Aki noted his heart was racing away, a mile a minute. What he assumed was hair flew in wild angles of every direction. He couldn't make out limbs of any sort, as fabric seemed to melt away from the form; he couldn't tell where the body ended and clothes began. If only the stupid rain didn't keep falling into his eyes. The dark form lowered itself to him, and he could finally see who it was that had saved him from the confines of the sticky mud. A musky smell emanated from the man, which was balanced well with his tanned mustard-toned skin. His hand had felt extremely rough to the touch, and his face reflected that same roughness with it's leathery texture.
"Kid! You alright?" The voice was now a little forceful, highly contrasting to Aki's previous impression of it. "Y'know, it's not nice to stare..." The same hand that helped him up lifted him into the air, just in time to avoid being run over by another mass of people. "Just hold on tight and I'll getcha to your mom." He slung the youth over his shoulder to cling to his back, making it easier for him to balance the extra weight. The stranger made his way carefully through the panicked crowd, trying his best to avoid stepping on people's feet. However, they soon reached the entrance after careful balancing and manipulation through the shadowed mob. Aki's eyes shot towards the general direction of the car, and was relieved to see that his mother was indeed there, leaning against the vehicle. The expression on her face, however, was not too welcoming.
"Where were you?! I was worried sick!" She stood, arms crossed, tapping a foot impatiently. Despite the anger in her face, her eyes were slightly red, possibly from worrisome crying.
"I tripped, mama...and fell into the mud. And...this nice man saved me." He looked up at the man who had lowered him to the ground. He nodded politely to the woman.
"Was nothing, m'am. Poor kid almost got trampled by some people..."
"You...I know you..." Meryl's eyebrow arched in inquisition. The man returned one in reply.
"I don't think so, m'am. Never seen you before in my life." The voice that had seemed so distant over Aki's head now seemed a lot closer. Looking back, he saw that the man was only a few inches taller than his mother. For he had been wearing stilts.
He pulled off the wild wig from his head to reveal a head with extremely short dark hair underneath, which now matted to his scalp from the sweat. The downpour was finally beginning to slow down, after what had seemed like an eternity of piercing bullets of rain. Covered lanterns began to appear among the crowd, which had finally calmed down. Dark outlines and shadowed faces could now be distinguished, and the missing were now found.
"I'm sorry." Meryl bowed slightly. "You looked like someone I once knew. A long time ago."
"Nah, don't worry about it. Just a simple mistake, that's all."
"Well...thank you for finding my son. I don't think I could have done it on my own."
"No problem. I got a sweet spot for kids...!" A black cat dashed through his legs, before turning back to them with large yellow-green eyes. It appeared extremely agitated, it's ebony fur clinging to it's sad wet form. A sad, feral meow issued from it before it disappeared into the settling crowd. "I swear, those freaking cats are everywhere! They're like pests, I tell ya!" The man was half-tempted to fling a mud-crusted boot at the creature, but with his bad aim, it would have collided with someone's nose instead.
Despite their terrible fits of shivering, Meryl and Aki admitted that it was indeed the best day they ever had. With large stuffed souvenirs under their arms, they ran inside to ease their bodies from the icy clothes that clung to their skin. They tried their best by rubbing their arms and hopping on the spot, waiting for the tub to fill with hot water. But who would go first? They stared at each other for only a few seconds before the air was split with Aki's shout.
"Boogersnots!" And before Meryl could grab him, he dove into the steaming tub of water. Fully clothed. "Nyaha!" He stuck his tongue out at her. "I called it!" Distraught, Meryl stomped her foot in anger, and departed to her room to give her son some privacy. The loud smack of wet clothes hitting the floor teaming with the oohs and aahs of relaxation was enough to drive her up the wall. She peeled her wet clothes off, save her underwear, and wrapped herself in the heavy blanket she retrieved from her closet. Rain still fell, and it echoed against her bedroom walls. The rhythmic sound calmed her senses, pulling her over to the window. She stared mesmerized at the shimmering drops reflecting the pale moonlight, trying to trace their paths from the sky to the ground. Her eyebrow raised in confusion. Some of the drops were disappearing into nothingness, as if an invisible hand was snatching them out of the air. She squinted, trying her best to see what was causing this strange occurence. Although the worst of the storm has passed, a jagged line of lightning shredded the calm sky with it's many branches, reflecting the mysterious cause below.
