Chapter Three

Kayo started putting up decorations for Halloween at her house. She lived in a pretty big neighborhood, so she expected to get a lot of tricker treaters. She had a fog maker, skulls, witches, tombstone, cobwebs, and so many other objects. She spent over an hour and a half before Kanji came. By the time they were finished the house looked so spooky that Dracula would be hesitant to go there.

"Kayo, I'll be back in 10minutes, since I need to change into my Reaper costume." Kanji said as he started up the stairs.

"Oh speaking of which, I still need to change into my costume as well," she then followed after him into the house.

They came back out later talking in their costumes. As they chattered, Kanji ended up walking over to a bloody plastic corpse. He picked up a bloody head and started drifting around the yard.

Kayo got the candy in the bowl and put it on the undead butler's tray. Shanna made it look much freakier when they bought it last year. The butler's face was all bloody and cut up along with the rest of its body.

Kayo happened to be a very cute Vampress. She had all of the characteristics of a vampire after feeding. Her costume covered her like a full bathing suit. Except for it's cut into a two-piece or something like that. There was also a see through skirt on her that went down to her feet; she also had a short black skirt over underneath that. She wore hooker boots and had her hair pulled up like girls do at a prom, along with makeup on. Kayo looked stunning.

Shanna parked her car in the parking lot at Freesia Park. She actually primped a little. Shanna was wearing a black hoodie and black pants with hooker boots. As she got out of the car she thought about her options. She could party with every gang member, but then she'll look like a Carmen Lockset, who never stopped. Besides that stuff didn't interest her much. Shanna decided to steal something, like the Mercedes she saw by the Inn. That should do she thought to her self.

She went to the inn and snagged the car in moments, no one would know she was ever there. Hopefully the people didn't love their Mercedes too much, since Shanna would prefer not to be hunted down and sued or something likes that. As she drove off a dog started barking and man was aroused from his slumber. He shushed the dog and fell back asleep not realizing that his Mercedes was on its way back to Freesia Park.

Shanna had just got back to the park 5 minutes ago when she heard a voice calling out to her by the parking lot.

"Well Met, Shanna." Rex said in the traditional way of greeting as he walked toward her casually.

"Well Met, Rex." She hastily replied. "Where's the rest of the gang?"

"Doing what they want tonight." He said calmly when he reached her.

"I've decided to steal something, so I could get into the gang. I refuse to party with the whole set of gang members, since I'm no Carmen Lockset."

"So you aren't a Carmen? Dang I hoped you were, well in any case what 'cha steal then, eh?"

"That red Mercedes over there."

"Not bad, for a beginner. Now let's get on with the scaring already." Rex stated impatiently.

"I thought you'd never ask." Shanna replied.

"Where's Azusa?" Kayo asked Kanji worriedly.

"I don't know, she should have been here by now," Kanji replied equally concerned.

Azusa was supposed to be at the house an hour and a half ago. She would of called if she wasn't coming or was going to be late. Trick or Treat was starting in less than a half hour.

"Hey I'm going to call her. Can I use your phone?" Kayo asked gingerly, since her house phone wasn't working.

"You can use it. It's in my jacket by the armchair." He replied hastily.

Kayo went into the house and turned the radio on so she could put on some Halloween music to listen to. It was on the news and Kayo stopped dead in shock when she heard what was on the news.

Shanna and Rex hit the costume store and stole a trashy Undead Punk and an Undead Street Thug costume. When they changed into the costumes they looked scary. They then stalked and frightened people. They even stole a wallet or two. Rex and Shanna were having the time of their lives. An old woman walked by them one moment and was running the next. Then they saw an ambulance whiz past. Shanna suggested they find out what was going on. Rex agreed. Who knows they might of scared someone to death.

Less than five minutes later, they saw what had happened. Two cars were in pieces and four or five people were pulled out of one car, while firefighters were trying to get a young girl out of another. The four, five people were drunk on some alcohol. Shanna then got a good look at the victim's face. She knew her from school, one of Kayo's friends. Her name was Azusa Bihertah.

Kayo just stood there full of shock. Azusa got into a car accident. She was being transferred to Micah Valley Hospital as soon as they were able to get her out of the car. A band of teenagers from her school were drunk and hit Azusa's car. Kayo blamed herself for talking Azusa into coming over. Kayo cried a plethora of tears. Kanji, upon hearing the news, ran into the house to comfort Kayo.

