Romeo and Cinderella
Chapter 13: And a Happy New Year (I See Dead People)
"It's getting late. I should probably begin heading home." We had continued walking about the city for no particular reason until dark. Somehow or other we had wandered toward the general direction of Miku's manor, which must have reminded her that the sky did get dark after a while.
"Would you like us to walk you home, Miku?" Len offered. Over the course of the day, the two, Len and Miku, had really started warming up to each other. Though, Miku did have that effect on people, so it wasn't too surprising.
"Oh, you don't have to do that," Miku giggled bashfully.
"Of course we do. It's only the polite thing to do," Len insisted. I nodded with his words.
Miku smiled in return and started toward the way her house was. Len and I followed. We were safer in numbers at this time in the evening, especially with a man there. It's a scary thing to be a woman at night.
Images of a man that strongly resembled Len fluttered through my head. I thought I could even see his face in some of the shadows we passed by. I continued to tell myself, It's not real. It's not real. Don't even look at it. It's not real. Granted, it didn't work very well, but what else could I do? I wasn't going to let him walk over to me and pull me back into a hallucination.
"Rin, you're quiet. Is something wrong?" Miku asked me.
My head snapped back to the logical world. I felt a bit disoriented for a few moments, but after I let myself process reality, I answered Miku: "I'm sorry. I must have gotten lost in a thought." I wondered if I was really all that good at the whole faking thing or if Miku really just didn't want to believe there could be anything troubling a friend of hers. "Sorry."
"Oh, is that all? Okay. I was starting to get worried for a second there," Miku admitted with a weak beam. She looked back toward the road. "I think I can make it from here. My family's manor is just a few streets away. Thank you both for accompanying me this far."
With a bit of argument, we bade each other adieu and Len and I started back on our way. The clock chimed eight o'clock. It was at least a two hour walk back to my manor, maybe one and a half if we walked quickly, but with the air around us being this cold, the thought of moving at all was foreign.
"Let's go somewhere," Len stated out of the blue.
I looked at him for a few moments as we walked slowly on. "Like where?" I challenged.
"The towers—next to your manor. There's a rather tall one among them, is there not? Let's go there," Len said.
I pondered the suggestion for a few moments. "Okay. Let's."
The moon hung high in the sky. I knew it was there, though it could not be seen. Only a dark circle made its presence in the empty night. A new moon for a new year. The stars glowed like dancing fireflies around it. A pale ring of watery light ran along the middle of the space. There was nary a cloud in the sky; though earlier had looked like snow, it had long since cleared up throughout the day. It was like the dark was a beautiful, silent symphony. I felt like I was dreaming.
"It's so beautiful, isn't it?" Len remarked. I looked over at him. The stars reflected in his pupils.
I suppressed a shiver. Those were the words that Len—no, not him, just the man that looked like him—had used. The stars danced in his eyes just the same way. I reminded myself: They are not the same person. "Beautiful," I agreed. I just had to ask a question. I had to confirm my beliefs. "When was your mother, um, attacked?" It was rude and uncalled for. I know.
He didn't flinch at the question. How could he be so relaxed about such a topic? "It was before I was born," Len answered.
The other man had said something different on the matter of his own mother. A part of me sighed, feeling a weight being lifted. "That's such a terrible thing," I remarked.
"It's just a part of who she is," Len said, looking over at me. His eyes locked on mine. "That's all it is, really. Tabula Rasa—her blank slate. Even a thing as ugly and treacherous as that made her into a beautiful and gentle woman." Did he really mean the words that he said? He held my gaze for a few seconds longer, then looked forward again. "We're here."
The Marketplace was only ever empty at night. As soon as the sun rose above the horizon business was booming and as soon as the sun set it was deserted. And beyond the dead, empty space was my manor. Just a ways away from my room was an abandoned tower. While there was a window facing my manor, it continued roaming upward to the place where a bell was once hung. Len took my hand and started for the entrance of the old stone construction.
By now my feet had started becoming acclimated to walking, which was a rather good thing. Walking was healthy. Of course, after walking all day and walking some more then doing more walking and climbing some stairs, I was a tiny bit exhausted. I tried not to let any fatigue show on my face. For the most part I failed miserably, but Len was behind me and couldn't see me anyway as we climbed higher and higher. Nonetheless, the moment my pace started to slow Len offered to carry me.
"You look tired. Would you like me to take you the rest of the way?" Len offered.
