FicWad

Chapter Forty: Long Blackout Night:

There was a thunderstorm that night. Meifu experience an all-night blackout because of it. Hisoka was in the toilet throwing up at the time. Earlier, a taste of his empathetic powers came back. He was in the activity room reading when it first hit in months. Initially, the feeling freaked him out.

What is this? I don't like it! The emotions or regret, guilt, disappointment, and sorrowed poured into him like an endless waterfall. /I can't stop it!/, Hisoka thought. /Stay away! /The overwhelming wave crippled him to his stomach.

I can't take it anymore! Hisoka raced all the way to the nearest bathroom. The power went out with his head in the toilet. He didn't notice until he sat back.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Power outage," a familiar voice answered. Hisoka whipped around startled.

"Who's there?" he asked. The boy turned to see Carrie standing in the stall doorway.

"It's only me," she said. Hisoka stared at her with big eyes. /I can't feel anything from her/, he thought. Carrie gave him an odd look.

"Are you all right?"she asked. Hisoka slowly nodded at her.

"Y-Yeah," he said, "I just got sick." Carrie didn't respond to his answer.

"We're having a power outage because of the storm," she replied, "So, we are on a lockdown." Hisoka blinked at her rather lost.

"Lockdown?" he asked.

"Correct," she told him.

"So, what now?" the shinigami asked. Carrie shrugged her shoulders.

"Wait until the power's back, I suppose," she said. Hisoka glanced around.

"Alright," he muttered.

Moments later, they sat in the stall Hisoka was just in. He tried not to make eye contact.

"They came back," he spoke up. Carrie lifted her head.

"I'm sorry?" she asked. Hisoka looked down at the floor.

"I'm an empathic," he explained, "I feel the emotions of everyone around me."

"No way!" Carrie gasped. Hisoka shook his head.

"It's not as great as your think it is," he insisted. "I can't control it and I can't stop it. They just flow into me against my will." Hisoka trembled as he drew his knees to his chest. "It's so strange," he said. "I had forgotten what it was like."

"Can you feel my emotions?" Carrie asked. Hisoka paused at that question. It donned on him about something he just noticed.

"No," he said. Carrie looked puzzled.

"No?" she asked. He shook his head. "I don't understand why."

"Is that bad?" Carrie asked.

"I don't know," Hisoka said. "I haven't felt this in months."

"And you're not used to it?" she asked. The shinigami shook his head. He turned away from her. He glanced down at Carrie's feet. The boy happened to notice a bluish-purple lotus flower painted on the top of her right foot.

"When did you get that?" Hisoka asked. Carrie glanced down at the shimmering painted flower.

"Oh," she said, "The Yamaguchi brothers painted it. It symbolizes rising above. Lotus grows in muddy water. It fits me just well. I hope to become a lotus flower myself when I leave this place." She pushed her foot forward. "Do you like it?" she asked. Hisoka made a face.

"It's alright, I guess," he mumbled.

"So, how are you doing?" Carrie spoke up. Hisoka looked up confused.

"Huh?" he asked. Carrie looked like a mini queen in her white lace dress. He hadn't noticed how the moonlight looked on her body through the high window above.

"How are you on your progress?" she asked. Hisoka raised an eyebrow at her.

"What is this, a therapy session?" he asked. Carrie gave him a tiny shrug.

"Why not?" she said. The girl took on Tana's serious demeanor. "Tell me your progress, Kurosaki-kun," she told him. Hisoka couldn't help but smile.

"Kohaku's gone," he began. "I haven't been on drugs for eight weeks."

"Do you still love Tsuzuki?" Carrie asked. Hisoka lowered his head in shame.

"Yes," he admitted. The boy lifted his head. "But now I will get over it in time. I just don't know how long it will take me." Carrie gave him a small smile.

"I know you can do it," she said.

"So what about you?" Hisoka asked. Carrie paused and eyed him.

"Pardon?" she asked.

"Why are you here?" he asked. "How is your progress?" The glow from girl's face began to die away. "Years ago, my older sister and I were so close," she began. "She was only friend and I looked up to her." She could feel the sorrow well up within her. "When I was seven, she was murdered in the park we always played in. They never found her killer." Tears welled up in her eyes.

"I couldn't handle it anymore," Carrie forced herself to say. "I ended up throwing myself into the river and drowning myself." Hisoka looked at her dead serious.

"You didn't!" he gasped. Carrie pressed her lips together as she nodded. Tears flooded her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.

"I'm trying to survive this mistake I made," Carrie welled. Hisoka reached over and patted her on the head.

"You'll be fine," he told her. "Don't give up." Carrie nodded as she lowered her head. Suddenly, the power came back on. Hisoka looked up when he heard the lights clicking.

"Hey, the power's back," he said. The shinigami got up to leave when Carrie grabbed his hand. He paused with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Carrie?" he asked. The red-haired girl lifted her head.

"Can we stay here for a while?" she whispered. "It calms me down." Hisoka gave her patient smile.

"Of course," he replied. She rested in his lap.

"Thank you, Hisoka-kun," the girl whispered. He just patted her on the head.

By morning, Tana found him alone in the stall.

"I'm so sorry I didn't get you sooner," she said. Hisoka patiently shook his head.

"It's fine," he responded. "In fact, I did some thinking last night and I do need your help."