Lost....

"Miss.....Trader......" Were the last words Kyle could utter before falling to the ground with an almost inaudible thud. His eyes half open, gazing to the opposing wall with tendril-like vines strapped to the ceiling by there natural strength. Hardly able to think, his only comprehension was the pain in his legs and stomach. Hunger had become a thing of the past, having not eaten properly, save for a few rats, in coming close to a month, or so he thought, now complete starvation strangling his body.

Kyle thought longingly of the school he used to live at. Longingly of a warm bed, a nice meal, and most of all, her. Tears welled in his eyes as he lifted his arm up, pushing with all his might to pick his body back up. "No....I have to go back."

Standing back up, Kyle’s knees would buckle slightly under his own weight, forcing him to lean against the wall for support. Pulling himself down the passage, he would continue his search of getting out of this infernal castle.

Trader's stomach growled.

She had been out here since the day after Kyle had disappeared, and had only found a couple broken sticks. She was trying to think like Kyle, take the route that he would have chosen.

But noooOOOooooo.... She layed a hand on her stomach as she ducked under the looming tree branches. Her hood caught and choked her for a moment before Trader tore out of it, probably tearing a nice hole in it, too.

'It's easy, you'll be a natural!' She sat on the moist ground for a rest, rubbing the ankle she twisted a while back. You're so full of shit. You're eyes are even brown. Trader huffed and grumbled to herself a moment longer before she pulled herself back up and started through the trees again.

The narrow passage Kyle trekked came to a dead end, the same as for the past five or six corridors he traveled. "There isn't even light down here...." Kyle mumbled to himself. Moving to turn around, he fell with his back to the wall, sliding down into a sitting position. Breathing slightly heavily, his feline eyes would scan the passage he just walked down. Nothing but rocks and growth pealing around the cracked walls and floors, but no light. Giving silent thanks to his Neko heritage, Kyle would move to stand back up. Regaining only a little bit of strength, he slowly started to walk back down where he had already been. Reaching a cross way, he sniffed the air in attempt to catch his own scent again. Looking down a different path, he began to walk where he thought he might be smelling fresh air.

Reaching a set of stairs, Kyle would slowly start to climb, nearly having to crawl due to fatigue dragging him down. Trader...

Half way up the stairs, Kyle would fall down on his stomach, only laying across three or four steps. His breathing getting even more heavy, he grunted himself back into a mobile position, his head lifting up to attempt to look ahead, when it happened. A static electricity would flow through the air, making the hair along his body stand up and prickle. Looking up toward the ceiling, Kyle’s reflexes would even surprise him as he is suddenly flat against the wall, a massive boulder landing just where he just resided. Before even being able to take notice of the action having happened, his ability to sustain consciousness finally collapsed, taking Kyle into a world of darkness.

Kyle?
Who are you?
Me? How could you forget, I'm your brother!
My brother? I don't have a brother.
Silly Kyle....

His eyes open now, he would stand up, stretching his back as he looked up toward the ceiling at the pyromantic spirit now lighting the stairwell, "My my Kyle, you haven’t taken very good care of my body..." Putting his hand on the wall as the Pyromancer dove at him, a blast would shake the grounds of the castle as the battle commenced.

Trader was pretty sure she was going in circles. Wasn't that the same tree I saw yesterday? or was it the day before? It almost looks different, but then again, not. de javu? She stopped paying attention.

Consequences of her action caught up with her almost as fast as the ground did, her foot catching on some evil little crappy vine. She cursed her hands in her pockets, her face now reasonably squished. Feeling like giving up, she pulled herself to a sitting position against a tree. Everyone else gave up after a week. Why are you still here? one side of her mumbled.

Because I can't let go of Kyle that easily... Trader felt her hair stick to the tree as static electified the air.

Fucking great. Rain mixed with her furious tears as she screamed his name, as loud as she could with a voice hoarse from exertion. She faced the crying sky with her own despair, the rain sliding into her mouth bitter after brushing the leaves with its wetness.

Trader sobbed for a good while before finally tiring out and pulling up her hood. Rain slid down her neck, and she shivered as she pulled up her knees and wound her arms around herself. She felt the ground rumble and thought, This is a fine time to go to hell. GO TO HELL, DAMNIT. She kicked out at the ground, hating herself.

You're not going to rest until you find him, wether or not he's alive. You're going to find him, but you can only hope. Hope is all you have left.

"Uggh. Kyle, what have you been eating..." He muttered, spitting slightly on the ground out a small bone. Putting his hands on his hips, Krin would look up into the vast darkness of what he took to be the great hall of a castle. Behind him, fire would lay scattered everywhere, boulders and rock of the pyromancer would die and ash away.

