Moonlight Magician

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Kaito almost choked when he and his friends went to the café that day to find Shinichi Kudo sitting at their usual booth. As the rest of the group chose the next booth along, he watched her warily, waiting for her to glance and recognise him. She didn't even look up from the table, and he took a closer look. She was just sitting there alone, with the largest mug of coffee he had ever seen in front of her. She stared into its depths with a troubled look on her face. It didn't look as if she had noticed him.

Kaito sat and continued to watch her discreetly. He wondered if he should strike up a conversation with her. He would like to see how she acted around strangers.

Akako frowned and shivered as Aoko and Hakuba went up to the till to order.

"Caught a chill?", Kaito asked her.

"No", she answered. "I just felt something weird."

"Weird how?"

"I don't know... but it's something I've felt before." She stared at Kaito for a moment, then snapped her fingers. Her face cleared. "I remember! Do you recall that day you bumped into that little girl? The one with the dark hair? I said she felt unnatural. I'm getting the same feeling I got then."

Kaito glanced around, looking for the girl. "From where? Where is it coming from?"

Akako shrugged. "I feel like it's all around us. I can't pinpoint it."

Kaito scanned the room. "Well, I can't see her here now. Try to ignore it."

Shinichi took a sip of her coffee. She wanted to leave but knew that it would draw attention to her if the girl's strange feeling disappeared when she did.

Don't worry, Pandora said. The girl is very spiritually inclined. It's probably me she can sense.

Shinichi shrugged. The fact that it was Pandora Kaito's friend could sense didn't change the situation any.

I wonder just how spiritually inclined she is?, Pandora mused. Do you want to test her, Shinichi?

Shinichi shrugged again. If you want. What do you plan on doing?

Wait and see, Pandora said, snickering.

Shinichi frowned as something flickered in front of her. She looked up to see an exact copy of herself sitting in the seat opposite her. Its eyes were blank, without pupil nor iris, and they glowed red. It grinned at her and stuck out its tongue.

Shinichi gaped at it. "Pan-"

Pandora shook its head frantically and made a begging motion. Please?

Shinichi wavered, hesitant, then shrugged and looked away. Pandora grinned.

Akako, trying to explain the odd feeling to Kaito, glanced at the two at the table, and then did a double take. The second time she looked, there was only one Shinichi sitting at the booth. She frowned and peered at the blonde teenager, then shrugged and looked away.

Shinichi was having difficulty holding back a smile. She could hear Pandora giggling in her head.

Something flickered in the corner of Akako's eye, and she turned to see the second girl again. Only this time, she was floating half a metre above her chair.

Pandora met Akako's gaze and blinked at her innocently, allowing a second eyelid to slide open and shut over the first as well. Then, it grinned with teeth that were suddenly black, grimy, and triangular, and turned and vomited a bright green stream of gunk over the head of a passing waitress, who walked through it without seeming to notice.