Life of a Stray Fox

Chapter 19

A scream ripped through the quiet of the ADA. Kotori's body seized violently and another scream left her mouth. Her body suddenly jerked up and she raised her hands to her face, large tears falling down her face. This was the third time she had screamed, only this time? There was no one in the building to hear her. Dazai had forced Shion to go back to her boat and sleep since she had been there since bringing the girl home.
This time, Kotori had actually woken up from her comatose state, thus explaining the giant burning tears that rolled down her cheeks. She wasn't going to let herself give in and fall asleep after the nightmare she had endured. Between that and the images of her almost ripping Akutagawa's heart from his chest... she wasn't sure if she would ever sleep again.
The building creaked and caused the girl to jump from the bed she had been on. Her eyes darted around frantically, fear coursing through her veins like icy sludge. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest and the panic that continued to build only added to the girl's fear. Every shadow and sound only caused her paranoia to grow. She moved quickly towards the door and tried to turn the knob. It didn't budge, this only adding to her mental struggle. She couldn't think properly and kept trying to pull the door open, her tugging becoming more and more aggressive. She finally gave up and ran towards one of the windows in the building, her body shaking violently. Instead of opening it, she ran and lunged through the glass. Cuts formed all along her face, arms, and other exposed skin. She didn't flinch or even whimper, instead focusing on escaping the room she had been put in.
Her feet hit the ground and she stumbled before running as fast as her legs would carry her. The world was spinning around her, causing her to fall a few times as she pushed herself to run faster.
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A teenage boy approached the ADA, planning to wait outside until someone arrived in the morning. All he had was a picture and a name. He was looking for Kotori Nakajima, the one person who would be able to help him. He yawned and looked up, finding the building he had been searching for all day. Someone named 'Nakahara' had assisted him in finding the building, as well as offering a description of the girl. He muttered a few triumphant words beneath his breath before moving faster. Suddenly, one of the windows above him shattered, causing him to gasp and look up. His eyes widened at the girl that had thrown herself from the window and they widened further when he realized she appeared to be in the midst of a panic attack. When she landed on the ground, she quickly began to run away from the building, occasionally stumbling on her feet. The boy shook out of his panic and running after her as fast as possible. His ability wouldn't do him much good in this situation, so he had always had to keep his physical strength up to par. He clenched his jaw tightly and ran after the girl, "Miss Nakajima!! Please!"
The girl didn't stop, continuing to run as quickly as she could. The boy gave chase, trying his best to keep up with her but it seemed she was much faster than he expected. His breath came out in heavy pants and he reached into his coat pocket to grab his phone. The Nakahara guy had given him his phone number so he thought that if Mr. Nakahara knew Miss Nakajima then maybe... he could help retrieve the girl. He dialed the number and held the phone to his ear, the device ringing once, twice, three... four times before someone answered.
"Who the hell are you? What do you want?"
The boys eyes widened, not expecting an answer. "Mr. Nakahara!? It's me, Sherlock! I need your help right now! Miss Kotori just threw herself through the window and she won't stop running. She's panicking or stuck in a nightmare or something! But please! You have to come help!!"
The other end of the phone remained silent for a bit, until Sherlock heard the male on the other end of the phone speak.
"I'm on my way. And kid? Call me Chuuya."
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Kotori knew someone was chasing her, she was terrified to turn and see who it was however. She was afraid that if she stopped, something would happen. Her feet carried her faster and faster, a voice in the back of her head telling her that if she stopped for even a second, the monsters would catch her.
A noise from behind her that sounded like a loud motor made her push harder. Her brain not registering anything but fear and panic. Her emotions were running rampant and preventing her from doing anything that made sense. The motor behind her had stopped, but she could barely process that. She just knew she had to run. That she couldn't stop running. Her lungs burned and her vision blurred, Can't stop. Can't stop. Please keep going.
She tripped and rolled a few feet, her body slamming into the ground roughly. She tried to force herself up, yet her body wouldn't obey. Her arms wouldn't move, and her fingers wouldn't even twitch.
Tears flowed like rivers from her eyes. All the poor tormented girl could do was cry. She couldn't stop herself as her body quaked and shuddered with every sob she released. She knew what she was. She was nothing but a monster. She had almost killed Akutagawa, because she couldn't control her own power. The power that she once used to murder hundreds of people in the mafia. Back then... she could control it and yet here in her second life it seemed she had grown to fear her own ability and now... now it controlled her.
She closed her eyes, continuing to sob and wonder how she would ever be able to face any of her friends.
"Kotori... look at what you've done to yourself. You really need to rest."
That voice... it's... Chuuya? But why? Why is he here?
The girl felt a hand rest gently on her face and caress it gently, Chuuya's voice quietly humming a song the girl knew all too well. He knew she had pushed herself far past the limits of her own self control and now she was suffering the mental and emotional repercussions that followed. Chuuya remembered a time where the girl had lost her cool back in the Mafia, he also remembered the hellish nightmares that haunted her for weeks after the event.
The red head sighed quietly and shook his head, "Kotori... what am I going to do with you?"