Midnight Screams, Blood, and Silk
A/N: (peeks around a corner) I'm afraid to show my face with so many people out to get me. But I must face my fears!
You wanted it, now you got it. So ha! Hahahaha! (flies into the night with a Lemon Slurpie)
Last Craving- Summon Me
Shuichi stared blindly into the dark room that lay before him. No, it was his shadow that gazed into the chamber that kept him, his shell that could exist in this four-walled prison on the top floor of a fancy apartment building. This was in the neighbourhood where nothing ever went wrong, where if someone screamed, it would be considered moans of pleasure, where if someone was beaten, it was part of the game, where if someone died, money exchanged hands to record it as natural cause. Mercy had only one face here, and she was the face of death.
Yuki walked into the still apartment, not bothering to look into the corner where a broken doll sat, unblinking, not moving, but still alive and warm. The doll was soft to the touch, gentle and breakable, would bleed when cut and heal on command. It was his prized possession, the only thing he lived for, but also his greatest burden.
Lately whenever Yuki neared Shuichi, a river of acid stormed through his body, causing him to double over in pain, convulse involuntarily and had caused him to black out on more than one occasion. It was a frozen fire that moved within his blood, screamed in his mind relentlessly until he often wished he could tear it out.
But he never would. The pain he felt was nothing compared to what pain he had caused to a creature that had been pure innocence, delight, and murder. A haunted shell only remained of what he had destroyed in moments, a shell that would continue to exist into eternity, lest he destroy it as well. But this, he would also never do.
This shell was what could give him the sating pleasure he needed for his immense selfish hunger. The only thing that could fulfill him.
Come back to me.
Come back home to me.
Please, come back to me.
Shuichi turned his head, searching for the source of the voice that sounded so familiar to him. What little awareness remained inside of him had latched onto the voice that had been calling for him for so long. He didn't know where it came from, but it called nonetheless.
It wasn't Yuki. It never had been Yuki. Where Yuki's voice always seemed to be accompanied by a haze that befuddled the senses, a animalistic desire to conquer the body, even if it was against one's will, this voice was soothing, mystical, yet gentle and he loved it. He had to have more of it. Shuichi craved to hear the voice more often and it only came when Yuki was nearby.
The dark wings began to move again, only this time they felt warm. Gentle brush strokes against his chest from the inside, like a curious child drawing designs along the scars of the soul. Slowly, the wings did form into what felt like dozens of small hands, gently prodding the inside of Shuichi's heart, his soul.
Are you here?
Are you here?
Where are you?
Find me.
Shuichi didn't react when Yuki walked into the room and sat on the edge of the bed, but he did crawl closer as the voice called to him again.
Yuki turned his cobalt eyes to gaze adoringly at him. 'When will you speak again?' he wondered to himself as he reached a hand out to caress Shuichi's pale skin. He still tingled with what lingered warmth his blood supplied.
You're here.
I see you.
Come to me.
The same moment Yuki's hand reached out towards him, the little wings inside of Shuichi stirred into full activeness, not brushing within him anymore, but clawing. They scratched and cut within him, desperate to reach the outside, desperate to go within Yuki's being, his soul.
Come home.
A light flickered behind Shuichi's pale crimson eyes, making them seem more vibrant before, closer to what they used to be. Strength suddenly surged from somewhere within him, giving him the power to knock Yuki onto his back on the soft sheets of the bed, onto the mattress that had held Shuichi's body like a mother would cradle her child.
Come home to me.
"Shuichi!" Yuki had been caught completely off guard, having assured himself that Shuichi would never hold such life again. Had something within him finally stirred, something that would bring him back to his former self? "Shuichi, can you hear me?"
Come home. Find me. Come back home to me.
The ebony wings had turned into midnight hands, darkness that leaked into each other as they slowly came forth, filled Shuichi until he became what they wanted him to be. The darkness suffocated him, shut out his whole awareness until he could only feel a chill. Ice, black, frigid, painful.
Come back to me. Now.
When he dared to open his eyes, a small little champagne glass stood at his feet. It was filled with
'-tears. These are your tears, Shuichi.'
Shuichi turned around completely, not even aware he had knocked over the glass. It was the voice that had called to him, that had touched his soul where Yuki's only demanded a release, domination, utter submission under its velvet touch.
It was a boy. A little boy wrapped in white sheets, hiding his appearance from the world.
'Who are you?' Shuichi whispered silently, suspiciously, his awareness his alone once again. How? He didn't know.
Was he smiling? The boy didn't answer immediately, but walked up to him and held out a tiny, pale hand. 'I believe this is yours' he said, his voice sweet, melodic, just as mystifying as what a devil might sound like.
He held out what looked like a tiny marble, no larger than Shuichi's thumbnail. It shimmered in multiple colors, once a divine lavender, then a verdant green, a crisp blue, shifting into a still and lifeless ebony.
