A/N: Hello! Welcome to Chapter 12 of One Becomes Two! This chapter was a slog to get through because of the new direction the story is going and some old ideas that I had to sift through for this one. Not to mention all of the edits my friend had to make, thank you so much for that by the way! So without further ado enjoy the chapter!
Yuki held the door open for me to pass through first. I thanked him while I passed, then paused at the doorway to remove my shoes. I could hear the murmurs of voices coming from the living room - I recognized Shigure's and Hatori's but not the two others.
I heard Yuki shut the door before he removed his own shoes; he heaved a sigh, "Let's get this over with."
"Come on, it won't be as bad as you think." I chided him as we walked down the hall; the voices went quiet as we got closer to the door.
"We're back." I announced a second before I opened the door.
"Ah, good! We have some guests over who'd like to meet you." Shigure informed us from the coffee table where he and Hatori were seated. Kyo sat apart from another boy who seemed to be our age with white and black hair with brown eyes; there was also a younger boy with blonde hair and brown eyes standing next to him.
"Hello, I'm Liisa. Nice to meet you." I introduced myself as I moved further into the room while Yuki remained by the door. The blonde boy bounced to my side with a big smile on his face.
"Hello Liisa-Chan! I'm Momiji Sohma!" He grasped my hand with both of his and gave a vigorous handshake. After a second, he gestured with a head tilt to the boy with two-toned hair. "And this iiisss…."
"Hatsuharu Sohma." He flatly stated with a bored expression.
"Hello, it's nice to meet you." I responded as Momiji released my hands and went back over to Hatsuharu.
"Hatsuuu, don't be so bland on the introduction!" Momiji complained.
"What would be the point? They should know how I am at the first meeting." Hatsuharu shrugged one shoulder.
"He's got a point there, Momiji." Hatori pointed out before addressing to the room, "Anyway, I came here to check on Yuki and Liisa-san. These two just decided to tag along."
"Why do you need to check-up on Yuki-san?" I asked with a tilt of my head.
"He used to get sick frequently as a child because his body is weak" the Doctor explained as he opened his case. I faced Yuki when I heard him click his tongue; he crossed his arms and glared at him.
I would have never guessed Yuki had poor health, I wonder if it's due to the curse?
"I feel fine so why are you really here?" He asked pointedly.
"I'm here because you broke your promise to have a check-up once a month. I'm also here to check on Liisa-san after her incident. We can start with you to get it over with." He pulled out a stethoscope and placed it in his ears. "Come now, Yuki, don't make this difficult." I moved to stand by where Momiji, Hatsuharu, and Kyo were but Yuki remained by the door.
"I already told you I'm fine." He restated, not moving from his position.
"Yuki-san, it's important to take care of your health. It doesn't hurt to have a check-up even if you feel fine right now." I encouraged gently while he turned his light grey eyes to me. He stared at me for a heartbeat then closed the door and sighed.
"Fine." He turned then walked to the table and took his place next to Hatori.
"Good, let's get started." As Hatori started his check-up on Yuki, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I looked over and saw that Momiji was the one who had gotten my attention.
"Hey, Liisa-Chan, where's Tohru-Chan? Isn't she living here too?" He looked up at me with big brown eyes and a smile. I smiled back at him.
I have to admit this kid's a little cute, but how old is he? He looks like an elementary or middle schooler.
"She moved back to her grandfather's house yesterday after the renovations finished there."
"Aw~, I was hoping to meet her too." he sounded disappointed.
"There's always next time." I pointed out and he brightened up again.
"That's true! And I still got to meet you!" he bounced on his toes a bit.
"I'm glad I got to meet you too. I'm curious as to what animal the both of you are." I sat down next to Kyo and looked between the smiling Momiji and the indifferent Hatsuharu.
"Really? You don't know what animal I am?" Momiji gave a small laugh, grinning wide. "Then it'd be easier to show you!" Before I could react, he launched himself at me and two puffs of smoke surrounded us. When it cleared up, I found myself transformed into a white rabbit with red eyes; across from me was Momiji but as a yellow rabbit with brown eyes and black tipped ears.
Scratch that - this little rabbit is a mischievous one!
"You did that on purpose!" I hissed indignantly while I balanced on my hind legs and pointed a paw at him. He had the audacity to giggle.
"I did warn you first! Besides, I wanted to see what your rabbit form looked like!" He shrieked and scampered away when I hopped towards him with my ears twitching.
