He was walking away…he was leaving.
No one was taking him. He was leaving on his own will. I didn't make a move to follow him, I didn't call out. I just watched him walk away, my hand drawing that small velvet box out of my pocket. Fingers slowly ran over its soft fabric, slowly, mournfully opened its lid.
Inside, the chain still remained perfectly laid out on its tiny cushion of cloth. Hastily I pulled it out, clutched it tight in my in hands and closed my eyes. But I didn't cry. Tears seemed so futile now…
"Garfakcy…
Garfakcy…my Garfakcy…
Why?"
He stumbled through the door that day, his tiny hands clutched desperately over his chest, blood seeping from in between his fingers.
"Garfakcy!"
Quickly I was at his side, kneeling down and gently prying away his hands to examine the wounds.
They were deep, frighteningly deep.
Suddenly vicious anger blazed inside of me. Who had done this to him? Who would dare do this to him? Who would dare lay a finger, more or less a knife, on him?
My mind was a whirlwind of emotions as I hastily sat him down, whispering words of reassurance to him. I knew it was probably in self defense. I knew that chances are they were dead by now, or at least dying. But still…
"What happened?" I asked, keeping a calm, collected mask over myself as I found ointments and bandages.
"D-damn…humans…" he stammered, coughing. "I hope they're all burning…"
Green eyes, glinting with a sort of anger and hurt pride, watched me intently.
"You're going to need to take your shirt off," I muttered matter-of-factually. He looked at me for a moment, didn't protest, but hesitated none the less, before slowly pulling it over his head, muttering curses all the while.
I didn't know whether to sigh wistfully or shake my head.
And then, as he tossed the bloody, black mess to the ground, I slowly, gently began to wrap the bandages around him.
His form had disappeared behind the buildings and stands once more. He was gone. After all that, after all we had been through, he was leaving me. Did he know what he was doing to me on the inside?
Did he care?
*
"Ah…ah…AH…!"
The light of the new morning streamed eagerly through my window, making freshly spilled blood glisten so beautifully in the dawn. I laughed, took up the already bloodied knife, and slashed at myself again, wincing only slightly as steel tore through flesh.
Blood splattered onto the fake white sheets, washing them, cleansing them of all the lies, all the masks, revealing the true, pure black beneath it all.
"I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I HATE YOU?!" I screamed all the while, ripping, tearing, slashing away at myself. Inside of me, he cried out in pain as my knife slashed through my flesh and his heart.
"STOP IT!" he cried in response, on his knees before me, begging.
"I hate you…" was all I could manage to say in reply, drawing nearer again, plunging the blade into his gut.
Blood streamed down my arms, through my fingers, drying around the hilt of the knife.
"I hate you and your lies…you and all the things you've done to Kharl-sama!" For a split second I could only wonder if anyone else could hear me. I didn't care. Inside my mind, all I could see were those violet eyes.
So painful.
So painful.
Their gaze hurt so much.
I looked into the mirror. The sheets of my bed were stained with crimson red, jagged slashes crossed my arms, my legs, my chest. It didn't hurt…no, I didn't feel a thing…
He faltered, fell at my feet, blood seeping from his chest and forming puddles around my boots. Slowly, slowly, I clenched the knife and drew closer, holding my breath. There was silence, nothing but the sound of footsteps in my mind.
And laughter. Crazed, amused laughter.
He was laughing as he sat up, blood still flowing freely from the gaping wound in his chest. Smiling, he stared at me, I could feel bloodied fingertips touch my face. It was so real…
I screamed and lashed out at him once more. The blow was weaker. The pain was dulled, my vision blurred.
Somewhere inside of me, I could hear another stifled scream of pain, outside I could hear footsteps.
The room swam, my finger loosened the grasp on the knife as I fell. Everything was so blurry…
The sound of the door being thrown open, Mila's frightened shriek, it was all so far away. The world was a swirl of colors as she rushed to my side, my skin totally numb to her touch as she gently lifted me from the floor where I had fallen.
All I could hear was that laughter…his words chilled me.
"You don't get it, do you? My lies are your lies, too…we are one in the same…"
No, NO, NO! We weren't the same…we weren't the same…
"I would never lie to Kharl-sama…" The words left my lips, soft and slurred. "It hurts too much…"
"Kaitin?!" Mila cried, shaking me, but I was already too far gone. "KAITIN?!"
No…no, that's not my name. That's not my name…it's Garfakcy. Garfakcy. Just Garfakcy…
*
I looked around the room one last time, letting a heavy sigh escape me. Nothing was left behind everything packed up.
Everything? I reached into my pocket, my hand meeting what money I had left. Yes, everything.
There was no more point in staying. He had something here…no more room for me. It was okay…really.
I was content with watching from afar…really I was.
