Ayumi (c)
Epilogue
By Fiction Writer #13
(paranormal, magic)

"For the last time, lady, I can't turn on the lights.  If I do, every 
damned person in this city will be on us."

"Don't you think the sound of this bucket's engine is doing just that?"

The older man behind the wheel of the blue Chevy gnashed his 
teeth. "Do I need to remind you the reason why my engine is making 
all that noise?"

The attractive redhead in the passenger seat rolled her green eyes. 
"Oh, like it was my fault you drove through that... whatever it was."

"It was a spell breaker ward, and it was put there to stop me from 
saving your ass.  Luckily I had some upgrades installed, or else we'd 
all have been devil dog chow."

"You didn't save my ass, we were doing just fine."

"Yeah," he chuckled, "it sure looked that way."

"Will you two knock it off?" A third passenger, another woman seated 
in the back, this one a brunette with a decidedly motherly appearance 
about her, shouted over their bickering. "You've been going at it for 
over an hour.  Shouldn't we be concentrating on getting back to the 
others?"

"Not yet," the man grumbled. "Not until I find the preacher."

"Jesus, Nick." The redhead slouched low into her seat. "Enough with 
this preacher shit.  We've driven everywhere.  He's not here.  Give it 
up."

Nick remained silent, his eyes straining to see the dark road ahead.  
He'd been scouring the city for three days, but he wasn't giving up 
yet, the tattoos that covered his body wouldn't let him.  They'd been 
itching like crazy ever since he turned onto this stretch of road, 
something they hadn't done all night.

Giving up on waiting for the gruff man to answer, the redhead spun in 
her seat to address the brunette. "Tiff, don't you think he should stop 
this madness?"

"All I know is that the longer we stay in this city, the worse he's 
getting." Tiffany turned her concerned filled face to look upon the 
car's fourth passenger, a thirteen year old boy. "We have to help 
him, Kay.  There must be something we can do."

The boy hadn't spoken a word since they'd found him wandering 
around in a daze.  At the moment he was curled up in a fetal position, 
hugging his knees to his chest, as his head lay in Kay's lap.  He 
appeared to be going through some kind of withdrawal.  His skin was 
pale and waxy, his eyes sunken into his skull giving him a death's 
head appearance, and he trembled uncontrollably despite the heat 
within the car.  It took a while for her to see past his current 
appearance, but Tiff eventually came to the stunned conclusion that 
she knew the boy, at least as much as a teacher can know one of her 
former students.

"You hear that, Nick?" Kay whipped around to face the driver. "The 
kid's getting sicker every minute you keep us driving around in 
circles.  Is that what you want?  Do you want this kid to die in the 
backseat of your shitty car because you don't know when to give 
up?"

"First off," Nick gripped the steering wheel so tight his knuckles 
turned white, "I don't really give a shit what either of you think.  As far 
as I'm concerned, you went and did something that was beyond 
stupid.  If I hadn't been in the neighborhood at the time, the two of 
you wouldn't even be in this 'shitty' car, you'd be in the bellies of 
more Zyrogoth than I've ever encountered before.  If it's too much 
trouble for you to drive around with me then by all means, get the 
fuck out.  I'll even slow down for you."

"Nick..."

"Second," Nick's foot pressed a little harder on the accelerator, "this 
car is not 'shitty' or 'a piece of junk' or 'a bucket of crap' as you seem 
to be fond of calling it.  This car saved your unappreciative asses, as 
it's saved mine on too many occasions to count, so give it the 
respect it deserves."

"Damn it, Nick..."

 "Thirdly," the car's speed steadily increased, its engine growling 
almost as loud as its driver. "I didn't want to pick up that kid.  That 
was your idea, not mine.  I told you what was wrong with him, I told 
you that it wasn't drugs, and I told you... he's-not-dying."

"Nick!"

Angrily he turned to face Kay. "WHAT?"

Kay's face drained of color as she pointed out the windshield. 
"BRAKES!"

Nick's eyes whipped back to the road in time to see a dark shape in 
the middle of the road. "Shit!"

His foot slammed onto the brake and the car's tires screamed 
against the hot asphalt.  The rear of the car started to swing out to 
the side, the wheels bouncing as they turned broadside to the 
direction of their momentum.  The smell of burning rubber filled the 
interior as Tiff squealed from the backseat.  When the car finally 
came to a halt, the world around them sounded a little too quiet after 
all that noise.

"Did we hit him?" Kay asked as she righted herself.

"Who?" Nick put the car into park as his eyes scanned the 
surrounding darkness.

"That person."

"Ah shit, that was a person out there?" Nick reached into his coat, 
checked to make sure his favorite revolver was easy to get to. 
"Fuckin' stupid spot to sit down for a rest."

