Hey everyone! I'm back, though I've been delayed recently, lots of things to do so didn't have time to write that much. Hope you all bare with me here and not be very ticked off at my lack of updates. Well, I left you at a pretty evil ending, so very sorry, I hope I don't loose support for that! Anyway, thanks for everyone who reviewed the last chapter, there was much more than I could ever have hoped for! I was so happy! Now here are all the nice replies to people!
By the way, must introduce a new author on the site. Quiescencey is a really good writer, as the story this amazing author has posted at the moment is so good! All those of you, like me, who love a good SetoOC story, must check out this one called 'Threads of Conspiracy', it's so mysterious and intriguing, you must all read it! It's the least I can do after this great new writer was kind enough to review my work, which I pry is not that great in my eyes, but I love writing anyway!
Jenny116cn: Thanks, pleased you enjoyed it and sorry for leaving you on that ending. Hope the new chap was worth it all though. Thanks so much!
Minor Arcana: I know, I hoped I could surprised people there, more revealed on the truth of the murder this chapter. I'm happy you like it as well as the added duelling lessons, and I do hope all those mistakes don't put you off, I can be the worst typist at times! Sorry, thanks so much for everything!
Secluded Sapphire: Good assumptions, but I must warn you things are not what they seem. Glad you are enjoying it and thanks a million!
SaFaia SouL: Nice to hear from you, I know you have not written in ages but I hoped things could be sorted. Anyway, hope you can start up again, love to help if I can when you get your computer sorted. I use Microsoft Word Document for chapters, which works pretty well. Hope you can work up again, I'll try to check out your new chapter soon and I do look forward to seeing Sapphire Narcissus up again (I would be honoured to be a beta reader if you want me to!) Glad you're inspired, but I don't have AIM. I like your new ideas, good luck with maths and Fiction press. No I can't update as much due to schools tuff, sorry! I hope you continue to like this story and would you kindly give me your email address? I tried mailing you but I don't think it's working, and I'll give mine. Thanks a lot hope to hear from you.
Mistress Luna: I am pleased you like the chapter, and hope this was worth waiting for with the evil ending. Thanks so much for everything.
KatrinaKaiba: I know big shock but all will be explained. Thanks so much!
Blue Dragon99: Glad you get it, and I know it was evil of me in the ending, but couldn't be helped. Glad you like it, yes I can review! Looking forward to your new chapters and thanks. So sad your fic will end soon! Got ideas of a new one?
Quiescency: I'm flattered, I bet we will get along, I'm glad you take such interest in the story. Glad you liked it, though I do apologise for the dialogue, I'll try to cut it down a bit. Yes, I know, there will be more solitary moments to come between Kaiba and Melisanne, don't worry, glad you pointed it out. Sorry for taking so long, I'm just swamped with work from school and such. I will do my best, I promise. I'll review your story, I bet it's good, and thanks again! I noted you, hope it suits, though I don't think I'm really popular. Thanks again, nice to know I have the support!
Pamster: Thanks for reviewing all the chaps, so nice to have your support! Anyway, I'm pleased you are enjoying it, a prize for seeing connections between the two stories! Glad you liked the OC, thanks for adding me to your favourites too! I'm pleased you are enjoying the mystery, suspense, cruelty of Wang, the kisses, emotions depicted (thanks for the confidence boost there!) Kaiba acting out, hints on the past, cliffies, the bitter-sweetness and description! Thanks so much, I bet you must have clicked onto some of the secrets by now! Thanks a million!
Thanks to everyone and hope you like the chapter. Love SGCred xxx
Chapter 10: Horrors Unknown
The tension in the room clung to every fibre of existence to make its presence known. It could make the very foundations of the world quake in fear and tremble with anxiety as the sheer meaning of the words sunk in. Nervous vibes cascaded to a rhythm like open shore waves, unnerving the two souls in the large office. They were both aware of it, and incredibly shaken by it, though in different ways altogether.
