Hey guys, great to be back once again. o.o Well, I promised you people a good chapter, and I hope that this one meets your expectations. o.o Anyway, I'm so sorry for the slow updating, it's all this homework piling up on me. Christmas holidays are almost here though, and I look forward to them. x) More updates, y'know... Anyway, I'll shut up now and let you get on with the chapter. n.n
Oh, and there's a little bit of coarse language in this, and some intimate stuff. o.o; It's not really intimate, just some bad-suggesting stuff. XD It's not descriptive though; I'm not that fond of hentai-stuff, whether done in drawing or in writing. x.x; I'm sure that most of you will probably be glad to hear that, and I'm sure that some of you are disappointed. XD; -laughs her head off- o.o 'Scuse me. Oh yeah, this chapter's so insanely dramatic that I think it's going to be horrid. o.o Like, REALLY REALLY horrid. So sorry. e.e
Er, also sorry that there's a lot of 'two months later', and 'five weeks later', and stuff like that, but the fast-forwards are rather relevant. o.o Sorry, I know it must be repetitive, and annoying.
And is it Catherine? o.o;
Chapter 8 A ThreatTime flies when you're having fun, as Chiara observed. Another three fabulous months had passed by, bringing Kai and Chiara to their 'half-year anniversary'. Life had improved so much for Chiara, and all the words in her vocabulary couldn't even add up to begin to thank Kai. If it weren't for him, the Governor Hiwatari would be dogging Chiara's steps. If it weren't for him, the other servants would've ganged up and mauled her for being the 'governor's son's precious little pet'. If it weren't for him, Chiara would've never been able to see her parents. And now, she was given permission to run about as she pleased.
Many times during this period of time, Ray was invited over, or they'd be invited over to Ray's own manor. He treated Chiara like a little sister, watching out for her. The three were often found out in the expansive grounds, with a picnic spread out before them. Or sometimes, they'd be on horses. Well, at least, the two boys would be on horses. Chiara would be content with sitting in front of Kai; she had not learned to ride. Kai was arranging for another horse to be bought. Perhaps a small horse, he had mused, a delicate one, one that won't give her too much trouble.
Of course, as happy as the two were, this didn't mean that they didn't have arguments. Like all couples, they had their share of fights and 'verbal-wars'. Take yesterday, for instance. Chiara had wanted to stroll through the forest alone; Kai wouldn't approve. There were dangers in there, he had argued. Ceramina could hear the fight clear across the hall.
"I'm not a baby, Kai!"
"You're not nearly strong enough to be in there alone!"
"Yeah, well what's the worst that could happen?"
"Hm, let's see... YOU COULD GET RAPED?!"
"I'LL CLIMB A TREE IF THEY TRY IT!"
"THERE'S WOLVES IN THERE!"
"IF I MADE A FIRE, THEY WOULDN'T COME NEAR ME!"
"WHAT'S TO SAY YOU WON'T START A FOREST FIRE?"
"I'M NOT THAT STUPID!"
"OH YEAH?"
"YEAH!"
And it went on and on. Finally, Ceramina had to storm over and yell at them to stop being so immature. It got into another argument, where even the docile Ceramina broke into a temper.
"BUTT OUT OF THIS, CERAMINA!"
"I'M TRYING TO HELP, KAI!"
"YOU LEAVE CERA ALONE, KAI!"
"YOU LEAVE THAT FOREST ALONE!"
"I WANT TO GO!"
"WILL THE TWO OF YOU SHUT UP?!"
That night, Chiara bunked down in Ceramina's room. When the sun rose again to greet another day, Kai, still in a beast of a temper, slammed the door to Ceramina's quarters open and bellowed, "FINE! GO TO THAT STUPID FOREST, AND WALK AROUND, AND IF YOU GET RAPED DON'T COME RUNNING TO ME!" Which, of course, started yet another verbal-war as Chiara yelled back. As it happened, Kai really did let her go, and that's where Chiara is at the moment.
~*~
Being alone in the forest, Chiara had to admit that it was kind of scary. Every time the wind blew, it sent a piercing whisper through the thin brittle branches of the trees. The dry leaves under her feet crunched and cracked; they rolled along with the wind. Chiara's imagination kept bringing monsters and tramps and ugly men into view. She'd blink, and then they'd disappear. But as freaky as it was, the forest was absolutely beautiful. Leaves fell gently from above her, like dry rain. It lent a magical feeling to the silent groves. As she trotted forward, she forgot her fear as she admired the autumn leaves. The oranges, and browns, all melted into a wonderful blanket of fall.
