"Walk with me."
||Part One||

-Erica's POV-

Erica stared at the clean, white wall where a table sat with flowers and pictures, which littered the place. She had heeled black ankle boots with gold buckles, black stockings and a black short sleeved A-line dress, coming to her knees.

A girl, presumed dead with quaint black and white pictures capturing her life. Articles in the newspaper telling the tale of the horrible tragedy. Unknown reason for her unsettling disappearance. News stations repeatedly reminding citizens of the girl.

A funeral? No, they say. They all call it a celebration of a person's life.

Cream coloured candles with soft orange flames flickered with a sense of depressing excitement.

The boy with kobicha brown hair sat next to her. He looked different from what people would see at school. His clothes were completely straight. Donning a white dress shirt, a black tie, black dress pants and simple black dress shoes. His hair, still slightly messy, but no one would be able to tell since it suited him so well.

"Two days, he said. It's almost over, then. Why can't it last longer? Why not eternity?" She thought, as she fiddled with a gold ring that had an emerald set in the middle of it.

Everyone was asked to stand up and pay their respects in silence.

The people stood up in unison.

Erica stood, still fixated on the table that was at least twenty feet from her, seeing the pictures in-between the silhouettes of the mourners.

The girl called Elizabeth, looked so happy in the photos.

It made Erica...upset. No, outraged. Outraged that she seemed to hold the world in her hands. Outraged...that she was so perfect, beautiful and pure.

Outraged...that he seemed to admire her.

And, then, she thinks. Was it all for nothing?

Could the one thing that makes her happy...be unattainable?

-Quiet's POV-

Tired, and weary, Quiet sat at the oak table with Cherry and Ikaros, who both had looks of worry. Cats meowed for attention. But, everything was blocked out from the conversation from a day ago constantly playing in her head.

_____

"Why him?"

"Well, why not? He's a hard worker, doing two jobs...and yet he still gets here on time. Pays attention. I watch everyone here. And, he is responsible. Responsible enough that I trust him. That is my reason. And, it just so happens, we're in luck. They have identical schedules." The man said, as his sharp eyes gazed upon the room.

He paused, then spoke again.

"Pelletier? Do you think you can do this task?"

Soft, amber eyes stared at the man.
He calmly replied that he could...
_____

What was her motive?

A person is dead because of her.

Why Elizabeth? What was the fucking point?

Nothing made sense.

It's like a 2000 piece puzzle, with no obvious solution.

It was blatantly confusing.

An open window sent a draft through the room.

Quiet, then excused herself from the table, and walked upstairs.

-Erica's POV-

The mourners cried as they stood in silence with occasional loud weeping from the family of the dead.

A tap on her left shoulder made her head turn, and she watched as Tobias walked in front of her and out the door.

She followed him out and saw him sitting on the staircase connected to the funeral home.

She sat down beside him, then he spoke.

"It was very depressing in there, so I stepped out."

Erica looked up to see the somber purple and gold glow of twilight.

"Well," she began, "If it's depressing, then why call it a celebration?"

"Maybe to disguise the pain...?"

Erica thought for a moment, then said,"Isn't pain part of healing, though?"

Tobias laughed,"Well, I don't have personal experience to back that up, but I'd assume so."

Erica stood up and started to slowly walk off.

"Where the hell are you going?"

"I'm going for a walk!"

"You can't go alone..."

She smiled,"Then...walk with me."

The bright glow from streetlights illuminated the road while cars passed and pedestrians walked to their destinations.

As the two came across a park, Erica spotted a cat.

The cat is pure white with light blue eyes.

Erica quietly walked over to the cat and noticed a dark blue tag set on a dark blue collar, which had a name on the front.

The name read: Weiss.

Erica let Weiss sniff her hand and then carefully picked her up. She then noticed an address on the back of the tag.

Tobias looked over Erica's shoulder to see the tag. He paused, then spoke.

"Hey, I don't think that's far from here.."

Erica pondered for a moment before replying, "I don't think so, either... but I'm not sure where. Maybe my father will know..."

"Probably...it seems he knows this place inside and out. It's odd to me. You've all been here such a short time. Yet, he knows it so well."

They both started walking again...

