Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2001 20:03:53 -0700 From: Aaron . Subject: "Specter" Ch. 8 I appologize for lack of updates on my part. Things are not running smoothly. In light of recent events occuring in the United States, I am going on a temporary hiatus after the posting of Chapter 8. Thank you for your support. Disclaimer: I don't know anything about anyone in this story. This story is not meant to spread nasty little rumors about anyone, or to offend anyone, so get over it. "Specter" Aaron DeLorean *Chapter Eight* ____________________________________ "I can't believe this violence in mind... 'Cause I believe in peace, bitch..." --Tori Amos ____________________________________ I downshifted and angled the Ferrari into the narrow drive of my mothers large Victorian home. I had grown up in this house and now I was going to share my experiences of childhood and family with Stephanie. We climbed out of the car and my mother came bounding out the door. Uh oh. And so it begins. "Oh Akira-San, who little girl?" My mother asked in her thick Japanese accent. Steph chuckled under her breath. My mother was quite disarming...at first. I took a deep breath. "Mom, this is Stephanie Fremont, my friend Holly's sister." I turned to Steph, "Steph, this is my mom, Miho Maxwell." Steph took her hand and bowed, "So nice too meet you Mrs. Maxwell." Mom's eyes lit up, "Such a nice girl, Akira, you sure she not yours?" I rolled my eyes, "Yes mother, she's Holly's sister." "Where Holly?" My mom asked as we made our way into the house. I frowned, "We'll talk about it later." I dug around in the den and found the old photo albums of Kenichi and myself as children. I opened them up and Steph went through them as I shared little stories with her about some of the pictures. Sounds of my mother could be heard coming from the kitchen. She had insisted on making Steph and I lunch and I just couldn't turn down a proper Japanese meal now could I? Besides, Steph deserved something other then pizza, and she certainly wasn't going to find home cooking at my apartment. "So what happened to your dad, Akira?" Stephanie asked as I pointed out a picture of my father. I frowned. "He died of lung cancer. He wasn't Japanese, he was Caucasian. I'm half Japanese." I explained needlessly. Steph nodded her head slowly, "So you know what it feels like to loose a parent." I smiled and wiped at the tears that I knew were forming under my eyelids. "Yes. Like I said before, you are not alone now, and will never be alone again, I'll make sure of that, sweetie. There's me, my mom, and of course now that we're actually a family, there's Kenichi. Which reminds me, I'll have to take you to meet Kenichi later this week." Steph's face lit up, "Oh tell me about his family! Does he have any kids my age?" I smiled, "Yeah, actually he does. He has a wife named June who is one of the best women I have ever met, next to you and your sister, of course." Steph smiled at the mention of Holly, not tearing up for the first time since I had brought her home those days ago. I went on, "Ken also has two children, a boy named Mathew, he's 14, and a little boy named Robert, after our father; he's 5 and a little sweetie." Steph smiled at the description of Kenichi's family. "They sound wonderful Aki." I nodded, "They are Steph, they really are." Lunch was wonderful. My mother stepped out of the kitchen with a tray of hamburgers and a side of French-fries. I gasped. "Mom, hamburgers? I was gonna introduce Steph to authentic Japanese cuisine." My mom smiled at me primly, "You're hands broken, Akira?" She asked sarcastically. Stephanie burst into laughter. I glared at her from the corner of my eye. "No mother, I just thought..." She broke in, "She young girl Akira, young girl like hamburger, not old Japanese recipe." Wow... I sat there staring after my mother like I had seen a ghost. My mother actually...being nice? Whoa, dude. I looked over at Steph. She smiled widely, "You're mom's nice!" My eyes widened in surprise, "I know!" I replied, astounded. "She was never nice to Holly." Steph laughed, "Maybe she just likes me." I looked down at the hamburger on my plate. "Jesus Christ...hamburgers..." I muttered as my mother puttered around in the kitchen. After lunch I was washing my face in the bathroom and suddenly felt a chill come over my body. I shivered and looked up into the mirror. Holly's face gazed back at me directly over my left shoulder. I inhaled sharply and whirled around. It was Holly. Right there in my mother's bathroom. She smiled and I could feel her energy, her presence and everything that was good about her around me. I could feel tears streaming down my face. I reached out timidly to her form. "Holly? Is that...is that really you?" I asked shocked. She smiled and I could see her nod. "Yes Akira. It's me." And it happened. Everything that I had been hiding inside of myself suddenly burst out and I cried, sitting down sharply on the floor of the bathroom. Holly was there, too. "Oh Aki, honey don't cry, it's ok, I'm here." She put her ghostly arms around me as I sobbed. My tears went through her form and landed on the floor. "But Holly I miss you so much, Stephanie misses you, we all miss you and we can't live like this, we can't do this without you! Why did you leave? Why?" I cried out as my eyes blurred. Holly lifted my chin with her hand and looked into my eyes. "Don't cry. It's alright." She said softly. Her words seemed to float on the air and wrap themselves around me. And I stopped crying. Holly smiled and began speaking again, "Akira, I was sent back to help you and Stephanie, and I'm not going anywhere until it's time. I'll be here." And then suddenly she was gone and I was standing back in front of the mirror. My tears were gone. I shook my head. I could still feel her presence, though. I could still feel the reassurance of her words. She would be here for us. Holly... *To be continued at a later date*