Or at least, that's what I kept telling myself. That's what I wanted to believe. But then…
My hand gently, desperately clutched my heart.
…then why this pain?
BANG!
I jumped backwards, stumbling and tripping over my own feet, landing in a heap on the old wooden floor.
There, glaring at me, was that girl I had seen Garfakcy with earlier. Her face was red with cried tears, her eyes shone with resentment and rage.
"You!" she cried, stomping angrily towards me. "What did you do to him?!"
I stared at her for a moment, still trying to recover from the fall and the scare I had taken. She was wearing a ring on her finger as well…figures.
"I have no idea what you're talking about…" I replied, trying to restrain the pain inside of me as I slowly sat up.
"You know full well what I'm talking about, you bastard!" she hissed. "MY Kaitin's unconscious right now! Unconscious from all the blood that spilled from wounds he put there! Dozens of them!"
I tried my best to remain indifferent…tried, tried, tried…
She had begun to cry again, her words broken apart and strewn about the room. "H-he mentioned…he mentioned a Kharl…I just want to know what happened…"
"And how do you know I'm this Kharl he spoke of?" I asked, making my way towards the door. She jumped in front of me, refusing to move.
"Ari…that little boy downstairs…he said your name was Kharl. He told me you were an old friend of Kaitin's…"
"And you believe a child?"
She nodded and sniffled.
My façade was slipping away, giving way to what lie beneath. I took another step towards the door, her eyes fixed on me the entire time. I stopped, unsure of what to say next. My hand reached for the door knob, and finally, finally I turned to her and let the words flow forth.
"I did nothing…nothing but fall in love with him…"
She moved, but not without glaring daggers at me. I opened the door, but only an inch before I stopped myself for a split second.
"May I speak to him before I go?"
She did nothing but nod and point at a door down the hall.
"Thank-you," I muttered, slowly pushing the door open.
The scent of his blood met me there. Bloodstains on the floor, on the bed, all I could see was blood.
Blood.
But Garfakcy was gone…
*
My arms covered in bloodied bandages, a kitchen knife hidden underneath my vest…I must have been quite a sight to all those who passed me on the street.
"You…!"
I faltered for a moment…were they calling out to me? No, no, I shook my head and kept going.
"In the bandages…come over here for a moment. It isn't nice to ignore people!" They were calling out to me. But who? I stopped and turned to see a girl standing across the street from me. Her violet eyes reminded me of Kharl-sama.
"The stars have said interesting things about you…you wouldn't mind having your fortune told, now would you?"
Fortune telling…I still couldn't see how people could make any living at all off of it. All scams.
"It won't be long…and its free of charge…"
"Than why offer?" I asked, looking at her suspiciously.
"I told you already!" she replied, looking ready to step on my toe. Or something like that. Probably didn't know I had a knife with me. "The stars said interesting things about you…"
I opened my mouth to object once more, but before I could, I found myself inside the small stand.
There was another girl, older that the first, seated at a small table. I saw no cards with her, nor a crystal ball or anything of the sorts.
"You wouldn't want to tell my fortune by reading my palms…" I muttered, holding up a hand wrapped in bandages.
"We do nothing of the sort." the girl at the table, replied. She didn't raise her voice, but she looked pissed off nonetheless. "Stop assuming."
The other girl behind me giggled.
"Then what do you do, then?" I asked.
She smiled cheerfully yet mysteriously. "The human spirit betrays more than it thinks it does…"
I was shoved gently into a chair facing her, a cheerful smile on her face all the while. Taking my hands, she closed her eyes.
"You've lived longer than you should have…you've cheated time…"
I took in a quick breath. She continued.
"You want to return to the truth, as does your heart…"
She was right…she was all too right.
"In the near future, you will. But…"
She stopped, her eyelids fluttering, as if she was seeing something terrible or fantastic. I watched her intently.
"But what?"
"But it will claim your life…by the new moon, you will be dead."
"And the new moon comes around the day after next!" the younger girl smiled, holding up a pocket calendar.
"Silence, Hisoka! You're distracting me!" She released my hands for a moment and gave the girl a solid whack over the head.
"Ite! Cho, that hurrrt!!!"
A deadly glare and the girl was silenced.
"Excuse the interruption…" she smiled at me again and resumed. "As I was saying, by the new moon you will be dead. But you will die by the side of the one you love most…"
My hands came down hard on the table. It didn't take long for what the girl had told me to sink in.
Dead? In two days? I did not trust these fortune tellers, but somehow their predictions struck a sour note with me. More so than usual.
"Thank-you very much for your time!" Hisoka smiled, holding up a dish of small candies. I silently refused and made my way for the door.
Dead in two days…by Kharl-sama's side...
To be continued...
