A flash of lightning, a thunderclap, and the rain began to pour.

The ghost simply stared at Rai for several minutes. After what seemed like ages, he finally spoke.

"Yes...yes, I do know your sister." he said. He then hung his head, as if he was weary.

Rai dared to ask another question. " Wh-who...who killed my family?"

" I cannot tell you." said the ghost.

" But..." Rai began, and then the bus pulled up, distracting him for a moment. When he looked back, the ghost was gone.

Wordlessly, Rai boarded the bus, payed for his ticket, and sat down. The cloaked figure did the same, choosing a seat in the very back.

There was no one else on the bus. Outside, the rain continued to pour, and frequent bursts of lightning would light up the now-dark sky, followed by loud thunderclaps. Inside the bus, it was complete silence.

As they drove into the downtown district, the contrast was apparent. Old, empty warehouses and dilapidated towers could be seen on either side, and the bus began to jolt and shake as it ran over ruts and holes in the pavement.

Rai wondered why the ghost had looked at him so strangely. And how the ghost knew his sister. He sighed; there were so many questions in his mind, it seemed ridiculous to think that they would all be answered. Or to think that any of them would be answered.

When the bus pulled to a stop on fourty-third street, Rai got off. And, surprisingly, so did the short person with the raincloak.

Rai realized that that guy had been at the bus stop when the ghost had appeared. And that he had shown no particular interest in anything until the ghost had appeared.

" Hey..." he said, turning around, but the cloaked figure took off running down the street.

" Um...." Rai decided to just forget it. He hurriedly walked through the door into the main lobby of Broadway Towers and made his way to Uncle Joe's apartment.

When he got there, his Uncle was sitting in the recliner watching football, as usual.

" Hey kid. Did you bring any food?" asked Uncle Joe, not even bothering to say hello.

" No," Rai replied coldly, going back to his room. Well, sort of. It was a one-bedroom apartment, and the one bedroom was obviusly Uncle Joe's. That being so, Rai's "bedroom" was the hall closet.

" Home sweet home, " he muttered, tossing his backpack in the corner and flopping onto the mattress.

" HEY!!! YOU'D BETTER MAKE SOME FOOD NOW OR I'M KICKIN' YOU OUT!!!" Uncle Joe screeched from the other room.

" Yep," Rai muttered darkly, " Home sweet home..."