My goodness! It has been desperately long, hasn't it? Yeah, yeah, I know I
said I would have this out before spring break ended, but I kind of didn't.
On the bright side, I think this is one of the best chapters yet (I hope!)
A lot happens, and it'll only get better, action wise. I've finally decided
on my ending (I suck at planning) and like it! Yeah! Oh! And, there should
be only one or two more chapters before the story is concluded. Sob.
Sorry! Just one more thing I wanted to share! I was recently in a one-act festival and received outstanding achievement in acting for my role and our director received outstanding achievement in directing! Yeah!!! (
Disclaimer; I wear a toque, not a hat. I own a chesterfield, not a couch and pronounce it "zed". Not, "Zee", "Zed"! Nowhere here do I claim ownership of the wonderfully non-Canadian Manga/Anime by Naoko Takeuchi and rights distributed to crappy censorship artists like DIC and Cloverway. Don't sue; you don't want what I don't got. Thanks.
She couldn't think. She couldn't act. She could do nothing but stare. Dan took two steps forward. Something in the back of her mind cried with relief. 'The truth will set you free Usa. Mamoru cares for you. He'll understand.he'll help!'
Her eyes traveled up, and caught his gaze. A breath caught in her throat. He was ashamed.
"Mamo-chan." her voice sounded thick and husky. Dan settled beside her, wrapped his arms around her, and tilted her chin to face him.
"Hush now, pet."
Mamoru felt his arms seize. Adrenaline coursed through his veins.
"It seems your new friend has betrayed you. I told you so, though, hadn't I?" his eyes rolled sideways, perching on the fiend. "The only one you can trust is I. The only one who cares is I." His lips brushed across her forehead, lingering longer than was necessary. Suddenly, it all came together.
"Y-you.s-sick." A hate the like he'd never before swelled in his mind, jumbling his words. "Sick, bastard! Take your hands of her, NOW!" he bellowed.
Dan smiled, amused.
"No." Usagi squirmed uncomfortably beneath her uncle's hold.
"Please," she whispered. "Uncle, stop." Attempting to detach herself from him, she leaned away. He refused. Clutching her arm tightly, he pulled her deeper into him.
"Now, Mamoru-san. I am sure we can all agree you've caused your share of trouble here today. I invited you in be the goodness of my heart," he furrowed his brows, "and you've repaid me how? By trying to poison the mind of my darling niece against me." Planting another kiss on the meek teen, he continued. "I will have to more of your treachery. I trust you to find your way to the door. Usa-chan and I have some, 'business' to attend to." Usagi merely whimpered.
Mamoru stood frozen, anger sculpted into his very stance. He trembled at the site, yet stood undecided. This was technically not his place to react, and he had no concrete proof to back up his suspicions. As Dan drew the young girl closer, however, and whispered in ways unthinkable to any parent, he knew his decision was made.
Before his mind even registered the action, he was on the other side of the room with Dan locked beneath his arms.
"You filthy," his fist pounded into the older man's snickering face. "Perverted," he dragged Dan upwards and without pause delivered several well-deserved kicks into his abdomen. "Son of a bitch!" Anger not yet subsiding, he lifted the now barely-conscious man and heaved him out the door.
"MAMORU-SAN!" cried Usagi. "Stop! You'll kill him!" Her screams followed them both as the raced out the door, each trying to find the man first. No contest, Mamoru was the first to reach him.
The sound of wood cracking resonated through Usagi's mind as Dan's body soared over the banister and landed with an empty thud. "No." she shook. She paid no heed to Mamoru as she ran past him and down the stairs. Gently lifting his head onto her lap, she dabbed at his bloodied face. "Uncle."she whispered. "Uncle, wake up!"
Mamoru stood silently beside her, his breathing heavy. Dread filled him as the consequences of his actions reached his mind.
"Oh, my god." Usagi looked desperately for any signs of life, but found none. She stood slowly. No tears fell from her eyes as she turned to face the other man.
"Murderer," came her murmur. He stood silent, gazing at her fearfully.
"Murderer,' she repeated, harsher than the last. He stepped back. "Murderer! Murderer! MURDERER!" She screamed. Over and over the same word until her voce broke into sobs and her legs began to fail her. Cushioning her fall, he allowed her fists to pound weakly against him until all movement ceased.
Tense moments passed, and in the hall, the chiming of the grandfather clock alerted them of the time. Everywhere else in Tokyo, families would sit together for supper, chatting innocently away. Everywhere, that is, save the Tsukino residence.