"Shut up and go check on him."

"Giving me orders now?  Damn, you're a bossy bitch."

"And you're the asshole with the guns, remember?"

"Yeah," Nick popped the door handle and swung his legs out into the 
night air, "I'm always the one with the guns."

The car's engine idled as smoke rose from the street where the tires 
had left their marks.  Nick cautiously stepped out, his eyes darting 
this way and that, keeping an eye out for an ambush.  The enemy 
had used tactics like this before, and he wasn't about to let them do it 
to him again.

"Nick, over here."

Kay's voice startled him.  She'd exited through the window and was 
moving to the rear of his car.  He hadn't expected her to leave the 
relative safety of her seat.  He hadn't quite made up his mind on 
whether she was just another dumb broad with a big mouth and a 
bigger attitude, or someone he could count on in a situation.  So far 
she'd been nothing but a royal pain in the ass, but he had to admit, 
she did hold her own back at the radio station when all hell broke 
loose.  Perhaps he'd have to re-evaluate his original assessment of 
her, but for now he just wanted her to shut the fuck up.

Kay stood about thirty feet behind the car, completely enveloped in 
darkness.  Nick dug around in one of the many inside pockets of his 
hideous looking patchwork trench coat until he found a small 
flashlight.  The tiny beam flicked on and he directed it to the street 
just ahead of his feet.  There he found the swerving skid marks his 
tires had made, and he followed them as they swayed back and forth 
until he came to where Kay waited.

"Holy crap." Nick stared in amazement at the figure that still knelt in 
the middle of the road.  The skid marks should have gone right 
through the space he occupied, but instead they swung away only 
inches from where the car should have impacted him.  It was a 
miracle if there ever was one, and Nick had witnessed enough 
miracles to recognize it for what it was.

Nick's little light moved from the road to look upon the lucky son of a 
bitch. "You got to be kidding me.  Another fuckin' kid?"

Kay shot him an angry glower before dropping to her knees to get a 
better look at the poor kid.  His hair was long but not enough to hide 
the fact that he'd been crying.  Tears still ran down his cheeks out of 
tightly closed eyes.  One side of his face was spattered with tiny 
wounds which wept blood, his chin scraped raw and dripping.  He 
wasn't wearing a shirt, and his chest was covered in dirt, blood, and 
more scratches and scrapes.  He wore blue jeans, torn at one knee, 
the dark stains around the opening revealing yet another wound.  The 
most bizarre detail about him was the strange black leather band he 
wore on his right wrist, from which dangled three silver chain links.

Kay spoke softly to him. "Hey, are you okay?  Did... did we hit you?"

The boy remained silent, but his eyes slowly flickered open, as if 
he'd only just become aware that he wasn't alone.

Nick shone the light directly into the boy's puffy red eyes, causing 
him to wince. "What the fuck were you thinking?  Huh?"

"Nick!" Kay punched him in the leg, causing him to re-direct his light 
into her eyes. "Knock it off; can't you see he's hurt?"

"Pardon me, how rude." Nick shone the light back in the kid's eyes. 
"So, are you crazy or just plain stupid?"

"they... took... her..."

The boy's voice was so weak that neither Nick nor Kayleigh was sure 
he'd actually spoken.

"What was that, sweetie?"

"Yeah, speak up numb nuts.  We haven't got all night."

"Nick!" This time when Kay swung her fist Nick was ready to dodge. 
"Just shut up and let me handle this, okay?"

"Fine," Nick grumbled. "But don't even think about bringing this one 
along for the ride too.  He stays, we go, got it?"

"Whatever." Kay shook her head before returning her attention back 
to the hurt boy. "What were you trying to say before Mr. Sensitive 
opened his big mouth?"

"They... they..."

"Just spit it the fuck out already!"

"Nick!  Please!" 

Nick grumbled and then started to return to the car.

"They took her away."

"Who took who away?"

"Men... guys dressed in black commando uniforms, they took her 
away.  They took her away and I couldn't stop them."

At hearing this Nick stopped walking and turned back, but he kept his 
mouth shut.

"Who did they take from you?"

"Yumi... they took my Yumi away... and I couldn't... I tried... but I..." 
The boy began to sob and Kay put her arm around him. "She's just a 
little girl, and they... they..."

"What was she?" Nick asked as he squatted down next to them.  
This time his voice was all business. "What was she, really?"

"Nick, what kind of question is..."

"Quiet, Kay." Nick looked into the boy's eyes. "She wasn't human, 
was she?"

The boy returned his gaze and a kind of understanding passed 
between them. "No."

"I didn't think so.  Phoenix doesn't nab little girls in the dead of night."

