I walked through the forest with absolutely no recollection of who I was. Images of red and orange clashing together floated about in my mind like a fog. Sharp brambles and underbrush caught at my dress, ripping it mercilessly. Where am I? My head pounded terribly, giving me a sort of dizziness I had never before experienced. Despite the crisp night winds, the flesh at my arm burned terribly. I coughed, trying to rid myself of the smog at the bottom of my lungs. The rattling cough pushed me into one of the nearby thorn bushes. I let it happen, not even feeling any of the scratches carving into my skin; the pain-drunken state I was in didn't allow me to feel anything except the burning at my arm. What happened to me?
"My, my, my." A cool voice caught my ears. "What's a little girl like you doing all alone in the forest?" A face leered over my own. Struggling to make sense of what this person looked like, all I could discern was the hair as dark as a raven, reaching to his shoulders, and opaque gray eyes.
I tried to open my mouth and speak, explain that I just didn't know, but all that came were a few ragged breaths.
"It's not safe for such a small girl to be alone in the forest, let alone at night." The man smiled, a warm and amiable smile. His voice, however, was darker than the forest itself. "Oh," he noticed suddenly, glancing down at my arm, "you're hurt. Did something happen to you?"
"I-I..." I began, trying to say something. The pain wouldn't allow it.
"It's alright." The man said. "I don't need to hear you to know that you need help. Here. Allow me." The man reached out and curled his fingers over my right wrist. A terrible agony flared up my arm.
"A-AH!" I gasped in pain. My arm! The man above me continued to smile innocently, wrapping his hand tighter around my arm. It hurts... It hurts! Raw pain thrummed through me, screaming for me to run, getting louder with each passing second. I couldn't run. I could barely scream, hoarse and weak as I was. "N-No!" I shrieked. The man arched his eyebrows angrily and strengthened his hold on my arm. Black spots danced in front of my eyes.
"You shouldn't be here." The man growled, voice suddenly sinister.. "Who do you think you are? This isn't a place for you to be!"
"S-STOP!" My scream was harsh and desperate, but barely held the force of a whisper.
"Akito?" An earnest voice rang out over the man in front of me. The figure of a man parted through the slender tree trunks and made its way over to us. A man with copper-colored hair and eyes to match stood there. "Akito, what are you-?" I heard him gasp. "Who is that, Akito? Stop it!"
"How dare you!" The man in front of me wheeled around, letting go of my arm in the process. None of the pain melted away; the damage had been done. My arm gave a strange spasm, and my knees buckled beneath me. "You don't have the right to tell me what to do, Kureno!"
"Who is that?" The new man asked. His copper, red-brown eyes met my own, looking over the shoulder of the dark haired man who had been hurting me. "What did you do to her, Akito? Why is her arm so..." He seemed at a loss of words to describe what he saw. My eyes switched over to my arm to see what was wrong, but I couldn't see anything through the dizziness.
"I didn't do anything!" The dark-haired one snapped. "Don't make assumptions like that! You can't... You can't do that!" The man with red eyes brushed him aside and scanned me up and down. How terrible I must have looked. Light blonde hair astray and tangled, dull brown eyes glazed with fear and pain.
He said something, but the words echoed soundlessly in my ears. He repeated it louder and shook me, trying to earn some reaction out of me. By now, I couldn't feel anything. I heard no noise, I couldn't speak, and my vision began to slip away.
The last thing I saw was the dark-haired man lift his arm and slap the other across the cheek. He began to scream at the copper-eyed man. Those screams washed through my ears, fading softer, then growing louder, and finally disappearing completely as everything went dark.
"Sorry, Tohru. I don't want you to leave work for this. I'm not really sure what's going on. Just keep working, okay? It'll be fine, I'm sure."
My eyes half-lidded, I looked on in fascination at the boy on the phone. Everything about him was beautiful and handsome, just like the princes in all the old fairy tales. He had a silky, soothing voice and light silver hair. His figure slim and perfect, he put the phone down and turned to the window just beside my bed. The light caught his eyes, allowing the dark gray to dance into a happier, almost lavender, color. My heart beat uncomfortably. Was it normal for a boy to look that way?
He was much older than me, probably in high school, that was for sure. I didn't need anyone to tell me that. Still, I couldn't help but blush a bit when those dancing eyes flicked over to me. I averted my stare, trying to appear calm and collected. I didn't need to; in the end it was him who seemed flustered.
"Oh, are you awake?" The boy blinked in surprise, unsure of what to do. He furrowed his brow for a moment and then smiled, a bit more composed. "I'm sorry. You must be confused, but I can assure you, you're completely safe."
"S-Safe?" I mumbled.
"Yes," he nodded, "my family found you wandering through the woods. You seemed to be in bad condition, so we decided to bring you here. The family doctor is on his way now." The boy walked over to my bedside and gave me a reproachful gaze, as if waiting for something. That's when I realized that I was in an unfamiliar bed, with crisp sheets and a light blanket. The room I was in was in was orderly, with only a small bookcase and a nightstand with a picture frame on it. And it wasn't my room.
