A/N: This is a one-shot I thought of after listening to "By and Down" by A Perfect Circle. It just kind of popped into my head and this is the result. Hope you like it and if not, I understand. :P
Also, I know what some of you are thinking. "But Kezzi, what about TVQ?! When's the next update? :D" And to that, I say... don't worry, my lovely little munchkin butts! I'm still working on that!
Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri Hino.
Legend said the town that once was erected there was cursed; that the land they built their houses upon was ruined and defiled. It was earth that should have never been stepped upon.
Legend said the only way to stop the curse from coming to fruition and taking another life was to have the homes destroyed, the land purified with fire and for the ground to be left alone for all of eternity. For no living being to reside there. Ever.
They didn't listen. No one listened. Did anyone ever?
Over time, old houses were demolished and new ones were built. People became desensitized to the dark whispers and warnings. When nothing happened, when no proof of the legend existed, they passed it off as myth.
The Pied Piper wasn't real.
Surely it was just a scary bedtime story.
Surely.
"Did you get her gift from the merchants in town?"
"Yes, yes, stop nagging me about it, woman." Haruka placed his sack on their bed, untying the latch and removing the contents from it. He was annoyed that she'd question him so many times about it. From sun up to sun down all day yesterday, constantly asking.
"It's just, I know you're forgetful sometimes. I'm sorry."
It's true, he was and that only made him feel bad for being snappy with her. "No, I'm sorry. Here, take a look." He peeked back through their bedroom door to make sure Yuuki wasn't paying attention to them. Unwrapping the cloth around the tiny box, he opened it up for Juri to see.
"Oh, that's lovey," she whispered in awe. "And smells delicious! She's going to love it, Haruka!" She gave him a giant smile as she hugged his arm.
Sweets weren't popular in their small town hidden in deep forest and separated from the rest of the world by a wide river on one side and mountain range on the other. You had to cross over a bridge a mile away to get to the land beyond and travel for days before reaching other towns and people.
Flour, wheat, rice, vegetables and some fruits; those were the basics for them. Sweets were rare and expensive, but it was worth the hefty price for it. It was for Yuuki's birthday, after all. He knew that she'd go crazy over it when they presented it to her tomorrow.
"Mama, Papa!" the little soon-to-be three year old Yuuki called out from the living room.
Their wooden cottage was small and cozy, housing two bedrooms, a kitchen, living room and wash room. Considered cramped to some, but to the Kuran family, it was perfect. The cottage was just on the outskirts of the village, nestled between a cluster of trees.
"Quick, distract her!" Haruka ordered, urgently but carefully trying to cover the box and wrap it up.
Juri rushed to stand in between him and the door when Yuuki walked in. "Hi sweetie, let's go play outside!" She swooped down and pulled Yuuki into her arms, trying to distract her so she wouldn't see her gift a day early. "You get to play with all the kids from the village tomorrow for your birthday! Aren't you excited?"
Yuuki giggled and nodded, hugging Juri's neck tightly and giving her a kiss on the cheek.
Night had fallen and Yuuki was in bed. She spent all her energy during the day, playing gleefully with the other children from the village. Many people loved the Kurans. The town's men respected Haruka and his hard work while the women adored Juri's bright and optimistic attitude. They all doted on little Yuuki, admiring how adorable and well behaved she always was.
Haruka and Juri were sitting in the living room by the fireplace, listening to the crackling of wood and watching the embers rise away from the logs.
"Haru," Juri said, snuggling closer into his arms.
"Mm," he grunted in response.
"I'm pregnant."
"Mm," he replied again, not really paying attention. He was too relaxed and tired from the long day of work in the woods with the rest of the lumbermen. He blinked, then pulled away from her as her words registered. Eyes that were wide and in shock stared at her as he stuttered. "W-What?"
"I said I'm pregnant."
He blinked a few more times as he continued to stare at her before he broke into a grin. "Really?!" She nodded and smiled back. He pulled her into a quick hug before pushing her back again to stare at her at arm's length. "This is amazing!" He was so happy; ecstatic. "We have some time then. I can add a room to our home, get some of our friends to help me."
He looked at her tired but happy face.
