A/N: It makes my heart warm seeing so many new people reading my fic. That, or you people have been reading but not reviewing. . .*pouts* I like reviews. . .heh. Thank you to all. Unfortunately (again) this chapter is not as lengthy as I would have liked it. I figured I'd better get something up before any of you actually carried out your threats! Ohoho!
Yasha Misaki: Wow. . .you made me blush! Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked my new fic! (I hope you're reading this by the way) You have no idea how happy you made me with your praise!
Ians_Koibito, Jexia, E-san, XZanayu: Thank you! ^__^ Ians_Koibito! Look! I remembered your '_' again! Hehe! After all, after taking so much time to come up with a good screen name, it kinda sucks when others mess it up, don't cha think? And the pigs are still flying.
Treesap: *sniff* What a lovely threat you gave them. I cried, feeling the heartfelt menace you radiated! Thank you. XD
Teridie, Akurei, Skippy, lady malynn, andie, missa: Ah, none of you threatened me. How sad.
Natascha: Hey, I'm glad you liked the way I depicted Ted and Berkley together. Truth to tell, I had no plans whatsoever for THAT little angle to develop. I WAS influenced by a FAKE fic that had Rose and Ted together but it was a rather. . .painful relationship. When I had my Ted and Rose talking, somehow, it felt natural for the two of them to get together like that. Ah, me and my romantic tendencies. . .And actually, if you threatened me with a chocolate cake, I might not do the story at all *cackles* I'll just spend my time eating cake! XD
DdraigCoch, missa, Ashura Akuma, Illustrious Sorrow, dbzchild, Quatorze, AnimeCrazed: Oh! The horror! Another cliffhanger! Wahaha*cough* sorry. Sorrow, I like your name ^^ very nice!
Warning: bad recollections. Very bad.
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Chapter 9
He couldn't save them
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The day started out as it usually did. Sister Margaret came in to wake them up around 7 am for breakfast. The older kids had already awakened hours ago to do their part-time jobs; selling newspaper, collecting recyclables, anything really. Dee meanwhile, though still not old enough to get a job, nonetheless was awake even before the soft footfalls of Sister Margaret's sensible black shoes intruded the quiet calm of the morning.
"Everyone," Sister Margaret called out, "Wake up now. Breakfast is ready."
Rolling his eyes, Dee walked over to the nun and scowled his best scowl at the middle-aged woman who only smiled serenely back at him.
"You know you gotta be louder than that to wake them up," he tried to make his childish tenor more curt-like but all that came out was a rather petulant tone.
"But. . .they look so peaceful sleeping. . .it's such a shame to wake them up really," She wrung her hands guiltily and shot him a tentative smile.
"It's more of a shame if the toast gets cold," he informed her and without further ceremony, stalked over to the windows and gave the threadbare curtains a hard yank that flooded the room with sudden bright light.
"OI! WAKE UP! BREAKFAST'S READY!"
Tousled heads and sleepy murmurs instantly filled the air as his little brood came awake. Really, the one who was responsible for waking them up everyday was Dee, not Sister Margaret. But they went through the same ritual every morning anyway.
"Dee! I bumped my elbow and it really hurts!" 5 year-old Kerry whined.
"Dee! Jake took my teddy bear!"
"Dee! I forgot where's my toothbrush!"
9 year-old Dee gave a manful sigh and rolled his eyes comically. And every morning, they would all bring their complaints to him.
He took the injured elbow, rubbed it carefully and kissed it firmly. "There, all better." Kerry beamed at him and scampered off. "Jake, give back Susan's teddy bear and Jamie, your toothbrush is in the bathroom."
It started out like any other day really.
It ended like no night ever did.
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9 year-old Dee didn't understand. He didn't understand what these bad men wanted. And he knew without a doubt that they were bad. Evil. The minute they stormed in, they had pulled out menacing guns and threatened everyone with it. The older kids, Michael, Tommy and Big Jamie tried to fight back but they were easily overcome. The bad men had hit them; hit them very hard and they were bleeding, piled up on the floor.
