A/N: Random thought for a story. I've been reading a little too much Stephen King recently…you'll understand soon enough.
The Extensions of The Mind
Kaoru Kamiya had know Kenshin Himura as long as she could remember. Ever since the shy little boy showed up in the neighborhood, Kaoru had suddenly attached to him. They helped each other through everything from playing on a peewee soccer team to going through puberty. Everyone at school always suspected that there was a relationship between them, but ask them and the two would vehemently deny it. As far as Kenshin and Kaoru thought, they were like a brother/sister team. And when Kenshin started getting a string of girlfriends, one after another, the rumors began to die. Now, Kaoru was going through Kenshin's slow grieving process. He'd never been one to hang onto anything too long, but when it came to Tomoe Yukishiro, things changed. That was the first time that Kaoru felt that she was second best to Kenshin. The first time that she felt jealous. It was also the first time that she questioned Kenshin's judgment.
That was not to say that Tomoe wasn't a bright or even a sweet girl, the problem was that Tomoe just wasn't one of the people that was for Kenshin. She was using Kenshin, and Kaoru could see it. Kenshin was much too polite for his own good and let the woman walk all over it. It wasn't until the reality hit Kenshin that he knew he had to break up with Tomoe and pick up the pieces. And his way was to come running to his sister.
They made an elaborate plan for a trip cross country during the summer after they graduated from high school. When the time came, Kaoru was convinced that it would help Kenshin in his self esteem. Not only that, but after they got back they were both going to enter the same college. Kenshin for the soccer scholarship, and Kaoru who seemed to faithfully follow behind.
On June seventeenth, Kaoru waited impatiently in her driveway. She was sitting on her overstuffed suitcase full of the items that she was going to need for the trip which she was hoping was going to take over a month.
Her eyes followed every car that passed cursing that it wasn't Kenshin's graduation gift from his uncle, Hiko; a red Corvette. When a red car would pass Kaoru would rise, then fall again when she realized that it wasn't Kenshin.
"You're always late…" Kaoru put her cheek in her hand and her foot began tapping hard on the ground. "Always late…"
"Just wait Kaoru, he'll show up." Her mother cooed. "Oh, I think that's him now." Kaoru looked to the left and sure enough there was Kenshin in the Corvette with the top down. He put on the break as soon as he got next to her driveway. Kaoru jumped up and grabbed her bag throwing it in the trunk.
"Could you have more stuff?" Kenshin laughed.
"Shut up!"
Kaoru jumped over the door and slid into the seat. She admired her "brother" wearing a red muscle shirt and light blue tight jeans. He hid his exotic amethyst eyes under a pair of stylish sunglasses. No doubt this was her mother's image of a bad boy.
"Are you sure that you'll be alright Kaoru? You have all the numbers?" Kaoru nodded lethargically to her mother. She was beginning to get into one of her 'freak-out' modes. "And you'll call me every day right? To tell me you're alright?" Kenshin and Kaoru simultaneously pulled out their cell phones. "I have Hiko's number right Ken?" Kenshin nodded. "And you have insurance?"
"Mom, c'mon let us go. You want me to sign a waiver or something?"
"I'm sorry Kaoru. I'm just gonna miss you."
"I'll be fine Mom. I'll text Dad at every gas station alright?" She promised.
"Alright. I trust you Ken; you keep my little girl safe."
Kenshin revved up the engine. "Tell Dad I love him and miss him and tell Yahiko that he's a brat."
"I'm sure he'll miss you too Kaoru," her mother reminded sweetly. Kaoru hugged her mother one last time. "See you soon!"
Kaoru looked back and waved to her mother as she got smaller and smaller. As soon as Kaoru knew that she was out of distance that her mother could see her or hear her she said:
"I thought we'd never get out of her grip."
"She's your mother Kaoru, what did you expect from her?"
"I'm sure Hiko was just as loving," Kaoru said in an airy voice. Kenshin snorted.
"Yeah I think that love was somewhere in between 'I can't wait till you leave the house' and 'I can't believe I'm actually getting the house to myself for more than a month.'" Kenshin recited. "You know him…he's not normal."
"If he's not normal, than my parents are aliens."
Kenshin shrugged. "Off that subject now. We have a full tank and I have an atlas in the glove box; pick a spot on the national map in between here and Florida and we'll start that route."
Kaoru followed Kenshin's instruction and pulled out the new atlas. She flipped to the national map and closed her eyes once she had created a parameter. She slammed her finger down in the middle of it.
"What'd you get?" Kenshin asked pulling down the shades. He was heading for I-75 going south.