"You're beautiful, Juri. I love you." He leaned down and kissed her. "Let's go to bed. You need rest."
Haruka doted on her, snuggling close and rubbing her back, giving her light and gentle kisses along her neck and shoulder. They both eventually succumbed to sleep. A few hours later, a scratching sound woke him from his dreams. A lantern with a small flame gave minimal light as he rubbed his eyes and sat up, trying to determine if what he heard was real or not.
The scratching sound repeated. Haruka pulled the covers off of him and twirled his legs over the bed, planting his feet on the ground. His movements woke Juri and she groaned.
"What is it?"
"It's probably nothing. Maybe a small animal or something. I'll take care of it, go back to sleep."
"Be careful, Haru."
"I will, don't worry."
He leaned over and picked up a small wooden rod that he normally kept near the bed. Following the scratching sounds and moving slowly, he walked upon a chubby rat, ripping apart the cloth that covered the thin box Yuuki's birthday treat was in.
"Get away!" he hissed at it, swinging the rod near it and smacking the ground to try and scare it. It didn't respond. Instead, it tore open the box and started eating the expensive sweet inside.
"Haru, wait!" Juri called out, realizing what was happening.
"It's going after Yuuki's gift!"
He swung again, this time accidentally hitting the rat over the head. It made a yelp sound before falling over, remaining still. Juri ran up to him, her robe falling off one shoulder as she grabbed his arm in horror.
"Oh, no, Haru. Oh, God. What have you done?"
"It... it was an accident!"
She covered her mouth as tears brushed her lower lashes. "You know the legends, Haru. You know what they say!"
"They're just myths!" he tried to rationalize as fear and nerves made him jittery.
"But... but what if they're not! What if we're cursed now!"
"Don't be ridiculous, Juri." He nervously chuckled. "I'll... I'll get rid of it. Go back to bed."
Everyone in the village feared and respected the rats that lived there. They gave the small rodents free reign, allowing them to do anything. No one ever dared to hurt one or shoo it off. They were almost... sacred.
He wrapped the dead rat in a cloth and carried it outside. The moon was up and the skies were free of clouds, giving him a clear path to the river near their home. With every step he took, he became colder and colder, seeing his breath plume in front of him as he exhaled.
The forest nightlife was quiet. A little too quiet to be normal. In fact, he didn't hear a single chirp or cricket, not a single call out. Not even the leaves rustled, be that from wind or being disturbed by wildlife.
A foreboding feeling started to creep up his spine the closer he made it to the river. Dead leaves and small twigs cracked under his feet with every step. With it being so quiet, it made his footfalls sound louder than normal. He felt eyes on him, but when he turned and looked around, there was nothing.
"It's fine, it's fine," he repeated to himself over and over again.
When he made it to the river, he threw the small bundle into it, giving the rat a watery grave. Suddenly, a breeze came in from the East, blowing in the direction of his home. It carried with it the sound of a small flute or pipe singing a quiet and eerie tune. It made goosebumps spread over his body. His heart pounded away in fear.
He rushed back home, running and jumping over fallen logs and being reckless, not really caring if he tripped or fell in the dim light the moon provided. He just had to get home. An indescribable awareness gripped him, making him almost compelled to make sure Juri and Yuuki were okay.
When he made it there, he threw the door open and slammed his way in, panting at the exertion and frantically looking around.
"Juri?! Yuuki?!" he shouted.
The small cottage was quiet; even the fire was completely out in the fireplace. He tried to hold his breath as he heard his heart hammering away. The eerie tune played again and he heard it from the back room.
With a heavy gulp, he took slow steps towards it.
This is stupid, he thought to himself. I shouldn't be scared of my own house. There's nothing here. Nothing to be scared of. Nothing at all. There's nothing in the dark. The shadows aren't moving. It's not a song, it's just the wind.
He made it to the door and pushed it open slowly, the hinges creaking loudly in the silent space they occupied. Juri sat on the edge of Yuuki's bed, humming the tune he heard outside that for some reason frightened him. She wore a small smile as she petted Yuuki's head.
"J-Juri?" he tentatively called out.
She stopped humming, her hand stilling at the same time. She didn't move or speak. He swallowed again. Why is she acting this way? It's freaking me out.