It seemed like everyone was screaming and crying. Dee was scared, extremely scared but he tried not to show it as Kerry clung to him, sobbing. The other little ones, his brood, also clustered close around him. The sisters were trying to hold off the bad men, shielding them from view but not caring in the least that these were sisters, the bad men hurt them. Dee saw with wide, frightened eyes as the leader of the bad men calmly raised his gun and with no hesitation at all, fired a shot directly into Sister Margaret's face.
To Dee, it took forever for her to fall to the floor.
"Don't look," he whispered to his brood and turned Kerry's face into his chest. But he himself could not tear his fascinated eyes away from the gruesome red mess that had once been Sister Margaret's face.
"Take everyone else into the chapel!" The leader barked. "Now!"
They followed the prodding of the guns numbly. Not a few of them were crying but the other sisters tried to hush them, saying that everything would be okay, that God would protect them.
Dee looked back to where Sister Margaret's body lay in a crumpled heap and knew that God wasn't listening.
Herded into a tight little crowd near the front pews, Dee tried to hide his fear as the leader came close to them and squatted down so he was eye level with them. All Dee could see of his face was his eyes. The rest, like the other bad men, were covered in tight black masks, showing only their eyes. They were also covered in black, flowing robes. Dee was reminded of a picture he had seen once of the Grim Reaper. That's what these men looked like; like Death walking.
"Well, well," the leader whispered. He had warm brown eyes. "And aren't you such pretty children?"
"Please! Spare them!" Sister Janice crawled over, placing herself before Dee. "Let the children go!"
That warm brown eyes glittered maliciously and he waved with his gun. "But dear Sister, the children are what we're here for." As Sister Janice's eyes widened in shock, he waved his gun. "Prepare her."
Two men came up and shrieking with fear and anger for her children, they dragged Sister Janice away to the small altar. Someone had placed a bowl there and a long, wicked dagger rested next to it.
"And what's your name sweet one?" the leader fingered Kerry's blond curls and she whimpered, huddling closer to Dee. He hugged her tight and shot the man his fiercest glare.
"Don't you dare touch her!" he spat out.
The leader seemed surprised at his vehemence but a pleased light entered his eyes anyway. "So brave," he whispered. "Trying to protect your little friends, hmm?"
In response, Dee scuttled backwards with Kerry in his arms. The other children were crowded behind him and he glared protectively.
The man gave a delighted chuckle and snapped his fingers. "Take him!"
He tired to fight back, kicking, punching, biting, scratching, anything but the men were stronger than he was and dragged him away from his friends to the other side of the chapel. They forced him to sit on the cold floor and the instant he tried to get up, a vicious backhand snapped his head around and for a moment, stars filled his darkened vision.
"Let the ceremony begin!"
With dazed eyes, Dee watched as they stripped Sister Janice of her wimple and tore her dress. Dimly, Dee felt that he should be embarrassed seeing a sister as uncovered as that but his head was still ringing. He did not fully comprehend what they were about to do until another man took up the dagger as two others pulled back Sister Janice's arms behind her and forced her to lean over the bowl.
He couldn't close his eyes fast enough as the dagger flashed across her white throat and red blood gushed out, splashing into the bowl.
"Sister Janice!" he screamed and once again, tried to run. But again, he was dealt with another blow and he lay on the floor, panting.
"You care about them, don't you boy?" It was the leader again. He now had Kerry in his arms and she struggled weakly. "You want to save them?"
"Let them go," he moaned, scrabbling weakly on the concrete floor but his head hurt too much for him to move. The two men had a tight hold on his legs anyway. "Please don't hurt Kerry. Don't hurt any of them."
If anything, his pleas seemed to amuse the man even more. "Her turn next!" he called out cheerfully and held out the screaming Kerry.
"No! No! Let me go! Let me go! Dee! Save me! Dee!" Kerry screamed, kicking her little legs futilely as she was now held over the blood-filled bowl. Sister Janice's body had been kicked aside and her wide, empty eyes glittered with tears.
"No!" Dee howled. "Please! No! Kerry!" But he couldn't do anything as the dagger flashed again and this time, Kerry gurgled, choking on her own blood that even now joined Sister Janice's in the bowl.
