1st May 1999 (11.29 am)

I'm really sleepy. I don't get it. I slept most of the day away for the past few days since I met Haruko that night. I guess it's because that during night time, my sleep was distrubed by weird dreams. In the dreams, it was dark, that I remember but I also remember Haruko smiling at me, holding her arms out to me. She was beautiful. Her skin was whiter, pale, but it made her look clean and pure and her lips were rosier. Everytime I run towards her I expect to feel her soft body against mine but instead I feel the hard body of a man's. Funny, I didn't struggle away but I clasped onto the man as if he was an anchor in the dark void. I couldn't see his face but I do see the piercing blue eyes looking at me before the man's head swooped down and I felt soft lips caressing my neck, travelling higher before it stopped at the area behind my jaw. Pain, that's what I felt next and also a rush of emotions that made me feel weak and high at the same time. When I woke up my bedsheet was all tangled up around my body.

Ookasan is worried because I've been spending most of my time in bed lately. That and she said that I look pale. She's afraid that I might have been infected by the disease Haruko had before she died and she insists that I go see a doctor as soon as possible. I don't think there's anything wrong with me. I just feel tired, that's all. But if I don't go, she'll nag at me until I do. I'll go later - but first I wanna go and get some shut eye. G'night...

Eheh.. I mean g'morning.

I think I'm getting a hang on this journal thing.

2nd May 1999 (10.25pm)

I think I met the devil! And he has Haruko in his hold! Poor sweet Haruko!

I was walking back home from my visit to the doctor. The doctor gave me some vitamins by the way but that's not important.

As I was saying I was walking back home after the check-up. It was nearly night time and the street was already dark. I was using a pair of dark glasses because the sun was unusually bright when I stepped out of the house earlier.
I was strolling leisurely, passing by a park where Haruko and I usually go to on nice sunny days when I saw something at the corner of my eyes. I turned around and there was Haruko looking at me with a smile on her face. I was dumbstruck and before I could open my mouth to speak, she turned away. I called out to her and she turned around to beckon me to follow her and I did so without hesitation. I followed her deeper into the park and I had to twist around the increasingly dense tree growth to catch up with her. When she suddenly disappeared behind a huge tree I panicked. I hurried my steps and beyond the tree there was a small clearing. Instead of seeing Haruko, I saw a man.

He had dark hair, unruly but it still managed to shine, reflected by the appearing moonlight - revealing its glossy texture. At the back of my mind I wondered if it feels as smooth as it looked but my attention was riveted by those fox eyes I have dreamt about for days. They were startlingly blue on that pale face and they held me paralysed with its intenseness. He was dressed quite fasionably with a dark blue high-collared shirt under a leather black knee-lengthed jacket and black throusers. I was staring at him and he stared back at me, not moving from his leaning position against a tree.

I was still staring at him when he decided to move, pushing himself away from the tree and took a few steps towards me. That was when I finally spoke but to only utter a single word.

"You..."

"Do you remember me?" he asked. His voice was a bit higher than mine, but it's deepness which vibrated softly in his speech sent small shivers along my body.

I began to stutter, "I...I..."

"Do you remember Haruko?"

"Haruko..." my voice was weak and I felt dazed. I shook my head lightly and when I was able to gather my thoughts I demanded from him, "Where is she?"

He just tilted his head lightly and said, "She's fine."

"Where is she?!" I asked again.

In reply he stepped closer until there was but only an inch of space between us. He suddenly took off my dark glasses and, with his other hand, his smooth and cool fingers touched me at the corner of my lips and grazed slowly across my skin, making a pathway to cross the bridge of my nose. I inhaled sharply in reaction to that gentle touch and what invaded my nostrils was Haruko's scent! That cocoa-butter scent she favoured that I familiarise with her since she was seven.

"She's fine... with me," the man said, his breath a warm flutter against my face, "Can you smell that?" Then he stepped away and I found myself taking shallow breaths, relieved that he has broken our uncomfortably close proximity.

"I want to see her," I told him.

"You can but soon you will not be able to anymore," he said.

I was alarmed, afraid that he might decide to hurt her or take her away to keep her from meeting me again. I asked him why.

"You are not of our kind," he said.

I was confused. Impatiently, he reminded me, "She is already dead, remember?"

Yes, she was dead but I saw her twice and have held her in my arms the first time I met her after the funeral. So that means she's still alive, right? As if he had heard my thoughts he said, "No, she is dead as a human but I gave her a new life."

"What life is that?" I asked.

"A life of the night," he answered.

I did not understand him but to have Haruko taken away from me for the second time was unbearable. He must have seen the despair in my expression because he asked me, "Do you want to join us?"

I was quick to answer, "What do I have to do?"

"Nothing much," he gracefully shrugged, "It's what you have to lose that you need to consider."

"And what is it that I will be losing?" I dared to ask him.

"Your life now. The three things that is of import now will not be so in the new life. Your family, the sun and food."

I was trying to comprehend what he had said but he continued on, "We will be your new family. The sun will be your enemy and you will only need one source of nourishment."

"What? Vegetables? Fish?" I asked.

"Blood," he answered simply.

I stared at him thinking that he must be nuts or that he's some sort of person from an evil cult. In return for my incredulous stare, he peered at me with those fox-eyes.

"You do not believe me," he stated.

I shrugged carelessly, shaking my head. Suddenly he was in front of me, hugging me tight by the waist and before I could even think of struggling, I felt my feet leave the ground. It was then that I realised we were lifting off into the air past the canopy of the park trees and high up into the starless sky. I clung to the man tightly afraid that he would let go and that I will end up being a part of the hard ground when my body lands in a splat.

"You will be able to do more than fly like this. Your strength will tenfold and you will live forever. Now do you believe me?" he said, his voice a hot whisper against my ear.

I nodded frantically burrowing my face against his slender neck and it was not long before I could feel the solid ground under my feet again. When he released me I nearly collapsed but I forced myself to keep steady. No way am I going to humiliate myself further in front of this guy no matter what kind of power he has!

"What is your answer?" he demanded.

"I... I need to think about this," I told him. His eyes narrowed for a moment before he shrugged again, tilting his head as if he doesn't care but I could feel that he was displeased.

"I give you a week. By that time, if you decide to join us, you should have already cleared up any business with your family and I advise you to enjoy the sun as much as you can for it will be your last to revel on it's warmth and splendour."

I kept silent for a moment, taking in what he had said as I tried to compose myself.
"How will I meet you?" I then asked.

"Just call me in your mind and I will come to you," he said.

"What is your name?" I asked him.

"Rukawa Kaede," he said and then he was suddenly gone as if the night fog has swallowed him up.

I'm in my room now and I need to sort this thing up. I know - to follow that man is crazy and I have a feeling that I would lose my soul in the process. But he's got Haruko, dammit, and I would not be able to live peacefully knowing that she might be suffering in his hands!

3rd May 1999 (1.05 am)

I've made up my mind. I'm going to join this man for Haruko's sake. I'm going to get some sleep now and when I wake up I'm going to start making okaasan happy. She has lovingly taken care of me since I was born and the thought of leaving her and never to meet her ever again is difficult...

But I know oniisama will take care of her like he always has.

And I'm also going to enjoy the sun to the fullest.

Damn, I think I lost my dark glasses at the park.


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