"C'mon, let's go back to bed," he tried suggesting. Her head slowly turned to his direction, the small smile still gracing her lips. It scared him to death. "W-What're you doing, Juri? Are you okay?"
The breeze came through the cracked window, carrying upon it again that eerie tune. It prompted Juri to start humming it once more.
"S-Stop that!" he shouted at her. "Come on."
"Mama? Papa?" Yuuki called out, waking up from his shouts. She rubbed her eyes.
"Ssh, sshh, go back to sleep, sweetie. Everything is fine." He walked to Juri and grabbed her arm, jerking her up and dragging her out of Yuuki's room. He closed the door before pushing her in front of him. "What is the matter with you? What're you doing?"
"You've done it now, Haru," she whispered, still smiling and staring off into the distance. "You've gotten his attention. We're cursed now."
"Don't be stupid!" he hissed. "I told you, it's not real!" Yet he didn't feel the conviction he used in his tone. Inside, truthfully, he was starting to tremble and feel sick to his stomach.
She pushed him to the side and walked through the living room and straight outside. He stared in shock, watching her retreating figure. He chased after her, confused as to where she planned on going. Her white nightgown and cream robe sucked all the light the moon provided, making it seem like she had a light within that made her glow.
"Juri, wait! Where are you going? For Heaven's sake, woman, it's the middle of the night and it's dark! You could get hurt. Get back over here!"
He tried pleading with her, all the while briskly walking to try and catch up to her. For some reason, with every step he took, it seemed like she was always ten ahead. It didn't make sense to him. Why couldn't he keep up?
They finally made it to the river and it was only then that he caught her. He stopped several feet away from her, weary as to what she was up to and why she was acting strangely. She stared into the river, the water roaring and higher than normal from the winter season that had just passed.
"Be careful!" he shouted as she took a step closer. He tried to walk to her side to hold her back, but his body was frozen. Try as he might, he couldn't move. He became confused, not knowing what was happening or why.
She walked into the river, humming the creepy tune. The water rushed around her and she stumbled, the force of it stronger than her. As she made it deeper, the water rose higher and higher as she went lower and lower. She stopped when the water level was at her chest and turned to face him, holding her arms out to her sides and letting them freely move with the current.
"Damn it, Juri! What the hell are you doing?! Get out from there! It's dangerous!" He tried moving and jerking, but again, an invisible force held him in place. His earlier anxiety was replaced by anger and fear over her safety. "Cut it out already, woman!"
She stopped humming and looked at him, tears suddenly in her eyes. "Haruka... I love you." Her voice was soft, yet even over his shouts and the water's roar, he still heard her perfectly as if she whispered the words directly into his ear.
With that, she let herself fall back, her face relaxing and her eyes rolling into the back of her head. The water rushed over her and swept her away. He screamed and shouted, fighting against the chains that held him in place. Tears fell down his face, his veins bulging and his neck and face red from his struggles.
"JURI!" he shouted, over and over again, screaming in rage.
The ghostly tune the wind carried suddenly stopped and he felt a strange presence; the feeling of eyes on him. The force holding him in place was suddenly released and he fell forward onto his knees from his efforts.
He quickly scrambled on all fours to the edge of the river, watching, looking frantically to see if he could find Juri anywhere.
"She's long gone now," a quiet and smooth voice told him.
He jerked in surprise and fell backward, looking up at the tall man that was standing on the other side of the wide river. Dark hair brushed his shoulders and wine colored eyes stared at him. He wore a multicolored outfit, stripes of green, white, red and yellow. In his hand, he held a pipe.
"Wh-Who are you? What did you do to my wife?!"
The man smiled at him, giving him the creeps as a crawling sensation ran over his body.
"I collect when payment is due."
"No, no, I don't know what you're talking about! How... how could you take my wife?!" He stood and ran to the edge of the river, his hands in fists as fury and anguish collided inside his heart.
"You took something of mine. In return, I took something of yours."
He stared at the man in disbelief and shock. "What did you just say? OVER A STUPID RAT? YOU KILLED MY WIFE OVER A RAT?!"