I nearly melted with gratitude. Rather than trying to accept his offer through my tired lips, I turned around and held onto his neck. He, in turn, picked me up and paced up the stairs as if nothing had changed. Len's endurance always baffled me. Where did he keep all of that strength?
We made it to the top of the tower. There were four wide, open windows in the stone chamber overlooking the city. The flickering of streetlights dotted the cityscape here and there. Most of it remained unseen under the still life of darkness that was the night, but that was most of the beauty. I felt like I was floating. It was just Len and me in this cold, empty space, and I had never felt less alone.
I eyed the low rim of a glassless window. "If I stand here," I started, stationing myself on the edge and turning to face Len, "will you make sure I don't fall?"
Len crossed to me and hung his arms around my waist. He put his head to my stomach. "I will make sure you never fall," he promised.
I let myself lean over the frozen city. I felt dots of cold tickle my skin. I opened my closed eyes. All around me were flakes of snow appearing from nowhere out of a cloudless sky. Maybe I was dreaming now. Maybe I was asleep. Maybe I was dead. That didn't matter to me. All that mattered was that I was right here, right now.
"In the short time we have to play out our lives we get swept off our feet by the calm," I sung.
"Remaining with the memories we'll always have, spinning them into two spirals then they fade away," Len returned.
"As for me, I will sing the song of the present. That's all I can do. I'll be singing and talking."
"I won't remember what happened at that time, but it's been engraved in my heart, so let me go..."
.
I felt myself falling. It was no peaceful fall that led to eternal bliss. No. Someone had pushed me.
I only was able to think for those few milliseconds. The next thing I knew, I was in the water. I had to move. I had to get out of there, or else I would drown. I told myself this, but I didn't move. This was it. I would die here. I had met my end.
Someone pulled me out of the water. I opened my bleary eyes. The man had me by my neck. When was the last time I had breathed? Oh, how I longed for air now. I blinked out the water from my vision and saw the face I feared. I was panic stricken, immobile. The man squeezed my neck. If I had the ability to speak, I would have screamed. He threw me on the ground and stepped on my aching torso.
"I can't believe your mother even kept you, bastard child!" He spat at me. "I could kill you right now, Len." He said the name like a disgusting piece of rubbish. It didn't even occur to me that the name was not mine.
"Father, please stop," I whimpered.
"Not until you're dead," Father rasped. And I wished I was. I wished so badly to have drowned in the lake. A spring day like this was no day to be murdered by the hands of your father. "How could a bitch like your mother even love you, bastard child?"
I didn't know what it was at the time, but something set me off. I felt a new strength— violent rage—pumping through me. I knocked my father away from me and stood up in one swift movement. I could see through a new set of eyes. My father stood smirking at me and cracked his knuckles. I didn't want to fight, I had to.
He came at me with a fist out, trying to land a blow in my face. I dodged easily and threw my leg under his careless footsteps. Of course, he dragged me down with him and took me into a headlock. I tried to struggle out, but my father's arms were strong and held me with ease. I pounded my elbow into his gut. He slacked just enough so that I could wriggle away from his deathtrap. Sending a prayer of thanks for my sharp elbows, I mustered all of my strength and shoved my father into the lake. Without hesitation, I held his head under the water, making my place on top of him and digging my knees into his back. My eyes started to clear. My adrenaline stopped pumping. I stood up over the limp figure. He was dead.
.
My eyes opened wide and I let in a huge gasp. I was on the floor. Where was I? I was on the floor. Where was the floor? Was this the floor? I was on a wall. No, it was the floor. I was on the floor.
Len's eyes took me out of my jumble.
"Len?" I asked, mind whirling. "What happened?"
"You fainted," Len told me. "I put you on the floor, so you wouldn't fall," he further explained.
"How long was I out?" This vision had been a bit different from others I had had. The others never made me faint. I was usually awake and moving with them.
"Only a few minutes," Len told me.
"Only…" I remarked sarcastically. I paused for a moment then let the first thing that came to mind escape my mouth. "Len? Where is your father?"
"Well, I'd assume he's working at home right now." He looked at me somewhat strangely. "Why do you ask?"
"That's a lie," I told him.
"What? No it's not. Why would I lie about something like that?" Len sat up a bit.
I followed his lead. "You're lying!"
"Rin, what are you talking about? I'm not lying."
"Yes you are! I saw you kill him!"
Len stopped. His eyes looked at mine without seeing anything. Time stood still for a moment. "Where did you hear that…?"
