Chapter Two-Austere Actions
Li was at his apartment. Lying on his bed, cursing himself aloud. "Stupid. I made her cry and now she's probably really mad at me. Shit…I'm so stupid." He slowly got up and undressed, preparing to take a nice warm shower.
About an hour later, after taking a nice long bath, he dressed in his boxers and a t-shirt, and then lied on his bed to watch some t.v. He grabbed his portable phone from the table and then put it on the pillow next to him in case she decided to call him.
Li took the remote in hand and flicked through the channels one by one, only to find reruns and subtitled American movies. "I hate subtitles,"he said, throwing the remote control aside and laying on his back, staring on the ceiling. "I just want morning to come so I can call her and apologize for being such a jerk." Li sighed and looked out the window, noticing the rain. He closed his eyes, basking in his anger and sadness, and then slowly opened them. "I just hope she's safe."
At the same time that Li was making his request, Sakura was in the car with Jason. They had just finished dinner and were on their way to the opera house. Sakura thought, I just hope this is over soon so I can break it off with him. She glanced over to him and then looked to the view outside. Tonight is a disaster, she thought. The only thing saving me from jumping out of this car right now is our orchestra seats to Madame Butterfly. That is it.
"The dinner was great!" Jason said, with one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the back of Sakura's seat. "Thanks for paying again. I must have forgotten my money at home."
Sakura tried to be happy. "It's okay, I don't mind,"she lied. Upon looking out the window, she suddenly realized how hard it was raining. There was an awkward silence in the car so she decided to talk about a safe topic: weather. "Wow, it's really coming down."
"Yeah," the most commonly used response among guys when faced with the awkward silence. She waited for him to continue but when he didn't she just looked out the window some more to watch the rain rhythmically fall to the pavement.
This went on for another ten minutes until she found herself asleep, when she woke up they were already at the parking lot. She looked around her but noticed no other cars.
"Is something wrong?" she asked, fully awakening.
"No."
"Then uh…why are we just sitting in a parking lot?" She turned to confront him about the matter.
"Did I ever tell you how beautiful you look?"
"No, you didn't." She said smiling. Well, at least he's trying to be sweet…but he's not answering my question, she thought.
"Well, you are."
"Oh, well…thank you," she smiled again and then he leaned closer to her, holding her cheeks with his hands. She tried to enjoy the feeling of his lips on hers but she couldn't. Sakura only could think about her fight with Li.
After a moment, they parted. "Doesn't the show start in a few minutes?" She asked as she looked at the clock on the stereo.
"Probably," he said as he leaned in for another kiss.
She put her hands up in protest, "Aren't we going to be late?" She wouldn't have cared if Jason were someone she wanted to be with right now, but he wasn't and Madame Butterfly was waiting. There was someone else on her mind.
"Don't worry about it. I have everything under control," he said as he rushed to kiss her. Sakura just went along with it, even when he wrapped his arms tightly around her. But what she didn't stand for was when he reached to her back and started to unzip her dress.
"What are you doing?" she said pulling back. The anger was building up in her eyes.
"I really like you, Sakura. English girls aren't like this."
"Well I'm not like this either. It's not because I'm Japanese, it's because I'm not easy…I'm not comfortable with this Jason," she said pushing him away. "Bring me home…now."
"But…"
"Jason…just do it."
He reached to the keys in the ignition and she just slid over to the furthest part of her seat away from Jason, looking out the window. Li was right, she thought. I should have listened to him. I wish he were here to protect me…I lied to him. I always want him to…I'm not as strong as he thinks I am. Her eyes became watery pools as she came to a sad realization: I'm not as strong as I think I am.
"Sakura…this is your last chance."
She turned to look at Jason; his long black hair covered his eyes. "Jason, no. I'm not going through with this anymore…"
"No, you don't understand. I don't want to be your boyfriend anymore than you want to be my girlfriend."
"What?"Sakura blinked her eyes in disbelief. "Then, Jason…what is this whole date thing…"
He cut her off by sighing, "Look at these clothes,"he said, grabbing his shirt and holding it out in front of him. "Awful,"he said in disgust, releasing his shirt and smoothing back his hair. "This has been more difficult than I had originally planned. I mean, I haven't been with a girl in…"he counted on his hand as she didn't pay any attention to what he said next. "three hundred years…"
"Then what do you want?"Sakura said impatiently
"I want…the cards. Hand them over."
