Chapter 10 – The lunatic is in my head
Special thanks to Dominique, Nyarghh and JasmineNightheart for their recent reviews
Ok now this chapter is edited :D
October 27th 2011 – Buddhist monk temple
"I should have thought of this months ago."
I plopped another piece of meat in my mouth as I poked the small fire with blunt twig I picked up. What remained of the rabbit I'd caught was now being pilfered by a group of loud-mouthed crows. After gutting the small animal, I tossed the hide and guts into the woods for the local scavengers to pick at. A flock of crows arrived not long after and were now fighting over the remains of the mutilated carcass. While finishing up the last of the rabbit I watched as the giant blacks birds fought and squawked over the bloody meat. I'd always liked crows. They were big, menacing and just plain cool to look at. They didn't take shit from other birds; they just took what they wanted, when they wanted it. I admired their tenacity for living.
Watching them made me think of my dad for a second. The old man was terrified of birds, crows especially. I used to take great joy in teasing him about it. A sad smile formed on my face as I thought of a favorite song of his. Dad used to hum it to himself whenever he got freaked out by birds. I hummed the first part of the song before the singing the rest out loud.
"Did you see the frightened ones?
Did you hear the falling bombs?
Did you ever wonder
why we had to run for shelter
when the promise of a brave new world
unfurled beneath a clear blue sky?"
One of the crows flew over and sat on a branch above my head. The large bird tilted its head at me while I mirrored its same movement. It almost felt like the bird was watching me. I whistled the last part of the song as the crow gazed down at me with its impenetrable black eyes. The shadowy bird watched me with vague curiosity as I whistled the classic tune. The crow cawed a few times during my performance, as if he were trying to sing along. I chuckled at the incredulous thought. The brash caw accompanied my tune in an odd duet as I whistled the guitar solo. Its presence was ominous and calming at the same time. It was an odd feeling I couldn't quite put into words. The crow gave one last caw before stretching its large wings and taking off from the tree. I watched as it flew away beyond the horizon.
"Goodbye blue sky
Goodbye blue sky
Goodbye
Goodbye."
I mumbled the last lyric with a small smile.
Sitting up from the rock I was perched on I let out a loud belch and scratched at my hair. That rabbit was pretty damn good. I'd almost forgotten what meat tasted like after eating nothing but rice for so long. Who'd of thought all those years in the boy scouts would actually come in handy some day? Setting up traps had taken some practice but after a while I got them to work properly. The real hard part was getting the supplies for gutting the animals with. I stole most of the tools from around the temple but the knife and cutting scissors I had to take from a nearby house. As it turns out I'm quite the sneaky thief. Not saying I'm proud of that little fact but it does come in handy.
I stomped out the small fire and wrapped up my tools in a small blanket which I hid under a marked tree. I'd been doing this for about a week now and I was careful not to rouse suspicion. I knew the penalty for going against the temple would be hours of lectures and a serious beating. My head snapped up when I heard some branches crack in the distance. Someone was coming up behind me. My heart raced as I speedily tried to hide the evidence of my cooking spot. My blanket of tools was securely hidden but there was still dried blood on my hands and on the ground around me. The fire pit was also clearly visible along with the smell of dead rabbit hide.
Shit! I'm so screwed!
I steadied my nerve as the stranger came out of the brush, almost tripping on his own feet.
"Oh! I was wondering who was up here. Nice to see you again Jason-san." The scrawny, young monk said as he bowed politely.
I bowed in return and let out a sigh of relief at seeing this certain monk. Aito was a gullible idiot. He was one of the younger monks here, around his mid-twenties. He had the same haircut as Genkaku and I with dark caramel hair which he always kept tidy. The monk regularly sported a dopey smile on his face, even more so when he talked about Buddha. Much like my red-headed companion, he was completely devoted to the temple and thought of nothing other than following Buddhism. He was alright to be around though since he easily bought my lies without question.
"Good to see you too Aito-san. What brings you up here?" I kept my voice polite as I hid my hands behind my back and moved towards Aito to get him to go back down the path.
"I thought I saw smoke coming from up here but as it turns out it must have just been my imagination. I mean why would you be building a fire way out here?" Aito said with a chuckle as I laughed with him. Yeah I wonder why Aito?
"Well since we'll be heading back together, would you like to check the donation box with me?" Aito asked with bright green eyes. I stifled a groan and nodded my head with a smile. Although Aito was polite he was annoying as hell. All he ever talked about was praising Buddha and how great the world was with Buddha in our lives. I got enough of that shit from Genkaku; I didn't want to hear it from another monk. As we walked I just nodded my head and acted like I was paying attention to his prattling nonsense. Aito talked about today's scripture readings and how interesting they were. I wouldn't know because I snuck out this morning and skipped my usual monk duties. Remarkably the elders did not take notice of my absence, a surprising fact I immediately took advantage of. The only person that seemed to notice was Genkaku and he never ratted me out to the elders. The most I got from him was a stern talking to.
As if that would actually stop me.
The dopey monk continued to banter. "I just wish we had more time to read the other scriptures, they were so interesting. There really isn't enough hours during the day, isn't there Jason?" Aito asked with a cheesy smile as I stared absentmindedly at the ground.
After collecting the money from the box we continued back up to the temple. My head was in the clouds the entire time. "Yup I hear ya." I had no idea what he just said.
"You know you're really lucky to have Genkaku-san as your sempai. He really is a great teacher." My ears perked at hearing my friend's name.
"Yeah Genkaku's cool." Aito appeared thrown off by my brash word choice but continued talking anyway.