A tuneless song burst forth from her lips as Chiara wandered slowly along, almost laughing at herself. Honestly, molesters, in a beautiful place like this. It was almost stupid. She hummed to herself, bending down to pick up a pretty oak leaf. Studying its shape closer, she frowned.
"It's an ash leaf," she laughed. "Not oak." Tracing the veins of the leaf, she smiled and let it drop; it floated down with the wind. Laughing once again, she twirled around. Since she was no longer a servant, she didn't have to wear the black gown, and she loved the feeling of being able to move around freely, in her new clothes. Over her legs, she wore black cargo pants, with random grayish zippers. Just to spice it up, she had slapped some silver duct-tape upon the thighs. A white t-shirt with a fanged smiley face topped it all off. A fluffy white bandana held her ebony bangs away from her chocolate brown eyes.
Kneeling down, she crawled into a grove of bushes. Chuckling, she reclined upon her knees, letting her fingers wander over the small green leaves. Her smile widened as she spotted a ladybug washing its face. Bending closer, she squinted at the bug, trying to count the spots. One, two, three... She gently prodded the bug, and it made a half-turn, buzzing its wings irately. She laughed softly and went on counting. Four, five, six... Seven. A seven-star ladybug!
Something cold pressed into her neck. Instinctively, she turned sharply, and let out a gasp of pain. That cold something was cutting into her neck. Eyes watering, she reached out a hand and gripped... A hand? Blinking tears away, her heart pounding, she slowly turned around. Her eyes fixed upon the smooth blade of the knife first. Gradually, her mind registered one thing: Knives are sharp. Her body went numb. Only her eyes moved as they gazed fearfully into her attacker's face. A mask covered his face from nose up. His dark brown eyes stared into hers, and he whispered, "Kai's little pet."
The knife rested between her eyes. Chiara trembled. There really are molesters in the forest. Oh, Kai, help me... Blood from the small cut in her neck trickled bit by bit down her chest. It tickled. She would've giggled if she hadn't been paralyzed with fear. Her breaths came short and raspy; she was fighting back the urge to scream. Yet... Even under her frozen panic, flickers of surprise tread over her mind. How does this guy know about her and Kai? All of the servants in Kai's manor were females. The other guys were just the Governor's people. What would they have against her?
"What do you want?" She tried to make her voice sound bold; it came out a high-pitched whimper.
"Oh Chiara," laughed the masked male. "You are so naïve. Isn't it obvious?"
Chiara's eyes widened in surprise as he spoke. He knew her name? And come to think of it, his voice sounded rather familiar... Swallowing around the lump forming her in throat, she snapped, "Listen, just who are you and what do you want?" Anger had replaced her fear; who was this guy to call her naïve? She was not a baby, thank you very much. Summoning her courage, she glared at him, and forcefully shoved him away; it was a miracle that her arms responded, as she was shaking like jelly inside. "Don't you touch me," she hissed.
Laughing again (the sound sent shivers down the girl's back), he gave her a ghoulish grin, allowing himself to be pushed back. "Anything for you, sweetheart," he smirked, ignoring her first two questions. "I won't lay a finger on you... yet." Standing up, he snorted and pocketed his knife. "Leave this forest, Chiara. If you breathe a word of this to that Hiwatari brat, I'll track you down and slit your throat. Got it?"
Without answering, Chiara kicked out hard; her foot connected with the stranger's... Er, a very sensitive part. He let out a yowl of pain and rage, lashing out instinctively with the hand holding the knife. He slashed the frightened girl across the upper chest, and she let out a fearful screech. The stronger male grabbed her around the waist, but she sank her teeth into his forearm, and he let go with another howl. Viciously kicking her face as she fell forward, he sent her sprawling. Chiara's lip was bleeding, and there was a nice purple-black bruise forming on the side of her mouth. Blood trickled from the cut in her chest, but she didn't stop to rest. Freaking out, she grabbed a handful of dirt and hurled it at her attacker. As he swiped the soil from his eyes, she jumped up and half-ran, half-stumbled towards the Hiwatari manor.