What?! Sakura thought. But how… "Look, Jason…I don't know what you're talking about. You're making no sense,"she said, trying to cover up her surprised look when he mentioned the cards. But Li was right. She was a horrible liar.
Jason reached under the seat and took out a really long knife and quickly put it to Sakura's neck. "I'm not going to put up with this bullshit any longer! Just give me the cards and you won't get a scar…to remember me by."
"Oh please, I would never want to remember you. Don't flatter yourself,"she was surprised by her own act of courage. Geez, that doesn't happen very often, she thought to herself. "Besides, I don't have them with me,"she lied. If I could only reach my key, she thought.
"Then where are they?!"
"I don't know."
"I'm losing my patience!"He yelled at her. "You know where they are! Don't make me use my magic…"
"I'm not scared of your magic!"
Jason grinned as he twisted the knife around near her throat. She could feel the edges of the blade scratching her skin. "But I do know what you're afraid of…ghosts." She shuddered at the thought. He noticed this and continued to press her. "Hmm…that's what I thought. So, ghosts, eh? I know a few ghosts that wouldn't mind coming here and…"
"I don't care! I'll never give you my cards! Never!" She screamed the last word at him with tears in her eyes.
At his home, Li stirred in his sleep then woke up suddenly. "What was that? Sakura?" He sat up in his bed and felt the sweat roll down his cheeks, or were they tears? "It's hot in here,"he stated as he threw off his shirt. 'Never!', he heard the words again and then shook his head. "Couldn't be,"Li said as he threw the blankets off his bed and fell back asleep.
"Fine!"Jason said, advancing towards her. "Then I'll take something from you that…you can never have back."
What is he talking about? Oh, no…please don't! Sakura pleaded in her own head. Who is he? And why does he want my cards?
Sakura was whipped out of her thoughts as the seat came down from under her and she fell on her back. Jason was suddenly on her, kissing her violently. He held her hands up over her head with one had while the other one unbuckled his pants and slid her dress up.
She couldn't talk but if she could she didn't know what to say. She just wished she was eleven again and that capturing Clow Cards was an every day occurrence and that…that Li always protected her.
Twenty minutes later, Sakura was in the parking lot, the rain was falling down on her. The dress she had been so happy to wear was ripped up to wear the slit had stopped and her shoes were gone. Jason had pulled out a knife and had cut her many times. She was lying on her back; the rain hit her bruised body like a thousand knives.
Trying to reach her purse, she rolled over some glass, which became embedded, into her side. Her tears were camouflaged against the rain hitting her face and she was so cold. The red blood was streaming down her legs as she reached into the purse to take out the key. She held it in her hands weakly; it had been years since she called upon her cards. "Key of the star, with powers…burning bright…reveal…the st-staff…and shine your light…"And mustering her last ounce of energy she yelled, "RELEASE!"
The key was transformed into her staff which she held to her chest, crying. Without even asking, the cards slid out of her bag and started to float around her. "Oh…my cards…I love you all…please help me…"
She looked at the gentle fly card and raised her staff as high as she could, "Fly card…release and dispel…" Sakura could feel the wings grow from her back and the fly wrapping them around her, holding her close. "Oh…fly…" She tried to use her magic to take off like a bird but she found she wasn't strong enough.
"Power card…release and…and dispel…" The power, instead of enveloping Sakura, came out in its visible form.
"Sakura! Sakura, the cards are all worried about you…are you alright?!" It asked, rushing to her side. The Power had tears in its little eyes. "We all love you too."
Sakura smiled at this and without hesitating she asked in a raspy voice, "Bring me to Li."
The Power backed up and closed its eyes, forcing Sakura to take in its energy. Sakura could feel the rain even more so as the Fly took her to the place she desired. The cards followed her overhead, trying to shield her from the rain. They knew Sakura didn't have the energy to call upon any more cards even if she could.
Li was trying to fall asleep on his bed, but he couldn't. Sakura, he thought. Please don't hate me…I need you. I would give anything for you to realize just how much I…I love you. A bright light from the window disturbed his thoughts. He turned to see The Glow floating by his window, pounding on the glass.
