Help he cried. Help.
Had someone heared?
When would it arrive finally?
Help.
His heart was aching. People were walking in his direction, unable to see the hole in the ground, that had opened there a few minutes ago. It lay directly in their path, shovel stills ticking in a heap of earth at its side. They were coming closer now.
Help.
They had heard him apparently, for there was a stir among them. Yelling and pointing in his direction. He desperately waved his arms. He even took his red shirt of and waved. Dont come here. Go away! More pointing and waving from their side followed.
They started running in his direction.
He closed his eyes as friendly faces faded into darkness.

It hand been another dark night. Another dark day. His sleep was getting more and more uneasy the more he stayed in this city it seemed. The sound of his steps on the concrete walkway was inaudible, because he was walking at one of the main traffic lines. Cars standing on several lanes were honking and stinking and screaming lay in the air. It truly was to be screaming. People did not hesitate, when bumping into each other, but continued on their ways without a second glance – but only after affirming the presence of their wallet or purses- at the person who had been so careless.

People went by unbothered. A totally normal day in New York.

He could not stand it.

For once the prospect of becoming someone like these people made him feel uneasy. Not afraid, but certainly uneasy. It was a feeling, he was not accustomed to having to deal with. He already was blending in far too well with the crowd, wide steps he took in exact proportion of the ones the person before him was. He had even mastered the subtle laws of subway transportation to some extent. No more run ins with angry ladies or worse -canes-. A fact of which he was quite proud. That feeling could not change the little bit of bad feeling, that leaped nagging at the back of his mind. And to make things even worse, he had still not gotten a real job. The job interview a certain lady had gotten him had been rotten by the fact that this possible future employer wanted him to get into contact with groups of tourists for he had no formal training in gardening. Well he had actually, but pulling out a gardening license from some five years prior, would make him appear quite ridiculous. There were some inherent problems with his condition of looking as he did, that he had not yet found a way to work around elegantly. Instead of declining outright, he had instead asked for time of consideration, which he was then granted. He did not really have a choice now, did he?

So he had walked into Central Park to relax. He just wanted to find a little peace right now, so he ignored most other travelers. He even ignored the fact that there were none any more, as it was getting dark in a blink. The last rays of the sun fell trough the trees leaves, illuminating the paved walkway with a strange display of light and shadow. A sunset in a park, that through the history had been renown for not only being a refuge to stressed New Yorkers, but also to the petty misfits of society. What would this night bring...

What would await him here?

Kasumi soon found the park to be her fave place. The evening people seem to fade away. She smiles as she looks around the nights were not to cold also. Soon she looks up at the sky she has on a nice t- shirt with jeans and saddles that is all. Soon she is in awa of the reds and golds of the sun sets it reminds of home. Soon she leans on the tree as she keeps her eyes on the sun. A smile comes on Kasumis lips as she looks at it.

Some of her hair falls over her shoulder as a wind comes up. She feels the wind moving her hair. She looks at the bright purple clouds that seem to make forms in the sky. Soon she sees things Kasumi points things out with her mind. She smiles as she rembers her mother and father doing this with her. She just feels so at ease right now. She will always feel relaxed at the park she wounder why yet she does not think about it to much. Soon the sun setting behind showing that it is getting darker.

Kasumi did not mind the dark. The lights are coming on she sets out to head back home as she calls it now. She hums a song to herself as she skips now. Even at the age of 18 she is skipping why not? She is alone and in a good mood. She smiles to herself as she does so. She does not know that she is comeing acrossed anyone yet she is. Kasumi is off in her own little world right now.

It seemed as if it was just nothing but rolling clouds before a reddened sky. Beautiful really. For some reason he felt content with just viewing the sky as the patterns of illumination in the clouds changed from bright red, pink and orange. Such a work of art had not yet been created by human hands and he was determined to not miss a second of light before night would cloud the skies in darkness. This was an evening to remember well, for it were these days that helped to get through the darker ones. The feeling of awe and smalnesat the marvels of nature was somethng he did not enjoy very often.

He did not see it coming as he was just enjoying himself. It was a jumping redhead. Jumping and also not looking. It was easy math. A simple equation: What makes one jumping person plus two not paying attention to the road? The crack was unlike anything that comes from nature. It sent a few birds flying off into the pink night sky with screeches of protest. They had been enjoying themselves too.