"The hell they don't!" Kay spat with venom. "You've got two victims of 
Phoenix right here who can vouch for what those sick bastards are 
capable of doing."

"What I meant was," Nick cleared his throat, "Phoenix doesn't send 
out the soldiers to pick up little girls.  The Hunters only deal with, well, 
what you would call monsters."

"SHE ISN'T A MONSTER!" The boy roared with anger and was on 
his feet in an instant, his eyes wild and his fists ready to pound 
against flesh and bone.

"Relax, boy." Nick slowly brought himself upright, taking time to crack 
his back and knees once he got there. "I wasn't implying that she 
was a monster, only that is what most humans would believe her to 
be.  If you really want to fight me, then be quick about it, I have to get 
back to finding a Preacher."

The boy's fists slowly lowered and he looked at Nick as if he'd just 
spoken in a foreign language. "Preacher?"

"Yeah, the Street Preacher." Nick chuckled mirthlessly. "Homeless 
guy, walks around with a cardboard sign, likes to talk about the end of 
the world a lot.  Haven't seen 'em have ya?"

Being a detective had taught Nick to guess answers before they 
were spoken.  It sometimes took the wonder out of day to day life; 
there was no mystery when having a conversation if you knew what 
the other person was going to say, but this kid threw him for a loop.

"Actually, yeah, I have."

"Sure you did," Nick laughed. "Nice try, kid, but I'm not giving you a 
lift."

The boy smiled. "His sign says things from the bible."

"Great deduction." Nick began to walk back to the car. "Still not 
buying it."

"I wasn't finished."

"Yeah, well I am."

"His sign... it changes.  It doesn't just say one verse, it changes to 
say different things."

Nick slowed his pace but kept heading for the car.

"And... you forgot to mention that he's a Wizard!"

Nick stopped and turned. "Now, what would make you say something 
like that?"

"Because it's true." The boy hobbled his way over to Nick with Kay 
staying close by, afraid that he might fall over in his condition. "I 
watched him take down a Zyrogoth all by himself, and listened as he 
took on a whole gang of Mallenchior, and he won!"

"Mallenchior?" Nick scratched at his stubble covered face and stared 
at the kid with a newfound appreciation. "Tell me, how does a kid like 
you find out about things like Mallenchior?"

"Ayumi." The boy beamed. "She told me everything she could 
before those Phoenix guys kidnapped her.  She wanted to go with 
that Preacher dude, but I convinced her that we had to get to the city 
instead." His face went ashen, "I made a mistake.  A big, stupid, 
mistake.  Now they have her and I don't know how to get her back.  
Can you help me?"

"Look, kid.  I'd really like to help you find your girlfriend, but I've got 
more important things to do right now.  So, where did you see him?"

"Who?"

"The Preacher.  Who else would I be talking about?"

"Oh, him." The boy looked down to his shuffling feet for a moment, 
then he looked Nick right in the eye. "You help me, then I help you."

"This isn't a fucking game, kid.  Tell me where you last saw him, or I'll 
beat it out of you."

The boy's demeanor completely changed when Nick threatened him. 
"Fuck you, Grandpa.  Go find him yourself."

The boy shot Nick the middle finger, an action that caused the chain 
links attached to his wrist to jingle wildly, then turned his back and 
hobbled away.  Kay shook her head at Nick before heading off after 
him, trying to get the boy to change his mind with a softer attitude.  
Nick watched as the pair of them headed down the street together.  
When it didn't look like Kay would be able to change his mind, he 
moved to join them.

As he walked down the block Nick's little pen light swept from side to 
side, investigating shadows and dark shapes his steel grey eyes 
could not readily identify.  It was during one these passes that he 
spied the street signs on either corner of the intersection where Kay 
and the boy stood.  They indicated that he was currently walking 
down Faye Avenue.  To his left the sign said 8th Street, but to his 
right the sign read Eight Street, not 8th.  He wondered about this 
inaccuracy, thought that it may have just been a clerical error, a 
bureaucratic fuck up, but something about it kept drawing his 
attention away from Kayleigh and the boy.

"Faye and 8th..." he mumbled to himself. "Faye and Eight..."

Over and over he read the signs, his mind trying to puzzle out the 
reason why they sounded so familiar to him.

"Faye 'n 8th, Faye 'n Eight."

Suddenly it all clicked into place, but it was too simple for him to 
believe.

"You've got to be kidding me." He shook his head dismissively as he 
searched in one of his pockets. "This is just downright silly."

Inside his pocket he found a small silver digital recorder which he 
held up to his ear so that he could listen to the voice of a young 
woman.

"You will find the one you seek at the crossroads of fate and faith."

His eyes fell on the street sign to his right. "Faye-Eight."