"You killed my rat over a sweet?" the man retorted. "A life was taken over something that was made out of sugar. It doesn't matter that it was a rat. To you, the rat meant nothing; to me, your wife meant nothing. It's an equal trade."
"No!" Haruka shouted, trembling with rage. "She's a human being, for God's sake! She's pregnant!"
"My rat was pregnant. Consider yourself lucky and the score settled." The man turned to leave but stopped when Haruka started shouting threats to him.
"I'm going to find you and I'm going to kill you!" he shouted.
The man turned to face him again. "Maybe I should remind you that rats bear more than one child, unlike your wife's pregnancy. I must warn you, Haruka Kuran: you have something else to lose, so keep that in mind. Come near this river again and you'll lose that too. Remember, I always collect."
With that, the man disappeared. Haruka fell to his knees, staring down the river as he sobbed uncontrollably.
Five years later...
"Papa, I'm going into town. Do you need anything?" She held her breath as she waited for the answer she knew she would receive. It was the same one she got from him every single day for as long as she could remember.
"NO!" he shouted, drunk as usual. He waived his arms haphazardly from his chair in the living room, spilling liquor from the bottle he held. "Damn it, Yuuki! AND DON'T GO BY THE RIVER!"
"Yes, Papa. I understand, Papa. I'll be back later, Papa." She sighed and left, closing the door and muting the sounds of his shouts.
For only being a young child, she had quickly learned to take on the role of homemaker and bread winner. She learned how to clean and cook and sew and when she went to town, she'd do odd jobs here and there for some coin. Most people were extremely wary of her and didn't want her sticking around for too long, so she was never able to work at the same place for extended periods of time.
It was something that her young mind couldn't understand. It was unclear why the people from town didn't like them, or why their home was rundown looking when compared to the others and appeared as though the trees and vines were trying to swallow it whole. She didn't understand why people whispered when she walked by or why the other children were always mean to her.
Just like her father, she knew she loved him deeply, but she didn't understand why he was the way he always was. Drinking, always drunk, muttering to himself about sacred rats and always, always warning her to stay away from the river. As if some boogeyman was going to pop out of the waters and steal her away.
He'd cry, he'd shout, he'd blame her for everything, then cry again and blame himself instead; he'd get angry and drink and cry some more until he finally passed out.
She took it as though it was part of life. Like all of it was something that was normal. It was all she ever knew and if it was different at one point in her life, she couldn't remember. So down to the town she went again, needing to pick up a few things for dinner.
Again, she walked down the dirt streets to the bustling town and tried to keep from bumping into anyone. When people turned and noticed it was her, they'd quickly move out of the way and give her a wide berth. No one ever bothered trying to touch her. For some reason, they feared her.
She made it to the merchant she needed, picked up the items required for dinner, paid for them and left, making her way back home. Before she made it out of the town's center and onto the small dirt pathway that was over time being overrun by weeds, several children from the town yelled to her.
"Heeeyyy, look guys! It's that Yuuki Kurraaa~~n!"
"Eeww~~!" another child yelled.
"Guys, stay away from her. My mommy and daddy say she's cursed!"
"Cursed? No way! That's scary!"
She turned to stare at them, smiling even though she wanted to cry, and waved while pretending not to hear what they said. It was the same thing every time they saw her in town. Before she had to deal with hearing anything further, she turned and walked away.
A sharp pain bloomed at the side of her head near her ear as she fell forward, clutching the spot that burned. Her basket fell with her and the contents spilled out. The children behind her laughed hysterically. She removed her hand from her head and looked at it, noticing a small trace of blood.
"You got her!"
Tears welled in her eyes as she knew they threw a rock at her, but she couldn't let them see her cry. She'd never let them see her weak. Instead of shouting anything at them, she crawled and picked up the goods she had purchased and placed them back into her basket. Ignoring the giggles and taunts of the children, she got up and left, keeping her shoulders straight.
When she got home, she noticed her father had fallen asleep on the floor, as if he had fallen and was too lazy to get back up. She put the groceries away and locked herself up in her room, feeling the pressure of being alone and helpless weigh down on her. Alone and hidden under her blankets, she cried quietly, letting all her stress and worry out.
