SCENE TWO – A Golden Apple On A Dead Tree

It was a sunny day. It was a day in the middle of summer, where the trees hummed with the warm wind and the ground was covered with warm, golden spots. Back in the bus, with its calming well of chats among its passengers, and this beautiful stranger beside her, Tohru felt safe.

"Can you tell me where we are please?" Tohru asked as she looked out of the window and saw a strange neighborhood.

"Well...that depends on where you want to go." Kyou replied.

"I…I don't know exactly…I just wanted to leave from where I came from."

Kyou mused and quoted the famous cat, "Then it doesn't matter where you are does it?"

Tohru gasped, and her eyes opened wide at this truth and cried. Her little body shook and heaved, like a little tree stuck in a rainstorm. A river streams down her face rapidly.

Kyou waited till she quieted down and then said, "If you don't mind, I would like to listen to your problems and try to help you."

"I don't want to say."

The bus kept on driving down the road and never once stopped to turn around.

"You're a run away aren't you?" Kyou suddenly asked.

Tohru didn't say anything but instead turned around with her back facing him.

Kyou looked up at the ceiling of the bus, it was bruised from mold and dirt.

"My mom doesn't like it when I eat with my left hand. My dad was left handed and ever since he left she doesn't want to see anything that reminds her of him. Well, I was born left handed so it took me awhile to learn to use my right." Kyou sighed as Tohru turned around to look at him.

"One day I accidentally used my left hand, it was out of reflex and she beat me so bad I had to be in the hospital for a week. That was when I was six. "

Kyou raised his left hand. It was limp.

"I can't use it anymore." Kyou said with a sad smile. Tohru reached up and took it in her own hands,

"Your hand is beautiful." She brought it to her cheek as a tear slid out her left eye.

"Don't cry…" He looked uncomfortable but didn't withdraw his hand. "It doesn't hurt anymore…and I still have my right hand and I've learned how to use it really well now."

He took out a pen and paper, "I'll write your name with my right hand to show you how well I use it...what is it?"

"I…I…" Tohru shook her head, "I don't want to tell you..I don't want anyone to know."

Kyou smiled and turned to write on the paper. When he was done he turned it up to face her.

"Snow White…" Tohru read.

"That's like you…you have pale skin and dark hair and you ran away from home."

"We both are runways aren't we." Tohru looked at him sadly.

"Yes. We ran away and found each other." He mused, "Maybe this is destiny."

"This is my first time on a bus. Actually, this is my first time anywhere. I've lived at my estate all my life."

Kyou didn't say anything, he just let her lean her head on his shoulder and stroked her hair.

"I never did anything myself…I was always taken care of. If I wanted breakfast someone would make it for me. If was cold someone would put the heat for me. Maybe that's why I got sick…I was too useless so life wanted to give up on me."

"Shhh…don't say that," Kyou dropped a kiss on the side of her head, "it's not your fault you're rich. Your parents should have known better and gave you more independence."

"My parents are dead. They died when I was really little. My aunt and uncle brought me up. They spoil me because they don't want to love me."

Kyou pulled her head into his lap, so she was looking up at him.

"I could see it in her eyes. She looked at me like I was a nuisance. She would walk by me and pretend I wasn't there. Once when I fell off my bike, she looked at me and said, 'I have to go to a party tonight so don't stay up too late.' And then walked away."

Kyou leaned his head down and tried to kiss away her tears.

"So when they found out I was sick…they locked me up in that little room. I only saw the nurse everyday and the doctor once a week. My aunt and uncle never came to visit me. I think they were waiting for me to die."

"What are you going to do now?" Kyou asked quietly with his lips wet with her tears.

"What are you going to do?" Tohru whispered.

"I want to take you with me." He held her tight.

"Kyou…will you kiss me?" She asked.

How Will You Kiss?

"Of course…first a thousand kisses…then a thousand more…"

Lilt me your lips,
our lost breath intermingling.

Synchronize our silence
as lazy hours ease by.

Waft cocoa, hazelnut, cinnamon,
scents around me.

Tremble with me
in paralyzing pauses.

I may no longer breathe
without breathing you.

- Judith Pordon