The boy stood there for a while like that before finally speaking again. "I don't mean to pry. But do you mind me asking why you were in the forest like that?" I blinked. I don't know. Why was I in the forest all alone? What had happened to me? Where am I exactly, now?
"I-I don't know." I replied honestly.
"You don't know?" The boy said. "Do you know your name? Do you know who you are?" I nodded. I at least knew my name. My mouth opened, about to answer the question, when a new face appeared in the doorway.
A man who looked to be in his late twenties stood there, looking very stern and reprimanding indeed. His black hair was fairly long, bangs covering his left eye. His right eye, barely visible under the mass of hair, was a dull green. He wore a long white lab coat and carried a brown suitcase. I pulled the blankets around me tighter, wincing as the sheets scraped over my arm. Both the boy and the man observed this, the former looking more worried, while the man just gave a nod of comprehension.
"Is the wound on her arm?" He came to the side of the bed and placed his suitcase on the floor.
"Hatori!" The boy said, looking relieved. "You're here. I didn't look closely myself, but Shigure said it was a burn on her arm."So the man in the lab coat was named Hatori? He looks scary. Noticing the nervous look etched on my face, the boy smiled reassuringly. "This is Hatori, the family doctor. He looks strict, but trust me, he's not. Not to those who aren't stupid, at least."
"He would be referring to Shigure and Ayame," Hatori sighed.
"Shigure is the owner of this house." The boy explained. "He's not here right now; he's on a walk. Only four people live in this house: Shigure, Tohru, and I. As well as another one I don't particularly care for." I was about to open my mouth and ask who he meant, but he kept talking. "This is Tohru's room." Tohru... That's the name I heard when he was on the phone earlier.
"Who're you?" I mumbled.
"Oh, sorry. My name is Yuki." Yuki. What a pretty name.
"Here, let me take a look at your arm." Hatori said, kneeling beside me so I didn't feel too intimidated by his height. I peeled back the covers, and a look of surprise flitted across that emotionless face of his. I gaped as well. Blisters covered about two inches of my forearm, burned and red. I heard a slight gasp come from Yuki's direction, and when I looked up to him, he looked paler than before. Immediately, Hatori began to shuffle through his suitcase. "I'll be back soon." He told us, leaving the room with a washcloth. Once more, his expression became detached and blank.
I dropped my arm cautiously, a feeling of despair and hopelessness brewing inside me. What on earth was going on? Here I was, in a house I didn't know, with people I didn't know, in a room that wasn't mine. My arm was badly burnt, and I didn't know why. I didn't even know who I was, really, nor did I know where I came from. I stared hollowly at the blank white ceiling, feeling my head begin to throb.
"I truly am sorry," Yuki said, inching closer. I wanted so much to look at those eyes of his; they were probably giving me the most sweet and empathetic of looks. What did it matter, though, if I didn't belong here? I kept looking up and didn't reply. "I really wish... That I could do something to help you." Yuki's voice dropped to a murmur as he said this.
"Huh?" I frowned a bit, turning my head to Yuki. Did I hear him right?
"Alright." Hatori walked back into the room, washcloth once again in tow. He held out his hand, waiting for me to present the burns on my arm. I glanced up at Hatori nervously. "There's no need to be nervous." Hatori said, and I reluctantly complied. He pressed the washcloth over the burn, and a cooling sensation settled over my arm. I visibly relaxed, shoulders dropping about an inch and the creases on my forehead smoothing out.
"You see? There's nothing to be worried about." Yuki said. I gave a small smile, first to Yuki and then to Hatori. Although Yuki returned the favor, Hatori did nothing but look down.
"So where did you get this burn?" Hatori asked coolly.
"D-Don't remember..."
"I thought that might be the case." Hatori sighed. "Then, Yuki, I'm going to ask you to look through Shigure's newspaper. See if there's anything about a fire, or a missing girl."
"Sure." Yuki nodded. "I'll be right back." He turned out of the room, leaving me alone with Hatori. Hatori reached into his suitcase again, pulling out a roll of gauze. He carefully removed the washcloth and wrapped my arm in the material, making sure not to make it too tight. When he had finished, Hatori pulled away and stood up. He glanced at me, and a fleeting look of curiosity lit his face. He furrowed his eyebrows and studied me, an awkward silence beginning to blossom between us.
"W-What's wrong?" I stuttered, a little frightened by the stoic man's sudden air of interest.
"It's..." He began, lifting a hand up to his mouth, thinking. "...I don't know."
"Hatori!" Yuki burst into the room, walking briskly over to the side of the bed. A scrap of newspaper was pinched between two of his fingers, and his face was contorted with worry and aggravation.
"You found something?" Hatori asked.
"Hatori, you never told me that one of the Sohma homes caught fire." Yuki said, seething with a sudden burst of anger. Hatori took a sharp intake of breath.
"I was right." Hatori leaned against the wall, groaning. "I didn't want to believe it, but... You looked familiar, I knew it." Hatori gave me a pained expression.