"She'll be okay, Kayo." Kanji soothed.

"This is all my fault." Kayo wailed miserably. "If I hadn't told her to come, none of this would of have happened."

"It isn't your fault Kayo, nobody could have foreseen this catastrophe." Kanji reassured Kayo the best he could. "Nobody."

Kayo still didn't feel any better. She shouldn't have asked Azusa to help her. If Kayo hadn't asked, Azusa wouldn't be laying down dying. Nothing short could dispel her grief, her guilt.

Chapter Four

"Ooh my god," Shanna gasped in shock. "That's Azusa. I hope Kayo hasn't found out yet."

"Why's that?" Rex asked sincerely, actually upset. He's supposed to be all bronze and no brains. Guess he isn't as brainless as she thought earlier, after all.

"Azusa is one of Kayo's close friends other than myself." Shanna said seriously, all humor from earlier gone away forever. "Kayo would feel like it's all her fault when she had nothing to do with it nor could even stop it for that matter."

"I see." He paced a bit.

"It's kind of my fault." Shanna said quietly, sorrowfully.

"Why in heck would you think that?" Rex replied instantly.

"Well, if I just went over to help Kayo in the first place and not go with you, Azusa wouldn't be hurt." Shanna stated quietly.

"Don't think like that!" Rex burst. "If you didn't come with me, that could have been you, and I couldn't bear that."

"What do you mean, Rex?"

"It means that I actually care for you. Strange under the circumstances that we met, but that's still how it happened. Being with you made me realize that startling fact. I had fun with you, you made me laugh, and nobody could ever do that. You make me feel special. We fought, we fell in love, and god knows what else."

"Ooh, Rex!" Shanna replied tearfully. She embraced him as she said those very words.

"I love you, so much." He reassured her as he patted her back. He then kissed her forehead.

Kayo was depressed; she paced everywhere until she couldn't take it, anymore.

"Kanji I'm going to see her."

"Are you sure? You might not even want to see her depending on her condition."

"Yes I do. Will you drive me?"

"Do I have a choice?"

They released each other and walked closer to the wreak. They could see the accident much clearer than before.

"Those kids who started this mess where definitely drunk. They'll be okay though after they spend a few years in jail, especially if that one girl dies." An officer said to one of the paramedics.

"Poor girl, she was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Chances are that she's going to die, unpleasantly."

Shanna stopped dead. She heard the words she really didn't want nor need to hear. Her hopes shattered. Azusa didn't have a chance after all.

Rex did the unexpected and walked straight up to the paramedic and told him his mind. "Hey you!"

"Huh?" He replied unenthusiastically.

"Shut up about Azusa. She's going to make it, no matter what you say or think. That girl doesn't need you putting her hopes down." He told the guy.

"Hey I'm just facing reality."

"Well reality is that she'll make it."

Azusa was barely conscious in her car. She could hear people shouting in the distance, but she didn't seem to care. Paramedics and Officers where at her car door trying to open it with crowbars and god knows what else. Futile. She felt like a thousand razors where cutting through her relentlessly. But she didn't seem to feel it as bad as before. She felt numb.

"So I guess this is the end of the line for me, eh? And I thought I had so much ahead of me, guess not. Wonder what I'm being punished for? I followed all the rules, did what I could for others. What did I do so wrong to deserve this?" She then broke down and cried. She felt so confused, broken in body and spirit.

She sobbed for sometime. When she stopped she started thinking what had gotten her into this mess in the first place. Kayo had asked her to help with candy and such. She had quickly accepted the offer knowing she had nothing else to do. It was the right thing to do. But as soon as she had accepted she suddenly felt deathly ill. Like her soul was being torn out of her body. Something felt wrong, yet she ignored it. Azusa regretted not listening to herself of all things. She knew something was wrong yet she did nothing. That was as bad as abandoning someone when they needed her most. If she escaped this alive how could she ever forgive herself?

"Mr. Louis." Seiji Corsica bowed in respect. "I have completed the task you asked of me."

"Good, me boy. Condition?"

"Unconscious and trapped with paramedics and the like futilely trying to get in."

"Excellent."

"I have a question sir."

"What is it, Corsica?"

"Why this Azusa girl? There are better targets."

"True, but she is the daughter of Kri Goldman. Kri was a girl whom caused me trouble in the past so I'll get her daughter to return the favor."