"Though I must admit I am kind of jealous. It is an honor to have an apprentice here at the temple. It desperately makes me want to have one of my own." I could tell from his voice that Aito was quite distraught over this. Indeed it was an honor to have the title of sempai but if you asked me the whole thing was kind of stupid. However I wasn't going to say that and sadden the poor monk even further.
"I'm sure you'll find someone Aito-kun." I was starting to zone out again as we walked along the temple grounds.
"You really think so? Would you even consider being my apprentice Jason-san?" Aito turned to ask me with a playful look.
Again I wasn't paying attention so I spoke vaguely. "Yeah yeah of course." Aito laughed at my answer while I smiled politely.
We stood in front of one of the temple screens where Aito usually meditated. I had completely tuned out the monk as he laughed and said something else with a happy smile. We talked for a little while longer. Well Aito talked and I daydreamed about nothing in particular. I said a few things here and there but otherwise stayed silent. When our supposed conversation reached its end we bowed to each other before I took my leave back to my room to start on my chores.
Wonder where Kaku is?
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
Genkaku's P.O.V.
I must have heard that wrong.
There's just no way.
Jason would never say that.
He's my friend.
He would never do this to me.
"This can't be happening."
I was just finishing up my sweeping duties when I heard a familiar voice on the other side of the sliding screen doors. I smiled when I recognized the imprudent voice as Jason's. The person he was talking to sounded like that cheerful monk Aito. I was surprised to find that they were speaking to each other. Normally Jason did not particularly enjoy Aito's company, saying that the monk 'talked too damn much.' As the two neared the front of the door I could hear their conversation more clearly.
"You really think so? Would you even consider being my apprentice Jason-san?" Aito asked hopefully.
I stopped sweeping as I felt my grip on the broom tighten immensely. An emotion I've never quite felt before rushed through my veins like boiling acid. It was a cold, empty sensation that burned my very being. It was the same thing I felt whenever I saw Jason with Daichi. Or anyone else for that matter. But this time, what I felt was demonic. I had the aching sensation to take my broom and beat Aito's head into the ground until it was nothing but mush. I wanted to hurt him in the worst way possible. I wanted to see him scream. He deserved it. Jason already had a sempai. So to ask this kind of question was insulting to me. Not to mention it was entirely pointless.
Because Jason would never…
"Yeah yeah of course." Jason replied nonchalantly.
The world came to a screeching halt at hearing those simple words. My heart was beating in my eardrums as my mind became blank. So many things were running through my head that my brain couldn't keep up. My eyesight started to dim around the edges while a white noise buzzed in my left ear. A numbing sensation coursed through my body leaving a pins and needles feeling on my skin. I felt like I was going into a trance.
'Who does that little fucker think he is?'
I dropped the broom I had been clutching and looked around fearfully. Sweat started to run down my temple as my heart leapt into my throat. A terrifying voice was speaking to me but there was no one around. It was just me.
'Did he forget who he belongs to?'
The same voice snarled impatiently as I covered my ears to block out the voice. Whoever it was sounded insane. The voice dripped with vehemence and insanity but it also sounded oddly familiar. It was almost like a horrible parody of my own voice. Fear crept up my spine when I realized that the voice was not coming from around me…but from me. From inside my own head.
'Maybe I should remind him.'
I could do nothing to block out the horrible voice from inside me. I was helpless against it. Gripping my hands to my head I started a chant to block out the insane demon trying to tear my sanity apart. The voice was relentless though and continued its insane tirade. The voice spoke louder as I chanted.
'Remind the little cock knocker just who exactly owns him.'
The voice was getting louder now. More vicious. I didn't know what to do. I had no idea what was happening or why. Everything felt woozy as I started to sway a bit. My stomach was a pit of snarling pythons as I began to dry heave. I resisted the urge to vomit my breakfast from this morning as I covered my mouth with the back of my hand.
'A breakfast that Jason was absent from mind you.'
I stopped my chanting to listen to the crazy voice. My eyes widened as I considered the voice's words. Jason had been absent from breakfast this morning. The boy had been sneaking out a lot lately and ignoring his monk duties. Has he been sneaking out to be with Aito? Is that where he's been going to? Has he been planning to leave me this whole time?
I could practically feel the malevolent grin that formed from the voice as it took on a horrible mocking tone.
'He was probably eating breakfast with that Aito bastard this very morning. I bet he was talking about how excited he was on becoming Aito's new apprentice. And you were too blind to see it coming.'
"N-no." I whispered pitifully.
'While you were sitting alone, eating your shitty meal; Jason was laughing it up with some other monk. Just like he's doing right now.'
I listened as Jason and Aito continued their conversation unbeknownst to my own presence. I could still hear them perfectly from the other side of the screen. Jason remarked on something and the pair began to laugh. My vision became dimmer.
"No." I squeezed my eyes shut to block out the waves of crushing agony that trampled my heart. It was like someone was tearing me apart from the inside. Taking what was left of my humanity and shredding it into tiny pieces. I could feel the cold sting of jealousy course through my veins at the thought of Jason and Aito together.
It was a nightmare.
'Are you just going to let them get away with this? Or do you want Jason to leave you?'
My eyes snapped open as I imagined that scenario. That familiar sense of possessiveness coiled around my mind, setting my nerves on fire with utter wrath. That was never going to happen. Jason was mine. My apprentice, my friend, my companion, my everything. No one was going to change that.
And that included Jason.
'So are you actually gonna man up and take back what's rightfully ours? Or are you gonna tuck your tail and cry like a little bitch?'
With my mind a haze of vicious rage, I was unaware of the growing darkness around me or the increasing white noise in my ears. My entire body was numb now.
The last thing I was aware of was a dark chuckle in the corners of my mind.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
Aito's P.O.V.
"See you later Jason-san!" I said happily as the young Yankee turned to leave.