"Dee—" Blue eyes stared beseechingly at him for a brief second and the next, dulled as life left her.
He laid limp in their arms as little Kerry was tossed like a rag doll to join Sister Janice. The other children were now huddled in a tight ball together, crying quietly. Sister Sarah, Michelle and Elizabeth were now lined up in front of the altar by the other men. They were crying too.
"Do you still want to save them?" The leader, without him noticing, had crouched down in front of him, staring into his eyes. "Well? Do you still want to save them boy?"
Dee stared back into those laughing eyes and whispered. "Let them go, please."
"So, so brave for such a small boy," the man sighed happily. "You must be like a big brother to the little ones, to Kerry there. But you couldn't save Kerry could you?"
"Please," he whispered brokenly. "Please let them go."
"Do you want to save them boy?" The warm brown eyes bore into his with sudden intensity and some of the fog that had clouded Dee's mind with Kerry's last word lifted a bit.
He nodded slowly. "Please. . .just let them go."
"Then drink."
He stared uncomprehendingly at the man.
"If you don't want the others to die, drink this. Drink every last drop."
Dee looked down. The man was holding the bowl. The bowl they had used to collect the spilled blood which even now was filled to the brim with Sister Janice's and Kerry's. The man wanted him to drink their blood. Drink all of it if he wanted to save little Jamie, Jake, Tony, Susan, Courtney. . .everyone.
With small, trembling hands, hands that have just started to roughen from too many hours playing baseball, Dee gripped the bowl tightly. It felt warm. Warm and sticky where the blood had run down the sides.
"That's right," the brown eyes gleamed. "Drink every last drop."
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"I couldn't save them."
Ryo started from the numb haze he had fallen into. The doctors and nurses had thrown him, Ted and Rose out earlier when Dee had gone into arrest. Tense minutes were spent pacing the hallway outside as they listened to the controlled frenzy that went on inside Dee's room. Bikky had come up to them with Cal, as they were waiting and a frightened look entered his eyes.
"R-ryo?" he tugged at Ryo's shirt. "Is. . .is something wrong with Dee?"
He couldn't answer Bikky. All he could do was hug him close and waited in silence.
It seemed forever before the door opened and Dr. Wyle stepped out looking tired. He assured them that Dee was stabilized was already sleeping. He hadn't wanted to let anyone in but before Ryo, he had relented and allowed only him inside. The rest, he had declared firmly, could wait until morning.
Bikky had told him not to worry, that he'd wait, him and Cal but numbly, he asked Ted to bring them back to the apartment. They can get some rest and come back tomorrow morning. If they had protested, Ryo didn't hear them. He had shut the door behind him and slumped down into a chair next to Dee's bed. He wasn't sure how long he sat there, unmoving, when that scratched, hollow voice broke the stillness.
"I couldn't save them."
His head snapped up. "Dee? You're awake?"
Blank grey eyes stared at him and Ryo couldn't help the shiver that ran down his spine. Those eyes were dead. Cold and empty. They weren't Dee's eyes. Dee's were warm, filled with joy and mischief.
"I tried to save them. I really did."
"Dee, what are you talking about? Please tell me," Ryo begged but Dee only shut his eyes back. Ignoring the trails of tubes that pierced his arms, Dee curled up into a ball, hiding his face behind his hands.
"I couldn't save them. I couldn't save them." He was sobbing now.
"Please Dee, don't cry. Please tell me what's wrong," Ryo begged again to no use. "Please Dee! Please," the last word was a heartbroken whisper as Dee went on crying.
"I couldn't save them."
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to be continued
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A/N: Everyone! I have a new fic out! It's a Cardcaptor Sakura fic called CardHunter. Please give it a try if you're a CCS fan. ^^
It's funny, but after doing this chapter, I still had no idea how to make Dee tell Ryo what happened. Earlier this evening, as I was walking to the store, I was hit by inspiration! I now know how Dee would do it! Ohohoho!
I think by now everyone should have a clear idea as to how I write. Basically, I get an idea for a Plot and just jump into the waters hoping I won't drown. Gah.
