Positively Criminal
Chapter Three
Rosette didn't tell anyone what happened to her. Luckily she didn't run into any police who were on the street, and so she didn't have to face them either. It was five days after she had last seen him, when she heard the reports that Chrno had been taken back into custody. A lot of the kids at school didn't stop talking about it, and it nearly drove her mad. It was all about the Serial killer this, and do you think he'll break out again that. One lunch hour after they wouldn't shut up about it she had snapped at them and stalked off.
Perhaps it was because of the sad look to Chrno's eyes that made her heart melt. Maybe it was because he seemed so nice, soft-spoken. It just didn't seem right. Her mother had told her that it was easy to act to lower someone's guard, and she had scoffed at that. He had something, something you couldn't just fake.
One Saturday morning, she sat eating her breakfast, a bowl of cereal and orange juice, in front of the TV. They talked about stalk markets and events going on halfway around the world. She didn't care. She wanted to find out if he broke out yet. Did he die? She found herself entranced by him.
Just as the broadcast seemed to be ending, a man's voice perked up. "This just in folks," he said. "The Serial killer has broken out again. Police reports say he broke out early this morning and took off. If you see this man," a picture of Chrno appeared on the screen. "Please call the police as soon as possible."
Rosette almost bolted to her feet and ran out the door. Grabbing the keys for her mother's car, she gutted the engine. She had just recently got her license and still wanted more practice. Of course, being the paranoid woman her mother was, she had specifically said; "If you touch my car I will break every bone in your body and leave you out in the street to bleed to death."
"But mom's at work," she thought happily, as she turned her signal light on and turned through an intersection. She must've been driving around for twenty minutes, completely out of it. Where would he be? She wondered.
"Maybe I should check out his place?" she thought, before turning down a street. She parked in a parking lot, very messily, before getting out and heading don the alley. She found the dead end (with much difficulty) and squeezed through the small hole, before smiling. She stood, finding herself in the peaceful closed off shack.
"Chrno?" she called out hopefully. "Are you here?" She received no answer, and she giggled. She was happy she would be able to get to se him again. She took a step forwards, and nearly slipped, glancing down, she paled.
Blood. A lot of blood.
And it was leading inside the shack. Quickly, she hurried inside. She opened the door, and looked around. "Chrno?" she whispered, before finding him slumped against the pile of blankets, his eyes closed in what she hoped what unconsciousness.
He was bleeding, from everywhere. She didn't know where the wounds were there was so much blood. And he was pale, very pale. "Chrno... oh god..." she breathed, before shaking him lightly, hoping she wasn't hurting him. He groaned, but did nothing other then that.
"He's going to die..." she breathed in horror. Quickly, she pulled her cell phone from her pocket and flipped it open, quickly dialing. "Nina?" she asked, her voice panicked. "I need you to get down here, and bring all your supplies. And oh god please hurry."
---
Nina and her father had arrived, looking terribly worried. Nina had said she couldn't help him here, and told Rosette they had to move him to someplace less dirty. Nina had offered her house, but Rosette said no. She explained that he had been spotted around this area too many times, and that police were probably going to go to extreme lengths to find him, including searching the buildings around this area. Rosette insisted they take him to her house.
Nina had told her the risks. If anyone found him, it was unquestionable that her mother would call the police. Rosette merely replied with; "Don't worry, I have a plan."
So they helped him into Rosette's car, and Rosette drove back to her house, Nina in the back pulling out bullets and wrapping wounds. They parked out behind her house, and helped him inside their basement. Nina looked around, frowning. "This is where we're keeping him?" she asked.
"No," Rosette said, pushing a rug aside and revealing a trap door. "This is." She opened it, and set herself down on the stairs, "help him down here," she said, before disappearing into the dark.
Mac and Nina helped Chrno into the cellar, which was surprisingly cozy. A couch was set up in the corner, a small window was up at least eight feet from the ground, letting in a little sunlight. There was a small fridge, and a tv set up as well. "This is me and Joshua's club house," Rosette answered. "It's convenient."
Carefully, they set him down on the ground, and Nina got to work. He had lost a lot of blood, and so Nina hooked him up with some extra blood bags she had "borrowed" from the hospital she was apprenticing at. Rosette found she couldn't stand still. She was continuingly pacing around the small room, she'd gone up and down the stairs multiple times, and had made sure the car was left right where her mother had parked it.
Finally, Nina stood to face him. "That's all I can do," she said, before handing her a small bottle.
"What's this?" Rosette asked.
"Aspirin," she answered. "He needs to take two every four hours. Miss a dose and he'll be in a hell of a lot of pain.Call me if his condition changes. Oh, and call me when he wakes up too. I want to do another check up on him."
She smiled sadly at her friend, as if to tell her "take care" before she turned, with Mac, and headed up the ladder. Rosette flipped on the light as the cellar door slammed closed.