I waved to the young monk as he headed back to his room to start on his own chores. The boy was very pleasant to talk to in the sense that he was a very good listener. Although Jason usually didn't say much for the conversation he certainly knew how to listen and pay attention. I'm sure such inept listening skills came in handy during lectures from the elders. Genkaku sure was lucky to have such a promising pupil as his apprentice.
Upon opening the sliding doors I was greeted with Jason's sempai himself. The young man had his back to me and appeared to be in deep thought. One of his fists was clenched while the other hand was gripping his bright red hair. He also looked like he was shaking a bit. It almost seemed as though he were fuming over something. I pushed the worrisome thoughts aside and played it off as nothing. Probably just my mind playing tricks on me again. I'm sure the boy is perfectly fine. I really must stop jumping to conclusions.
"Good afternoon Genkaku-san." I said cheerfully as I closed the screen door.
The boy froze at hearing my voice. The air around him almost seemed to shift in a very ominous way. He did not turn around to greet me as he spoke.
"Hey." The tone was unusually bitter.
I quirked an eyebrow at his response. It was very unlike Genkaku to speak like that. He was generally very polite and courteous when speaking to others. His voice even sounded a bit different. Like it was off a bit.
Maybe he's having a bad day.
I put on my best smile and lightly grasped Genkaku's shoulder. The boy flinched slightly but remained where he was, not saying a word. Clearing my throat I thought of the best way to cheer the poor boy up. Whatever was upsetting him, I was sure I could help. I didn't like seeing other people so down and blue.
"Excuse me Genkaku, I don't mean to interrupt whatever it was you were doing but would you like to join me for some tea?" A nice cup of tea can brighten anybody's day. I waited patiently as Genkaku took his time to respond, as if he were mulling it over. Finally the young monk spoke up.
"Tea…yeah that sounds cool. You mind if I make the batch though? I've got this new herb I've been dying to try out." Again I was confused by the word choice and the way he spoke. It was so unlike him. If I didn't know any better, I'd say I was speaking to a completely different person. But again I brushed it off as him having a bad day. Everybody has their rainy days once in while so it was completely understandable.
My voice stayed as cheerful as ever. "That sounds splendid Genkaku. I'll be waiting for you in the tea den." I patted him on the back and walked down the hallway and into the small tea room. I sat down cross-legged in front of the circular table and waited for Genkaku to return.
The monk took longer than I thought as I sat and waited. I was almost starting to nod off when the scarlet haired boy returned with the tea pot and cups. My back straightened up as I smiled at his return. My smile wavered however at seeing the eerie expression on his face. Normally Genkaku looked apathetic at all times but right now there was a crafty smirk plastered on his face. I'd never so much as seen him smile and yet here he was grinning like a bobcat. It was almost staggering. Furthermore, I couldn't shake the weird feeling I got in my gut as he walked into the room. I felt jittery and anxious all of a sudden. As if something evil were knocking at my doorstep.
"Something wrong Aito-kun?" Genkaku asked with that cat-like grin. The way he said my name was almost sarcastic in tone. My brow wrinkled in suspicion but I quickly pushed away the skeptical thoughts and smiled back at him.
"I'm fine, just a little warm that's all. Must be the weather." I ran my fingers through my hair nervously. I just couldn't shake this menacing aura in the atmosphere.
Genkaku's grin seemed to widen at seeing my nervous state. He poured the tea into two cups and slid mine over when they were both full. I thanked him and brought the cup up to my nose to deeply inhale the strong aroma. My nose scrunched when I picked up an odd scent I couldn't recognize. Well Genkaku did say he had a new herb that he wanted to try.
Genkaku watched intently as I brought the cup up to my lips and took a big gulp. My throat was incredibly parched so I finished the cup less than one gulp. Genkaku immediately refilled my glass and handed it back to me. I took another sip and grimaced slightly from the taste. After taking the time to sip my drink instead of gulping it, I found how bitter the liquid tasted.
"May I ask what herb you used Genkaku?"
"You don't like it?"
"No! No, that's not it. It's just the tea is quite bitter and I was curious since bitter herbs aren't usually used for tea."
The boy's eyes were filled with a wicked playfulness as he spoke. "I actually can't remember the name of the plant. Must have slipped my mind." I tentatively took another sip of the sour tea as I eyed Genkaku with scrutiny. I wonder what he could have used?
Finishing up my second glass, I politely declined another cup when Genkaku hastily offered.
"No thank you, I've had my fill of tea for today." I said with a small chuckle. I could still taste the bitter tea in my mouth. Genkaku refilled my cup despite my refusal.
He spoke with that same mocking sincerity. "Nonsense, have another cup. I worked so hard on preparing this tea, I'd hate to see it go to waste. It would absolutely kill me." It was then that I noticed Genkaku hadn't taken a sip of his. I was about to ask when I thought better against it. It sounded like a rude thing to ask on my part. I smiled gratefully and took the steaming cup back in my hands. I didn't want to be rude and deny his tea when I was the one that invited him in the first place.
I was halfway through my third glass when I started to feel terribly sick. My stomach had this burning sensation while my limbs felt heavy, as if they were filled with lead. My vision became blurry as I wiped a few beads of sweat off my forehead. My heart started to beat in an eccentric fashion which caused my breathing to be unnaturally uneven. The burning sensation of acid tickled my throat as I started to gag.
"G-gen…Genkaku…I don't feel good." I could barely form a coherent sentence.
"Is that so?" He said with a casual smile.
"Genka…ku…I…c-can't…" I was unable to finish my sentence as I threw up on the side of the floor. I gasped when I noticed the traces of blood in it. My eyes were hysterical pools of fear as I frantically tried to stand up. My legs wavered as I stood up and soon collapsed from the weight put on them. I hit the floor with a loud thud and clutched my sides painfully. Everything was on fire. Lying on my side I looked up at Genkaku who had casually walked over to me.
