How I Feel
Chapter the fifth: You're Ready
It was two weeks later. Shinichi had disappeared. And Conan hadn't returned either. And neither had Heiji.
Shinichi had disappeared the same day he'd appeared beaten and weak on her doorstep. Ran was frustrated and scared. She was sitting at the table at home, listening to the coffee maker. There was a knock at the door. She stood up and rushed toward the door. She threw it open and looked around. Then, she looked down instinctively and saw little Conan standing there. She fell to her knees and pulled him close, hugging him tightly.
"Conan-kun?! We've been so worried!" she cried into his shoulder. He stood still and slowly wrapped his arms around her neck.
"Heiji's dead," he whispered.
"No, we don't know that Conan-kun. He could still be alive," Ran said.
"He is dead," Conan said.
"Keep your chin up, Conan-kun. Everything will be okay."
---
"Go!" Heiji croaked. With a quick nod, Shinichi ran as fast as his legs would carry him out of the room. His kidnapper let out a growl of anger and jammed the knife into Heiji's shoulder. He screamed in agony as blood squirted onto the ground. The kidnapper ripped the knife out roughly, making him scream again. Then, the man ran from the room, following Shinichi.
After a few minutes, the man and woman returned. They removed their masks. The woman was a slender blonde, with blue eyes and long hair split in two braids. She pulled a pair of glasses out of her pocket and set them on the bridge of her nose. The man had a long, shaggy beard and beady little eyes. It was not the first time he'd seen their faces. He recognized them as the people from the diner.
"He got away. I cannot believe you let him get away!" the woman cried. She took a piece of gum out of her pocket and started chewing.
"I let him get away? You didn't do much to stop him!" the man shouted. They didn't seem to realize Heiji was still there. His blood gushed from his shoulder, running down his right arm and his hands, creating long, crimson running rivers. It was nothing compared to Shinichi's blood covering various spots in the room. He couldn't get the image of his friend being savagely beaten out of his head.
"Well he can't have gotten far, we'll get him again," the woman reasoned. "Come on, Rum. Get rid of the kid, I'll be outside," she said, lighting a cigarette. She spat her gum into her hand and shoved it into her pocket. She took a drag of her cigarette and turned to leave.
"Afraid to get your hands dirty, Martini?" the man called Rum asked.
"No. But I was assigned to this, I'd much rather be at home. So just get it done, you little baby," she snapped.
"Me-ow," he hissed. She snorted and left the room, flicking her cigarette onto the floor. Rum looked down at Heiji and smiled, eyes glittering with laughter. He sliced off the ropes with the bloody knife and shoved Heiji onto the ground. He gave him a hard kick to the gut and backed away as Heiji vomited blood all over the floor. He choked and coughed, trying to breathe again. Rum picked him up by the collar and looked him in the face.
"You want to die slow or quick?" he asked with a grin.
"Please don't kill me," Heiji whispered. He gasped as Rum's free hand traveled down his chest and squeezed his thigh.
"So you want it slow?" he asked huskily.
"Please, leave me alone," he begged. "Don't touch me!" he could feel the man's horrid breath on his face and neck. He was scared, so scared he wanted to cry. But the tears wouldn't come. Rum tugged at his jeans.
"It's too bad Kudou left you here. Too bad for you anyway," he whispered. "I've wanted to have some fun for a while now."
"Leave me ALONE!" he screamed, using all his strength to kick Rum in the groin. He was dropped hard to the ground as Rum doubled over, grasping himself in pain. Heiji crawled away quickly and hurried out of the room on unsteady feet. He raced towards the exit as fast as his legs would carry him, but he never made it to the door. Martini surprised his with a hit to the head with the hilt of a knife, seemingly coming out of nowhere. She drove the blade into his leg as he fell. He screamed out in pure torture as she dragged the knife out. He curled up in a ball as best he could and covered his face with his arms.
"You've caused way too much trouble than you're worth, kid," she grumbled. She pulled his arms away from his face and held his chin in one hand. She reached in her pocket and pulled out something he couldn't see. All he could do was stare into her eyes. The eyes of a cold-blooded killer. She shoved something into his mouth and dumped water in after. He was forced to swallow, and then she released him. He fell motionless onto the ground, hitting his head on the cool tile.
"You ruin all the fun," he heard Rum say distantly.
"I know. Just put him in the bag," Martini replied, taking a long drag from a newly lit cigarette. He felt himself be shoved into a large duffle bag, but he couldn't move. The bag was zipped and he felt himself be lifted off the ground. He was carried out the doors, passing the smell of the dead security guards on the way. His stab wounds burned like cold fire. His eyes drifted closed and he fell unconscious.
--- One Week Later ---
Conan jabbed his fork into his stack of pancakes, not really hungry. Ran sat across from him, watching.