"Well, he likes to leave no room for errors. Everything must be perfect and on schedule. That's probably why he knows everything around here so well. He's a sociable person, as well. Very charming. He knows his way around people. Manipulative, if you will. That's one of the only ways he could get the school built."

"Manipulative? In what sense?" He asked, puzzled.

"The only way I could possibly put it is that he's very convincing." She replied, struggling with her words.

"Duck!"

"What?!"

"I SAID, DUCK!" Tobias yelled, as he dragged Erica over behind him.

An object came whizzing past them.

And, with a thud, it came to the ground and tumbled.

Tobias said, slightly panicked, "What the fuck was that?!"

"Football." Erica muttered, as she looked over the direction the object came from. Then, she muttered again, only slightly more intense, "Run."

"Uh, why?"

"Because if you don't want our asses handed to us, we run."

"Run?" A deep, masculine voice, made his presence known with a single word. The guy's build was prominent, his hair slightly in his black, angry eyes.

"Fuck." Erica whispered, and grabbed Tobias' arm, and tried to leave.

"Oh, no... you're not going anywhere Rodanbaugh. And, uhh... who the hell are you?"

Erica whispered softly so only Tobias could hear,"Lie. Do not say your real name, or you'll be in a world of hurt...just say that you're-."

"Come on! What the fuck is your name?!"

"Viktor Murphy." Erica blurted out

"Viktor Murphy?" The guy repeated.

"Yes." Erica choked out.

"Don't give me shit, Rodanbaugh!"

"Now, now. That's not a very nice thing to say to her~." A calm, soothing, feminine voice said with an accent.

"C-Cecilia?" Erica asked

-Quiet's POV-

Blazing orange eyes looked up at the woman with concern, and then the black cat meowed loudly.

It was odd.....usually Mystery was with Weiss. But, Weiss was nowhere...

The woman's blue, crystal eyes looked down at the sad animal.

"Ikaros? Have you seen Weiss?"

Ikaros walked to the table where Cherry was sitting.
"As a matter of fact, I haven't."

Cherry swept her blonde hair off of her shoulders, then stood up.

"Quiet? Could you come downstairs, please?"

Quiet opened her door and then came downstairs.

"Yes?"

"Weiss...is missing."

________________________________________________________________________________

When the rain was heavy, and beating down on the rooftops. A strong effort to make it home without getting stopped by people being assholes. Quiet was young, only eleven. Everyone was irritable and hungry. Ikaros did everyone a favour and turned into a parking lot. They all ate Japanese food that night. In the corner of Quiet's eye, she saw two kittens at the corner of the building. One was white with brilliant blue eyes and the other was black with fiery orange eyes. Quiet carefully walked over to them, and then looked at Cherry and Ikaros. They took the young cats home, and dried them off. Cherry and Ikaros let Quiet name both cats. She named the shy, black male cat Mystery, and the energetic and spontaneous pure white female cat Weiss.

________________________________________________________________________________

-Erica's POV-

"Cecilia? What are you-?"

"Get him!" She yelled behind her, then a man dressed in a suit and tie came abruptly, and carried the guy away, while an audible struggle took place.

"Honestly, Erica. You could've just punched the guy..."

"Hmph..."

"Well, I'm home! I'm happy to save your ass anytime you need, little sister~."

"Little...sister? Wait, you have a sister?" Tobias asked

"I'm the oldest sibling." Cecilia started. "Moved out when I was nineteen. Went to college..."

"Of course, you were too busy to visit when we first moved. So, the fact that I had a sister never really... came up."

"I'm sorry I couldn't. There was a major project I had to complete. Anyways, I found this a little while ago. Thought you might be interested."

Cecilia handed Erica a flier.

It read:

Come on, people of all ages!
A new local fair in Anchorage!
Come for fun and excitement!

We have games, rides, food, and much more!

Please call or visit our website for details.

"A fair?! Well, if I'm going to go, you sure as hell better come with me! And bring Adele!"

Cecilia laughed and replied, "Alright! Alright! We'll all go together! You, me, Michael, Adele, and anyone else who wants to come! We'll go as a group! Now, let's get home. It's getting late..."

The Next Day

"Tobias!" Erica yelled, as she ran, trying to catch up.

"Oh, hey! Did your dad know who the cat belongs to?"

