Well it's finally out. I hope you all enjoy it. Lot of work went into to it. As for my Harven High fans, a new season will begin shortly.

Title and concept is based on Sunrise, Sunset by Bright Eyes.

Note: This story contains some horrifying images. Not recommended for the easily spooked.

I remember it all like it was only yesterday. That night? That moment? That fever? Everything before that night seemed so ordinary. Each day I would wake up and then undress. Life felt so endless, like a broken record stuck on its spindle. A series of repetition I could not escape. You are born into a cradle and then die onto a casket. The sun would rise at dawn and then set at dusk. My friends thought I was a bit mental. They would say, "Go take your Prozac, Kyo." I knew I was slightly depressed, but perhaps my eyes weren't wide open. Perhaps my mind was not awake, to realize the thing that mattered the most.

"Kyo! Wake up!" a voice echoed into my ear. The dark black vision in front of me soon disappeared. The obscurity slowly faded away and in came the bright florescent light that blinded my eyes. I slowly opened them to find myself sitting in a classroom with eyes surrounding my every being. I felt humiliated as they pointed and laughed at me. I tried not to look at them; it only made matters worse. The teacher shook her head at the joking faces and then continued her lecture.

I paid no attention to what Miss Yamaguchi was talking about. Instead I gazed out the window, admiring the autumn leaves outside. It was fascinating to see the various colors they made. They all hung so loosely on the trees, ready to fall. It amazed me how such beauty could be accomplished. In reality, the leaves were dying and the tree would soon lose its beauty. It wouldn't be long until death takes its toll on the plants. The days got colder and colder, which means winter was on its way. I refocused my attention back to the center of the classroom. The least I could do was pay attention, otherwise when exam time came ? I would fail.

I tried my hardest to pay attention, but the only thing I could make out was something about numbers. The bell rang and we all slowly walked out of the classroom, to get our moderate dose of exercise. Then after that, we would go back into the same classroom with a new teacher, teaching us the same boring thing. That was life. We all had to accept it; I didn't quite like the concept. I felt like I was trapped in this building, only to work in another overcrowded building sometime in the future.

"Kyo!" A familiar voice called out to me. I turned around to see who it was. She had hair and eyes the color of chocolate, which was nestled onto her smooth vanilla skin. Then there were her long eyelashes that garnished her face. That was Sonata, my?

"I can't believe you fell asleep in class!" she shouted, nagging me like she was my mother.
"I was sleepy," I answered like it was no big deal.
"Hey, Kyo. I see you're with girlfriend," Rei teased. Both he and Hideaki walked up to the two of us. Rei was always the one to say something, always the one to laugh and play. He was a bit of a jokester in the sense that he always laughed at his own random jokes. He had anxious blue eyes to match his child-like demeanor and crazed brown hair that hugged his face. Then there was Hideaki, he was a little more serious and quiet, playing the role of big brother of the group. His tense nature reflected through his brown eyes, making us want to listen to him and his concerns. But under his jet black hair there was a much lighter tone, who could be quite the pervert at times. He refused to wear the mandatory tie because he said that it "chokes his neck."

"She's not my girlfriend!" I shouted like a small child. Then they all fell silent. This sudden pause was quite awkward. I wanted to talk, but somehow I knew I had hurt Sonata's feelings.

We both shared this anomalous relationship together, almost like brother and sister. Sonata was very clingy; clinging onto me like a sock straight from the dryer. I didn't really like her in the sense that she liked me. She was more obsessive, yet I was very distant. I viewed her more as a friend and not the least bit a lover.

"Just admit you like her, Kyo," Rei spoke, breaking the silence.
"Hello! I'm still standing here in case you haven't realized," Sonata reminded us. I slowly turned my head away from them, trying to ignore the whole situation. I didn't want to cause a scene or possibly discourage anyone's feelings.
"Alright, that's enough Rei," Hideaki suggested.

The conversation pretty much dropped from there. We all headed back into the classroom with a brand new teacher, whom was ready to jam information into my already swelled up head. I returned back to my seat and did what I did best. I gazed out the window, daydreaming about what could be. There stood an exit door right in front of me, an escape to all the complications in life. All I had to do was open that door. Simply push the metal door handle forward and walk into a paradise. What a dream that would be? It would never happen though. I might as well stop dreaming and focus on what's current. Tomorrow was October thirty-first, Halloween.

Many around here thought it was just another holiday. Just another pointless western cult holiday that's slowly gaining popularity here. I felt the same. I did not believe in the dead. No ghost, spirit, or zombie would ever haunt me. I felt it was just another holiday, another commercialized event that organizations used for profit.

I continued to sit in my seat, following the same routine class after class. This routine would be the same each time, until the final bell would ring. Even then I was still not free. We each had classroom jobs to do when school ended. My job was to take a mop and rub it against the floor until it was spotless. The floors never did get spotless though, it was like dirt had been cemented to the ground.

I went into the utilities room and grabbed two mops; one for me and the other for Hideaki, who had the same job as me. Hideaki went to fill the bucket with hot water and cleaning solvent, as I waited in the classroom for him to bring it back. Then he arrived and we dipped our worn-down beaten up mops into the bucket. I took my mop and rubbed it against the tiles. Usually the people who mopped would take their mops and run straight to the other side. It was much faster that way, but I was too lazy to even try. I just stood there in place, mopping the same area over and over again. Hideaki looked at me strangely while he ran up and down the aisles mopping the floor as fast as he could. I would simply chuckle back at him, as he foolishly ran.

"Kyo, pick up the pace. I don't want to be here forever," Hideaki ordered me.
"Fine," I said arrogantly. I soon picked up the pace and did what everyone else did. I ran across the classroom dragging the mop to quickly clean the floors.

This similar scenario would happen each day that we had this job. I would slowly clean the floors, and then get yelled at to pick up the pace. There was nothing new about it. When we eventually finished we both dropped off our mops and buckets to the utilities room. Then we would head to the locker area and wait for Rei who had to sweep the hallway.

We both stood there swaying back and forth and when that got tiring we searched for open lockers or just twisted the dials as much as we could. Minutes later, Rei joined us and we waited for him to gather all his things from his locker.