"Haru~ I made her angry at me! Help me~!" He jumped into Hatsuharu's lap with his front paws resting on his chest. He picked up the rabbit by the scruff of his neck and gently plopped him on the floor.
"You reap what you sow, Momiji. You need to learn how to deal with the consequences of your actions without help." The second after he said that, I leaped towards the yellow furball but he darted behind Hatsuharu.
"Come on, help me out! You act all mature and wise but we're the same age! You make mistakes too." the rabbit whined.
Wait, these two are the same age? They couldn't look and act any more different.
"Fine." Hatsuharu got to his feet and opened the side door. "Go and be a free rabbit, Momiji, I'm sure you'll be alright." The said rabbit got tearful and started to pummel his leg.
"Don't tease me! I wouldn't last long out there!" As I watched the scene in front of me, Hatori spoke up from behind us.
"Could you guys keep it down over there? It's hard to concentrate with all that noise." I glanced at the table to see an amused dog and an uncomfortable rat. Hatori gazed in our direction with a disapproving look. "Liisa-san, you should leave before you change back." He turned back to Yuki and placed his stethoscope on his back.
"Right." I hopped over to the door and tried opening it, but being the size of a rabbit and not having any thumbs it didn't move. I struggled to open the door pulling with all my might.
"This is too painful to watch" Kyo complained from behind me. I turned to make a smart remark back at him to find he was standing over me. He flung the door open and I dashed through making a beeline for the bathroom.
"Thanks!" I called over my shoulder. I barely made it 2 hops before changing back into my human form in a puff of smoke. The door slammed shut behind me.
"Here put your clothes on." Hatori's voice said as he opened the door enough for his arm to fit and pushed my clothes through the doorway then shut it again.
"Thank you!" I called back grabbing my clothes and scurrying to the bathroom for some privacy.
As I came into the living room, Hatori seemed to be finishing Yuki's check-up. I glanced at Momiji, now a human and clothed again, brooding beside Hatsuharu, who seemed to be watching the process with great interest.
"Ah good you're back, let me check you out next." He turned his head to address the rat. "Alright, everything is fine. You can go, Yuki." Hatori's voice got my attention and I saw the rat glare at the doctor before getting up to stand by the door. "Now then, Liisa-san, it's your turn." I took Yuki's place facing Hatori the strong smell of antiseptic bringing that hazy memory of the dimly lit room with Hatori's voice murmuring in the background to mind again.
I must ask him about this before he leaves. He couldn't possibly be able to wiggle out of this one.
"Have you been having frequent headaches or dizzy spells?" He asked to begin the checkup, as he shined a light in both of my eyes. I studied his face while I strained my mind to remember more details as he moved on with his questions.
"No, I've felt just fine after that day of rest." As he continued the checkup, I tried hard to recollect more about the memory by letting it play in my mind. If he was talking, he must've been talking to someone else in the room. I tried to remember if I heard their voice but I was certain that he was talking to my mother.
"Is there something on my face?" His uncovered purple eye was looking in my own blue one. I decided to come out and ask him directly about that memory.
"No, no, it's just that after you left last time, I remembered where I'd met you before." I saw his one visible eye widen slightly at my words but otherwise his face remained neutral. At this point I wasn't paying any attention to the others in the room all of my attention was on Hatori. He slowly put his light back into his bag and zipped it shut.
"Really, and what did you remember?"
"I remember being in a dimly lit room, lying in a bed I think, and I could hear your voice and feel your presence nearby." I explained and swore I could saw recognition dart across face momentarily.
"No, you must be mistaken. Perhaps it was a slip of memory that makes you think we've met before; concussions may cause that sometimes. Regardless, I assure you we've never met until the day of your incident." he waved away my memory with something that I thought had to be made up otherwise he would have said something when I first brought it up. He continued talking before I could challenge him on this.
"Anyways, it seems you've recovered from your concussion fairly well and are back to full health. If there's nothing else I need to do here, we should really be getting back to the main house."
"It's getting late and it's a long way back, why don't you guys stay for dinner?" Shigure suggested from across the table. Hatori got to his feet and picked up his doctors bag.
"No, thank you but I need to get back to Akito at the Main House and these two need to get to bed soon since they have school in the morning." Hatori looked at the two in question. "C'mon, you two." The rabbit pouted.
"Can't we stay just a little bit longer?" He whined.
"No, we need to get going."
"Ah, c'mon, don't be a party pooper! We barely talked today so why not stay for another hour?" the dog chimed in and the doctor sighed.
"Fine but we're leaving afterwards - no arguments." He set his bag down again, which was my cue to get up from my seat.