Shuichi was fascinated by it's continuous movement. 'What is this?' he asked, fear suddenly gripping him again. 'I've never seen it before in my life!'
'Oh, but you have,' he replied, never wavering from the bouncy and innocent joy he held. 'Look closely into it.'
The boy uttered a few incoherent words, and suddenly the shimmer intensified into a great white light and it showed all.
Yes, Shuichi had seen it before in his life, had seen everything the light presented to him, around him. It was his life.
A child, merely seven, alone in the world with a bloody dagger in his hand, hiding under a fallen tree trunk in a forest. His mother had been attacked by cloaked strangers, eloquent masks hiding their faces.
His father, a vampyre who had mesmerized her senses into willing him whatever pleasures he desired, had left just as quietly as he had come, to continue to spread his seed among the lands, the nations, the world.
Shuichi had tried to defend himself as well as his little sister, who had regretfully been the first to fall because of his incompetence at wielding a dagger. In his attempt to at least help his mother, she had sent him out of the house to save himself at least, all against his will.
He cried, holding onto her, not wanting to let go.
She shook him off and shoved him out, a brave woman and loving mother, a warrior until the very end. A silver glimmer that she had owned had always been his keepsake for as long as he could remember. A silver crucifix.
The same kind that he had thought to have lost that night in a battle.
The same kind that lay on Yuki's dresser.
The light and the memories suddenly all evaporated from around him and the natural darkness surrounded him once more. He looked at the little boy where he figured his eyes would be. They stared at each other silently for a moment. 'What is this?' he asked, not knowing what else to say.
'A truth behind a lie that no one knew' he said, his face still tilted up towards him, but remaining in the folds of the cloth.
'Cut the crap!' he cried in annoyance, oblivious to a sudden gale that appeared out of nothingness. 'What do you mean 'a truth behind a lie'? And just who the hell are you?'
He made an attempt to grab the folds of the cloth, but the boy quickly backed away, and ducked under his arm, turning around to keep his eyes on him. He remained silent.
Shuichi's wings were suddenly aware again, as if trying to keep him back, warning him not to go there. He ignored it. 'If you won't tell me' Shuichi spit between clenched teeth, 'then I'll find out for myself!'
Diving towards the boy, he managed to snag a corner and kept a grip on it, whipping it off of him to reveal his face. The sheets recoiled and spread out into a blinding white wall, covering everything and anything. What little Shuichi saw of the boy's face were eyes of ebony, of eternity. Or horror and ugliness that no creature should have to see, to go through.
'Shuichi.'
And then there was nothing.
"...Shuichi."
Shuichi awoke to the feeling of being cradled. He didn't know what it was, or who it was, but he did attempt to focus his cerise eyes on the person holding him. It was Yuki.
The smell of cigarettes hit him forcefully and kicked him into full awareness. "Let me go," he mumbled silently, trying to move his hands to put space between him and Yuki. He felt like silly putty, his whole body numb. 'I'm hungry.'
Yuki's head immediately snapped up, his senses tingling at hearing his voice again, at Shuichi having somehow managed to regain himself again. Was it real? Was it a fantasy? Shuichi spoke to him. "Shuichi!"
He moved his left hand and held Shuichi's chin, turning his face to look into his eyes. They were real, they were alive. And flaming.
"What?" he tried to move out of his grasp, but Yuki held him fast again, unable to resist himself.
He had to hold him close, had to smell him and taste him again. He had to hear his voice, had to touch his hair, just to make sure it wasn't hopeless wanting. The hours, days he had waited to see life in him again now seemed like eternity-and he didn't want to repeat it.
"Let me go!" Shuichi cried dispirited, trying to breathe.
Yuki shook his head, pressing him even closer. "I can't," he whispered gently, kissing his neck, rubbing his back, "I love you too much to leave you alone."
Shuichi did his best to fight back, used all his strength to push away, but caught the silver glimmer on the dresser from the corner of his eye.
After a few more futile attempts at escape, he sighed and relaxed into his embrace.
'Fine,' he thought to himself, 'I'll go hunting later.'
Until another night.
The end for Midnight Screams, Blood, and Tears.
A/N: Dang! Dudes, what was my damage with this one? I even lead MYSELF on in the last chapter. …I must have really been pissed if I wrote this story. I don't even remember the purpose of it! And you would all most likely kill me if I were to take it down, wouldn't you? No, I love my life too much, just as I love my books. So the story shall remain. I hope this is a better quote "conclusion" unquote, and if you want to find out what Shuichi will do, which I don't even know, because I hadn't planned on using the crucifix at all, but because of my spacious mind, it now has a certain significance, you'll have to wait until I write a story called The Hunter's Tears I guess. Oh well.
Later Dudes! Love you guys!
C.S.
Disclaimer: No, this is not my personally thought-up manga, I gain no profit from its sales, and I shall never be the owner to the copyrights that protect 'Gravitation' from pirating. But I can dream about it...never give up your dreams!