"A-azuma…please…h-help." I pleaded with the boy as I continued to vomit. My erratically beating heart was starting to do summersaults in my chest. Genkaku stood directly over me with that eerie smile before planting his foot directly on my chest, pushing me back on the floor. The breath was knocked out of me as I desperately wheezed for air. My confusion was instantly replaced with dread as I saw the look on the boy's face. The fear I sensed at that moment was nothing I'd ever felt before. Terror racked my body as I stared up at that the manically happy grin on Genkaku's face. He looked like a mad man.
"Now I remember!" Genkaku playfully smacked his forehead as if he just figured out the secret to life. I was unable to respond as the vomit in the back of my throat threatened to choke me. Genkaku increased the pressure on my chest as he pushed down harder. I was absolutely terrified.
What on earth is he doing!
"The name of that plant, I just remembered it." The young monk giggled with excitement. I was terrified to know what he had put in my drink to cause these convulsions.
"Japanese yew."
It felt like a brick had been dropped into my stomach. I was very familiar with that particular plant. My mother had been an herbal specialist in her day. She had told me all I needed to know about dangerous herbs. I could her methodical voice in my head explaining this deadly plant.
The toxic substance in the Japanese yew is taxine, an alkaloid that reduces cardiac conduction leading to death by respiratory or cardiac collapse. Clinical signs, when observed, may include trembling, dyspnea, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. If not treated immediately, death is assured in less than a few minutes.
Oh no.
I was startled out of my thoughts when I heard a bubble of insane laughter from above me.
"Finally figured it out? Took you long enough; thought you were one of the smart ones Aito-kun. Someone this stupid doesn't deserve to have an apprentice like mine." The last part of the sentence was laced with malice.
Genkaku tilted his head at my confused expression. He growled before moving his foot onto my throat and pressing down on the jugular. I squirmed as I tried to fight him off but my body wasn't responding the way I wanted it to, like I was going into shock. I could barely move an inch from under his foot.
"Don't play dumb with me asshole. I know all about you and Jason. I just so happened to overhear you're little conversation earlier. Did you really think you could take him from me? HUH?" Genkaku brought his foot back and kicked me in the face. Blood rushed out of my nose and down my face as I tasted the bitter copper on my lips. The pain flared all around my face as I tried to push his foot off of me. It felt like my life was slowly being drained from my body. I knew I only had a few moments before the poison took its final toll.
I could feel a soft trail of tears running down my face.
"P-please…I never…meant…t-to…" My words were cut short by Genkaku kicking me across the cheek. The skin flared with pain from the action as I felt more blood pool in my mouth.
"Don't give me that shit! I know exactly what you were trying to do. You thought you could just waltz up and take him from me. As if he already belonged to you. Well guess what ass-face? That boy is and always will be mine. Nobody is ever gonna take him from me." I flinched when Genkaku lifted his foot back again.
"Not you."
A kick to the ribs.
"Not that bald-headed prick."
A kick to the stomach.
"NOT ANYONE!"
A kick to my temple.
Genkaku was trembling with rage as he glared down at me. My entire body was scorching with pain. The tears distorted my vision as I began to cry even harder. The sobs shook my frame as I pleaded for Genkaku to spare my life. I didn't want to die. Not when I had so much of life ahead of me. Not without seeing my family one last time. Not in such a horrible way. I didn't want to leave the earth just yet.
Please…somebody help me
"You really think your pathetic babbling is gonna do you any good? Please. You have a better chance of Buddha coming in and jacking you off." I glared at his blasphemous words concerning the great Budddha. The boy merely laughed at my brief display of anger.
Fear overwhelmed me when my stomach forced another torrent of vomit up my throat. I instantly began to choke as I struggled to free myself from under Genkaku's foot. The young monk let out a cackle of wild laughter as he watched me squirm under his sandal. His eyes were like that of a cat's while torturing its prey. They were the eyes of a demon. My mind quickly became light headed at the lack of oxygen. The vomit gargled up my throat and blocked my only airway. My struggles became less and less desperate as I fought for air. Everything was going dark and hazy as my hearing slowly went mute.
My last thoughts were of the chores I had yet to finish today and how mad Tama-san was going to be when he found out. I presumed that I would have had plenty of time to finish them before the day came to an end.
It was a mundane thing to ponder as I drifted off into the black.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
The mattresses were laid out next to the trees as I flapped the blankets a few times to get the dirt off them. Our room had gotten a bit dirty so I took it upon myself to clean it. There weren't as many chores that needed to be done today so I was passing the time by cleaning our room. Another solid reason why it was ok for me to skip out today. I knew I had to think of a few more good ones before I saw Genkaku. The guy was probably going to be miffed when he caught up with me. I didn't mean to skip out and upset him but there were some days when reading Buddha scriptures all day could be just plain torture.
I folded the blanket up and started on dusting off the mattresses. Although I was dreading my next reunion with Genkaku, I did start to wonder where the hell he was. It got boring without him around, plus without him I had no one to really talk to. Genkaku was pretty much the only person here I could even remotely relate to. Daichi was a close second but a lot of the times I got frustrated by his ever impassive facial expressions.
I worked onward with my chores as I waited for Genkaku's return. The boy was probably off meditating somewhere.
With no conversation to help past the time, I thought of another Pink Floyd song. The one from earlier got me in a Pink Floyd kind of mood so I started to hum one of my personal favorites. I used to hear it on the radio all the time back in Portland. The song brought back some good memories.
