Author's Note: Like I said, once a week. I'm slowing down because of the lack of feedback. Does it really hurt to give opinions on a story?
"Wh-what?" Miyuki dropped the rose in her hand and took a step back.
"Raito… He said that the church betrayed us." Yui was huddled down, tending to the roses in front of her. She had a troubled look on her face as she clipped another rose. "But, I don't want to believe that…Father…"
Miyuki stood there in her sweater and skirt with her hair tied up into a ponytail. There was a small breeze that blew stray hairs in her face. She pushed them out of the way with her bandaged hand and tried to think of an explanation. "Listen, we are in a house full of vampires who like to play with their prey," Miyuki swiped another strand away and kneeled down next to Yui. "He may have been trying to confuse you or toy with your emotions." The young sapphire-eyed girl's gaze slid to the visible marks on Yui's body. "I've read enough horror and psychological thrillers to know that sometimes the bad guys play with their victims and make them question themselves and others."
"Y-you seem to know a lot about this…"
"I have a lot of time to myself, maybe too much." Miyuki giggled and picked up the rose that she had dropped earlier. "I wish they had blue roses," she mused quietly. Yui said nothing but she continued to look bothered. "Hmm, where's Emi? I thought she told us that we were all sticking together now?"
"Maybe she went to the bathroom?"
"Eh, probably… Wait. I just thought of something entirely uncomfortable." When Yui looked to Miyuki, she blushed. "What happens if it's… that time of the month and we're here?" Yui's face immediately turned red matching Miyuki's. Embarrassed she continued on, "I mean, would it entice them or keep them away?" Both of their faces were redder than tomatoes at this point so she changed the topic. "So, uh, how about the weather then?" Yui's expression changed and soon they were both giggling as they bent over the flowers.
"Yui-san, Miyuki-san," Kanato's voice was heard and both of the girls looked up. "I would like you two to take those roses and follow me."
"Was that a command or an offer?" Miyuki whispered in Yui's ear.
"I don't like to be kept waiting."
"Demanding…" Miyuki then jerked back and frowned. "Yui, I don't want to go."
"I think that it'd be best not to anger him…" Yui then obediently began to select some of the best roses.
"Well, now I see why you're so bitten up." But she began to help Yui, pricking her finger on accident.
"Where did those morons go?" Emi had arrived outside in the garden; however her sisters were nowhere to be seen. "I leave for five minutes and they get carried off." She sighed, disappointed. So far they had not stuck to their new "rules" for themselves. She had precisely said not to wonder off without all being together. She had sort of broken that rule herself when she went to the bathroom because she just couldn't stand the thought that their own church betrayed them. She had to walk away from Yui's news. The vampires must be attempting to destroy their faith in the church, it was the only explanation but then she thought about the diary and the photo and then her headache came back. She shook herself and frowned. She just couldn't give up her faith.
Emi then felt a horrible pain in her hand. She hissed and looked down. She had been clutching her fists so tight that her wounds had reopened. "Oh my- Why did I have to punch a mirror of all things?" She held in a groan and turned on her heels to find Reiji's study where she knew supplies would be. As she was walking inside she caught a glance of herself in a mirror and allowed her lips to twitch up a little. She had black combat boots, military green cargo pants, and a black tank top. She looked ready for war and felt like it too.
She was not scared. Not anymore. She had already felt the odd sting of a vampire's bite and had fended off Raito with a kick to the groin. She finally made her way into Reiji's study and looked in to see him reading. She knocked twice and then let herself in. He didn't even look up from his book.
"On the counter to the right."
"Oh, thanks." Emi vaguely wondered if she should be thanking a vampire. She went to the kit and opened it. Slowly, she began to take off her bandage but stopped when she heard a groan-like hiss. She jumped around and saw Reiji with his glasses off, clenching the bridge of his nose like he had an immense headache. His face was contorted in disgust.
"I would prefer it if you did not change your bandage in here." He glared at her. "Keep the kit in your room, you will need it later."
Not knowing if that was a threat or a promise, she shut the case and yanked it up. He looked ready to crack and she was not going to be here when he did. She quickly moved out of the room and nearly jogged to her room. So much for feeling war-ready, she thought, bitterly. After a while of wondering around, she finally arrived at her door. She glanced up and down the hall before putting her head against the door but heard nothing. It's not like a vampire would make noise anyway… She sighed and opened the door cautiously and peered inside to see no one. Her room looked exactly like how she left it. She quickly rushed inside and locked the door. Her heart was pounding in anticipation for arms to circle around her with a set of teeth ready to attack her neck. She glanced behind her. Nothing.
"I am getting too paranoid," she groaned and walked over to the bed. She sat down and opened the kit again. Slowly, she undid the bandage and winced. She gazed at it for a moment, almost entranced by the rivulets trickling into a puddle at her palm. Emi sighed, shaking her head and reached for a disinfectant.
Hands suddenly enwrapped her torso and she was pulled back. She gasped in shock and immediately threw her elbow back, catching the figure in their stomach. She kicked the kit off the bed and began to crawl away. Before she could get to the edge a hand grabbed her ankle and dragged her back. As she flipped herself to aim a kick in her attacker's face, she saw that it was Raito. She pulled her leg back to aim but he easily caught it and leaned down. When his eyes were at level with hers, he laughed.
"Time to play, Kitten."
Miyuki sighed and was mentally conjuring up every possible outcome that could happen during this trip. "Don't get bit, don't get bit…" She kept muttering to herself as they walked through some random creepy forest with mysterious fog. Normally, she would enjoy a nice stroll through the woods but now it was dark and scary out. Miyuki glanced at Yui and again, exhaled. "Why Yui? Whyy?" She whispered dramatically. Yui glanced over and gave an apologetic smile. "That's not helping…" She pretended to pout but was slightly relieved. Soon the forest started to thin and a clearing came into view.