"Alright then, I'm going to start making dinner!" I bounced out of the room before anyone could say anything to me. However, I felt three presences behind me just as I reached the kitchen door; It was Yuki followed by Momiji and Hatsuharu. I felt Kyo's presence disappear into the woods outside.
"Ah, Lisa-Chan! Can we help you in the kitchen?" The rabbit asked while he scampered to my side. Yuki and Hatsuharu trailing him.
"Uh, sure. So are you three staying for dinner after all?" I asked.
"No, but I wanted to get to know you more before we leave!"
"I see. Well, come on in then." I opened the door and lead the way into the kitchen. I went to the refrigerator and pulled out the needed ingredients. Next I pulled out some bowls and utensils from their original places. Once I set everything out on the counter, I saw in my peripheral vision that the rabbit had come to my side again.
"So, where should we start?" He asked as he picked up a cucumber.
"Firstly, how much experience do you have in the kitchen?" I took out a knife and a cutting board.
"Not much," He admitted while reaching for the knife. I pulled it out of his range.
"Then how about you wash the vegetables and I'll cut them up?" I suggested then placed some lettuce into a colander and gave it to the him.
"Fine, these'll be the cleanest vegetables you've even seen." He pouted. I laughed a little then turned to the other 2 boys.
"Do you guys what to help too?" I asked them with a grin. They looked at each other than shrugged.
"I guess," said Hatsuharu.
"I don't mind," Yuki said.
"Alright, how about Yuki-san boils some water while…Do you know how to use the stove, Hatsuharu?" I asked the bi-colored teen while the rat grabbed a pot I had pulled out. The teen nodded his head.
"Could you start heating some oil so I could cook some meat?" I asked.
"Sure, it's easy enough," I saw Yuki grab the skillet off the counter and gave it to him. I grabbed the cooking oil from the counter behind me and handed it to him before he went to the stovetop.
"How much oil do you need?" He asked.
"A couple tablespoons is good enough. Be sure to move the skillet so that the oil coats the entire surface." I thanked him before I returned to Momiji.
"Here you are," he presented me with the colander.
"Thanks," I took a couple of the cucumbers from the top and began to slice them. "Could you grab the big bowl over there and bring it closer?" I nodded my chin at the large metal bowl at the other end of the counter.
"Sure," He reached over and brought the bowl closer, after he watched me chop the other vegetables. "You're really good at this."
"Thanks! My job consists of me working in the kitchen, usually preparing the vegetables so I've had a lot of practice."
I heard him hum for a heartbeat before he asked, By the way, where'd you get the bracelet? It looks really cool." My body froze for a second; my knife hovering above the vegetable. My eyes drifted from the task to the bracelet.
"My mother gave it to me when I was a kid." I finally said and resumed cutting.
"Heh~ I really like the yellow bead! It's such a bright and happy color!" I directed my gaze to the bead that's in between the white and green beads.
"It is a bright one, isn't it."
"Yeah, it reminds me of the sun!" he bounced a bit at my side.
"I guess it does with how bright and shiny it is." I remarked as I finished up the rest of the vegetables. I took them over to the stove to be cooked and to check on how the other two were doing. By now, Hatsuharu had the pan ready and had added the meat while the water was just coming to a boil in a pot next to it.
"Thanks guys! You saved me some time!" I added some of the vegetables into the pot of boiling water. I gave it a stir then put a lid on it.
"The meat is almost done so we just have to wait for the vegetables and then we can eat!" I happily exclaimed while I turned to face them.
"Awe! I wanted to try some of Liisa-chan's homecooked meal!" Momiji pouted. I sort of felt bad for him so I offered to cook them a meal next time. That seemed to brighten the rabbit again.
"Oh! Look, Haru! Liisa-chan has a really colorful bracelet!" Momiji brought attention to my bracelet again, causing my body to freeze in place for a moment. When I saw Hatsuharu look at it with interest, I held out my wrist for him to get a better look. It's not that I don't like people looking at it but…
"The colors are cool. Very bright." The teen commented. He looked back at the skillet and announced that the meat was done. He turned off the stove at the same time the kitchen door opened - Shigure and Hatori stood there.
"It's time to go you two, we must return to the main house." Hatori stated flatly.
"Ok! Come on let's say good bye to Kyo!" Momiji pulled on Hatsuharu's arm. Once they neared the door they both turned back and waved to Yuki and I.
"Bye Yuki! Bye Liisa-Chan! It was nice meeting you!"
