obi. But you know I can’t promise anything. We can’t know if they will send someone else or not.”

Obi nodded and turned back forward. The entire conversation had just confused him even more as to what he should do considering her. She needed to stay away from him, but would he be able to stay far enough away from her.

“When was the last time you showered?” Guri asked.

“Like you’re one to talk,” Obi crossed his arms and jabbed Guri with his elbow.

“Well, maybe I just won’t give you the bag I brought you,” he teased. Obi just let out an irritated huff and then jabbed him again.

****

The boy had given her the dirtiest look that morning, like he was disgusted with her ogling. Hitomi hadn’t been very stealth with her curiosity. And how could Kerry have completely missed him again? The first thing she tried to do this morning was look at the photos of him again, but somehow her memory card was badly damaged. Any kind of proof of his existence had been erased. Then she got the silly idea that he had done something to it with his eyes. She laughed at herself, but she was upset nonetheless.

She was getting tired of stealing looks at him or secretly taking his picture. She had decided that today was the day she was going to confront him. All she simply wanted to know was his name and she wanted to thank him again. If she got past that, maybe she would continue with other inquiries.

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Hitomi was confused though about the nasty look she received this morning. Maybe he was angry his picture had been taken. Or maybe he tired of her drooling about him. He even infiltrated her dreams. Perhaps he wouldn’t even be on the bench when she arrived home. She instantly frowned at the thought as she walked out of the school building.

“Hey! Hitomi!” someone shouted behind her.

She spun around as Bradley Whitmire jogged towards her. “Hi Bradley,” she forced a grin. Not that Bradley was a bad guy, but he was the quintessential high school jock. He also happened to be one of Shane’s best friends. Kerry had been gushing about Bradley since last Friday, practically planning a double wedding and family vacations with the four of them.

“Need a ride?” he asked.

“No thanks. I’ve been enjoying this bit of rare weather we’ve been having the past few days.”

“Oh, yah. No rain. I think it’s the first time the soccer field has been dry in months,” Bradley nodded, his light brown curls bounced around his head. Hitomi stood there waiting for him to say something else as he rocked back and forth between heel and toe.

“So…” Hitomi started.

“So, the October formal is next weekend. Are you going?”

“I guess,” she shrugged. “I was just going to tagalong with Shane and Kerry.”

“Oh, because I was…”

Hitomi’s phone vibrated in her pocket and she quickly flipped it open. “Hello?...Hello?” There was no answer and she pulled up the number that had called. Unknown. She sighed and closed her phone glancing at the time. It was starting to get to the time that she normally arrived home. “Um, sorry Bradley. I have to go. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

Hitomi rushed down the sidewalk and hurried for her home. More so, she hurried to find out more about her rescuer.

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Today, she decided to cut through the park and come up behind him, if he was even there. She kicked through the fallen leaves and peeked around a tree trunk. She bit at her bottom lip as she saw his statuesque form draped along the bench. She had no idea what she was going to say to him. She had practiced different openings all day, but they either sounded corny or like a stalker.

“I’ll just wing it,” she thought as she stepped out from behind the tree. She moved towards him watching his back. Within a few feet of him, she noticed his body tense. She stopped wondering if he knew she was there.

Hitomi took a deep breath and took the last few steps and moved around the bench. She sat down right beside him, but did not look at him. She could feel his gaze on her as her palms started to sweat. Her bottom lip was beginning to feel raw. Continuing to stare ahead, she watched as a man walking his dog passed. The boy did not take his gaze away from her. When the man and his dog were out of hearing range, she pulled her back pack off and tucked her hair behind her ear. Her heart was beating so hard inside her chest, she wasn’t sure he couldn’t hear it. Wetting her lips she turned to him.

“Are you following me?” Hitomi blurted out.

His eyes widened and then quickly narrowed. He turned forward and relaxed back against the bench. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She instantly recognized his voice, but she couldn’t tear herself away from his eyes. They were deep crimson, or the color of fresh blood. “Who are you?” she tried another question.

