8: Reflections: A Look Into The Past
A/N: Warning…I might have to get a little graphic in the next part…
Stein's POV
I remembered that night so vividly, so thoroughly, that It nearly made me sick. I felt my hand come up and turn the screw in my back several notches, clicks echoing through the room, "Why would you want to know that, Lord-"
"You can just call me Kid right now," he said, his pale fingers still wrapped around Ryuka's even paler ones, "I want to know because I think it has something to do with what's wrong with her."
I shook my head back and forth, "Kid, I'm not sure if-"
"Please," he looked at me with something I had never seen in his eyes before: desperation. The mist of tears clung to the edges of his eyes, "I can't lose her. Not now."
I sighed and lit a cigarette before placing it in between my teeth, "Are you sure that you want to know?" He nodded, "Okay, but try not to let it disturb you too much…"
Twenty Years Ago
I felt pounding surge through my brain, making my hands tremble.
Come on Stein, You know you want it. You want to feel blood spill over your hands, That familiar, blood-lusted over voice echoed through my head.
A sickening grin grew onto my face, my hands coming up to grip the sides of my head, "Stop!" I growled my fingers digging into the sides of my head, causing tiny droplets of blood to trickle down my fingers, "I have someone important coming over today! Why can't you just leave me alone?"
There's always that pesky little brat that you call a daughter. She's been getting in you hair lately. Why can't we just do away with that?
I slammed my head back into the wall, my breath coming out in heavy huffs, "Leave her out of this!" I growled, my head thudding to the sickening beat of my heart.
"Papa?" I heard Ryuka's voice call from the top of the stairs of my laboratory, "Papa?" I heard her small ten year old feet patter down the stairs, "Momma just called! She's at the airport right now! Come on, Papa!" she smiled at me and stepped closer, "Let's go get her!"
"Ryuka-" My voice sounded like I was being strangled as I reached a trembling arm towards her, "Please…Don't…" My breath was coming out in uneven pants, "Don't come any closer…"
"Papa?" She dashed until she was before me, on her knees, holding onto my wrists, "Papa! What is it?"
That was when I lost all control. I grabbed her wrist and swung her off of me, slamming her body into the wall. She let out half of a combined scream and gasp as her body collided with the wall. She crumpled and fell to the floor, tears pooling at the corners of her eyes. I staggered up across the lab and towards the nearest work table, knowing what I was searching for.
"Please…" she shuddered as she managed to stand up, her body trembling in either pain of fear, but I really couldn't tell, "Daddy, please…Don't do this!"
"Shut Up!" I growled, slapping her while I held the scalpel in my hand, creating a bruise and a cut in her cheek at the same time.
That was when the tears began to slide down her face as her trembling hand came up to her already swelling cheek. She backed up against the wall, her olive-gold eyes wide in fear, "But Daddy," her lower lip trembled as tears began to flow relentlessly down her face, "I don't understand. What are you doing?"
I staggered forward, my grip on the scalpel in my hand, "Must…Dissect!" I pinned her trembling body to the wall. I began to lift up her shirt up over her dress up over her head, leaving her in just her under shirt and panties. I rolled up the hem of her undershirt and began to make marks with my marker across her snowy skin.
"Daddy!" she screamed as I began to hack the scalpel into her body. Her blood pouring in a thick and sticky wash over my hands.
Saki's POV
My white hair strung over my forehead, leaving the feeling that something was crawling across my face. I knew that it was well past two in the morning, but the problem was that I couldn't sleep. The apartment was eerily quiet as I sat up in my bed, getting the feeling that something was wrong. I climbed out of bed, feeling a chill roll through me as the nearly freezing air hit my bare legs. I walked past the mirror and into the kitchen, running a hand through my tangled white hair. I felt like I was needing to check on something, but I wasn't quite sure what…I walked into the living room and sank into the old leather couch. I nearly screamed the second I felt and icy cold and wet nose press to my leg, only taking a second to realize that it was Sammy.
"Hey boy," I said, reaching to scratch his head, but her shied a whimper coming from him, "What's the matter, Sam?" I asked, coming down onto my knees and reaching my arms out to him, but he took a few more steps back. And that's when I heard it. My phone was buzzing across the coffee table. That made sense now, Sammy had never really liked my phone. I picked it up and flipped it open. It was a text from Shay
911
I sprang up from the table and grabbed my jacket and a piece of paper, scratching down a note for my parents. I threw my phone into my pocket and grabbed my keys before pulling on my shoes. I dashed to the door, still in my pajamas, and looked back at my dog as I undid the lock, "I'll be back soon, boy. Watch Mom and Dad." I burst out the door and took off down the stairs and out onto the street. I looked at my watch. 2 in the morning. I dug out my phone and pressed the first speed dial. It picked up on the first ring.
