Phantom

Disclaimer:I don't own DBZ, blah, blah, blah.

A/N: Well, I've decided to mark it horror anyway. Thanks for the reviews/alerts/favorites. Loved all the hits.

The next night though, Krillin was a bit afraid to go to sleep, or even take a shower at that, because he was scared that Juuhachigou might've been behind the curtain as soon as he stepped out. So throughout the entire wash, he kept on peeking out before continuing to scrub himself.

When he was finished bathing, he did this whole scan-the-entire-room thing before going to bed, checking his closet and under his bed and seeing if his windows were locked.

And at last, he'd finally settled down into his blankets after doing back downstairs for some hot tea, his senses dimming ever so slightly.

He felt relaxed, to say the least. At ease.

But it was around the same time that she was back and everything was just as horrible was seeing her the night before.

The damp, subzero feeling was in the atmosphere again as she just materialized there, him even noticing that she didn't come from anywhere.

That dreaded static noise sounded.

And the blood pouring in dangerous amounts from her chest had returned.

Krillin screamed.

Juuhachigou merely glowered at him, her eyes staring him down like icy daggers. "Give me the answers, Krillin."

Krillin's mind whirred as fast as he could blink. She was back. She was back, prodding him for answers that he didn't have. And she was bleeding again. Like last night. She could die if her blood kept on flowing like that.

He finally found his voice. "Juuhachigou, what's wrong? What happened?" Bravely, he extended a hand toward her. "Let me . . . let me help you."

Her expression grew darker, blood stealing the white color from her striped sleeves.

"I don't need anymore of your help," she spat, leaning toward him, so close, he could feel the coldness that was radiating from her. Her breath was an icy wind in his face. "Never again. I only seek the answers."

"What answers?" He all but yelled. "You—you were here yesterday and you kept on— on asking for them, but I don't know what you mean!"

Her face looked even more agitated than before as she pulled her lips back in a snarl. Blood dropped onto the blankets. What are you talking about?"

For some reason, Krillin was no longer as scared as before, while Juuhachigou suddenly seemed disoriented. "What are you talking about?"

Her eyes were searing with abrupt ferocity again. Ferocity and something that Krillin could barely detect: perplexity.

She frowned, staring at the covers that she dropped blood onto. "He said . . . that if I found you . . . you'd give me the answers. He said . . . that I'd be free . . . ."

He blinked. "Juu . . . who . . . told you that? Free from what?"

She balled her hands into fists. "The red giant. He said I'd be free from here . . . ."

He eyed her anxiously, bothered by what she was saying. "Free from where? What're you talking about? And—" He glanced at the closed doors and windows. "—how'd you even get in here?"

Juuhachigou's breathing was uneven as she clenched her jaw tightly glaring furiously at him. He could vividly see the vexation that ignited from within her pale irises . . . like a fire.

Krillin quivered as a tremor of fear spread inside his chest. "Juuhachigou, w-why are you . . . bleeding?"

And then the static sound sizzled up again, Juuhachigou turning to him with a seething expression that caused the hairs on his arms to rise, whereas her blonde locks of silk didn't even move. The room grew colder around them.

"Because of you!" She snarled angrily. "I'm bleeding because of you. Because of what you idiotically did to us!"

He had never felt so terrified in his entire life. Not on Namek, not on Earth, and not even when he had died.

He had always gotten this brave feeling whenever he was about to die: My time is up. I've had a good run. I know I did something right.

But there, as the woman that he claimed to have loved bled there, furious at the end of his bed, demanding and blaming him for things, he was afraid he would die of fright.

Her eyes were just so pale and emotionless now. Inhuman . . . yet they were expressive at the same time. Malevolent. The vibes her body was giving off were vicious. Deadly. Like she wanted to rip somebody's head off.

Krillin was too winded to say anything.

"And so you have to give me what I want, Krillin." Her voice was frighteningly sweet and sugary. "Or else."

"Or—or else what?" He forced his voice to work just then. Because he needed to know.

Her pale-blue eyes narrowed and she lunged for him, grabbing him by the front of his white T-shirt, lifting him out of the bed. "Or else I force them from you."

Her hands were chilling, the coldness seeping through his shirt and traveling like a virus throughout his body. So freezing that he couldn't even manage a scream. It had frozen in his throat, leaving him completely stunned.