“Ouch.” That was not screeching protest. That was the protest of a man-boy dressed in elegant gray and green (dark green long sleeve shirt and gloves, gray pants to be exact), well formerly elegant as the clothes were now covered in dust from a cloud that was just again settling on the ground. The content was gone. It was replaced by cold anger. Cold anger and a tinge of fear. He unconsiously clasped his hands tightly together.

It took him a while to recompose himself, but then he gave the offender an icy stare.

“A very good evening to you too.”

His words were bittersweet.

Kasumi soon finds herself falling back. She lands on her butt as she grones as she speaks "Ow..." She looks up she sees that she ran into someone she soon blushes some "Oh I am so sorry.." Soon she hears his wrods Kasumi gets to her feet as she lets out a small giggle as she nods. She bows her head "Very good evening. I thought I was the only one here."

Kasumi soon dusts her backside off she smiles more as she smiles more him "I am Kasumi." She holds her hand out to him. Some of her hair falls into her eyes as she smiles huge. She seems to be meeting alot of people here she does not mind it best place to make fiends. She does not mind meeting people in odd ways makes the best story's also. She is always bright and happy when she is in the park she has no idea why but eh who cares huh? Just as long as you are happy that is all that matters!

Kasumi will not be mad at people that runs into her or she ran into him? Who knows what is the point of thiking about it so much? They met that is all that matters and in hopes to be fiends that is all that matters that is what Kasumi thinks. She is that kind of person to look at the better side of things.

Her friendly smile did melt away some of the ice in his stare. Now it was just a sunny winter day hidden plainly in their gray just as the sky was hiding its beauty again and the lights faded into a gloom that hugged the trees and skyscrapers, obscuring the clouds that now only were lighted by the city below. There even seemed to be a smile twitching at his lips. But it never showed, while he kept his hands busy with dusting off his clothes ignoring the offered hand. This girly was some special one to just bump into him and then smile like that. She could have... No lets not go there. Not even in thought, as those are dangerous ways to walk down.

“I am Mr. Stein.”

He deliberately put the distance between them. It was not only a verbal one, but the hands, that had once been dusting himself off, had finished a movement and were now folded across his chest. He was disapproving of her behavior and it was very obvious. Maybe he would tell her his first name later. But only on his conditions and when he deemed the time to be right. Now the thin line in his face finally opened to show his teeth.

“You should be more careful or one day you might hurt yourself.”

The concern in his voice sounded almost fatherly, which might have been just a little off considering the situation. He didn't care. And he was not fatherly. He just wanted the girl to find her way home without running into people that would really hurt her. Uhm, thats not fatherly, is it? The that dragged behind his last words was uneasy as the last rays of sun had vanished a minute ago. Night had claimed the park. It was rapidly starting to get cold so a slight shudder made its way up his shoulders.

"Why dont you walk with me for a while?"

He turned around without looking at her twice. Everything he did said just one thing. I know you will.

Kasumi looks at him as she smiles still soon she hears his name "Mr. Stein.." She soon nods "I know... most of my fiends I run into to or run over me because they do not see me." She shakes her head as she sighs. She hated being so small but that is what happens when you are so small. Soon Kasumi eyes falls back him as she smiles again. She nods softly "Alright that will be nice."

Kasumi eyes soon looks up "The stars will be coming out soon also." She soon walks but to Mr. Stein. She knows that some people do not like giveing out there first names so she will not push things like this she is not the kind to do that. But she will stay her happy bright self soon she looks at him "So what brings you to the park?" Kasumi looks at him with her eyes as she pushes some of her hair back. She will tell him why she is here. To look at the sun set. She get a good pic tonight so she can paint is also. That made her so happy.

Kasumi has been meaning to paint a sun set for a while now. She can now she has the perfect pic she has got to sit long enough to take it. That is in part why she was skipping just in such a good mood. At last she has something that she has been needing for a while.

This girl was just an odd one. So cheerful that it seemed unavoidable to put a grin on his own face while considering her words. He saw that she was small and there was some distance in age between them. She might be around 16, somewhere in High school at best. That might explain her sweetness. She had probably not come into much contact with the darker side of the world yet. A side she should at least try to avoid for another few years.