"The lunatic is in my head
The lunatic is in my head
You raise the blade, you make the change
You re-arrange me 'till I'm sane
You lock the door
And throw away the key
There's someone in my head but it's not me."
That last part has always been one of my favorite song lyrics. It spoke true to insanity. Or at least, whatever truth that could be found in the realms of insanity.
I was about to fold up the mattresses when I spotted Genkaku walking back to our room. His back was to me so he couldn't see me from where I was. Smiling, I set the cleaning supplies down and eagerly ran up to my quiet comrade to surprise him from behind.
"Hey Kaku! What's up?" I wrapped him in a semi-headlock with my arm around his neck. My grin faltered when Genkaku seemed to jump right out of his skin. His breathing was heavy and he looked more pale than usual. The young monk looked around fearfully as if someone were after him. I released my hold on his neck and walked around to stand in front of him. Genkaku's eyes were darting all around in a frantic manner, like his mind was in overdrive. I sucked in a shocked breath when I saw what he was clutching. I didn't notice it when I first spotted him, but tightly clasped in his left hand was a very sharp, very deadly object.
"Hey Azuma…what's with the knife?" I glanced down at the sharp object with apprehension as Genkaku became more perplexed by my question.
"What do you…?" When he looked down at his hand he dropped the knife as if it had burned him. His hands were shaking as he stared down at the glinting metal. Genkaku looked utterly lost with himself.
"Hey are you ok?" I lightly grabbed his shoulders as worry seeped into my voice. He was really starting to freak me out. He was acting like some kind of monster was after him. Genkaku quickly glanced up at me as he continued to shake under my touch. He took in a deep, shaky breath before answering.
"I-i'm not sure how I got here." He stuttered while looking around confusedly. I relaxed a bit at hearing why he had gotten so worked up.
"You were probably just spacing out as you were walking. Don't worry I do it all the time; it's nothing to have a stroke over. Jeez, you really had me really freaked out for a second there Kaku." I grinned boyishly to turn on the charm and relax his tense state. Though the knife lying at our feet still had me feeling a bit concerned.
I ignored the sense of foreboding as I grabbed his shoulder. "Come on let's get you some tea. That'll help you relax."
I tugged him along as he meekly stumbled alongside me. His mind still seemed like it was in another place as he walked. I had a feeling he wasn't telling me the whole story. I knew something else had him spooked but I had no idea what that could have been. Genkaku normally never got worked up over anything. Save for the few times he lost his temper with me. But in his current state I felt it was best just to leave it be for now. The boy was still shaking as we walked into our room.
"Ok, you just wait here and I'll get us some tea." Genkaku was facing the window when I turned to leave. I couldn't see his face but a second later I heard him gasp, as if he just remembered something.
"Where were you this morning?" His voice was devoid of any emotion. My spine shivered as if a cold gust of wind ran through me.
Shit.
I turned back around and looked at the ground guiltily while scratched my arm. "I was…uuh…out for a walk and…"
"Don't lie to me." His words were ground out through clenched teeth. The monk's back was still to me so I couldn't see what his face looked like. To say that the boy sounded angry would have been an understatement. Genkaku was livid.
Is he really that mad that I because I snuck out again this morning?
"Ok I admit it; I wasn't just out for a walk." I glanced down at Genkaku's hands when he clenched them into a tight fist. My eyes widened when I saw that he was squeezing them hard enough to draw blood. His shoulders were as stiff as bricks as his hands shook with pent up aggression. My brows scrunched in confusion at observing the massive mood swing he seemed to have taken.
"And? Nothing else you want to tell me Jason?" I didn't like the way his voice sounded. It was wavering between his normal quite tone and an angry unreasonable tone. I suddenly had the aching sense to leave the room and run for the hills. I scratched my messy hair nervously.
"Look whatever you're mad about just tell me." My nerves felt like they were on edge with fear. This unsettling attitude of his was starting to get to me. I just wanted to take whatever punishment he had and put this little incident behind me.
I was caught off guard when Genkaku suddenly whipped around and marched right up to my face. Panic overwhelmed my body as I backed into the wooden wall. The red head was only a few inches taller than me but right now he might as well have been 6 feet. The fiery haired monk had me feeling very intimidated. His normally peaceful eyes were a mix of irrational emotions swirled together. It made the hairs on my arms stand on end.
"I shouldn't have to tell you. You should just admit to what you did wrong." Genkaku got right in my face as he spoke with a quiet vehemence. The look in his eyes was scaring the crap out of me. The fact that he was two inches from my face wasn't helping either. I felt my temper reach the surface at the way he was trying to persecute me. Like I just committed a murder or something. I pushed my hands out and shoved him back to get some much needed space between us.
"Get out of my face Genkaku! What the hell has gotten into you today? You're acting crazy." Genkaku stumbled back, shocked by my actions before steeling his eyes and baring his teeth at me.
"You have some nerve trying to turn this back on me when you're the one that's at fault here! You were the one trying to go behind my back to be with Aito!" The monk's voice started to crack as his eyes swam on the verge of tears. His expression seemed honestly hurt, almost heartbroken in a way. I felt my anger dissipate at seeing him look so distraught and wounded.
"What do you mean? I don't know where you're getting this from." I spoke quietly as Genkaku stared back with hurt and betrayal in his stormy gray eyes.
"I heard you talking with Aito. He asked if you would be his apprentice and you said yes. I heard you with my own ears." The words quivered in his mouth as he held back a choked sob. He looked like he was about to break down at any moment. I stood there shocked and I watched my friend have a near breakdown. My mind was still reeling from the accusations and sudden mood swing as I raced to find an answer.
What is he talking about? I never agreed to become Aito's new apprentice. I don't even remember Aito asking me something like that. Unless…that was when I was spacing out and not paying attention. I could have offhandedly said something like that when we last spoke. Shit…I'm such an idiot.
