Remembrance- Chapter 4

Kurama sat and waited at the bookstore for what seemed like hours and Kei didn't show up at all.  Frankly, even though they had only known each other all of two days, it worried him.  In the back of his mind, he knew that she said she might not be able to make it, but something still nagged at him.  Something still told him that everything wasn't right.

He sighed and began leafing through odd magazines here and there, becoming more and more agitated about the situation the more he thought about it.  Finally, a girl who worked at the store came up and tapped him on the shoulder.  Kurama, thinking it was Kei, turned around smiling, but it disappeared once he realized it wasn't her.

"I'm sorry.  I just saw you here, and I was wondering…Are you a friend of Kei's?"

"You know her?"

"Yeah.  She, uh, lives around the corner from me.  I always see her walking to school and stuff.  Are you waiting for her?"

"Yes, I am.  Do you know where she is?"

"Um…Don't tell anyone I said this," she said coming closer to Kurama and lowering her voice, "but I don't think she'll be coming today.  Or anytime soon, for that matter."

"What?  Why not?"

"Well...um...She probably hasn't told you…"

Kurama felt a strange suspicion that this was what Kei had been keeping from him, and this girl knew what it was.

"Please.  I care for her very much, and she's hardly said a thing about it.  Tell me."

The girl stood shifting uncomfortably in front of him, wilting under Kurama's intense, imploring gaze.

"Okay, look.  I take my lunch in ten minutes.  Meet me at the café down the street, and I'll tell you there.  Fine?"

"Fine."

Kurama sat at one of the outdoor tables, waiting with little patience for the girl from the bookstore to arrive.  After what seemed like ages to him, he finally saw her coming up.  She took the seat opposite from him and immediately began looking at her hands.

"So…you want to know what's going on with Kei?"

"Yes."

"It's her father…"

Kurama raised a suspicious eyebrow and fixed the girl with a solid stare.

"What about her father?"

"Well, he's really strict.  And…well…he's got a drinking problem, and…"

"He hits her, doesn't he?"

The girl nodded slowly.

"That's an understatement, really.  He doesn't just hit her.  He beats her.  Beats her so bad that she bleeds sometimes.  It's horrible.  And he calls her all kinds of names.  Stuff I wouldn't repeat for anything.  I feel so bad for her, I just cry myself to sleep at night…"

Kurama had tried hard to maintain his temper while the girl had been speaking, but something stuck with him during the entire thing,

"You don't speak as if you live around the corner from her."

The girl jolted down slightly and bowed her head even more deeply.

"You live there too, don't you?  You're Kei's sister."

"…Yeah."

"Why didn't you tell me to begin with?"

"I don't know.  I was scared, I guess, even thought Kei said that you're a really nice guy."

"She's talked to you about me?"

"Some things.  She said that she wouldn't tell me everything, but from what I heard, you're a great person."

Kurama closed his eyes, still trying to keep hold of his composure.  On the outside, he looked to be merely sitting down calmly, hardly displaying any emotion, but on the inside, he burned with rage.  It was all he could do not to transform then and there, track Kei's scent, find her and take her away from that place, only to return later to deal with the father.  Fortunately, years of being in the Makai and his natural common sense managed to keep him from doing something so reckless.  Still, the thought nagged him at the back of his mind.

"Where is your mother in all of this?"

"She died when we were little.  That's pretty much when Dad started drinking.  He always had his binges and everything, so we got used to him calling us and Mom names.  The beating only started a year ago.  He only does it to Kei, though.  He says it's to make sure she knows who the parent is."

"Why does he say that?"

"Well, since Kei's the oldest, she's like Mom.  She does all the things around the house; cooking, cleaning, mending, all that stuff.  She helps me out with all my homework and stuff too, since Dad never would.  He just sits around the house drinking whenever he's not at work or gone someplace.  I guess it reminds him a lot of our Mom, so he just lets her have it."

Kurama thought about this only momentarily, then looked up at Kei's sister once again.

"What happened last night?  Why won't she be here today?"

Kei's sister looked up at Kurama with tears in her eyes.  Kurama, being the gentleman he was, let his anger slip away for the moment and offered her the kerchief he always kept in his pocket.  She took it gratefully, wiping her eyes and sniffing.

"It was the worst I'd ever seen him.  Kei came home last night late.  He'd said he'd wanted her home in time to make dinner when she usually did, but she wasn't there.  That was what set him off.  When she said that she was out with a friend, he asked her if it was a girl.  When she hesitated, he hit her.  He asked her again, and she said no.  Kei's never been the type to lie to adults.  But she should have that time. 

"Dad went crazy.  He punched her and kicked her, calling her all sorts of hideous names.  He said he knew that she was out having sex with you, even though he didn't even know who you were.  He said she wasn't any better than Mom, going out and coming back when she wanted.  When Kei tried to say that wasn't it, he just hit her more.  And harder.  She was really hurt by the time he was done.  She could barely get up.  When she tried, he kicked her in the stomach.  Then he spat at her and left.  That was all I saw of him last night.  I had been hiding on the stairs and I managed to help her upstairs and clean her up, but she was in really bad shape.  When I woke up this morning, he was gone.  He always disappears for days at a time, so I was glad.  At least I knew he wouldn't come busting into her room to hit her some more like he does sometimes.  I wanted to stay with her to help her, but she told me to go.  She said she'd be fine.  She also told me to tell you that she was sorry if I saw you.  And…she told me not to say anything about what happened…"

Kurama had let his bangs fall over his eyes, helping to cover the look of murderous rage on his face.  The whole time he had listened to the entire story, he'd clenched his hands in silent fury, somehow managing to remain quiet.  His fingers had begun to cut into his palm, however, and drops of blood had begun falling onto the table.  He managed to hide this from the girl, fearing seeing it would frighten her, and he would have no idea how to get to Kei properly.

He looked at the girl, trying his best to look calm.

"I want you to take me to her."

"But I—"

"I kindly ask that you not try to make excuses with me, but with your boss.  Tell them that you have to be home briefly to check on her."

"Kei won't want you to—"

"I know, but I still have to see her."

Kei's sister sighed worriedly, glancing behind her as if to see someone there.  After much nervous shifting and looking around, she looked back at Kurama.

"Okay, but if she let's you have it, you'd better tell her that I didn't want to take you in the first place."

"Fair enough.  Let's go."