AN: Short chapters, I know :P I was really pushing to get through this story by tonight… Sorry that didn't happen…
Happy Halloween, Everyone!
Chapter 3
When Rukia regained consciousness, she was still on the back porch. The woods still surrounded her. She still had not a clue as to where she was. Her body ached and her left arm was numb; which was better than it being painful.
She got herself into a sitting position and waited for the world to stop spinning. She had lost too much blood as she looked at the slick pool she was sitting in. The make shift towel wrap had come undone. It was thoroughly soaked and useless. S
She looked at her mutilated hand. The skin was torn almost all the way around her wrist and had slid forward like someone was taking off their glove. She pushed the skin back from where it was trying to curl up under the bones by the base of her thumb and shuddered.
She had to wrap it up before she finished bleeding out. Not wanting to take the chance in standing for fear of losing her balance and knocking herself out again, she crawled on three limbs back into the house. It being dark, she couldn't see much of anything. She felt her way back to the bedroom from hell and pulled on the sheet covering the bed. With her right hand and her teeth, she tore the sheet into strips and carefully wrapped her left hand.
The numbness was wearing off and the pain was returning full force. She made her way to the night stand and grabbed the glass of water sitting on it. She drained it in only a few gulps. She banged her left hand against the night stand as she tried to get back to a sitting position.
Rukia fought the urge to pass out from the stars and swirly things she was seeing.
"Fuck!"
And that's when she heard it. It sounded like it was right outside the house, ready to jump through the window and pounce on her. A low hollow's growl.
Rukia frantically and as quietly as she could, searched the room for her Zanpaktou or any other kind of weapon she could use. The search in the dark turned up nothing useful.
She was a sitting duck, trapped in the house. She had to get out. She had a better chance of getting away from the hollow if she were outside. There was a bit of moonlight so at least she would be able to see more out there than in here.
She snapped her head up.
Renji.
She didn't feel him when she came back into the room. Quickly, she made her way to the hallway and felt around. He was gone. Not even a trace of the pool of blood remained.
What the hell?
The growling was getting closer. Rukia closed her eyes and crawled back to the front of the house. She didn't have time to contemplate what was going on. Fighting the dizziness, she pulled herself to her feet. She made her way to the front door way and took a peek outside. The bedroom was at the back of the house along with the growling. All she had to do was take off through the door, through the woods to…where? She still didn't know where she was or even where to go.
The growling grew louder. It was either out there in the unknown or in the house trapped.
Rukia took off. She tried to maintain her balance as she ran. The bouncing jarred her arm which made the pain only intensify.
The hollow sensed her leave the house and followed, tracking her like a dog.
Rukia felt it following her and ignored the pain and tried to run faster. She tripped over a covered branch and went flying over it. She crashed into the ground, onto her wrist. She felt the warmth as more blood oozed out through the sheet bandage.
She tried to stand back up only to find she had twisted her ankle.
"No!"
She pulled herself towards the closest tree and propped herself up. She clawed at the collar with her right hand and managed to get it off. She held her breath and channeled her reiatsu. She had one defense left, kido. With her shredded hand it was going to hurt like hell, but considering the alternative was being eaten by the hollow, she would risk it.
She waited as she heard it make its way towards her. Catching a glimpse through the trees, she could make out that it was on four legs and had a huge snout, like a dog. The rest somewhat resembled a human form. Twisted and deformed and now heading straight for her.
Rukia chanted and brought her good arm up, palm flat.
"Hado San ju san, Sokatsui!"
A huge bolt of blue electricity flew straight for the hollow's mask and blew it to pieces. She smelled burned flesh and mildly wondered if it was from the hollow or her own hands. As the hollow dissolved in front of her, she slumped to the side as the pain and darkness overwhelmed her.
Rukia opened her eyes and had to blink several times. Her breathing stopped as panic took over.
Someone brought her back from outside. Someone took care of her as there were proper bandages on her wrists and ankle. Someone also chained her good ankle to the bed.
Her other limbs free, she sat up. Instinctively, she touched her neck and was dismayed that the reiatsu collar was back in place. She tugged at it with her good hand, but it would not come off.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Kuchiki."
Rukia's eyes widened and turned towards the door. A voice, male was on the other side.
Swallowing the panic that threatened to consume her, she opened her mouth. "I demand you release me!"
"Hmph, I don't think you're in any position to give orders. Do you?" Came the reply. His voice was deep and smooth. One she had never heard before.
"What do you want?"
Silence.
"My brother is – "
"Kuchiki Byakuya, taicho of squad six in the Thirteen Court Guards," he replied.
Rukia gasped.
"I know who you are. I know who your friends are. I know everything about you, where you came from, who you've killed, who you've…loved."
Rukia thought of Ichigo and Inoue at the party and closed her eyes.
"Did you…did you k-kill R-Renji?"
Silence.
"What do you want?"
More silence.
"Let me go!"
"I saved you from that hollow and take care of you and you're still rude enough to try to give me orders?"
"Please…" Rukia said.
"What do I want with you?" He replied. "I want everything from you. You owe it to me, after all. You did kill my brother."
The door handle turned.