Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Alice In Chains ❯ Crime 1: Intertwined ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

By: MellyN

XxXxXx

ALICE IN CHAINS

By: Melissa Norvell

Crime 1: Intertwined

XxXxXx

A small boy with short, brown hair giggled in delight as he was gently handed a large, flat, red sucker. He held it close to his tiny form and thanked the Lolita-clad woman behind the register.

"You're welcome," blood red lips spoke in a calm and nearly emotionless voice to the child. Light lavender eyes that were half-lidded naturally, spiral hair and a cream white complexion shifted back towards his mother who told her that she would be paying for the sucker spoke and held out a hand with a few coins in it. The cork-screw haired woman took the money and thanked her for her purchase in a monotone voice.

It was almost as if this woman was a living, breathing Lolita doll with her expressionless face and voided eyes. It was as if she had no soul and was merely dancing on the strings of an unknown puppeteer. The mother of the brown-haired boy glanced around the shop at its many oddities; strange charms, scrolls, books, dream catchers, talisman, staffs- you name it, it was there.

"This store is very strange. Suckers and roses are the only things that are priced," she remarked. "There are only red roses and cherry flavored suckers."

"That's because the other things are free," the Lolita girl said in monotone.

"Free?" The long-haired mother looked upon her figure with question riddled in her eyes. "All of these beautiful things are free?" She spread her hands out and gestured to all that had been present in the shop. The brown-haired woman had been quite confused and had never come across a shop that didn't sell the majority of the objects that it had inside of it. How did someone like that even make a profit?

"Yes, take what you want," the curly-haired woman didn't seem bothered by her questioning at all.

"I don't think I should." After all, the child's mother did feel a little wrong to simply take something from a shop without even paying for it. "My husband wouldn't like any more charms. I have a big collection at home."

After she was done with her sentence a beautiful purple charm was held in front of her. It consisted of a tiny golden rope with a large stone that looked much like an amethyst dangling from it. From there two golden tassels were present as well as a small scroll rolled out texted with the word 'charm' painted on it in kanji. "Perhaps you may consider this one," the woman advised.

"What does it do?" The mother bent over slightly and peered deeper into the many levels of its surface. She did love charms and had been curious as to what exactly a charm like this could do. Usually charms were so simply constructed. This one was elaborate and unlike any of those in her collection.

"It will solve the problem of whether or not you can continue to collect charms."

The woman took the charm from the ivory hand of the store's owner and took a deeper look at it. "Charms that will make you have more charms?" She asked. It was a little strange that you could acquire a charm for collecting more charms. "I've never heard of such a thing."

"My shop is one of rarity and oddity. I can assure you that you will not find another charm like this in any shop," the owner told her. Her voice never wavered to any one emotion. It was one of an informant and it somehow held a dark whimsy to it that left itself cryptic to the public. The brown-haired woman further examined the charm as infinite possibilities ran through her head. It was a free charm. It would hopefully bring her luck. It would help her do something that she loved.

"If you find that it doesn't work, you can take it back. Just leave it at the front desk- no questions asked," the woman's light lavender eyes glanced to the happy child who stood only a few inches away as he happily licked his sucker.

"Alright, I'll try it out," his mother agreed with a calm smile on her face.

"Tell me how it works next time you see me," the owner informed. The two of them said their good-byes and the mother exited the shop with her new gift. The shop owner watched the woman walk out of the door and disappear from sight.

XxXx

It was time for school to let out. The bell rang and female students flooded from the school and black and white uniforms could be seen like a flood of color as the girls walked around and spoke to each other and headed off to their houses or respective school activities. Three girls walked in a group casually. One of them had short, light blue hair that was half-way pulled back with a yellow barrette and had large, expressive eyes that were a little lighter than her hair. The other girl had dark brown hair that was long and bangs that fell to one side. Her eyes were the same color as her hair and she looked to be like any Japanese school girls. She was tall and lean, while her blue-haired companion was of average build and shorter. The girl in the middle was tall and slender with a petite figure and large, expressive dark blue eyes and white hair. Her bangs curled and her snow white hair was pulled to the high side of her head where a single large spiral curl tumbled from a gold ponytail holder. She had milk-white skin and was petite. The curly-haired girl was as tall as her short-haired friend.

