Earthbound: Right at Home [Complete]

Chapter 28: The Missing Link

You two didn't see the strange man for the rest of the day, which was a good thing, something you didn't really mind.

You two were able to enjoy the mall like normal children, as if everything was alright. Ness started to slowly loosen up and relax as the threat seemed to have go away, which meant not following your every move and keeping a close eye on you.

You didn't mind it of course, with Ness being the stronger phsycic he would be the first to pick things up. Basically he  being your voluntary body guard for the day, one whom was probably willing to put his life on the line just for your safty alone.

Something he has already proven to do...

You wince at the memory.

Ness who wasn't to far away, noticed the grimiced look on your face.

"Hey, you alright?"

You blinked, coming back to reality.

"Yeah, I'm fine." You lie, feeling your face frown.

"You don't look 'fine'." He says, doing the quote on quote motion.

You let out a heavy sigh.

"I just... don't want to see you get hurt. I mean, yeah you're the hero with an awesome set of powers and all that, doesn't exactaly make you.... well invincible."

"I'm aware of that."  He says simply... almost too causally, not even stuttering over his words.

"I mean... what if something goes completly wrong and I go missing and you go back to the hospital again... or worse?"

"Would it make you feel better if I said I know exactly who we're going up against?"

You twiddled with your fingers. "Who, exactly?"

Ness paused for effect.

"The Sharks."

You blinked, a memory hitting you like a brick wall.

"There a gang that caused alot of trouble around Onett, the main reason why a lot of people moved over to Towson simply to get away from them. I don't blame those  people, they practically rule my neighborhood."

You cringe, everything coming back to you in a rush. You eyes widdened as nothing but fear swelled your chest. Oh, that knife... you knew it belonged to them, more specifically, there leader. Who knew those two little words would be the key to unlocking everything...

"Ness, I remember..." You say, quietly with your mouth going dry.

He blinked.

"I remember everything..."

Cold and snowy, in the middle of winter...

You and Ness were walking home from school, snow was falling so quickly that it was getting harder and harder to see by the second. Winds were beginning to blow, the snow feeling like ice pellets against your face.

You liked it if course, in fact liked it to much. You skiped around in the snow as it clumped together around your soaking wet socks.

Ness hated it.

"I could teleport you home if you want."

You turned towards Ness and simply shook your head.

"Teleporting makes me sick, besides I like it out here!"

You simply ran ahead. Ness , being the smaller child, wasn't able to keep up through the thick layers of snow.

Thinking that he was behind you, you simply kept going, giggling without a care in the world.

Untill you realized he wasn't.

"Ness?" You called out, waiting for a reply.

Nothing.

"Ness?!"

You call out once more, but your voice was swept away by the winds.

Confused, and now alittle afraid, you kept walking, finding yourself in a forest.

Panicked, you ran through the forest, unaware that you were  getting farther and farther away from home.

You trip over something, a large branch that was hidden underneath the snow.

"Ouch!" You call out, rubbing your leg in pain before standing up letting the snow fall to the ground.

Where the heck am I? You thought to your self, looking around the empty forest.

Suddenly, you felt someone grab your mouth. A thick black glove pressing tighter and tighter against your face, preventing you from breathing. On the corner of your eye, you see a knife, one with a thick blade...

Your eyes slowly closed, making your world turn black.

You woke up screaming.

You could feel the entire store look over at you as Ness flinched and backed a little away. You hid your hands behind your face, as Ness grabed your shoulders, trying to figure out what the heck was going on. Instictivly you pushed him away, not out of anger, but out of fear. It was purly accidental.

You run away from Ness, only leaving him to chase after you. You bump into several people in the mall, but part of you only wanted to get away.

You could hear Ness trying to reach you telepatihically. He must've gotten caught in the middle of a large crowd in the mall. Not wanting to trip over people like you did, he stoped. Maybe trying to catch up with you later.

'What's wrong? Can you please slow down?'

But you didn't. You were on the other side of the mall.

'The Sharks, they're still here. Come back.'

Too late.

There he was again, that same man.

A man with a black mask.

You saw him approach you.

Instictivly you back up.

Bump!

You back up into another one, who grabs you by the mouth.

Game over.