A blank face was seen in Soujiro's visage. He had no other answer for
the angel, though it was true he did feel a liking to someone. He wondered
in the few brief seconds that he had if he could lie to the beautiful
creature that had given him an accursed gift. Would his plan work on the
heavenly warrior?
THE WANDERER'S EYES
(Chapter 17: The Beginning of the Tale)
A/N: I named it this because this is where the story becomes a little bit more colorful, and a little bit more gruesome. No, I don't mean every sentence I write would contain bad words and gore. I meant that the story itself might contain hints of blood and death. There will be gore sometimes and I won't hesitate on killing a few of the characters.
The angel looked at him innocently. He hadn't any idea how dark it was really though it had been a couple of days since he collapsed at the undersea cave. The shining light that came from the angel's delicate wings occupied every area of his room and it was so large it curled its tips that were on the ceiling.
"No. I don't like anyone; " he fibbed.
She smiled bigger than before and her brightness faded away. She vanished little by little and vocalized in a song, "You are only lying to yourself."
He murmured in annoyance, "Why did she have to ask me that of all the things!"
He took of the wet piece of cloth from his forehead and stood up awkwardly. He was still dizzy, but he wanted to visit Soushi. His mind was drifting off in the clouds. He couldn't concentrate. He didn't feel fully like himself still, but he was determined to reach Soushi before anything had happened. There was no time to lose, until.
CRASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Soujiro landed on his back and his shoulder felt squeezed by the force that had knocked him down. He looked up and dusted himself. The person that he had collided with was on the floor and, as it appears, knocked out.
The figure was that of a female, Soujiro could see from afar. He drew closer to apologize, but when he was there, he withdrew his courage. It was Kitsune.
"What are YOU doing here?" Kitsune demanded. She was furious and stamped here feet as soon as she stood up. She was red with anger. It was definitely an awful day for Soujiro.
"I-I-"
She snorted sarcastically, "Well, I don't suppose that would count as an apology, wouldn't it? You best be off my tracks. See you around, Soujiro."
Soujiro blushed, even more than before. Why? He thought. Why now? His face was red and his hands grew warmer and warmer. Her michiyu (overskirt) was ripped at one part. She trotted off with a mean expression. Soujiro wasn't pleased at all.
Moaning echoed in the hall that was dark. No, it wasn't the hall of the silver mirror, where no light can penetrate. It was the hall Soushi remained lonely. Soujiro had his doubts about Sai, oh- Nagi, I mean. If she was dead, how could he know that she was there? What if she wasn't there? Thoughts scrambled his mind more and more while he remained there. He felt as if the little grain of facts were crushing his head like that of a huge boulder's power.
He reached the silent room where the poor child rests. Four basins surrounded the left corner of the bed. Soushi's hakama was dripping with blood and even his eyes bled. Soujiro's mouth lay open and stupefied. It was a horrible site, a very horrible site.
Soushi's eyes flickered and eventually, while Soujiro was changing the towel on his head with a fresh new soaked one, he raised his arms and tried to catch someone or something.
"Sister! Where were you? Why haven't you been here? It's nearly a week before Christmas!" Soushi exclaimed with a bit of a peeved voice.
The towel he had on his hand nearly fell. He didn't know whether he should tell the poor child that his sister was dead a long time ago. He stuttered, "Y-your sister, Soush-sh-shi. She's. She's. She's dead."
The ill boy's face didn't change into a sac and lonely face. He actually smiled, "You are silly, Souji-chan. Nagi will never die. She promised me. She promised me."
"Listen," Soujiro replied, "Your sister IS dead. Please accept that. She is dead."
The dear child kept smiling. He coughed, and then spoke, "She didn't die. She only fell asleep. She told me. She already gave me her sole promise that she'll never leave me; and never did! She even left her haori (coat) here yesterday."
Out of the silence, which Soujiro thought to be best, Soushi laughed.
"What is THAT for? Are you laughing because you don't want to believe me?"
Soushi slightly shook his head as a response. He was careful not to let another towel, which sat on his shoulder, fall down. It was filled with steaming hot water. It was the hottest, but the most relieving thing he ever had.
He giggled more, "You don't understand people here, do you Souji- chan?"
