Chapter
Nineteen: Alone in the Thorns:
Anna shielded
her eyes. There had to be so many thorns surrounding her. Crossing was her only
choice. Anna took a breath. Even without Airi in touch with her, she could tell
this was a spell. Not a strong one, but still.
“Walk through
and find the source,” Anna said to herself. Right. She began her walk through
the thorny trap. Some started to cut her face. Anna tried not to flinch. She had
to end this. At all costs.
“You will not
get me,” Anna said aloud. She quickened her steps. The real thorns cut into her
skin. Some tangled in her hair. They even cut her clothes.
Soon, Anna
wasn’t alone.
She turned when
she heard the giggling. No one in sight. But she heard the footsteps. Anna would
not fall for this. She closed her eyes and focused. The footsteps circled her
ears. Left… Right… Left… Right… Back… Right… Front… Right… Left… Left… Left…
Anna ripped open
her eyes. “There!” She reached out and grabbed a shoulder. The thorns cut
through her skin. Blood covered the brown. Anna’s mind fought through the pain.
A little girl stared at her, frowning.
“Well, well,
well,” Anna said. “Hello there.” The little girl stuck out her tongue.
“Whoa. Rude,
aren’t you?” the woman asked. “Tell we where Asato is.”
“No!” the little
girl said.
“Figures,” Anna
said. “Where is Haruka?”
“Not telling!”
she shouted. The woman frowned.
“Fine,” she
said. “Have it your way.” Anna reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out a
small black stone.
“Wait… What are…
You can’t be…” she said. Anna shoved the stone into the girl’s mouth.
-Hours Earlier-
“Take these,”
Tsuzuki said. Eight little stones sat in his palm.
“What are
these?” Anna asked.
“Magic stones,”
he said. His wife gave him an odd look.
“Seriously?” she
asked.
“It couldn’t
hurt, right?” Tsuzuki asked. “We’re going to need everything we get to end
this.” Anna shrugged.
“Fine,” she
said. “I’ll take it.”
“Thank you,”
Tsuzuki said. He kissed her on the forehead.
-Now-
The little
girl’s body writhed in pain. She could not scream. Her body turned into stone
and broke into dust. The thorns broke into dust as well. Anna breathed out. All
of her cuts were healed.
Suddenly, her
phone rang.
“Hello?” Anna
asked, eyes shifting back and forth.
“Usagi?” she
heard on the other line. Anna froze with wide eyes.
“Asato… -kun?”
she asked. “Asato-kun is that you?”
“You can hear
me?” he asked.
“Yes! Yes! I can
hear you!” she shouted. “Where are you?” The voice came through in static. The
words skipped around and came out choppy.
“Asato-kun?
Hello? Hello?” she asked. The line went dead. Anna stared at her phone. What was
that? Was that really Tsuzuki? Or another trap by Haruka? Anna looked at her
phone. No service.
“Hm…” she said. What was going on?