"You know tomorrow is Halloween," Rei reminded us. He closed the locker door shut and placed his backpack onto his back.
"So, it's not like anyone actually celebrates it," Hideaki retorted.
"I was thinking we should go into the woods tomorrow," Rei suggested.
"The woods on a school night? Are you crazy?" Hideaki questioned him.
"I don't know about this. It's just a stupid holiday anyways. Don't tell me you believe in this Rei?" I asked. I personally thought the idea was ridiculous. Believing in such a foolish holiday and then going into the woods at night.
"Come on guys. What's the worst that could happen?" Rei asked like it was no big deal.
"I'm not going," Hideaki stated.
"I'll think about," I answered at the same time.

Our responses quickly differed from each other. Hideaki was more of a quiet type. He was very commanding at times, but when something concerned him, he would always pursue that action.
"Just think about it, okay?" Rei responded, not letting his brilliant idea go to waste. Hideaki shook his head at Rei, giving him disapproval. I didn't want to stand there and watch the two of them argue over something so pointless. I knew the outcome would always result in us going into the woods anyways. I started walking away from the two of them. Within seconds, they realized I was gone, so they caught up and started walking alongside.

The three of us had been friends for as long as I could remember. We all lived in the same neighborhood and went to the same elementary and junior high. We would always walk to and from school together. It was much safer that way and we would never feel lonely. They both thought I was quite imaginative and a bit out of the ordinary. Even when we were having the time of our lives, I would quickly point out a flaw. They called it depression; I called it a defect. I didn't really care; I thought my mind was too complex for my sixteen-year-old body to handle.

We soon exited the school complex and continued walking down the sidewalk path, passing the many homes along the way. The autumn wind blew, with the multicolored leaves trailing behind as they crunched along the cement sidewalk. We were silent for the duration of the walk. I did not mind that much; I would rather hear the sounds of the wind than their bickering. We walked several more steps, moving farther and farther along the gray path in front of us. We soon came to a stop as we drew near Hideaki's home. We waved him a farewell and continued walking and walking. In a way it felt endless, like walking forever on a treadmill. We did this each day, and each day was the same.

Rei and I took more steps along the pathway. I soon saw my house in the distance. I was more than eager to get home. I took faster strides, moving myself quickly along the path. Rei soon trailed behind, but I did not care. The front door was calling me, like a dog being called by its master. Then I stopped.

"Kyo, what's the rush?" Rei asked from far behind. I slowly turned around and walked over to him.
"I don't know," I said unable to explain this door concept.
"What's wrong Kyo? Is it your medicine? You've been acting so odd lately. Sleeping in class, refusing to have a girlfriend, acting all sluggish, it's just not healthy. Maybe you should see a doctor or something?" Rei suggested. His face was more serious than usual, and I could tell by his tone that he was really concerned.

I was quite shocked to hear him say that. They usually joked around about it, but this time they were serious. I was mad, upset, and at the worse, I felt like a patient at some mental home.

"A doctor?" I answered disapprovingly.
"Never mind? forget what I said. Your house is right there. See you tomorrow."
"Alright then, see you tomorrow," I answered back. We both took several more steps until we reached my house. Rei stood there on the sidewalk and watched me walk up to the front door. I dug my hands into my pocket and searched around for my key. Once I found it, I took it out of my pocket and unlocked the door. Rei still stood there, watching me like a frozen statue stuck in its position. I took one last look at him and walked inside the house, closing the door behind me.

Grabbing the strap of my backpack, I removed the heavy book bag from my back and placed it onto the hardwood floor. I sat down and carefully took off my shoes and placed it into the closet. I turned back around, standing up, and grabbed my backpack from off the floor and carried it along with me.

"Mommy, I'm home," I called out. I felt a bit childish for still calling her mommy, what I had grown to call her, and yet I never made the initiative to simply call her mom. She smiled at me from the kitchen and I returned the smile back. After our small reunion, I walked down the narrow hallway to my bedroom. I continued walking taking much notice at the art hung on the wall and the plant underneath.

I glanced at it for a few more seconds, then slid open the door and walked into my sanctuary. It looked a bit traditional with the tatami flooring and the choice of wallpaper. I did not care really. This was the room that I called home, my temporary escape from reality. All I had to do was to close the door and I soon became warped into this sanctuary. I placed my backpack down on the floor and soon opened it, taking out my homework. I spread out the contents all around, with books on each side of me. I even had cup of colored pencils, which I probably didn't need at all. I began working on it, although it was hard to concentrate with the words that Rei said to me. After completing it, I put my homework back into my backpack and zipped it up tight, and then I laid on my bed, waiting for dad to come home so dinner could be served.

On schedule, dad arrived and we ate dinner in the living room. The simplicity of a family not eating together astonished me. I heard of tales of families from the West who never ate dinner together. Instead they would take their cooked food and eat on the sofa. Their values soon faded away, as they engaged themselves into this box. There they sat watching and watching, ignoring the problems each family member may have encountered. I was lucky to have such a family, though I never really discussed to them what troubled me the most. After we were finished eating, I handed my mother the plates from the table for her to wash. Then I walked back into my room where I would lounge for the next few hours until it was time for bed.

I sat there on the floor aimless, bored, and oppressed. I did not know what else to do. Out of spite, I opened the drawer of my nightstand and took out my Nintendo DS. I pressed the power button and waited for the screen to load. It took forever just get to the actual game play. Finally the game started, I sat there, petting my virtual dog. It was a Shiba Inu with golden fur on its dorsal side and white fur on its underbelly. I continued petting him until he rolled over, which I then started rubbing his belly. I was never allowed to have a dog; our house was too small as it is. They said I did not have the responsibility either. Instead, this game met my desires. I eventually got tired of playing and I turned off the game and closed the two screens until they came as one.

It started raining and I sat up against the window watching the rain fall down from the sky. It came in a small downpour, each drop nourishing the earth. I listened to the sounds of the rain coming down. Their constant, steady beat would even sooth the angriest man. The rain came down washing everything corrupt away. Like a shower, making everything all clean and pure. I continued to watch and listen some more. Eventually my attention span grew tired and my time became slim. It was soon time for bed, so I now needed to get ready.