"Yeah. Bye; it was nice meeting you Liisa-san. Bye Yuki." Hatsuharu added as he was pulled through the door.
"Bye guys! It was nice meeting you too! Come visit again soon!" I called after them.
"Bye," Yuki called after them.
"I'll see them to the door then we can eat." Shigure stated then followed the trio out. The room fell silent when the door closed; their footsteps retreated further from our position. Yuki and I worked in a comfortable silence of plating the food and setting up the table. As I did, my mind wandered to what Hatori said about Yuki's sickness. I sneaked a glance towards him; luckily, he had his back towards me.
"Hey Yuki-san? I know this is going to sound random, and you don't have to answer this," I nervously began, "Earlier, Hatori said you used to get sick a lot because you have a weak body? Is it something serious? Is that why you need to get checked frequently?" I seriously hoped I didn't offend him for asking, remembering what happened when I asked him about Kyo's true form.
I heard him place something down on the table before he faced me, "I don't mind answering your question since it's only natural to be curious about it. However, I'll only answer yours if you answer mine." Sounds fair so I nodded in agreement. "How come you don't address Hatori with an honorific when you use it for everyone else?"
I shuffled my feet with uncertainty of how to respond. "Hmmm, I guess it doesn't feel right to use it. I know I've met him before even if I can't remember it very well, but it doesn't feel right to address him with honorifics."
"I suppose that makes sense. It's just a little weird to hear you call him casually like that." He walked towards the counter and took a finished dish to place it on the table. "As for the answer to your question, I'd get fevers and have trouble breathing when I got sick as a child. Luckily, it doesn't happen as often as now that I'm older so long as I don't over exert myself."
"I suppose it would be weird for you to hear me call a family member so casually, especially since I haven't lived here that long." I brought another dish to the table and stopped next to him. "And thanks for talking about your childhood illnesses; you didn't have too."
"It's no big deal. It was just a childhood sickness and I grew out of it. I'm not as frail as Hatori seems to think I am." He faced the table his hands resting on the back of a chair.
With how he's acted I'm sure that it's definitely a bigger deal than he wants me to think it is.
"You know my mom used to say that as long as you have your health, you have everything you need." I raised a hand then hesitated before resting it on his shoulder; he didn't move so I went on. "You have your health now so you have everything you need." He turned to look into my eyes. I was a bit surprised to see some sadness mixed with some hurt in there, but even so he smiled.
"Thanks, I suppose I do." I gave a smile even as I felt a pang a sadness shoot through my chest. Remembering what my mother used to say all the time made me miss her, then thinking of her made me think of Tohru and a pang of loneliness followed the sadness I felt.
I can't wait to see her tomorrow at school.
The kitchen door slid open with a loud bang, causing the two of us to jump and me to remove my hand from his shoulder. "Alright! They finally left so we can eat now!" We glared at the mutt, who had the gall to have an amused grin, "Oh~ did I scare you two? For people with heightened senses, you're very easy to sneak up on." He sauntered to his place at the dining table. Kyo, who was beside Shigure when he entered, huffed and made his way to his seat as well.
"Yeah, right," Kyo muttered as he passed me.
"Not everyone can pay attention to their surroundings 24/7 - they'd go insane." I defended as I sat down at the table with Yuki taking the seat next to me.
"Riiiiiight. Well, let's dig in. I'm starving over here." The dog had a greedy look on his face. We said grace and began to eat. It was mostly silent with the exception of Shigure trying make conversation; however, the rat and the cat either hummed or grunted or made one-liners. I chimed in every once in a while to ease the awkwardness.
After dinner, Yuki and Kyo excused themselves to their rooms while I cleaned up the dishes. I was aware of Shigure watching me as I moved about.
"Is there something bothering you? You were quieter than usual at dinner." I paused in my cleaning.
Was it really that obvious?
"I just missed Tohru. She would've loved to meet Momiji and Hatsuharu as well as see Hatori again." There's no need to tell him about my conversation with Yuki.
"Her departure left a big hole that we can't seem to fill ourselves," I looked at the adult, he gave a smile. "Well, you know she's welcome to come back here anytime; I don't have any objections."
"That's true, but if she's happy where she is then we have no right to drag her back here." I finished putting away the last of the dishes.
"You're right. I'm just putting it out there." He got up from the table and stretched. "Welp, it's getting late. I'm going to hit the hay."
"Sounds good. I'll finish up here then hit the hay too. Goodnight." He returned the gesture then left. I quickly finished the rest of the cleaning then turned off the lights. After making sure all of the doors and windows are locked, I washed up in the bathroom then finally went to bed.
