Longest chapter I have EVER WRITTEN! God, I'm hungry. Anywaaayyy, read, review, and enjoy!
Tama's body shuddered as he watched his father lean in and whisper in Kaoru's ear.
At least I'm doing something about it this time.
Yeah. I'm doing something. I'm helping them. But still, it feels like I'm useless…I'm just sitting here. Am I really helping?
His father was walking slowly and cautiously into the living room, his eyes flickering to Kaoru every few seconds to make sure he wasn't making a move.
Kaoru followed him passively, knowing full well the man in front of him would keep his promise of killing Tama.
Tama watched the two figures as they shuffled toward the bathroom. Tama clenched his fists. He was going to torture him again.
I don't know if his body will take the electrocution for a second time very well. Though none of the boys have ever died from that, so I'm sure Kaoru will make it through.
However, Tama's eyes widened in surprise when his father veered toward the front door of the cabin.
Tama's mouth opened silently, voicing a silent scream or perhaps a warning for Kaoru.
He knew what his father's change in direction meant.
No, it's too soon! He wouldn't…
Tama narrowed his eyes, thinking.
Although, these are different circumstances. If Hikaru gets help, the police will come for father. He has to end this quicker than he usually would.
His father was going to kill his prize.
I'm sure it'll be much worse than usual. The more anger he has contained, the more brutal he becomes, and I'm sure he isn't happy about Hikaru getting away.
"I have to do something. I can't just sit here in the closet." Tama whispered to his knees.
With sudden realization Tama stood up.
Father's getting sloppy. Or he thinks I won't get in his way…
"My chance has arrived." Tama said, a half smile flickering across his face.
His father had forgotten to close and secure the closet door.
"Yes sir, we've searched from the air and the roads. We haven't spotted the van trying to leave the county. I believe the perpetrator may have a secure location close by."
"Our suspect doesn't have any residence in the area." Kyoya said smoothly, flipping through papers as he spoke to the police force captain. They were standing in a small conference room, the only one they could find that wasn't filled with busy people.
"I understand that sir. But what about his wife?" the captain asked, his eyebrows pushed together. His face was serious and roughly built. His expression seemed to hold a permanent frown.
Kyoya looked up, interested.
"I thought he was a widower." Kyoya said, his grey eyes narrowing. The captain nodded.
"He is. His wife was killed, by him it seems. She was run through with a pair of scissors." The captain said emotionlessly. Kyoya winced internally.
"Where are you going with this?" the teenager asked, smoothing his hair back.
"I decided to research the wife a bit further. Her name was Yui Kobayashi, and it seems she didn't own anything in the area either. But then I looked under her maiden name. Yui Matsuo at one time owned a small cabin in the birch forest not too far from here." the captain said, exited to share his new information.
Kyoya's face lit up, realizing they had a very good lead.
I'd bet anything that's where they are. But-
"Wouldn't the cabin have been repossessed when she died?" Kyoya asked, his spirits falling slightly. The captain smiled, which clashed oddly with his permanently downturned mouth.
"Usually, yes, but the land the cabin was residing on and the acres around it were bought by a man you may know, Oji Tanaka."
"Tanaka? Wildlife protector Tanaka?" Kyoya asked. The captain nodded.
"Apparently, the cabin was spared because a grieving husband pleaded with Tanaka to keep the cabin standing, crying about his dead wife and how she adored the cabin. Tanaka, being the pushover he is, was so moved he not only allowed the man to save the cabin, but use it as he saw fit." the captain said, coming to a close.
"That man was Takeo?" Kyoya asked with a grimace, the name leaving a sour taste in his mouth.
"The one and only." The captain said, his expression matching Kyoya's.
This is good.
Let's hope we get there in time.
"Okay. Do it…now!"
Hikaru froze in mid dive, apprehension clear on his face.
He sighed miserably, pulling back away from the water filled tunnel.
He knew what he had to do. He was just having trouble building up the guts to do it.
"Okay, okay." Hikaru said, closing his eyes and rubbing his head.
It's for Kaoru. It's for Kaoru and for Tama too.