I stepped into the brightly lit room. I stepped onto the tiled floor and eyed the bathtub in front of me. I walked over, turned the knobs and placed the plug into the drain. I watched patiently for the water to rise higher and higher. Once it was full I slowly walked over to the tub and crawled right in. I could feel the warm water up against my skin, and so I sat there, and relaxed. I felt this sort of tranquility as I sat there peacefully. My mind was refined, untainted, and free from any thoughts. I couldn't stay forever though.

The bath had to end sometime. I washed myself then sat a few more minutes to rinse off. Then I felt this sudden chill in the water. The warm water quickly turned cold like ice. I couldn't quite put my mind on how such a temperature decline was possible. I felt goose bumps form all around my body. Then my skin felt suddenly wrinkled than usually. I looked down at my hands to see them all shriveled up like raisins. At that point, I felt it was necessary to get out.

I slowly reached the plug and pulled it, draining the unpleasant liquid. Hurriedly I jumped out of the tub and ran towards my towel. Wrapping the towel around my damp body, I watched as the water swirled down the drain. To my surprise the tub was empty and free from any foreign objects. I shook my head then dried myself out. I then changed into my gray sweatpants and watched the remaining water go down. It made this gurgling sound, like a cry for death. It sent chills down my spine. Like foreshadowing from a story, it only signaled danger that was soon to come. Finally the bathtub fully drained out and then I turned and walked to my bedroom.

I went directly up to my alarm clock and set the alarm for school tomorrow. Then I slowly crawled into my bed sheets, pulling the covers over my body. I rested there briefly for the blankets to warm up my cold body. Then I looked towards to other side opposite from the wall. The moonlight glowed through the windows, creating this dreamlike nightlight in my room. It created this soothing mood that allowed my mind to warp into this slumber. As my eyes fully closed, my mind wandered off into a peaceful dream, the last dream I would have before they all turned to nightmares.

Then I heard a sound rumble into my ears. Like a violent tango, my ears rang and my dream soon ended, interrupted by this sudden ruckus. My senses soon awoke and I heard that same sound again. The sound came from my alarm clock that rested on my nightstand. I gave the alarm a good pound, pushing the snooze button. I slowly drifted back to sleep, waiting for the second alarm to come. It wasn't before long until that unpleasant sound came again. I didn't push the snooze button this time. I was going to get out of bed and get ready for school. However, I couldn't get up. I felt like I was drowning in my bed. The sheets were the waters that drew me in and the mattress felt like a bottomless hole. I tried to get up, but I could feel my eyes slowly close and my mind drift off into this blankness.

I could not fight it; I was simply drowning in my own sleep. I needed some inner tube, some kind of ring of life to save me. Finally I fought it off and jumped out of my bed. I rubbed both my eyes and turned on the lights. My eyes quickly stung as the rays of light entered them. It was now morning and with my drowning incident I had only 10 minutes to get ready. I opened up my drawers and took out another set of my school uniform and changed into it. Then I looked at the mirror to see my hair a mess. I grabbed a comb and combed it until it was halfway decent. At last I grabbed my backpack and walked out the door, waiting to meet up with my friends.

I waited on the cement sidewalk for Rei to come walking down towards my house. I looked off into the distance, easily spotting him on his way. He looked pretty excited about something, which was not quite what I expected, especially from yesterday's incident. He ran up to me, eager to say something.
"Did they say yes, Kyo?" he immediately asked.
"Yes to what?" I asked a bit puzzled.
"To the woods," Rei answered back. My lower jaw slightly declined itself. I had completely forgotten all about going to the woods. I didn't want to bring his hopes down; he looked like he stayed up watching a marathon of horror movies.
"Oh that," I answered, pretending to remember.
"Well," he said eagerly.
"They said yes, as long as we come home by nine," I lied.

I watched Rei get suddenly excited about the idea. I simply stood there calm, I personally did not care whether we went or not. It was better than a night of petting some virtual dog. We both walked down the sidewalk path and met up with Hideaki. He had finally come to his senses and agreed to going into the woods. Rei's face lit up with excitement that all three of us were going. He started talking about what to bring to the woods and how scary it would be. Hideaki and I simply nodded at whatever comments he threw at us. I could tell the two of us didn't care less.

We continued walking on until we arrived at the school campus. The three of us cautiously walked into the building. Rei was being a bit superstitious, not wanting to open the door or anything. We headed into the locker area where we emptied out our backpacks and got everything that we needed for our classes. My locker was on the far side, several rows down from where Hideaki and Rei had theirs. I grabbed everything out that I needed, and then gently closed the door shut. I took a few steps towards Rei's locker when I saw something that caught my eye.

There standing next to Rei was Sonata. I dashed towards the set of lockers to the left and crept out from the corner, watching the two of them talk. For some reason, I suspected Rei to mention what he told me yesterday after school. I cupped my hand and held it against my ears and listened, like some nosy little eavesdropper.

"Kyo needs to see a doctor, Sonata," I heard Rei say.
"I miss the cheerful Kyo. He's so depressed now," Sonata answered back.

I dropped my hand to my side. I didn't want to hear anymore. I could not believe the two of them thought of such things. They would joke around, but never were they serious about it. I was going to walk away after that; I didn't want to hear more of this anguish.

Then I crept out from the corner to take another peak and there I saw Hideaki talking to the two of them, and I listened in again to hear my name being mentioned. There they were talking behind my back like I was nowhere in the premises, like I was deaf and could not even trace them from far away. I pressed my back against the cold lockers. The seams in the locker dug into my uniform and ventilations ridges nearly piercing my skin. How was I going to face the three of them after what I had just heard? Then I crept out from the corner once again. The three of them finally separated. Rei and Hideaki appeared as they were heading towards the classroom, while Sonata looked as she was coming towards me. She walked and walked as her body soon drew close to me. The sound of her footsteps trickled my spine. I felt this sudden rush of adrenaline come at me.

There she came walking and like a fool, she walked passed me expecting me to be at my locker. I turned around and casually walked up to her, like I had never heard their discussion. She smiled at me, happy to see my face. Her welcoming expression was alarming and least of what I expected to see.

"There you are Kyo," she said warmingly.
"Hey, you're happy to see me," I answered smoothly. Then I felt this warming, nervous feeling, my body temperature rose and I slowly started sweating. I expected the next words to come out of her mouth was about my condition.
"Kyo, we've been talking and well? we really want you to seek help."
"What do you mean?" I questioned, pretending I had no clue about this all.