"Hmmmmm" Krin found that the damp nitre clinging to the walls of this castle diffused and entangled his sense of smell. With a snort of agitation, he would then spread his arms out to either side, closing his eyes and raising his head as if being placed upon an invisible cross.

Noise.
An insect maybe.
A little further, a fox trotted furtively down a lonely corridor.
Moving down the corridor, an opening to an entrance hall.

"Ah hah!" Krin exclaimed, his eyes bursting open. With sudden happiness to finally be out of this retched place, he launched forward, taking the turns through the halls as if he had walked them for years.

As Krin reached the entrance to the castle, he would burst through the temple like opening, a sudden burst of light simultaneously breaking through the clouds, casting a rainbow upon the drenched earth below it, "Ahh, freedom. It smells wonderful!" he would say, yelling the last word. Krin would then bound forward, breaking through the brush before him to dive into the forest and that pursue that awesome act of adventure.

Trader woke up a while later shivering, with a bullet in her stomach. Feeling her joints crack painfully as she got up, she felt like a cripple as she stood in a lonely ray of sunshine and peeled off her sweatshirt with numb, shaking fingers.

I feel like a herion addict. Like a crappy re-make of Marla Singer, only without the sex and cigarrettes. She wrung out her newly ruined top layer and desided she needed something to eat. If she could climb a tree, she could maybe use the sun to tell her where she was. From there, she could head back to the University, and maybe even rectuit some help.

Peeking up under the nearest tree, she tried to get a good hold on a lower branch. It moved before she could jump to grab it, swatting at her.

Whut.

Trader stumbled back, keeping her footing, for once. She stared. My mistake. So maybe she wasn't going to give the sun a look.

Trader heard an echo, then, filling her ears to bursting after so much silence and nerve shredding througts. She wasn's sure where it came from, but before she knew it, the silence was gone and so was she, her heart keeping beat with her footfalls.

What a wondrous feeling it was for Krin to bound through the forest with nothing to hold him back but the resistance of the brush and wind. Jumping into the air with his cat-like reflexes, Krin landed on a low branch that shouldn't have held his weight, and began moving parkour-like through the trees. Without taking note of its existence, a silvery trail followed Krin as he moved, the energy being absorbed from the air and anything he touched, leaving behind dead, frozen atoms, the air itself having the energy sucked right out of it. Each foot step on a branch or trunk killing the bark instantly, freezing it, then dissolving away into dust.

Krin was having such a good time just bouncing and having his freedom, that as he moved back to the ground, he was forced to be put to a sudden stop. Having attained a speed roughly to that of about fifty-five miles an hour, Krin's reflexes would only just stop him enough to skid along the ground like a baseball player, sliding through the legs of Trader at the exact moment she separated her legs in her step. Unable to control his speed anymore, Krin would smash into a set of wild juniper bushes with a sickening crunch.

Trader remembered getting hit by a car when she was about 12.

It hadn't been moving very fast, and she had jumped at the exact moment so she had smashed a shoulder into the windshield instead of turning into road kill. But she had had to go the the hospital for a few days, and the driver was a complete jerk about, too.

So when she saw the blurr out of the corner of her eye, her heart skipped a beat. She coudln't stop very fast, but she tripped herself after the thing went sliding through her legs, her right leg, crossing over her left as it was still in the air and coming down.

Trader ate the same shit as yesterday, only faster and with a lot more force. She had confidence that she would be flossing with slivers for a while and picking scabs even longer.

Picking himself up completely and brushing away the dirt from his arms, Krin would begin to examine the newly developing cuts and bruises along his skin, not really taking to much notice to Trader. Eventually deciding the damage wasn't all that bad, he walked slowly over to Trader, looking down at her fallen body, "Sorry Miss, I didn't see you there till the last second. Need help up?" he said, putting a hand out to offer help to Trader, a genial smile appearing across his face.

Trader squinted up at the person.

Her eyes widened. "Kyle?!" But something was different about him. Maybe it was because she hadn't seen him in so long? She wasn't sure. She didn't want to stare for too long, but took his hand and stood up on her own, brushing herself off.

Did she just run Kyle over? What had just happened? Trader tasted the blood in her mouth, but didn't take much notice. Was he ok? He must be hungry, he'd been out here forever. Was that red tinging her vision when she blinked? Was she crying blood?

Hope was all you had left.

Kyle?

"Oh yeah!" Krin exclaimed, smacking himself in the forehead. "Erm... Yeah, I'm Kyle."