Her birthday was coming up in just a few days and she'd be turning eight. Every year, out of unconscious habit, she hummed the same song she remembered her mother humming to her. Each time she did it, her father would get angry and yell at her.
Again, without realizing it, she started humming the lullaby while cleaning the floors with a rag. Her father jerked from his seat and whipped toward her, dropping his bottle of liquor on the ground.
"What are you doing?!" he shouted, anger laced in his voice and etched into his face.
She startled, frightened. "I-I'm cleaning, Papa."
"No, no, no!" He rubbed his hands over his ears in a circular motion. "Don't sing that! Stop humming that! How many times do I have to tell you?!"
"I'm sorry, Papa, I'm sorry."
His eyes looked wild as he turned from side to side, looking for something or someone to pop out of no where. She followed his gaze, wondering what he was looking for.
"We're safe, Yuuki, we're safe now. Don't go by the river."
"Papa, why... why don't you like the lullaby Mama used to sing to me?"
"SHE DIDN'T!" he screamed at her, taking a wobbly step toward her. "SHE NEVER SANG YOU ANY SUCH SONG! THAT SONG IS EVIL!"
"Okay, okay!" She didn't know why he hated it so much. Although she couldn't remember much, she did remember her mother humming that to her one night.
Haruka rubbed his temples again and turned away from her, picking up his bottle and sitting in his chair.
"I'm going into town again today, Papa. Do you need anything?"
"No! And don't go by the river, damn it!"
"Yes, Papa. I understand, Papa. I'll be back later, Papa."
She was too young to have to handle all the pain her father put her through, for all the suffering her fellow townspeople made her endure. It's not fair, she thought to herself. Why do I have to go through all this? The other kids don't have to. Why only me?
Again, she picked up the few items that were needed and started making her way back when the same children from before stopped her, this time blocking her path.
"Hey, Eewwki."
The children laughed. "Good one!" another shouted.
"What do you want?" she asked, trying to remain calm. It was always worse for her near her birthday. Her father was always in a terrible mood, more so than usual. Instead of it being a joyous event, she was stuck listening to him breaking things and screaming at the top of his lungs while crying uncontrollably, chanting her mother's name over and over again.
"Whatchya got in there?" a boy taller than her asked, pointing at her basket.
"Food for dinner."
"Oh yeah? You should go to the exterminator and ask for poison instead. That'd be better for you and your crazy dad!"
"He's not crazy!" she defended, getting angry.
"That's not what our parents say. They say that he went craaa~~zy and killed your mom. He drowned her in the river so he could keep you to himself. And he's cursed. You too. You two are evil."
"Yeah, that's what my mommy and daddy say too," a blonde headed child said. "If we go near you or your house, we'll all be whisked away by the boogeyman."
"Your daddy is crazy! A freak! A total loony!"
"Stop that!" she shouted. "Papa is not like that at all!"
"He's a drunk! He's useless! And a coward too!" the tall boy said.
"No, he's not!"
"You're a coward too! A scaa~rdy cat!"
"I am not!"
"Oh yeah? Then prove it!" a girl shouted.
"Yeah, prove it!" they all started chanting, getting closer to her.
She felt the pressure rising inside of her as they got closer and closer to her. "F-Fine!" she said, not wanting to back down. If she proved it, then maybe they would leave her alone and not be so mean to her anymore. Maybe they would be surprised and be in awe and want to be her friends.
She just wanted a friend...
"Okay, then." The boy, who she assumed was their leader, thought for a moment. "Go to the river and bring back one of the white pebbles in the waterbed. We'll know if you're trying to trick us, cause you can only get those from the river!"
"T-The river?" she stuttered, her anxiety rising.
"Yeah. What's wrong? Don't wanna?"
"I'm... I'm not allowed to go by the river."
The children started laughing. "Scaaaaared? Hey guys, I told you she was a scardy cat. Scardy cat Yuuki with her crazy, murdering daddy!" he started to sing.
"I'm not scared and Papa didn't kill Mama!" she shouted. "Fine! I'll go get you a stupid rock. Just wait and see!"
"Oooh..." the kids cooed, running away from her, chanting derogatory words about her and her father.
The boy stood there a little longer, staring at her with a smile. "I'll be waiting here tomorrow. If you don't bring it back, then we'll know you really are cursed."
