Wow... I actually updated... Yeah, folks, just to let you know... I'm CONSIDERING continuing the story, "Entrapment." Public demand... Can't say no... So, hopefully, I'll come up with something... Expect the 7th chapter next month at the most... I told you, being a senior was never easy. Emphasized. Two term papers. Physics. Projects. Plot for my short story for my creative writing class... any ideas? Quilt... I'll be having my college admission test this Sunday... And other damn emotional problems... I'm gonna be crazy... And look what I'm doing. I'm such a responsible student...
Hey, you only live once, right? Enjoy...
So anyway, hopefully, in a month or so, I updated all three stories. Hopefully. I just want you to know that I actually love the plot I planned for this one than for Entrapment. That's why I kinda abandoned the story. But you guys love it, what could I say? I'm sick of death threats... :) Thanks to my reviewers. I won't be writing without you...
I just want to mention the song that inspired me to write this fic... "Will you wait for me?" It was a revival... By King... I don't know who sang the original version. I'll find out. I'll include the lyrics next update... It goes somewhat like this... "And all the tears I cried, I know I'll never learn to smile, but I know they wont bring you home to me, will you wait for me... In heaven..."
Enough of this blabbering... Read on...
Chapter Three
Pirika was six, while Ren was nine...
It was raining...
Raining...
Ren had panicked when he learned that Pirika wasn't home.
Horo-Horo was furious.
"You were supposed to watch my sister while I'm gone, damn it."
True, but...
They were playing hide and seek... And he couldn't find her... He thought she was already home...
A search party had been organized to roam all places in Tokyo. No luck. There was no sign of Pirika.
It was raining.
It was getting late.
Ren clutched his fist tighter, as he held the lamp.
It was his fault. It was his entire fault.
"Where are you, Pirika?" Ren whispered hopelessly against the raging wind.
"Answer me, where are you?"
Meanwhile...
Sob.
Sob.
Sob.
Pirika emitted a moan.
It was raining.
It was so cold.
She smiled bitterly. She was getting good at hide and seek.
She looked at the creek before her. The once peaceful waters had become angry.
Violent.
Clashing heavily against the rocks.
The sound of leaves, of trees, shaken by the terrible wind...
Lighting etched on the dark sky, the sound of thunder...
Everything around her was so dark... so angry...
And she was scared... She was so scared...
She moaned.
It was raining.
It was so cold.
Pirika hugged her knees tighter.
Ren, where are you?
An hour later...
Ren felt his heart raced a marathon as he saw a blue-haired girl leaning against a tree, her head bowed against her knees.
He rushed to her side almost immediately. Did something happen to her? Was she all right?
He gathered her into his arms. God, she was freezing. He wrapped his jacket around her, ever so carefully, so gently, afraid that he might break her any second.
Aqua eyes opened at the sudden emergence of heat.
"Ren..." She smiled at him.
"I found you, Pirika. I found you." He gently whispered.
Pirika began to cry. "What... took... you... so... long?"
"Shhh... It's okay now." Ren hugged her tighter. "It's okay now."
"I thought... I thought... you... wouldn't... come." Pirika continued to cry. "I was scared... Ren... I was so scared..."
Ren wiped away all her tears. "Shhh... Pirika... It's all right..."
Sob.
Sob.
He gently ran a hand against her wet silky hair. "It would be all right, Pirika. Everything would be okay. I'm here now."
"I found you..."
The same words were spoken almost fifteen years later... The same people... On the same creek... On that same spot...
"I found you..."
Pirika's eyes widened in shock as what were said registered. Almost a minute had passed. Did she almost break down? She looked at the little girl before her who asked her to fold a paper crane... Damn paper cranes. Always causing her near emotional breakdowns. She stared at Ren. What was he doing here? He even looked amused, the bastard.
"I found you..."
Pirika crouched down and smiled at the little girl. "Sorry, but I can't..." She hesitated. "I can't fold a paper crane."
"A paper crane?" Ren looked interested.
The little girl tugged on his shirt. "I was asking... this... lady... if... she knew... how to fold... a paper crane..."
"Really?" Ren smiled at Pirika.
"And...she...said...no." The little girl wiped her tears.
"Oh look, Pirika. You made the little girl cry."
Pirika panicked. She looked at Ren who was comforting the girl... Damn that irritating grin. Damn paper cranes. "Look, I'm sorry. He could fold you one. He knew how."
"Really?" The little girl brightened up.
"Now, now, now." Ren pat the girl's head. "She knew how too. You said you wanted her to be the one to teach you right?"
The girl slowly nodded.
"You see, Pirika. She wanted you to teach her how."
Why was he making this so difficult? "I don't want to."
"Reminded of yourself, Pirika?"
Does this girl remind you of yourself asking the same innocent question years ago?
Her veins popped up. "No." But in reality, the little girl did. She did.
Ren turned to the little girl. "Maybe Pirika here didn't get the hang of it... You know, she was too old and all... Memory lapses..." The little girl chuckled.
Memory lapses? Oh, god, look who's talking... "I still know how to fold one!"
"Oh, really..." Ren snapped back. The little girl continued to smile.
"I still know how to fold one." Pirika simply replied.
Ren smirked and handed Pirika the paper. "Convince me then."
Aarrggh... She fell for that one. Pirika took the paper, and folded it into a perfect paper crane. How could she forget? She once folded hundreds of them. That's when Pirika realized that Ren had indeed outsmarted her. He used the same strategy she used on him years ago. That stupid freak!
The little girl clapped her hands as she took the paper crane. "It's wonderful."
Ren laughed. Pirika found herself smiling as well.