The poor Chinese girl was close to tears as she bent her head forward in shame of it all. The deception was over; she had spilt the truth, and now would have to face conviction by everyone in her family, as well as that of the man next to her. He on the other hand was just trying to grasp the situation. This girl wasn't capable of such things, was she? It hurt his head just thinking of it. She couldn't even stand up for herself against her towering bitch of a sister, or him in his prying for that matter. How could she possible commit something as horrendous and daring as murder?
'It just doesn't make sense, why would she kill anyone? She's just not the sort to do such a frightful offence. If she can't even fight back against her family how would she become enraged enough to take a life? She must just be out of her mind with stress and made it up on the spot, it's not logical!' Seto thought, trying to make heads or tails of the whole matter, while the young woman still shivered in a breakdown position, huddling her body up to stop the violent shaking that was taking over.
Melisanne had her eyes squeezed shut, praying within her mind to the events to be another one of those nightmares she experienced after a harsh session at home. It was the first time she ever wanted to wake up in that Hellhole, though it was hard to believe she was that desperate. She didn't even care if it was Wang, or yes, even her mother to come storming up in the night to pull her out of bed, as long as she woke up!
Her lip trembled, why did it have to be this way? She had broken the most important rule she had been disciplined about since she was a child, and the consequences would be dire for it. Suddenly letting out a stifled gasp as realisation sunk in, her body became alert. In one move Melisanne bolted for the door across the room. She had to escape! It was the only way; she just couldn't face it. It would all be over soon enough for her, but it was better not to drag someone else down with her.
Panting, the girl grabbed the handle, sweaty palms still trembling as she quickly turned the knob, but unfortunately she didn't get very far. Before she could pull the door open, Seto had rushed up behind her and slammed it shut, leaning against it so block her exit. She had run off to many times already, this was the last straw. He was leaving her with no choice but to come clean.
"Just where do you think you're running off to? I won't let you get past me this time. You are going to sit down, calm yourself and explain to me what this is all about." he stated firmly as icy blue eyes met tear stricken crystal ones.
Moving away from the door, Kaiba towered over her form, and brought his hand to grip her shoulder. She couldn't get away, but it wasn't a painful hold. It was strong yet light at the touch. He guided her back down, though the young woman was still quite unsteady due to the terrifying thoughts she was concealing that whirled inside her mind. Still, she couldn't get away, and had no strength to fight anyway.
As she was forced back to sit on the couch, Melisanne couldn't look up at the man looking over her weak frame. Kaiba only moved away to get her a glass of water from the cooler in the corner of the office. He was strangely confused at what was going on. Though he acted it was all business; something had stirred within him at the sight of her breakdown. He was positive that look was familiar to him, a mixture of terror and anxiety. It was as if they shared something, a link to the others trauma, but he just shook it off. Surely no one else had suffered the way he had, not to such an extent. How could she know how he felt?
Going back over to her, he took a place beside the Chinese girl on the settee and handed her the cup. With shaking hands she held it to her lips, luckily not spilling anything. After spluttering a swallow, she gently placed the cup back on the table in front of her. Seeing the she had finally calmed slightly, Seto cleared his throat; he would finally get to the bottom of this nonsense once and for all.
"All right, now that you're done with your little fit, I think we can take care of this matter properly. You have nothing left to hide behind, so I expect the truth, now." he ordered, though blank crystal orbs were glinting, avoiding the action.
"Didn't you hear me? This isn't a game anymore; I'm not in the mood for this. Just explain yourself now, and this will be easier on the both of us." he snapped, but before he could pry further, he could hear Melisanne muttering quietly to herself, but he strained himself to listen to what she was saying.
"I did it. It's all my fault, no wonder they hate me. I ruined everything. No wonder Niang never loved me, and hated me even more after he died. I killed him, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it, I loved him..." she whimpered as she could feel liquid seep through her eyes again. Kaiba was just confused at her words. Though his mind just wanted to shout bloody murder at her being so difficult, he found his arm wrapping itself around her shoulder in some reassurance. She ended up collapsing into him, finding a new source of warmth in the man.
