The Real Monster
There was faint clapping in the background.
"Touching…absolutely touching." A venomous voice hissed "A love scene? Oh how I do love shoujo manga…"
Tohru
stood there, as still as an ice figure, a mixture of feelings
building up inside of her-hatred and desperation towards the lone
figure that was slowly making his way towards them. Yuki felt it too,
but he couldn't do anything in his current form.
"But even in
shoujo manga, there are tear-jerking scenes. You can't always have
a happy ending, right?" Akito said slowly with his hands behind his
back as he paced towards them "You can't get away. No one can run
away forever. Honda-san, you'll have to get Yuki to a doctor seeing
as you can't leave him lying in your hands like that, he'll die."
Akito leant closer to Tohru.
"Now if you want your prince to live, you're going to have to come with me."
His hands reached her cheek.
"I see the present I left here last time has recovered. I'll just have to give you another one…"
He created another scratch on her cheek, blood staining his knife-like fingernails. He then licked them, causing Tohru to wince.
"Into the car, children," he said pointing at a limousine parked on the side of the road "Watch your step, the road's slippery…"
Tohru had no choice. She picked up Yuki's uniform and headed towards the car. As she entered, a hand covered her mouth and nose. She started to lose consciousness…it must have been chloroform. As she passed out she could made out a shape…no-a colour…orange…
She woke up to find herself in a room. It was dark and cold. She looked around, observing her surroundings. The windows were wide open allowing the winter draft to enter, but they were barred. The floor was ripped and tattered. She noticed a figure sitting at the corner on the other side of the room. The figure was clad in a simply grey kimono and was curled up in the foetal position. Fear seemed to radiate off the figure, sending a shiver down her spine. It was Yuki…this was the room…
She crawled towards Yuki. He was shivering and muttering inaudible words. This place left deeper scars than she thought it had.
"It's me, Tohru," she said hoping that she could bring some comfort to him "Don't worry, I'm here for you-"
SWISH!
The sliding door opened.
"Ah, my princess and prince. You're finally both awake! What to do now…you remember the games we used to pay here, Yuki?"
Tohru noticed a whip in Akito's bony hands. He was flicking it back and forth making a satisfying 'whoosh' sound. Tohru held Yuki's quivering hand.
"Remember
our old friend, Yuki? Muchi-san?"
Yuki's grip tightened.
"N-no, Akito! Please…I-"
Akito cracked the whip on the floor, leaving a small rip on the floor.
"Boy, that felt good …" Akito said cracking his knuckles. He laughed manically. "Don't worry, it won't be as painful as it used to be…I haven't done this in a long time"
Then he smiled in a way he never smiled before. It was almost indescribable. The shadows from the corridor covered exactly half his face, leaving the other half illuminating brightly. His eyes revealed anger and what looked like insanity. He was smiling so broadly. His face was no longer handsome, it was now twisted and repulsive. It was the look he reserved for Yuki, and only Yuki until now.
"Tohru…I
believe this is the first time you've been in this room. I want you
to meet Muchi-san, my whip."
CRACK!
Tohru could have screamed out in pain, but she resisted. Her arm was now searing with unimaginable pain. It was as if hot metal had scorched her. She touched where she had just been hit. A smudge of blood was left on her fingers.
Before she could think of doing anything –CRACK!-she was whipped again.
CRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
She was now covered in cuts, but even then she did now yell. She had just noticed that the walls were covered with dried blood-Yuki's blood. Her blood was to join Yuki's blood on the walls.
"Had enough yet, Honda?" Akito jeered "You ignorant, overconfident bitch!"
He then reached for her hair, lifting her up with it. He then pushed her onto the wall. Tohru slid down the wall, the cuts hurting even more than they did before.
"You thought you could break the curse?" he said and spat on her.
"I don't know how both Yuki and Kyo could have fallen for you!" he continued "Maybe it's because of your pretty face…"
Akito raised his hand with the whip in it.
"Say goodbye to your pretty face, Honda…"
CRACK!
Tohru could feel blood tricking down her face…but it wasn't her own. Yuki had blocked the blow. He faced Tohru with his arms outspread.
"Yuki!" Akito said, feigning surprise "What are you doing? This here…is meaningless. She'll just get you into more trouble. You know, I hate women. Their ability to lure disgusts me. It sickens me, like how Kyo sickens me. He's a real monster…and to think he believes that he can be a member of the Jyuunishin. How can a beast like him even dream of becoming an actual member of the Jyuunishin. He will ALWAYS be-"
What happened next surprised everyone in the room.
Yuki punched Akito.
"LEAVE HIM OUT OF THIS!" he shouted.
"Hm? Since when have you cared about Kyo?
"TAKE IT BACK, NOW!"
"Now, why should I do that?"
"Because he' still a human being! He's got feelings and he's more human than you! You're the real monster. What kind of human being keeps little children locked in a room and gets amusement out of whipping them?"
"What kind of human would do that? Not many would, but I'm the type that would…and do you know why? Because I've been forced to carry your foul curse! I have to do something for you…so you're going to suffer for it. Your life depends on ME! Without me, you'd be NOTHING! You hear me, NOTH-"
BANG!
Akito was lying on the ground, motionless. A figure stood in the light.
It was Kyo.