Haruka heard Yuuki slam the door closed and storm into the kitchen, dropping the goods off on the table and shutting herself in her room. He got up, balancing himself on the furniture and slowly crept to her door, placing his ear on the wooden frame. He could hear her crying again, something she did more and more often lately.
He hung his head in shame, his heart clenching in pain and embarrassment. He was a terrible father and he knew it, but he couldn't help himself. Every night he saw rats in the shadows, every night he heard the same eerie tune from that night. It haunted him, drove him crazy, made him irritable and easily agitated. He didn't mean to take it out on Yuuki.
She was all he had left. She was his daughter. He should have been making her happy, taking care of her and letting her be free to enjoy your youth. Instead, he stole everything away from her when he started drinking. He couldn't help himself. He was weak, pathetic, a loser.
Before she should notice his presence, he stumbled back to his chair, his depression getting worse by the minute. He stared at his bottle, swooshing the amber liquid around and then took a large swig. Yuuki's birthday would be coming up... that'd mean he'd be reminded of Juri's death. As if everything didn't already remind him of that night.
All he had to do was close his eyes and he could see that creepy man with his pipe; the scared look in Juri's eyes when in a flash she had control over herself before drowning.
It was too much for him. He couldn't handle it.
Yuuki woke up in the middle of the night, realizing she had fallen asleep after crying for hours.
"Ugh, I hope Papa ate something..."
She looked out the window and noticed the moon was out and full, shining its bright light for the nightlife. If she was going to the river, now would be the perfect time. Now, when her father was asleep and while the moon provided so much light.
She quickly got dressed and cracked her door open, peeking through to see if her father was in his normal spot. He was, leaned over the armchair, his bottle teetering in his hand and threatening to fall as he slept.
Quietly, she tip-toed outside and started running through the forest, wanting to quickly get the pebble and return home. She wasn't scared of the dark, per say, but it was still a little frightening when she could hear animal sounds in the distance.
The breeze started to pick up and it felt nice and cool against her warm skin. She started hearing a melody, one just like the one her mother hummed for her. It became louder as she got closer to the river, which only urged her to run faster.
Some sort of connection rung inside her heart. The lullaby was a part of her mother and if she could only see where it was coming from, then maybe she'd have a small amount of happiness. When she made it to the river, she looked around frantically, wanting to know where or who the song came from.
A man stood on the other side of the river, a pipe to his lips as his fingers ran over the holes at the top. His eyes were closed as he blew into it, making the music flow out and wrap itself around her. He was the most beautiful person she'd ever seen in her young life and it made her awestruck. The moonlight shined down and seemed to act as a spot light for him, making him appear illuminated.
The song he played seemed to make her feel lighter, as if it was washing away all her worries and pains and heartaches. It filled the void she felt inside of her; filled the gap the disappearance of her mother caused; filled the emptiness that having no one like her created. It was her best friend, her nurturing parent, it was her everything.
She felt like she was floating. She felt compelled to go to him.
He stopped playing the tune and opened his eyes, looking directly at her. She held her breath, not wanting to chance him disappearing if she made a sound or movement.
"Hello, Yuuki." His voice was soft and silky and wrapped around her like velvet.
"Hi." She was barely able to get it out.
"Happy birthday."
She blushed. "T-Thank you, sir. It's not for another two days though." He simply smiled as his hands rested at his sides. "Um, how do you know my name?"
"I know everything."
"Oh... What's your name?"
It seemed like the question caught him by surprise. "No one has asked me for my name in centuries. It's... Kaname." He seemed to frown, as if the name sounded foreign coming out of his own mouth.
"That's a nice name." She stood there, not sure what to say or do. She felt a connection to the man in weird clothing. There was a comfort to belonging in his presence and his song. "That song, my mother knew it too."
"I know. Do you want to see your mother?"
Her eyes widened. "You know where she is?"
"Of course. I told you, I know everything."
"But... so, so Papa didn't really kill her, right?"
"Oh, Yuuki." He smiled sadly at her. "He did."
She was horrified and started to cry. "But, but Papa wouldn't do that. Papa loves Mama."
