Madness [ Claire Sequel ]

Chapter 1

Kira's POV

I glared at the street before me. It was raining and, with no hood to protect me, I was soaked.

Justin and Giriko had begun their search for me, and there was no doubt Kid and the others were looking for me, too. Why did I know that? Because I'd seen Death, Soul, and Black Star together.

They were all so close to finding me! I had to get somewhere safe and hide. Perhaps the rain was helping me?

Thunder boomed, shaking the earth around me. I stopped and gasped in surprise, then started forward again when I heard Justin call my name from behind me.

It'd only been a week since I abandoned Justin and Giriko in the bar, but they obviously hadn't wanted me to leave. Because now they were back.

And, because of their calling my name, the other boys knew I was here, too.

"She's here. Justin Law keeps calling her name." Soul's voice stopped me dead in my tracks. His voice was a bit deeper, but it still made my heart beat faster. I was frozen in place, and I wasn't sure why.

I watched as the three boys turned the corner and stopped when they saw me. They were all shocked.

"Kira! Thought you could get away from us, did you?" Giriko asked from the corner behind me.

My freezing had caused me this trouble.

I glanced around, and saw an open alley to my right. All five boys started towards me, and I turned tail and ran into the alley, not sure where it would lead.

Even though it was dark, I still made it over obstacles effortlessly. Tipped trashcans, rotting cardboard boxes, and other, unidentifiable things were all easy to jump over.

The dead end wall, however, was not.

I stopped and gasped, then started scrabbling up the wall. I didn't make it far before I glared up and saw Black Star on the roof of the building I was climbing. "Shit!" I muttered, dropping back down to the ground.

The alley was rather large, and I could've weaved around two people. However, Justin, Giriko, Kid, and Soul were taking up all the space. And they'd all become so tall, the chances of my jumping over them were slim.

So, instead of climbing or panicking, I stood my ground. No one said anything for the longest time, and I was waiting for one of the boys before me to attack me.

Attack? They wouldn't attack me, necessarily. Would they?

"Kira?" Soul whispered. "Do you... Do you know who I am?" I didn't answer at first, but Justin did for me. "She knows who you are. She dreams about you and some others all the time."

Anger bubbled in my blood. How dare he listen to me cry out in the night! I glared at him, and he seemed to shrink into himself. Giriko wasn't having it, though.

"Why'd you run, Kira?" Giriko asked. I shrugged, a smirk on my face. If I answered him, I'd have to answer the others. The weapon frowned, then scowled.

My attention went to Death. He looked relieved to see that I was alright, but he also looked deflated. He looked tired, and older.

I opened my mouth to say something, but large hands grabbed my wrists and pulled them behind me. Immediately, the Madness inside me produced needles along my skin. I jerked and struggled, but I was still completely sane.

With a surge of power I hadn't used since I'd gained the Madness, the needles grew larger. However, because the extent of the power was so strong, I ended up collapsing in exhaustion.