A pair of golden circles flashed against the darkness for but a mere second, but it was enough to send Meryl's mind into a frenzy of confusion and denial. She had never before felt her heart race so quickly, and her mind was filled with a fogginess she couldn't penetrate. A plethora of images ran through her mind: a silly childish grin...that grimace of determination...the heavy weight of sadness on his face...that sinister glare of the diablo...the smile she had imagined so many times when he would have returned from his triumph over Knives...she flicked the lights on, casting a faded glowing rectangle onto the figure below, allowing her to make out the face of the one she thought was dead for so long. But none of her thoughts matched the now unshaven, weary face; numb, unfeeling eyes glared back at her, whether in anger or rejection she didn't know. Guilt swept quickly over her mind, which was quickly replaced by sadness, and then a bitter happiness of sorts. Before she could sort the rest of her thoughts, her legs were carrying her down the stairs, to the front door and out into the light drizzle. Her eyes darted around the darkness, afraid that he would be gone. The same rectangle of light fell on her, where she saw him but only a few seconds ago. But now there was nothing, except the melodious ringing of raindrops into puddles.
Meryl felt her heart sink to the bottom of her stomach, as her mind replayed the moments that just occured. He's alive...I...I can't believe it. She didn't know how long she stood there, but her hair was soon dripping wiith moisture again. She retreated to the front door, unsure of whether she should be relieved or depressed, when she collided into a dark form. She again met those dead eyes of his. As if Fate was conspiring against her, a strong wind yanked the blanket from her grip, placing it a few feet away in a muddy pool. She knew her face was now glowing a faint crimson, as she tried her best to cover herself with her arms, but it was to no avail.
"...Vash?" Her voice felt new to her throat.
"........." He merely stared at her with those turquoise lakes of emptiness. Meryl noted that his hair was extremely long and unkempt, flowing around him in the night hair like thin, dull golden snakes. His face was filled with lines and creases of weariness, and seemed sunken in from the lack of fresh donuts. Her eyes fell on his mouth as it opened to speak: "Tell me."
Whether it was the short statement he had just uttered, or the difficulty of deciphering his expression, Meryl had lost the voice she had just found. She could only stare back at him in confusion.
"Tell me..." The look on his face now was more forlorn...hopeful...like a child begging to open his birthday presents.
" Tell you...? I don't-"
"Tell me!" He grabbed her by the shoulders, ignoring the fact that she was only in her underwear. His long thin fingers gripped tightly, making her shoulders ache with a mild pain.
"Ow! Vash, you're hurting me!" She winced slightly, trying her best to wriggle free from his grip.
"Hurt? Pain? Feels familiar, doesn't it..." The voice was completely different now, his face plastered with a sinister grin Meryl could have never imagined on Vash's face. But it disappeared within a blink of an eye. Meryl thought she saw a tear, but it was difficult to tell with the rain streaming down his face. "I said tell me!" He gave her a rough shake, urging her to tell him that which he came here for, but her mind only drew blanks. He removed his hands from her shoulders and glanced back over his shoulder. Aki had been standing there the entire time, calling out for his mother. His shouts had fallen upon deaf ears, but now it was the only other sound besides the rain. Aki also had the derringer in his hand, for what purpose he didn't know, but it gave him a kind of assurance of safety.
Vash's eyes again returned to Meryl, but they were hidden behind hair that was now matted to his forehead from the drizzle. He gave the boy one last look before striding past her, avoiding her gaze at all cost. With one single movement, he grabbed the now soggy blanket, shook it clean of mud and tossed it neatly through the air onto Meryl's head, all without looking back at her.
She yanked the edges from her eyes, staring in disbelief as the figure began to fade into the night. Was she watching him leave...again?!
"Where are you going?! Come back!" But there was no answer. She screamed his name, which pierced through the silent air as the rain finally eased to a halt. She fell to her knees, defeated, sending splatters of mud in many directions. Wet squelches neared her, until Aki embraced his mother tightly from behind.
"Mama...who was that man?"
"............I don't know..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
This has been the hardest chapter to write so far, because I wanted to capture Meryl's mood perfectly. Plus I was stuck on what I wanted Vash to say. This chapter was heavily influenced by B'z - Motel:
Under the weak, luke-warm water, I wash myself
Trying to wash away my own guilt
You who loves only beautiful things like precious stones
Even then are still staying here with me
Hope you enjoyed this chapter and come back for more. ^_^x