“Just a guy waiting for the bus,” he huffed.

“What’s your name?”

“Do you always ask so many questions?” he crossed his arms and glanced at her. As if just remembering the oddity of his eyes, he blinked a few times and turned away again.

“I don’t know. I don’t usually approach people on benches,” she smiled.

“Why start now?” he replied coolly.

She shrugged to herself and turned her entire body towards him. She had definitely imagined her savior to be friendlier. “Are you going to tell me your

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name?” She watched as he swallowed hard and tried to come up with an answer. How was it that she could make him uncomfortable? She continued to smirk. “It’s really not that difficult. You either know your name or you don’t…”

“I know my name,” he cut her off. Sighing, he faced her again and leaned towards her. She pulled back from him and felt as though she could easily topple from the bench. “Obi. My name is Obi.”

Hitomi’s grin widened. “See? That wasn’t so hard.” Hitomi was unable to look away from him. Although he was attempting to be menacing, she wasn’t afraid of him. He had saved her after all.

“Why are you staring at me?”

“Sorry.” She quickly lowered her head. “Your eyes are just…”

“Scary?” he interrupted.

“No.” She withheld a laugh. “Intriguing.”

“They’re contacts,” he added.

“Yah. I know. I’ve seen them before,” she shrugged nonchalantly. “Guys wear them at the clubs all the time. But theirs don’t glow.”

She watched his jaw tighten as he leaned back from her. “What do you want?” Obi crossed his arms.

Suddenly her pulse went into overdrive. She clenched and unclenched her hands. “I, um…” Her nervousness was climbing up her throat. She wasn’t sure how he was going to react to her knowing that it was him that saved her. Furthermore, he seemed to be in an irritable mood due to her presence. However, she barely knew him and this could have been his normal demeanor. But she couldn’t imagine her hero being somewhat of a jerk. Just say it Hitomi! “I just wanted to thank you.” The words tumbled out of her mouth awkwardly.

“For what?” he lifted an eyebrow.

“For saving me the other night. If you hadn’t been there the other night…” she trailed off not completing her thought. Since that night she had pushed everything from her memory except for him.

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Obi’s body shuddered, but he quickly composed himself. “I don’t know what you mean.” His voice was cold and emotionless.

“You know exactly what I mean,” Hitomi said swiftly watching his reaction carefully. He was refusing to look at her now. “What are you? Are you an angel or something?”

For the first time, Obi showed her a definite emotion. He laughed for a few seconds and faced her. The humor dropped from his face. “Are you crazy?”

“Maybe,” she shrugged exasperated. He had seemed humored, but the joy of laughing at her never quite reached his eyes. He was guarded and secretive, causing her to wonder what he exactly was or what had caused him to close off so easily. Her gaze tried to penetrate what was going on in his mind.

Obi shook his head. “Go home Hitomi,” he said sternly.

Hitomi’s mouth straightened into a tight line. “If you don’t know what I’m talking about, then how do you know my name?” A smug look came over her face. She had caught him and he knew it.

“You said your name,” he mumbled.

“No, I didn’t,” she replied without her voice wavering. Obi narrowed his eyes and turned away from her fixating on the other end of the street. Hitomi continued, “The only reason you know my name is because I told you the night you saved me.” She waited for him to respond. She needed acknowledgment that she had found who she was searching for and who she was dreaming of. Seconds ticked by feeling like hours.

“You keep talking about ‘that night’. How many times do I need to say I don’t know what you’re talking about?” Obi replied annoyed.

“But…”

“I said go home and leave me alone,” he said raising his voice. “You’re just a silly little girl.”

Hitomi’s mouth opened and closed like a fish. His manner drastically changed from irritated to infuriated. She leaned back grabbing her bag and scrambled off the bench.

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“I just appreciate what you did for me,” she said quietly.

