A/N: Hello everyone! ^.^ This is the first post of my fiction 'Filter of Blue'... Yeah no beta. XD Excuse the mistakes.
"If we cannot live so as to be happy, let us at least live so as to deserve it" -Unknown
Kaoru groaned going to reach her arms high above her head. Her nails scraped against hard wood. Her eyes shot open to perfect darkness. A small shrill voice of terror rose up inside. Her chest heaved in and out air, it was steadily growing hotter. She kicked and punched at the velvet interior. What had she done to deserve this? The obsidian haired female knew she shouldn't panic, she struggled to control the heaves of her chest. A nail broke off against the sleek ceiling. The walls were slowly closing in. Tighter and tighter, the velvet pulling her down into an oblivion. Tears slid down her cheeks as she let out a hoarse cry. "Help me" she kicked at the lid, her teeth tearing at her lip feverishly.
The dark was warm and comforting. Death opened its tender arms to her, beckoning her closer.
"I would give anything to live" she whimpered feeling the first of blood trail down from her ragged fingertips.
"Anything?" A voice purred in her ear. Or was it in her head. She was too panicked to care. Hallucinations? Were they part of air deprivation?
"Anything" she cried feeling the wood gathering under the uneven ground down nails.
"I will give you enough air to reach the surface-"the smooth clearly male voice trailed off. "You will have to escape on your own little one"
Her words had become indistinguishable pants and gasps for air. The male's soft chuckle reverberated deep inside of her. "Breathe" cool air puffed against her greedy gasping lips. Kaoru swallowed it, holding it in her chest longer than necessary then exhaling slowly. Another puff of cool air, this time she noticed it was sweet, it smelled of the fresh outside, and tasted of honey? How peculiar. By the third breathe she had calmed herself down and managed to start a slow train of coherent thoughts. Another puff and firm lips pressed against her own. A startled cry echoed within her confined cell. Warm fingertips trailed against her cheek, and a mischievous voice spoke. "That's all I ask for payment"
A snarl worked its way up her throat, after her shock wore off. "I don't think I want help from someone who takes advantage of another" The voice didn't respond. She sighed softly clearing her mind. She would worry about this later; right now she had to figure out how to get out. Her fingers pressed to the ceiling; gently they worked their way around, feeling every crevice and nook, her booted feet prodding where her fingers couldn't reach. And what did the kenjutsu teacher learn from this? Nothing! Outside of the fact everything was very solid. Crying out in despair she rammed her feet into the roof, then her knees, her hands, she resisted slamming her head against it. Another sharp kick, and the ceiling gave way, dirt fell on her, heavy and suffocating. To be exact six feet worth of thickly packed dirt.
"I don't want to die" she groaned feeling the immense pressure of the earthen soil weighing down on her. Why wasn't she crushed immediately? Dirt found its way into her eyes; it mattered now how hard she had them closed. She was scared. No... She was horrified. Her chest began to heave, still cool sweetened air pressed into her mouth. She could feel her body strain under the pressure above her, she would never be free. Dirt clung to the tear trails on her cheeks. "I don't want to die" she thought wiggling her fingers reflexively. Kaoru systematically tensed all her muscles checking for functionality. She was fine for now. But if sat there much longer she knew her ribs would break, they might puncture her lungs, and then this oxygen she'd been gifted with would be useless. It was when her fingers tightened and brushed cool heavy polished wood she knew exactly where she was. She was buried alive! They'd left her with her bokken for dead. She dug her fingers around the bokken slowly, crying softly in frustration, as she compressed the soil around it to relieve it.
Kaoru arched her back, compressing the soil above her to form a small alcove that she was now able to wriggle about in. Just enough room to move her hand near her chest. Imagines of all those people above began to flicker through her head. She was killed.. And what for, Winning a stupid swordsmanship tournament? Gohei would pay for this, she would rip him limb from limb if she lived.
She took a deep breath before slamming the bokken into the dirt above her head. The dirt gave way collapsing on top of her. The warmth of unconsciousness welcomed her.