Soujiro wanted THAT time to blush, but fate didn't want to. He didn't understand what he meant, if it actually meant that he was confused.
"You see, this is a special place with special people. Not everyone here is like everyone outside."
"Ah." Soujiro commented as if he was amazed, although I can assure you, he just didn't want a little kid to be smarter than he was.
"Nobody really leaves this place, not really. When someone here is way attached, they stay. It's only if they aren't way attached is when they do leave."
Another riddle, Soujiro said in his head. Why is this happening now? I only came here because I'm concerned about him. Now he's torturing me with his fickle words. A twisted game, this is, that you've given me.
"I don't think my sister is dead, Souji-chan. She's just resting sometimes. Then, she comes back to visit me and nurse me. I mayn't like it when she doesn't listen to me sometimes, but it's what brothers and sisters often do. Do you have any?"
He twiddled his thumbs, with the towel sinking into the deep end of the basin. The nightmares he had. The sufferings that he was bestowed upon by his cruel siblings. Blood, plainly blood and tears under the rain was all he wanted to remember.
"Soujiro! Baka (Idiot))! Why are you late? I wanted that sake minutes ago! *whip* You aren't going to have dinner for a week because of this! No? Well, I definitely will! *whip*."
"Soujiro."
"Soujiro!"
"SOUJI-CHAN!"
"Huh?" Soujiro snapped. He had gazed into the past he despised.
Soushi, though sick, appeared mad and more annoyed than he was, "Need I repeat myself, Souji-chan? I was asking you-"
"N-no," he lied.
"No?" Soushi mimicked, "You don't have any brothers or-"
"I SAID NO! Can you read my lips? NO!"
Tears streamed down his eyes in regret. In all his life, he'd never been treated like everyone else. His cries weren't loud, but Soujiro knew what he did was wrong. He shouldn't have shouted so vigorously and uncaringly.
His hands wiped off the dampness on his small cheeks, "Please, don't cry. I'm sorry. It's just that- It's just that I never really had a family. I was only adopted."
The sober cries halted, but he sniveled, "What's adopted?"
Words came across his mind. He didn't know how to explain what adopted was.
"Adopted means you grew in your mommy's heart, not her tummy," a voice defined.
Soujiro was about to disagree, until he turned to look at the guest and saw it was Sai- I mean Nagi.
"What are you doing here?" He asked.
She grinned and said with a bit of a drawling voice, "Why? Am I supposed to be dead and buried? I came here to see how my brother's doing."
"Nagi-chan! I'm so happy you're here!" Soushi trembled as he stood up and went over to embrace his sister. His hands were able to go around her. She was solid, like a real person. This time, however, she was a bit skinnier than she's supposed to be. Her skin was paler and more wrinkled. Her eyes had rings around them (A/N: I don't mean that there are huge circles. What I mean is something like eye shadow only that it isn't make- up. It's more like the ones you get when you've played video games or watched television waaay to long or even if you didn't get 10 nights worth of sleep.).
Soujiro raised himself up to greet her, only he wanted proof she was dead. He came up to her and gave her a hug too. He could feel her skin, her hair and everything that makes something human (A/N: I see readers who are green-eyed at the moment). He could smell an odor, the kind that you'd smell if you've been to a burial. He even felt her cold and clammy. She had signs that she was dead, but it didn't convince him enough.
"You can't be. You just can't be-"
"Dead?" She interrupted, "I'm sorry to tell you this, but I am. I really am."
Prejudicially, he walked around her and examined her, "Tell me then. What makes you dead? You can't be a ghost. You're flesh and blood, I bet."
In a blink of an eye, she vanished into thin air. Not a trace of her was left and she couldn't be that fast to just run and/or hide.
"Nagi-chan? Where are you? Show yourself!" He shouted in the room.
A voice rang in his ear, "I'm right here behind you."
He quickly turned around; she was there. He had his doubts, but he was surprised at that feat. He proudly announced, "That's certainly a trick you've learned from you father. Can't you do something I CAN believe?"
She didn't frown at all to look upset. She took a dagger from her pocket (A/N: people lucky enough to have their e-mail in my list can receive a picture of Nagi and the rest of the characters in this story in an e-mail I'm going to send. Unfortunately, I only have one person. The other e-mails have been blocked).
