Orochi

*Phoenix*

My quest to find the others is nearly hard to sum up in one chapter. I didn�t start it alone. I had a little help. That itself is hard to explain. But, I�ll try.

First, there are my memories. I have always had trouble with my memory. I would walk into walls that I would forget were there. I�d forget what I was talking about in the middle of a conversation. Same goes for when I leave my house to go out somewhere. I have even crashed my bike into a light pole; all because I forgot it was there. Stuff like that. Now, what was I talking? Oh yeah, help with finding the others.

The story goes like this:

Five days ago, I got a strange text message. I wasn�t familiar with the number. Spam, maybe? I had to see.

�We need to talk. I will meet you at the front gate after school,� it read. I stared at the screen. I wanted to text back, but the bell rang to start classes. I put my cell phone back into my bag. Oh well, I�ll have to see after class.

I tried not to watch the clock during class. That only makes time drag on slower. Tried to focus on something else. No matter how many notes I took that day, my mind kept wandering back to that text. Who sent it to me? What do they want to talk to me about and why?

Three o�clock finally came. I quickly walked outside without looking at anyone. (I felt them staring at me already. I�ll talk about that later.) I finally made it to the front gate. I looked around. At first, there was nobody in sight. I pulled out my phone and read the message. I looked out again. That�s when I saw him.

He was hard to miss. He looked out of place. I had to blink to see if I was dreaming or not. He only stared at me. He looked cold with no soul. His pale skin looked so cold. I wanted to run away, but something about him drew me in closer. Before I knew what happened, we were inches from each other. His dead yet lovely grey eyes made my blood run cold.

�You Phoenix Finch?� he asked.

�Y-Yes,� I said, nodding. �Why?� He kept his eyes trained on me.

�I knew your sister,� he said. My eyes widened at that statement.

�You knew Katie?� I asked. �How?�

�Not here!� he whispered. I blinked at him.

�Where?� I whispered.

�Follow me,� he said. Then, he grabbed me by the hand and dragged me out of the schoolyard. Bad feelings didn�t leave my head.

We came out to the park. He let go of my wrist. I eyed him, confused. Who was this guy?

�I go by the name of Orochi,� he said. My eyes widened at him.

�You can hear my thoughts?� I asked.

�Yes,� he said. �I was a close friend of your sister�s.� My eyes widened.

�No way!� I gasped out. Orochi nodded at me.

�Yes,� he replied. �I met Katie at a house party.� I slowly took it all into my head. I felt myself rising.

�Friend of Katie�s�� I mumbled. Something came over me. I now had a close link to my sister again. Maybe, I could get some answers about her death. I became tough.

�Tell me something, Orochi,� I said. �Do you believe Katie committed suicide?� He didn�t speak.

�Do you want the truth?� he asked.

�Yes,� I said, nodding.

�Very well,� Orochi said. �No. Katie was murdered.�

�I knew it,� I mumbled to myself. That prompted me to ask another question. I walked up to Orochi and turned my back to him. I lowered my blouse from my shoulder. I swallowed as I began to feel cold.

�What is this, exactly?� I asked. Grim silence came at first. I tightly shut my eyes as I felt the number twenty-two burned into my skin. I clenched my teeth tightly.

�When did you get this?� I heard Orochi ask.

�Three days ago,� I answered. �It always burns.�

�Alcloud,� I heard him whisper. I looked up at that word.

�Alcloud?� I asked. �Who is that?� I didn�t get an answer. Instead, I felt him grabbing me from behind. I froze up in a panic. He licked me on the ear lobe. I breathed heavily to relax. What was he doing to me? He leaned in close to my ear from behind.

�I will help you,� Orochi whispered. �Alcloud will kill you if I don�t.� I slowly shut my eyes.

�Not just me,� I said. I felt him freezing.

�Not just you?� he asked. I shook my head.

�Thirty-six others will die with me,� I added. �Next year� on the Fire Festival.� There was a moment of silence.

�And you need to find the others?� he asked.

�Yes,� I said, closing my eyes. He held me closer to him.

�Okay,� Orochi said. �I�ll help you find the others and your sister�s killer.� I opened my eyes quickly.

�You will?� I asked.

�Yes,� Orochi replied. I shut my eyes again. I finally was getting started it on Katie�s, the other victims� and my problems. Yet, it also opened up a confusing maze for all of us. I only wanted to find the truth.