"Who are you talking about? Who died, and why would they be angry?" he asked, now too fuelled with these new emotions flooding within him to notice his question had been asked in a softer tone than he wanted.
"I...I killed him. That's why I'm punished. I deserve...to feel pain...since I took his life...no excuse...in spilling cold blood...I'm a killer...I...I...murdered my own father!"
FlashbackA child's scream echoed in the abyss of the top floor attic. She wept desperately at the sight of what was happening. Strong hands tried to grip the guardrail. Broken glass littered the wooden floor; the dust not tinted crimson, as light pools leaded over the floorboards. The small onlooker was frozen with fear, too young to truly grasp the full extent of what was happening before her eyes. It was instinct, full reaction to the adrenaline rushing through her tiny veins; she ran.
Her cries ricocheted through the tower as another form came clattering up the worn steps, beautiful gown trailing behind her in the dust, to which she cursed. Finding herself at the baseboard with a flight to go, she almost missed the frightened child howling and tearing up the ground in fleeing. Snarling the woman grasped the girl forcefully before she could past, shaking her without mercy and screaming herself, inflicting the little girl with Chinese swearing.
"Baba...he...blood..."stuttered the tot, though the elder woman had no sympathy for the poor child, clearly terrified.
"Shut up! Make sense, where is he?" she demanded, letting her manicured nails dig into the little girls shoulders, only to squeeze harder on seeing the pained look on her face.
The desperate child couldn't move. The woman must had been mad, no even noticing she had abandoned using her traditional language for speaking in the 'foolish gibberish tongue' she knew as English, her fury evident. Too traumatised to speak, all the girl could do was point with a sore arm, gestured at the top of the stairs in the highest level of the house. Growling like a rabid animal, she tossed the child aside, stalking quickly up the stairs. She never looked back at the little girl quivering in agony at being slammed against the sharp metal stair railing.
Why, she always done wrong, always shamed her family. Nothing she could do would make it better. It was always said she was the cursed child in the family, not a blessed gift of life but monstrosity the household been forced to look after. Always in the way, always brought bad luck, a good for nothing wretch!
Her brother would make them proud, he was the first born son, a noble position. It was known boys were worth a lot more than girls were anyway. Her sister, she was beautiful, an elegant lady could bring honour when wed off to a rich man. Pristine and perfect, she was pleasing to the eye, worthwhile to show off in pride. The youngest had no place; she was worth nothing! Besides, the woman's dreams for the future, for her life, had been shattered the moment the little girl was born...
She was back, storming and screaming from the top railing. Perfect make up smeared, hands caked in blood; the news was dire and failed in any pity or remorse. The fight had been lost, and the woman knew who was to blame, who would pay.
"You did this San Mei!"
The wicked figure sped down again heading for the crying child with vengeance burning in her molten blood eyes. The child was too weak to move; too terrorised she had suffered so much that day; she could no longer fight. Clawed hands reached out clutching her neck and pressuring the veins running under her skin, as if wishing to pierce them like a vampire, so red liquid would run free over porcelain complexion. The girl was off the ground, scrambling in the hold, as venomous slits boiled with rage, keeping a grip of her throat and held the small tot over the railing, above the blackness at the bottom of the tower.
"You...it's your fault! He's dead! You killed him you little bitch! He was your father, he gave you life and you destroyed him! You should be dead, not him!" she shrieked, squeezing tighter so the poor little girl began to choke.
Her small body became rigid, with the pain, the guilt and the horror. She only cam back to her own thoughts when she was pulled away from the darkness below, as the woman let go of her neck so she fell to the ground hard. The elders hand was raised as she slapped the child over the face before bringing it down to smother her face, smearing the blood of the man all over her features.
"I should kill you, but I won't let you die so you can be at peace. You will live forever with the guilt of causing your father's death. His blood is on your hands, and it will never come off. You have sinned, and no matter how sorry you are, it will never fade."
