Still shell-shocked from the entrance event, I hardly noticed when Reiko and Sakiko turned a sharp corner, leading me straight into someone's chest.
"H-Hey! Watch where you're-" I looked up into the eyes of the speaker, and heard a small gasp from beside me.
"Oh. Hey... Miyuki-chan." I looked up, right into the eyes of my runaway cousin Takeshi.
"I thought you weren't in town?" I managed to say, before frowning at him. "Why didn't you say you were?"
"Well, Aunty said I should surprise you. Besides, my good friend Amano-kun invited me." As if on cue, Hiroaki and...that Sakura walked around the corner.
"Hey, Takeshi, glad you could make it." Hiroaki said, and I sighed hopelessly. Takeshi always did love a good surprise... As for friendship... when did he meet Amano-san? Anyway, I guess I should have expected something like this from him.
I glanced to my left and saw Reiko attempt to hide her face. I wonder what's up with her...?
"Ah! Since we all seem to know each other, why don't we go sit somewhere?" Sakura said, like she was the host here, like she owned the place. Right before I said something crude, I felt an elbow connect with my side, and wisely clamped my mouth shut.
"If you insist." Reiko replied, always the aristocrat, although her face was a light pink. Hiroaki and Sakura turned first, and let our little troupe towards a couch. I kept pace with Takeshi, while Reiko and Sakiko walked behind us.
"Takeshi-san. It's been a while." I said, in a low tone.
"It has, hasn't it? I see you liked the dress I gave you." Takeshi smiled and patted my hair.
"Yes." I replied, nonchalantly.
Takeshi looked forward at our hosts, and I'm sure I heard him sigh. Looking at him curiously, I said, "You've changed, you know."
"If you'd seen what I had, I'm sure you would have done the same-" Tamaki's reply was cut short, as loud crashes were heard from the main room. The sounds resembled those of windows shattering, and after a brief silence, the screams started.
"What the...?" I barely heard Sakiko's hushed voice, before the lights flickered out.
The commotion grew louder, and shortly afterwards the screams are cut off, the way a flame dies when you blow on it. The sound of hushed footsteps replaced them, and as they got closer...
"'The special ones', the Director said. 'You'll know them when you see them'." A voice I wasn't familiar with spoke, relatively close to where we were, and before I could say anything, something embeded itself in my arm, and I felt dizzy.
"Not too much, it's strong, remember? She'll kill us if we ruin them." Kill? Ruin?
"And what of the cloths? Should we still use them?" A different voice, somewhat gruffier, asked.
The other person must have nodded, because soon after a damp cloth was placed over my nose and mouth and the darkness claimed me before I could struggle.