Love Me Again
The Search The Stalker
Withering cold, winter season.
Eraya
This is so beautiful!
A young woman laughed brightly at the lily-white skies, staring up, with her hands stretched in front of her.
Giving snowflakes shelter in her palms, she grew happier than ever.
Snow fascinated her every time.
Her focus was then interrupted, as a four-wheeler screeched down to a halt before her.
She looked back at the white caped hills of Utashinai, the smallest city in Japan by population; and bid her farewell with a big smile; before getting inside the Lexus RS, and letting it drive her away.
Malcom
How was your stay here?
Eraya
I enjoyed every second of being here, Mal. This place is like a small, spacious heaven.
Malcom
Good that you enjoyed. However, did you find any traces?
The smile over her face slowly died with the question.
She didn't have an answer for a while.
Eraya
C'mon! I have just begun. This is only the tenth town I have searched so far...
Malcom smiled and nodded, the car picking up speed once it joined the highway.
Malcom
If anyone can, it's you.
They drove through the snow mountains, completely unaware of something—
or someone.
Someone who followed behind.
Pale, white, and... afloat.
— Who gets who first, again? —
Magical Peace
Eraya
A cinnamon bun with a latte, please.
She smiled, ordering at the café in her next town of Matsumoto.
Malcom had already left her company.
She went over and sat in the table on a wooden platform, putting her leather bag down on it.
Eraya
(Would she be here?)
She murmured, and looked outside from the glass wall beside her.
A view of the street leading to the café, a fairly engaged one with people walking by and again. It seemed it was a popular one, still and quiet, of an ever delicious aroma of coffee beans and bakery.
Eraya
(I can't wait go exploring.)
That's when her thoughts took a turn — she noticed a little boy, not more than six, standing across the street.
A tear scrolled down his full cheek, his lips trembled from trying not to cry.
Kid
(Lips overturning as he fights tears)
Her eyes relax in acknowledgement, and sympathy, noticing noises — harsh and loud, behind him, as she tried to focus, spotting a couple fighting, most probably the child's parents.
She wears a forced smile, before muttering a little something under her breath and twirling her finger in a circle on the table.
A sparkling butterfly with the feathers of ice blue transparency materializes from her open leather bag. She watches with a mischief in her eyes, it flying across the café and outside through the entrance.
It flew over to the little boy, fluttering its gorgeous wings with profound gentleness as it stopped before him, distracting him totally and making his eyes go wide with amusement.
It makes her giggle how he's smiling now, his eyes following the butterfly in excitement who's circling him continuously. It has made his day.
And hers, as she smiles some more, noticing the waiter standing by and staring at her.
He must've been dazzled by the positivity she radiated, and the mind baffling smile.
।।।
Uh, here's your order, miss.
He places it down on her table, and before she would attempt to say a thank you, as if electricity runs through her, and drives her out of stability—
she jumps up in her seat.
She looks around her frantically.
All eyes on her.
She announces in a loud whisper, walking out of her table.
Nervous like a duck, she starts to tip toe toward the table which is occupied by a white-haired.
She can't see their eyes, as stated, because the person is resting her head down on the table's top. Are they sleeping?
Everybody continues to stare at her, as she is not aware of anything but the figure before him. A figure with the color and texture of a hair she has come here searching for.
She doesn't dare to go over the other side and look at their face to confirm.
Neither does she needed to, though, but just in case.
Just in case, she walks across, and bends a little to stare at their face up close.
Pale skin, plump lips, straight nose.
And a familiarity.
And a heap of relief.
Cups of peace.
She sighs, and bursts into a smile, squatting down and almost tearing up as others wonder if she's fine.
Eraya
It's you! (murmurs happily)
“Come Back”
She sat there and adored the white-haired. Even her eyes smiled.
She murmured in awe and nostalgia.
But that word, that name, worked like a summoning spell.
Seiu
(Is she looking at me?)
The white figure could see a girl before it, legs folded as she was squatted on the floor. Being in that position wouldn't make sense otherwise.
Seiu
(Holy hell. She is looking at me...)
The white one had frozen, not even lifting her head up from her elbows.
The only movement she had made was opening her eyes.
And when she talked, she confirmed it.
Seiu
(I'm fucking visible!)
She closed her eyes back again, immediately.
Eraya
(Is she still in her sleep?)
Eraya sighed while the white one did her best to not make a movement, and pretend soundfully slumbering.
Eraya
(I need to wake her up...)
Eraya
(I need to talk to her...)
Seiu
(Please leave already.)
Eraya's gaze never tried to shift from the whiteness, until very, very unfortunately, she heard the kid cry outside.
She covered her nose. She smelled blood. And the cries got louder.
She looked at the white figure one last time, before escaping the cafe, for the child.
Furthermore, she quickly sat down and grabbed the six-year old in a hug, who was sobbing and screaming uncontrollably. She pat her back trying to calm him down.
Eraya
Hush, my baby... it's ok.
Eraya looked ahead at the people that gathered around, gasping and yelping at something.
Someone. Some ones.
Eraya
What the hell... (murmurs)
She could see through. A knife stabbed deep into a Gut, and twisted.
Her eyes squeezed in disgust, as she held the boy tight.
Eraya
It's going to be alright, child.
She consoled him, the ice flake butterfly still fluttered beside him, with her wings drooping now.
Kid
Noo...m-m-mama! My mama! (cries frantically)
Visibly, the kid was scared as much as one in hell would be.
He had seen the worst from his eyes that he could have. He had seen his dear dad attack his treasured mom ruthlessly.
That was the conclusion of their fight?
Eraya couldn't let it be.
She put herself together and picked the little one up in her arms, overseeing how the mother's clothes were dipping in a horrible shade of red, and how her soul was trying to make an escape from the pain, and the body.
Eraya
Close your eyes, kid. Your mama will be fine. (whispers)
She took a deep breath, watching the commotion unfold as people ran out of the café and nearby shops.
The kid cried still, squeezing his eyes of tears, and Eraya's clothes tightly.
She closed her own and prayed(?)
Eraya
(Come back. Come back to me.)
Eraya
(Make a return, don't ever leave...)
The chanting in her head stopped as she opened her eyes suddenly, sensing the culprit make his way out of the crowd and run away.
She attended to a decent man and asked him,
Eraya
Please take care of him for a minute.
।।।
Ah, yes!. (takes hold of him)
Oh my lovely kid, shh!
Then Eraya went ahead, to the woman bleeding on the floor. Nobody stopped her as she grabbed the blood stained hand in her own, closing her eyes and praying again.
Eraya
(Come back. Come back to me.)
Miraculously, the woman's eyeballs moved behind her eyelids.
That's when the ambulance arrived and took her on a stretcher. Eraya went back to the kid.
Eraya
See, mama is going to the hospital. She'll return fine!
Kid
I w-want to go with her! (sobs)
She thought of Seiu inside the cafe, and of losing her.
She smiled at the kid and went with him to the hospital in the ambulance.
Seiu
(The amount of miasma she was releasing...)
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