Obi pivoted back to her and his face seemed to be enraged. She trembled and took a step back from him. Obi moved and within a blink he was standing over her glaring down. His hand grasped around her wrist. “Stop thanking me. Stop appreciating me. Just go away!”

His grip tightened on her skin. Even though she was frightened, she couldn’t help but feel the way the heat from his hand traveled up her arm. His hand was searing and calloused. Peering up at him, her body visibly shook. She pulled her arm away. “Stop trying to scare me away from you!” she shot back. She wasn’t sure what had possessed her to say such a thing, but she was immediately embarrassed and turned running for her house.

Once inside, she slammed the door behind her. Muttering under her breath, not only was she completely mortified, she was frustrated. He was the one sitting outside her house. He was the one possibly following her. He had saved her. But all he seemed to want was to be left alone. “Then why are you always around?” she yelled and stomped her foot. “Call me a silly girl. Well, you’re a stupid boy!” She kicked the door and trudged into the kitchen.

Hitomi mindlessly sifted through the refrigerator, still thinking of Obi. He was obstinate and bigheaded. And now seeing him up close, he was utterly gorgeous. She groaned at herself as she sat down at the table. He was becoming an obsession and she knew it wasn’t good. She just couldn’t accept that he was truly that rude and cold. There had to be some reason that he was pushing her away from him. Just as she rested her chin in her hand, her cell phone beckoned her in the living room.

Pulling the phone out of her bag that she had thrown to the floor when she entered, she flipped it open.

“Hi Kerry. Need help with the math homework?”

Kerry laughed on the other end. “You think I’m doing homework?”

“Sorry. My mind is elsewhere.” Hitomi plopped down on the couch and kicked her feet up onto the coffee table.

“Perhaps on your make believe boyfriend?” she teased.

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“He’s real,” Hitomi protested. “And I talked…” She stopped, knowing that if she finished the sentence it would just turn into her having to relive the entire conversation. Kerry would then tell her that he sounded like a snob and not to waste her time.

“You talked? You going to finish that thought Tomes?”

“Um, I talked to a lady there and asked if she knew him. That’s it.” Hitomi bit her bottom lip at the lie. She seemed to be doing a lot more lying these days and she wasn’t very happy with herself. But she decided to consider it as withholding the truth to save her from drama. “What’s up?” she changed to a cheery disposition.

“Well, don’t be mad at me.”

“Why would I be mad at you? Kerry, what did you do?” Hitomi’s feet hit the floor as she sat straight up.

“It’s about the October Formal. I kind of invited someone to come with us.” She said the words slowly letting them sink into Hitomi one by one.

“You didn’t!”

“He’s got a big crush on you and he was going to ask you himself. But he said you completely blew him off after school today. He looked so depressed. He just kept kicking the soccer ball around.”

“That’s what they do in soccer! Kick a ball! And I highly doubt he was depressed. Kerry, I don’t like Bradley. I mean, not like that. He’s very nice and good-looking, but I’m just not interested in him.”

“Tomes, just give him a chance. You haven’t even really hung out with him. Besides, he’s real.”

“Obi is real!” Hitomi practically shouted back.

“He has a name now?”

“Oh, forget it,” she replied and rolled her eyes. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Yah, at school. Bradley’s going to pick you up so be ready on time.” The line at the other end went dead. She had hung up before Hitomi even had a

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chance to protest. She flipped her phone closed and tossed it onto the table as the front door opened.

Her mother’s weary body entered the house. She tossed her bags onto the floor and pulled the tight bun from her head.

“Hi mom.”

“Oh, sweetie. I didn’t even see you there,” Regina forced a tired smile and sat down next to her. She put her arm around her daughter and kissed her cheek. “How was your day?”

“Alright,” she shrugged as she watched her mother run her free hand through her hair, shaking out the brunette tresses.

“Uh-oh. What happened?”

Hitomi shrugged again. “When you met dad, did you instantly know you liked him?” she changed the subject.