Crap, what the hell am I doing?! She's going to know instantly that I'm not Kyle. How the hell am I going to get out of this? Kyle! What the hell are you doing lazing about!? WAKE UP!

Smiling the same smile, Krin would unconsciously rub his arm where he crashed on it.

Oh well, maybe she won't notice.

"I know."

Trader's senses screamed. Something isn't right. She let go of his hand and wiped her other hand over her eyes. The smear it left was primitive, but she didn't care.

"Are you ok?" She looked him over closely. Kyle had to be hungery, he had been out here for ever. Aside from the new injuries, he wasn't complaining. He called you 'Miss' like he didn't know you. No 'Miss Trader' or your name. Something's WRONG.

She swallowed hard on a dry throat, about ready to heave. Her eyelids were droopy and she felt like crap. But Kyle was here, if a little deranged, and he was what mattered the most.

A shiver ran down Trader's spine when she looked into his eyes.

"Sooo....I'll be seeing you later, I guess." Krin said, waving at Trader, then starting to walk off into the forest.

I hope this isn't someone Kyle knows too much.

Damn it Kyle! Get off your lazy ass!

Trader gaped.

What the FUCK?! She stared at his back as he walked away. "...Kyle? Are you okay?" She started to follow him, looked over her shoulder for a moment, wondering if this was a ghost or something. Trader stumbled after him again after a moment.

Creeeepy. Has Kyle gone insane? He's going to kill himself out here. Trader wasn't sure what to do. Haul ass back to the school and get someone out here to help her? What did she need help with? But if she left, she wasn't sure if she would find him again. After all, it was only by pure chance she had run into him this time.

And if she lost Kyle, what would she have left to live for? Trader's heart leaped with fear as she realized.

Nothing.

Hearing that Trader was starting to follow him, Krin would glance around, realizing that this must be someone Kyle knew very well.

Shit....

"Alright then, the jigs up, ya caught me!" Krin exclaimed, putting his hands up in a surrendering motion before Trader could follow but a step or two, "I'm not really Kyle."

Krin would smile, stepping forward to stand at a arms length distance from Trader, "My names actually Krin, I'm Kyle’s twin brother." He would say, extending a hand to Trader, "Did you know Kyle?"

What the -- WHAT THE FUCK?!

Trader felt her eyebrows had a sudden hidden love for her hairline.

"Wha?..." Cold air tickled her tongue, and she snapped her gaping jaw shut. Her mind was racing faster than she could keep up with.

TwinbrotherKrinKyleNOThaha, that's funny, that's a cruel fuckin' joke.

"Who... who are you? Where's Kyle?" Trader stood in a state of shock, her knees weak. This isn't Kyle. He's still out there somewhere. Trader cursed to herself. You're not done yet. God DAMNIT.

Seeing the look of alarm on Traders face, Krin could feel the icy tension cut the air at the heels of his words, "Like I said, my name is Krin. Kyle is a little....Erm....unavaliable....At.....The moment."

How the hell am I supposed to explain what's happened to Kyle when I don't even know!?

Feeling that he probably wasn't going to get a handshake from Trader, Krin withdrew his hand back, "Look, Kyle is kind of, well, sleeping right now."

Kyle, you had better hurry your ass up. I don't know whats taking you so long, but you need to talk to his woman before I get us both in trouble.

"Sleeping."

That little shit is sleeping. "Wonderful. Where is he?" Trader flinched at the venom in her words. Was she that big of a bitch?

Yes... She saw him put his hand down, and realized she could have shook his hand. Oh well.

She swallowed, put her hands on her hips. Well, what now? Kyle wasn't here, she had just met his twin brother, been attacked by a tree, a fricken TREE, was all bloody and felt like shit.

Whachyagonnado.

Annoyed with being asked the same question twice, having avoided answering it the first time, Krin stared at Trader for a second, attempting to think of something to reply with as to where Kyle actually was.

Great. Ya got away with telling her about you being Kyle's brother, but now she's just goanna think your a loon if you tell her you are Kyle but you aren’t Kyle.

THINK!!!

Finally coming to conclusion that he could only tell her the truth, Krin moved to open his mouth in reply, when suddenly caught by something. Mouth half open, in mid-step toward Trader, Krin's eyes would suddenly clear and relax, his irises constricting to where the small black rings in his violet eyes would be swallowed into his pupil, then expand out to rest on the outer edge of his iris's, the ring then fading into red to become nearly invisible in his iris.