Kami, he was scared. Scared witless. Her cruel expression would haunt him forever. Her blood dripped onto his front, the only part of her that was actually warm.

"Juu— Juuhachigou, let go!" he stuttered. "Or I'll call . . . ."

His words died right on his tongue. This was his battle. If he got any of his housemates involved, she would kill them too.

She seemed to catch on, an ugly smirk gracing her lips. "Can't call for help, can you? Wonderful. We don't need anyone interfering. Now give me what I want!"

She rattled him brutally in her grip. And he tried to grab her arm, to yank himself free. But his hand passed right through her, as if she were a ghost . . . like a mist colder than ice that nearly stopped his heart.

His voice came in a horrified rasp. "Holy shit, Juu . . . ."

Even she looked a bit surprised for a moment; the arm that was holding him almost dropped him.

He stared at her in incredulity. "Juuhachigou . . . what the hell? W-what happened to you? What—"

Her face was less angry now and more wistful. Puzzled.

"Like I said," she spoke, her voice barely a whisper, "you happened. You caused this. And it won't stop until you give the the answers. I won't stop. He said we can't."

"W-we? Whaddaya mean we?W-who else . . . ?" He shrieked. "And tell me why you're bleeding all of your guts onto me! Give the exact, goddamn reason, Juuhachi! C-cuz I'm scared."

She scowled and clenched his shirt tighter in her right fist, lifting him closer to her face. "Of course you're scared. I'm Juuhachigou."

And then she punched him in the stomach. Hard. Without even letting him go, like he was just her punching bag. Krillin's sight had gone dim for a second, his breath lost from his lungs. He didn't even know how she did that with an . . . easily-penetrated body. Still, the polar feeling of her hand pierced through him like an icicle dagger.

"N-no," he gasped, his abdomen aching painfully. "I meant . . . t-that I was scared for you. You're—you might bleed to death, Juu! L-let me help if you just calm down."

Her nose flared. "It's too late for that . . . ."

"W-what . . . do you mean?" He clawed for her wrist again, but his hand passed right through her for a second time. She was still unbearably arctic. "Why are you like this? What the heck happened to you? What's wrong? And darn it, what answers?"

She faltered for a bit and he noticed how he nearly slipped from her fingers, as if she really were a projection.

She literally faltered. And he almost screamed. Her body had gone transparent for a second. See-through. Like—like she wasn't real.

His heart flitted dangerously fast. "Are you real, Juuhachigou? Did— did the others set this up? Because they know I l—?"

Her voice was hurried, breathless. "Didn't that punch feel real?"

"It felt . . . peculiar."

She lifted him higher, pinning him against a wall. "I'm warning you, monk . . . speak up, now, or thing's won't be easy for you."

He noticed that he was somewhat slipping from her hold and that the room was actually getting warmer. Her touch no longer felt as algid.

"I really don't know what you're on about!"

She slapped one side of his face, but it hardly stung. "Hurry up and tell me now!"

Krillin was almost crying of fright. "I've got a gazillion answers, Juuhachigou! Like why there are clouds in the sky and why Yamcha thinks he's a ladies' man! Which one do you want?"

Juuhachigou was fading fast and he was relieved.

"The answers of why . . . ." She managed to hiss out before evaporating. And then she was gone, Krillin plummeting to the floor with a thump, fighting for breath.

He blinked, panting on his back and grateful that he was alive.

Alive. Alive. Kami. He could've been dead. Again. The thought caused a frosty shudder to run along his back.

Juuhachigou was . . . off. There was no doubt about it. Something wasn't right about her now. She had been bleeding and holding him responsible for it, babbling about nonsense, and trying to force some unknown answers out of him. Krillin didn't know what to think. He didn't want to think! He just wanted her to leave him alone . . . or to help her.

He didn't know what she meant! The red giant? And free from where? What did she mean she couldn't stop?

And seriously, why—was—she— blaming him? What had he done?

All Krillin could do was coil up on the rug underneath him and try not to cry.

A/N: Short again— freaking only six pages— and basically falling within the same atmosphere as the last chapter. But there were some noticeable clues and hints that Juu mentioned. Kudos if you know who the red giant is. Next chapter will be different, kind of. And the whole story probably starts there. Hope you've enjoyed. R&R.