"I see. Kri was ruthless in getting what she wanted in every aspect of her life. It has surely hurt your company deeply, sir. At least you now have her only child near death by a supposed drunk driver that you cunningly planned out."

Chapter Five

"Thanks Rex." Shanna said rather kindly.

"No Problem." He replied gently.

A young man walked toward them with soft footfalls. Shanna looked up and tugged at Rex's shirt getting his attention. "Rex." She whispered softly.

"Huh." He looked in the direction she was pointing. A young man somewhere around 30 walked straight towards them.

"Excuse me." He said.

"What is it?" Shanna said an instant later with a small bit of her old attitude.

"We are clearing the area. I'm sorry but you have to leave."

"But I'm friends with the victim." Which wasn't exactly true since it was really Kayo's friend.

"I'm sorry, miss. But I can tell you this much. As what I heard after they get her out of the car she'll be transported to Micah Valley Hospital."

"Thanks." Shanna replied, hiding her bitterness of him for forcing them to leave. Rex started ambling down the street and Shanna was quick to follow with her distaste of going elsewhere.

"Humph, the nerve." Rex said softly as they strolled down the sidewalk. "To Kick us out with a friend in an accident."

"I wouldn't be surprised if it's another cover up." Shanna stated out of nowhere.

"Huh?" Rex was surprised.

"There are many cover ups these days. The Government has gone corrupt." She said rather sadly and quite serious. Her face was pale in comparison to Rex's. "Do you remember when Andre Lavoltas died?"

"Yah, sure. It was all over the news last year. He worked as a diver and I guess his air tube malfunctioned and he soon suffocated and died. Why do you ask?"

"Well what really happened was not an air tube malfunction. They check the air tube and such several times before sending someone off to prevent these things and it was connected to the station. Second the water wasn't very deep. So what really happened?" She stopped walking and stared straight at Rex. "He died when they sent turned the air off in the water and sent poison in its place. He was going to quit, but he knew too much. I know little since he didn't want me in danger of suffering a similar fate."

Rex was shocked. He never really knew much other than what he was told so this was new. Being taught that not all was, as it seems even with a company that has supposedly helped people made his brain go into overload.

"Why Poison?" He asked out of curiosity.

"Like I said the water wasn't very deep so they threw in poison to prevent him from escaping."

"Gee and you'll think people would notice these things. But, then again they claimed that the water went somewhere around 44ft deep and when it malfunctioned he was at 28ft where it was already too late." Rex let out a sigh and gazed down to his hands.

A rustle in the air alarmed Shanna but Rex reassured her it was nothing. A young girl around the age of 16 stared out of her concealment. She was a bit younger than Rex by a two years and one year by Shanna. "Humph," she mumbled. She raised her hand and brushed the long strands of her dusty brown hair out of her eyes. The girl put her hand her pocket and drew out a silver knife. They knew too much and besides she was awful bored.

"Rex I could of sworn I heard something." Shanna said quietly.

"I told you it is nothing." He tried to draw Shanna closer but she pulled away.

The cool night air whispered to her of danger from somewhere nearby. She looked futilely for its source never even given a hint where it was located. Her senses screamed at her at the danger and to run as fast and far as she could from this place. But, Shanna stood her ground.

"Shanna," Rex whispered as he tugged at her clothing. He pointed to a dumpster across from them.

Shanna saw it too, a knife glittering from the lamplight. That's where her unease was coming from she quickly realized. Shanna gasped once she saw it move. "Rex." But her warning was too late as it flung towards them.

Kayo jumped into the passenger seat of Kanji's car. As soon as she was in, Kanji started up the car as fast as he could.

"Hurry." Kayo said impatiently.

"I'm going as fast as I can, Kay. Besides, we'll be lucky if we don't hit traffic." Kanji said with a serious tone, hiding his annoyance although he was worried too.

"We've got to get going, I'm scared." Kayo stated quietly with fear and sadness mixed into her quivering voice.

"I'm scared also, don't forget. But it won't make a whole heck of a difference if we get into a crash of our own with your squabbling. I'm scared too, but you need to get a grip on yourself."

Kayo nodded in agreement. Kayo took a deep breath and realized that she was shivering. Kanji obviously noticed too when he turned up the heat. They were well on their way now. Kayo gazed out the window, mesmerized by the landscape. Kanji decided to take Gihesha Country Road. It was a lovely ride by any means and it should blow some steam off Kayo.