(12/4/03)

Author's notes: Wow! Five reviews are more than I expected, and more than I'm used to, too. You have my appreciation! ^^

Thanks to Dynast, Cat-Star4, Ganondorf, UAngel05, and Jayekin!

By the way, I'm really sorry if I don't get things right in this chapter--meaning Japanese traditions and such--as I'm a bit unfamiliar with them. Feel free to correct me if I wrote anything wrong. Are the doors called "shoji"? ^^

And . . . I'm starting to think this chapter isn't much longer than the first, if at all. Well, I think there's more dialogue and descriptive words in this one. There certainly was a lack of those in the previous . . .

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.

Warnings: There's nothing to really be worried about here, unless you get scared easily. But I promise there shouldn't be anything about this chapter that I need to warn you about.

EDIT (12/08): The sentence "Misao had been up in her room when Omasu called her . . ." was changed to "Misao had been outside . . ." I think you might know why I changed it. Sorry about that. ^^

The Vacated Mind

Chapter Two

Tick tock tick tock.

The grandfather clock at the end of the dark hallway clicked rhythmically at each second. At the hour, chimes rang through the dusty air, breaking the silence, and at the end of the brief tune, a shush fell once again.

At midnight, Misao awoke to the brassy sound of bells ringing. She listened to it intently, staring up at the ceiling. Before she could realize it, she was listening to a complex symphony of brazen tunes. She shut her eyes tightly, hoping to drain out the sound of blaring, angry instruments and stomping footsteps.

"Stop it," she whispered, not knowing who--or what--exactly she was talking to.

And then it was gone, as if obeying her. Just as the metallic bitterness had faded from the eyes of Misao's new enemies, the music disappeared slowly into the distance.

Yet Misao still did not move even the slightest bit. She knew that it, whatever it was, was still there, waiting hungrily to spring up and attack her the moment she moved.

She quickly swallowed a cry of terror when she heard something scuttle across the floor on the opposite side of the room. However, her effort at silence was wasted when it suddenly flew at her, cracking audibly against her right ankle. It then crashed to the floor upon the impact, leaving Misao scared and out of breath. She heard it crawl away, squeaking. Misao ran her hand across her ankle, feeling two deep gashes.

And cried herself to sleep.

Misao awoke once again at six o'clock that morning. The sun had just risen, pouring rays of light through the window and across the floor.

The floor! What was that on the floor?

"I don't fear you in the daylight," said Misao. She sat up on her futon to prove her point.

But nothing moved.

She squinted her eyes, as they were not yet accustomed to the light. In several spots, almost unnoticeable on the floor, were patches of deep red. Even without a closer look, Misao knew what it was. Suddenly feeling sick, she stepped into her slippers, despite her injured right ankle, and ran into the hallway, dodging splatters of blood.

Should I tell them? Misao contemplated as she made her way outside. Should she tell about the man and his granddaughter? The note? The blood? Should she tell Okina? Aoshi? Omasu? Okon, Shirojou, Kurojou?

Walking down the stone steps, she tripped over a small rock. It instantly shot pain through her right ankle, and she fell to the ground, remembering what had happened that night.

"You're so weak, Misao," she said to herself, glaring ahead, "Can't even stand a little sprained ankle."

She lifted herself off the ground and began to walk, once again regardless of her ankle. She resumed to her thoughts of telling her "family" about the previous events.

"No," Misao concluded aloud a few minutes later. I won't tell them. She kicked a stone with her left foot, and watched it fall down the steps, all the way to the bottom.

But she did tell them, that evening at dinner.

Misao had been outside Omasu called her, but she had stayed there, reading, for a while. She was now eating late. So was Aoshi. And Okina had been out running errands, so he had come in late, too.

There was an awkward silence at the low table where the three sat. Misao shifted her position on the floor and looked around the room uncomfortably. The silence was unbearable. Still, she was glad neither of them were talking to her. Not that Aoshi ever talked to her in the first place.

"So--" Okina began to speak. Misao looked up abruptly, almost knocking over her teacup at the sudden interruption from her thoughts, and some of it splashed onto the table in front of her. Okina looked liked he was about to laugh. Across the table, Aoshi casually sipped his tea.

Misao quickly composed herself. "Yes?" she asked. She cautiously swiped at the spilled tea with her hand.

"So . . . how are you doing?" her 'grandfather' asked with a hint of humor in his voice.

She wanted to glare, but Misao kept her expression steadily calm. "I'm fine," she said. "But--" She didn't know whether to tell him or not.

"I think there was something in my room last night," she blurted out before thinking more on the subject.

Okina smiled. "And what do you suppose it was?"

Does he always act like this? Misao thought. She shrugged to him.

"Then, how do you know there was something there?" he asked with faint amusement.

Misao didn't know why she was letting this get to her, but she felt her face grow red. "I know there was something there! I heard it, Jiya--" She stopped when she saw the smile quickly fade from his face.

"Jiya?" he repeated to himself.

Then, quietly, he said, "Let's go check that room of yours." He stood up and started to walk out of the room. Misao followed.

They did not say a word to each other as they walked. When they got there, Misao carefully slid open the door, and looked around without stepping inside.

The blood was gone.

**

End notes: I really hated writing this, but I'm not going to abandon this story like I did my other two. As long as you all like it, I'm fine . . . So, did you?

Thanks again to the following: Dynast, Cat-Star4, Ganondorf, UAngel05, and Jayekin.

Please review! ^^