As I got settled in my futon, exhaustion from today's events hit me like a truck. Yet even though I was tired, I couldn't fall asleep. I had the creepy feeling that I was being watched - more so than usual. I sat up and looked towards the window - for the first time, I noticed that the curtains were wide open and the window itself was slightly ajar.
I don't remember opening those curtains. Tohru and I kept them closed since our first day here.
Fear settled onto me. Who opened the window? I don't smell any strange scents so they didn't enter my room. I doubt Kyo would've opened my window since his room is farther from mine.
Feeling perturbed, I carefully got up from my futon. The hairs on the back of my neck rose as a sudden chill ran down my spine. I could hear and feel my heartbeat pounding the longer I stood still. It's almost as if I was frozen in place. I took several deep breathes in through my nose and out through my mouth to calm my nerves. It proved to help as I was able to take a step forward - another step and another and another until I finally made it to the window.
I immediately slammed it shut and locked it. I hastily pulled the curtains closed but even then the feeling of being watched didn't disappear. Anger riled up from within.
I've assumed that Akino already had people tailing after me, but what's with the extra eyes?
I angrily ran a hand through my hair before I flopped back into bed. I pulled the covers over my head and curled into the fetal position.
I'm already tired from today's events. Can't they just leave me alone?
Even as I laid there, the feeling of being watched was still present. After a moment, I pulled down the covers a little to peek above the hem, towards the window. I waited to see if there'd be any movements outside or if they would open my window again. But after what felt like hours with nothing happening, I closed my eyes in an attempt to forget about them and get some sleep.
After Falling Asleep
The next thing I knew, I stood atop of the familiar flight of stairs. I looked around and everything was dark; none of the lights in the rooms were on. I walked to the end of the hallway and knocked on each door; I called out to anyone who might be there. I tried the doorhandles but they were locked as usual. After trying the last door, I turned back to the stairway.
"Welp, that should've been enough time," I said to myself as I looked at the square light at the bottom. I took a deep breath and clenched my hands into fists to prevent them from shaking. I began my decent down the stairs, the square of light got bigger until I stepped through it. The brightly lit room opened up around me. From my position in front of the entryway, I scanned for the other me, starting from my left and made my way across the room. Panic surged through me when I didn't see her anywhere in the room.
Where is she? Did she go through the door? My heart rate quickened as I stepped further into the room and slowly turned around to find her.
"Well, well, well, look who finally decided to show her face." I jumped at the sudden voice coming from my right. I looked in that direction and took a step back when I saw her sitting on the floor, propped up on the wall next to me. She laughed then grimaced as she clutched her side. Upon closer inspection, she was sporting blue and black bruises on her arms and legs.
"Why are you being so jumpy? I'm not in any shape to hurt you tonight. Heck I don't really have the energy to speak into your mind either." I stayed silent as she raised her other hand and tapped a forefinger on her chin, her gaze raking over me. "But you're already hurting more than what I could do to you." Her face cracked with a devilish grin.
What is she talking about? I'm not hurt.
"I think you have something mixed up. I'm not the one on the floor with the snot beaten out of me." To my growing worry, she gave another laugh that ended in a hiss of pain, holding hard to her side.
"I never said your pain was physical. You're in emotional pain. I've been able to feel it ever since that friend of yours went back to her grandfather's house. Now you've been left behind once again, haven't you?" I backed away from her in shock.
"How-how did you know that?" My voice waivered.
Can she see into my mind?
"Are you really that clueless? Wait, have they never told you what this place is? Oh, this is too good." I thought her wicked grin couldn't get any worse, but she proved me wrong. "I'll let you in on a little secret of this place, since you can't do anything about it." She motioned me to come closer; I reluctantly took a few steps closer until I was just out of her reach. "Even though I'm physically stuck in this room, I'm mentally connected to your mind. I can hear everything and feel every emotion, and if I concentrate then I can see and hear everything you do when you're awake. I have no influence over you, but I've been gathering information from your life for when I get through that door and to use in these little chats." I'm rooted to the spot in horror.
She can read all of my thoughts? She knows everything I've ever thought?
"No, you're lying! "If you've been gathering information, why haven't you used it against me yet?" I defiantly asked with the hope that she's lying. She shifted her whole body to face me yet she rolled her eyes.