"I landed on….well close enough to Nashville it looks like."
"Nashville? Country central here we come!"
--
By the night fall they were on the outskirts of Nashville where they had decided they could turn west from and start toward St. Louis, the closest city that Kaoru had put her finger to. They were in an a Cracker Barrel at nine in the evening. Kaoru was playing with the peg game which was probably at her hundredth try in getting down to less than three pegs. It was to her amazement that Kenshin had already accomplished this feet and wasn't telling her any sort of secret that she needed to know to pass this task.
"You know, you can help me," Kaoru said in a sappy voice. Kenshin shook his head again. "Aw, you're just the meanest thing ever made aren't you?" Kenshin smiled proudly while his hand ran over an old scar that he'd gotten after taking a knife for Kaoru in what was suppose to be a fist fight. It made the most ominous 'X' shape on his left cheek.
Things like that were the kind that made Kaoru proud to know that she had a friend like Kenshin. She knew that when push came to shove that Kenshin would risk anything for his "sister."
An ancient waitress came up to the pair who were in the silent standstill and set down the breakfast and coffee that they had ordered knowing they would need the full for the all nighter they were about to embark on. The woman was gazing at them with hazy skepticism. Just as Kenshin was digging into the food and the waitress was about to leave, Kaoru called her out.
"Yes?" she asked sweetly.
"How far are we to the nearest gas station?" Kaoru asked knowing that they had just filled up and she had sent a text. The woman pursed her lips a moment and looked out the darkened windows.
"I don't know. If you've already stopped and filed up here…about thirty or more miles. There are a lot of back roads you're gonna be on until you get back on the interstate. I take it you folks are headed to Nashville?" she asked. Kaoru nodded and sipped at the cup of coffee that Kenshin had prepared for himself. The red head hummed in annoyance as he took back the cup and slid a second cup back to Kaoru. "Well, personally I wouldn't want to go on; you don't know what the heck's out there. But, you're young kids so I know I'm not changing your minds." The woman stated honestly.
"Thirty miles? Would that be about the same distance to the nearest rest stop too?" Kaoru asked. The woman shrugged.
"As far as I know. There might be some old exit somewhere. But you ain't seein' it in all this. I can promise you that."
"What kind of things might we encounter?" Kenshin asked in a hushed tone. There was a certain air of depression that was floating around the dining room.
"Trees…trees…barren road. Oh…and more trees," the woman said with a chuckle in her voice. "There are some varmints that run around. You know; coons, squirrels, skunks. You'd best be on the lookout for deer. Those cause biggest nuisance for drivers."
"I see."
"But, it's nothing that a strapping young lad like you couldn't take," the woman said. "So, my name is Lucy; ask me if you need anything else."
That was when the woman shuffled away. Kaoru had succeeded by that time in taking Kenshin's coffee cup knowing that he made it just the way that she liked it. The red head had officially given up on trying to retain said beverage and just made a second.
"You want to drive or you want me to drive?" Kenshin asked.
"You know I can't drive in the dark," Kaoru reminded.
"That's just an excuse."
"You want me to hit a squirrel."
"It's not like people don't do it everyday. We'd be overrun by squirrels if they didn't get run over."
"Says the man who will stop for a spider if he can see it."
Kenshin poked at his over-easy eggs until the yoke spilled over onto the white.
"Do you want me to drive Kenshin? You look kinda worn out," Kaoru examined Kenshin's slightly sagging features. He shook his head.
"We'll get to the rest stop; you can take the back when we get there and we'll just stay there until the sun rises again alright?" Kenshin compromised. Kaoru curtly nodded her head and then started to giggle. "Something wrong?" Kenshin asked.
"No; I'm just thinking," Kaoru said. "You know. We're gonna be on our own now. This officially commemorates it." Kaoru scooped up a forkful of gravy from her plate.
"We're adults. Of course. I don't see why you find that such a surprise," Kenshin was being very calm, almost lethargic. "Let's just hurry up and get out of here. I think that lady's giving us the evil eye," Kenshin said while subtly looking over out of the corner of his eye. Kaoru looked over real boldly still eating as she did. The woman gave a small wave to her and she nodded her head in response.
"When did you go to bed last night?" Kaoru demanded.
"Why?"
"You're out of your freakin' mind," Kaoru hissed. Kenshin was pouring a second cup of coffee, his plate now empty. She could see him beginning to perk up with the drink. "You're so weird, you know that?"
"You just realized this?" Kenshin asked smartly. Kaoru stuck out her tongue and continued to shovel the food into her mouth.