She turned to look at the boy on the ground. "Well," she whispered. "It's you and me for a while."
Chrno gave no response.
---
She had gone up every once in a while to make an appearance for her parents and brother, but after they had gone to bed, she found herself seated in front of the TV in the cellar. It was on mute, and she watched the images dance across the screen. It was so early in the morning she was just waiting for the sun to peek in through the window.
She was so tired she couldn't even sleep anymore. Every four hours, she would wake up to her cursid watch beeping insanely, and Chrno weakly groaning.
Instantly, she sprung to her feet when she heard footsteps. Grabbing a blanket, she threw it over the unconscious Chrno. The cellar door opened and Joshua appeared. He looked down sleepily at her. Rosette could only grin stupidly. "Rosette..." he said blinking slowly. "Why haven't you gone to bed yet?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Rosette said nervously. "I went to bed, but you were asleep, but then, you see, I realized I had to study for an exam, but I'm seeing Ewan later today, so I had to get up early and-"
"You're babbling." Joshua said, closing the hatch and walking in further. "You babble when you're lying. What're you..." he trailed off, when he spotted the blanket behind her, and the hand that was uncovered. "Rosette," he said, more awake now then before. "Who do you have under the blanket."
"No one."
"Liar."
Rosette sighed. "If I tell you, don't flip out at me, okay?" He nodded, and she moved the blanket, revealing who he was.
Joshua fell back on the stairs, clutching the railing, his eyes wide. "Jesus!" he cried, turning from the man to Rosette's face. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
Rosette smiled. 'You would not believe how many people have asked me that."
"We have to call the cops!" Joshua cried, as he turned to bolt up the stairs. Rosette ran and grabbed his arm.
"Hold up Joshua." she said. "Please don't do something like that. He's not a bad person. Please just... trust me on this."
Joshua turned angry eyes on her. "How can you say that? Do you even know what he did?" he snapped.
Rosette couldn't say she did.
"He murdered his parents Rosette! In cold blood! Not only that, he killed his girlfriend and her family! Do you really want," he pointed at the unconscious Chrno. "That living in this house! He'll kill you I know he will!"
Rosette grabbed her brother's hands and held them close. "Calm down Joshua." She said, forcing him to look into her eyes. "Please just trust me on this one."
Turning his eyes from her, to the man on the ground, he grit his teeth. "Fine." he grumbled, pulling away. "But the second things start to look bad I'm calling the cops."
She smiled, and pulled her brother into a hug. "Thank you Joshua."
---
The next few days were hard on both of them. After learning about the aspirin, Joshua and Rosette took turns feeding it to him, and still Chrno showed no signs of waking up. Rosette had gone to school, as she had an exam or two left. So she made sure to give him aspirin right before she left, come home at lunch and give him some more, and then again after she got home from school. He seemed to be improving, but it was only slight.
Joshua and Rosette sat one Thursday night, completely exhausted. Joshua was staring out the window, watching it grow darker and darker, while Rosette stared at a mute TV.
"So," Joshua whispered. "What are you gonna do with him after he wakes up?" he asked.
Rosette looked over at him, and gave a half hearted shrug. "I don't know," she replied, her words slurred with exhaustion. "But I start summer vacation in a few days. So I wont have to worry about school for a while."
Joshua smiled. "Just don't tell me you're going to run away with him, okay?"
"Actually," Rosette groaned, sitting up. "I was thinking about the cabin out on the coast."
Joshua looked over at her. "Our cabin? You want to take him there?"
Rosette nodded. "It's an hour drive out of town. I figured that after summer started, I could take him there, at least for a while." She sighed. "But I don't know what I'm going to do with him after that."
Joshua started to chuckle. "What are you going to tell mom?"
Rosette laughed. "Don't get me started on her."
So despite their situation, the Christopher siblings laughed.
Rosette awoke hours later to the sounds of groaning. When she opened her eyes, she spotted Chrno, sitting up, clutching his head. "Chrno!" she chirped, bounding from the couch and stopping next to him. "How are you? Are you all right?"
"My head feels like a ton of bricks..." he mumbled sorely, before gazing around the dark room. "Where am I?" he asked quietly.
"My cellar." Rosette answered.
He shook his head. "I'm not even gonna ask.." he mumbled.
"Just sleep for now," Rosette said. "Trust me, you need it." She stood, to walk back over to the couch. "I have to go to school tomorrow. But I'll be back later. Just rest easy, and whatever you do, don't leave here." She took a seat with a tired yawn. "My brother Joshua has tomorrow off, so he'll be here with you."
Chrno opened his mouth to retort, but suddenly found himself very tired. "Thanks." he mumbled, before leaning back and slowly drifting from consciousness.
A/n: (Gags) I don't like this chapter either. But starting next chapter, the story picks up, and it's a lot more fun to read (And write in my opinion) Anyway, please bare with me, and please review!