The three of them were engaged in conversation of the events of earlier on that day when the brown-haired girl questioned her friend. "Did you know that there's a new shop around here?" She asked as she set her gaze on the white-haired girl, who looked at her and blinked.

"New shop?" She asked.

"Yeah, it just popped up a week ago."

"What kind of shop is it?" The blue-haired girl looked to her friend.

"I don't know. I heard it was like an oddities shop," the athletic girl didn't know much about it but she did know that it existed and it seemed interesting enough to take a trip to.

"Maybe it sells charms. I could use one, that's for sure," the white-haired one smiled a nervous smile. She hadn't had the best luck with human interactions and especially love interests so she decided that anything that could give her good luck could sure have came in handy.

"Having trouble with Haji again?" The taller of her friends inquired about her boyfriend.

"We've just been fighting again," the curly haired one sighed and glanced at the ground.

"You don't seem like you get along with him very well. Are you sure that you're even a compatible couple?" The blue-haired one asked. If they fought so much then why were they still together? She couldn't see how it made any sense. He was bad for her, no doubt.

"Michi, you shouldn't say things like that," the brown-haired girl addressed her friend. It was rude to talk about other's relationships, especially when you seemed to like the same person.

"But Taho-" Michi whined.

"It's rude," Taho remarked, narrowing her eyes.

"You guys really think we're a bad couple?” Their friend looked a little worried at what they had been saying. Were they really so incompatible? They made it seem like she was stupid for even liking him.

"Well we didn't say that," Michi tried to console her before Taho shot her down.

"You did."

The short-haired girl looked down. "Well, it's just that…the two of you are always fighting…I just worry about you, Yohru," she tried to put her thoughts into words without making them sound too rude or bias.

Taho's glare never let up as the taller girl crossed her arms. She could see right through her friend's deception. Taho knew that Michi wasn't telling the truth and she was going to bring her true intentions to light for Yohru's sake. "Michi, we all know that you have had a crush on Haji and you've liked him since you were little."

"It has nothing to do with that. I don't steal boyfriends, Taho!" The shorter girl glared and placed her hands on her hips. She pouted at her friend. Taho had no right to use that against her, and she didn't have to try and accuse her of attempting to steal her best friend's boyfriend either simply because she had a crush on him.

"Anyway, we should make a date to go to that shop," Taho didn't want to press the subject any further. "They say that they sell charms here. I was wondering if they had any charms for wellness incase I get sick, I could use it to heal quicker."

"I want a charm that will make someone fall in love with me," Michi clasped her hands together and smiled with a dreamy look in her eyes.

"I like the kitsune masks that are in some of the shops around here," Yohru had always had a fascination with kitsune other mythological creatures and the masks had always held her interest.

"Aren't they said to be cursed?" The blue-haired girl put a finger to her pink lips in thought. All of the legends had spoken of hauntings and mischievous actions taking place with kitsune masks being involved. It didn't sound like anything to be too interested in to her.

"Well, I heard that if you wear one in the play that everyone else has to take their masks off because it will possess other masks," Taho remarked.

"I'm not going to wear it. I just want to hang it on my wall," Yohru replied.

"How about we all go this weekend?" Michi asked.

Yohru smiled. "It sounds good to me."

"It's a date then," a small smile tugged at Taho's lips.

"Well, I've got to get home. I'll see you guys later!" The curly-haired girl took a few steps in front of them and looked over her shoulder, waving as she ran off down the sidewalk. Her friends said their good-byes as she disappeared from their sights, headed to her house.