"He does, he does, but his actions still caused her death. And, unfortunately, they've caused yours as well."
"What?"
He placed the pipe to his lips again and started the melody. Again, she felt like she was cocooned in a warmth that could only be duplicated by a mother's embrace. She lost focus and looked into the river in a trance. Her foot took a step toward it, and then another, and then another.
Haruka jerked awake from his sleep. The damn eerie melody that haunted him for the past five years was penetrating his dreams and giving him nightmares again. How much more would he have to drink until it drowned the sound out completely? He couldn't go on like this anymore.
The wind carried the tune into the small house and it was then that he suddenly realized he wasn't dreaming it. Fear gripped him as the thought of the man returning to take Yuuki away from him. No, it couldn't be. As long as she didn't go by the river, the man wouldn't collect. Yuuki was home, asleep, they were safe.
The man was just taunting him, endlessly and incessantly, but an inkling of a feeling started to creep up on him. He fell out of his chair and stumbled toward Yuuki's room, wanting to physically see her to make sure she was okay.
When he opened the door and saw her bed empty, he started to panic.
"No, no, not again!"
The shock of her disappearance gave him a dousing of soberness as his body went into alert. He ran out the door and started sprinting toward the river, tumbling and falling a few times on the way. He heard the creepy song and knew for a fact that the man had returned. His heart raced at the thought and dread swallowed him whole.
"No, Yuuki, please, no!"
He repeated the words to himself until he made it to the river. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the man playing that ballad to his daughter and how his daughter seemed transfixed by it, much like how Juri was.
"NO!" he shouted, startling Yuuki enough to jolt her from her trance-like state.
She looked back at him and smiled. Flashbacks of Juri played in his head. The same spot, the same smile, same song, same everything. He couldn't bear the thought of losing Yuuki as well.
"Hi, Papa."
"Yuuki, come here right now. Get away from there. Listen to your Papa."
She simply shook her head at him. "No, Papa. It's okay. I'm going to see Mama now. It's warm here."
"Yuuki..." his voice cracked as tears ran down his face. He took several steps towards her until he was frozen in place. "NO! NOT AGAIN, DAMN YOU! LEAVE HER ALONE!"
The man stared into his eyes as he continued to play, a look that told him that he was warned and that the collection was due. He struggled again even though he knew it was pointless, just like last time, but he couldn't help it. He had to try. He had to do something.
"Bye bye, Papa. Don't forget to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. I love you."
She turned her back on him and stepped into the river.
"YUUKI, NO! PLEASE!" He continued to fight his binds as he cried. "PLEASE, SIR! Take me! TAKE ME INSTEAD!"
The water rose higher and higher and it didn't take long before it was to her neck. She was still short and young, after all. She turned in the water and looked at him, a serene and happy smile on her face as she bounced up and down with the river's current. Just like Juri, her eyes rolled to the back of her head and her head lolled back, her body going limp and the water swallowing her and taking her under.
"NOOO!"
He shouted at the top of his lungs and when the force holding him let go, he sprang forward and ran into the water, trying to find Yuuki's body.
"YUUKI!" The water sloshed around him as he frantically dove in and out of the water, searching for her.
Finally, finally he found her and he picked her up and held her to his chest tightly as he swam to the side of the river and lugged themselves out. He shook her body and smacked her face.
"Yuuki, Yuuki, please. Please, wake up!" He placed her on the ground and pushed on her chest, blowing air into her mouth and pushing down on her chest again. "Please, please! No, damn it! Please!"
There was no response. He stared at her lifeless body in shock. Rage, sorrow, anger, anguish; they all stormed inside of him as he clutched her body to him and screamed his heart out, rocking back and forth, crying.
The lullaby faded away and the man disappeared, leaving Haruka to drown in his heartbroken grief.
The legends were true. Though time sometimes dulled the fear that was attached to them, every once in a while something happened to rekindle the flame.
Anyone who was previously complacent with their lives and thought nothing of the whispered words were quickly reminded of their impudence.
The people never doubted the stories again. It was passed down from generation to generation for all of eternity.
The Pied Piper always collected his fee.
A/N: -prepares self for hate-
Any criticism, positive or negative, is welcome.
Thank you for reading.