Chapter 3: Tragedy
Soujiro sat outside, under a brittle dying tree. Somewhere, a bird called. He whistled in return. After a moment, he heard Kadori fall, as usual, off of the wall. Soujiro watched with a smile as she dusted herself off and ran over to him.
Kadori smiled in return. "So what is it today?"
"Cleaning up the yard and a few more barrels to move." Soujiro was relieved. Before Kadori came, he always made sure that any signs of the day's beatings were gone. He learned quickly after the first few days when Kadori would start crying whenever she saw the bruises and the blood. And then she'd get punished for ripping off a kimono sleeve. At least today she wasn't crying.
She said, "Is that it? You family can be pretty boring when it comes to thinking up chores." Kadori gave a small laugh. She watched Soujiro closely. After a few moments, she sighed. Every night, Kadori tried to make him laugh. And every night, Soujiro would only smile. She still didn't get how he could smile all the time, and then not laugh.
Kadori thought back to when she'd discovered the truth about Soujiro's life. 'Maybe…maybe…Soujiro really isn't happy all of the time.'
Inside the rice shed, Shishio waited for the two children to come. Every night, it seemed, Soujiro and that girl, Kadori, would do his chores and then come inside and talk. He was a little annoyed, because he saw potential in this boy to become a good fighter. But the little girl was messing him up.
About thirty minutes later, the door opened and Soujiro and Kadori came in. "I brought my new kind of cookie," she was saying, "and I haven't tried it yet. So if it's awful, don't blame me."
Shishio sighed. And that girl had a really off sense of humor.
They chewed in silence. Soujiro said, "I think, that these are just as good as the last ones. But they're kind of salty."
"Oh well," Kadori said, "At least it's a change from sweet."
The two of them ate for a bit longer. Silence was comfortable between them. Kadori had had something on her mind for a bit. She wasn't exactly sure how to voice her thoughts. "Soujiro…"
"Yes?" Soujiro said pleasantly. Kadori usually had something interesting to say, or to ask.
"Don't you think………that because of how you're treated…that maybe you should just…you know…run away?"
Now that was interesting. Soujiro tried to think of how to answer. He had contemplated this a few times, but… "I think that…running away wouldn't help anything. I won't have anywhere to go."
Kadori jumped up. "But you could come stay with me!"
"No…because they would be able to find me. If I did run away, I'd have to go really far from here. And I don't know where I'd go. And………if I stayed with you… they might………to you…and…" Soujiro couldn't get it out, but he saw Kadori's look of understanding, and was grateful for it.
"I understand." She fell silent for a moment, and then said, "It also has to do with what you told me the other night, doesn't it? In the end, only the fittest survive in this world…"
Soujiro said quietly, "If you're strong you live. If you're weak…"
Kadori whispered, "Running away would be weak, wouldn't it Soujiro?"
He looked at Kadori. Soujiro really wasn't sure. He wasn't sure about a lot of things anymore.
In the shadows, Shishio, who was listening as usual, replayed Soujiro's words in his head. 'Running away,' he thought, 'Ah…I think I've got you.' He listened as Kadori spoke up again.
"But Soujiro…you already are strong. To me…you're strong."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Soujiro stood looking at the closed door. Kadori had left. He heard Mr. Shishio say behind him, "Do you really think that you're strong enough?"
He turned around to see Mr. Shishio sitting on a barrel behind him. "She thinks I am…" Soujiro said hesitantly.
"But is it enough? Even after the beatings and the chores, is one friend enough? At the end of the day, the strong are the ones who live."
Soujiro stood in thought for a while. When he was with Kadori…Soujiro felt comfortable, unafraid, and he felt himself really smiling. He hadn't had that since… well, forever. But still, during the day…the pain………Soujiro didn't have the comfort of Kadori's voice, or her cookies.
He jumped as Mr. Shishio held out something. It was a wakizashi. "I'm giving you this wakizashi," he said, "It'll be my payment for staying here."
Soujiro stared at it. A sword…
Shishio watched him slowly reach out and take it. His eyes narrowed.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
That night, Kadori wasn't coming. Her parents were holding a dinner party and she had to stay and smile at guests. "It'll be really boring," her voice echoed in his head, "I wish I could stay with you."
