-Erika Boal, 'I Know'
Koby blinked in surprise when she saw Haruka and Michiru staring down at her. They were the last people that she had expected to see that day.
�Haruka. Michiru. Hey,� she greeted them, slightly stunned. Seeing the two older girls had brought back scenes from her disturbing dream, making Koby feel quite uneasy. �You�re the last people I expected to run into today.� Koby placed her worksheet in her notebook and stood up so that she was eye level with Michiru. �What brings you here?�
�Oh, we thought that we�d get a closer look at the school. We didn�t get much of a chance to see it last night with all the people around,� Michiru replied lightly.
�Her voice is so soothing,� Koby found herself thinking. �I wish my mother had a voice like that.�
�So now we wanted to go look at the school?� Haruka teased Michiru lightly. �Don�t be fooled Koby. I�m just her chauffeur. Michiru wanted to do a sketch of the school. She loves drawing beautiful things and she thought that it was a beautiful building. I wound up driving her here, that�s all.�
A small smile played on Michiru�s lips. �Haruka, I was thinking of drawing you in front of the school. Seeing as I love drawing beautiful things and all.�
Haruka�s face turned a light shade of red. In an effort to change the subject and direct attention from her flustered appearance, she asked Koby, �What are you doing here so late?�
�Soccer practice.�
�I don�t see any other soccer players around here,� Haruka observed as she scanned the school grounds.
�That�s because they all have cars or parents that care,� Koby joked. �My mom probably won�t be here for another 45 minutes.�
�What?� Michiru exclaimed. �What is more important than her daughter?�
Koby raised an eyebrow at her outburst. Michiru seemed genuinely concerned. �It�s just work. She has a big report to turn in before 8 �o clock. Or something like that. I�m used to it. This isn�t the first time that I�ve sat here alone as the day grows increasingly darker.�
�Well it�s the last time,� Haruka nearly growled. �We�ll take you home. It�s dangerous to be alone at night.�
Koby frowned slightly to herself. �It�s like they�re my parents or something,� she thought. �Kinda like that dream�� She shook her head lightly. �Don�t say stuff like that Haruka. You sound like you�re my mom or something. I already have a mom. I don�t need two. But� I would really appreciate a ride home.� Koby smiled gamely, then stooped to pick up her bags and books.
The three began to walk down the stairs, Haruka and Michiru in front walking close together and Koby straggling behind, laden down with her two bags and several textbooks.
Haruka took a look over her shoulder and chuckled lightly. �Need a hand?�
�I�m cool,� Koby shook off her offer to help. After some skilled maneuvering of her books and bags, Koby was walking a little faster and managed to catch up with Haruka and Michiru. As they started crossing the parking lot, Koby said, �You guys have been popping up every time I need a lift� and sometimes when I don�t.�
�What do you mean?� Michiru asked, puzzled. �I seem to recall only being with you when you�ve needed a ride.�
�Technically you have only been with me when I�ve need a ride. But you were also with me last night � in a dream. There were no ride related events in that dream.�
Haruka turned sharply to look at Koby. �Dream? You had a dream with us in it?�
�Uh, yeah.� Koby was taken aback at the abrupt change in Haruka�s mood. To her surprise, Michiru, who was peering around Haruka to see Koby, had a sharp look on her face.
�What was it about?� Michiru asked in a composed voice. To Koby it sounded like she was trying to hide an unidentifiable emotion.
They had arrived at the car then and Koby climbed into the backseat and waited for Haruka and Michiru to take their seats before answering. �Well,� she started. Michiru turned around to look at her. Haruka too had her gaze focused on Koby, although it was only by looking at the rear view mirror that she could see her. �It was a really strange dream. When it started I was in a dark room and there were all these voices around me telling me that I had to fight and that I had to accept my destiny. It was pretty scaring and all I wanted to do was get out of there. So I started running. At first I couldn�t move, but the harder I tried to run, the farther I got, and before I knew it I was in a hallway at school, leaning against a wall. My first thought was �I hope I�m not late,� so I grabbed this stack of books and started to run down the hallway to my class. This is where you come in. Before I could go very far, I heard someone call my name and tell me to wait. I turned around and saw you two standing behind me.� Koby paused to take a breath and study Michiru�s face more closely. Her gaze was locked on Koby sharply, as if she was trying to see through her.
�Go on,� Michiru said.
�Right� Haruka tried to give me something � it was a short little rod with a star on it � and I didn�t want to take it. Then you said that it was my destiny and that I�d need it for class. For some reason when you mentioned my destiny I got pissed off. I told you that I didn�t want it and ran to my class. But when I got there, my teacher and everyone there were all, like, dead. They were sitting in their desks with these glazed looks on their faces. Quite freaky.� Koby shuddered involuntarily as she recalled the scene. �I started running around trying to find out what happened. Then you guys were there again. In the doorway. You said that they couldn�t help me, I had to help them. I started to ask you how but this creature thing leapt on me and started to like� suck my soul out. I was screaming to you for help, but you both just stood there and said that I had to fight. �Course I didn�t so I guess that the creature got my soul. That�s not all though� after the scene faded I heard this baby crying. When I opened my eyes Haruka of all people was holding me and telling me not to cry. Then I figured out that I was the baby � which was just too weird. Then you gave me this necklace, which I took. That�s when I woke up and found the very same necklace that you had given me in my hand.� Koby finished recounting her dream on a firm note.