Kyle would blink a couple of times, gazing out at Trader as if she just suddenly appeared there out of no where, then, his knees giving out, he would fall to the ground with a soft thud, "Miss.....Trader?" Would be the last words he would utter before becoming unconscious.

Trader jumped about five feet in the air and ten feet back, a squeeky, messed up, "What the fuck?!" flying out of her mouth.

She put a hand on her chest, her heart almost echoing through the trees. Her breathing was ragged as she slowly crept toward the boy.

He said your name. He said your name. Trader dashed the last few steps, kneeling and gently turning over who she now knew was indeed Kyle.

A very tired, starved, wacked, messed up, unconscious Kyle. Trader wrapped him in her arms, remembering what had happened to his eyes right before her freak-out.

Kyle. Oh, God. KYLE. This was him. Not his twin, this had to be the Kyle, the one she had been looking for for so long, the one she had missed to the point of heartbreak, her Kyle, here in her arms. She felt a tear slither down her face into his hair as she stood, scooping him into her arms. he was so light, so fragile.

So dead. Trader started in a direction. hopefully not stopping until she got back to the University. if this was the direction to go. If not, she was totally fucked.

"Kyle. Kyle." Her voice broke. Her tears stung. Her blood ran.

Her heart sang.

Darkness engulfed him completely now, uninterrupted and glorious sleep seemed to have finally arrived and he was so ready to go now......

Suddenly, a piercing pain would split through the side of Kyle’s head, "OUCH!"

Opening his eyes, Kyle would look up into a black ceiling. He was laying down, he knew that much. And he was naked. Sitting up, Kyle would look around to see where he was and what it was that hit him. He soon realized he was in a room filled with items: shelves, boxes, a latter, scattered junk. Spotting someone laying beyond some boxes, Kyle would stand up, walking to the figure. There was something familiar about the person that he just couldn't put. Kyle thought this as he picked his way here and there through the items to not break anything to make it to the figure. Coming up to the boxes that stood between him and the person, he stopped, his jaw dropped in a kind of horror as he looked at a mirror image of himself standing just over the boxes. Jumping back just in time, Kyle would land a short distance away from his copy as they landed where he once stood, "Who are you?"

"Who am I?" the copy would reply, "I am you." The copy would advance forward to Kyle, standing over Kyle as he crouched on the ground, "The names Krin. I'm your brother."

"But I don't have a brother!" Kyle would yell, though his voice would seem distant. The room before him would slowly start to melt away, the sounds of the copy disappearing.

"Yes, you do. And the next time your in trouble, I will be there." Krin’s voice would echo away as Kyle slowly woke up in Traders arms.

Trader's chest heaved.

Almosttherealmosttherealmostthere... The trees were thinning out, she was sure of it.

Thunder crashed overhead, rain drizzling down. She had slowed to a fast walk, doing her best not to go down with Kyle in her arms.

She felt his body tense up and relax righr before he opened his eyes. Trader stopped to look deep into his eyes, right before hers teared up again.

"Kyle...?" Well, his eyes looked the same as they always had. That was a plus. She started walking again, carefully looking between where she was going and Kyle's lovely living face.

She could see lights shining through the trees now. Trader quickened her step.

Hearing Traders voice gave Kyle a small surge of happyness which made him gently squeeze Traders arm.

He would then fall asleep only to next be awakened by someone or something.

She had to stop. The rain was too much, her legs were about to give out, and her lungs felt like she had a vice on them.

And she had gone in the wrong direction. Trader's exhaustion had played games with her, giving her false hopes and images. If she waited until morning, when it was possibley not raining and there was more light, she could perhaps figure out where she was.

But for now, Trader found a nice tree with branches heavy with leaves to huddle under. She parted the mushroomed bottom branches with a foot, ducking low enough for Kyle's feet to brush the ground. Trader was supprised by the cramped space under the tree, where only a trunk and a roof thick with dry leaves met her. She could sit up comforatably, and the trunk was wrapped in soft, dark bark. The ground was spongey and dry as she layed Kyle down, just before she followed suit beside him, but with a louder thump.

Kyle awoke with a start to the sound of birds chirping all around him. Looking around him, he could see Trader asleep with her back against the trunk of the tree and her arm around his chest. Smiling genially, he would slowly take Trader's arm and set it down so he could get up.

As he would slide out of the branches and brambles surrounding him, Kyle would step out onto the forest floor, looking around at their location. Taking a deep breath, Kyle would take in the fresh air around them, having only last remembering the dank decay of that god forsaken castle.

Stretching some, Kyle would then bend down, not much due to his short demeanor, and start gently tapping Traders shoulder to wake her up so they could go home.