"I'll get you for this, Chiara!" His furious yells fell upon deaf ears as Chiara ran for her life. She didn't stop running when she tripped over a rock, skinning her shins; she rolled out of her fall and kept running. She didn't stop running when she reached the little brook; she just tore through it, ignoring the pain as the ice-cold water bit into her bloodied legs. She didn't stop running when her bandana slipped over her eyes, only shoving it upwards with her free hand. All the time, hot tears poured out of her eyes, and she could barely see two feet in front of her, much less where she was going. She didn't stop running until she reached the front doors of the manor, opened them, slammed them shut, and dashed straight up to Kai's room. With a wail, she nearly knocked the doors down. Finally collapsing, her legs aching, and her chest heaving for breath, she dropped. She just dropped, like a sack of wet cement.
Kai, reclined upon his bed, and still in a horrid mood, was just about to get up and make some snide/sarcastic remark when he noticed her torn and bloodied clothes. His rare-colored eyes then slid down to the dried leaves and twigs in her usually-groomed-but-now-rather-tangled hair. Slowly, he stared at the cuts and thorns embedded in her bare arms. After what seemed like an age, he let out a snarl full of such anger that Chiara jumped up, her heart pounding like a hammer. Striding towards her in three furious steps, he grabbed her arm and shook it. When he spoke though, his voice was oddly calm, contrasting greatly to his livid face, and rapidly turning black eyes.
"Who did this to you?" When Chiara didn't answer, only letting out a dry sob, he shook her arm harder, voice rising. "Who the fuck did this to you?"
"I don't know," she wailed, dissolving in tears. Her chest hurt, her neck throbbed, her legs were bleeding... She didn't care who it was; she just wanted to sleep, to die...
It hurts, it hurts, make it stop, please, please... She didn't even know when her silent pleas turned into hysterical shrieks. It hurts, It Hurts, IT HURTS, and IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS! Crying like she had never cried before, she was pulled into a tight hug from Kai. Wailing uncontrollably, she pressed her wet, tearful face into his shirt and just bawled, bawled like the world was going to end. Never had she experienced pain such as this, never, and never had she been so scared, so scared... The front of her shirt was absolutely soaked with blood and she was so hurt, and so afraid. The pain, it was like knives were being thrust repeatedly into her body every time she breathed, and the adrenaline thrashing at her lungs, it was insane, make it stop, make it stop... She wasn't aware that she had fainted away, only welcoming the blackness.
~*~
She was going to die. She told Kai, and that guy had told her not to tell! He was going to slit her throat open, oh lord, help, help, help... Run, run, run, can't stop, falling tripping crashing down must get up can't stop can't stop must keep running... Oh no, please leave me alone just leave me alone don't hurt me anymore it hurts don't stop no please, please... Get away from me get away I say go on beat it leave me alone don't touch me don't touch me DON'T TOUCH ME!
The doctor wiped the beads of sweat away from Chiara's bed, Kai hovering over his shoulder and snarling questions every now and then. He changed the bandages on her neck, and dabbed some ointment upon her scratched arms. Over the bruise on the side of her mouth, the doctor rubbed some cream around it, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Three days," said the medical man in surprise. "Three days that she's lain here, immobile, barely breathing, but Gods, alive!" Chuckling, he placed some gauze, tubes of cream, salve, and bandages into Kai's hands. "She'll be fine in a few days, Master Kai. She's got tremendous spirit, and I do believe that that's the thing that's keeping her going. Blah, blah the ointment will help with blah blah call me if you need anything blah blah blah..." Of course, that wasn't what the doctor was really saying, but the medical man's words were just background noise to Kai. He let himself sink down beside Chiara, waving a dismissive hand to the babbling man. Dimly, he heard the door open and close as the doctor took his leave.
In the three long days, Kai's anger had vanished, replaced by anxiety and a feeling of apprehension. Carefully, he placed the doctor's medical stuff upon a desk. Glumly, he reached for Chiara's limp hand, and stroked it.
"If you don't get better, I'll kill you," he snapped to no one in particular, subconsciously making an oxymoron in his worry. To his shock and infinite surprise, Chiara's dark brown eyes fluttered open and she gave him a weak grin.