"I… I…" I looked away from Len for a moment then gazed up again and searched his eyes. "Len, I think we've been keeping some things from each other."
Len didn't answer. He continued to stare into my direction, his face blank.
"I think there's something wrong with me." I felt a tremor making itself known in my voice. "Sometimes I… I see things. I see memories that…" I shook my head. "They're not mine. And I see dead people. I see your father."
"My… father?" Len mumbled. There was a hint of guilt in his eyes and in his voice. "So… you saw me? You saw me kill him?"
"Through your eyes," I answered with a nod.
Len took a second to compose himself. Almost changing the subject, he said, "That certainly is an interesting talent you have."
"You could say that, but I don't think so…" I found myself staring off into a corner. There was a woman there. She was looking very sadly toward Len. "I see someone."
"Who is it? Who do you see?"
"She seems very sad," I rambled, "and familiar. Oh my gosh I think I see…it's your mother."
.
We ran as hard and as fast down the tower as we could, heading for the barns. My aching feet were no longer one of my concerns. I ran straight into Joseph's stall, spooking him and nearly getting myself trampled. The nice thing about a horse close to you was how they could read your eyes and know exactly what to do. Without bothering to saddle up Len and I jumped onto Joseph's back and I sent him forward, using his mane as reigns.
The ride was long and exhausting. It wasn't easy to get to the East City without being noticed. We ended up cutting through the field to the south of the cities and navigating recklessly through a dead forest.
We made it to Len's manor in about half an hour, I assumed. Though how long it really took was immeasurable. I parked my horse and followed Len, already halfway to the door, inside.
The halls were empty, almost haunting. Everyone had gone and crowded into Len's mother's room. The mainly female staff sat and stood motionless around a bed, only a few candles lighting the corners of the room. Nobody spoke, though I saw everyone stare at Len with compassionate eyes. Len crossed to the side of the bed and stared motionless at the cold corpse that lay there. He held up a timid hand and stroked her dull hair.
I heard Len laugh. "It was only a matter of time," he said. "Every day she got weaker and weaker, missing her God forsaken lover. And now they can be together forever, taking each other as they burn in Hell." I heard small gasps coming from around me. I stayed silent. "They deserve each other," he finished, sounding deranged.
With that statement, Len turned around and made his way out of the room. I was quick to follow. He headed for the front of the manor. Where was he going?
"Len!" I yelled, moving a little faster to catch up to his fast pace.
He paused for a moment and I ran to his side. "Rin…" Len trailed off without finishing his thought.
"Len I'm… I'm sorry," I apologized. What did I have to apologize for? "I… I wish I could sympathize with you."
"You share my thoughts and my memories. How could you not sympathize?" he muttered facetiously.
I leaned on his shoulder, grabbing his arm. It was a comfort thing—for me, not for him. "I'm not so good at understanding people," I admitted, "if you haven't noticed."
He rested his head on mine. "Yeah. I should really teach you some more people skills."
Great. More tutoring. As if I didn't get enough of that already." I saw what he was doing. I wouldn't want to think about such a tragic event either.
We exchanged a long glance. I felt myself lean in, my face mere centimeters from his, feeling his warm breath on my face. But before I could get closer, Len stopped me: "Ah, ah, ah." He leaned away with a smirk. "That's not what brothers and sisters do."
I felt my cheeks light up with blush. "Right."
Len pulled me to his doorstep and took a seat on the stairs. I fell into place beside him.
I don't know how long we just sat there. It must have been a long time. I heard the bell chime in the distance, a long, single-toned resonance. Twelve o'clock.
"Happy New Year," I said to Len.
"Happy New Year."
.
Author's Note: I'm on a roll, guys! Now, I wouldn't get your hopes up. Considering I'm not one to keep a speed streak up for long. Maybe the next chapter will come to me easy.
More explaining and secret unveiling in this chapter! I love the paragraph about the sky symphony. It's my favorite paragraph that I've ever written. Teehee~
So again I have no preview for next chapter but I can say one thing. TWINCEST. Don't like it? Too bad. You'll have to suffer through it. I haven't written a real romance-y chapter on FOREVER. Time to brainstorm what happens and how to write it without crossing over to the RATED M FOR MATURE stack. I'll warn ya if things get messy. ; )
Any suggestions for anything? I don't have too many plans. In fact I think Ima end this thing in… 4 to 6 chapters. Maybe more. Depending on what I feel like writing and adding and stretching from my outline.
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