Chapter 13: Questions

The full moon, hanging in the odd starry night sky, turned brighter which fashioned the pastures into a peculiar topography of tarnished silver and spaces of partial illumination. An absence of visible light was stretching behind every creature around the dim corners of the place which were silenced as two nocturnal critters landed on a fence, railing the herd of bisons.

Unable to stay still as the familiar creatures bounded over them, their grunts echoed throughout the cold breeze.

"You're scaring the cows, geez!" The woman in white Victorian nightgown, intoned as she landed next to the man who's wearing a white medieval renaissance clothing. Her, black as ebony, hair swayed through her waist as the cold wind brushed against her pale cheeks.

"Pardon me by stating the obvious, however, these ain't cows, my love," Rener, an archdemon, chuckled as he held the hand of his lover. A thin smile curved on the fallen angel's lips as she moved closer to him.

"Do you think it will happen soon?" She whispered. Her voice went softer each word.

"We tried our best to stop it, but even the deities are not powerful enough to alter this world's cruel fate."

Lalyn heaved a deep sigh. "I think this is as far as we can go."

"As we should," Rener nudged his nose. "However, what do you think will happen if—,"

Lalyn placed a finger across his lips to cut him off. "We're no longer allowed to talk about that matter. We gave them choices; they were the once who chose which is which."

Rener carefully held her hand away. "But I think I'm at fault. If I only stopped the one who sees the future then maybe we're still able to change—," he cut himself off when Lalyn shot him a glare.

"Humans, gods, and dark creatures, lives in different worlds for reasons such as this, my love," she intoned.

Rener's lips folded in grimness. "How unfortunate."

***

Oddly, the cool weather from days ago disappeared and Kathleen hated the summer heat. Her sensitive skin exhausts her and the low humidity kept leaving a bitter taste in the back of her throat. She sighed and attempted not to take her frustration out to Christian who has been staring blankly since she came back home last night. When she had gone after Samantha's shadows, she felt like her boyfriend changed, but she's unable to point things out.

Christian only sat on the davenport near the window of their room, laptop resting on his lap. "So? What did you find after days of being gone?" He sighed, flickering a drop of cold sweat off his temples.

It's indeed hot that Kathleen thought of buying an air conditioner after today's schedule. Furrows formed on her forehead as she slowly pulled herself up from the comfort of her bed. Something's really off with her boyfriend, but she doesn't want to probe. Christian didn't feel well within the days of her absence and she's sure he hasn't had any proper sleep.

"Uhm," her lips folded within a split second. "W-We found out that the mayor's daughter was the one writing all of those articles you can read online."

Christian only turned to look at her, no trace of interest. "I see," he replied as though he wanted to end the conversation right away. He didn't even ask how the mayor's daughter came up with the idea of Samantha being held captive in who-knows-where by who-knows-who.

"I'll be leaving after breakfast to meet with Shane's colleagues," Kathleen shrugged—not a big deal, she thought. She was about to jump off the bed when she heard Christian closing his laptop.

"Her vision," he intoned, almost in a whisper that took Kathleen aback. "What did it say exactly?"

Breathing deeply, she forced herself to calm. "How'd you know? Did Scott tell you?"

"That's not important," he replied and she could tell in his voice that it wasn't. "What did her vision say?"

"I won't tell you unless you tell me who told you."

Christian sighed and looked away. "I-It's Scott, who else would?"

"That devil-of-a-man really!" Kathleen scrubbed a hand across her face in annoyance.

She then gave Christian a neutral nod. "As of the moment, she has seen nothing yet, and if she does, according to her, things can still be changed. It depends upon the people involved in her vision."

"Fascinating," Christian tapped his chin. "So, you need her help to find Samantha?"

"Yes."

"How sure are you that she won't betray you just like Scott always do?" Christian's sudden probing felt unreal, she could feel his words digging through the information that she had not shared with him—at least, not just yet.

"It's hard to trust someone these days."

"Even your own boyfriend?"

"Is this what this is about? You not talking to me since last night?"

"Naturally, yes. What would you expect?!" Christian finally snapped. "I can't believe you left me here all alone, Kath! You didn't even reach out and ask if I'm okay. I understand that Samantha's so important to you, but how about me?"

Kathleen's lips thinned into ghastliness. It had occurred to her that the matter will be definitely discussed when she gets home and she was ready for it, but didn't expect it would be a hard thing to answer.

"I'm sorry, I understand where this is coming from, but I want you to stay out of this case," she answered in gloom. "Shane hid her past for numbers of reasons and now, I finally understand why. There are really things that needs to be kept in order to protect them.