Without a thought, he ran downstairs and flung the door open. What he saw he couldn't even begin to comprehend. He saw The Light and The Fiery along with the rest of The Sakura Cards floating overhead.
"Please save her," The Light softly spoke as she opened her arms to reveal a black and red spot against her body. Li rushed to The Light and took Sakura in his arms, trying to hold back the tears. "Take care of our mistress." And with that The Light and The Fiery went back into their card forms and with the rest of the cards went back into the book and floated to Li's room.
Li followed the book back to his room and laid Sakura out on his bed. She was cold and pale and he couldn't help noticing the blood covering her body. "Sakura…please wake up,"he called to her. Her eyes fluttered open and her face seemed to be caught between sorrow and nothingness. "Sakura, did Jason do this to you?"
She nodded her head slightly but did not utter a word from her lips. They were almost blue. Sakura tried to move but found she couldn't so she tried to speak. "C-c-col-cold…cold."
Li took a blanket and covered her quickly and then picked up the phone, "I'm calling a doctor. Please, stay awake, Sakura!" He dialed a number and waited for someone to pick up the phone as he planted a kiss on her forehead and then caressed her hair to comfort her as he spoke to the woman on the other end of the phone.
Two hours later, at 11:37 at night, the doctor exited Li's room and walked to the chair directly across from the door. Li stood up, "Is she okay?"
"In a matter of speaking, yes. I found no traces of any diseases, pregnancy, or infection…"
"What are you talking about?!"Li shouted in confusion. "Diseases, pregnancy? Sakura…was she..?"
"Raped?" The words stung Li's heart as she said the words. The Doctor paused before continuing. "Yes, she was." He couldn't think of his Sakura being…he couldn't even think the word, let alone say it. Li sat down in his chair and ran his fingers through his hair. The doctor continued on, "Her wounds are taken care of, but the bandages will have to be wrapped again tomorrow. And she has to take these pills,"Dr.Alita said, giving the bottle to Li, "three times a day for two weeks. Her fever has gone down and besides being shaken up and in some pain, she has a minor cold."
"I just can't believe that she was…I can't believe there are people horrible enough to do such a thing."
"Well, it's hard to believe, but it's becoming more common. Sakura is the second girl I've treated this week. When are boys going to realize no is no. No offense to you. You seem like a smart enough boy." She paused looking down and then back up. "Are you her boyfriend?"
"No, just a friend."
"Any family around I can contact?"
"No, her father and brother are in America and won't be back for another week."
"Mother?"
"She's…she's dead."
"Oh. Okay then. Take care of her until they return. If she needs to talk to a woman, here's my office number and home phone number," Dr.Alita handed Li a business card. "Don't take this the wrong way but, when she awakens, she might not want to talk to you. She might be a little scared. Although I talked to her and she seems pretty deadset on the fact that you're the nicest guy she's ever met,"Dr. Alita briefly smiled.
"When is she going to wake up?"
"Hard to tell. I gave her some pretty strong sedatives so she would sleep through most of the pain. I would have to guess tomorrow afternoon, maybe tomorrow night. Maybe even the next day after that."
"What can I do to help her? I don't want to scare her…I…I love her. I just don't know what to do…"
"It's okay. I get that question a lot…well first, talk to her in a soothing and gentle voice. And make sure that you don't push her to talk about it, she will when she's ready. But the most important thing is to make it seem that you have everything under control and that she can feel safe around you and trust your judgment. Can you do that?"
"Yes, of course."
"Good. Now be strong, and surprisingly she will be too,"the doctor smiled at Li before putting on her coat and grabbing her car keys. "I hope I've helped."
"Thank you for everything, Dr.Alita."
"It's really no problem. Be good to her, okay?"And with that said, the kind woman turned around and left just the way she came.
Li ran his fingers threw his hair once again, taking a deep breath. He had been keeping his hair a little longer since the fourth grade. Sakura had suggested it, saying the girls would go crazy. According to Madison, they did, but the only girl he cared about liking his hair was Sakura. She had always been the only person. Li took another deep breath before stepping forward.