Anything to Come
By Yuki Okada
"No...stop."
The knife was there, pushed up against her throat as she held her head high, keeping her muscles tight. She didn't know who was holding her, but she knew the matter dealt with her life.
"No! Baron, don't come any closer... please! You'll get yourself hurt!"
There he was... the fur luminous even in the dark, the eyes shining and yellow, his top hat squaring above his head. He was inching closer, reaching out for Haru...
"Haru... I must."
"No! Baron! Don't! Please stop!" Haru was crying now. She was determined to be strong until her end, but she was breaking down slowly.
Baron's eyes flashed over to the girl.
"Goodbye, Haru," he whhispered, nodding to her.
The Baron lunged at the one holding Haru, then there was a glint of light on the knife and a swing of Baron's staff and all was silent. Haru held her breath and looked down. There lay Baron with a slash through his heart and an unidentifiable creature with a crack in it's head and blood streaming down his face.
Haru choked back a sob then flung her head away, running at full speed in the opposite direction. Tears flew and made swirling rivers on her dirt powdered cheeks. She ran and ran, never stopping until she was out of breath.
---------------------------------------------------
She awoke with a start, sweat forming below her hairline. She sat up and closed her eyes, trying to shake the image of a dead Baron out of her mind. Her eyelids squeezed together, she was breathing hard, the sheet twisted in her hands and in between her legs. She pulled herself out of bed, putting slippers on and running out of her room and the house in the dead of night.
She still had her pajamas on and the breeze made her shiver. She wrapped her arms around herself and ran, ran like she had in the dream. Her breath came in short gasps as her slippers slammed against the pavement on the crossroads. The path was so complicated though Haru remembered it distinctly and clearly in her mind.
She had to see... she had to see for herself...
After what seemed like hours, Haru found herself stepping into the region she knew as the Cat Bureau. A single light softly but barely illuminated the small houses. A heavy rain started to and she closed her eyes and sighed, breathing in the luscious smell.
She kneeled on the ground, looking up at the sky and waiting.
A/N: Yeah. Sorry for such a short chapter, but I felt it was right to start off with a short chapter. I hope you don't mind it. I will update as soon as I can. I have somewhat of a writers block but it will go away eventually. Please review, I want to know what you think. Yuki