With the dagger in her possession, she slid it on her wrist.
THE WANDERER'S EYES
(Chapter 17: The Beginning of the Tale)
A/N: I named it this because this is where the story becomes a little bit more colorful, and a little bit more gruesome. No, I don't mean every sentence I write would contain bad words and gore. I meant that the story itself might contain hints of blood and death. There will be gore sometimes and I won't hesitate on killing a few of the characters.
The angel looked at him innocently. He hadn't any idea how dark it was really though it had been a couple of days since he collapsed at the undersea cave. The shining light that came from the angel's delicate wings occupied every area of his room and it was so large it curled its tips that were on the ceiling.
"No. I don't like anyone; " he fibbed.
She smiled bigger than before and her brightness faded away. She vanished little by little and vocalized in a song, "You are only lying to yourself."
He murmured in annoyance, "Why did she have to ask me that of all the things!"
He took of the wet piece of cloth from his forehead and stood up awkwardly. He was still dizzy, but he wanted to visit Soushi. His mind was drifting off in the clouds. He couldn't concentrate. He didn't feel fully like himself still, but he was determined to reach Soushi before anything had happened. There was no time to lose, until.
CRASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Soujiro landed on his back and his shoulder felt squeezed by the force that had knocked him down. He looked up and dusted himself. The person that he had collided with was on the floor and, as it appears, knocked out.
The figure was that of a female, Soujiro could see from afar. He drew closer to apologize, but when he was there, he withdrew his courage. It was Kitsune.
"What are YOU doing here?" Kitsune demanded. She was furious and stamped here feet as soon as she stood up. She was red with anger. It was definitely an awful day for Soujiro.
"I-I-"
She snorted sarcastically, "Well, I don't suppose that would count as an apology, wouldn't it? You best be off my tracks. See you around, Soujiro."
Soujiro blushed, even more than before. Why? He thought. Why now? His face was red and his hands grew warmer and warmer. Her michiyu (overskirt) was ripped at one part. She trotted off with a mean expression. Soujiro wasn't pleased at all.
Moaning echoed in the hall that was dark. No, it wasn't the hall of the silver mirror, where no light can penetrate. It was the hall Soushi remained lonely. Soujiro had his doubts about Sai, oh- Nagi, I mean. If she was dead, how could he know that she was there? What if she wasn't there? Thoughts scrambled his mind more and more while he remained there. He felt as if the little grain of facts were crushing his head like that of a huge boulder's power.
He reached the silent room where the poor child rests. Four basins surrounded the left corner of the bed. Soushi's hakama was dripping with blood and even his eyes bled. Soujiro's mouth lay open and stupefied. It was a horrible site, a very horrible site.
Soushi's eyes flickered and eventually, while Soujiro was changing the towel on his head with a fresh new soaked one, he raised his arms and tried to catch someone or something.
"Sister! Where were you? Why haven't you been here? It's nearly a week before Christmas!" Soushi exclaimed with a bit of a peeved voice.
The towel he had on his hand nearly fell. He didn't know whether he should tell the poor child that his sister was dead a long time ago. He stuttered, "Y-your sister, Soush-sh-shi. She's. She's. She's dead."
The ill boy's face didn't change into a sac and lonely face. He actually smiled, "You are silly, Souji-chan. Nagi will never die. She promised me. She promised me."
"Listen," Soujiro replied, "Your sister IS dead. Please accept that. She is dead."
The dear child kept smiling. He coughed, and then spoke, "She didn't die. She only fell asleep. She told me. She already gave me her sole promise that she'll never leave me; and never did! She even left her haori (coat) here yesterday."
Out of the silence, which Soujiro thought to be best, Soushi laughed.
"What is THAT for? Are you laughing because you don't want to believe me?"
Soushi slightly shook his head as a response. He was careful not to let another towel, which sat on his shoulder, fall down. It was filled with steaming hot water. It was the hottest, but the most relieving thing he ever had.
He giggled more, "You don't understand people here, do you Souji- chan?"
Soujiro wanted THAT time to blush, but fate didn't want to. He didn't understand what he meant, if it actually meant that he was confused.
