Silhouettes

Chapter 12 - Certain of Danger

When 8 AM rolled around, Aerith stood up from the island bar and exclaimed, "Alright boys, I want you getting to school early, it will help when you get your Schedules and find people that will help you around."

Roxas went pink and he said abruptly, "That's embarrassing Mum, there is no way in hell that I will go up to any random kid and ask for help, they would probably laugh at me." 

He folded his arms across his chest and looked away.

"We will be fine Mum, honestly, I bet people at school will be nice," Sora sighed. 

He walked to the entrance of the stairs, hauled up his school bag along with Roxas', and went to go kiss his mother goodbye.

Roxas rolled his eyes; his brother was such a suck-up it made him sick. He went to go retrieve his bag from Sora and then tried to run away towards the front door when Aerith reached out and grabbed him.

"No Mum, No!" Roxas gabbled hysterically trying to twist his face away and his mother simply giggled and landed a large kiss on his cheek. "Good luck sweetheart." 

She laughed to herself when Roxas mussed up his mess of golden locks, face red and headed for the door with a brisk pace.

Sora waved to his parents, followed his brother out of the door, and jumped down the front porch steps onto the dirt driveway.

"There's something wrong with those boys," Cloud sighed from beside his Wife as he watched the boys walk towards the forests. "I don't think moving them out here would have helped Aerith, if anything, Roxas has gotten..."

"He'll get better" Aerith replied with a small, adamant smile "Just give him a little time, he is just getting used to the new house is all." 

Cloud rolled his eyes "Enough to be talking to himself Aerith? I know that this place was once a Mental Asylum. Maybe there are Spirits haunting the Halls. I'm not much of a Believer but..."

"There's no such thing as Ghosts," Aerith said turning back to the front door as the boys disappeared "Maybe they're both...'expressing' themselves." 

Cloud sighed "Right, yet it was enough for you to go running for your Rosary Aerith. You always choose to be so oblivious." 

He shook his head, "I have to go to Work Aerith, sooner or later, you will begin to see the problems with the boys."

*****

Roxas walked slightly ahead away from his brother. 

Sora sighed inwardly when he saw Axel dawdling on behind both of them admiring the scenery. His hands were folded on the back of his head and he just strolled along seemingly without a care in the world.

When he reached the sunlight, Sora saw that his skin was so pale it was almost translucent. He saw the black blood pounding under the thin veil of skin and grimaced.

At the back of his conscience, Sora kind of wished that he could have some of his Spirit friends come along with him. 

Roxas, well, his little brother was sort forced into it and Sora couldn't blame him.

Sora walked down the dirt path and into the trees, he frowned when he saw Axel unfurl his hand from behind his head and scratched his ear looking disinterested. His eyes went dark as he searched the trees around them. 

Sora felt a brief thrill of fear spear bolt through him and he quickened his pace to walk besides Roxas. 

"It's ok Sora, he will behave," Roxas muttered to him hiking up his bag, he dug his hands in his pockets pulling out the Ipod Touch. Sora noticed the forlorn look on Axel's face when his brother stuffed the earphones into his ears and cranked the music up.