Kathleen could almost hear Christian's heartbeats even from a distant, indicating melancholy, yet he didn't say a word. He only stood up, and left the room with his laptop.

"It's better off this way," she thought to herself. At the moment, she wanted a cold, refreshing shower to wash all the negativities off before leaving and meet Theresa and Takumi only, as she's certain she wouldn't last another day with Scott being around.

Christian threw his laptop on the couch in the living area and sat next to it. For the sake of his peace of mind, he considered asking Kathleen about what's happening, but it's either his guts that kept on stopping him from knowing more or the woman that has been standing behind him the entire time.

"I can tell you everything, just tell me to," the voice was so soft, it could make a toddler hush to sleep, but the thought of it being a ghost kept on sending chills into his spines. The same ghost kept on following him which has seem to have taken interest in Samantha's case and not just her—Christian lifted his head to see ghosts which obviously undergone brutal deaths, standing before him with wide grins plastered on their distorted faces—all of them. One of them hovered beside him, bent down and place its rotting mouth beside his ear. "Her actions will put everyone in great danger," it said through fading voice."

Christian could already feel this heartbeat ringing in his ears. He wanted to cry for help, but he can't. He was so scared that if he does, they'd hurt him or Kathleen as they had an agreement—an agreement he didn't have any choice, but to take. Whatever it is, only him and dead knows.

***

Kathleen settled her red purse on her shoulder and wore her not-so-approachable face when she reached their coffee shop. She instantly spotted Theresa sitting near the entrance and waved when she looked at her direction. She was about to hold the door when Takumi had his hand on it first.

"Good morning," he greeted. Something in the tone of his voice drew her brows up and her eyes shifted on the man standing behind him.

"I don't remember inviting you here," Kathleen's eyes narrowed.

"Invitations are needed to buy coffee in your shop?" Tomoya parted his lips to tease her. He used to approach a fair amount of ribbing and good-natured chaff that served Kathleen a good amount of chuckle. Takumi beamed—there really was no other word for it—opened the door and the three made their way towards Theresa's seat.

"So, what's your dream all about last night?" Tomoya asked the moment he sat beside her.

"Visions just don't come in a form of a dream, but I did get something," Theresa said and looked at Kathleen in the eyes. Just for an instant, Kathleen almost had a grasp of what Theresa have in mind. Tomoya glanced at Takumi in perplexity, now being so sure what Theresa would tell will be yet another life-changing one.

"Perhaps," Takumi met Theresa's eyes who seem to be spacing out and then swept his gaze at Kathleen who's sitting next to him. "We should get things going."

Tossing her purse down, Kathleen settled back against the maroon medieval-themed arm chair, eyes pinned on Theresa. "All right, let's hear it."

Theresa moved forward, placed both of her hands on top of the table, fingers intertwined, and then uttered words which froze Tomoya and Takumi at one pace.

"I saw a portal opened—a portal which released the souls of those whom Samantha killed."

Kathleen's body suddenly shook in fear as guilt started to assail her. She knew that part about Samantha and she planned on keeping it a secret to at least gather all the help that she could get to bring her back. She wasn't expecting for Theresa to say it all the way.

"What—," Tomoya paused to lower his voice. "What are you talking about?!" He had to lean closer to Theresa so his voice won't escape their circle.

Murder, that's the least thing Tomoya would expect to hear. He turned towards his cousin who looked surprisingly undisturbed to what Theresa had revealed. Takumi shove his glasses up his nose and let commiseration assuage the fear he could see in Tomoya as he asked, "can I assume that you already have the idea about Samantha's missing patients?"

Feeling his gaze shifted on her, Kathleen looked up to meet Takumi's questioning looks. She could clearly tell that the indirect question is for her, but she decided to shrug it off. After all, those dead people don't concern her—at least that's what she's trying to tell herself.

"Yes. I'm not the kind of person who would dismiss the corroboration of my own eyes," Theresa resonated so much like a screenplay out of an awful soap opera that Takumi chuckled, leaving both Kathleen and Tomoya in awe of what's happening.

Takumi knew; that is what Kathleen is certain of. Who knows what he did to break his curse? Who knows if he's only cooperating for something in return? It doesn't really matter. As long as she could get Samantha back, then she'd let him use her even for his personal reasons.

***

Murder. Christian groaned. First Samantha's abduction, ghosts, and demons, now murder. What's next?

He held his head, resting his back on the soft couch into a more snuggly position. Cross purposes were great that made him think that the story untold would take him forever to understand, so he could help his girlfriend get everything done without her noticing his actions.

"If you really wanna help, perhaps it would be better if you would start from the beginning."

The woman in a white sleeved trapeze dress smiled, "quite."