"I can't believe you didn't tell me sooner! Was the fire at the main house?" Yuki asked.
"No." Hatori replied. "It was the house of Momiji's parents."
"Momiji?" I sat up stiffly, recognizing the name. It was like that one name had the power to make a crack in the dam holding back my memories. Bit by bit, I began to remember who I was. "Nii-san, you mean? Momiji Nii-san?"
"Is he okay?!" Yuki exclaimed.
"He's alright. Momiji wasn't allowed in that house, anyways." Hatori said darkly. "But as for both his parents... We thought you had been lost, too, Momo." Hatori looked at me. Momo... That's my name. Yes, I remember now. Momo Sohma.
"What happened?" I asked loudly, tears stinging at the corner of my eyes.
"Are you sure you want to know?" Yuki asked.
"She has to know, Yuki." Hatori told him. Still, Yuki waited for my nod. When I gave it to him, he began to read slowly, voice shaky and heavy.
"Sohma home burnt down: residents killed: causes unknown. Earlier this morning, a house had been discovered smoking. A suspicious neighbor called the house to ask what was wrong, but when the phone wasn't picked up, he decided to phone the fire department instead. Two firetrucks were dispatched to the home. By the time they arrived, the house was up in flames. While a rescue team broke down the door and searched the house, other firemen worked on extinguishing the flames. It took two hours for them to be quenched. Meanwhile, the search party inside had found three bodies charred beyond recognition. They are assumed to be the bodies of the three in residence: two members of the Sohma family and their 8 year old child."Yuki's voice faltered at the last word. "Momo..." He breathed. "I am so sorry, Momo." He looked over to me.
I was sobbing by now, face cupped in my hands. Tears ran down my face freely. I didn't bother to wipe them away; if I did, they would be replaced in the blink of an eye. I remembered everything now. Every single horrifying detail. When the murderers broke in... Mama, screaming for me to run. Papa, using everything in his reach to try and stop them. But there were so many. The murderers were persistent, trying anything and everything to kill us. Why? I didn't know. But apparently, they weren't hesitant to set the house on fire.
I broke off from my thoughts, about to scream in terror. No, this is a dream. It had to be, I know it! Mama! Papa! MAMA!
Jumping up from the bed, I ignored the rush of dizziness and the searing pain in my arm as I knocked it against the bedpost. I just knew that I had to RUN. Run to get away. Because now I knew. There were five murderers before, in my house. Five of them. Four had run away once the fire started, and one had been trapped inside. I met four people here. It had to be them. They were trying to kill me. That handsome boy, that even-headed doctor. They were no longer Yuki and Hatori, but killers. The man who had hurt me in the forest before I came here proved it. He was one of them. And the one who brought me here, with the reddish-brown eyes, was also a killer. He had to be. Everyone was out to get me.
"Hey!" Hatori cried when I ran past him. He reached out and grabbed my arm: the hurt one.
"LET GO OF ME! MURDERER!" I shrieked, causing him to drop my arm and step back in surprise.
"Wait! Where are you-" I ignored him and ran out the door. Realizing I was on a second story, I flew down the stairs, nearly tripping when I hit the floor. But when I heard Yuki's footsteps behind me, I knew I had no time to spare.
My head whipped around wildly as I searched for an exit. Finally, I spotted a rice paper door. I stooped low just as Yuki made a grab for me. I flung the door aside and ran. I nursed my hurt right arm with the other as I went, throwing aside all sense for this one moment.
"Momo!" Yuki panted, breath ragged. "Stop!" We were running through a dense forest. It was lighter out now than it was before, but still, I had only the faint streaks of light parting through the trees to guide me. Luckily, I had always been a very fast runner. It was perhaps my only physical strength: I could not lift anything heavy or do jumps of any sort, nor was I good in any sports. But I had become a very fast runner. Fast enough to stay ahead of Yuki, but not fast enough to get away at all.
Before I knew it, we were both gasping for breath. My light blonde hair flew around my shoulders and face, untamed in the wind. I tried to scrape the locks out of my eyes so I could see again, but too late: I had tripped over one of the tree's roots and gone flying across the ground. Mud splattered all over my dress.
"Ow." I hissed, pain twinging through my arm. I went up to my knees, eyes still shut tightly.
"Look at the pathetic little thing." A gruff voice scoffed right ahead of me. My heart stopped in my chest. That wasn't Yuki's voice. No, I could hear Yuki right behind me, gasps tearing through his lungs as he came to a screeching halt. I opened one of my eyes just a crack to see who was in front of me. It wasn't just one person. It was four, all dressed in ski masks and black sweat suits. Killers.
A/N: All of this 'vengeful murderer' stuff probably still doesn't make much sense to you guys. Don't worry, it will all be explained in the next chapter! This is my first fanfiction, so bear with me! (^_^) It will probably take me a week to upload a new chapter, give or take a few days. I've had this idea stuck in my head for the longest time, so I decided I should finally write it and publish it! How did you like it? All reviews are appreciated! Thank you!
~Howard the Spy