"Kyo, we aren't blind. We saw you spying on us from that corner. Please Kyo," she answered back. I froze for a second. I was quite shocked they had actually seen me from the corner; and to think I was some kind of secret spy person. I didn't know how to answer back, so I said what naturally came out.
"Huh!"
"Kyo, don't give me that. Please! Come on!" she started to beg. I felt somewhat pathetic now, that she had to beg like a dog to get my attention. Then I tried to give her the sad puppy dog eyes, but it didn't quite work. Then she raised her hands in the air and asked, "When was the last time you looked in the mirror, because you've changed?"

I froze in place, shocked to hear her say that. They all said, "I've changed," yet I was not quite sure how that was possible. Was it my hair? Or maybe it was the few bags under my eyes? I was note quite sure to how this change took place. I was still the same person, same likes, same interests, and same personality. There was just this cloud of smoke now blocking my perception. I did not quite receive the same happiness I used to. I thought it was maturity, but I was wrong. Then I stood there looking into her eyes with the same puppy dog eyes. Only this time I looked really sad and really meant it. She gave me this sudden sad expression as well, sympathizing for me. She opened her arms and hugged me gently.

We both walked to class together after that. We were pretty much silent for the duration of the walk. Neither Hideaki nor Rei spoke of the matter throughout the entire day. I suspected Sonata requested them not to speak of it. I took my seat and prepared myself for class. Sonata sat staring at me as I arranged my papers and books and took out my notes.

"Excited for tonight?" Rei whispered from across the aisle way.
"Excited for what?" Sonata questioned, a bit suspicious of what was going on.
"Halloween in the woods," Rei explained. I simply shook my head, disapproving of the whole idea, but it didn't make a difference anyways.
"Which woods?" she asked curiously.
"Yeah, which one?" I asked the same.

"Takamara Woods," He answered confidently. Both Sonata and I dropped our jaws as we heard the name announced.
"Not the Takamara Woods," I responded displeased.
"I never heard of the Takamara Woods," Hideaki joined in from several seats back. Apparently we were loud enough for others to listen to our conversation.
"They say the Takamara Woods is haunted with spirits. It used to be a really nice cemetery where many were buried. The funeral service company went bankrupt and weren't able to fund for the woods maintenance. Eventually the woods over took the cemetery and some say every now and then their spirits rise from the grave," Sonata explained.

"We are going to some old graveyard!" Hideaki shouted from behind. He was quite alarmed as I was at the thought. I heard Takamara Woods was haunted, but never a cemetery. I would hate to awaken some dead corpse because Hideaki dropped his flashlight or something.
"Come on, it's Halloween," Rei pressured him.
"I'm not going. I don't even celebrate that stupid holiday anyways," Hidaeki refused. I watched the two of them argue back and forth in a fury of words. The students around them all commented and snickered at their childlike behavior. Eventually Hideaki came to his senses and agreed to going. It was perfect timing too, considering the teacher had just walked into the classroom ready to teach.

Like usual, I sat there warped into another world. Imagining this parallel utopia, where life moved ever so slowly, treasuring each second like it was the last. There were no stores, no businesses, and no schools, only homes. Everything that we ever needed was already inside our house. The conveniences were simply at our fingertips, and our houses would surround this sanctuary. This paradise of life, surrounded with grass, trees, ponds, rivers, streams, and everything else you could imagine. Everything was just there in one area, where the leaves on the trees would stay gold and red forever. Where the desert was nestled onto this small island surrounded by a fresh water pond where the gold fish swam. And if you glance to your left, a snow covered artic escape awaits you, but the snow was never cold and no snowflake would ever be alike. Just as it all seemed too good to be true, I heard this echo; this sudden static in the lullaby.

"Kyo wake up!" Miss Yamaguchi shouted. I opened my eyes, like before - the darkness left and in came the light to fill the void. I rubbed my eyes slowly, ever so slightly, so that my eyes could adjust to the light. When I could finally see, their eyes had surrounded me once again. Like animals they all pointed and laughed at me. I simply ignored them and looked away. I grabbed my pencil from out of my pocket and placed my notebook in the center of the table. Then I began writing like light-speed, trying to catch up from where I'd left behind.

The day lingered on and on like some kind of fragrance sprayed in the middle of the hallway, which traveled its way throughout the school. The final bell rang, but once again I was not free from this building. We had classroom jobs to do. I mopped the floor like usual in the same spot, as slow as ever. However, this time Hideaki didn't yell at me. Instead he mopped around me. I laughed silently to myself and continued mopping at the same pace. Then we put our supplies away and waited for Rei to meet us near the lockers. I could not help but already feel the repetition that was already plaguing itself upon this day. No matter what day it was, it was always the same shit. Just a different day and occasionally, something amazing will happen. You may never know what it is, but when it happens, you'll know.

As I basked myself with this repetition, I closed my eyes and pictured the future. The series of events dragged far behind and now became the present. We flash forward to the woods, that special night, the moment I felt that amazing fever.

Hours later we were walking alongside the sidewalk paths of Takamara Woods. The daylight was now drowned in the darkness, lit by the moon and the stars. A strong gust of wind breezed its way towards us. I shivered in fear of what could possibly happen. On my left hand side, I saw a series of dense trees aligned along the sidewalk. I peered into the tiny gaps in between the trees and saw nothing but pure darkness. The forest was blanketed by this darkness surrounded by the mystery of being haunted. Not exactly what you call funny if you ask me.

We brought two flashlights, a lantern, an old map Rei found online and Hideaki's cell phone. He was the only one of the three that actually owned a cell phone. Rei's parents thought it was crazy for a teen to own one and I simply despised the thought of owning one. I thought of them as cancerous devices used to shout at people. They do nothing but cause trouble. You watch people talk into them, shouting to the other person on the other line, because the reception is so horrible. Then people automatically opened themselves up for eavesdroppers, listening to their every conversation and the volume is turned up so high that you can hear the other person on the other line. I thought nothing of them; simply devices used to rob people for communicating to each other.

At last we reached the entrance to the forest. Strong winds blew at us along with this unpleasant sound of leaves rustling in the background. The entrance was quite hidden with a series of trees blocking what looked like an opening.