XxXx

The amethyst charm reflected the light of the setting sun from the top of her husband's window where she had hung it. The dark-haired woman turned to her child who had stood a few feet away from her. The sun reflected off of her tall form and produced a golden lining to her silhouette.

"It's pretty isn't it?" The mother asked the small boy below her, who nodded and smiled with approval. "It's very odd compared to my other charms. It looks like an exotic purple amethyst." She remarked as she took in the odd beauty of the charm then let out a small sigh of woe. "Your father's going to kill me but I couldn't pass it up. I just hope that it works as good as the other charms. The lady in the shop seemed to know what she was talking about."

At the shop a red rose was lifted by a slender hand as a red fluid dripped from its petals. Some small splatters managed to reach the ground as the women spoke. "Tonight is the night that fate will be changed and sacrifices must be paid."

XxXx

In a small plain room with slate blue carpet and a balcony, Yohru laid in her small bed sideways. Thoughts raced through her head about incidents with her boyfriend earlier on during the week and her facial features looked stressed and worried as her mind dove further and further into thought. Dark blue eyes stared at the ceiling as a vivid flashback ran through her head as if life was being played like a movie.

"You can't be serious! You'd rather go to the party with your friend then go to an awesome concert with me?" A boy with shoulder-length straight black hair, a long black coat with mesh shirt underneath and slanted, piercing red eyes fumed. His body posture was one of anger and his face was twisted into a scowl.

"Minoru's mother died. I figured that I could go with somewhere else with you,” Yohru tried to reason with Haji but his retort was nothing but negative.

"I wasted money on your ticket for nothing," he argued.

"You can go with someone else," the curly-haired girl honestly would not have been angry, even if the one he chose to be with was female. She'd rather have him go and have a good time then no go because she was bogging him down.

"I wanted to go with you."

She could hear his voice as if he were in the room with her. The girl sighed as she tore her thoughts away from their argument and sat up in bed. Her wife-beater and shorts flexed with her body as she looked to her clock, which flashed twelve o' clock in red numerals.

Her dark blue eyes looked to her balcony curtain, which was transparent and shifted in the gentle night winds. 'I just keep thinking about Haji and Michi and what they said…' She thought as she stood.

"I think I need some air," Yohru told herself as she walked over to her door and walked out of the room, headed for the outdoors. "I'll go for a little walk maybe I can get my mind off of things."

XxXx

The gothic woman slowly climbed into a familiar, low-laying window. An amethyst charm hung in the window and its golden tassels danced in the light shifting winds as a man lay in bed, sound asleep. Down the hall, a long-haired woman slept soundly with a little boy who clung insecurely to her shirt.

Mary Janes touched the floor softly as the Lolita-clad figure walked carefully over to the edge of the bed, sure not to stir any activity. Her face neither held joy nor repulse at the sight which lay before her. She looked intently at the man with emotionless eyes. 'It seems that my plan has worked. Knock outside of the child's wall and make him think that there's something in his room. Mother sleeps with child, leaving the husband alone. Keeping her precious charms are valued over her husband's life.' She thought as she held the charm to her face and watched as the purple crystal reflected and refracted the moonlight. 'This is the ultimate price of fate.' A sword blade was held straight in front of her, with the blade pointed towards the heavens as moonlight bounced from the blade and her reflection was produced.

She stared at it for a while as she took in the beauty that the moon cast on her as she slowly climbed over the sleeping man. Her figure was bathed in darkness as the sword was drawn. "Now, a price must be paid," the sword was shoved down into the male corpse below her. The sound of the sword entering the body could be heard as the blade viciously tore through flesh mercilessly as blood flowed through up through the wound and a few drops flew through the air.

"Good night," the woman uttered as a few blood spots appeared on her cheek, bathing it in their essence.

Outside, a lone man had been walked by and glanced in to the window right as the sword was being plunged into the man's body as he lay on the bed. His eyes widened as lavender ones met his own from across the room. The woman showed no hint of emotion as she darted off of the bed and came towards him.

