I don't own Kenshin : ( Hope you like the story!
I know that I'm REALLY bad at updating, but I will try to keep this story running smoothly.
"Kaoru sure has been acting strange lately..." Sanosuke whispered as soon as he heard Kaoru's shoji close.
"She hasn't been acting herself lately, that she has not..." Kenshin answered with a sigh. He and Sanosuke were waiting on Yahiko to get ready for a guys-day-out swim at a secluded swimming hole in the forest. Kenshin wasn't very excited about going, but Sano had threatened to drag him there, so he sighed and settled on joining them. Yahiko ran to the livingroom and followed the two childish men as they opened the door and proceeded towards the forest.
"Well, have you talked to her about it?"
"Every time I ask her how she is, she just smiles and says that she is fine, but Miss Kaoru has been very melancholy for the past few days. Have you talked to her, Sano?"
"Nope. I try to stay out of little missy's business, I usually end up saying something wrong and getting hit on the head." Sanosuke said and placed a hand on a slight bump on his head as a result of a past misfortune.
"I know what it is!" Yahiko shouted enthusiastically and shocked the two older men. They looked down at the spikey-haired kid with a huge grin etched across his face. "She's on something! I heard her sniffing a lot the other night!"
The rurouni and rooster-head sweat dropped and hit Yahiko hard on the head. He cowered in pain and followed a few feet farther behind them.
She's been crying? Kenshin thought, disregarding Yahiko's idea of Kaoru using drugs... about what?
Why is all of this coming back now? This happened years ago...but...it's just now hit me...all of the pain that I held inside for over ten years has suddenly rushed inside my mind and taken over my thoughts and dreams...
Kaoru blinked, realizing that everyone else in the dojo had gone to the swimming hole earlier and left her here by herself.
Oh no...please don't leave me alone. I can't hide it alone...make it stop! Stop the pain! Stop the thoughts! Stop the fear!
A voice in the back of her head hummed through her eardrums - There's only one way to stop the pain...there's only one way...
No! No, that's not the way...!
Kaoru lay weakly on her futon with her hands clasped upon her head, trying to stop the satanic whisper that ebbed through her veins. It had seeped into her head, somehow, and was now starting to control her thoughts, prompting her to commit the act that she knew was wrong, but was somehow pleasing to her...
Her pillow and kimono were soaked with tears, along with her futon and floor. Her hair was limp and unkept and spread over the floor with long, dark strands. Her once bright, crystal-blue eyes were now dark and faded, tired from constant sorrow and the endless tears that made their home in the corners of her eyes and always threatened to fall. She had eaten little at the table with the others, and nothing when she wasn't being watched by her friends. She had been staying in her room a lot more frequently and had demanded that no one should dare enter while she was in her room with the door closed. She pleaded again and again for the memories to leave her mind, but only invaded her mind more, taking over every shadow of her brain and worsening every depressing thought that had ever entered her innocent mind.
It called to her again- No one's here to stop you know, no one even cares. You've hurt them too much!
Her hand weakened as it inched towards the blade that held her fate...
No! STOP!
She was losing grip...losing hold of reality, losing strength to empower the weaker side of her...It's force grew as she faintly felt her grip tighten around the small knife that her father had given her before he had left her life forever.
A few solemn raindrops tapped against the window and rapidly increased as the clouds suddenly moved in and let loose of all of the water they had held.
Rain...
Kenshin, Sano, and Yahiko returned from their tiring trip to the swimming hole and back with not only their swimsuits wet, but their entire attire drenched with the shower of rain that had suddenly stormed upon the land. They all changed out of their wet clothes and Sano and Yahiko went to sleep, but Kenshin wandered worriedly to Kaoru's room. He regretted not saying anything to her about her abnormal behavior, now approaching the shoji door and silently and slowly sliding it open.
"Kaoru?"