"You see, this is a special place with special people. Not everyone here is like everyone outside."
"Ah." Soujiro commented as if he was amazed, although I can assure you, he just didn't want a little kid to be smarter than he was.
"Nobody really leaves this place, not really. When someone here is way attached, they stay. It's only if they aren't way attached is when they do leave."
Another riddle, Soujiro said in his head. Why is this happening now? I only came here because I'm concerned about him. Now he's torturing me with his fickle words. A twisted game, this is, that you've given me.
"I don't think my sister is dead, Souji-chan. She's just resting sometimes. Then, she comes back to visit me and nurse me. I mayn't like it when she doesn't listen to me sometimes, but it's what brothers and sisters often do. Do you have any?"
He twiddled his thumbs, with the towel sinking into the deep end of the basin. The nightmares he had. The sufferings that he was bestowed upon by his cruel siblings. Blood, plainly blood and tears under the rain was all he wanted to remember.
"Soujiro! Baka (Idiot))! Why are you late? I wanted that sake minutes ago! *whip* You aren't going to have dinner for a week because of this! No? Well, I definitely will! *whip*."
"Soujiro."
"Soujiro!"
"SOUJI-CHAN!"
"Huh?" Soujiro snapped. He had gazed into the past he despised.
Soushi, though sick, appeared mad and more annoyed than he was, "Need I repeat myself, Souji-chan? I was asking you-"
"N-no," he lied.
"No?" Soushi mimicked, "You don't have any brothers or-"
"I SAID NO! Can you read my lips? NO!"
Tears streamed down his eyes in regret. In all his life, he'd never been treated like everyone else. His cries weren't loud, but Soujiro knew what he did was wrong. He shouldn't have shouted so vigorously and uncaringly.
His hands wiped off the dampness on his small cheeks, "Please, don't cry. I'm sorry. It's just that- It's just that I never really had a family. I was only adopted."
The sober cries halted, but he sniveled, "What's adopted?"
Words came across his mind. He didn't know how to explain what adopted was.
"Adopted means you grew in your mommy's heart, not her tummy," a voice defined.
Soujiro was about to disagree, until he turned to look at the guest and saw it was Sai- I mean Nagi.
"What are you doing here?" He asked.
She grinned and said with a bit of a drawling voice, "Why? Am I supposed to be dead and buried? I came here to see how my brother's doing."
"Nagi-chan! I'm so happy you're here!" Soushi trembled as he stood up and went over to embrace his sister. His hands were able to go around her. She was solid, like a real person. This time, however, she was a bit skinnier than she's supposed to be. Her skin was paler and more wrinkled. Her eyes had rings around them (A/N: I don't mean that there are huge circles. What I mean is something like eye shadow only that it isn't make- up. It's more like the ones you get when you've played video games or watched television waaay to long or even if you didn't get 10 nights worth of sleep.).
Soujiro raised himself up to greet her, only he wanted proof she was dead. He came up to her and gave her a hug too. He could feel her skin, her hair and everything that makes something human (A/N: I see readers who are green-eyed at the moment). He could smell an odor, the kind that you'd smell if you've been to a burial. He even felt her cold and clammy. She had signs that she was dead, but it didn't convince him enough.
"You can't be. You just can't be-"
"Dead?" She interrupted, "I'm sorry to tell you this, but I am. I really am."
Prejudicially, he walked around her and examined her, "Tell me then. What makes you dead? You can't be a ghost. You're flesh and blood, I bet."
In a blink of an eye, she vanished into thin air. Not a trace of her was left and she couldn't be that fast to just run and/or hide.
"Nagi-chan? Where are you? Show yourself!" He shouted in the room.
A voice rang in his ear, "I'm right here behind you."
He quickly turned around; she was there. He had his doubts, but he was surprised at that feat. He proudly announced, "That's certainly a trick you've learned from you father. Can't you do something I CAN believe?"
She didn't frown at all to look upset. She took a dagger from her pocket (A/N: people lucky enough to have their e-mail in my list can receive a picture of Nagi and the rest of the characters in this story in an e-mail I'm going to send. Unfortunately, I only have one person. The other e-mails have been blocked).
With the dagger in her possession, she slid it on her wrist.