"Nothing's been interesting enough for me to act upon. That was until," she scoffed at me, "I felt your loneliness and your deep-rooted misery when your friend left. That whole scene at her grandfather's house was really touching - I wished I had popcorn while I watched." She gave a longing sigh. "Not that it would do me much good seeing as I don't need to eat to exist." I stepped to my left towards the door, my eyes never leaving her.
"But, this is a dream. You only know these things because my mind is making you up." I freeze at her bone chilling laugh.
"How cute - you still think this is all a dream." Her voice took on a mocking baby voice. "A wittle nightmare for the wittle baaabbby." Her voice grew hard again. "Time to wake up and face the music; this is no dream." Her eyes still bore into mine even as I turned my body towards her but continued walking backwards until I bumped into the opposite wall. I felt around and my hand grasped the door handle. Without another word said, I yanked the door open and fell backwards into darkness.
The Next Morning
I floated in darkness until I became aware that my body was being shaken. My eyes snapped open and I bolted upright from my sleeping position on the mattress. I panted as I looked around.
Wait, mattress. Then that means…
I groaned and covered my face with my hands when I realized that I had sleepwalked into Yuki's room once again.
"Liisa-san, are you alright? You were muttering and twitching in your sleep. Not to mention that you're in my bed." Yuki asked worriedly. I was silent for a moment with my hands still over my face as I calmed down from the nightmare.
I have to tell him about the sleepwalking if this is going to continue to happen. I should've brought this up sooner, but there's no time like the present I suppose.
I sighed, scrubbing my face with my hands. "I'm alright now. It was just a nightmare, but I do need to talk to you about this since it seems to continue to happen." I turned my head to face him. He had a cowlick on one side of his head - presumably where he'd been lying on it - and his pajama top was wrinkled. Despite all of that, his face showed worry and concern as he stared back at me.
I slowly began with, "This would make sense with some context. When I was a kid, I'd get this nightmare at random sometimes. It's the same one every time and that's the only time that I sleepwalk." I paused and he nodded.
"What happens in this nightmare, if you don't mind asking." he prompted me. I shook my head.
"Sorry, I'd rather not say."
"That's alright, continue. Sorry for interrupting."
"It's alright. Anyways, I'd usually end up in my mom's bed who shared a room with Auntie Kyoko whenever I would sleepwalk." My eyes glossed with unexpected tears. I took a deep breath as I turned away and rubbed my eyes as if I was wiping away the drowsiness away.
"You don't have to force yourself if it hurts to talk about it." I finished wiping my eyes and lifted my head again.
"No it's fine, I'm fine," I assured him then braced myself to go on. "Anyways, I'd sleepwalk into their bed but since they…passed away in the incident, the nightmare has only gotten worse and more frequent. Then when I moved into this house, every time I've had the dream I …uh…" I broke eye contact in favor of looking down to my fidgeting fingers. My cheeks warmed a little.
"You sleepwalk in here?" the rat supplied and I nodded not looking at him. I heard him make a sound of realization and lifted my eyes to his once again.
"So, when you fell down the stairs… you were having that nightmare then too?" I nodded again a shiver running through me at the thought of that time.
It's not real. She said herself she has no power in the waking world… Right?
"It's only a nightmare, it's not real. You're safe and that's what matters." He echoed my thoughts and I shifted uncomfortably turning my eyes back to my lap.
"I suppose," I replied quietly not taking my eyes off me lap.
The thing is, I don't know if the whole thing is just a nightmare anymore. My doppelganger's words echoed in my head. "Even though I'm physically stuck in this room, I'm mentally connected to your mind. I can hear everything and feel every emotion, and if I concentrate then I can see and hear everything you do when you're awake. I have no influence over you, but I've been gathering information from your life for when I get through that door and to use in these little chats."
I wanted to believe that it was my mind playing tricks on me, but I had my doubts since the nightmare feels so real. I pulled myself out of my thoughts and threw the blanket off of me.
I got out of his bed and made my way to his door, "Anyway, that's why I ended up here. I don't know how to stop it." I stopped at the door and said, "I suppose you could lock your door so that I can't walk in here. I know it's going to happen again, but at least you know now what's going on and the reason behind it." I grabbed the doorknob and turned it but didn't open it yet. "I'm sorry for invading your space."
"It's alright, I know you aren't doing it on purpose. Thanks for telling me why this happens." I opened the door, paused and glanced back at him; he hadn't moved from his spot.
It's the right thing to do since it keeps happening and I…I have a feeling that it'll continue to happen as long as I keep having the nightmare." I looked in the hallway, "Um, see you downstairs and uh, good morning."