"Hello?"
"Shay! What's wrong?"
"Saki!" His voice sounded relieved, "Oh thank God!"
"What's wrong?" I repeated, my heart getting heavier with each slap of my foot to the ground.
"My Mom and Dad just left, because my Mom was really sick. And now, there's something in the house," his voice cracked on the last few words.
I felt my heart turn to stone in my chest, "Something in the house?" I asked, my voice failing to conceal my alarm.
"Yeah. Silver, Sienna, and I are all in my room, but I think it's downstairs, so you should climb up to my room, okay?" I could hear shuffling in the background as he moved around the room.
"Yeah," I was running faster, despite my running out of breath, "What about Taka?"
"He's on his way here," Shay's breathing became uneven, "Just hurry, okay?"
"Yeah," I clicked my phone shut and propelled down the street. His house wasn't too far, but nerves were eating at me. What would ever want to break into Lord Death's house? I turned down the winding path that led to the front door and skated around the perimeter of the house. I found the winding cobblestone that mad up the side wall beneath Shay's window. I found my footing and began to climb up.
Death the Kid's POV
I felt my eyes widen as he kept his eyes on the floor.
"I'll spare you the details of all the gore that occurred after that," Steins head hung down in my palms as he sat in his rolling chair, "But Sanguine found us about an hour later. At first, she was mad because we hadn't come to pick her up, but that was until she made it down into the basement. She told me that she almost vomited because of how strong the smell of all the blood was. She said that it took us two hours to get Ryuka all stitched back together and get her breathing properly," Stein shuttered, "She went to live with Sanguine for two years after that, but when she came back, she wasn't herself anymore. She became a lot more stubborn. A lot harder with me."
"I can see why," I looked down and clasped my wife's hand between my own, "It makes sense now, at least…it does a little…"
Stein raised his eyebrows, "How-"
"She's been having nightmares since she got sick," I locked eyes with Stein, "And she's always wake up screaming, begging for it to stop, saying how afraid she was. What's haunting her is that night. That's why she's so scared. That's why she wouldn't let me bring her to you."
Stein's eyes widened before his gaze dropped back to the floor, " I suppose that does make sense."
The next thing that happened took me by surprise, because I had never expected that it would happen. Stein stood up and took a few steps until he stood directly beside the bed Ryuka lay on. He dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around Ryuka's shivering body, "I'm so sorry, Ryuka," he whispered, stroking her hair with one hand, "I wish I could find some way that I could atone for what I have done to you."
I felt my eyes grow wide. This was the first time I had ever seen Stein show any form of affection to his daughter.
The second Stein pulled away, Ryuka lurched up in bed, panting hard, "The kids!" she cried out. Pulling herself up out of the bed, "The kids are in trouble! We have to go help them! We have to-"
"Ryuka!" I firmly gripped her shoulders, "Ryuka, calm down! The kids are fine!"
Sienna's POV
"Taka!" I cried out, embracing my meister as he came in the window. I could feel my own limbs trembling as I clung to him for support. He wrapped his arms around me in return, lightly running his hand up and down my back.
I heard the crashing come from down stairs. Whatever was down there had been making those noises for the past hour and a half.
"So," Taka pulled away slightly, "What's the plan?"
All of us turned to face Shay. It was strange how even though he hated it, he was supposed to become the next master of Death, and the fact that we already followed him like a leader.
"Well," Shay looked at the door and wrapped his arm around Saki, "Obviously, we're going to have to take out whatever's down there. Obviously Sienna's with Taka, and Saki's with me. Silver, you stay up here. T-" Shay looked at Taka, "Taka why is your face so flushed?"
"N-no reason," Taka stuttered before starring at his feet. I would need to ask him later.
"Ready?" Saki transformed into a scythe in midair and Shay caught her in his hand just as Taka transformed into a short sword in my hand. This was my best form to work with while he was a weapon, but odds were I'd have to change later…Shay locked eyes with me before rushing forward and kicking the door down.
A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for staying with me! I'm really sorry I haven't updated in so long…I got really busy and stressed and school and yeah…Not to mention the cursed writers block. So please Review! I need to know If I'm doing okay! I hope the story still makes sense…I love all of you guys SO much! SEE YOU ALL IN THE NEXT CHAPTER ! ^^