"Why are we here?" Yui mused looking around at gravestones. Miyuki saw all of the gravestones and immediately changed her prayer.
"Don't die, don't die, don't die…"
As they all walked forward, Kanato began to speak nonsense about graves and how much he liked them. He does sound more calm when talking about this stuff, Miyuki tuned into what he was talking about.
"My mother lies here." They had stopped at the foot of a grave. Miyuki realized that he must have asked them to come with the flowers so they could place them on the grave. This thought brought her back to when she was younger and living at the church. She had asked what the point of giving gifts to dead people was. Instead of scolding her like the nuns would of, Yui's father had gone quiet and then leaned down next to her. 'It is a sign of love, respect, and memory' he had responded. Her child-self had pointed out, 'but they're dead. They don't need it.' He had laughed, very amused by her statement before going quiet again. When he spoke, his voice was soft and sad. 'I think it is more for the living than the dead.'
"I killed her." Miyuki paled and all of her thoughts came crashing down when he said that. "Would you believe it? Though, it doesn't matter, right, Teddy?" Her mind produced pictures of a mother that she never had a chance to see and her father's sad gaze whenever he looked at her. She immediately shook herself free from the thought.
"Please place the roses there." Miyuki handed over her portion of the flowers to Yui and allowed her to go forward to put them on the grave. Yui bent in respect, which made Miyuki bow her head slightly too. Yui then got up and stood next to Miyuki.
"Alright, let's get out of here." Miyuki turned away and began to walk as Yui tried to announce their departure. When they both turned away, Kanato spoke.
"You are both very selfish." Yui turned around in confusion and Miyuki's pulse began to speed up. This was not good. "I specifically brought the two of you here and the second you place the flowers, you leave. You have a lot of nerve!" He screamed the last part and grabbed the flowers. He began to thrash them against his mother's grave in anguish. Yui held her mouth in fear while Miyuki tried to pull her away.
"We have to go now, Yui!"
"We can't," she turned to the obviously unstable vampire and whimpered, "Y-you can't do that!"
"Don't order me around, you trash!" He turned to face them and Miyuki jumped in fear.
"That's your mother's grave!"
"What could you possibly know about me?"
Yui began to apologize as Miyuki backed away. "Yui, come on," she whisper-shouted.
"I hate it when you continuously apologize," he took a step toward Yui, "Do you enjoy deceiving others?"
Yui, startled, finally began to back up at Miyuki's command but she tripped over a grave stone. No, no, no! Not the typical horror movie cliché! Kanato looked at her in slight surprise, but he began to laugh hysterically.
"This is so good!" His gaze flickered between both of them in excitedly. "Look at how pathetic you two are!" He laughed, "Why don't you get down into the mud, too, so both of you can squirm and cry like the pathetic insects you are. Then maybe I could forgive you." Miyuki growled in anger. He was mocking them!
"Yui, get up we're out of here!" She made a move to go over and help her up but was stopped by Kanato's voice.
"How cute," He slowly began to close the distance between himself and Yui. Miyuki edged closer and urged Yui to get up one last time before he straddled her and pinned her to the ground.
"Kanato?" Yui's voice was full of fear as she was pressed against the Earth. Slowly, he opened his mouth and leaned down.
"D-Don't!" Miyuki tried to force her leg forward but it only shook in response.
"Oh, I forgot…" He gave Miyuki a sly grin, "Pleasure comes first, right Miyuki?"
"What are you talking about?" Yui's eyes found Miyuki''s and she saw the terror and shame. "Miyuki?" She had never told Yui of the encounter in the garden and was hoping to never mention it.
"Women are so mischievous…" And he lent down and kissed Yui on the mouth. Miyuki's heard pounded and her face flushed with anger. But another emotion seemed to want to bubble up which infuriated her even more.
"Let Yui go!" Miyuki stomped her foot but took no step further. She watched in horror as he deepened the kiss against the struggling Yui. She finally managed to turn her head and Kanato helped himself to her neck. As he bit in, he made sure to make eye contact with the furious Miyuki. Both of them knew that she wasn't coming closer, nor could she just leave behind her friend like she had promised so many times. Kanato's eyes widened slightly and he pulled away.
"This seems so familiar…" He looked up to Miyuki, "Maybe it's from that time." Her face turned red as she tried to sputter out an insult. "No… It isn't…" He bent back down for another taste.
"T-that hurts," Yui whimpered as he continued to drink from her.
"Ah, I forgot again," Miyuki had to witness his gentle strokes and calm smile as he "pleasured" her. The longer she watched, the more frustrated she grew. He then went lower and sucked her blood. He began to moan at how good it was; all the while keeping a teasing smirk locked onto Miyuki's shaking form. When he announced his claim to her, something inside Miyuki just snapped.
"I said get off of her!" She charged in and flung herself at Kanato. Using her momentum she managed to knock him back enough. She quickly turned and pushed Yui away. As Yui scrambled toward safety, Miyuki regained her balanced and tried to move after her. However, two hands enclosed on the sides of her neck locking in place but not choking her. She felt Kanato's breath on the back of her neck and smelled the blood on his lips. She was now stuck in a crouch with nowhere to go.
"You won't ever get away from me." He sounded so pleased with himself.
"But I can try." She whispered. Surprisingly, he let her go and she was able to stumble forward and toward Yui. When she turned back, he had already lost interest in them and was staring at his mother's grave.
"I want to be left alone."
She grabbed Yui's arm, and didn't need to be told twice.