He watched her, raising an eyebrow at her sudden movement. Courage echoed bravely within her scared chest. She was beautiful, smeared with dirt and tears. It wasn't fair to make her do this on her own, however he wasn't one to meddle with the affairs of humans. His lips brushed hers gently taking his payment before pressing the dirt resting on her body above her there would now be enough room for her to stretch her arms and raise her knees a bit. Lazily he regarded her, his fingers brushing her obsidian hair away from her face. Golden eyes narrowed, darkening with unspoken emotion. It was unlikely for her to live through all of this. It wasn't his intention to drag out her death, but the way she fought to live when she was locked away in that terrible casket, he felt she deserved a chance. It wasn't often he found a human struggling to survive, they lived fast reckless lives and burnt out quickly. Pressing gently lips to her forehead he sighed softly, he silently apologized for dragging out her death.
That was the last time he'd gone to visit her, he seemed to watch her now and again, but he had work and a life to still live. Whenever he had a spare moment he'd peek in on her assuring himself that he was only bored and looking for something to do. For it would be morbid to watch her struggle, knowing she would only die. His heart trembled slightly at the thought, a soft hearted monster. Pathetic.
Kaoru trembled beneath the weight of the dirt. She went from unconscious to clawing viciously at the dirt ceiling for hours. How much time had passed? A week.. more or less? She'd long since abandoned her wooden sword. She despaired, her stomach rolling painfully, having not had food or water in some time. It was a regular occurrence now. It was then her fingers clawed into something painfully hard. A.. rock? She snarled her other hand coming up to feel the hard surface as well. It was flat and smooth. TOMBSTONE. She was almost free!
Crunching herself smaller, she began to tear with renewed vigor at the dirt lower of the stone. Fresh tears graced her face. Wriggling she felt her hands break free. The cool air of night felt good against her raw skin. She broke free the soil from her face, and slowly her legs. They were stiff and hard to move. She wouldn't have been able to kick free even if she wanted to. Kaoru lay there, panting with tears gracing her dirty face. Her hands were covered in dry blood, and her kimono was filthy. She didn't care. Likewise she made no movement to leave the spot she lay in. The sky, though blurry from the dirt in her eyes was beautiful. Kaoru hurt so terribly. She closed her eyes, a little bit of rest would do her good.
When he peeked back in on her she was shuffling miserably from her grave. Pale hands gripping the tombstone pathetically. His heart dropped, she.. she was alive it was impossible!
Kaoru Kamiya stumbled stiffly away from the grave, falling to her knees with a broken cry. New tears pricked at her eyes. She lived. She was alive! Her legs refused to move, they were stiff and painfully unused. Every movement made them prickle painfully. It delighted her to no end, pain meant she was still alive.
A dark figure appeared before her. A gentle smile coaxing her gently to accept his hand. "I will help you" He murmured, his voice like velvet rolling over her tenderly.
"I.. know you?" She croaked, her voice cracked and broken.
"Not yet." He whispered stepping closer to pull her to her feet. Her weight leaned heavily against him. The shock from moving quickly, and the sudden rasping pain in her body was an overload on her senses. She was once again wrapped snugly in darkness.
A heavy darkness pulled at Kaoru's senses. She was… was? She cried out pathetically reflexively reaching for the ceiling, however her hands met nothing. The heavy weight on her chest.. it was a blanket? She might have laughed sheepishly, if he weren't for the tears of shock pooling at the corner of her eyes.
"I'm not going to cry" she muttered wiping her eyes with her still wounded hands. She was still filthy and bloodied. She growled unhappily at herself for getting her bed dirty. Assuming she had stumbled in disoriented and passed out upon touching the bed. For as much as she drifted between unconsciousness and wakefulness she was exhausted. The warmth of the stranger, and the gentle rolling tones of the supernatural long since forgotten.
With hands shaking she pulled open the drawer in her nightstand. Her brief salvation. An escape from reality. She pulled out a square package that fit in the palm of her hand easily, and gave it a shake, removing one of the cigarettes with her teeth. She'd cleverly stuffed the lighter in the same box. A practiced flick lit her stick of rat poison and she inhaled deeply. Kaoru exhaled slowly, the smoke curled around her face and up to the ceiling. It delicately caressed her features, embedding itself in her hair. Mint and tobacco clung to the tip of her tongue.
The kenjutsu teacher was graceful, pushing herself from the sheets and moving to the window. It was beautiful outside. Something twisted angrily in the pit of her stomach. Is this what all her friends enjoyed while she was digging herself from the grave. Inhaling deeply she focused on the clouds in the sky. It was very beautiful, a great day to buildup the defenses on the dojo. Those bastards had another thing coming if they thought they could do away with her so easily. She exhaled, cringing at the next inhale, she's begun to smoke into the butt. Sliding open the window she flicked the cigarette outside.