"Kaku…I wasn't paying attention to Aito when we last spoke. You know how much I hate talking to that guy so I was tuning him out the entire time. I wasn't aware of what I was saying back to him. You know I would never want to be someone else's apprentice. You're my only friend here after all." I spoke with the most honest sincerity. It never crossed my mind that someone would be listening to Aito and I when we last spoke. Genkaku's demeanor slowly dissolved into calm understanding as his body relaxed. His gaze still held a sliver of uncertainty though.
"You mean you…you never wanted to be his apprentice? When you were sneaking out these past few days, you weren't going out to see him?" He spoke like he was begging for me to agree. My friend wanted so desperately for this misunderstanding to be false. It tore me up inside to see such a pleading look in his eyes. I had no idea my place as his apprentice meant so much to him.
"No, of course not. I'm your apprentice Genkaku, nothings ever gonna change that." I turned on my best grin as the last traces of doubt fled his eyes at hearing that from me.
"Really?"
I smiled at his nervousness.
"Yes, really."
Just when we were finally resolving our little episode the sliding door abruptly opened, revealing two harsh looking monks. The two newcomers didn't say a word as they roughly grabbed me by the arms and dragged me out the door. Before Genkaku could even react another monk walked into the room and prevented him from intervening. I could hear the older monk speaking to Genkaku with heated intensity as I was being dragged away.
"Hey! Get the fuck off of me!" I struggled fruitlessly as the two monks tightened their hold on me.
"Stop fighting us."
"The elders have summoned you, so keep quiet."
I growled at the two as I was dragged up to the main temple where the elders were located. The two monks refused to answer my questions as I was greeted with continued silence. When we reached the main prayer room I was violently pushed inside and left with the grave looking elders. The four ancient monks were sitting cross-legged in a perfect vertical line as I took my seat in front of them. Their old eyes were grave with hints of vindictiveness in them. It left a cold pit in my stomach. I felt my lip sneer as I noticed that prick Jiro was seated at the far end and giving me a dirty look.
"Jason-san you have been summoned to answer our questions concerning Aito-san's death." Master spoke with attentive resignation.
My eyes widened at hearing this new information. Aito's dead? But I just spoke to him an hour ago…what happened?
"I was not aware he had passed Master." My voice was barely above a whisper.
Jiro snorted at my response before calling the attention to himself. "A typical answer to one who is guilty." My back stiffened at hearing that word.
Guilty? They don't think I'm responsible for his death...
...do they?
Master coughed into his hand to call our attention to the matter at hand. "Jason…Aito was found dead in one of the tea rooms today. From what the healers have told us, he died of tea poisoning and choked on his own vomit."
I could feel the goosebumps running up my arms as I listened with a sense of foreboding.
"We have also been told that you were the last person spotted with Aito before his untimely demise." Master spoke with a cold voice and unforgiving eyes.
I looked around at the other monks and found the verdict clear as day in their gazes. Panic rose in my chest at the thought of being blamed for murder. I was just a kid, I could never kill anybody. But here I was, being blamed for a death I had nothing to do with. Not only that, but my jury had already made their decision on my fate and were now only trying to humor me. Is this some kind of fucking joke?
I kept my voice calm and steady to hide my growing sense of panic. "Master I had nothing to do with…"
"We are wasting precious time with these meaningless charades. We already know that the boy is guilty, why are we shuttling around with these pointless questions?" The monk seated next to Master grumbled while Jiro nodded his head in unison. I narrowed my eyes at being interrupted and tried to re-gather my thoughts. Keep calm Jason; if you make a scene it will only make things worse.
Jiro scoffed at my narrowed eyes before speaking. "I agree with Renjirou, we are wasting precious time. Besides the boy's guilt is painted clearly on his panic ridden face." Jiro taunted my current situation while I resisted the urge to curse his name in my native tongue.
Let's see you keep a calm exterior when you're being accused for murder asshole!
"It is only fair that we give Jason a chance to explain himself." Master told the other two while the graying monk at the far right nodded at Master's words.
"Yes it would be very dishonorable to prosecute the boy without hearing his side of the story first." The monk whose name I couldn't remember spoke with a lethargic stillness.
So I have two monks that are willing to hear my side and two monks that want to send me straight to the gallows. Guess I got a 50/50 chance of talking my way out of this. Though I'm not sure I like those odds.
"Master I…" That was all I was able to get out before I was rudely interrupted once again.
"Why should we allow for him a fair trial when the boy has done nothing but disrespect our way of life? He is nothing but a crude-minded simpleton with no respect for authority. That is painfully clear by his unruly attitude and vulgar way of speaking." Jiro motioned to my stiff frame with disgust, like he was pointing out a bug that needed to be squashed.
I thought my teeth were going to snap from how hard was clenching them. "I meant no disrespect…"
"And don't think for a second that we haven't noticed the repeated absences from your duties boy!" Jiro exclaimed with that snarky attitude of his.
How the hell am I supposed to explain myself when this ass-hat keeps interrupting me!
I thought my head was going to explode from how pissed I was. These monks weren't letting me get a word in edge wise when they knew I would be given only so many chances to speak. If I wasn't able to properly explain myself, these four were going to pin Aito's murder on me. If that happened I wasn't sure what I was going to do. I was already an orphan; I don't think I could handle being sent to a correctional facility as well.
That would no doubt break me.
I jumped in my seat when I heard the sliding doors behind me abruptly open. I turned my head to find Daichi looking as stern and passive as usual. The monk made no indication towards me as he bowed to the elders and sat down beside me. Master appeared to be indifferent along with the tranquil monk while Jiro and asshole number 2 were completely livid from the unannounced interruption.
