Dark Lovebird LXLIGHTFANFICTION

Light

The sun slowly melts into the horizon, and the soft twinkling of fireflies arise from the grass. It's been a long day, that's for sure, but thankfully everyone seems to be content. I glance at Misa's delicate body hobbling beside me, a sense of pleasure on her face. I glance at Ryuzaki and observe his deep breaths taking in the crisp air, eyes closed.

We eventually make our way out from the trail, trudging up the three flights of stairs to the hotel and crashing into our sleeping areas: Misa and I in bed, Ryuzaki on the carpet floor. I pass the Aztec stone along my fingers, then nod off.

...

HCKK ACKK

...

ACK HHK

All of a sudden, my airways start to shrink, and my eyes bulge out of my head. Rancid panic pulses through my blood. Adrenaline fills my body, but I can't move.  I spasm like a short-circuting machine, feeling icy around my lips. When I turn my head, I see foggy blue hands grasp around my throat. I hear a hoarse whisper spear through my ears, saying...

"Find him faster: you're taking too much time. May everyone die if you fail..."

His supernatural fingers dig deeper into my neck crevices, and my vision starts to fizz. I feel every one of those ghostly fingernails cutting into my Adam's apple, as if I was being murder like a pig at the slaughter. 

"You have seven moon rises left. Spend your time wisely, mortal!"

The grip loosens and the veiny hands fade. Sputtering like a frigid car engine, my vision comes back. My eyes fixate on the clock hanging above our hotel room's door.

3:42

Never too late for a shot, I ponder to myself.

I hobble over to our dinet's cabinet. A 47 percenter will do.

*********

"Light!"

Hm?

"Light, are you alright? I smell some vodka on you, and it's stinky."

My eyes creak open to see Misa peering on top of me, her thin fingers pinching my right cheek.

"Hgn??"

"Oh, he's definitely had a rough night: what did you do to him, Misa?" Ryuzaki playfully sticks his tongue out at her and continues dipping his Lipton tea bag into a ceramic mug. I shake myself to get rid of the heebie-jeebies from last night and rest my head on the headboard.

"The Cheif visited me last night and warned me that we're running out of time to find Achak. The lives of many people are threatened by our lack of search."

Ryuzaki completely plunges the bag into the ceramic mug, and sits down next to me on the edge of the bed. He stays silent for a while, resting his chin on his knees, but then turns to me saying, "But, how can we find him if he isn't even a tangible... Thing?"

I shrug. Misa plops next to me and wraps her arms around my torso.

"How about we get some ice cream, you guys? It will provide us with the brain food we need." She adds in timidly.

I shift to face her, smile, and peck her on her bow-like lips. "Definitely not a bad idea... I'm in for it."

"As long as they have green-tea flavored!" remarks Ryuzaki, "you can never separate a tree from its roots."

*********

"Oh my God."

A multitude of policemen crowd around the Canyon Soft Serve Café with their flashy yellow tape in hand. Misa was the first to notice the bodies strewn around the court square. The fountain's water flowed with streaks of red, and the victims on the cobblestone ground were blue of oxygen loss. The contrast of these colors made my eyes hurt, so I was the first one to look away. 

Despite her usual naïveness, Misa commented, "This is the Chief's doing, huh?" Ryuzaki nods her way solemnly and pats her on the back as a way of comfort. The eyes of the victims, men, children, women, were lolling from heavy gravity. They stared at the blue sky, not aware of it. 

"I need to you leave the premises, sir. This is a site for officials only," A burly policeman says to us. I was about to show him my I.D of working for the Japanese Secret Security, but Ryuzaki places my hand down before I do so. Misa gives a look that ques us to start to leave, but before I lead the group off, I see a elderly woman at the corner of my eye.

I raise my eyebrows with recognition, and she quickly waves us over.  When we pace over to her, she takes my head and directs her mouth to my ears. 

"I've found him."

The group and I startle back. We see Misa's engagement ring hanging from her ear lobe like an earring. Misa's nails dig into her palms at the sight, but she's smart not to retort to the pale elder about it. 

"Achak is at the bottom of the canyon from what I have foreseen. Take the Bright Angel Trail to the Indian Garden oasis of the west canyon. It will be a nine mile trek one way. Many unblemished lives are enjoying their stay down there, and pay close attention to the stone I have given you," The woman looked back behind her with worry, "Hurry."

We bow with respect and nod in agreement, it was our time to pack up. 

Just as we turn to leave, I feel the woman's thick, brittle fingers take hold of the sleeve cuff of my white polo shirt. She says something quietly into my ear only audible to me,

 "I took the ring away for a reason."