Author's Note:: That be our last cameo for this fic...the fortune tellers are my IRL friend, Pie, and the wonderful Hiso-chan! *waves* Hiya, peoples! XD
No one was taking him. He was leaving on his own will. I didn't make a move to follow him, I didn't call out. I just watched him walk away, my hand drawing that small velvet box out of my pocket. Fingers slowly ran over its soft fabric, slowly, mournfully opened its lid.
Inside, the chain still remained perfectly laid out on its tiny cushion of cloth. Hastily I pulled it out, clutched it tight in my in hands and closed my eyes. But I didn't cry. Tears seemed so futile now…
"Garfakcy…
Garfakcy…my Garfakcy…
Why?"
He stumbled through the door that day, his tiny hands clutched desperately over his chest, blood seeping from in between his fingers.
"Garfakcy!"
Quickly I was at his side, kneeling down and gently prying away his hands to examine the wounds.
They were deep, frighteningly deep.
Suddenly vicious anger blazed inside of me. Who had done this to him? Who would dare do this to him? Who would dare lay a finger, more or less a knife, on him?
My mind was a whirlwind of emotions as I hastily sat him down, whispering words of reassurance to him. I knew it was probably in self defense. I knew that chances are they were dead by now, or at least dying. But still…
"What happened?" I asked, keeping a calm, collected mask over myself as I found ointments and bandages.
"D-damn…humans…" he stammered, coughing. "I hope they're all burning…"
Green eyes, glinting with a sort of anger and hurt pride, watched me intently.
"You're going to need to take your shirt off," I muttered matter-of-factually. He looked at me for a moment, didn't protest, but hesitated none the less, before slowly pulling it over his head, muttering curses all the while.
I didn't know whether to sigh wistfully or shake my head.
And then, as he tossed the bloody, black mess to the ground, I slowly, gently began to wrap the bandages around him.
His form had disappeared behind the buildings and stands once more. He was gone. After all that, after all we had been through, he was leaving me. Did he know what he was doing to me on the inside?
Did he care?
"Ah…ah…AH…!"
The light of the new morning streamed eagerly through my window, making freshly spilled blood glisten so beautifully in the dawn. I laughed, took up the already bloodied knife, and slashed at myself again, wincing only slightly as steel tore through flesh.
Blood splattered onto the fake white sheets, washing them, cleansing them of all the lies, all the masks, revealing the true, pure black beneath it all.
"I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I HATE YOU?!" I screamed all the while, ripping, tearing, slashing away at myself. Inside of me, he cried out in pain as my knife slashed through my flesh and his heart.
"STOP IT!" he cried in response, on his knees before me, begging.
"I hate you…" was all I could manage to say in reply, drawing nearer again, plunging the blade into his gut.
Blood streamed down my arms, through my fingers, drying around the hilt of the knife.
"I hate you and your lies…you and all the things you've done to Kharl-sama!" For a split second I could only wonder if anyone else could hear me. I didn't care. Inside my mind, all I could see were those violet eyes.
So painful.
So painful.
Their gaze hurt so much.
I looked into the mirror. The sheets of my bed were stained with crimson red, jagged slashes crossed my arms, my legs, my chest. It didn't hurt…no, I didn't feel a thing…
He faltered, fell at my feet, blood seeping from his chest and forming puddles around my boots. Slowly, slowly, I clenched the knife and drew closer, holding my breath. There was silence, nothing but the sound of footsteps in my mind.
And laughter. Crazed, amused laughter.
He was laughing as he sat up, blood still flowing freely from the gaping wound in his chest. Smiling, he stared at me, I could feel bloodied fingertips touch my face. It was so real…
I screamed and lashed out at him once more. The blow was weaker. The pain was dulled, my vision blurred.
Somewhere inside of me, I could hear another stifled scream of pain, outside I could hear footsteps.
The room swam, my finger loosened the grasp on the knife as I fell. Everything was so blurry…
The sound of the door being thrown open, Mila's frightened shriek, it was all so far away. The world was a swirl of colors as she rushed to my side, my skin totally numb to her touch as she gently lifted me from the floor where I had fallen.
All I could hear was that laughter…his words chilled me.
"You don't get it, do you? My lies are your lies, too…we are one in the same…"
No, NO, NO! We weren't the same…we weren't the same…
"I would never lie to Kharl-sama…" The words left my lips, soft and slurred. "It hurts too much…"
"Kaitin?!" Mila cried, shaking me, but I was already too far gone. "KAITIN?!"
No…no, that's not my name. That's not my name…it's Garfakcy. Garfakcy. Just Garfakcy…
I looked around the room one last time, letting a heavy sigh escape me. Nothing was left behind everything packed up.
Everything? I reached into my pocket, my hand meeting what money I had left. Yes, everything.
There was no more point in staying. He had something here…no more room for me. It was okay…really.
I was content with watching from afar…really I was.
Or at least, that's what I kept telling myself. That's what I wanted to believe. But then…
My hand gently, desperately clutched my heart.
