Title: Bullet
Prompt: Park
Rating: T
Words: 1,244
The rain blanketed everything that mere seconds before had been plainly visible. The eerie feel of the cemetery worse in the sudden darkness.
She fell, exhausted and scared, and hit her knees on the muddy floor. Slipping down on the squelching ground, she came to rest her head against the gravestone that had broken her fall. Grabbing hold of her bleeding arm she finished her prompt descent by rapping her head against a protruding stone from the flooded earth.
Spreading the hand that wasn't trying to stop the bleeding on the ground she dug in her fingers and tried to stop the onslaught of tears that threatened to blind and choke her at the same time. Breathing deeply she tried turning without aggravating her wound, when she managed to right herself she exhaled and dug on her jean pocket for the little piece of jewelry she knew was there.
Placing it where it belonged she finally let the sobs and tears she had been holding back loose. The rain that had turned into a light drizzle decided to join her by becoming harsher and nearly pelleting anything it had the misfortune of reaching with its wet tendrils.
There, alone in the dark, with the rain shielding her from the monster she had let behind, she whispered as her tears fell to join in the earth;
"Please...please help me. You promised, I need you. Please don't leave me alone. Help me."
-/-
'And if I haver yeah I know I'm gonna be I'm gonna be the man who's havering to you'
The happy music that played from the kitchen radio drifted to the only two occupants in the house facing the lake. Hushed laughter came from the biggest room in the house. There, near the window, the figure of a red haired young man sat crossed legged beside the dancing figure of a happy raven haired eight year old.
Inquisitively she turned to face him; "What does haver mean?"
The red haired man shrugged and made a face signaling without words that he really had no clue. The child dropped the matter but rapidly turned to show him the picture in her hands.
"This looks exactly like officer Saito! He even has the same scary eyes and big nose!"
And as the raven haired girl fell with peals of laughter bursting free, Kenshin coughed amused but secretly thanked the gods that the officer hadn't been there to hear the innocent observation from the girl.
Covering the wall from the ceiling to the hardwood floors, a large collage took place amongst his belongings. Hundreds of photos taken by them both and his wife and images cut from magazines had been glued to the wall. Maps decorated the space as well with red marking from the places they longed to go.
Kenshin smiled softly as his charge for the day stuck the photo of the wolf beside the photo of a little baby raccoon. He knew the only reason Kaoru made fun of the officer was because she loved poking her uncle and annoying him.
When she was done with her part for the day she turned to her friend and sat next to him deciding to voice the doubt in her little heart.
"Kenshin?"
"Hmm?" His violet eyes focused on her and he tilted his head. She sounded so vulnerable.
"Tomorrow is show and tell, but the boys at school only make fun of me. Do you think I'll do everything right? I'm scared they'll just laugh at my project."
"Kaoru, you're the smartest little girl I know..."
"I'm the only little girl you know."
Laughing he nodded. "But from all the girls I know, you're the smartest. And because of that I know you'll do great on your project. And if those boys decide to mock you, just tell me and I'll be there to keep them away. I'll always be here for you Kaoru, even when I'm old and graying." He winked and Kaoru laughed merrily hoping towards him and giving him a peck on the cheek.
"No matter what Kaoru, you must believe in yourself. And never be afraid of anything, except fear itself."
She nodded and from the front door a soft feminine voice called out;
"I'm home!"
Kaoru looked up and shouted: "Come see Tomoe-nee-san! Look at the wall! Look!"
"It's beautiful."
-/-
Kaoru hummed, the day had been good. The show and tell had gone very well, and she had gotten an A. She giggled when she thought back to the day before when Tome-nee had scolded Kenshin for giving her his earring. Smiling happily she fingered the item that was now part of who she was.
Looking around she noticed it had grown dark, and although people were still out and about she had to get home soon.
The sirens startled her from her daydreaming and she followed the urgent car. Her short legs weren't as fast the fire truck but she tried to keep up. She had to dodge the boy on the skate and many other people in the park she had been walking through so she could see what was happening. From her place in the middle of the park she could see the heavy cloud of smoke that curled and became heavy through the tree tops, darkening the already black sky.
She had a bad feeling about it.
Running as fast as she could, the direction the smoke was from was from the forest and the only one who lived in the forest was her dearest friend. The bad feeling became worse.
When she finally arrived to where the firemen where, she could see the house in the forest ruined. It was complete chaos. The firemen where trying to stop the fire and the police the people who were trying to get closer. Biting her lip to hold her tears she looked for her uncle, there at the end where the lake made its pass through a little clearing, stood her uncle a somber look on his face and a crunched cigarette in his hands. He hadn't even lighted it up yet.
Running to him she caught sight of something that from that moment on would be forever burned in her mind, just as the fire was burning through her favorite place in the world.
The stretcher that crossed in front of her was covered but it hadn't been well placed. A burned and scarred hand fell, on the fore finger sat the brass ring that she herself had given to Kenshin as a Christmas gift.
Strong hands pulled her back into an embrace smelling strongly of spice and cigarette smoke. And Kaoru let the tears flow.
Her friend was gone, the one who had promised to be there until the very end, had left her there alone.
'Happiness hit her like a bullet in the back'
-/-
He promised. He promised and he always kept his promises.
The pain in her arm made her drag herself to her feet. She had hidden away enough, but now she needed to find a safer place. And with her destination set in her mind she dragged herself through the criminal ransacked streets, through the howls of the poor and needy. Through the worst, as she always would, alone.
Back in the cemetery a crow landed on a headstone, pecking with urgency at the named engraved.
'Himura, Kenshin'
They were calling for him, the Battousai.
Made up from the August2011 prompt writing frenzy down at rk-challenge (livejournal).