Cardcaptor Sakura: The New Trials (Wish-luv)

Chapter 19: Dazzling Countdown

New York... 2 days left till New Year's Eve... December 29th...

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A dazzling night that you can't see, that you can't face. A marvelous explosion. Have a frightful New Year. 

Sakura was running down an endless corridor, with deep crevasses and black cracks. The harder she ran, the further away the end became. At the end was Syaoran. If she reached him, she'd be all right. The rhythm of her steps deteriorated. When she reached the end of the hallway, Syaoran was gone. Instead, a cloaked figure stood there, blocking her from reaching Syaoran. The cloaked figure turned around. In one hand was a hangman's noose, and in the other was a gold hilted knife. Syaoran's knife covered with blood. Whose blood? Broken flower crimson petals swirled around her, drowning her in the repulsive smell off dried blood, silvery and salty. And instead of gazing up at a cloaked figure, she gazed up into the face of a jeering skeleton.

Crazy. How can you have a nightmare when it's not even night? Sakura sighed as she gazed outside the window. It would be evening soon. She had wasted a whole day in New York in bed, partly because she had hardly had any sleep since she arrived in New York, partly because of the horror of the rotten wooden box, partly because no one would be able to put up with dragging a zombie around when shopping. I wonder if everyone bought their New Year's Eve Party dresses. Tomorrow, she would shop for her dress. Have a frightful New Year... 

Taking out her cards, she spread them out in front of her, on the carpeted floor. Kero-chan had once taught her how to fortune-tell with them. Using her magical aura, she turned over 5 cards.

"The Shadow. The Haunt. The Mirror. The Illusion. The Erase." Sighing, Sakura gathered her cards back into the book. Big help that was.

Great. We're having dinner out with some fancy executives. I better get ready. Mike Kant definitely wouldn't want me as a model if he sees me right now. I look like I came back from the dead. They had agreed to put off the actual picture taking till after New Year's Eve.

With pure instincts, she found herself in the guy's room. Her hand reached out for Syaoran's khaki coat. He had worn his navy blue sports jacket that day. Thrusting her hand into the pocket, she fuddled for what she was looking for. Why was she snooping into someone else's stuff? Her hand hit something cold. It was the knife. Then, she found the skeleton badge that he had ripped off from the man's leather jacket. The skull seemed to stare back at her, leering at her with a wicked grin. Strange... why was it glowing with Syaoran's power? Dizzily, she dropped everything back into the pocket and stuffed the coat back to where she found it. Her mind was more resolute than ever.

Dragging her body to the bathroom, Sakura looked into the mirror. A distorted, cracked reflection of a grinning skeleton stared back. In a raspy tone, it mouthed, "I'm watching you." Crumpling to the cold tiled floor, Sakura felt the continuous chill run down her bones. Someone had smashed the bathroom mirror into pieces.

******

"What's the matter, Sakura-san?" Eriol shook Sakura, who was still in a dazed state. "I was worried. You didn't get the phone. Everyone's waiting downstairs."

Then, he was the cracked mirror. In a tight voice he said, "I'll tell the housekeepers to replace it." Gently, he lifted Sakura to her feet. "Tell me, you've been facing some trouble again, haven't you?"

Sakura nodded.

"Can you tell me about it?"

For a moment, Sakura was taken back. Eriol was so powerful, she had assumed that he would know everything. Then again, he was no longer the most powerful magician in the world. He had clearly stated that he no longer wanted the weight, and he was living the life of a normal boy. She didn't want to burden him, either. "Thank you, Eriol-kun. But it's my problem, and I can handle it." She smiled slightly when Eriol put a supportive arm around her.