…then why this pain?
BANG!
I jumped backwards, stumbling and tripping over my own feet, landing in a heap on the old wooden floor.
There, glaring at me, was that girl I had seen Garfakcy with earlier. Her face was red with cried tears, her eyes shone with resentment and rage.
"You!" she cried, stomping angrily towards me. "What did you do to him?!"
I stared at her for a moment, still trying to recover from the fall and the scare I had taken. She was wearing a ring on her finger as well…figures.
"I have no idea what you're talking about…" I replied, trying to restrain the pain inside of me as I slowly sat up.
"You know full well what I'm talking about, you bastard!" she hissed. "MY Kaitin's unconscious right now! Unconscious from all the blood that spilled from wounds he put there! Dozens of them!"
I tried my best to remain indifferent…tried, tried, tried…
She had begun to cry again, her words broken apart and strewn about the room. "H-he mentioned…he mentioned a Kharl…I just want to know what happened…"
"And how do you know I'm this Kharl he spoke of?" I asked, making my way towards the door. She jumped in front of me, refusing to move.
"Ari…that little boy downstairs…he said your name was Kharl. He told me you were an old friend of Kaitin's…"
"And you believe a child?"
She nodded and sniffled.
My façade was slipping away, giving way to what lie beneath. I took another step towards the door, her eyes fixed on me the entire time. I stopped, unsure of what to say next. My hand reached for the door knob, and finally, finally I turned to her and let the words flow forth.
"I did nothing…nothing but fall in love with him…"
She moved, but not without glaring daggers at me. I opened the door, but only an inch before I stopped myself for a split second.
"May I speak to him before I go?"
She did nothing but nod and point at a door down the hall.
"Thank-you," I muttered, slowly pushing the door open.
The scent of his blood met me there. Bloodstains on the floor, on the bed, all I could see was blood.
Blood.
But Garfakcy was gone…
My arms covered in bloodied bandages, a kitchen knife hidden underneath my vest…I must have been quite a sight to all those who passed me on the street.
"You…!"
I faltered for a moment…were they calling out to me? No, no, I shook my head and kept going.
"In the bandages…come over here for a moment. It isn't nice to ignore people!" They were calling out to me. But who? I stopped and turned to see a girl standing across the street from me. Her violet eyes reminded me of Kharl-sama.
"The stars have said interesting things about you…you wouldn't mind having your fortune told, now would you?"
Fortune telling…I still couldn't see how people could make any living at all off of it. All scams.
"It won't be long…and its free of charge…"
"Than why offer?" I asked, looking at her suspiciously.
"I told you already!" she replied, looking ready to step on my toe. Or something like that. Probably didn't know I had a knife with me. "The stars said interesting things about you…"
I opened my mouth to object once more, but before I could, I found myself inside the small stand.
There was another girl, older that the first, seated at a small table. I saw no cards with her, nor a crystal ball or anything of the sorts.
"You wouldn't want to tell my fortune by reading my palms…" I muttered, holding up a hand wrapped in bandages.
"We do nothing of the sort." the girl at the table, replied. She didn't raise her voice, but she looked pissed off nonetheless. "Stop assuming."
The other girl behind me giggled.
"Then what do you do, then?" I asked.
She smiled cheerfully yet mysteriously. "The human spirit betrays more than it thinks it does…"
I was shoved gently into a chair facing her, a cheerful smile on her face all the while. Taking my hands, she closed her eyes.
"You've lived longer than you should have…you've cheated time…"
I took in a quick breath. She continued.
"You want to return to the truth, as does your heart…"
She was right…she was all too right.
"In the near future, you will. But…"
She stopped, her eyelids fluttering, as if she was seeing something terrible or fantastic. I watched her intently.
"But what?"
"But it will claim your life…by the new moon, you will be dead."
"And the new moon comes around the day after next!" the younger girl smiled, holding up a pocket calendar.
"Silence, Hisoka! You're distracting me!" She released my hands for a moment and gave the girl a solid whack over the head.
"Ite! Cho, that hurrrt!!!"
A deadly glare and the girl was silenced.
"Excuse the interruption…" she smiled at me again and resumed. "As I was saying, by the new moon you will be dead. But you will die by the side of the one you love most…"
My hands came down hard on the table. It didn't take long for what the girl had told me to sink in.
Dead? In two days? I did not trust these fortune tellers, but somehow their predictions struck a sour note with me. More so than usual.
"Thank-you very much for your time!" Hisoka smiled, holding up a dish of small candies. I silently refused and made my way for the door.
Dead in two days…by Kharl-sama's side...
To be continued...
Author's Note:: That be our last cameo for this fic...the fortune tellers are my IRL friend, Pie, and the wonderful Hiso-chan! *waves* Hiya, peoples! XD