It's a Secret
***
By: Ryoko
***
Track 01:02:00
***
"Don't be afraid. I'm not letting them touch you." Haru whispered to the pre-teen in his arms. "Over my dead BODY they'll take you away from me this time."
"Momiji, Yuki, Let's go down first." Ayame announced quietly, more of a plead than an order.
"No." he pushed himself off of the wall, walking towards the door. "I'll go first. I want you three to just follow and make sure, when I go black, that I don't end up killing anybody. NOBODY is taking this girl away from me."
That was it. His kind, gentle, and laid-back aura was gone. No replaced with the dark, overprotective and bloodthirsty one that Yuki had seen before.
Hatsuharu growled to himself, stopping at the top of the stairs.
"Take her. Don't you DARE let her go." He handed off Ashura to Momiji, who took her into his arms without a word of protest.
***
When he reached the bottom of the staircase, it felt like high noon in one of those old western movies . . . and he was the guy that was gonna get whooped, because HE was outnumbered.
Five or six police officers, A DCF agent, Hatori, Shigure, Kyou, and Mr. And Mrs. Minamoto . . . all against Hatsuharu.
"Hatsuharu. You know exactly why we're all here. And exactly what is going to happen because of your actions." Hatori said plainly.
He stood there, emotionless, as one police officer approached him, pulling out his handcuffs. "Sohma Hatsuharu, I'm placing you under arrest for assault in the second degree and the kidnapping of Ashura Minamoto. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and WILL be used against you in a court of law." The cuffs locked around his wrists loosely. "You have the right to an attorney or the court will provide you with- "
"Shut the fuck UP! Give ME a damn say in this first! Of course I deserve the handcuffs and all, but at least look at what THAT bastard did, to his own DAUGHTER, first! Don't just hold ME in contempt! HE'S just as guilty; and can be accused for a HELL of a lot more than I could DREAM of!" The juunishi growled, glaring at the officer. "Go on! Take a look at that girl! She's covered in bruises, scars and burns. Go on! I DARE ya to go look at her back. Go on! Do it!"
"You have no authority-"
"Just DO IT!"
The large group all turned to the officer, being screamed at, and then at Momiji, who was still holding the girl in question.
Taking matters into her own hands, Ashura jumped out of the blonde's arms and landed on her feet, whispering something to him, then turning around.
Obediently, Momiji unbuttoned the back of her shirt until it was around the small of her back.
The cloth fell limply over her shoulders, being held up only by her tiny arms.
The policeman walked over toward her, kneeling down and inspecting the burns.
"Do you have any proof that Mr. and/or Mrs. Minamoto are responsible for these markings?" he turned around, signaling the rest of the group closer.
While they inspected her back, Momiji's hand cradled the back of her head as she leaned on him, his other arm holding up the bottom of the shirt so she didn't get chilled.
Even Hatori inspected the scars, noting just how deep they were, and how severe the burns were.
"With the depth of the scars as deep as they are, they were clearly made with a pocket knife, and could've easily killed her. These burn marks aren't the doing of an accident, nor that of a cigarette; they were intentional and pretty severe. They cooked away most of the nerves in that area."
"Mommy and daddy did it." She gathered up enough courage to let those words out at last, not caring what happened now.
"They DID?" The DCF agent looked behind himself at the couple. They DID appear to be the kind that would do something like that . . . but to a child- no- their own DAUGHTER?
"Daddy hides a lighter in his car, his back pocket and in his wallet. All three of them are orange. He uses them to punish me when he says I'm a bad girl." Immediately, two officers went to retrieve the lighters, finding the girl correct, also noting that the lighter fluid was quite low in all of them, and there were no cigarettes found in the car, which usually with smokers, there's ALWAYS a spare pack in the car somewhere.
"Mommy uses her pocketknife to punish me. She says that I was a mistake, and cuts me." The child tilted her head over slightly, letting the group see the scars under her chin, the one's that could've killed her.
The same two officers also retrieved the knife from the woman, finding the girl to be correct once again.
"Well now . . . Ashura, did THEY give you these bruises?" the DCF agent kneeled down, pointing to the bruises all over her face and arms, as well as the partially blank eye.
She nodded without regret.
The man sighed, standing and pulling out a pair of handcuffs, signaling the officers to do the same, while snapping them onto Ashura's father.
***
"It'll be okay now, Ashura." Ayame whispered, kneeling down and pulling the girl into his arms. "Nobody's ever going to hurt you again."
***
"Mr. And Mrs. Minamoto, I'm placing you under arrest on the charge of child abuse, neglect and assault." He announced, ignoring the rest of the group and pushing them out the door.
"Let's go." The officer behind Hatsuharu murmured, nudging the teenager forward.
Ashura leapt from Ayame's embrace and ran for the oushi, tears streaking her face. "Daddy! NO!" she cried, grabbing hold of his belt.
"Little one, let go. It's alright." He flashed her a fake smile. "I'll be back before you know it."
***
Game Over?