"Ah, yeah; good morning to you too." With that said, I flashed him a small smile over my shoulder then left his room in favor of going back to my bedroom. I sighed as soon as I closed my door and leaned against it. Looking around my bare room, Tohru's absence was more pronounced than ever. I shook my head.
Grow up! You couldn't live with her forever. You were going to have to part ways eventually.
I went over to my bag, where I keep my clean clothes -there isn't a dresser in this room- and quickly got changed. After that, I went downstairs and made breakfast in silence. I didn't say much when the others came down - not that I needed to since the dog barked all of our ears off about moving the books in Kyo's room.
"They're fine where they are." he said grumpily, picking at the egg on his plate.
"They most certainly are not! For one if they stay in there, there's a good chance you'd rip them in half as some kind of strength training. For another, you have a tendency to wreak havoc and destruction wherever you go. I just couldn't bear the stress of leaving them where they are, so all of us are going to pitch in and move the books into storage."
"What! No way! Move your own damn books if they're so important to you!" The cat exclaimed as he slammed a fist on the table. I stayed silent and quietly ate my food.
I don't really care either way. I know I would be asked to help whether the other two pitch in or not.
"I hate to say it, but I agree with the cat. Why not just do it yourself? You don't do anything else but sit around while we're at school or working. You have plenty of time to do it yourself." I bit the inside of my cheek at the rat's sass and the dog dramatically gasped.
"You two are heartless! How could you make me move all those heavy books by myself?! Can't you show any compassion to your elders?" he melodramatically exasperated
"No," they both said in a deadpan voice.
"You guys are so mean." He looked at me with a smile on his face. "You'll help though right, Liisa-san?"
I swallowed my food, shrugging; "I guess, it would be part of the agreement right?"
"That would be correct! I'll be there to help of course." he said eagerly. "You're a lifesaver!"
"Liisa-san, you really don't have to help him with that. He can take better care of his possessions like the adult he is." Yuki interjected.
"Then wouldn't that mean she shouldn't do any of the laundry except of her own? They are YOUR clothes, so she shouldn't have to do it either." He has a point there. "The books are my possessions but they're also in Kyo's personal space." The dog responded with a sly smile.
What kind of reasoning is that? They really aren't going to fall for that, will they?
"Gah, you're impossible! Fine! I'll help you! As long as the damn rat has to help too." Kyo gave in and I felt my jaw drop.
"Kyo-san, you're giving in just like that?" I couldn't believe it.
"And why do I have to help? This whole situation has nothing to do with me." Yuki interjected mildly.
"You're going to help if I have to help and with the leaps of logic this maniac-" He gestured to the smiling dog. "-is making, he wasn't going to leave me alone about it. So if I have to help, then so do you." he pointed a finger at the rat, who turned his nose up.
"Fine, I'll help but only so Liisa-san doesn't have to do it alone with you two." he sniffed as he stood and took his plate to the sink.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" the cat followed the rat to the sink with his plate in hand.
"You know what it meant or do I need to say it for you again?" I didn't know what to say as I watched the two continue to argue until the cat finally snapped and swiped a paw at the rat. I gasped at the sudden violence, a flash of my fight with my doppelganger soared across my mind. Before I could move or say anything, Yuki dodged the fist and hit him in the stomach hard enough to send him back against the far wall with a loud thump.
"Tch! I'll beat you eventually you damn rat." the cat warned somberly as he righted himself and stalked out of the kitchen, leaving behind a ringing silence. Kyo's presence quickly moved up the stairs to the second floor then remained still where his room would be above us. Shigure went back to sipping his coffee like nothing happened and Yuki straightened his uniform shirt as he came back to the table. I sat in shock from what I witnessed while flashes from my nightmare replaced the boys with me and my doppelganger.
"Liisa-san, are you alright?" I snapped my eyes away from the wall where Kyo had been thrown to find Yuki's dark grey eyes. I stood up quickly and picked up my plate that had a few pieces of food left on it - my appetite was gone.
"Yeah, just, uh, thinking." I walked past him to the sink where I took care of my plate. "I have to finish getting ready. See you later!" I faked cheeriness in an effort to reassure them and made a hasty retreat to my room. Once in my room, I closed and locked the door and started pacing.
What was that all about? I know they don't have a good relationship, but I didn't know they get physical with each other. And the way Shigure acted like nothing happened makes me think this kind of thing happens all the time.
