Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā sheādĀ Ā finishedĀ Ā fightingĀ Ā aĀ Ā witchĀ Ā notĀ Ā longĀ Ā agoĀ Ā Ā Ā āĀ Ā Ā oneĀ Ā moreĀ Ā difficultĀ Ā thanĀ Ā sheĀ Ā expected .Ā Ā Ā leftĀ Ā herĀ Ā soreĀ ,Ā Ā Ā thoughĀ Ā cutsĀ Ā &&Ā Ā scratchesĀ Ā hadĀ Ā alreadyĀ Ā beenĀ Ā healed .Ā Ā Ā sheāllĀ Ā beĀ Ā fine ,Ā Ā Ā butĀ Ā thatĀ Ā didnātĀ Ā changeĀ Ā theĀ Ā factĀ Ā thatĀ Ā sheĀ Ā wasĀ Ā tired .Ā Ā Ā thatĀ Ā sheĀ Ā hadĀ Ā aĀ Ā prettyĀ Ā longĀ Ā walkĀ Ā backĀ Ā toĀ Ā theĀ Ā abandonedĀ Ā churchĀ Ā sheĀ Ā stillĀ Ā calledĀ Ā home .Ā Ā Ā sheādĀ Ā giveĀ Ā herselfĀ Ā aĀ Ā momentĀ Ā toĀ Ā restĀ Ā first ,Ā Ā Ā though ,Ā Ā Ā satĀ Ā upĀ Ā againstĀ Ā theĀ Ā brickĀ Ā wallĀ Ā ofĀ Ā oneĀ Ā ofĀ Ā theĀ Ā buildingsĀ Ā onĀ Ā eitherĀ Ā sideĀ Ā ofĀ Ā theĀ Ā alleyway ,Ā Ā Ā rubyĀ Ā eyesĀ Ā alreadyĀ Ā threateningĀ Ā toĀ Ā close .Ā Ā Ā (Ā Ā Ā itĀ Ā hadĀ Ā takenĀ Ā tooĀ Ā longĀ Ā toĀ Ā huntĀ Ā downĀ Ā thatĀ Ā witch ,Ā Ā Ā &&Ā Ā herĀ Ā nightmaresĀ Ā hadnātĀ Ā beenĀ Ā doingĀ Ā herĀ Ā manyĀ Ā favorsĀ Ā whenĀ Ā itĀ Ā cameĀ Ā toĀ Ā theĀ Ā sleepĀ Ā sheĀ Ā got .Ā Ā Ā )
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā butĀ Ā theĀ Ā soundĀ Ā ofĀ Ā footstepsĀ Ā wouldĀ Ā drawĀ Ā herĀ Ā attentionĀ Ā instantlyĀ Ā Ā Ā āĀ Ā Ā brightĀ Ā eyesĀ Ā scanningĀ Ā theĀ Ā areaĀ ,Ā Ā Ā shortlyĀ Ā landingĀ Ā onĀ Ā theĀ Ā womanĀ Ā approaching .Ā Ā Ā didnātĀ Ā seemĀ Ā threateningĀ .Ā Ā Ā orĀ Ā atĀ Ā least ,Ā Ā Ā notĀ Ā aggressiveĀ Ā inĀ Ā anyĀ Ā senseĀ Ā ofĀ Ā theĀ Ā word .Ā Ā Ā notĀ Ā thatĀ Ā kyoukoĀ Ā wasĀ Ā thatĀ Ā worried .Ā Ā Ā ifĀ Ā sheĀ Ā couldĀ Ā fightĀ Ā offĀ Ā witchesĀ Ā sheĀ Ā couldĀ Ā atĀ Ā leastĀ Ā distractĀ Ā someoneĀ Ā forĀ Ā longĀ Ā enoughĀ Ā toĀ Ā findĀ Ā aĀ Ā wayĀ Ā out .Ā Ā Ā helpedĀ Ā thatĀ Ā sheĀ Ā wasĀ Ā constantlyĀ Ā armed .Ā Ā Ā twistedĀ Ā theĀ Ā ringĀ Ā onĀ Ā herĀ Ā middleĀ Ā fingerĀ Ā almostĀ Ā outĀ Ā ofĀ Ā habit .
