Crosswinds
Winds of Memory
*** *** *** ***
Pakunoda... her memories and thoughts are ours now...
she is dead...
"Why does that mean?" Shizuku asked.
Phinx looked up from the body on the floor. "I'll
explain. I understand."
But whatever it was, I didn't hear it. That one
image of—a blond boy—the chain user, by the name of Kurapika... He seemed
familiar... Where did it come from?
"That kid, Kurapika, got in trouble again." A
dark haired man said at the dinner table.
"What'd he do this time?" A junior version of
the man asked.
"Burnt a neighbor's house down. The town council
locked him in the jail. If you ask me, they should've hung that bastard."
A little girl looked up, about to protest, but
her brother kicked her under the table to silence her.
When midnight came, the girl crept from her bed
and down the stairs. "I was expecting you to do that," A dry voice whispered
from behind her.
The girl whirled around. Her brother stood two
steps up, with his arms crossed over his chest. "Please don't tell otou-san,"
she pleaded. "He'll beat me again."
"I won't."
The girl stared. "O...onii-san, this is not like
you!"
The darker-headed boy tapped his sister's chin.
"Hey, Kurapika's my friend." He smiled to himself. "Plus I know you like
him."
The girl looked up at him in wonder. "How did
you—"
He shushed her. "I know that look you get on
your face every time you see him or hear his name."
"Please let me go. I have to see him."
"Tonight only. I won't tell, but if otou-san
finds out somehow... I guess you could say good-bye for good."
The girl gasped. "That won't happen!" She grabbed
her black cloak and slipped out the door.
Reaching the jail, she fumbled around in her pocket
for a pick and silently opened the door. In the gloomy darkness, she could
make out the silhouette of a boy. He was sitting in a casual position on
the cold stone floor with his legs and arms in chains. "Who's there?" His
voice startled her. She thought he'd been asleep. "I'm warning you, I can
hack you into pieces with this chain here."
"It's me." The girl said timidly. "Is that you,
Kurapika?"
"Yeah. Who's 'me'?"
"You don't need to know my name." With the pick,
the girl unlocked Kurapika's wrists and ankles. Then she turned to leave.
"Wait. Why did you help me?" Kurapika put his
hand on her shoulder to stop her. He saw a glimmer of her eye before she
wrenched away from his grasp.
"You don't need to know that either. If you want
to find me later, I'll leave you with these words. I loved you." She sprinted
away.
The next morning, the girl was gone.
"No..." I faked a yawn. "Must've dozed off." I retreated to a dark corner. "I'm going to get my beauty sleep." Yeah, right.
*** *** *** ***
Princess Floréa: You should be able to guess who 'I' am,
if you've read my other fic.
Kurapika-sama: Hisoka.
Floraleon: Idiot.
Princess Floréa: WRONGO! 'Tis not an idiot nor a Hisoka.
Kurapika-sama: A Hisoka?!
Princess Floréa: Hehe...
Kurapika-sama: *gulp*
Floraleon: BOO!!!
Kurapika-sama: X.X