Frightened, the man took off running. The spiral-haired girl hopped out of the window and followed suit. 'Seems like there will be more the one casualty tonight. Although I had not anticipated this, it certainly is a rush. I can't let him get away the bad omens will befall me and I'm the only who may deliver a tragedy.'

Her paced picked up as she began to run after to catch up with the frightened form in front of her who was dashing madly down the lightly populated streets of Japan. As the darkened form glanced over his shoulder he could see the pretty girl gaining on him in speed. Fear consumed him and caused his adrenaline to rush as it propelled his feet forward.

"So that's how you want it to be. You will only make your death more painful with this demented cat-and-mouse game," she commented and sped up yet again.

'It's so cool outside. No one's around and I can finally just think to myself.' Yohru brushed a hand through her white hair as she closed her eyes and let the wind flow through her hair. The cool breeze of the night felt good against her warm scalp. Everything seemed so peaceful that night and it finally seemed like she could just get things off of her mind.

The man turned the corner roughly and sharply and nearly fell as the Lolita-clad woman turned the corner with grace as she grabbed a nearby pole in order to make her turn sharper. Her victim jumped over a fallen trashcan as did she as they ran through the darkness of the night. Spying some stairs, the man took a flying leap down them and landed awkwardly at the bottom as he scurried off. His follower jumped agilely on the rail and slid down. When she got to the bottom of it, she shot off of it by bending down and forcing herself off of it. The smaller woman grabbed his shoulders and forced him down to the ground as they rolled around a few times and tumbled over one another.

"Why don't you just give in, the passionate kiss of death awaits you," the lavender eyed woman told him as she attempted to hold him down. The man yelled and told her to get away from him. In a fright, he threw her off and took off running once again. The girl rolled back and landed on one knee in the kneeling position as she clutched the sword close to herself and began to run at him again.

"I don't think you're going to get away," the girl remarked as her curls bounced with every step. "Actually, it's more like a premonition than a pure thought."

He turned another corner and darted between two buildings. The walkway was so narrow that only one person could physically go at a time or you'd get stuck. The small woman was right on top of his movements. At that time, Yohru had been walking the opposite way, oblivious to what was happening around her. She was far too busy admiring the stars from the small crevice between buildings.

'It's so peaceful. I guess I've always liked the dark, kind of strange for someone like me I guess…After all, it is past midnight and I'm all alone…' She could hear faint footsteps coming from the opposing side of the alleyway. Frozen in her tracks, she inquired who was there but got no answer as the footsteps neared her.

Her body wouldn't move no matter how much fear and paranoia willed her to go. The figure soon made his way into her sights. He was a shady looking fellow with a long, brown trench coat and small beret on his head. His hair was short and messy and his eyes slanted with small pupils.

"She had someone cut me off!" He uttered in a frenzied voice as he pulled out an object that glistened in the pale moonlight.

Yohru saw the flash and became confused. "What's that flash? What's going on?"

"Out of my way!" The man commanded as he neared her and she could clearly see that he was holding a knife. Large blue eyes glanced around frantically as she tried to find a way to let him pass but she couldn't because the alley was too narrow. Yohru didn't know what to do. A million thoughts pounded her head as worry flooded her senses. She was going to be murdered if she didn't do something soon!

Suddenly, she was hit by something that felt like another human form as the man ran into her. The curly-haired girl fell backwards and landed on her butt a few feet away from him against the hard, cold pavement as her large, childlike eyes stared into the crazed man's face.

"I will not allow you to kill me before I can tell them of your evil doing!" The man shouted at her, as if he were doing something grandeur.

"Evil doing? I haven't done anything evil…" Yohru's voice was subdued and almost quiet with confusion.

"Die!" The man yelled out of frantic and brought down the knife harshly. It had been aimed straight for Yohru's heart. Panic and pure fear ran through her figure as she anticipated the worst possible result. She was going to die right here and there was no one around to help her.