He took a very deep breath, readying himself yet again for an attempted die into the tunnel, but a violent coughing fit stopped him dead in his tracks.
My chances are growing ever slimmer. I doubt I can hold these fumes in my lungs for long. This air won't get me as far.
"Hm. Idea." Hikaru said, pulling himself from the hot water and crawling slowly into the darkness. He stopped when he felt ice cold water lap at his hands.
The heat in the hot spring was coming from the same place as the fumes, or at least that's what he was guessing.
So maybe, just maybe, the air over here is cleaner.
Hikaru took a few deep breaths, and then filled his lungs to absolute capacity. He turned quickly and ran to the spring, diving in and immediately heading through the hole.
The circumference of the tunnel was smaller than he had thought, so he couldn't swim with his arms. Instead he pushed himself forward with the walls, propelling himself as fast as possible.
As Hikaru ventured closer to the surface, he could see much clearer.
The tunnel was much shorter than he had though, and he was thankful.
His lungs were only just beginning to ache for air as he reached the end.
Hikaru began to panic, however, when he realized there was a tough metal mesh blocking the exit.
The mesh was filled with large holes, but it was tough, strong, and seemed to be bolted into the rocks surrounding the spring.
To keep anyone from getting stuck in the hole I imagine.
Hikaru began to panic, letting lose some of his air. He clamped his hands over his mouth as his mind grew foggy.
So close.
He grabbed the tough metal netting, trying to push it out. It caved outward slightly, its texture very rough. It scratched Hikaru's fingers.
Hikaru slammed his fists into the mesh, air escaping his lungs rapidly.
There is no way I'm dying here.
Hikaru scrunched his body into a ball, trying to move in the small space, and turned so his feet were facing the exit.
He began to slam his feet into the mesh.
He could feel it coming loose.
Please, please.
His vision was fading, darkness creeping inward.
Please.
The mesh broke free from the rocks, pushed out by Hikaru's final blow.
Hikaru lost all of his air as he clumsily pushed his feet out of the hole, the remainder of his body close behind.
He floated into clear water, rocks surrounding him. It was still warm, but less intense than the underwater spring.
He jumped upwards, his feet pushing against stone.
His head broke the surface of the water, and he spent what seemed like hours just breathing.
He had never loved the feeling of air in his lungs so much.
But he had more pressing problems. He needed to get help.
Hikaru looked around and realized he was in a natural hot spring. Nobody was around, but people obviously used it if they worried about the hole to the tunnel being closed off.
Hikaru pulled himself onto a rock and got a better look at where he was.
He saw the highway.
It was far, but he could see it, maybe two miles away at the other end of a snow covered field.
Hikaru jumped off the rock and stumbled into the snow, not caring that it was freezing cold.
He started running, running toward the speeding cars, waving his arms and yelling.
He was running as quickly as he could.
His lungs were burning, aching in protest, but he didn't stop.
Tears were rolling down his cheeks, mixing with the water from his dripping hair.
For the first time in his life, he was crying of happiness.
Just accept it, there's nothing you can do.
Kaoru sighed internally, trying to let himself go numb.
He wanted to be brave, to be honorable, but he just couldn't get his hands to stop shaking.
He was afraid, afraid of death.
He had thought about death before, but the thought always made him nervous.
He had so many questions.
Was there an afterlife? Was there purgatory? Would death hurt? Could he become a ghost?
Really, the unknown was what frightened him, not death itself; just the questions that went along with it.
He had never thought that he would die so young, or at the hands of a serial killer.
He felt badly that he would leave Hikaru alone, Tama too.
And mom, and dad.
Koru blinked back tears as he thought of his parents, who he had never really been very close to. He was sad he would never get the chance.
Kaoru stared at the snow covered ground.
He would miss the snow.
The sound of feet coming toward him snapped him from his daze.
Dr. Hirato was shuffling forward ever so slowly, his face void of all emotion.
Kaoru slowly inched backwards, his back hitting the outer wall of the cabin.
How is he going to do it?
Kaoru tried to hide his fear.
He doubted he was doing a very good job.
The doctor walked until he was almost chest to chest with Kaoru, trapping him against the cabin.