"This is it. No turning back," Rei reminded us. I nodded my head as he finished, but Hideaki looked quite displeased. The forest was not very inviting, with the bare tree branching out towards us like fingers from some sort of monster.
"Well are we going in?" I asked.
"I guess so," Hideaki answered, his voice slightly shaken. He took a small gulp, swallowing down his fears. Then we took a small step into the deep forest.

Immediately the darkness blinded our vision. We had no choice but to turn on whatever light source we had. I flicked the switch on the flashlight, illuminating the path ahead of us. At first we took small cautious steps, fearful of what was ahead. In every direction the dark bark of the trees enclosed us into this path that we had to follow. So as we followed along, moving deeper into the forest, the darkness grew. We walked on and on, following where the path led us.

"Rei, when we are turning back? How many trees do you have to see? Aren't you scared yet?" Hideaki complained.
"Not until we reach the cemetery," Rei confidently explained. My eyes lit up as I heard the word cemetery. I was cold, bored, tired and a bit scared. There was no possible way I could walk for another half an hour into these woods, especially on Halloween.
"I'm turning back," I suggested, as I stopped walking from the group. They stopped as well, but Rei didn't look too happy about the idea.
"No one's turning back. We are almost there," Rei ordered the two of us. It was quite strange how he was suddenly in charge of the both of us. He was usually treated as the child of the group, but his sudden eagerness to take us to the woods made an exception.

"And how would you know we are near?" Hideaki suspiciously asked.
"I have a map, you know," Rei reminded the two of us.
"How can you read that map? It's probably outdated; besides how would you know where we are going? It's too dark to tell what anything is anyways," I questioned him again.

He unfolded the corners of the map and held it towards us. The printed map on computer paper had an address at the bottom of it and Untitled Document at the top. Rei started to point out the location of the cemetery, guiding his finger along the rest of the path we had to follow. However, something was a bit fishy about this map.

I took my flashlight and shone the light towards the center of the map. Then I gave it a good stare, taking much notice into every detail and trying to find the exact whereabouts of this cemetery. Then it caught me, at the corner of the map. It read Takanara Woods and not Takamara Woods. I doubt it was a typo; this was simply the wrong map.

"Takanara Woods?" I quickly questioned him.
"What? This is Takamara Woods," Rei corrected me. Then Hideaki looked all around the map of the woods until it caught his eye as well, and then he smiled and laughed at Rei.
"Take a closer look at the lower right hand corner," I pointed out to him. Then he stared at the map with his jaw hanging wide opening.

He just stood there in silence, dreading the simple little mistake he had just made. We were now lost in the bitter woods, with no map and the batteries of our flashlights now running low. The light now became dim and the path in front of us was now only visible a meter ahead of us. I turned off my flashlight to save the batteries. I figured I might as well save whatever power it had left. No sense of having two flashlights and a lantern running at the same time. We waited a few more minutes for Rei to cool down. Eventually he came to his senses, ready to go home.

"I think we should turn back now," Rei suggested.
"Now you think so," Hideaki said rudely.
"Which is back again?" I asked. We completely lost sense of direction while standing in the same area for quite some time now.

"I think it's that way," Hideaki pointed behind us.
"How can you be so sure?" I questioned him.
"Shit! I forgot the compass," Rei added in. Hideaki and I nearly dropped to the floor. We were about ready to beat Rei down to the ground. It was his idea to bring us out here and he was in charge of the supplies.
"I have my cell phone," Hideaki reminded us. As much as I hated those things, I was quite relieved to actually see its presence. Then Hideaki opened up his flip phone, with a blank expression on his face. He then closed his phone back and slid the stupid thing into his pocket.
"There's no reception," he said in a disappointed tone.

At that point I was nearly ready to chew both of their heads off. This felt like some kind of repeat from the Blair Witch Project, where we get lost into the woods and something bad will happen. I was now stuck in some cliche that added more repetition to my already boring life.

"Damn!" Rei shouted with the map in his hand ready to shred the darn thing.
"Let's just go to our right and if we don't see anything familiar, we'll turn back and go the other direction," I suggested, of course my plan was not flawless. It was too dark to tell what anything was and the trees all looked the same to me.
"Nice plan," Hideaki said sarcastically. Then we walked, following the plan I had set forth.

We inched our way through the dark path. We would pass trees and more trees, such an ubiquitous combination that made it hard to remember anything familiar. I would have suggested turning around, but who knew if we were heading in the right direction. We had to move forward, turning back would only get us more lost. We continued walking and walking until we finally reached this area with a patch of light. The area was less dense, so the moonlight was able to reach past the trees. I looked up to see the twinkling of the stars above, lighting up the night sky.

"This is the wrong way Kyo!" Rei shouted at me. I stopped looking at the stars and finally paid attention to what he meant. The area was quite unfamiliar; we had never encountered this clearing earlier, which only meant that we went forwards and not backwards.
"Let's turn around now," Hideaki suggested. Yet, I was not quite ready to turn around so fast. This sudden open area sparked my curiosity, what if the graveyard was really nearby.
"Let's just explore the area a bit," Rei pressured him.
"Fine," Hideaki said grumpily. He gave out a small sigh and we continued walking through this open area.

Rei held the lantern in his hand shining the light in all directions around us. At first all we saw was trees several meters away from us, but as we moved closer we saw something a bit different. It almost appeared as stone; it had this grayish tint to it, unlike the dark brown bark of trees. Maybe it was really the cemetery and those were the tombstones that we were seeing. Before I suggested what they could possibly be, Rei went running. He just darted off, leaving the two of us behind with one dim flashlight.

"Rei get your ass back here!" I shouted in anger. Hideaki could not help but laugh, it was a bit unexpected of me, but what was I to do. Then I felt it, this sudden chill that rushed up my spine. It was the same feeling I had in the bathtub. I suddenly felt cold. My stomach felt a bit weak and my hands became frozen like ice. I stopped walking and nearly fell to the ground.

Hideaki shouted at me to get off the ground, but I couldn?t get up. This intense feeling was beyond my control and I did not have the strength to fight it. I laid there helpless while Rei ran away leaving us behind, and Hideaki possibly doing the same. Then we stood there for a second and looked at each other. This intense screech came out from nowhere, rumbling the brains of our heads. Then like a gunshot being fired this creature stood in front of us wearing a black dress. I could not tell whether she was human or not, but her presence was ghostly. She had no eyes either, only these circular balls of darkness that stared at our every being. Her face was dark as well, aged, and fairly dirty. She took only a glance at us and was prepared to make her next move.

