Chapter Seven: Foreshadow:
Days before the mess�
Charlotte sat in Watari's lab waiting while he ran more
tests on her. Forty minutes in, she began to doze off.
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Smoke drowned the air.
Charlotte coughed as she opened her eyes. A chill raced up her spine. Her eyes
scanned the surrounding darkness.
Where� am I? What is this?
Her ears caught pounding
club music. Charlotte turned her attention forward and saw a small cluster of
brightly colored lights flashed. Curious, she followed the color. With each
step, the vibration of the music increased around her. She ran ahead to ward off
the rising pain the head. Charlotte had to back away from the smoke. She coughed
and fanned it away.
"Crap!" she wailed. "What
the hell?!" The hostess looked up, squinting. It looked like a house party when
the smoke cleared. Colored haze drowned out the scenery while pounding music
filled the air. Charlotte looked everywhere. Never had she felt so old before.
Why am I here?
She felt rather cramped in� wherever this
place was. The kids, in their teen years, looked rather goth. She had never seen
so much black and pale before in her life. In fact, these kids didn't seem to
notice her. Charlotte looked around for someone to see her.
"Hello?" she asked. "Hello?
Can somebody help me out here?" The club music drowned out her voice. One
partier bumped into her, nearly knocking her over. Charlotte stumbled to catch
her balance.
"Hey!" she screamed.
"Excuse you!" The hostess lost sight of the kid who bumped into her. Having
enough, Charlotte wandered the packed party room. The smoke did a number on her
lungs and eyes as she tried to fight it off.
"Damn it!" she yelled.
"What the hell?!" She happened to turn around when something caught her eye. A
girl about sixteen with long, straight blonde hair stood before her. Like the
other kids in the room, she too wore all black. Her pale skin and dark red eyes
reminded Charlotte of a vampire. The girl turned and walked over to a stuffy
green couch. A young man sat on it, staring out in a daze. His green eyes looked
so empty. His blonde hair and skin looked so dull. The girl walked over and sat
on the boy's lap. Charlotte squinted for a better look.
Hey wait,
she thought. I've seen him before. The
pale girl's legs came on either side of the boy. She leaned in and kissed him on
the lips. The boy didn't even respond. Her kisses kept coming. Charlotte
couldn't grasp what she was seeing. Why was she witnessing all of this? Who was
this girl and why was the guy like that in his state?
The girl pushed
the boy down on the couch and kissed him again. She looked up and mouthed
something at Charlotte. The hostess squinted her eyes to read the girl's lips.
"Dumb ass�" the girl
mouthed.
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"Moore-san?" someone asked. Charlotte jerked herself
awake and looked around.
"Yes?" she asked. The woman looked forward to see Watari
just inches in front of her, waving.
"Hi," he said. "Had a nice nap?"
"Yeah�" she said, nodding slowly. Watari started up the
test and Charlotte sat there with unease.
"Watari-san?" she spoke up. The doctor lifted his head.
"Yes?" he asked. The woman shifted in her seat.
"How is everyone here?" she asked. Watari raised an
eyebrow.
"Fine," he said. "Why do you ask?" The woman shook her
head.
"It's nothing," she said. Watari shrugged.
"Okay�� he said. Somehow, that sinking feeling wouldn't leave.