"It isn't your fault, Conan-kun," she whispered. The search continued for Heiji and his kidnappers. The Death Chamber had been all but destroyed, the painting stained with real blood. Shinichi's blood. The statues were knocked over and broken. Fixable, yes. But for now, it was still a crime scene.
"It is my fault," Conan whispered. He pushed his plate away and walked out of the room. She sighed and picked up his plate, dumping the food into the garbage. Tears leaked out of her eyes as she turned on the faucet and scrubbed the plate clean. She cried quietly and dried the plate, setting it neatly in the cupboard. She'd lost Heiji. She'd lost Conan's happy spirit. And she'd lost Shinichi, again. But he was so weak, so helpless! How could he have disappeared like that?
He hated being little. It felt so good for the first ten minutes he was himself again. Shinichi sighed wearily. For the first ten minutes, when he was happy. Then he'd remembered Heiji and gotten serious. But he wished he could have those ten minutes back. Where he was free. Free.
Ran walked in a few minutes after him. She studied him from the doorway, then ambled over and sat next to him.
"I know this is hard for you Conan-kun," she said. "Heiji was like your big brother. And losing him must be more difficult than anything. He was taking it worse than Kazuha. Kazuha had locked herself in her room for three days, and then when she finally came out she was cheerful and upbeat. But it was all a lie. She was fading inside. And it was obvious.
Kazuha was staying with them. Ran insisted. Insisted Kazuha needed comfort. Indeed she did, but she'd never admit it. Right now, Kazuha was busying herself in Ran's bedroom, cleaning.
Later that night, when Ran had fallen asleep, Kazuha could be found in the kitchen, drowning her feelings in hot chocolate. She was crying silently, her shoulders shaking with the effort to keep silent. She didn't even notice when Conan entered the room.
"Kazuha?" he asked. She wiped her eyes quickly.
"Oh, Conan! What are you doing up?" she asked.
"I'm sorry," was all he said.
"Sorry for what?" she asked confusedly.
"I'm sorry for killing Heiji," he explained.
"No, Conan, don't say that," she said. "You didn't do anything wrong."
"I –," he started, but she cut him off.
"No," she interrupted. "Don't think it's your fault. He might still be okay. In fact, he will be okay. I know he will. He had his good luck charm around his neck. It will keep him safe from danger."
Conan just nodded. He couldn't do anything else. His feet were glued to the spot. He was lost in his thoughts for a long time. Then he turned on his heel and snagged his jacket off the coat rack. He slid it on his shoulders and reached up for the doorknob.
"Conan, it's late," Kazuha said. "Where are you going?"
"A walk," he said simply.
"I don't want you to go alone. Do you mind if I join you?" she asked after a pause. He shook his head and she smiled slightly. She pulled on her jacket and followed him out into the dark street. They walked in silence for a while, just thinking about things. Then Conan stopped abruptly, startling Kazuha.
"What's the matter Conan?" she whispered.
"Do you smell that?" he asked. She sniffed. A horrid stench reached her nose, making her gag. She covered her mouth. Conan however, seemed unfazed. He headed towards where the smell was coming from. A dumpster in an alley.
"Conan, stay away from there!" she ordered. He ignored her. He climbed up and opened the dumpster, peering in. The smell grew worse. Conan cleared his throat, but didn't say anything. He reached down into the dumpster, his legs going into the air.
He gripped the object that was making the horrible smell. It was a bag. He pulled on it with all his might and it came up over the top of the dumpster, sending it falling to the ground, taking him with it. He stood up and brushed off his knees. He then reached for the zipper.
"Don't open it!" Kazuha commanded, grabbing his wrist. He looked up at her.
"What is there's something bad in there?" he asked.
"Exactly why you shouldn't open it!" she said.
"But I –," he started.
"No Conan! Let's just –," she trailed off, looking down at the bag. It shifted again.
"There's something alive in there!" Conan yelped, yanking his arm away from her grasp. He tore open the bag, revealing bloody clothes.
'These look familiar,' Conan thought with dread filling his stomach.
"Oh my god," Kazuha whispered. Conan moved a piece of the clothing away and got a glimpse of tanned skin.
"Ugh!" Conan exclaimed in panic.
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PRIVATE - You're in for a surprise
DcLoVer0x - thanx 4 reviewing!
Jeva - You are also in for a surprise
Angie Child - It is getting good isn't it?
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IMPORTANT!
Okay, after this chapter, i don't know how many people are going to still like this fic. i have an idea for the next chapters, and if you like this fic after i post those, then THANK YOU! but if you don't I understand. Please, bear with me here!
Thank you for listening to my fear of hatred
Next chapter will be up in a few days, NO SCHOOL TOMORROW!