Michiru blinked. �You woke up and had the necklace in your hand?� she asked, as surprised as Koby had been.
�Yeah,� Koby chuckled. �I think that I was still dreaming though, or I wasn�t fully awake because I don�t know what happened to it.�
A long silence ensued when Michiru turned her piercing gaze away from Koby and stared thoughtfully out of the front window. Haruka too turned her attention elsewhere. �Hopefully the road,� Koby thought with a grin.
But the grin quickly vanished and Koby turned her thoughts to the startled reaction that Haruka and Michiru had given her when she told them that she had a dream including them. �It�s like they know something that I don�t�� Koby mused. �Oh stop it. You�re being paranoid. They were just as shocked as you were when they heard about that stupid necklace.�
Shortly after, they had pulled up to Koby�s house and Koby got out, thanking them and saying goodbye. �I�ll see you later,� she called as she started to walk away from the car.
�Koby?� Haruka�s voice asked.
Koby stopped and looked back. �Yeah?�
�Do you think that we could see that necklace?�
�Sure. Come on in.� Koby motioned them out of the convertible and took them to the front door. As she let herself in she thought, �Why the hell would they want to see the necklace? I told them I thought that it was just a part of the dream.� She ushered them into her small house saying, �My room�s upstairs, second door on the right. Check under my pillow or on my bed for the necklace, although I bet you anything that it won�t be there. I�ve got to call my mom and tell her that I don�t need a ride anymore.�
Haruka and Michiru watched as Koby disappeared into another room before heading up the staircase.
�Do you think that dream she had was a warning?� Haruka whispered in Japanese to Michiru as they climbed the stairs.
�No,� Michiru whispered back. �I think that it was just the icing on the cake. Koby�s classmates aren�t in danger � yet. It was more about accepting her destiny than a warning.�
�The last part was a memory though.�
�Yes,� Michiru agreed. �I remember that day actually. It was the day after we adopted her. You thought that she wouldn�t like the necklace.�
�I was hoping she�d be more like me,� Haruka grumbled.
Michiru laughed softly and pushed open the door to Koby�s bedroom. �I didn�t think that she was capable of keeping a room this clean!� she exclaimed upon seeing the immaculate condition of Koby�s room. �It was never this neat when we took care of her.�
Haruka chuckled. �She�s grown up. Last time she died before she got this old. We all did.�
The two were silent as they remembered their final battle in their former life. �Come on,� Michiru said finally. �Let�s see if that necklace is still there.�
Haruka walked over to the bed and lifted up the pillow. Hidden beneath it was the necklace, and another mysterious object. �Michiru,� she called softly. �It�s appeared. She has to take it.�
Koby hung up the cordless phone in the kitchen after leaving a short message on her mother�s work answering machine and headed upstairs to her room. Although she had tried telling herself that the appearance of the necklace was no more than a waking dream, she was interested to see if it had really appeared.
As she was about to walk into her room, she heard Haruka say quietly, �It�s appeared. She has to take it.�
�What?� Koby thought. �There is definitely something fishy going on with those two and I�m going to find out what.�
�Take what?� Koby asked as she stepped into her bedroom. Crossing her arms, she stood on the threshold of her doorway, looking demandingly at the two girls. �What�s going on and why do I get the strangest feeling that you guys know something that I don�t?�
Haruka and Michiru spun around sharply, startled by Koby�s sudden entrance into the room. Koby could practically see them thinking that they were trapped.
�Well,� Koby continued. �What do you know?� she asked, pressing them for more information.
Recovering slightly, Haruka said, �What do you mean? We just found the necklace, that�s all. You should take it � it probably means something.� Haruka crossed the room and handed the necklace to Koby, who stared at it in wonder.
�How did that come out of my dream? I think you know. No, I know that you know.� Koby glared up at Haruka without taking the necklace. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Michiru hide something in her coat pocket. �What�s that?� she asked sharply, pushing Haruka out of the way.
Trying her best to look confused, Michiru said, �Nothing. I was just getting a tissue out of my pocket.�
�No you weren�t. You were hiding something. Something else was on my bed, not just that necklace. What is it?�
Haruka suddenly became hostile. �You said it yourself. You didn�t want it. You said in your dream you didn�t want to take it, so you most likely won�t want it in real life. And as to what is going on, we�ll tell you when you�re ready.� Haruka started for the door, knocking Koby out of the way.
�I don�t think so. You�ll tell me now.� Koby grabbed Haruka�s arm tightly and held her back from leaving the room. Haruka glared menacingly into Koby�s eyes and Koby glared right back.
�Haruka�s right,� Michiru said, breaking their staring contest. �You aren�t ready to hear the truth or accept your destiny. You need time still.�
�My destiny?� Koby turned to look at Michiru, still holding Haruka�s arm. �You have that rod thing, don�t you? That was on my bed wasn�t it?�
Michiru sighed. �Yes, it was,� she admitted, pulling the rod from her pocket. �Someone obviously thinks that you are ready for your destiny.�
Koby didn�t hear her words. Her attention was focused on the object in Michiru�s hand. It was about 6 inches long and silvery colored. On the top sat an eight-pointed star, the same as the charm on the necklace.
�What is that?� she asked softly.
With a shake of her head, Michiru said, �We can�t tell you yet.�
Determination set in her blue-gray eyes and Koby glowered at Michiru. �Oh no,� she said in a controlled voice. �You will tell me now.�
Chapter 6
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