TROUBLE [twd]

as close as it gets

The twins had just wanted to do something different for their birthday.

With the twenty between the two that Janet had given them, they took a longer walk than usual to the bigger side of town. There was a arcade there and that would entertain them. A lot of the other businesses were closed, but at least the arcade was open.

Playing the games was fun, even though they didn't have much to spend between the two. Sakiko had a couple stuffed animals and Nanami had a puzzle cube, spikey rubber ball, and yo-yo. They walked out of the building with laughter and prizes, it was a good time.

It was dark when they were on their way home, the walk longer but their enjoyment was high enough to not care. It had gotten cold and Nanami lent Sakiko Daryl's birthday jacket to keep warm while they ventured in the night.

They were laughing over Nanami's inability to use to yo-yo when a man approached them. His hair was matted, eyes bloodshot red even in the dark as he scurried to them like a frightened mouse.

"Hey.. You're.. You're Otani's kids, right?" he had asked, scratching the inside of his arm.

"No," Nanami answers, stepping closer to Sakiko on instinct, "Sorry, sir, you have the wrong people. Good night."

Nanami grabs Sakiko by the jacket sleeve to pull her past the man only for the man to grab her by the hood and pull both twins back.

"Look- I've been to your old man's place. I saw you in the pictures. So just.. Just help me out, yeah?"

"I'm sorry, sir. We're not who you're looking for," Nanami insists, tugging his sister out away from the man.

The man sighs, a cloud of fog escaping in the cool. No one moves for a second in the tense silence. Nanami slowly takes a step forward and the man jumps, pulling out a knife that he points wildly to them. The twins startle, both facing the man and attempting to take slow steps back away from him cautiously.

"Listen- neither of you have to get hurt, all right? I don't wanna hurt anyone. Just- just, please, help me out!"

"We don't have anything to do with this," Sakiko snaps though her voice was shaky.

"Here's the plan, okay? We're going to go, all three, together to your house. There, you two are gonna help me talk your dad into selling to me again. That's all this is for, no one has to get hurt, so don't be scared."

The man had been cut from Shinsuke's routes when he'd proven to be.. well.. unstable. He hadn't had a fix in a week and it proved to only make him less controlled.

"All right?" the man asks, standing up straighter.

Nanami and Sakiko look to each other and then back to the man. There's another tense moment and the man breathes out in relief that the two seemed to be complying.

At once, Nanami throws the yo-yo as hard as he could manage to the man's head, shoving Sakiko for the two to break into a run before he regained comprehension. Feet pounded against the ground, the twins holding hands to keep each other close.

The scenery soon became more familiar as they passed by the diner, then the tobacco shop- Sakiko longing for Daryl to be outside the store to no avail.

Their breathing became labored and Sakiko releases a yelp when she's pulled from Nanami's grasp, the man pulling her back to his chest, an arm around her neck to keep her close as he points the knife to Nanami.

"Kid!" he warns as Nanami skids to a stop, "All you two gotta do is listen! I'm not trying to hurt either of you!"

"Please! Just let her go!" Nanami begs, hands out in front of him as he tries to coax the man down.