"You do stick out somewhat. Maybe they should learn how to look out better." So it was good that he walked with her in another way. And he was much better then many other things that could be found at night. The words were delivered without any intentions behind them, even carried a certain dryness, a crisp sound, he hoped would avoid any ambiguities. Not that he saw any here. But making double precautions was not a luxury. It was a necessity. He looked at his hands, or more precisely at the gloves. Precautions would also require something else. An oddity for him really, but it might be a working one. The patterns of his language, the intonation, changed slightly, to a more colloquial one that might just be used in her kind of surroundings. A conscious effort it was to hide what was obvious. Maybe it would work.

"I was stressed so I came to hang out here. It's relaxing, isn't it?" Friendly smiling he was.

"Hey, maybe they will. I hope the clouds will go away." His eyes wandered upwards, where the city lights around them were faintly illuminating the clouds from below. Light pollution this was named and most clearly seen from the seas, when a boat came near a greater harbor and the dome of light that always surrounded them today as everyday, tonight as every night, became visible. A beautiful sight it was, but it could not compare to the sight of the stars under a sky that was still what it was meant to be. A void with some little lights strewn into it. It was a faint longing in him, to go out and see the seas again. The rolling waves, the winds that carried the salt and freshness. It was only faint now. Too long had it been gone. Faint but it would never leave him. His walk slowed down to near halt. Face was lifted upwards in a calm expression. Here were memories of sweet taste where only a touch of bitterness remained.

Kasumi looks at him and nods "Well you have to get use to things like this.. I miss my home Juno... I mean I get use to seeing such things as the Northerner lights You have nothing but clean crisp air to breath." She misses the snow and the cold most of all. She lets out a soft sigh the deep blue see and the killer wales she can see swimming and playing with the sea lions bathing in the sun the baby's everything her home but she will be back there soon.

Soon Kasumi smiles "Yes I do stand out I try not to.. it is the red hair huh? I mean it scrams look at me look at me!" She has to make jokes at her hair color she always does. "After 5 years you get use to standing out.. getting bright red hair at 13 and spots... I mean it hard blind in now I mean I do try but it does not happen." She srugs her shoulders and sighs. "I am still getting use to it.."

Kasumi nods and smiles "Yes it is and a very good place to train.. I mean not a lot of people walk deep into here and well if you walk deep enough you end up alone.. . I am training myself to get over the fear of jumping off of things. I am training to be an x-men my powers let me jump off of high places but that is that little fear that stops me and I am breaking myself of it." Kasumi nods to herself "I can not stop in the middle of something and be scared of jumping off of something.. I just can't" Kasumi soon looks at him with her green eyes as she wonders what he is thinking. Soon she gives him a soft smile looking up at the sky she points it out "Look there is the big dipper.. and off of that it is Big bear." She uses her finger to make it look like a bear as she smiles more. She always loved the stars. If Kasumi had it her way she will always read about them. That is the way that she is.

So she carried similar feelings around with her. His own sigh sounded in the air. It was the slow letting out the air of a balloon not the explosive huff some preferred. He had time and it continued for a time. And her words and their song of melancholy mixed with his own creating something new. It was not dissonance, neither discord, but certainly not accord either. It bordered all of them yet was none. It was a beautiful mood, neither here nor there. In his ears the sounds of rustling leaves turned into waves rolling ashore and the wind on his face still seemed to carry a hint of salt from the sea it had passed over to get here.

Her story was typical for a short girl in her teenage years. At least he supposed it was, as he was of average height and had always been, so he did not know her situation firsthand. But he had seen small people snap viciously at others for little things, others had found much more pleasant ways of what seemed to be coping with the fear of being overlooked or more accurately in her case: Being frowned upon. This one was... jumpy. In every sense of the word. He followed her explanation with sharp, almost hawk like looks.

“Be aware of the fact that forcing yourself will do you no good. What about the jumping is it that makes you afraid is the question to be asked.” He questioned half to himself. She was not the type to be afraid of loosing control was she? Maybe it was a matter of trust then. Just maybe.

The nighttime sky revealed so many pictures and legends tat had been woven around the stars in an attempt to give them meaning fitting their position above the observers head. The stories were beautiful enough to be told for their own sake, even though the belief in heroes in the sky had long been abandoned. He could, maybe just tell her one, but that would have to wait a little longer. “See, there is Sirius.” He pointed at a brighter star in the sky and smiled back at her.