Shortly after that, they were back on the road. And the woman was accurate in saying that it was trees and darkness. Kenshin's lights only illuminated it to a certain extent which made him more cautious of what was on the road rather than how fast he was going on said road. Kaoru was too sleepy to want to look at the speedometer either. She was praying that the cool night air that was washing over her face would keep her awake.
"Kaoru?" Kenshin asked.
"Hm?"
"Wake up."
"I am awake," she moaned and turned further away until her chin was on the doorframe. Kenshin hit her arm. "What?"
"Wake up. I'm not going at this alone."
"Hey, quit being such a bitch. I'm tired alright?"
"I'm the one being a bitch? You hear yourself."
"Yeah…." Kaoru was dozing off again which was leaving Kenshin in the cold. A shudder came over his body a moment. His tired eyes searched for a sign of some sort to point to the right direction. He rubbed at his eyes a moment and looked around. There was still nothing but woods. He then looked down at the clock that was reading ten thirty. He cursed himself for being so susceptible to the Sandman. He took in a deep breath. All of a sudden though, there was a shudder in himself again. He had to wake up, or pull over. But, as soon as the thought came into his mind, it flew out. Where was that rest stop that the woman was talking about? Kenshin growled to himself. That was when he saw something scurrying in the middle of the road. Kenshin held his breath and pounded his foot on the brake. He heard Kaoru scream out and fling up from the sleepy position she was in. Kenshin turned the car at a sharp angle the right. It rumbled a moment as they entered into the dense forest. That was the last time that Kenshin saw dark blue and the time that he saw deep black.
--
Early morning was breaking through the thick vegetation that the roadsides were made up. Small rain pellets were littering on Kenshin's back. His shirt had a small coating of this rain where it must have showered late at night. It wasn't enough to wake him eyes. His eyes fluttered a moment to wake up. The side of his head surely had an indention where he was resting on the steering wheel. His body was stiff, but he was certain that there was nothing physically wrong with him. On instinct, he started to look around, but all he saw was the thick vegetation that he had landed in. He saw Kaoru asleep on the dashboard. He confirmed this when he felt her breathing. He shook her shoulder blade. There was a rustle.
"Kaoru! Kaoru! Wake up!" Kenshin demanded. He looked around with a little terror. "Kaoru! Wake up dammit!"
"Wha--?"
"Wake up."
"Are we in Nashville?"
"No," Kenshin started to shift around for his cell phone. Once it was in his hand, he tried to dial. He got nothing. There was no signal in the dense shrubbery. He cursed himself then took Kaoru's phone. It was just as dead as his. "Kaoru! Wake up! We're in danger!"
"What danger?" Kaoru looked over to Kenshin in panic, then to her soggy self with a bit of disgust. "Where the hell are we?"
"I haven't the foggiest. A forest."
"Did you crash?"
"I don't know…"He checked again to make sure that he wasn't injured, only to find that there was a cut that had opened on his forehead. He wiped his fingers deducing that a crash was the only possible cause.
"Kenshin?"
"What?"
"We need to get help."
"I know."
"Get out then."
Kenshin got out of the car and looked where he had made a passageway with his now leaf covered Corvette. The car itself was also in fine shape. Kenshin trekked up a small incline to the road. He could see where he had swerved because he had hit a small rodent and dragged it across the pavement. But other than that, there was nothing there was standing out. And not a car in sight. Kaoru was close behind.
"Should we wait?" She asked.
"I don't know."
"Can you say anything else?"
"Maybe."
"Thank you."
Kaoru sat down on the side of the road. She watched for some sort of absolution that maybe a car might be passing, but looking both ways there was nothing coming at them that was even looking significantly like a car. She rested her head on her knees.
"So…some adults we are huh?" Kaoru sighed. "This is your fault you know."
"That woman needs to get her head checked," Kenshin fumed. "This is a lot more than thirty fucking miles, I'll tell you that."
"You don't need to get that mad about it," Kaoru blew air out of her nose. "We brought food didn't we."
"That was what I asked you to do. You seem to have forgotten."
"Great. So we're in the middle of nowhere with no food and our cell phones are busted. Mom's probably already had a stroke. Great."
"We can get out of this," Kenshin tried to reason with the pessimistic girl. "All we need to do is first stay calm about this whole ordeal, then second we need to find a way to get in contact with civilization." Kenshin trekked back to his car and sat in the driver's seat. He turned the keys knowing it was going to be fruitless. The car gave a mild chug like it would start, but then died shortly after. The red head leaned back and looked at the spider crack in his windshield. "Dad's gonna kill me…" he whispered. He got out of the car again and opened the trunk.
"What are you doing?"