"Usa-"
"Does it make me bad?" Mamoru looked down at the quiet sigh.
"What?" She paused.
"That I'm not crying because of uncle?" A sense of relief passed him.
"What are you crying for?" She pulled slightly away.
"I'm afraid."
"Of what?" She stood shakily and took a step toward the bloodied figure.
"Of him." Mamoru reached out and covered her hand in his.
"I'll always protect you. Your safe now." He enveloped her into his embrace.
"How cute." Usagi and Mamoru spun around, clinging still to one another. The sight before them sent ripples of fear through both their hearts.
"Impossible." The corpse chuckled airily. They watched in horror as he began to float over the floor, levitating himself a little over his natural height. Crimson seemed to flow everywhere from him; ears, nose, mouth. With each terrible, rasping breath, little spurts carried through the air.
His head hung unnaturally to one side and one limb seemed attached by skin alone. His eyes, though, were the most disturbing. Unlike the rest of him, they were dangerously alive. They darted busily through his head, rolling into its dank depths and then returning to light. Finally they stopped spinning, and settled upon their prey. A sinister grin swept over his face, creating a ghastly expression.
"So," he; it, wheezed. "You want to play with me, huh Mamoru?" he stabbed the name with revulsion.
Mamoru stood petrified, his brain desperately trying to reason with the situation.
He could register Usagi at his side, nor any other outside distraction save the monstrosity. "Not so brave now, are you, Prince."
Recognition flashed before Usagi's eyes, but before her mind could solve the puzzle, Dan reacted. "Pet. My precious, precious Princess." His corpse slithered around them both. Arching its shoulders in annoyance, he gurgled. "You two never were very bright." Nudging the stoic male with a limp arm, he continued. "You should have joined when you had the chance. And you," his mask inched terrifyingly close to the dismayed female. Another snigger choked its way out. "You should have listened."
Suddenly, his jaws flew open, and a dark, smoldering fog crawled from his rotting foundation. Through his mind, a screaming chant resonated. Instinctively reaching for Usagi, he was startled to see her gone.
The jog swirled mystically around him, cutting off his view completely.
"Usa?" He cried. "Usagi!" louder, he thought. "USAGI!!" His world darkened, his ears deafened, and the last thought rang clear through his mind; Kami-sama, protect her!
You like? Review! You don't? Review! Having a bad day? Review!!! FOR GOD'S SAKE, (and my sanity) REVIEW!!!
Special thanks to Mikonally for pitying my dusty inbox :P
Sorry! Just one more thing I wanted to share! I was recently in a one-act festival and received outstanding achievement in acting for my role and our director received outstanding achievement in directing! Yeah!!! (
Disclaimer; I wear a toque, not a hat. I own a chesterfield, not a couch and pronounce it "zed". Not, "Zee", "Zed"! Nowhere here do I claim ownership of the wonderfully non-Canadian Manga/Anime by Naoko Takeuchi and rights distributed to crappy censorship artists like DIC and Cloverway. Don't sue; you don't want what I don't got. Thanks.
She couldn't think. She couldn't act. She could do nothing but stare. Dan took two steps forward. Something in the back of her mind cried with relief. 'The truth will set you free Usa. Mamoru cares for you. He'll understand.he'll help!'
Her eyes traveled up, and caught his gaze. A breath caught in her throat. He was ashamed.
"Mamo-chan." her voice sounded thick and husky. Dan settled beside her, wrapped his arms around her, and tilted her chin to face him.
"Hush now, pet."
Mamoru felt his arms seize. Adrenaline coursed through his veins.
"It seems your new friend has betrayed you. I told you so, though, hadn't I?" his eyes rolled sideways, perching on the fiend. "The only one you can trust is I. The only one who cares is I." His lips brushed across her forehead, lingering longer than was necessary. Suddenly, it all came together.
"Y-you.s-sick." A hate the like he'd never before swelled in his mind, jumbling his words. "Sick, bastard! Take your hands of her, NOW!" he bellowed.
Dan smiled, amused.
"No." Usagi squirmed uncomfortably beneath her uncle's hold.
"Please," she whispered. "Uncle, stop." Attempting to detach herself from him, she leaned away. He refused. Clutching her arm tightly, he pulled her deeper into him.
"Now, Mamoru-san. I am sure we can all agree you've caused your share of trouble here today. I invited you in be the goodness of my heart," he furrowed his brows, "and you've repaid me how? By trying to poison the mind of my darling niece against me." Planting another kiss on the meek teen, he continued. "I will have to more of your treachery. I trust you to find your way to the door. Usa-chan and I have some, 'business' to attend to." Usagi merely whimpered.