She screamed and covered herself as a brace for the onslaught. She felt a few drops of blood hit her arms and could hear the gurgled noises which sounded as if someone had been choking on their own bodily liquids. When she looked up, she saw the man before her. Blood sprayed from his chest and a sharp object protruded from it. His red essence dripped from the cold steel of the blade and the twisted look of horror was etched on his face. The man's body went limp and the sharp object was then ripped out of his body and had caused it to jolt with the action.

As the man's limp form came crashing to the ground, Yohru could see a small-framed figure behind him. The cold woman with lavender eyes and pastel blue hair had blood splattered on her face and chest. Her apron had also been stained with red. The blood-covered tip of the sword stabbed into the ground as both of her milky hands rested upon the top of it.

"Young girls like you shouldn't be out past midnight. Don't you know that the darkness is a shroud for the corrupt and evil?" The woman asked Yohru, who was still seated on the ground. Everything felt as if it had gone by like a whirlwind and her form was still shaken from her near death experience.

"Y-You saved me," Yohru stammered.

"It was hardly on purpose. I am not the heroic type," the dark woman replied.

"But still…thank you," the younger girl told the dark-clad figure. The blood-covered woman didn't speak, only looked upon Yohru with cold eyes. 'Her face is so emotionless…She gives off a cold aura. It sends chills up my spine.' She thought as she took in the woman's features. Yohru could feel the cold from her and it was haunting to stare into her eyes for too long.

"What's your name, child?" The woman asked as she broke the silence.

"Mine Yohru, and yours?"

"Call me Alice."

"Alice?" Yohru questioned the foreign name. "That's American, isn't it?"

"I'm actually from Italy, if you must know but I fancy Japan. It's such a beautiful and stylish country. The atmosphere and people are very unique. I think my shop will do well here."

"Your shop?" Yohru questioned half in a daze. She was still trying to take everything in and at this point the blur was still prominent in her mind.

"Yes, I just moved here not too long ago. My shop just opened and you're more than welcomed to stop by and sample what I have to offer," Alice told her. She didn't comprehend everything at the moment so she simply nodded. "Well, I simply must be going. I have a large demand to settle." The Lolita-clad figure turned to walk away and took a few steps before she was stopped.

"Wait!" Yohru stood. "You aren't going to tell me to keep quiet?" She asked. It seemed odd for a killer to just walk away without a word to someone who had just witness one of their slaughterings.

Alive casually looked over her shoulder. "Why should I? Do remember that I'm the one who saved your life. It was completely optional because I could kill you for seeing what you had seen." Yohru's dark blue eyes widened. "Now, what was that about saying that you would possibly turn me in?"

"I wasn't going to turn you in. It's just that a lot of people who saw someone just kill a person would turn them in for something like that," Yohru didn't want Alice to think that she was a snitch.

"Even if the murderer spared their life by killing another who threatened it? It's so typically human and crass to do something of that nature. This is why trust is thin between mankind," the dark woman remarked.

"I owe you my life so I wouldn't do anything like that. I'd never turn you in for anything," the white-haired girl's voice had been sincere. She didn't want Alice to think anything badly of her, even though it seemed as if she already had.

"I'll call your bluff."

"Call my bluff? It's not a bluff, it's the truth," Yohru was a little offended that Alice would make such a remark when she had been sincere.

"Is there a difference? Lies, bluffs, jokes and truth…They can all be taken into the same context."

The white-haired girl looked a little irritated with the dark woman. 'She's so frustrating! Her sentences make sense then again- they don't. What's up with that? She's so creepy…then again, I can't really judge her because she saved my life, no matter how emotionless she is, it accounts for something.'

Suddenly, a question had hit her. Yohru asked Alice what time it was. She had completely forgotten about the time and it had already been late when she left home. No telling what time it was now. Alice checked her watch and told her that it was exactly three o' clock in the morning.

"Really!? I've got to get home! My parents will be worried sick! Good-bye!" The white-haired girl felt a little frantic. It wouldn't be too long before her parents were up and if she was caught outside at an odd hour like this it would spell serious trouble! She had to sneak inside without them noticing.