Without question, she accosted Hideaki grabbing his youth with him. She pulled him ever so fiercely, appearing as it took her no effort at all. Then she took her arms and wrapped them around his body, grasping him like a snake getting ready to swallow its prey. I looked over at Hideaki standing there helpless in the arms of this creature. His face turned sour and his skin grew pale. I could tell he was now suffocating, choking on whatever air he had left. She moved her monstrous head closer to his body; appearing as she was about suck the flesh out of him. I had to do something; I could not just lie there on the ground watching my friend possibly die.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my flashlight. It was the only weapon I had and my only chance I could save him. I flipped on the switch of the flashlight and shone it as fast as possible into the creature's eyes. I aimed the light directly into these shadowy figures, piercing the darkness that was held together. Then another loud screech came from the creature that nearly shattered my eardrums. I tried to keep all my composure and continued to shine the light into the creature's eyes. Like magic, her arms slowly loosen until Hideaki was free. His almost dead body dropped to the ground and in an instant the creature nearly vanished.

Then the creature was gone and nowhere in sight. I felt the intense pain slowly ease its way out of me. With my right arm I pushed myself up and then walked over to Hideaki who was lying aimlessly on the ground.

"Hideaki!" I shouted. He inched his body, signaling that he was alive. I stood there for several minutes and watched him make a slight recovery; each function that returned to normal brought smiles to my face. Finally when he looked healthy enough, I held out my hand and pulled him up from the ground.
"Thanks," he said smoothly.
"I wonder where Rei is," I curiously asked.
"Let's go find him and get out of here as soon as possible," Hideaki suggested. I nodded my head and the two of us cautiously walked out into the open area. We tightly held both our flashlights in case another creature was to come out and attack us.

Then we walked, and we walked some more under the moonlight surrounded by the darkness of these branching trees. The grayish stone-like objects now appeared much closer than before. And there standing between two of stone-like objects was a figure.
"Rei!" Hideaki shouted, grabbing his attention. Rei was standing there innocently reading off the carvings engraved into the tombstones. We walked nearer, until we were right in front of him. At a time like this, he was simply reading the names of these dead bodies buried beneath the earth, while we suffered hell from this flesh-eating creature.
"Rei what are you doing? Let's go back now," I suggested, grabbing his arm and pulling him away from cracked tombstones covered with moss and dirt.

Rei however, wouldn't budge but simply stood there and read the engravings. I sighed deeply and grabbed his arm and pulled him again. He wouldn?t budge again either. I looked down at the ground and saw leaves piled up around the stone. There were also a series of bugs crawling around in the leaves. I saw spiders, worms, centipedes, crickets, millipedes, and beetles all crawling around in harmony.
"Hold on Kyo. We made it this far, aren't you curious about the wood?s origins?" Rei finally spoke. I was quite shocked to hear him speak, for a moment there I thought he was maybe possessed by some creature.

I let go of his arm and then turned behind me to see Hideaki. He looked a bit frightened somehow. He kept staring off into the distance. I figured he wanted to leave quickly and was staring at the direction out of here. I grabbed Rei's arm again; however, this time I was able to gain a good grip on his arm. With all my might I pulled him, dragging his body away from the tombstones.

"Fine, then let's leave," he said rudely. I felt like smacking him in the face, his tone of voice was too much.
"Hideaki, we are leaving now!" I called out loud. He stood there shaking ever so slightly. Then it quickly caught my eyes as well. Out in the distance where he stared, were these green eyes.

The three of us stood in fear, gazing at deep leafy green eyes. The fierce glow and the slight tilting of the eyes signaled this sort of chaos. I wanted to just dart off; leaving this area as soon as possible, but with any sudden movements the creature was bound to attack us.

"What is it?" Rei asked. Without hesitation, he took the lantern and beamed it towards the creature. The strong rays illuminated its way towards the darkness. We stood there watching in fear as the shadowy area soon lit up. Out of nowhere this loud shriek rumbled it way towards us. I wanted to run. I wanted to hide. I wanted to just get out of here. My entire body shook in trepidation of what was to come next. Hideaki and Rei moved themselves closer to me. The three of us stood so close to each other, I could feel their bodies shake against mine. The figure moved its way closer and closer to us.

Until finally it stroked us like a beam of lightning. The creature was inches in front of us. Unlike the previous creature, this one appeared male and even less friendly than the other. He gave us a cold look, with his piercing eyes nearing stabbing. The three of us trembled like an earthquake, not even daring to make an attempt to escape. My eyes quickly flashed before me and when I opened them I saw Rei clenched into the creature's palms. The creature mashed his hands into his body, moving in such a violent rage. I wanted to do something, but I couldn't. And like a coward ? I ran. I darted off into the vastness, leaving my friends behind. I had nothing with me but my own body. My flashlight had already dropped to the ground as soon as I had seen the creature's face.

I continued running and running until my legs could no longer run. I had no clue where I was. When I took off I scurried into these bushes and then into these trees. I took a few more lazy steps until I saw this hole in the ground. Odds were against me now and this creature was bound to find me within minutes after devouring my friends. So I went my way towards this dark hole. It looked almost freshly dug with the way the shovel was positioned on the ground. It didn't look too pleasant; the rusty shovel looked more like it could also be weapon. I had no other choice, so I took a deep breath, inhaling what could be my last breath of air. Then I walked over to the edge of the hole and stepped off the invisible step. My body slowly sank into it. To my surprise it wasn't very deep, but it was just perfect enough to hide away.

After falling, I adjusted my legs and sat into whatever position that was most comfortable. I couldn't see anything in this darkness. I felt the soil under my hands along with creepy crawling insects roughing its way through the ground. My only source of light was the moon and the stars and even those didn't provide enough. Then I smelled it, this foul vile smell from above. I wondered what it was. I crossed my fingers, hoping that it was not the creature. And to the left above this hole, I saw blood.