Kaoru's shaky breathing was audible, and Kaoru was sure the doctor could hear it.
Dr. Hirato's expression remained solid, blank, never changing. His eyes were fixed on Kaoru's.
They stayed like that for minutes, neither looking away from each other.
Dr. Hirato's gaze suddenly flickered to Kaoru's throat, and Kaoru knew.
So that's how he's going do it.
The doctor's hands were on him in a flash, clenched hard around his neck, cutting off his circulation.
He couldn't breathe and he couldn't think.
His hands automatically grabbed Dr. Hirato's, but they were nothing to the doctor's steely grip.
Kaoru opened his mouth as he slid sideways, trying to gasp for air.
His eyes were wide and beginning to blur.
Kaoru was slowly growing more feeble.
He slid silently down the cabin wall, his legs unable to hold him up as his mind began to fail from lack of blood.
He was dying.
Suddenly, Kaoru was in the snow, the crushing pressure on his throat gone.
As his brain received oxygen, he began to think again.
He heard a scream.
It was Dr. Hirato.
Kaoru sat up and was shocked to see Tama behind the doctor.
Dr. Hirato's face was scrunched up in pain, and until he stumbled sideways, Kaoru didn't know why.
Tama pulled his hand from Dr. Hirato's back, a long steak knife clenched tightly in his fist.
Tama was breathing hard and looked extremely terrified.
The knife was dripping with blood, the doctor's blood.
"Tama?" Kaoru asked weakly, pushing himself into a standing position.
"Pretty badass, right?" Tama said with a small smile, his voice shaky. His entire body was trembling.
Kaoru could tell the kid was terrified.
They both turned their attention to Dr. Hirato, who's shirt was bloody at the back. It didn't look like a terrible wound, but it didn't look pretty either.
The doctor turned and Kaoru almost screamed. His eyes were ablaze with…Kaoru could only call it evil. That's what it was. Like a demon.
Tama screeched when he saw his fathers gaze, which put the wrong kind of attention on the kid.
Dr. Hirato turned his eyes to Tama, who held up the knife in front of himself, slowly backing up.
The doctor started toward him.
"S..stop." Tama squealed, waving the knife around.
He didn't look very intimidating. He was trembling openly.
His father wasn't fooled. He winced slightly as he moved closer to Tama, shuffling through the snow. Red droplets of blood were leaking from his shirt, leaving a trail in the white snow.
I have to help Tama.
Kaoru's eyes searched for a weapon.
There!
A large rock was lying in the snow just behind the doctor.
If I just sneak…
Kaoru got on his hands and knees and crawled slowly through the snow, trying to avoid the doctor's gaze.
Kaoru heard the doctor grunting and hissing.
The doctor was struggling with Tama then, trying to pull the knife away.
Kaoru abandoned watching the fight and dove for the rock. He picked it up with both hands and lugged it forward, running at the doctor.
One, two-
"Three!" Kaoru screamed, slamming the rock into the base of Dr. Hirato's skull.
The doctor crippled to the ground in a heap, completely unconscious.
Kaoru smiled at his handiwork.
"No sweat, right Tama?"
Kaoru's smile faded as he looked at Tama's face. Tama was staring at Kaoru, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly open.
"Tama?" Kaoru asked nervously. Did hitting his father make him scared of him?
"I really hate blood." Tama said, his voice trembling.
Kaoru thought Tama was talking about the doctor until he realized Tama was holding his stomach. Kaoru looked closer and his eyes widened as he spotted the hilt of the knife lodged in Tama's abdomen.
Tama closed his eyes and swayed, then pulled the knife out in one swift motion.
He gasped and fluttered his eyes open.
He was breathing in short bursts. He dropped the knife and swallowed.
The color was draining from his face.
Tama looked at his hands, realizing they were covered in his own blood, and swayed again.
"I really, really, hate blood." Tama whispered, stumbling forward.
Kaoru jumped forward and caught him.
"Me too." Kaoru choked, salty tears rolling down his face.
I almost threw up when writing about Tama getting stabbed. I was trying to feel how he was feeling, and it sucked -_-