Chapter Eight: Oleandar:                              

Watari stepped into Anna's room with the test results in his hand. Tatsumi lifted his head with a serious-looking face.

"Well?" he asked. The blonde scientist frowned as he handed him the file.

"It's just as I thought," he replied. Tatsumi opened the file and read the information. He had to look over the paper twice.

"Is this right?" he asked. "How is this even possible?"

"But it is," Watari replied. Tatsumi fought back the uneasiness as he looked at the results again.

"Opium and Persephone's flowers?" he asked. "Shit. No wonder she's like this." Both men looked over at Anna's bed. She laid there with empty, open eyes to the ceiling. The woman had been like that since last night. The nurses didn't get it. Anna's health status came up normal. No diseases, all of her internal organs functioned in top condition, brain activity showed healthy as well. The doctors couldn't understand why Anna was still in a catatonic state. Tatsumi shook his head.

"Couple that with the rape kit results�" he said in a hushed tone. Watari raised an eyebrow at him.

"Rape kit?" he asked.

"Yes," the kagetsukai replied. "They took one to cover all bases."

"And?" the scientist asked. Tatsumi clenched his fists.

"The results came back positive," he said through gritted teeth. "Serious trauma to the walls and entry." Watari winced at those words.

"That would explain how the poison got into her body," he mumbled. He turned to Tatsumi.

"Do they know who?" the scientist asked. Tatsumi shook his head.

"They can't get any trace," he replied. Watari pressed his lips together.

"Just like the poison�" he mumbled again. Suddenly, they heard footsteps enter the hall. Tatsumi and Watari turned to see Hisoka walking towards them. He looked as if he would collapse from lack of sleep from last night. His green eyes looked dulled over with shopping bags underneath. He looked as if he was about to get into tears at any second now. He clutched his phone in his trembling hand.

"Well?" Tatsumi asked. Hisoka shook his head with despair-filled eyes. Tatsumi gritted his teeth. He, Watari, and Hisoka turned to Anna.

"Damn it," Tatsumi mumbled. "Tsuzuki, where are you?" Anna still laid in her catatonic prison as Willow sat asleep from worry through the whole night by her bedside.

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December 15th, 2009.

Close to midnight. Tsuzuki sat in the kitchen of his apartment in the dark. Flames still burned in his eyes.

"That's your plan?" he asked with gritted teeth. "Huh?" The Shinigami hadn't let go of his fuda once this whole time. Satoshi nodded with a poker face.

"That's the thick of it," he concluded. "But, I can't do it alone. That's where you come in, my friend." Tsuzuki clenched his fists.

"But why me?" he asked. "Aside from my relationship with Anna-chan and my body, why me?" Satoshi cleaned under his left thumbnail.

"Oh� Just�" he said. "You'll leave a lasting impression when I do this." Then, the man reached into his gray coat lying on the chair. Tsuzuki clutched his fuda for attack. Satoshi glanced up at him with a small bottle in his hand.

"Easy there," he said. "I only have a little gift for you." The man set the bottle and a baggy down on the table. Tsuzuki glanced at the items before him.

"What are these?" he asked.

"Poppy petals and the juice of Persephone's flowers," the icy man answered. "Both of which I grow myself."

"You garden?" Tsuzuki questioned as if this piece of work of a guest had just asked for a blowjob in a foreign language that he just couldn't grasp. He blinked many times as he waited for an answer.

"Yes, yes," Satoshi answered. "Poppies and Perseph are my specialty."

"And what am I supposed to do with theses?" the shinigami snapped.

"You chew the petals and drink the juice," the guest explained. Tsuzuki gritted his teeth.

"If it's any constellation prize," Satoshi spoke. "You won't feel the effects of either; you're already dead."

"Why should I do this?" Tsuzuki asked.

"You'll see," the angelic devil said. "Just chew the poppy petals. Keep in mind, resistance is not an option in your position." Tsuzuki snorted as he picked up the baggy. He opened it up and emptied the dried red petals in his hand. Satoshi watched him with a smirk as the shinigami chewed and swallowed all of them in one bite. Tsuzuki made a sour face afterwards.

"Open your mouth," the guest said. "I want to see it all truly gone." The shinigami complied. Satoshi gave him a cold smile of satisfaction.

"Good boy," he said. "Now drink up." The shinigami's lips trembled as he struggled to keep his crumbling brave mask together in front of his captor as he picked up the bottle. He opened the lid and took a drink.

"Yuck!" Tsuzuki cried. "Why would you make me do that?" Satoshi fought back a laugh.

"It hides and enhances the opium," he explained. "Best combination in my option." Tsuzuki tried to stomach the bile taste. Satoshi gave him a moment before moving on. Tsuzuki eyed him with washed out sorrow in his eyes.

"Now what?" he asked. The guest licked his hungry lips.

"Wait two days and give the poison to Anna," he instructed.

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December 19th, 2009.

Round two of this sadistic game got under way.