Right above sat a rotten pile of carnivorous flesh. It was disgusting. It was gross and the worse part was the smell. It was so foul; flies did not even surround it. I tried not to look at the pile of bones and skin. I could not even imagine what sick twisted act was committed. I placed my hand on my nose and squeezed it so I could not smell the pain. It started to get colder, and I could feel my body trembling once again. The cold air brushed against my skin forming goose bumps through my body. I tried not to think of the cold and instead focus on something else. Out of pure curiosity, I continued to glance around the hole and I saw this peculiar object in the corner.

It looked almost like cloth, but what would fabric be doing down in this hole? I slowly got up from the corner and crawled my way towards the other side of the hole. Immediately I felt something lumpy. It felt ridged, but somehow smooth. It felt almost like human skin. Then I glanced down at this figure ahead of me. With the glare of moonlight I was able to depict the figure and it was indeed a human corpse. The being appeared old and elder and by the curves in her chest she was female. I asked no questions, I crawled back to my corner. This all felt so morbid, almost like hell itself. I tried not to think of all the horror that surrounded me. Somehow in this inferno, I saw hope. So I gazed up at the stars, admiring the twinkle and shine in each and every one of them. The lights became comforting and with those stars, my body found ease. I closed my eyes and tried to fall into a peaceful sleep. And so I did, I slept.

I had not known how long I had been out for. My eyes just felt so weary from all these horrors. When I had awoken I saw this comforting glow just sitting above the hole. I rubbed my eyes once or twice and gazed up upon this glow. It looked like an arm of an angel. Perhaps I died and this was my transportation above, but that couldn't have been true. The arm just stood there, waiting for me to grab onto it. It could even be that creature's arms, but I took no hesitations. I grabbed onto the arm and waited for my body to be lifted above. Something quickly struck when I held onto to this hand. Its skin was not smooth, but more of a rough feeling. It felt like sandpaper, but through the ridges I felt this softness. I continued to hold on until I was pulled high enough to pull myself up.

I slowly crept off from the ground and before long I was standing on two feet again. Immediately I looked for the person who pulled me up. And there I saw the arm's bearer. She stood in the moonlight, radiating with this indescribable beauty.

She had long dark hair that covered her perfectly sculpted face. Then came these eerie features to her, like quivered lips filled with sores, patches all throughout her face and her skin looked so pale with a blue-ish tint to it. She looked dead, like an awakened corpse. However, I felt this sense of royalty in her. Perhaps she was a fallen princess or maybe she was really an angel. Whatever she was, I wanted to know more about her.

At snail's pace I walked over to her, eager to learn more about her. She shyly turned around and looked away from me.
"Thank you," I said politely. I couldn't quite tell if she nodded back or not. Her body language was so difficult to comprehend.
"I'm Kyo, what's your name?" I spoke clearly. I thought she wouldn't ever respond. She just stood there away from me, until finally she turned towards me.
"Ary? Arienette," she choked, but almost heavenly. I didn't quite know what to say back. Her name echoed throughout my head, repeating over and over again. Then out of pure stupidity I told her the stupidest thing I could possibly say.

"I'm lost," I said stating the obvious. She nodded her head and then slowly started walking away. She couldn't possibly leave me here alone. By the way she was walking; I figured she wanted me to follow. So I did and followed closely behind her. At that point, I wanted to open my mouth and bombard her with several different questions. Most particularly asking if she was dead or not, but instead I said something else.
"It's a nice night out isn't?" I spoke clearly.
"Yes it is," she answered back. I was once again delighted to hear the sound of her voice. We both continued to walk and walk. I did not quite know where she was taking me, but I did not care. I enjoyed her company and there was this part of me that felt quickly attached to her.

"Where are we going?" I finally managed to find the courage to ask. She didn't respond back though, she just kept strolling off taking me to the unknown. I didn?t speak much for the entirety of our walk; I didn't want to kill the moment with my foolish questions. At last we stopped walking and stood in front of this water like structure ahead. She crept over the edge of the water and sat along the bank, gazing at her reflection. I walked over to her and sat down, and also stared off into the water. However, I could only see my reflection. No matter how hard I looked at it, I did not see hers. I looked over to her with a blank expression on my face and saw the same expression from her.

I could see this sorrow in her eyes, as I somehow felt she yearned to live. Her dark eyes stared at me in a way that almost touched my soul. I felt this connection with her that I had never felt with anyone else. I felt intertwined to her like corresponding pieces. I did not even know her, but I knew what kind of person she was from first sight. I felt like I could spend eternity with her, sitting along the side of the water. I glanced back at the water, noticing these unpleasant waves suddenly shake up from the pond. Immediately she rose to her feet, grabbing my arm along with her. Somehow I knew what was about to come. It was the creatures, these zombies after my flesh and me. Maybe Arienette was their princess or something and they were mad. I asked no more questions and just ran alongside her.

"What's going on?" I curiously asked. I was tired of trying to put two and two together and finally wanted some answers.
"It's Hollow's Eve," she answered. I somehow expected such a brief and concise response from her. I nodded my head and we both darted off into the moonlight. This sudden rush of adrenaline thrilled me. For once in many moons, I was finally experiencing true happiness. It was quite a good feeling; there was nothing I could take back about the situation. It simply all thrilled me; in fact I didn't even mind being taken by the creatures.

Arienette continued dashing off with me tagging along behind her. I looked over my shoulder to see those creatures following closely behind us. All of them looked hideous except Arienette and none of them looked the least bit friendly. They all walked their hands towards us, body beaten up and aged. I could not bear to even look at them. Their eyes were so fierce and gruesome; I would probably be distracted and fall into their arms. I turned back around and I saw Arienette looking very eager. I could tell by the slight smirk on her face she had some kind of plan. I just hoped it would get the two of us away from the zombies behind us. Then it occurred to me that I was missing someone. The two companions of this very long and tedious journey; the friends I'd left behind. I wondered what happened to the two of them.

They are probably dead, eaten, beaten and skinned for their flesh. Without a doubt, I had no idea how they could have managed to escape. Yet I left them behind, like some coward. Such a selfish act and somehow I was rewarded with her standing beside me. She looked back at me as we still ran away from them. She looked at me, confused by the distress in my eyes.
"Everything is going to be fine," she spoke in such a comforting tone. I was quite surprised to hear her say that, but I had to believe in her words. I had no choice otherwise and it was my only sign of hope. I put my worries aside and the two of us ran. We picked up the pace and darted off, leaving them all behind.