"Changing."
"Outside?"
"Like anyone's looking," Kenshin replied. He pulled off the damp shirt and pants pulling out a second shirt that was a faded red, almost pink, and a pair of nearly identical pants. Kaoru made sure not to look as he did this process, as tempting as the thought was. When Kenshin returned, there was something about him that seemed to be a little bit renewed. He looked down the road that stretched on for miles in both directions.
"You think anyone will come down this road?" Kaoru asked morosely.
"Someone has to," he replied. "That's why the built it." He flipped open the cell phone again. There was still no signal. "Kaoru?"
"Yeah?"
"Start walking down that way with your phone. The moment that you get a signal, I want you to call somebody. I'm going down this way," he said pointing to the left. Kaoru nodded and ran back to the car to get her phone. Kenshin was already trekking down the road. Kaoru gave him a very melancholic look because she could tell that Kenshin didn't believe this plan would work. The ground was even, and so was the denseness of the trees, so why should the signal change? But, she walked on anyway.
After about two hours, Kaoru was certain that she had walked at least two miles or more front and back by the time that she returned to Kenshin sitting on the ground and tossing stones across the pavement. Each one he threw, he threw will power. Each one became more violent as well. It showed Kenshin's more violent side.
"Did you get anything?" he asked. Kaoru was standing there for several minutes just staring at the red head afraid to say anything. She shook her disappointedly. Kenshin picked up a larger stone and threw it across the distance of the road and into trees shaking them.
"I'm sorry Kenshin…" Kaoru apologized with the hint of sadness in her voice. Kenshin sat there, aware of her emotions but unable to do anything with his flaring anger only getting worse. Then, he heard a sound that he knew was distinct. He looked to the left, the same way that he had traveled. And there it came; their savor. He stood up and ran towards the car hoping to meet at a proper spot and get the car to stop. But it seemed that the closer he was getting to the car, the faster that the car was going. By the time that he reached it, the car was only a blue blur that passed him by. Kenshin turned on his toes and started to follow the car, but obviously the car was going to outrun even the super being of a runner. He was yelling until he went hoarse, and so was Kaoru trying to tail it. But the car paid no heed to there cries. Kaoru was in utter disappointment at the predicament. She fell to her knees weeping in fright that they would never escape their fate. But Kenshin stood in silence. There was something about the events that made him realize that it was the only thing that could have happened. Who in there right mind would want hitchhikers? No matter what thoughts might have entered their heads. The red head didn't allow himself into a angry tangent like he usually did. Instead he fell into the sitting position in depression.
Kaoru crawled over to Kenshin still weeping. She rested her head on his chest. Kenshin neither offered comfort, or pushed her away. He just let her lay there helplessly drenching his chest with tears of fate.
Kenshin was unsure how long that they sat there. The minutes that ticked by were the sands in a quickly emptying hourglass. The sun began to rise higher and higher hitting Kenshin's back and heating his small body up. There was an awkward rustle. Kaoru looked over to the where the car had drove into.
"There's something there," Kaoru whispered. "There's something here to kill us."
"You're just hungry."
"No; there's something going to kill us. Kenshin….why won't you listen to me?"
"Because you're losing your mind. And I'm losing my mind. IT won't be long." He said. Kaoru stood up, then sat back down. "What are you doing?"
"I want to see if I can see anything."
"Don't be an idiot and go to it like in the movies. At least let it come to you if it wants to kill you that bad." Kenshin said. Kaoru gripped Kenshin's shirt again.
"Who's there!" Kaoru yelled out. "Come out and show your face!" Kaoru yelled. She tucked her head down into the little place that Kenshin created in between his arms. There was another rustle which interested Kenshin just as much as it did Kaoru. It continued to come out. There were two people. One old woman and a little girl. They were in old style clothes and looking at Kenshin and Kaoru blankly.
"Who are you?" Kenshin asked. His voice had drawn hoarse.
"See Auntie. I told you. There are people." The little girl shook her Auntie's shawl. The old woman waddled over to Kenshin and Kaoru. Kaoru's grip increased on Kenshin's shirt nearly choking him.
"Who are you?" Kenshin repeated.
"Oh dear, you're injured," the woman said when seeing the cut on Kenshin's forehead. He'd opened it again, but this time he wasn't too concerned to wipe away the blood as it trickled down the side of his face. The woman knelt to him and touched the blood. She rubbed it between her fingers a moment. "How did you get here?" the woman asked.
"Who are you?" Kenshin asked cringing back. The woman had quite a smell on her.