Mamoru stood frozen, anger sculpted into his very stance. He trembled at the site, yet stood undecided. This was technically not his place to react, and he had no concrete proof to back up his suspicions. As Dan drew the young girl closer, however, and whispered in ways unthinkable to any parent, he knew his decision was made.
Before his mind even registered the action, he was on the other side of the room with Dan locked beneath his arms.
"You filthy," his fist pounded into the older man's snickering face. "Perverted," he dragged Dan upwards and without pause delivered several well-deserved kicks into his abdomen. "Son of a bitch!" Anger not yet subsiding, he lifted the now barely-conscious man and heaved him out the door.
"MAMORU-SAN!" cried Usagi. "Stop! You'll kill him!" Her screams followed them both as the raced out the door, each trying to find the man first. No contest, Mamoru was the first to reach him.
The sound of wood cracking resonated through Usagi's mind as Dan's body soared over the banister and landed with an empty thud. "No." she shook. She paid no heed to Mamoru as she ran past him and down the stairs. Gently lifting his head onto her lap, she dabbed at his bloodied face. "Uncle."she whispered. "Uncle, wake up!"
Mamoru stood silently beside her, his breathing heavy. Dread filled him as the consequences of his actions reached his mind.
"Oh, my god." Usagi looked desperately for any signs of life, but found none. She stood slowly. No tears fell from her eyes as she turned to face the other man.
"Murderer," came her murmur. He stood silent, gazing at her fearfully.
"Murderer,' she repeated, harsher than the last. He stepped back. "Murderer! Murderer! MURDERER!" She screamed. Over and over the same word until her voce broke into sobs and her legs began to fail her. Cushioning her fall, he allowed her fists to pound weakly against him until all movement ceased.
Tense moments passed, and in the hall, the chiming of the grandfather clock alerted them of the time. Everywhere else in Tokyo, families would sit together for supper, chatting innocently away. Everywhere, that is, save the Tsukino residence.
"Usa-"
"Does it make me bad?" Mamoru looked down at the quiet sigh.
"What?" She paused.
"That I'm not crying because of uncle?" A sense of relief passed him.
"What are you crying for?" She pulled slightly away.
"I'm afraid."
"Of what?" She stood shakily and took a step toward the bloodied figure.
"Of him." Mamoru reached out and covered her hand in his.
"I'll always protect you. Your safe now." He enveloped her into his embrace.
"How cute." Usagi and Mamoru spun around, clinging still to one another. The sight before them sent ripples of fear through both their hearts.
"Impossible." The corpse chuckled airily. They watched in horror as he began to float over the floor, levitating himself a little over his natural height. Crimson seemed to flow everywhere from him; ears, nose, mouth. With each terrible, rasping breath, little spurts carried through the air.
His head hung unnaturally to one side and one limb seemed attached by skin alone. His eyes, though, were the most disturbing. Unlike the rest of him, they were dangerously alive. They darted busily through his head, rolling into its dank depths and then returning to light. Finally they stopped spinning, and settled upon their prey. A sinister grin swept over his face, creating a ghastly expression.
"So," he; it, wheezed. "You want to play with me, huh Mamoru?" he stabbed the name with revulsion.
Mamoru stood petrified, his brain desperately trying to reason with the situation.
He could register Usagi at his side, nor any other outside distraction save the monstrosity. "Not so brave now, are you, Prince."
Recognition flashed before Usagi's eyes, but before her mind could solve the puzzle, Dan reacted. "Pet. My precious, precious Princess." His corpse slithered around them both. Arching its shoulders in annoyance, he gurgled. "You two never were very bright." Nudging the stoic male with a limp arm, he continued. "You should have joined when you had the chance. And you," his mask inched terrifyingly close to the dismayed female. Another snigger choked its way out. "You should have listened."
Suddenly, his jaws flew open, and a dark, smoldering fog crawled from his rotting foundation. Through his mind, a screaming chant resonated. Instinctively reaching for Usagi, he was startled to see her gone.
The jog swirled mystically around him, cutting off his view completely.
"Usa?" He cried. "Usagi!" louder, he thought. "USAGI!!" His world darkened, his ears deafened, and the last thought rang clear through his mind; Kami-sama, protect her!
You like? Review! You don't? Review! Having a bad day? Review!!! FOR GOD'S SAKE, (and my sanity) REVIEW!!!
Special thanks to Mikonally for pitying my dusty inbox :P