Kasumi looks at Mr. Stein as she specks "It is the little voice of reason in your head that makes you stop form really hurting yourself. That is what I am over coming I mean I can jump off of high places and lape very long with out hurting myself but the voice of reason is still there telling me to stop. I need to nudge that part out to do this." She nods to herself she is ready to get that part out of her head she has to.

Soon she looks at the stars as Kasumi smiles "You are right I take it you are in the stars also? I have been looking at them ever scene I can rember." Standing right by Mr. Stein as she keeps her eyes on Sirius she nods "I think I am ready to do more... I mean I feel it I can not stop myself form growing so I am easeing myself into it."

Kasumi nods to herself she trusts her heart and her powers she always has. They are something that is a part of her something that she knows that she will not give up. She can not fear what she is if she does then she can lose sight of herself and what she will want to be. Kasumi made a vow never to let that happen in her life.

He was simply waiting for her response. Having turned to an unmoving figure, devoid of any signs of life, eyes locked again on some point in the distance between sky and ground. Not even the sound of his breathing, his heartbeat carried farther then to his own ears. And in the beginning there was silence. Silence of feeling, void of emotions. There might be nothing to be heard from him, but there was from the wind, playing its soft song with the leaves and branches of the trees, the background song. Waves of nature rolling besides them, passing by the way they were standing on. Seemingly passing by. The floating of sound was unimpeded. The washing. For what was he waiting really? The void shattered, eyes turning to the small and unsure girl on his side.

Her words were revealing in themselves. Not only in a literal sense. It mattered how they were aligned, connected, connotated. Natural process. Dissecting. Vivisecting her words. He smiled at her. It was easy to figure some things out. A teenagers thoughts were not one of them commonly. They were far too chaotic, the influence of hormones was strong then, but so was their random outbursts own spirit in a way that he admired in some of them.
The question to be asked was, whether he wanted to start a little therapy session here, to make an attempt at helping her. It might be a good thing to do, as he could still see the pictures in the news of some things that had happened through lack of control or lack of fear. Fear was her answer.

“The stars are a guide for us, especially on the seas. You see America was discovered by the Vikings with nothing but them as their guide.”

He started off simply. Yes the statement was true. Vikings had sailed farther then Greenland with no compass to guide them. They had broken that barrier long before Columbus ever came along to name the continent a new India. It was one of the instances that technology had proven itself. It was an instance at which the irony of history was clearly visible. Stars as guides..... They might still be used today ins some remote areas despite GPS and Satellite telephones. It was comforting in a way. That the old things were able to prevail at least for a while before losing.

Thinking. Feeling. Reason. Three words set in opposition here. Opposition apparently was a common trait in teenagers. He went a few steps farther away from her and turned his back on her.

“If you want my opinion:” He began politely.”The new has nothing to be feared. The old is nothing to fear. Moving between them may not be easy, but it is nothing to be afraid of, just a transition, nothing more or less. Have faith in yourself. In your abilities. Reason will not stand in your way then.”

So had started a little therapy, but nothing just for her. A little reminiscing, rambling. Maybe she would listen closely. Maybe she would understand someday when she was older. He had certainly found it quite difficult to see transition and what it led to. It was a gift he did not have, but he was not overly envious of those who had it. Not overly. He had a gift, that so many of them aspired, took great strain to even come close to and fail again. And he was not overly jealous of them for having that luxury.

Kasumi looks at him as she nods "Oh I knew that... I read a lot maybe to much people seem not to like it. I seem to act to old for my age also but I do not mind it. I mean it is better to be a little bit to old then to young." She nods to herself as she looks at him. The sky is a little bit more dark now the stars are showing better she keeps her eyes on the stars soon he stops as she stops and looks over her shoulder at him.

Soon Kasumi walks back to him as she smiles "I feel the same way I mean if you live your life in fear then you are not livening at all. That is what I think I mean if you are meak then how can you call that living? I can not hide and be like that... I have to show the world that I am not weak and that I will not fear anything." She nods to herself. "Well I am doing that I just do not want to brake my neck diving in head first." She smiles as she tosses some of her hair over her shoulder she is right if you do things wrong you can hurt or kill yourself.

Kasumi very much likes living and hopes to be here for a very long time. Kasumi looks over the sky with her eyes "But there is always a little bit of dough with in yourself... but that is all part of being human I think. If you think you are the best then you will die.. but if you know you can get hurt you will live strong and live. Oh I am sorry babbling on.." Kasumi soon laughs at herself some but many ways she is right. She has no idea how beond her years she really is. Yet again she does not mind that.