"What is the meaning of this Daichi! We have not summoned you!" Jiro scolded the passive monk.
Daichi remained stoic as he spoke in his booming voice. "I have summoned myself, Jiro-san."
My lip quirked up in a smirk. Smartass
Jiro's face was fuming with anger, the redness of his skin going all the way up to his ears. Master intervened before Jiro could go off on the impassive monk.
Master took a moment to contemplate his words before speaking. "What brings you here Daichi-san?"
I kept my gaze on the floor as Daichi stared ahead with a level gaze at the four elders.
"I have come to explain the whereabouts of Jason-san during Aito-san's murder."
Jiro sneered in distaste while the rest of the monks waited patiently for the older monk to continue. The feeling of relief nearly overwhelmed me at hearing Daichi's words. I was not expecting someone to actually have my back in this situation.
Daichi closed his eyes before speaking. "When Jason last departed from Aito I watched as he returned to his room and brought out his bedding to clean. Jason remained there for the rest of the day, tidying up his mattress and blankets. I did not see him return to the temple where Aito was poisoned."
The four elders looked skeptical of Daichi's words. My heart was still racing as I stared at the floor and waited for a response. Just because I had someone trying to give their word for me, didn't mean the elders were going to buy it. I could still sense the heavy feeling of suspicion lingering in the air. I had a sneaking suspicion they weren't gonna believe a word of what Daichi said.
"You think vouching for this boy is going to do him any good? How do we know you're not lying to cover up for his discrepancies? I know you too have gotten rather close in term of companionship lately." Jiro harshly replied.
I knew he was going to say something like that.
"If you do not believe my word than allow me to shed some light on the truth at hand." Daichi was unaffected by Jiro's snarky remarks or the elder's mistrustful gazes.
We all waited as Daichi took a moment to collect his words.
"From what I have heard from the healers; the poison that killed Aito was Japanese yew; a common plant that most Japanese people are familiar with. Only someone acquainted with the area would know what it was and that it was poisonous. Jason is not from this area and does not know of the dangerous plants that grow around us. Nor is he a knowledgeable herbal specialist. Jason would not have known what the yew was, let alone if it was poisonous. That being said it is fairly obvious that the culprit could not have been him."
My eyebrows shot up in surprise. Even I hadn't thought of that.
"This is absurd! That doesn't disprove anything Daichi-san. How can you know for sure that the boy wasn't already familiar with Japanese yew? Answer us that!" Jiro huffed in a fit as he glared at Daichi.
Man, this guy really wants my ass out of here. Guess I just have that old O'Reily charm.
Daichi nodded his head in understanding. "Very well, I will explain further to help you better understand Jiro-san." The elders casted their old eyes down at me when I had to bite my lip to stifle a juvenile giggle.
I thought Jiro was gonna have a stroke with how red his face had gotten.
"Aito also received a broken nose from various kicks to the head causing blood to smear on his face. Whoever kicked him would have gotten blood on themselves as well." Daichi turned to me as he spoke and motioned for me to get up.
"Again that doesn't prove anything. The boy could have merely washed the blood off as soon as he left the scene." Jiro leant forward while glaring at the two of us as I stood up.
"But he could not have washed it off his sandals. The blood would have seeped through the grainy material, causing a permanent stain." Daichi turned to look at me with a strong resolve in his eyes as I waited for his permission.
"Jason, if you could please show us."
I quickly took off my flimsy sandals and turned them over for everyone to see. While the elders inspected the bottoms of my footwear; Daichi continued.
"As you can see, they are spotless. There are no traces of blood found on either sandal; this further strengthens Jason's innocence." The four monks each looked at each other with various different expressions. I couldn't tell if the old monks believed Daichi's words or not. This left me standing rigidly, as if I were already waiting for my execution.
Master took some time to sit quietly and drive me insane before speaking. "We will take some time to reconsider Jason's fate based on your arguments Daichi-san." I held back a breath of relief as I closed my eyes had thanked whatever deity had sent Daichi to come and save my sorry ass.
Daichi sternly nodded his head in understanding as he stood up beside me.
I bowed my head in respect despite wanting nothing more than to get the hell out of there. "Thank you Master, I am most grateful."
Master remained stoic as he bowed his head as well. "You are both dismissed."
Daichi and I both bowed once more before taking our much needed leave. I practically ran out of the temple as Daichi walked stoically behind me. Outside I still held that sense of foreboding. The elders only said they would reconsider my fate; they didn't say I was off the hook. I wasn't out of the woods yet it seemed. The elders could very well decide to prosecute me anyway despite Daichi's valid arguments. I wouldn't put it past them, it's not like I'm an important part of this temple. Or extremely helpful to the rest of the monks. It really wouldn't make any difference to them if I were taken away. With my mind racing with horrible scenarios that involved me behind bars, Daichi sauntered up next to me.
"Whatever happens will determine the course of your life Jason-san." Daichi was looking over the temple grounds as he spoke. His face was unreadable while I stared back in mordant shock.
Seriously Daichi? Was that supposed to make me feel better?
I didn't utter a word as my gaze lingered on the open temple gates. I was a fast runner; I could probably make it out of here in less than a minute if no one caught me. After that I guess I would just keep running until…
"To flee would only verify their judgment of you Jason-san." Daichi's voice broke me out of my thoughts.
My shoulders sagged in defeat as I stared at the dirt in contempt.
"You know damn well they wanna send me away to a prison." I wasn't born yesterday; I knew that the elders have tolerated my existence up until now. Most of them saw me as nothing but a burden on the temple. They've probably been thinking of ways to get rid of me since I showed up. Aito's murder just gave them a good excuse to get rid of me. Well there was no way I was just gonna let them cart me away to some reformatory where I could become even more emotionally scarred. I'd rather take my chances on my own then head down that route.