"If I die, I'll take you with me." Her voice was barely above a raspy croak, but nevertheless, it was a voice. She reached up sluggishly to touch the thick bandages around her chest, but her hand was snatched away by Kai.
"Don't," he said simply, staring blankly at her, as if he was still registering the fact that she was still living.
Chiara cast him an amused look. "Gee, could you get any happier?" she said hoarsely, lifting a hand to lightly brush his cheek.
Taking her hand, he stuck his tongue out, a rather un-Kai-like action. "Surprised, that's all. What happened?" he questioned, leaning forward to better hear her when she answered.
"I... I don't know, I don't remember." She shook her head faintly. "I'm thirsty," she croaked. She sat up. Well, actually, Kai carefully lifted her to rest against the headpiece of her bed. He lifted a cup of water - prepared in advance - and Chiara wrapped her hands around the cup. Kai assisted her, tipping the liquid slightly as she drank deeply. Her eyes closed as she silently downed the cup, and she licked her lips, pushing the empty beaker away. "I don't remember what happened, and I don't know who did it," she said quietly, her voice no longer husky. Straining to remember, loose images flickered in her head, and one thing floated up, clearer then the rest. She cleared her throat. "But... He said that he'd slit my throat if I told you."
"He'd what?" Kai snapped disgustedly. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. You're not going anywhere without an escort from now on."
"What?" Chiara blinked. "Oh, no, that's not fair, I don't want that!" she said desperately. This was almost as bad as being a slave - no more freedom. "I'll be okay, though, I can learn to fight, I can learn to defend myself, I don't want an escort, and I'm fine on my own..."
"You were certainly fine on your own three days ago," he scowled, eyes narrowed slightly. "Listen, Chiara. I don't want to lose you."
This quiet out-of-character confession stirred Chiara's guilt. Really, Kai was doing so much for her; she must seem like the most ungrateful loser in the world. Shame-faced, she stroked his muscular arm sadly. "I'm sorry," she murmured, averting her eyes to gaze at his Phoenix tattoo. Tracing the piece of art with her finger, she felt tears sting the back of her eyes. He was so good to her. Too good.
With a sigh, Kai held his arms out, and Chiara painfully crawled towards him. Pressing herself against him, she felt his arms encircle her tired body. For a while, he held her quietly, rubbing her back. Finally, he said, "It's getting late. I'll leave you for a while. If you need me, just call." He cast a glance towards the window, and out towards the night sky. As he soothingly pried Chiara from his neck, she nervously whimpered, "Lock my window, Kai..."
A slender brow arched, but the male adolescent nodded. Rising to his feet, he trotted towards her window, and latched the window shut. Striding back, he found that she had already lain back down. He smoothed her ruffled black bangs away from her eyes, and bent down. He let his lips brush across her forehead in a kiss. A comforting lop-sided grin/smirk flittered over his features, and he left the room, closing the door with a small click.
She snuggled under her covers, trying to drift off into sleep. Time slowly passed as Chiara hovered between dreams and reality. When she heard the soft scratching noise, she thought it was part of her sleep. Ignoring the sound, she painfully rolled over, eyes watering. Her chest hurt. Closing her eyes again, she continued to be half-awake and half-asleep. The scratching ceased, replaced by a clicking sound. Suddenly, Chiara was wide-awake, her eyes staring nervously into the dark room. Hours must've gone by, the room was almost completely dark, lit up faintly by the moonlight from the window. Slowly, hardly daring to breathe, she turned her head to face the window. Something blurry and black was framed against the window. Her eyes widened, and she snapped them shut, feigning sleep. Terror gripped her heart in its icy claws, and her throat constricted. Instinctively, she stayed as quiet and as still as she could. Finally, the shadow moved away and the clicking, rustling noises stopped. With a sob, Chiara pulled the covers over her head, and curled up tightly, ignoring the pain it caused in her chest.
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Oh. My. GOD. o.o; You know, writing this chapter, I actually gave myself nightmares. e.e; Anyway... Did you like it? I thought that it was a bit rushed... All of my chapters are rushed. x.x; Oh well. Sorries! Review, please. n.n; And I hope you guys didn't hate it too much. I thought that this chapter wasn't that bad, but it doesn't really meet my own expectations... What do you think? REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!