AN: OOOOOOOOKAY.....here we go again. I've not updated in a while...soooooo it SHOULD be longer, but it's NOT so LUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! hem hem
Insomnia Chapter four: Memories
Tsuzuki leaned against a tree, pressing his face into the rough bark. The sounds and smells of a small wooded area surrounded him. The violet-eyed man tried to let the atmosphere soothe him but nothing could penetrate his confusion and guilt.
I don't understand? What's happening? Am I that much of a burden to everyone around me? His heart clenched as images of Meifu spun through his mind. Kanoe, Tatsumi, Terazuma, Hisoka, all regarding him with derision.
"Why wouldn't they tell me that I was such an inconvenience?"The tree provided no answers. Tsuzuki pushed away and with hands in his pockets, wound his way through the foliage. At the border of the woods he stopped and stared at the landscape in disbelief.
A field stretched below him, tall grasses waving in a light wind. It was night and the shadow fingers of the trees under the moon stretched across the meadow. Looking in the distance Tsuzuki could make out the lights of a small town. His senses reeled. It wasn't possible, it couldn't be real.
A faint rustling caught his attention. Tsuzuki peered down into the grass. It was waving, bending, parting to admit a small figure. Thin dirt encrusted legs beat at the path then slightly faltered as the figure, a young boy, stumbled and fell with a cry. He quickly hauled himself to his feet and continued his flight, gasping with exertion. The grass behind him was rustling violently now, then a pack of boys broke through in hot pursuit. Tsuzuki's ears picked up the cat calls and insults flung at the solitary runner.
"Freak!"
"Weakling!"
"DEMON!"
The boy spared an instant to look back over his shoulder at his pursuers. Purple eyes flashed in the shadows. Tsuzuki felt his legs begin to buckle, memory surging up within him. He looked to the mob of boys, and saw a stone flung. It hit the fleeing boy in the shoulder and Tsuzuki winced with remembered pain. A barrage of stones followed, and the boy fell to the ground, blood flowing from several cuts. The horde descended on him, Tsuzuki's limbs failed him and he crashed to the ground, hiding his face and trying to cover his ears. The sobs and cries of the boy and the cruel laughter of his tormenters still wormed its way to Tsuzuki's ears.
He didn't know how long he had been curled on the unyielding turf trying not to listen, not to remember. He did not want to lift his head. He knew what he would see past the trees. The child was curled on the ground, tears glistening in his amethyst eyes. He sobbed, his bleeding and broken body still trying to rise, then failing and giving up. The chill from the ground was permeating abused flesh, and then the misted eyes closed in resignation. Tsuzuki remembered. It was the first time he had wanted to die. He had relaxed and let the cold flow through him, chilling his lifeblood. Then his eyes had flown open with surprise as his heart beat grew stronger, his various wounds and bruises faded, and muscles stiff with the cold warmed. It had been the first night he had cheated death, the first time in a long line of future torment.
Tsuzuki pushed to his feet and looked at his younger self who had just done the same. The boy looked at his hands, realizing they were still bloody. He raised one filthy palm to his lips and licked it. Tsuzuki shivered as he watched the boy's eyes grow cold, lips pulling back to bear teeth in a silent snarl. Tsuzuki looked across the field, the lights of the town twinkled against the black night. The yellow lights stretched fingers across the field, but not far enough to touch the boy. He was bathed in moonlight, and the only influence the lights of the town had on him was their reflection in his burning eyes. Tsuzuki took a step forward, reaching out a hand towards the town. He had to warn them, had to save them from himself. He knew however, it was impossible. Wherever he was, it wasn't real. He turned to go back into the woods, hoping to find a way out. He knew his younger self was heading back into the town, Tsuzuki wanted to get away before the screaming started. The town had woken up the demon.
He stumbled around the woods for about half an hour before a fog rose up. Soon it was difficult to see two inches in front of his face. He continued to trudge blindly forward, hands outstretched to warn him of obstacles. It was awhile before he realized that his shoes no longer rustled against dirt and pine needles, but scuffed softly against a hard surface. He stopped and looked around perplexed, but the shroud of mist completely obscured his surroundings. He had been meandering in circles for what felt like ours before he saw a shadow in the distance. Slightly apprehensive but grateful to finally see something through the relentless fog, Tsuzuki approached the shadow slowly. He was fairly close before he could recognize the specter as a human figure. It was a woman. Long dark hair fell down her back and over a plain yet elegant kimono. Tsuzuki stared in shock, he knew that kimono. It was made of plain threadbare flax, dyed to a finer cream color than its original raw white. Hand embroidered butterflies of bronze and copper silk thread fluttered around the collar and hem. The tightly cinched obi was dark burgundy silk, picked out with gold dragonflies. The mass of dark chocolate hair fell around the curve of her face, obscuring her features. Tsuzuki felt tears begin to well in his eyes at the sight of her.
"Ruka?" His voice was barely a whisper; he reached out his hand tentatively to touch her shoulder. She turned her head at the sound of his voice. Tsuzuki took one look at the face of his beloved sister and screamed.