"I am the leader of a small village beyond the trees. Little Elizabeth seems to have found you." The woman said. The little girl came forward. She was tugging on one of the thick braids of hair that she owned.
"What do you want with us?" Kenshin asked defensively. Kaoru looked over the old woman's clothes. Their stomach's growled simultaneously alerting the old woman.
"Why, you seem to be starved. And injured. You must have been in some accident. Why don't we get you come medical attention and nourishment. How does that sound?" Auntie asked with a wily smile. Kaoru started to unclenched Kenshin's shirt.
"Would you happen to have a phone?" Kenshin asked.
"Dears, you need to think about your health first. Come with me. You can eat a nice supper and I'll get you to the physician." Elizabeth tugged on Kaoru's hand while Auntie nearly pulled Kenshin to his feet. He felt the blood Auntie had wiped from his forehead on her hands.
"Where are you folks from?" Auntie asked. "We don't get many visitors you see."
"Up north." Kaoru answered. Kenshin could see her mouth watering for food.
"Is that so?"
Little Elizabeth began pulling back branches in the thick of the forest. The entire way through the forest, Auntie never let go of Kenshin's hand, and the red head was convinced that she was squeezing harder.
"You'll like the village. It's so peaceful."
"Ma'am, if we could use a pho-"
"Oh, you'll have to take a bath. You're absolutely filthy," she said feeling her hand up his arm. "We have these springs. There the finest you'll find in the next hundred miles." Auntie assured.
"Ma'am, look really, we just need a phone."
The woman didn't answer.
Elizabeth pulled back the last branch to reveal a small village in the distance of tall grass. There was something about the village that had the rustic touch. All the houses were log cabins with straw on top of the roofs. People were bustling about wearing the same old styled clothing that Auntie and Elizabeth wore. There was smoke coming up from a fire that seemed to be in the direct center of the village. People were hanging their laundry on lines and talking heartily among one another. Small children chased each other.
"Wow. It's so beautiful."
"We pride ourselves in a tidy town," Auntie nodded her head. She took them into one of the larger homes in the village. It was all wood; in the center there was a table where a small arrangement of food was laid out. The fire was crackling with a cauldron overhead.
"Please, please. Take our seats. We'll make more," Auntie said. "You look so malnourished. How long were you out there?" she asked.
"A few hours," Kenshin responded. Carefully he picked up the spoon and dipped it into what looked like a split pea soup. The woman came over filling a ceramic cup with an amber liquid.
"Here. Drink up. This has some of the finest honey you'll ever taste," Auntie said. Kenshin took a tentative sip while Kaoru gulped it down. Auntie watched to wait their reactions. "Well? What do you think?"
"It's very sweet," Kaoru said licking her lips. Kenshin did the same; his nose crinkled a little.
"Too sweet," he said. "Do you have just water?"
"We used it all for supper," she wiped a little more blood off of his forehead. "I'm going to go get the doctor to patch you up. You mustn't lose anymore blood or you might not live much longer," the woman said with a hearty chuckle. She walked out of the home leaving little Elizabeth to watch. The girl brushed out her doll's hair very carefully.
"Kaoru…" Kenshin whispered. He leaned over the table still sipping at the soup so the girl wouldn't notice. "Kaoru?"
"Yeah."
"We need to get out of here."
"Why? We're being saved."
"Are you stupid? Look at these people. Their crazy."
"Their Amish or something. Their just being hospitable. Why can't you take it?"
"She wouldn't answer me about the phone."
"She doesn't know what it is," Kaoru hissed. She sipped at more of the honey drink. "We've never had a home cooked meal this good," she said. "Just except. We'll get a bath, and you do need to fix the cut."
Kenshin pressed his fingers over the cut.
"It's fine. I can wipe it away."
"Why aren't you eating?" Elizabeth asked. Kenshin looked down to his full bowl. "Are you not hungry?"
"No…I'm just a little…taken aback is all," Kenshin answered trying not to sound impolite. He slurped up a little of the soup and exaggerated a liking until Elizabeth turned back down to her doll. "You see what I mean?" he hissed in a whisper.
"You're just paranoid."
Auntie walked back in again with a man behind her. The man looked like he'd been in an explosion with his raggedy hair and crinkly clothes. He knelt next to Kenshin and looked at the cut under his bangs. He started to pull something from his bag and poked Kenshin's forehead it.
"What the hell?"
"Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you further," he pulled out a gauze pad and taped it to Kenshin's forehead. He was happy that the blood was no longer running down his cheek. The man started to touch his scar. "What a mark you have." Kenshin put his hand over it.