But Ren wasn't done yet. "So, why did you ask Pirika here to fold you a paper crane?"
"I just want to." The little girl cheerfully replied.
Ren narrowed his eyes. "So that means, you don't know the story about the thousand paper cranes?"
Pirika bit her lip. Damn.
"Thousand paper cranes?" The girl repeated.
"Un huh." Ren looked at Pirika. "So why don't you ask Pirika here to tell you the story? She was quite familiar with it..."
"Please."
Damn you Ren. "I don't know anything about it." Pirika lied.
Ren grinned at the little girl. "Memory lapses." The little girl chuckled once again.
"Fine. It was said that... Whoever folds a thousand paper cranes... and makes a wish... anything... It would come true..."
"Really? Anything?"
Pirika nodded. "Anything." Was that the way she looked like when Ren first told her the tale?
"Wow. That's wonderful." The little girl gushed. Ren laughed once again. "So, have you ever tried, Pirika-san?"
Ren intently looked at Pirika. Bingo.
"Yeah... I did..." Pirika refused to meet Ren's eyes. This was what he was waiting for anyway. She forced a smile. "It doesn't matter, now, ne?"
"So, did the wish come true?" The little girl asked curiously.
"Let's just say, it didn't... That's why I don't believe in it, anymore, okay? Don't get your hopes high."
"But you told me it always comes true..."
"Look... there were times..."
"I know!" The girl brightly interrupted.
"Maybe your wish didn't come true yet! Maybe it still has to come true! In time!"
Pirika was silent. Didn't come true yet? Was that possible?
What were you saying, Pirika... It won't come true... Ever...
It was stupid to wish for that one, anyway....
It was even more stupid to continue hoping that it would still come true...
Ren was silent as well. This little girl was too smart for her age. That, or everything was just too plain simple... "Maybe, you're right. Right, Pirika?"
"Yeah... Maybe..." Pirika muttered.
Just then the mother of the little girl, approached them. She thanked them and apologized for the trouble her daughter had caused. Then, after bidding good bye, they left.
Pirika was then about to go.
'Wait."
She turned around. "What?"
"We need to talk."
Pirika sighed. Not now. She had enough for the night. Could he see? One more and she would be spilling all her deepest fears. Just one more and she would be revealing all her secrets. Just one more and she would break down, her mask that kept her going all these years, shattered, making her vulnerable to pain. Just one more, and she would tell him that she still loved him, that she had missed him, that deep inside she was glad that he was back... She couldn't afford that to happen. She must stay intact, no matter what.
Ren sat on the moist grass and threw a stone on the creek. He stared at Pirika, straight at her eyes... The eyes he'd loved the most. They were filled with so much emotion. He could actually see through them. Pain. Fear. Love. There was definitely love. He couldn't be wrong. He stared back at her, his eyes convening what he wanted to tell her all these years. That he missed her... That he, too was hurt, with what happened... That no matter what, he would always love her...
Pirika gasped. Ren was trying to tell her something... His eyes... The way they stared back at her... No, Pirika wanted to tell him, don't look at me like that... Don't stare at me like that... Please... It was breaking her fragile heart... It was breaking her mask into pieces... Slowly revealing the essence of her soul... Please... Stop... I don't want to get hurt any more.
Pirika looked away, their connection, broken. She turned away.
Silence.
Ren sighed. "We need to talk."
A cold breeze blew against their faces.
"Some other time." Pirika calmly replied
"You can't avoid me, forever, Pirika..."
"I'm not avoiding you." Pirika faced him. "We still have a month, after all."
Only mere seconds had passed, and yet Pirika had managed to firmly place back her mask. "You don't understand." Ren trailed off... A month... I only have a month to live...
"I'm tired, Ren... Please let me go..."
Silence.
Only the peaceful clashes of waters to the rocks could be heard.
"If you're tired... So am I..." I just need to forgive myself before I go.
"Then let's do both ourselves a favor..."
"You just don't understand..."
"What do I don't understand?" Pirika snapped.
"Everything." Ren closed his eyes. "I have to explain..."
"You had eight years, Ren..." Pirika whispered, "Eight years, damn it. Eight years... not a single word... And now..."
"I know I wasted damn eight years, Pirika, because I thought, that was the right thing to do." He bowed his head in despair. "Now I knew it was wrong... Now..."
"Now what?" Pirika cried, "You came back... You figured out that this was the right thing to do? You think a month would bring everything back to normal? Damn it, Ren. A month couldn't change eight years."
"It could." Ren whispered back, "A month could make up for eight years. Just give me a chance."
"That's all I need Pirika, a chance..."
"Then what happens next? You marry some rich girl from who-knows-where? What about me? What about me?"
"I won't marry Alexa." I... I won't be around then...
"Ren! Wake up!" Pirika muttered desperately, "You're getting married! It was on the news! It was on the papers! I saw one this afternoon! Even Onni-san said it! And now you're telling me that you're not getting married. What are they, liars? All of them? Face the music, damn it."
"Pirika... please..."
Pirika began to walk away. "I have to go. I'll just see you... tomorrow..."
"Pirika..." Ren paused uncertainly,
"I didn't break any promise, Pirika... That's why I came back... I came back to keep it...
I've always loved you, Pirika. I still do. I will still."
"Get a life Ren. It's too late..." Pirika whispered quietly, her tears now staining her cheeks. "You once told me that... What happened? I'm not stupid to commit the same mistake again..."
"I'm sorry, Ren... I really am..."
But we can't go on like this...
I've accepted years ago that we can't be.
We just can't be.
Ren watched Pirika go.
Maybe she was right.
Maybe it was too late.