Red stains reeked terribly as the child touched her cheek, the liquid drying but still warm, freshly spilt. She would never live this down. It wouldn't fade from her mind. She had been condemned for a lifetime and beyond. Everlasting would be her father, haunting her fateful dreams, the woman's words repeating in her head over and over again.
"I should send you to a children's home for your crimes. But...I won't tell anyone, if you show how sorry you are. From now on you will do as I say, work to prove that you are worthy of this family. You will no longer learn or be schooled; it would be a waste on a stupid brat like you. You don't deserve friends or compassion; you can't play with other children anymore. You won't even leave the house anymore unless it is to run errands for the family. You can't have anymore toys, presents, books or nice clothes. You will wear rags to suit your place and work. You will only get scraps to eat, or even nothing if you misbehave. You are no longer part of the family to us. You are a servant, you work for me and your siblings and if you disobey you will be punished."
"Hai...Niang."
The little child could only nod and agree to the commands. Her life was forever gone, only a living Hell remained. Still, it was more than she deserved in her mind. This was her new existence, in hope of paying for her crime. It would last forever, and redemption would never look on her with pity, only contempt.
End FlashbackIt had all tumbled out of Melisanne's mouth like a rushing waterfall. She couldn't hold back any longer, the truth had been revealed. She killed the only person who really loved her and now lived within a never ending nightmare in the hope she would forgiven one day for what she did. To be completely disowned, to live as the dirt under their feet, which she had been told was too good for her anyway.
Seto didn't want to believe what had just been told to him through the reminiscence that had been relived through the girl telling of the tragic event that caused her life to fall apart. And he thought no one had hurt as much as he did under his stepfather. She knew and understood; the pain not just from physical abuse, but emotional destruction.
Gozaburo had destroyed him inwardly as a child, so he never lived happily after that. Mokuba had been the only one who cared, who had helped him to see he would always have his brother to care about him. For this girl, it didn't seem like anyone really felt for her. Her father was gone; her mother had condemned her eternally. Her older sister clearly went with what the elder woman told her, her older brother gone off somewhere and hardly heard from. The other two kids were too young to understand what was going on, though they did clearly adore their sister, still yet to be tainted by their mother's poisonous words.
Though the basis of what she suffered was now out, there was still many questions to be answered. Why had Melisanne been seen as a curse? How had she ruined her mother's future in being born? Why hadn't her other siblings suffered like her? Couldn't her brother have taken her with him if he knew what was going on? If she was hated so much by her mother then why did she keep her in the first place? It was all still mysterious.
Looking at the nervous wreck of a teen still slumped against him; for once Kaiba decided no to push her for any more information just yet. He needed to contemplate on what he had been told today, hopefully to figure some answers on his own before bothering the girl anymore. She had just exhausted herself in that explanation, the turmoil too overwhelming.
Seeing she was tilted even more, now dozing off, he sighed as he pulled her up to cradle her body. With a free hand, he paged the limousine driver to be ready to pick him up at the back entrance. Checking the clock, he could see the classes were almost over for the day, and he had already said to his little brother to collect Jun and Zi since he planned to take all three Chinese people back in their house afterwards. The plans had now been altered in his head.
'I refuse to take her back to that house. I don't give a damn what others think of me for this; I know what it's like. If I send her back there she'll only suffer more; I won't let that happen. I still need answers, but I won't get them if she's trapped in that place of slaughter. I've lived that horror story myself and I don't care if people think I don't feel sympathy for others, I will not stand for anyone having to go through that torture. Let's just hope they'll be safer with us.'
Looking down on her again, he brushed a few stray ebony bangs away from her face, and raised a brow in seeing that she seemed at peace like that. Picking her up carefully, he left the room and took the elevator down the garage level where he was sure Mokuba and the Ting children would be waiting already.
Something would be done about this. Kaiba could guarantee he wouldn't let this continue. Still, now he couldn't place the feelings that were brewing inside him. Was this just because they shared the same childhood problems that he cared so much? Or did it have more to do with how he felt for Melisanne in general?