Streak of Crimson in a fight
Splash of blood that soils ground
Taint the snow all around
I See the Color Red
My face when I do confide
Shade my eyes turn when I cry
Soul is tainted by a lie
The fire burns deep inside
I See the Color Red
I See the Color Red
Anger taken much too farColor of the coldest star
Signs on road call a stop
Just my hands when I am caught
I See the Color Red
Saturday morning; what am I doing here. I stare at the beautifully carved oak door in front of me. This is the place. I know it well. The last owners moved out about a year ago. When Crim and I first moved in the block over, they were the first to greet us, asking if we wanted them to trim the tree that was hanging over the low fence. We decided to just let the tree grow as it was. But we had the tree trimmed before they moved out, unsure what the new owners would be like.
It was in that very tree that I saw those glowing red eyes staring back at me six days ago. That night Crim's killer started attending my school. So now why am I standing in front of his house?
It's because of this.
I glance down at the box in my left hand. Yeah, the boat. I'd prefer to get this over with, if all it takes is testing it and making a few minor adjustments to the propeller and rudder. I've got all the tools with me too.
Shifting the box to my right hand, I reluctantly knock on the door. It doesn't take long until the door is opened by the Akage, an eyebrow raised in curious surprise.
"Good morning, Miss Breaks. I didn't expect to see you again so soon."
"We've got a project to finish, Akage. And the sooner the better." I raise the box to emphasis my meaning, my tone all business.
"Of course." Emotionless mask firmly in place, he admits me into his home, and I not the lack of decorum. The place seems so much bigger now, what without the previous furniture.
An old white couch on white carpet against white washed walls. The place screams of change. What with the lack of distractions, my eyes easily spot the dark figure sitting on the windowsill. He is staring out the window, eyes unseen to me, but I can tell he knows that I'm here. Wary of anything remotely related to the Akage, I scan the darkly clad figure and take note of the calloused hands of a swordsman on the stranger. Confirming this assumption, a katana is leaned against the opposite side of the sill.
Turning my attention back to Shuichi, waiting patiently by the hallway, I say, "So, let's test this." Once again I lift the box.
Without requiring him to show me the way, I make a beeline for the bathroom with the tub. Waiting for it to fill up with water I jump on the counter and swing my legs in total disregard to Akage's presence. Finally the tub is filled enough for the boat not to scrape the bottom, and I turn off the tap.
The boat floats easily, as I hoped it would. Now, will it go straight? A twist of the wires closes the circuit and connects the batteries, bring the propeller to a nice swift spin. Carefully, I place it in the water.
To my relief, it travels the seven feet, but it veers to the right quite a bit and almost runs into the wall of the tub. Luckily I catch it before it had a chance to capsize.
"I know words won't bring him back, but I'm sorry about your brother-" I ignore the Akage as I pull out my pliers and make a few adjustments to the propeller. One twist and I place it back in the water. This time it runs straight.
Satisfied with the results I fish it out of the water and turn it off, placing it on the edge of the tub. Continuing to ignore the murderer's words, I stand up.
"We're done." And with that I exit the bathroom.
Out in the hallway I find the same dark figure from before leaned up against the wall. Upon seeing him, I stop where I stand.
Suddenly his eyes are no longer hidden from me. With a turn of his head, he is glaring at me. Maybe it's just his nature to glare at people he doesn't know. Or perhaps he just thinks he's better than everyone. But the reasoning is irrelevant to me. Nothing matters but what I see.
Glowing red eyes.
The next thing I know, my vision blurs. I fall to my knees as memories flash before my eyes. Not my memories; Crim's.
I can remember clearly now, Crimson had been out with some new friends of his. They were kind of new to town, and he was showing them around. I wasn't with them. I had homework. Like the naïve kid he was, Crimson trusted these new friends, he really liked them.
It had been snowing. Fresh frost coated the ground. They were stopped on their way home by a stranger. Red hair, long and in a ponytail. Out of the corner of his eye, Crim saw a pair of glowing red eyes perched on the roof of the building next to him.
His new friends took one look at the man before them and started out in a break neck run. Still, they didn't know the area well enough to know the ally they were headed for was a dead end. Heck, even Crim didn't know it was a dead end.
Finding them trapped between a rock and a hard place, Crim turns around to face the stranger, who had started talking. He told Crim that his new friends were really demons in disguise. They looked human, well enough, but appearances could be deceiving. Told him that his new friends were very dangerous, especially because they blended in so well. He needed Crim to step aside.
Crim refused to believe him. There was no way, he trusted these guys. They were his friends, they would have told him something as important as that. No way was Crim gonna let the stranger hurt them. No way.
And he stood there, with his arms outstretched, like he could really protect them. Him with no weapons and no real combat skills whatsoever.
The owner of the glowing red eyes suddenly appeared beside the red head with a blur. One moment there was nothing there, the next, a glaring Goth.
The memory was still unstable, all I could understand was that the second stranger muttered something along the lines of "stupid humans" and "don't know what's good for them."
"I really can't afford to let these demons go. I have no choice." Sighed the red head. If Crim would not move, he had no choice. And with that he pulled out a red rose from- my mind strained to understand. His hair? Suddenly it was a rose no longer, but a long thorned whip of vine.
A flick of his wrist and pain shot through my head. I hunched over and held my head with a groan. With the termination of Crim's life, my own memories took over. It was well passed midnight, and I had been worried about Crim. Going out to find him, I walked in the general direction he and his new friends had headed. After a few minutes of walking, I started jogging, tension crackling in my body. I began frantically looking for any sign of the group, or even just a sign of life. I was met with silence, and that in itself was scarier than any noise I could have heard at that moment.
Eventually, I came across the alley. The street light was flickering, badly in need of maintenance. I saw the footprints in the snow and came to a halt, my eyes slowly following the tracks as my mind had gone numb from the cold.
My stomach dropped. The snow was covered with blood. It had just begun to turn pink as the blood sunk in. The entire picture was all at once revealed to my eyes. Blood everywhere. And there, laying on the ground was Crimson. I could see where the blood was seeping out of his wounds, tainting yet more snow with his life substance.
My body trembles, and suddenly I'm released from my flashback. I find myself huddled on the floor, clutching my head. Akage's shadow falls over my form. I must have cried out or something. Knowing he would assume his companion had done something to me, I force my mind to clear and my body to move.
I'm sure I appear out of it, I feel like it at least. In fact, I can't have more than whispered the words.
It's not your fault.
Accidental.Enlightenment burned into your mind.