"It just an old thing," he murmured and turned back to his soup. Kaoru was holding up her cup for a second glass of the honey water that Auntie offered. She was more than happy to give Kaoru more.
--
Later that day, Kaoru let herself indulge in a warm bath that the villagers had prepared. They were pelting her with questions of curiosity, some more personal than others. Kenshin on the other hand was staying aloof around the people that he was being critical of. He tried to trek back to the car feeling that it might have been safer there, only to be pulled back by a set of twin boys wanting to play ball with him. Kenshin was more than happy to oblige, but kept his words at a minimum. By the time that night had fallen, Kenshin was growing tired of the days events. He was offered much of the honey water that Kaoru had became addicted to. He would take the cups he was offered but pour it into the soil that was also greedily sucking it up.
When they offered that Kenshin and Kaoru stay for dinner, the raven headed girl jumped on the offer, but Kenshin openly denied that he wanted to go back to the car. He got this response:
"But you can't leave."
He was alone with Auntie at his side. Kaoru was playing with a few girls several yards away.
"I have two legs. I can walk right back to the car," Kenshin admitted.
"Well…we'll just have to do something about that won't we? Once you come, you must never leave."
Kenshin looked sideways at the woman, then looked down at the ground as though he weren't actually afraid of what the woman said. Auntie began hovering protectively around Kenshin. He walked over to the forest and looked up to the star filled sky. Smoke fluttered overhead from the fire.
"It's quite a place isn't it boy?"
"What do you want with us?" Kenshin asked quietly.
"Well, dear, I'm just here to make you comfortable. Last days can be such a hard thing."
"The hell with last days…"Kenshin swung around and stormed over to Kaoru. Auntie grabbed his arm twisting his wrist painfully.
"Stay here child," Kenshin tried not to yelp out in pain. He began fighting the woman as she gripped ever tighter to his arm. "You better stay here, you're gonna need your wrist I'm sure."
"Let me go!"
"You don't understand boy," the woman said. For a woman that was shorter than he was, she had the exact amount of power that it was taking to keep him down. "You came to us. You came into our forest. We don't get many special visitors."
"Kaoru!" Kenshin called out. "Kaoru wake up!"
"She won't come to your aid you foolish boy," Auntie cackled. "She's drinken the nectar. She doesn't want to leave. Look at her so happy with those orphaned children. She's there mother now. She even thinks so. You want to know why they're orphaned?"
"I don't give a damn. Let me go!"
"Such foul language…." the woman pushed Kenshin to the ground and sat on him. "You're one of the first that didn't take to the honey. That will make you so much more pure for the fire tonight."
"Get off me you crazy bitch!" and Kenshin managed to get the woman off of him and start running toward the fire. The people were dancing now, and Kaoru was faithfully following as though she had known the chant all her life. The little girls that she had been playing with earlier were hanging onto her shirt.
It reminded Kenshin of the cruel creature that he had become when he forced himself to break up with Tomoe. Tomoe was having so much fun with him, and she was laughing and prancing around. Kenshin walked into the circle of people and pulled Kaoru out.
"Kaoru…"
"What?"
"We need to get out of here." He whispered. "Now."
"Kenshin, you are so paranoid. It's an induction ceremony. Leave it alone will you."
"And what are you gonna do? Stay here for the rest of your life and take care of these damned cannibals?" Kenshin hissed. Kaoru looked down to the meat that she had been eating. She took a small bite.
"It's chicken Kenshin."
"It's those girls' parents," Kenshin said pointing to the little girls searching for Kaoru. "Or whoever else these lunatics sacrificed to a fake god." Kenshin tried drilling the idea into Kaoru's head, but she wasn't having it.
"Taste it." Kaoru said. Kenshin could smell the burnt muscle under his nose and threw it away from her. "Kenshin. Will you please stop being so rude. If you want to leave, then go ahead. You're gonna die if you do."
"No I won't. You're gonna die. And you know what? I won't care about you. Because I'll know that I tried to stop you when you were out of your mind on this nectar crap!" Kenshin yelled. The little girls found the source of the yelling, and also found out where their "mother" had disappeared to. They latched to Kaoru who acted protectively towards them. She murmured sweet words to them and giggled.
"Can you image Kaoru? What you're mother is going through right now?" Kenshin asked. "She's probably had a heart attack by now. And you're Dad's probably trying to get a hold of you, but he can't because we're in a kooky place with no damn service!" Kenshin looked around where they were standing. The little girls started to grip Kaoru's pants and hide behind her thin legs.
"Why's he being so mean to you mommy?" one asked.
"He's just irritable." Kaoru tried to coax. She glowered to Kenshin. Her eyes were very hypnotic, but Kenshin was also aware that she was not in her right mind.