His eyes moved to the street sign on his left. "Faye-8th."

"Damn it, Lena." He shook his head and laughed as he pocketed the 
tiny recorder. "Couldn't have been clearer, could you?  Fuckin' 
psychics."

He stared at the sky for a moment, a smile on his face as he spoke 
to the night. "Thanks, again."

With lightness in his heart that he hadn't felt in a long time, Nick 
called out to Kay and the boy. "Alright, get your asses in the car."

Kay looked surprised. "You're going to help him?"

"Yes, I'm going to help him."

The boy approached Nick apprehensively. "What about the 
Preacher?"

"Turns out, I was wrong about him.  That doesn't happen often, but 
I'm big enough to admit it when it does."

The boy studied him, his eyes trying to pick out any signs of 
deception or trickery.  Finding none, a slight smile came to his 
bloodied and swollen lips. "He was heading towards the Highland 
Dam, that's all I know."

"Thanks, kid." Nick nodded, "What's your name by the way?"

"Justin."

"Alright Justin, hop in the car."

"Thanks, sir."

Nick winced. "Don't call me that, please.  I'm Nick, and the bleeding 
heart next to you is Kayleigh, if she hasn't told you already."

Justin stopped and looked at the redheaded woman who'd been 
fawning over him. "From WAZZ?  That Kayleigh?"

"Damn straight, kiddo." She smiled. "The one and only."

Nick rolled his eyes and grumbled. "You can get an autograph later.  
Come on, we've got a long ride and a city full of people that want us 
dead."

Kay opened the passenger door and pulled the seat up so that 
Justin could climb in the back. "Sorry, I called shotgun already."

Justin smiled as he climbed through the narrow gap.

"Adding one more?"

Justin found himself staring eye to eye with someone he knew, but 
for the life of him he couldn't remember why.  Justin noticed that 
another teen, roughly his age, was curled up in the seat next to her, 
but he couldn't see his face.

"Hi, I'm Tiffany."

"Justin."

Kay slammed her seat back into place before climbing in. "Tiff's a 
teacher.  A school around here, right Tiff?"

"Well, not too far from here, and I resigned last year," she answered 
before turning back to Justin. "Highland Township High School, ever 
heard of it?"

Justin flinched backwards as if he'd been slapped. "Miss Brophy?"

"How do you...?"

"That's my school!  My friend Tommy had you last year for History."

Tiffany's mouth opened and shut several times as if she was trying to 
speak, but nothing would come out.  Her eyes drifted to the boy 
curled up in her lap, drawing Justin's gaze downward with them.  To 
his shock, the boy was looking up at him, his eyes filled with tears.

"Holy shit!  Tommy?  Is that you?"

"I'm so sorry, Justin..." Tom's voice was quiet and quavering. "I 
never meant..."

"Shhh..." Tiff stroked Tom's sweat matted hair. "Try to sleep; we'll 
be somewhere safe soon."

As if entranced by the woman's soothing voice, Tom's eyes fluttered 
shut.  He was obviously in no condition to have a conversation, 
though Justin's mind roared with questions, almost as loudly as the 
engine of Nick's car.

The rusty 1966 Chevy Chevelle rumbled down the dark streets of 
Highland New York, searching for safe passage out of the city.  
Justin tried to keep a brave face, but his thoughts kept drifting back 
to the alley where he'd fought with Ayumi.  He'd been so mean, so 
cruel.  Even if he found her, which he wasn't sure that he could, 
would she still want to be with him?  He leaned his head against the 
narrow window and closed his eyes as the tears once again snuck 
past his defenses.  He whispered a promise to himself, so quietly 
that no one else in the car would overhear him.

"I'll find you, Yumi.  Somehow, I'll find you."

Justin slipped into a deep sleep with the promise still on his lips.  
Had the car's engine not been so loud, he may have heard the sound 
of metal tinkling against metal.  Had his eyes opened, he may have 
seen the three silver links lift into the air and point towards the heart 
of the city he was leaving behind.  Had he not been so tired, he may 
have felt those links as they tugged him, pulled him towards the 
place where they could reunite with the links they'd been separated 
from.  But he didn't awaken.

Instead he dreamed, and in his dream he was with her, and he was 
happy, and she was happy... and his dream was more real to him 
than Zyrogoth, or Mallenchior, or Wizards, or Magic, or Solar Flares, 
or Phoenix.  It was more real to him than failing French, or ancient 
lawn mowers, or fallen dogwood trees.  It was more real than being 
popular, or smart, or handsome, or cool.  It was more real because it 
was filled with love, and he'd do whatever it took just to share that 
feeling with her again.



THE END


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Ayumi Epilogue