Heart part 1

Chapter 9 - The Blood Guzzler part 2: He ate me

Looking left and right as they ran along the bustling street, looking for the split in the road Heart had mentioned, Jaqueline eventually spotted it in the distance. With a sudden stop and turn, she spun around to go tell Heart about her findings, but to her dismay, they were gone. Heart was nowhere in sight.

***

Esther, Sandy, and Juzo sat in a small open restaurant on the side of the road. After losing contact with Heart and Jaqueline, they stopped here to recoup and plan their next move.

" So..." Esther began. Sandy and Juzo looked up at her. "...What are we going to do? We're in who knows where and Heart and Jaqueline are probably lost somewhere out there as well. Do you two know anything about this city?" After thinking for a moment, Sandy shook her head no.

" I've been here once before when I was younger, it was for some of my training to become a priest...though, I don't remember a split about this place." Juzo replied. Although the others didn't know it, he was rapidly tapping his foot in frustration beneath the table.

" Well, if that's the case..." Suddenly, Esther shot up to her feet. Her chair let out a shriek as it was pushed back. " Then let's go looking for them." She said with a confident smile. After springing up, without letting another moment pass, she took to the streets. Sandy and Juzo followed shortly after.

As they made their way through the densely packed streets, spreading out to cover more ground, they each kept a keen eye out for Heart's or Jaqueline's head.

" Do you see them?" Esther asked in a shout.

" No...oh, wait!" Sandy blurted out. From over in the distance, Esther could see her pace over toward someone with a head of white hair that was eerily similar to Heart's. But when Sandy turned them around, they were met face-to-face with someone who didn't resemble Heart one bit.

"...Oh, uh...sorry about that. Wrong person." Sandy muttered while taking a step away. While letting out an annoyed huff, the person turned their head back.

Returning back to her own search, Esther scanned her eyes across the sea of bodies around her. Although, because of how much taller everyone around her was, she could barely see past her own two feet. But amidst the occasional openings that she managed to glance through, she spotted the familiar blonde butterfly locks of a familiar head off in the distance. Immediately, she stepped forward and began to push her way through the crowd. Once she got close, she placed a palm on their shoulder.

" Jaqueline?" Esther muttered while turning them around.

" Esther?!" Jaqueline exclaimed upon seeing them. " Oh thank god! I finally found you!"

As Jaqueline jumped into her arms, Esther glanced around and saw that Heart wasn't with her.

" Hey Jaqueline, where's Heart?" Esther asked. With a suddenly worried face, Jaqueline looked up at her.

" I...I don't know..." She muttered.

" Oh...Well, I'm sure we'll find her sooner or later." Esther said. " Come on. Let's go regroup with the others." Turning around, she attempted to take a step forward, but Jaqueline suddenly stopped her.

"...No, it's not that simple!" She abruptly exclaimed. " She was with me a little bit ago, but as we were walking, I turned around and Heart was suddenly gone!!"

" Wha...What do you mean she was suddenly gone?" Esther asked. A drop of nervous sweat rolled down her face.

" Exactly as I said it! She was just suddenly gone!" Jaqueline answered.

" Hey..." From behind, the two heard a familiar voice call out to them. "...What's got you so pale, Esther?" Sandy asked, emerging from the crowd behind them.