~Samuel, Ariela, and The girl in the White room.

After a few hours of walking, Samuel found himself on the outskirts of a small middle school. From the outside it appeared to be an abandoned place, nothing but silence greeted him. A lone paper flew by, carried by the wind to a destination even it did not know. Samuel smiled briefly, he could see them. The chords of life that hung out of every opening in the buildings surface. He counted 26 in all, the 26th having a faint golden glow. He felt elation at the prospect of enjoying the taste of another host. It would be his third, and he hoped it would be just as filling as the other two. Samuel stepped forward, confident in his abilities and anonymity being enough to give him an upper hand. He reached the front door with haste and knocked thrice, not truly expecting an answer. He was a tad startled when a voice resounded from within. 

"Coming." the young boy chimed as he darted for the front door. He believed the knocking to be Mary and the others coming back with food from their hunt. So surprised he was to find a stranger at the door that he forgot protocol entirely. Instead he let out a scream and turned and ran. Samuel took a moment to step inside the enclave and take his gloves and hat off before giving chase. He hung the articles on a nearby wall hook deciding to keep his jacket on as he did so. "I hope you do not mind me keeping my jacket." He announced. "It is just a tad chilly in here. I do hope this action has not offended you, it is the guests duty to please his hosts after all." After seeing the boy he was able to clearly identify which chord of life was his and he followed it without a moment of thought. whistling to himself as he went on his way. The other chords shifted slightly as the residents became aware of his presence.

Samuel chuckled to himself as he followed the boy's spirit chord. His hand passed through it as he attempted to yank on it, reminding him he needed to make contact with the boy before he could do that.

~~~

Ariela had been passing by the area when the boy had shrieked, the wail caught her attention immediately and she bolted towards it. She came upon an unkempt school, it seemed abandoned, and the front door lay swung open. Ariela approached it cautiously, taking into account the frailness of her child form. She crept up to the wall of the building and slowly made her way to the entrance. Ariela peeked her head inside, seeing nothing, on a nearby hook sat a hat and a pair of black gloves. They seemed to be placed rather recently, and she could hear foot steps in the distance. Ariela slowly stepped through the entrance way. A hallway stretched into the distance to both her left and right. In front of her was a staircase with a doorway beside it. She heard a mans voice from beyond the door way. She stepped towards it and stretched her head beyond.

~~~

Samuel was unaware of the child that approached him from behind, his focus was grasped by the child that hid in the locker before him. "Now, now little boy, come out and greet me properly. I promise you that it won't be a very painful process. Think of it as going to sleep, for the rest of existence..." 

The boy trembled in fright as the mad man spoke of killing him, but then he heard something strange. The man was turning away from the locker, and then he said something. "What is this?" The man called. " I have a pursuer it would seem... Stay put little boy, I have a bigger fish to fry.."

~~

Ariela gasped as The man turned to face her. The man smiled a sickening smile as he approached her slowly. "Well, well, well.. It seems that you too have been gifted with a host my dear.. I will be taking your life first it would seem.." Ariela was taken aback, this man was a host, and a seemingly powerful one at that. How he was able to determine the fact that she was as well was beyond her, but all she could think to do was turn and run. She dashed into the hallway, making sure to give him a fleeting view of her form as she continued on her way. She did not know much about this building, so she was planning on learning it before she set her trap.

~~

Samuel followed in suit, walking slowly after the running girl. She passed into the hallway that led right of the entrance and he followed, just catching a glimpse of her heels as she turned around the corner. Samuel picked up his pace, walking briskly after the child. He did not want the residents to gain an upper hand before he had hunted down this intruder. It would be unacceptable if this went south for him. Samuel turned at the end of the hall, only to find the girl waiting for him halfway down the hall he had turned into. She then turned and bolted into a classroom to her left and his right. [b] She is leading you.. Exercise caution.. [/b] [i] I am aware of this my dear, [/i] he replied to his kage [i] I do not have time for these games however, shall we end this? [/i] His kage nodded in agreement as he pursued the child, now lightly jogging.

He entered the classroom only to catch the door slamming behind the girl as she bolted down another hall. Samuel sighed in annoyance and followed her once more.

~~~

Ariela charged through the school, leading the man through a seemingly random combination of left, rights, halls, and classrooms until she came to a hallways end. Ariela stood before a lone door on which hung a cardboard sign that read 'quiet room'. She glanced behind her shoulder, seeing the man charging after her. She quickly opened it and slammed it shut, locking it behind her before turning to survey the room itself. Before Ariela stood a wolf with golden eyes, its teeth clenched in a horrific snarl. Ariela cringed in fear, expecting to be torn to shreds. Instead, however, the wolf spoke. "You... why have you come?"

Ariela grew confused, but before she could reply or ask why it was that a wolf was speaking to her, the man began banging on the door. "Oh little pig," He called "Won't you let me in?" Ariela moved away from the door. The wolf seemed to understand that it was the voice outside, and not her that was threatening it. Ariela backed into the corner as the man burst through the door.

~~~

Samuel charged into the room, taking a moment to take in the situation. The first thing he saw was a wolf flying through the air at his face. He was tossed onto his back and left disorientated. He regained his composure to see the wolf snarling at him, hovering over his form, whilst the girl from before stood in the background. "An interesting power you have their conduit," he remarked. "It seems I have been-"

"She, is not the reason I hold back.." The wolf replied, startling Samuel further. He looked into the wolf's golden eye's noticing only then that it had two chords of life, none of which matched that of a wolves. "and that.." the wolf continued. ".. Is my line.." 

[End of Part I]