But at the moment, something else was on his mind. The wakizashi. Soujiro had hidden it under the house, where there was a lot of empty space that no one touched. Mr. Shishio's voice had been in his head (along with Kadori's) lately. The strong and the weak…
"I'm sure," Soujiro said to himself, "That if a sword were used to kill me, it'd probably be painful. The sharpness of the blade… and after all, I know pretty well how much it hurts to get hit." He touched a bruise on his cheek. "So………I think I better go and return that sword." Soujiro stood up and looked at the sky. "I'm just not as strong as Mr. Shishio. Kadori may think I'm strong, but…it's still not enough. But I'll be able to get by."
Soujiro moved towards the house to get the sword, but something stopped him.
"Soujiro! Soujiro!"
He turned around. "I wonder what could be going on so late at night? What would they want?"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Soujiro gave a small gasp at the reception waiting for him. Sticks and shovels. And something in their faces…
"So…Soujiro! Why you---how dare you try to make me look like a fool!"
Soujiro cried out in pain as a shovel came right at him. He fell to the ground and the scent of blood rose to the air.
"Soujiro! I can't believe you'd do something that goes against the will of the government! You little pig! Do you wanna ruin our business?"
"Out with it, where's the rebel?"
He panted on the ground. The throbbing in his head…
"I've had it up to here with you!" One of the brothers held up a sword…and slowly unsheathed it.
The glint of the sword caught Soujiro's eyes. "Ah…" he gasped, trying to push himself up.
One of the sisters said, "Hey wait a minute. As much as I'd like to see it, won't it look sort of bad?"
"Don't worry. There's a dangerous criminal hanging around, remember? I don't see anything wrong as long as we tell the police."
"Hmm…that's right. And we'll probably be handsomely rewarded for giving them information."
His 'stepfather' yelled, "I won't let you ruin my business!"
"After all we've done for you, Soujiro!"
"Go ahead, do him in brother."
"You got it."
The blood pounded in Soujiro's ears as he slowly sat up. Their faces………
"I won't let you ruin my business!"
In the end…
"There's a dangerous criminal hanging around, remember?"
Only the fittest survive in this world
"We'll probably be handsomely rewarded…"
If you're strong you live…
"After all we've done for you, Soujiro!"
If you're weak…
The lightning crashed. Something clicked. Soujiro screamed and started to run. 'They're going to kill me!'
He ran under the house, to where the wakizashi was hidden. Soujiro heard his heart beating. "They're going to kill me!" he whispered frantically, "Mr. Shishio! Kadori! Somebody help me!" Soujiro hugged the sword to his body. It was still sheathed safely.
His ears pricked up as Soujiro heard a noise. It was his brother.
"There you are. I never would have expected you to hide down here."
Soujiro looked at his face. 'No! Get away!' he thought.
"Where'd you get that nice looking wakizashi? Was it in the rice shed? Let's have a look."
Soujiro felt the air trying to strangle him. He looked on as his 'brother' slowly took hold of the sword. Ever so slowly…it slid out of its sheath. Soujiro stared at it with wide eyes.
In the end, only the fittest survive in this world.
It was so sleek…so sharp…
If you're strong you live… if you're weak…A scream came from under the house. "What a pathetic scream." "Well what would you expect from that little swine?"
Thump. "Is that him?" they asked, excited. A flash of lighting was all it took for them to cry out.
Soujiro climbed out from under the house. 'I just killed someone.' Soujiro couldn't think straight. The blood glittered brightly on the sharp cold blade.
"You're gonna pay!"
Crash"I'll get you for this!"
In the end"To me…you're strong."
Lighting
"I've had it up to here with you!"
They're going to kill me
"I think…you're…wonderful."
Only the fittest survive in this world"I'm giving you this wakizashi."
Them or me
If you're strong you live"Soujiro broke another barrel!"
Rain on blood
"Do you want a cookie?"
If you're weak you die.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The rain fell down on the bodies. Soujiro stood in the center. There was no sound but the rain.
Empty inside.
"Are you…smiling?"
I can't tell. It's the rain. Am I smiling? Or am I………"No sir."
………
"Would you like to come with me?"
"…Sure…"
………
"Hey…um… Mr. Shishio?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think I could become stronger?"
"Indeed Soujiro. You can become stronger. Second, only to me."
………
………
"There's something I have to do first."
@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@
ok, I know that that was short, but I want what happens next to have its own chapter (it's so kawaii!!!). I'll try to get it up asap.
Please drop in a review, and I'll love ya forever!
silent H :D