Daichi gave a tired sigh before turning towards me. I looked up when I felt his large hand grasping my shoulder in a paternal-like way.
"I know you do not believe in our way of life…or any other way of life for that matter…
I smiled. Was it really that obvious?
…but please do not lose hope. It is a precious thing that you cannot afford to waste, especially on such trivial things as distrust and fear. You do not need to be a believer to have faith Jason-san. Remember that."
I was left dumbstruck as I stared up at Daichi's hard face. Daichi was in no way my father, nor would he ever be, but right now I could have hugged the son of a bitch. That was exactly something my dad would have told me to get me back on the right track. It was a nice feeling, knowing he was there for me.
"Thanks Daichi-sama." I bowed to the monk as he nodded his head in approval.
Daichi looked back at the temple grounds with his trademark poker face. "You should be heading back to your room. I'm sure Genkaku's worried sick about you."
That right! Sempai's probably flipping out by now.
I took off towards my room to find my red-haired roommate. The monk was pacing the tiny bedroom in a frantic manner when I opened the door and walked in. Genkaku's face was one of shock and worry as he hammered me with questions.
"Jason! What happened? Did they convict you? Are you alright? Are they going to send you away? Did you tell them you didn't do it? What did they say? Why aren't you answering my questions?" Genkaku was nearly out of breath as he stared at me with hysteria swimming in his eyes.
"Look just calm down and take a deep breath before you have an ulcer." I squeezed his tense shoulders to get him to relax and found that they were as rigid as steel.
Genkaku gawked at my offhand attitude and quickly scolded me for it. "Jason! This is no time for your monkey business!"
I had to stifle a giggle as my childish mind conjured up a silly image.
"What could be so funny at a time like this?" Genkaku's face was nearly red from how worked up he was getting.
I did my best to explain myself while trying hard not to laugh. "Sorry it's just when you said monkey business, I imagined a bunch of monkeys in business suits and…"
"Jason!" The boy seemed to be running low on patience as he gave me a warning look.
I immediately shut up at hearing his serious voice and wiped the playful smirk off my face.
"Ok sorry. The elder's haven't prosecuted me yet. They dismissed me for the time being and are now deliberating the situation. We might have to wait until tomorrow to hear their final decision."
Genkaku relaxed a bit at hearing that but his tension was still on high alert. I wasn't excited about the news either but I knew that getting my feathers ruffled wouldn't do anyone any good. I sat down on the mattress that Genkaku had laid out and sat back against the wall. The day had been so damn hectic and it wasn't even nightfall yet. Personally I thought there were too many hours during the day. Genkaku sighed before taking his place next to me and stretching out his legs. The boy looked over when I started to giggle again.
"What's so funny now?" Genkaku was clearly not up for any of my shenanigans but I couldn't help myself.
I snickered. "Monkey business…"
Genkaku covered his face with his palm. "You're impossible." He groaned into his hand.
"Come on! Can't you just picture a bunch of monkeys in a business meeting? What would they be talking about?" I couldn't contain myself as I let out a hoot of laughter. After a day like today I needed a good laugh.
"Seriously, a murder occurred today and you're only concern is thinking about what monkeys would be talking about during a business meeting?"
"P-pretty much." I clutched onto my sides as I continued to laugh. Genkaku looked like he was about to scold me once more before giving up with an aggravated sigh. I smiled when I saw the tiniest of smirks playing on his mouth. I knew he'd think that was funny.
Genkaku stood up to retrieve our blankets and set them onto the bedding. It was then that my good mood evaporated when I noticed something missing from Genkaku. I almost didn't want to ask and ruin my mood even further.
"Hey Kaku, what happened to your sandals?" The boy was barefoot as I watched him pull the blankets out of the closet. Genkaku never walked around without his sandals. He told me once that he had cut his foot as a child and had gotten a serious infection from it. The sore was so bad that the doctors considered amputating his foot at one point. After it miraculously healed, Genkaku made sure to wear his footwear at all times.
The older boy looked back and responded casually. "I'm not sure; I think I might have misplaced them when I spaced out earlier today." I nodded my head as I considered Daichi's words from earlier.
'Aito also received a broken nose from various kicks to the head, causing blood to smear on his face. Whoever kicked him would have gotten blood on themselves as well.'
Upon closer inspection I spotted a tiny dark smear on Genkaku's right leg. It was a dark reddish-brown color that seemed to have dried onto his skin. From far away it just looked like your average dirt smudge but up close…it looked like dried blood.
"Hey Kaku have you gone to the bath house today?"
"No, why?"
"Well I was gonna head down there myself and I was thinking you should join me. We've both had a long day and could use a good wash." I couldn't control the speediness of my words as I got up and motioned for Genkaku to follow me.
It's probably nothing. I'm sure he just lost his sandals and then maybe got a cut by accident. Genkaku wouldn't harm a fly so what am I getting worked up over? He's not the kind of person that would bring harm to anyone let alone another fellow monk. This is nothing to be anxious about.
I continued to say this to myself in reassurance as I quickly rushed Genkaku to the bathhouse.
Looks like Genkaku's starting on that slippery slope to madness. And in case anyone was confused, Genkaku has no memory of what transpired between him and Aito. For him it was basically like having a major blackout. But poor Aito, him and Jason were just at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Also the two songs used in this chapter were Goodbye Blue Sky and Brain Damage by Pink Floyd.
On a side note while I was writing this, I did think about what a monkey business meeting would look like. Of course my roommate had to walk in right at that moment and I had to explain why I was laughing so hard. Thankfully she gets my kind of humor ;D
Until next time my lovely readers
mcpidy