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā sheĀ Ā didnātĀ Ā needĀ Ā it ,Ā Ā Ā though ,Ā Ā Ā asĀ Ā sheĀ Ā hadĀ Ā suspectedĀ Ā basedĀ Ā onĀ Ā howĀ Ā calmĀ Ā theĀ Ā otherĀ Ā seemed .Ā Ā Ā still ,Ā Ā Ā herĀ Ā heartbeatĀ Ā spedĀ Ā upĀ Ā slightlyĀ Ā atĀ Ā thatĀ Ā question ,Ā Ā Ā somethingĀ Ā somewhereĀ Ā betweenĀ Ā concernĀ Ā &&Ā Ā FEARĀ Ā flashedĀ Ā throughĀ Ā herĀ Ā gazeĀ Ā beforeĀ Ā sheādĀ Ā settleĀ Ā intoĀ Ā defensiveness .Ā Ā Ā hadĀ Ā beenĀ Ā aloneĀ Ā forĀ Ā overĀ Ā aĀ Ā yearĀ Ā nowĀ Ā Ā Ā āĀ Ā Ā wasnātĀ Ā planningĀ Ā onĀ Ā gettingĀ Ā thrownĀ Ā intoĀ Ā anĀ Ā orphanageĀ Ā anyĀ Ā timeĀ Ā soon .Ā Ā Ā musclesĀ Ā tensedĀ Ā slightlyĀ Ā asĀ Ā sheĀ Ā pressedĀ Ā herĀ Ā backĀ Ā intoĀ Ā theĀ Ā wall ,Ā Ā Ā shiftingĀ Ā soĀ Ā thatĀ Ā legsĀ Ā werenātĀ Ā crossedĀ Ā anymoreĀ Ā Ā Ā āĀ Ā Ā insteadĀ Ā leftĀ Ā oneĀ Ā footĀ Ā toĀ Ā pressĀ Ā intoĀ Ā theĀ Ā ground .Ā Ā Ā readyĀ Ā toĀ Ā runĀ Ā ifĀ Ā sheĀ Ā neededĀ Ā to .Ā Ā Ā Ā āĀ Ā Ā whyāsĀ Ā itĀ Ā matterĀ Ā tāĀ Ā you ?Ā Ā Ā āĀ Ā Ā Ā aggressiveĀ ,Ā Ā Ā thoughĀ Ā notĀ Ā withoutĀ Ā anĀ Ā edgeĀ Ā ofĀ Ā fearĀ Ā toĀ Ā anyoneĀ Ā actuallyĀ Ā listening .Ā Ā Ā āĀ Ā Ā āsĀ Ā notĀ Ā likeĀ Ā iāmĀ Ā doingĀ Ā anythingĀ Ā illegal .Ā Ā Ā Ā āĀ Ā Ā atĀ Ā least ,Ā Ā Ā notĀ Ā asĀ Ā farĀ Ā asĀ Ā sheĀ Ā couldĀ Ā remember .Ā Ā Ā perhapsĀ Ā asideĀ Ā fromĀ Ā theĀ Ā factĀ Ā thatĀ Ā theĀ Ā candyĀ Ā barĀ Ā sheĀ Ā hadĀ Ā wasĀ Ā definitelyĀ Ā stolen ,Ā Ā Ā butĀ Ā thisĀ Ā womanĀ Ā didnātĀ Ā haveĀ Ā anyĀ Ā wayĀ Ā ofĀ Ā knowingĀ Ā that ,Ā Ā Ā right ?
ā - She didnāt how she imagined running into a younger child late at night - but it certainly wasnāt something like this. A rebellious teenager would have been more likely to meet her with the tone she was given, but the investigator did not do so much as flinch at the inconsideration. She had dealt with much worse, after all - who was she to say these werenāt simply the actions of a defensively child, scared for her life? She had no reason to come to premature conclusions.
āBecause Iām worriedā she answered honestly, not only moving her head to watch the childās movements, avoiding a confrontational stare into her eyes like an angry parent. She could have any number of reasons for being out here, after all.Ā āItās cold out here. Would you at least allow me to bring you a blanket? Iād only like to know why youāre out here by yourself tonight. I donāt intend to you get you in trouble either way - only to make sure youāll be alright for the night.ā
She quickly mulled over the different situations she could be dealing with - a runaway kid, an orphan or something else...? There was no way to tell, so the childās safety was her first priorty.Ā
āI should introduce myself - Iām Asano of the Blue Sky Society - whatās your name?ā