"Where's a well?" Kenshin asked.
Kaoru smiled. "Helping use with chores?"
"You can say."
"You see. A moment of contemplation and your as fit as a fiddle," Kaoru said in a Southern way. She began to lead Kenshin to the edge of the town. Out in the field there was a water well. Kenshin ran to it and dumped the bucket down into it. Kaoru watched very calmly from behind as Kenshin pulled on the cable and brought the heavy water up from the well. He looked back to Kaoru smiling on in delight. It was like she was so entrance a simple change in character was making her believe that Kenshin had actually been convinced that he was one of them. Kenshin took stern grip of the bucket full of scummy well water.
"What do you need the water for? Are you going to make more nectar for you beloved wife?" Kaoru said. Kenshin's eye twitched when she said "wife." He didn't answer her, only tossed the bucket of water over her. Kaoru's hair flattened over her forehead and she stumbled back to the dirt ground.
"What the hell was that for Kenshin?"
"Wake the hell up!" he told her.
"I'm awake. What do you think you're doing."
"Are you alright mommy?" one of the little girls asked. Kaoru looked to each of the girls awkwardly.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not your mother. You want me to help you find her?" The girls started to take off towards the center of the village. Kenshin pulled Kaoru up.
"What's going on?"
"We're about to be sacrificed to a sect of cannibals or something. C'mon. WE need to get back to the main road."
"And do what?"
"At least we can try to find a car."
Kenshin pulled Kaoru along until they were hiding behind an old storage shed. Kenshin pulled out his small switch blade knowing that he couldn't fight all the villagers with just it. He looked to each side and reached over Kaoru to grab a hoe. He worked the head of it out of the pole and started to scrap the wood.
"What are you going to do with that?"
"Make a spear or something that we can fight with." Kaoru took the rake next to the hoe.
"Can't we just run?"
"We will. You want to beat them off you?" Kenshin asked. "I hate violence, but if we want to get out of this without becoming someone's dinner were gonna have to fight them."
"Hey, I'm behind you one hundred percent. "
Kenshin looked at Kaoru for a moment knowing that she was wet and therefore he could see under her shirt. He turned his head away trying to fight the male urge, but looked a second time when he saw something. "What's with the cross thing?" he asked. Kaoru plucked it off her person and examined it. It was a cross made of small bones probably from somebody's ears.
"Here, you want a souvenir?"
Kenshin tucked it in his back pocket so they had evidence that there were really people like this. He continued to cut away at the tip of the pole.
"I'm shaking."
"Good to know."
"Kenshin…how the hell is this happening?"
"Because there had to be something to make slasher flicks. People had to have inspiration somewhere."
"Great." Kaoru said. "Humor. Just what I need."
"I know, you love me don't you?" Kenshin poked the tip of the pole. Though it wasn't sharp, he knew that it would be enough to be able to fight someone. And the fact that people were coming toward them told Kenshin that he needed to hurry up and get in a fighting position. "Are you ready?" Kenshin asked.
"Yeah."
"On my signal," he whispered. There were villagers right around the corner. "Three, two, one…run!"
Kenshin and Kaoru bolted out like cavaliers and rushed past the villagers. They were in close pursuit and when Kaoru turned to look, it made her bolt out further. They were in the thick grass only halfway to the destination of the forest. Kenshin felt someone grab his arm and turned around with the pole. The woman was one he hadn't seen, but she had an axe on her. Kenshin put the pole underneath her chin and pushed her back. Kaoru randomly swung the rake scratching at the villagers. She was trying not to hit the children, but knew that they had a good grip of her legs.
"No mercy!" someone yelled out. "We'll feast well!"
Auntie came out from behind the pack. Kenshin held the ole like a bokken and swung it at Auntie hitting her shoulder. His heart pounded rapidly in his chest. He felt blood rushing into his head and making him dizzy. The smell of burning flesh hit his nose. Auntie smiled to him when she grabbed his right wrist.
"You won't miss you arm will you?" she asked twisting it and holding up her clever. The knife fell from Kenshin's hand. He swung the pole into her side and her knee making her let go. Both of the teens broke out into a run, Kenshin much ahead of Kaoru. He fell back and grabbed her wrist.
"C'mon. We can't slow down."
"I can't run as fast as you."
"Them keep hold of my hand. I'll help you." But as Kenshin said this. A blunt object struck him across the cheek. Someone had take hold of Kaoru's rake and hit him. Kenshin stumbled into Kaoru, blood running down his chin. He kept running, swinging the pole behind him like a blind man. He stopped though to catch his breath and turned back to them. With the pole held tight in his hands, he swung and hit at least five of the people that were in the front. He then grabbed Kaoru's hand and ran again.