Continue?
***
By: Ryoko
***
Track 01:02:00
***
"Don't be afraid. I'm not letting them touch you." Haru whispered to the pre-teen in his arms. "Over my dead BODY they'll take you away from me this time."
"Momiji, Yuki, Let's go down first." Ayame announced quietly, more of a plead than an order.
"No." he pushed himself off of the wall, walking towards the door. "I'll go first. I want you three to just follow and make sure, when I go black, that I don't end up killing anybody. NOBODY is taking this girl away from me."
That was it. His kind, gentle, and laid-back aura was gone. No replaced with the dark, overprotective and bloodthirsty one that Yuki had seen before.
Hatsuharu growled to himself, stopping at the top of the stairs.
"Take her. Don't you DARE let her go." He handed off Ashura to Momiji, who took her into his arms without a word of protest.
***
When he reached the bottom of the staircase, it felt like high noon in one of those old western movies . . . and he was the guy that was gonna get whooped, because HE was outnumbered.
Five or six police officers, A DCF agent, Hatori, Shigure, Kyou, and Mr. And Mrs. Minamoto . . . all against Hatsuharu.
"Hatsuharu. You know exactly why we're all here. And exactly what is going to happen because of your actions." Hatori said plainly.
He stood there, emotionless, as one police officer approached him, pulling out his handcuffs. "Sohma Hatsuharu, I'm placing you under arrest for assault in the second degree and the kidnapping of Ashura Minamoto. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and WILL be used against you in a court of law." The cuffs locked around his wrists loosely. "You have the right to an attorney or the court will provide you with- "
"Shut the fuck UP! Give ME a damn say in this first! Of course I deserve the handcuffs and all, but at least look at what THAT bastard did, to his own DAUGHTER, first! Don't just hold ME in contempt! HE'S just as guilty; and can be accused for a HELL of a lot more than I could DREAM of!" The juunishi growled, glaring at the officer. "Go on! Take a look at that girl! She's covered in bruises, scars and burns. Go on! I DARE ya to go look at her back. Go on! Do it!"
"You have no authority-"
"Just DO IT!"
The large group all turned to the officer, being screamed at, and then at Momiji, who was still holding the girl in question.
Taking matters into her own hands, Ashura jumped out of the blonde's arms and landed on her feet, whispering something to him, then turning around.
Obediently, Momiji unbuttoned the back of her shirt until it was around the small of her back.
The cloth fell limply over her shoulders, being held up only by her tiny arms.
The policeman walked over toward her, kneeling down and inspecting the burns.
"Do you have any proof that Mr. and/or Mrs. Minamoto are responsible for these markings?" he turned around, signaling the rest of the group closer.
While they inspected her back, Momiji's hand cradled the back of her head as she leaned on him, his other arm holding up the bottom of the shirt so she didn't get chilled.
Even Hatori inspected the scars, noting just how deep they were, and how severe the burns were.
"With the depth of the scars as deep as they are, they were clearly made with a pocket knife, and could've easily killed her. These burn marks aren't the doing of an accident, nor that of a cigarette; they were intentional and pretty severe. They cooked away most of the nerves in that area."
"Mommy and daddy did it." She gathered up enough courage to let those words out at last, not caring what happened now.
"They DID?" The DCF agent looked behind himself at the couple. They DID appear to be the kind that would do something like that . . . but to a child- no- their own DAUGHTER?
"Daddy hides a lighter in his car, his back pocket and in his wallet. All three of them are orange. He uses them to punish me when he says I'm a bad girl." Immediately, two officers went to retrieve the lighters, finding the girl correct, also noting that the lighter fluid was quite low in all of them, and there were no cigarettes found in the car, which usually with smokers, there's ALWAYS a spare pack in the car somewhere.
"Mommy uses her pocketknife to punish me. She says that I was a mistake, and cuts me." The child tilted her head over slightly, letting the group see the scars under her chin, the one's that could've killed her.
The same two officers also retrieved the knife from the woman, finding the girl to be correct once again.
"Well now . . . Ashura, did THEY give you these bruises?" the DCF agent kneeled down, pointing to the bruises all over her face and arms, as well as the partially blank eye.
She nodded without regret.
The man sighed, standing and pulling out a pair of handcuffs, signaling the officers to do the same, while snapping them onto Ashura's father.
***
"It'll be okay now, Ashura." Ayame whispered, kneeling down and pulling the girl into his arms. "Nobody's ever going to hurt you again."
***
"Mr. And Mrs. Minamoto, I'm placing you under arrest on the charge of child abuse, neglect and assault." He announced, ignoring the rest of the group and pushing them out the door.
"Let's go." The officer behind Hatsuharu murmured, nudging the teenager forward.
Ashura leapt from Ayame's embrace and ran for the oushi, tears streaking her face. "Daddy! NO!" she cried, grabbing hold of his belt.
"Little one, let go. It's alright." He flashed her a fake smile. "I'll be back before you know it."
***
Game Over?
Continue?