I stopped my pacing and checked my watch. I had a few minutes before I have to leave for school. I checked my school bag to make sure I had everything then swung it up on my back. I took a moment to check my reflection in the mirror that Tohru found in the closet and hung on the wall. I smoothed my hair down and checked my teeth, but I leapt back when my eyes met my reflections. My heart hammered in my throat and it felt like I couldn't breathe. Maybe it's because I thought of the nightmare, but I thought I saw my doppelganger's dark blue eyes and her deranged smile for the briefest of moments.
I closed my eyes tightly. "No, it's just a dream. She's not real." I told myself before re-opening my eyes and looked in the mirror - I saw my normal blue eyes. I sighed in relief then left the room yet I felt a little disturbed. As I hurried down the stairs, I realized the cat's presence was nowhere near the vicinity and the rat and dog were still in the kitchen. I didn't want to talk to Yuki at the moment so I hurried to put on my shoes at the front door.
"Bye! I'm leaving now see you guys later!" I called out in the direction of the kitchen after putting my shoes on then left through the door before they could respond. I walked briskly up the path so that Yuki couldn't catch up to me and didn't slow down until I neared the school. I went straight to my classroom in hopes to find Tohru already there. Sadly, she wasn't and neither were Hana and Uo. I sat at my desk with a prick of disappointment.
I'll have to wait for lunch now.
I sat in silence as students steadily filled the classroom. Kyo and Yuki showed up and pointedly did not look at each other. Next, all three of my best friends came in together right as the bell rang and quickly went to their seats, saying a quick "hi" to me as they passed. I returned their greeting before the teacher came in and began today's lesson.
Later, at Lunch
Uo, Hana, Tohru, and I ate our lunches outside in a secluded area on the school lawns. We sat in a comfortable silence for a bit before Uo spoke.
"So, Tohru, how was your first few days living with your relatives?" I silently thanked the long haired blond for bringing it up before I had to.
"Oh! It's been…interesting to say the least." I watched Tohru's face closely - she had a sad look on her face.
If everything is fine, then why do you look so sad? What is really going on?
"Are they treating you and your grandpa alright?" Hana asked, seeming to pick up on the same thing as me.
"Yes, they are. I guess it's just figuring out the new dynamic with three extra people in the house now." she explained, but the sad look didn't completely leave her eyes. I glanced at the other two girls; they also seemed unconvinced by Tohru's answers as well.
"You'd let us know if something was wrong, right? If it becomes unbearable, you can always come back to my house; my family wouldn't mind." I chimed in as I looked into her brown eyes to convey my meaning to her. She flashed me one of her brightest smiles but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Thanks, but everything's fine; really." I remembered how unkind her aunt and her family seemed when I dropped Tohru off.
She's lying. I get off at 6 today, so I'm going to head straight to her grandfather's house and see for myself if everything is fine.
"If everything's fine, then maybe you could ask your grandpa if we could come for a visit." Hana suggested. A sliver of panic flickered on Tohru's face before she recovered with a smile.
"Of course! I'll ask if you can come this weekend." she offered.
"Works for me." Uo chimed in.
"Sure, I have Saturday off so I can come that day." I got up to throw my garbage away. I was still determined to go today after work, but I wouldn't turn down an opportunity to hang out with all of my friends outside of school. The others followed suit of disposing their trash. We went back to the classroom just as the warning bell rang. The rest of the day passed without any incidents then I went to work.
After Work
I got off of work at The Olive Branch and made my way to Tohru's house. Work was the same as usual except that Shawn wasn't there today. I'm not complaining since I got a break from his stares. I took a short cut through an ally way and when I got to the other side, I was surprised to feel the cat's and the rat's presences.
What are they doing over here? Moreover, what are they doing together?
I picked up the pace towards their direction; I heard their voices raised in an argument.
"Give me the map!" I heard the cat's yowl.
"No! When you had it, you only got us lost." Yuki's curt reply came next. I sped up my pace and soon the two boys came into view.
"Hey guys!" I called out when I was in earshot; both of them stopped and glanced towards me.
"Liisa-san, what are you doing here?" Yuki asked.
"I could ask the both of you the same thing. It sure is a long ways away from the house." I responded mildly. It doesn't take a genius to know why they're out here.
"We were going to see Tohru-san. The same as you, I take it." he looked to the side as if embarrassed. I gave a smile finding it sweet they were coming here together to see Tohru even when they were fighting just this morning.
"You would be correct, so how about we go see her together?" I walked forward until I was in front of them then turned back to them. "You ready to go see our friend?"
"Lead the way." they said in unison with matching grins on their faces.
This'll be a surprise she would never see coming.