"Smart," she hissed. "piss them off."
"You want to get killed?" Kenshin hissed back. His eye was starting to swell were he had been struck. Just as they were at the opening of the woods, Kenshin looked back, turning his body to look and he fell after his right knee collapsed. Kaoru nearly fell with him.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he tried getting up, but swayed a little them fell back down.
"Kenshin?"
"It's my knee," he told her. "Now this really feels like a bad slasher flick." He adjusted himself on the ground and tightened the pole in his hands. Kaoru lingered behind. "I can only fight." Kenshin told her."
"Get up and I'll help you to the--"
"Get out! Now! You're gonna live! Got it!" Kenshin said. He worked to get back on his feet, but the pain was rushing through his body. He knew it wasn't the bone of his knee, but he knew for certain that it had to be ACL.
"Kenshin…but…"
"Get out! Now. I'll be fine."
Kaoru looked between Kenshin and the pack of people that were coming near. She saw the scar on his cheek and it told her about that want to protect her no matter what. Kaoru nodded and started running, disappearing into the trees. She watched over her shoulder, but Kenshin became more distant.
Weary and pain ridden, Kenshin was wavering on the border of unconsciousness. He had the pole in his hand, but he was unable to see the people that were behind him. He was circled in and flailing the pole helplessly. That was when he felt his body go numb with a sharp edge diving into his neck. Blood rose into his mouth as he bit his thumb. A blunt object was thrown at his face and he closed his eyes as he started towards the ground.
--
"Careful….don't jostle him…" a strong male voice commanded. Kenshin couldn't open his swollen eyes to look. "One…two…three…." he was placed on something hard and strapped down tight. "Careful with the girl too…"
Kenshin's voice was too worn to tell them that he was awake.
There was a distinct smell of blood hovering around. Blood and transmission fluid.
--
Stiff…that was all there was to be said. Stiff and dark. Kenshin let out at haggard breath, but was breath. This time, his eyes would open at least. He glanced around the room. It was white with light pouring in. He let out another breath. His face seemed to be bound with something. A wire or tube of some sort was taped to his cheek and slithered into his nose.
Footsteps. Kenshin looked around defensively. There was a tall man in normal clothes. The piercing eyes looked him over and smiled.
"Of course you wait until I'm in the bathroom." The voice sarcastically said. Kenshin weakly smiled.
"Uncle…"
"Don't scare me like that you idiot."
"Sorry." Kenshin rasped.
"What the hell happened?"
"We crashed…I think. It was late."
"Figures."
"We got out of the car…and there were these people. Cannibals wanting to make us dinner."
"Whoa, you lost me."
"What?"
Hiko sighed. "You have wicked dreams."
"What do you mean?"
"You were found off the side of the road. In the car. You were there for about three days or so. State patrol found you."
"That can't be…"
"You were half conscious. You probably made something up." Hiko said. "You know, I just bought that car."
"Sorry."
Kenshin looked over to the left. His eyes first saw Mr. and Mrs. Kamiya, then he saw Kaoru. She was curled up in ball looking at Kenshin. "Good morning."
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah. My head just hurts."
"Huh."
"She's fine Kenshin," Hiko explained. "Cuts and bruises. Concussion right Koshijiro?" Hiko asked. Koshijiro nodded. "Yeah. And you too. Skull fracture actually. Not too bad. She was telling the same story. You two are weird, seriously." Hiko said.
"Great minds think a like," Kenshin rasped with a laugh.
"Ha ha. Yeah. I'm sure," Hiko cleared his throat. "Let's hope your studies at college take you further than your soccer, because your not playing for a while."
"Why not?"
"Your knees was mess under the dash. Tore the ACL pretty bad." Kenshin looked to his braced up leg on a pillow.
"Oh."
"Yeah. Oh. But you're a smart kid when you want to be." Hiko shrugged. "I'm gonna go and get lunch alright? I'll get a nurse to get you something."
"Alright."
"We'll follow you Hiko." Koshijiro said and stood. They walked out of the room. Kenshin looked back over to Kaoru.
"You look like the mummy returns."
"Do I?" Kenshin asked. "Why won't they believe us?"
"Because you were slumped over the wheel and I was on the dashboard."
"Where are our clothes?" Kenshin asked. Kaoru rose up and opened a drawer between the beds. She pulled out his clothes. Kenshin took his pants, blood stained and ripped up. He dug into the back pocket. There was the cross made of bones.