A/N: Well, make sure you tell me what you think. Weirdness warnings please pay attention to the details or you'll be lost. Anyway, enjoy.



Chapter 5: A Call From Before

Akkiko

The light went out suddenly, the candle had been snuffed. Shadow looked up and could make out his shadow. She knew he was somehow going to help her, but how was that possible? He was insane, as Seth had said. "Emily's in trouble, Emily's in trouble." She gasped and turned around, coming once again face to face with him. The voice was now sing song, like a brat teasing a sibling. His eyes flickered at her. "But she wouldn't be if she had stayed at her home, with dear old Stephan!"

Stephan? She had never heard that name. "Do you mean Seth," she asked, taking a tentative step away.

He started to walk foreword smoothly. "Yes, Seth, I suppose he is called that now isn't he? Seth the womanizer, of course, you already know that don't you Emily? And he womanized you."

Finally she got up the courage to step near him. "My name is Shadow. I am not Emily."

His face suddenly looked sad, vulnerable. His body withered to the ground as he looked at her through childish and tear brimmed eyes. "You're not?"

She shook her head as she knelt down next to him. "No, I'm not. I don't know an Emily."

She reached out and caressed the side of his face gently, hoping to calm him, but instead he gripped her wrist and pinned her to the ground, strattling her hips. "Always so naive! You disgust me!" As he looked down at her though his face changed to curiosity. "You know, you always said that I chased you, here's your chance for that Emily..or Shadow."

He let her up and she quickly sprang to her feet, taking off at a dead run into the forest. The key had suddenly gained weight and it pressed on her back like an ominous hand. Then her foot stumbled into water and soon she was wading in a knee deep river. She quickly began to swim but the current was so strong and forceful that she was forced back to the shore. Gasping with already burning lungs, she dashed further up stream and then saw a small post sticking out of the ground. The post was a simple metal rod, but it had a silver keyhole on it. She nodded to herself and ripped the backpack off her back, jamming her hand into it and gripping the key. She shoved it into the hole and twisted it.

The water seemed to slow as a large hill swelled up in it. She walked over to it and peered into it. The 'bridge' was made of water, but she trusted that she could walk across it and so she put one foot foreword and began to slowly walk on the bridge, which didn't seem disturbed by her. When she had reached the other side the bridge returned to the water and the stream screamed back to life.

She glanced around her and saw another post. She inserted the key into it, curious to find out what would happen. He appeared, the man who had been chasing her. He looked calm though, no insanity in him what so ever. "Emily, the others are sleeping right now along with the body. I know you want to know why you are here in our world. You must cure Daniel, understand that he won't kill you; he doesn't have it in him. Please, help him and us discover all the secrets in this land. You'll understand what I mean soon enough. Thank you." He fizzled out of view and she watched him with confusion on her face. Cure? She didn't know how to cure him, she was terrified of him. But she had to, that was her only means of escape.

She turned when she heard the snap of a twig and gasped when she saw his savage eyes staring out at her. "I will snuff your candle!" He lunged foreword, and she tried to duck but couldn't. He soon had her pinned to a tree and all she felt were his lips crushing hers as he savagely kissed her. She struggled, remembering the last kiss. His mouth moved to her ear and his tongue flicked out along her jaw line. "Darkness follows a candles death." His hands encased her shoulders and then she was jerked against the tree. Specks appeared in her vision as she looked around at the fading world. When would it end? She wanted to go home.