"Yes! He said she belongs to a girl that goes to school with us."

"Who?"

"Quiet Viridi. She's in our homeroom."

"Oh, really?"

"Mhmm! Hey! I think that's her! Come on!"

Erica ran up the side walk and then yelled,"Hey! Quiet! Can I talk to yo-."

Erica saw her face. It looked sad. It was almost depressing to look at her.

"Q-Quiet? I think I've found your cat."

Her head immediately shot up.

"Huh?"

"Weiss? Right?"

"Yes. You found Weiss?!"

"Mhmm! I have a picture on my phone. Give me a moment."

Erica then found the picture, and handed her phone to Quiet.

"That's Weiss. You found Weiss."

"She was really scared when we brought her to my house. I can tell she was uncomfortable there, even though I tried to make it cozy and warm for her. I can bring her to your house after school, if that's okay?"

"Yes. That's fine. Thank you."

The three then proceeded to go into school and went to their lockers.

Erica's however, was not cooperating.

"GOD. DAMN. LOCK! Ugh, I have to get the damn key!"

She then stormed off, frustrated.

Eventually, eventuality the bell rings and Erica still wasn't back from the office.

The teacher, obviously noticed she wasn't there.

He began to ask where she was, when she burst in unexpectedly.

"Hmph. Damn lock." She mumbled.

"Okay....class. Let's begin." He says, in his normal, loud voice.

-----

"Ugh. I can't remember all of this! What the hell..." Tobias sighed, as he swapped out books.

"Hmm...Maybe I could help?" Erica asked him

"I'd appreciate that." He replied

The end of the day finally came near.
The soft glow of midday shown through the sky. Cecilia Rodanbaugh stood at the gates of the school. Her piercing gaze going across every face that passed, while waiting for her siblings to come out.

Eventually, Michael, Erica, along with Tobias, came out the door.

Cecilia's soft, pink hair waved in the wind as the sun rapidly disappeared. Her pink coloured eyes, tinted from twilight.

At the four walked to their residences, conversation faded.

Eventually, they made it to the Rodanbaugh residence. Tobias' house was a few down. The Rodanbaugh house was the odd one out. The house was dark grey, with a black tiled roof, and black shudders with matching window frames. While, the other houses were the complete opposite. White, cookie-cutter houses.

"We'll all meet back here in a little bit! Then we'll head to the fair. Sound good?"

Everyone agreed and went different ways.

Michael began to walk off with Cecilia.

Tobias went towards his house.

And, Erica, went inside.

The room was slightly chilly. Not much light came through the windows and there were no lights on in the house. Sleek wood floors spanned the room, and leading into others.
Erica flipped the light switch and lights fixed in ceiling gave light to the room.

She then walked upstairs, and stopped at the first white door with a gold knob. The room untouched since it was built. She paused, but then turned the handle.

She was fixing to open the door when...

"Hey, Erica! I'm back!"

The voice...familiar. But, not the one she wanted to hear in that exact moment.

"E-Erica?" Tobias called out, looking from downstairs. "Is everything okay?"

"O-Oh. I'm fine. I...got lost.....in my own house."

Then, she whispers, "Damn it..."

"I'll be...right back."

She then turns and opens another door, identical to the other one.

What the hell was behind that door?
Why was it so seemingly upsetting?

Tobias, with a look of worry, sits on the bottom step of the staircase. He starts picking at his grey hoodie. His eyes widen, as he checks his pockets.

"Fuck." He whispers

Erica came back a few minutes later, dressed differently, yet still the same.

The same colours...

Black jeans. A red long sleeved sweater. Combat boots.

The same. Yet different.

"E-Erica? It seems I've forgotten something. I'll be right back!"

He ran. Almost like his life depended on it.

Erica walked down the stairs, opened the door, and watched him go inside his house.

She walked towards the house....

But the only thing she could here was yelling.

Something bad....

Something bad was going to happen.

She looked though the window. And watched as a woman took
swings with a large glass bottle.

Going straight for his head.

As a large crack sounded though the house....pale hands held the woman by the wrists.

Erica looked at the women as she tried to hold her back.

"I won't let you hurt him."

To be continued...

ɐlʍɐʎs ʍɐʇɔɥ bǝɥınd ʎonɹ bɐɔʞ