Why Me? *DISCONTINUED*

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Remembrance

I sat there watching Ms. Marie fidgeting with the tea cup in her hand. I was still wondering why she had said that only Lord Death could tell Soul and I anything of true importance about our pasts, about our connection to one another, about our loss of memories - if there was a loss at all.

I thought quietly to myself and gazed at the finely decorated tea cup I was holding. I need to know. Who are we, really?

"Ms. Marie," I quietly called to her, breaking the tense silence permeating the air.

"Wh-wha–?!" Her shaking hands loosened at the unexpected sound of my voice, and the quiet room became filled with the noise of a china tea cup shattering and hot herbal tea splattering across the hard tiled floor.

"Oh no!" She gasped and knelt down to hurriedly pick up the sharp shards.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you like that, Ms. Marie," I said. I walked over to help her and she watched me bend down. I smiled apologetically, but she didn't move for a few moments. Her muscles were somewhat tensed and her lips were stretched in a tight line, as if she was having an inner battle between her mind, and her mouth, and her muscles, all at once. She simply crouched there and watched me sweep and soak up the mess with what used to be a white napkin that had been laying nearby.

After a short time she shook her head, mind seeming to have won the three-way struggle, her eyes perked up to show attention to the situation, and her lips were released from their soldierly salute to move at ease.

"Oh- Um, no. It's quite alright, I'm just feeling a bit jumpy this evening, that's all. Probably because of all the sugar I put in my tea." She laughed nervously.

Soon, once ten white napkins turned to brown sopping messes, and a dust pan was filled with broken china, we both stood up silently and smiled politely at each other; a job well done.

"Maka," she called to me.

"Yes, Ms. Marie?" I answered, a curious look in my eyes. She paused, not say anything, opened her beige painted lips, closed them, and opened them again, allowing a small squeak to came out.

I watched her for a moment, waiting, and I almost repeated myself but she spoke right before I had the chance.

"M-Maka, I hope you and Soul find all the answers you two are looking for and more." She smiled. It was more of a grimace, really, like she was trying hard to suppress something or to keep her nude lips from putting something out in the open that wasn't meant to be heard. I stared, surprised and a bit disappointed that that had been all she wanted to say to me.

"Thank you, Ms. Marie," I replied gratefully. We both stood there in the quiet of the room, both flicking our eyes around periodically as we tried to think of something to say to one another. My mouth opened at last and hearing the slight intake of breath Ms. Marie turned her eyes on me in patient anticipation. But just as I was about to utter a sound the door burst open slamming its frame against the grey wall.

Our heads snapped towards the din and there we saw Soul standing in the open doorway, outlined by the dark hallway behind him, his red eyes looking frantic and confused.

"Soul, what's going on? What's the matte-"

I didn't quite finish my sentence before he walked briskly towards me, grabbed hold of my left arm, and started pulling me from the room and down the lengthy hallway.

"S-Soul?! Soul! Hold on for a moment, will you?! What are you doing – What's going on – Is something wrong?" I tried to wrench free from his firm grip but it was to no avail. His shoes clomped loudly down the dim corridor and halted only for a brief moment to swing open the large metal doors that would lead us back outside.