"Farewell…I'll see you tomorrow," Alice commented as the girl retreated. As the words caught her ears, she slowed and stopped.

"She'll…see me tomorrow?" Yohru questioned herself. 'What did she mean by that?' The young girl decided to turn around and question the course directly. "Excuse…me…She's gone." She said as blue eyes scanned the parameter for any sign of the dark woman but she found none. "Where did she go so fast? It's like she disappeared."

Left with only thoughts of the events that had taken place before, Yohru decided to head back home. As she walked down the streets of Japan at three in the morning thoughts flooded her senses and mystery sparked in her mind and the gentle wind caused her spiral ponytail to dance in the air.

In her room, she watched her balcony curtain as it too, swayed in the wind and she thought to herself as she lay on her bed. 'Who was she? Will she really see me tomorrow, I mean, can she predict the future? What kind of woman is she?' Yohru thought as she pulled the covers over herself and drifted off to sleep.

The next day had been the start of the weekend. She sat on a bench with Michi and Taho and seemed to be lost in thought. When she finally snapped back into reality, Michi had waved her hand over her face several times and told her that she seemed dazed. Taho then asked her what was wrong. It wasn't like her to go through spells of this nature, after all.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about something," the young girl told her friends as vivid imagery of the dead body and Alice plagued her mind.

"You haven't eaten anything. Are you sure that you're okay?" Michi looked concerned for her.

"I'm fine, really."

"Hey, are we going to that new shop like you guys wanted to do?" Taho questioned. After all, that was the reason that they had all met up on that Saturday afternoon.

"Yeah, are we going together?"

"Sure, come on," her friend smiled as the three of them headed over to the shop to see what it had to offer.

As the three girls stood in front of the building, each of them had been overcame with a mix of emotions. The shop appeared to be nothing more than a quaint little house that was very dark purple in color with a black roof and white trim and shutters. It was dimly lit inside and a soft orange glow emitted from the windows.

"It's purple…" Michi noted at the odd color for a house.

"It's very creepy looking," Taho stated. The house gave her the shivers, that was for sure.

"Think we should go in?" The blue-haired girl looked to her friends in question.

"Maybe it's not so creepy on the inside," the brown haired girl tried to be optimistic but she couldn't deny that the house gave off a vibe like nothing she'd ever been around. Yohru agreed with her and decided that they would go in and see for themselves.

The room was small with a simple brown desk at the front and white cash register. No one was standing at it but they figured that the owner must have been busy doing something with a customer. There had been quite a few people inside. The three girls looked around at all of the trinkets and odd items that littered the shop.

"Wow, they're so pretty," Michi marveled at the vast amount of charms and stones.

"I don't really need a charm that much. I do like the roses though," Taho's mind had quickly changed when she spied the blood-red roses that were sticking out from a large flower pot. She stared, brown eyes transfixed on the plants before her and a moment of silence passed by before she heard a low, feminine voice from behind her.

"Very pretty, aren't they?" Alice asked as she looked over the girl's shoulder.

"Such a deep red," Michi commented.

"Kind of like blood," Taho replied.

"There is an undeniable beauty in the color of blood," Alice commented as Yohru made her way over to them. She was carrying one of the amethyst colored charms in her hand and wanted to show it to her friends.

"Hey guys!" She called out as she neared them. "Aren't these beauty-"Her sentence was cut off by a gasp upon seeing the familiar woman standing around her friends. There was a clack as the charm hit the ground and bounced. Alice looked over her shoulder at the sound that that's when they had established eye contact. "You're-"Shock was eminent in her voice as she stared at Alice with widened eyes.

"So our paths cross again. Welcome to my shop, feel free to sample my items in all of their glory," Alice spread her arms out to reveal all of her charms. She welcomed the girls to her shop of sin and awaited their decision on any object that they desired.

To Be Continued…