There in front of me I saw the hole of darkness along with the pile of flesh and the shovel lying on the ground. Back to the rabbit hole I would go, but instead we walked right past the hole and squeezed our way through trees and bushes. I felt this sudden sign of relief now. I expected her to return me where she found me, but instead we kept going. We kept strolling off until we were back in that open area where the graveyard and tombstones rested. I stopped and looked all around the area for Kyo and Hideaki and saw their bodies nowhere insight. Then I scanned the ground of any lost items or possible swatches of blood, but I saw nothing. Not even my flashlight was anywhere in sight.

She continued walking leaving me slowly behind. I stood there still searching for any remnants of my friends. I still saw nothing at all. Arienette stopped walking and turned toward me with a confused look on her face. She was just so puzzled to why I stopped walking. There was this certain urge I could sense in her that wanted to just grab me and run off. The creatures were still closely behind us and with my little pit stop; they were bound to catch us. She walked closer to me with a particular glint in her eyes.
"What's the matter?" she asked placing her hand on my shoulder.
"My friends?" I slowly answered.

"I'm sure they are fine," she reassured me. Somehow I was led to believe what she said. I nodded my head with approval and gradually moved my body closer towards her. I inched closer to her until I felt my side against hers. I looked at her face to see lips curling upwards. A smile and somehow I felt it was sincere. We both stood there in the moment and in unison we both gazed up at the stars. They were now slowly fading away and the sky was no longer this dark blue blend, but into this more lighter tone. Morning was just around the corner and when that sun would rise I would be safe and free from this nightmare. In the midst of this night view, I could hear footsteps drawing near to us. It was not just one footstep, but more like a crowd.

Arientte began tapping my shoulder, but I ignored her and continued looking at the scenery. She got slightly irritated and this time she tapped harder and harder until she had to even shake my shoulder to get my attention. It was too late though. Carelessly, I continued to ignore her and within seconds they grabbed onto like a hawk grabbing at its prey. I tried to pull away from them, but there were too many. Their arms surrounded me, giving me no exit. Arienette stood from the distance watching them wrap me upon their arms. I wiggled and fought my way through, but it was no use. Their grasp was too strong and my body was weak with fatigue.

"Help!" I shouted at last with desperation. However, it was no use. It did not nothing but only tighten their grip. I was captured, trapped, surrounded into this swarm of vicious arms. I had never imagined death to be like this. I felt this sudden pain dwelling in my insides, outsides and leeching onto my brain, devouring it reluctantly. I was going to be food for these creatures. I did not quite know what they were after. Was it my soul? My heart? My flesh? Or perhaps something else? I felt that hole earlier was meant for me and I was never meant to leave it.

I took one last look at Arienette through the carnivorous zombies. She looked cheerless, depressed and miserable watching me. She did nothing but watch me attentively as I suffered. I thought she was my savoir, but I was wrong. She was a traitor. She probably drew me in for them to get me. She looked so innocent though, she couldn't possible be helping them. I looked slightly above her and took one last at the stars before I would die. Then I saw it. Beyond the stars there was this orange glow coming onto the horizon.

Even through all the pain, the sunrise was comforting. The orange and red glow swirled into the dark blue sky, blending in such unity. The glow plagued its way farther and farther onto the sky, lighting more of the land. If only the sun would rise faster onto the earth and light the forest from the darkness within. Then the light would penetrate through these creatures and they would release me. And like magic the sun rose faster and faster. I could see the light now from far off into the horizon.
It wasn't long before the gruesome creatures dropped me down onto the ground. They all shrieked and grumbled in fear of the light. And like scared little mice, they all scurried away, fleeing the radiance.

There she was still watching me, as I lay there on the ground helplessly. She shifted her way towards me, extending out her arm for me to grab on. And like before I grabbed on for her to lift me up. Then I stood back on two feet once again, I felt this feeling I thought I would never experience again. I stared back at her standing in the remnants of the moonlight. We both didn't dare to say a word or even destroy the moment. She radiated there so beautifully like a withering rose. I could not take my eyes off her, even for one second. More and more light came into the area and still she stood there gazing at me. I could see her body slowly fade away as the darkness set.

A strong gust of wind blew in and the leaves started rustling off from the distance. In the breeze I heard footsteps, voices and possible a presence of human beings. I still didn't take my eyes off her, I wanted to treasure our last moment together. I wanted to savor the sight and keep her image in my head as memory of the event.

"Kyo!" I heard a familiar voice call out. I still kept my eyes on her but she was nowhere in sight. I didn't want to stop looking, but I had no choice to look for the voice that called me. It was Sonata, Hideaki and Rei. All three of them stood there so happy to see me. I smiled at the three of them and walked up towards them ready to hug them all.
"Whoa! Someone's happy to see us," Rei said joyfully.
"I thought you were?" I said, but got interrupted.
"You ran off from us, we tried looking for you but we couldn't find you. We finally got reception and called Sonata. The three of us have been searching for you all night. Where have you been?" Hideaki explained.
"What about the?" I said only to get interrupted again.
"Your flashlight? You dropped it; we have it right here," Rei answered.

"Come let's go home," Sonata suggested. I nodded my head and walked very closely next to the three of them. I didn't ask many questions after that. I found everything that happened tonight quite mysterious. The four of us all looked above at the sky, the sun rising above us. It was now morning and this comforting light blanketed us. The sky looked like a still wall painting, painted so beautifully. All the colors blended together in such harmony, radiating the earth above. We took small steps savoring our small walk home.

Even as we walked away I still remembered her name. Her beauty and spirit kept me so warm from the cold bitter morning.
"Where are you Arienette?" I whispered so quietly that only I could hear. I heard no response, just the rustling of the wind. In the midst of the breeze I felt her presence still lingering beside me. She was still there, guiding the three of us on our safe way home.

And let that fever play?

The End?

Credits:

Created By: Hound562

Proofreaders and Editors:
Sunlightamora10
Macdeath (Beth)
Dee

Titled and concept based on "Sunrise, Sunset" by Bright Eyes

Special thanks to Maryam and all those who supported me, Scribbler's Adobe, the Hangout, and Mosaic

Check out my flickr page for more pictures from story: http://flickr.com/photos/57981485@N00/