He flashes another smile at her. Now that I think of it I'm smiling a lot lately. And I like it a lot. I haven't done it much in so long it seems like ages. Well it might just be ages for all I know. He casually glanced at his watch only to realize, that very little time had passed. “I don't know why the others always think bad of reading. Its so much fun. But I don't know about being older.” How well he did know actually, but he was not about to tell her, since his light hearted sentence brought him back to playing youth. To being young for a change. Change was good. Change was invigorating. Change was life. Maybe a little beyond her still, but most certainly younger then he had been before. Another set of masks to be perfected. But her statement about being old made his smile broaden. It was this ambiguity that could always be found. The young ones wanted to get older, while the old ones were willing to get younger at any cost. There never was the right age it seemed, or so it was supposed to seem.

He walked a few steps closer in her direction, the gravel under his feet protesting against the sudden shifts in weight and pressure. It was now that he was standing directly by her side, that he looked up at the stars again only to be overcome by melancholy. Beautiful and unspoiled they were by hands of man. Beautiful they would be in milennia still. Milennia he would hopefully get to see. But a side of him found it quite odd to be standing next to a small girl with spots here. What if someone saw them? Another part of him, the major part at the moment, did not care at all for those logics. Assumptions, deductions, inductions. They all were just useless crap. Things old people used instead of hiving fun.

Her little speech was interesting. Wrong in some points but interesting. He restrained himself mentally from telling her though. Keep the masks on, he thought as he caught his thoughts slipping. Keep them going. Be. “So lets live then. Lets try it out!” He started walking a quick pace in the direction of one of the bigger rocks in Central Park. The unique thing about this one was that it had a steep cliff like end from which she could most certainly try out her jumping abilities. And there was grass on the ground so she would not fall very hard. His laugh and his waving hands were certainly daring her to try.

It was a strange feeling to be young again. To feel the adrenaline, to enjoy the feeling of freedom in his veins. It had all been too much beyond him he realized now. Another hit at what was to come. Another step in the right direction maybe. He would have to write this down, lest he forget it ere he could draw some use from it. Note to self: Get together with young people more often. He ran and laughed.

Kasumi walks by him as he smiles that makes her smile more. She soon looks at the sky he starts to walk fast that soon makes her walk fast she looks at the rock as she nods to herself as she smiles "So you want to see me jump? Alright... I never done it in front of anyone but there is a first for everything." Kasumi nods as she slips off her saddles. She feels the gravel under her feet something that she is use to feeling soon she looks at him "Besides my spots I have adhesive pads on my fingers and toes. I can clime and stick to anything. Also I can do long leaps and jumps much longer then any human can do."

Soon Kasumi nods as she smiles as she walks to the huge rock. She lets the tips of her fingers rest on the rock she pulls herself up. Soon she has her toes on the side of the rock as she climes it with such ease. Soon she is up on top of the rock. Kasumi closes her eyes as she feels the wind moving over her body as she smiles. Kasumi takes in a deep breath as she opens her eyes she nods to herself as she speaks to herself "I can do this."

As soon as the words pass Kasumi's lips she leaps she soon feels her body going weightless she closes her eyes and smiles huge form the feeling she loves it she will always love it. Soon Kasumi does a flip in the air her body moves so easy in the air. She lands on the ground like a frog will she is proud of her landing. She stands up as she poses "I have got a lot better I could not do flips.. but if I have to fight in mid air it is something good to know." Kasumi nods as she smiles more "I am proud of myself over it.."

As soon as Kasumi starts to cling on the rocks wet and mossy surcace showing him her back, something changes. Martin changes. Leaving his masks behind he waches coldly as she makes her way up the mineral, undeterred by cracks and rock. Her progress was not unsightly to be sure, but as soon as she had reached the top, he began moving.

He slipped away into the shadows of the nearest bushes without so much as a rustle of leaves coming from them in protest. One second he was there, the other he was not. As if the earth had suddenly eaten him. As if he only had been a ghost visiting. Only some part of her imagination running wild. There would be no trace of his existence.

He knew she would jump.

When she turned around from her posing, all that was left to the eye would be an empty patch of grass.