Rating: R for violence, language, and more later...
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or the characters involved in the series. Woe is me!
Remind Me to Breathe: Prologue
Kaoru ran.
Tears streaming from her eyes, sobs choking her, and blood staining her hands, she ran barefoot through the forest, trying to shut out the horrifying images that were there every time she closed her eyes.
He had come without warning. A creature of the night. Her father had tried to protect them, but in moments he had been sliced to pieces. Her brothers had followed. Then her mother and her sisters, their blood splattering across the walls, the ground, her body...She wanted to scream, but she couldn't let him find her. So she ran. Ran with the hope that she would survive, that she wouldn't meet the gory end of her beloved family.
Her bare feet were scratched and bleeding from the rough ground. She could barely see in the pitch black night. Branchless trees surrounded her, the dim moonlight making them look like towering, frozen black snakes. Every shadow seemed to move towards her, ready to drag her down and suffocate her. But she didn't stop. She had to live.
"There you are, pet."
She screamed. He was standing in front of her, shadows hiding his face. But she could see the blood that drenched his entire body and the sword in his hand. She tried to escape, but he grabbed her and shoved her roughly against a tree. Crying, she struggled, but it was no use.
"Don't cry," he murmured against her ear. He nuzzled her neck, making her shudder in terror. "I'm not going to kill you. I'm going to give you a present." She gasped as she felt his tongue on her flesh. "The gift of eternal life."
Two sharp blades abruptly sunk into her tender neck. She tried to cry out, but no sound would come forth. She realized it was his teeth that had punctured her. He sucked, and she could feel the life being drained away. Tears continued to slide down her cheeks as the warmth left her body. It felt as if her very soul was being sucked from her.
When he finally pulled away, her limp body fell to the ground. Feeling lost and delirious, she looked up. In the moonlight, she could see amber eyes and blood red hair.
"Farewell, pet." He smirked down at her, then disappeared into the darkness.
Kaoru watched him leave, the moisture pouring from her eyes never ceasing. And with the last dregs of her shredded soul, she vowed to exact vengeance on the murderer of her family...and her humanity.
To be continued...