Regina smiled warmly. “Something happen with a boy?”

Not a boy. The boy. “Sort of. So, did you and dad get along immediately?”

Regina let out a laugh and shook her head. “No. I thought he was a complete show-off. He always knew every answer in class. He dressed in the finest clothes. Other girls were constantly around him. I will say, he irritated me.”

“But you fell in love with him anyway?”

“Once I saw past his exterior I found out who he really was. He was a wonderful man.” She gave Hitomi a squeeze and got up from the couch.

Hitomi saw the sadness in her mother’s face. Regina hardly talked about the only man she loved, but when she did, Hitomi could tell that she relived every moment with him inside her head. Hitomi never met her father, for he died only days after her birth. Her mother didn’t even have a photo of him, although she swore that Hitomi looked like him.

“I’m going to go take a long hot bath and we’ll make some dinner,” her mother smiled and disappeared up the steps.

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Hitomi fell back against the couch and her thoughts filled of Obi. He was mysterious and intriguing. Beautiful and dark. Irritating and snotty. She huffed and decided to work on homework to keep her mind occupied with something other than him. It didn’t work. Before dinner, she snuck a peek out the window to see if he was still there. He sat there, elbows rested on his knees, appearing to be deep in thought. His gaze was not directed at her house.

Regina and Hitomi made dinner together and ate in the kitchen. Her mother was telling her stories of the patients at the hospital and laughing. Hitomi made an effort to be entertained, but all she could think about was if he would still be there when she looked outside again.

After dinner, Regina stalked off to her room for much needed sleep and Hitomi cleaned up the kitchen. She put all the leftovers on a plate and started to wrap it up when she thought of Obi sitting on that bench all day. She wondered if he even left while she was at school.

She sighed heavily to herself and grabbed a fork from the drawer. Quietly, she carried the plate out the front door. Sure enough, Obi was still perched motionless on the bench. She shut the door and started across the street. She knew that he was trying to ignore her, but he made it obvious that he had noticed her, for his body went tense again and he made a point to not look in her direction.

Hitomi shook her head slightly aggravated as she sat down next to him, making it a point to sit closer than she had this afternoon.

“Here.” She held the plate out to him with the fork resting on top.

He glanced at her and then at the plate. “What is this for?” Obi asked taking it from her.

“It’s for you to eat. Do you ever eat? You’ve been out here for four hours.”

“You were watching me?” He turned his eyes back up to hers.

Her heart drummed against her chest rapidly and she felt her cheeks flush with pink. She turned away trying to hide her reaction to his gaze. “No! I just noticed…Oh, never mind,” she threw her hands up in despair, accidentally smacking him on the arm. She turned back to him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hit you.”

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“I probably deserved it,” his brows furrowed a bit, possibly confused by her sudden amount of fidgeting.

She marveled at the way his eyes were still noticeably red, even in the darkening of the night. She stared at him and instead of flinching away or trying to hide his eyes, he stared back at her. Her stomach did flips, twists and knots all at the same time. She needed to know who he was.

“Anything else?” he interrupted the silence. “Do you want to hit me again?”

“No,” she replied almost breathlessly. “Why won’t you…”

“Then you should go,” Obi cutoff her question.

Without a word, Hitomi lowered her head and got up from the bench. She

started across the street when she heard him faintly say a ‘thank you’. She wasn’t

sure she was actually supposed to hear it so she kept walking without looking

back.

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Sweet Burden is available at Amazon.com

Sweet Burden Series

Book 2 coming soon!

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K. L. Ogden a.k.a Kristi L. Ogden lives in Ohio with her husband, daughter

and four dogs. She graduated from DePaul University in 2000 with a degree in

Communication and Film. Besides being obsessed with writing, she loves

photography, music, movies and everything Jeep. She is currently working on

Book 2 of the Sweet Burden Series.

Stay updated at http://klogden.blogspot.com or the Sweet Burden Series

page on Facebook.