Chapter 8: Can't Sleep?
Kerri's mind was a tanglement of fear and illusion. Shadows stalking at every corner. She sat alone in the corner, darkness flooding her surroundings like water polluted with oil. Kerri covered in sweat shivered violently. "Let the show begin" said the youkai, the zipper dragged. Left the clothes on, don't need to remove them for this. She recoiled in fear, absolute terror. Ebony emerged from the shadows. Dressed in black, her eyes full of tears. "Gone, he's gone" She muttered over and over. "Ebony, Ebony please help me." She reached out for the woman who was like a sister to her. She ignored her hand and turned her back. Crying endlessly, continued her muttering. Hakkai, his green eyes piercing the darkness. Tears falling to the ground. His hands covered in blood. He smiled at her through his tears "...Kerri..." he whispered. He pulled a dagger from its sheath and held it to his stomach. The thick white scar creeping up his abdomen. He smiled again "Goodbye Kerri, nice to meet you" he said quietly. Kerri woke up screaming in a dark room. Ebony was holding her hand suddenly awake herself. "Kerri, calm down. What's the matter? Kerri!" She looked at her friend, kind eyes tired. "What's the matter?" She asked again. "N-nothing...just a nightmare...Where are we?" She asked quietly, her heart racing still. "An inn. After you passed out Hakkai drove us to the closest town so that you could rest." She nodded, trembling. "A nightmare?" Said Ebony "Me too." She forced a smile for Kerri and sighed. "Listen, I know its hard Kerri. But we need to get through this. I'm here, we can pass this together ok?" Tears in her eyes. "Together?" Kerri with her innocent voice shivered a little. "Yeah, whenever you need me I am here. You are like a sister to me Kerri. You are my sister. And I love you, as long as I can help it nothing will hurt you like that again." She squeezed her hand and wiped her own tears away. "If you have a nightmare, just wake me up. I'll be here for you ok?" Kerri smiled at Ebony and a moment of silence passed between them.
Hakkai sat with his back against the wall Sanzo lay awake in his bed. They had no words to exchange with one another. Eyes drooping in fatigue and Sanzo's robes slack against the chair, damp due to his little swim in the river. "Sanzo?" Hakkai said quietly, staring at the flickering candle flame. "Yeah" "Thankyou for saving her." He said simply. Sanzo didn't look at him and turned over in his bed. "It was nothing."
Goku's golden eyes were directed at the ceiling his hands were behind his head. He glanced out the window, the cigarette smoke catching the silver moonshine. He turned over in his bed. "Do you dream Gojyo?" The young voice tore through the darkness - the question had caught Gojyo off guard. He dreamt of is brother covered in blood, the woman lying lifeless on the ground. Almost vulgar in her scarlet nightgown. "No" he lied and snuffed out the cigarette. "You're lying to me." Smiled Goku and he turned over in his bed looking away from the window. Gojyo watched Goku from where he lay, a crimson stare penetrating the darkness of the room. "You always lie to me. It's ok though, now I know that you dream." He said in a drowsy murmur. Loud snoring soon followed, drool dribbling from the monkey's bottom lip. Gojyo smiled to himself and dreamt of golden eyes and an innocent smile.
Sanzo's eyes snapped open he was woken by the sobbing down the hall. Rolling his eyes the priest rose quietly from his bed and made his way down the hall. He pushed the door open and found Ebony leaning against the railing tears rolling down her arms. "You should be inside, it's not safe out here." He said his voice was emotionless. She turned the tears staining her face. She turned back and stared at the moon. "Get inside" He demanded quietly. She ignored him. He pulled her shoulders and spun her around to look at him. "Think about others would you? If anything happened to you Hakkai would..." She was fighting the tears, biting her lip, forcing a muffled sobbing to remain at the back of her throat.
Hakkai woke and Kerri was standing idly in the doorway. He smoothed his hair back and sat up in his bed. "Kerri? What is it?" She didn't move. "Ebony's not in the room." Hakkai noticed that Sanzo was missing too, but nothing within him gave reason to believe that they were in trouble. "Come in, Kerri." He said quietly. She shuffled into the room and closed the door behind her, recoiling a little when he came close to her. "You're frightened. What is the matter?" He asked gently. She shivered and collapsed in his arms, sobbing against his chest. Stunned Hakkai froze and momentarily didn't know what to do. "I had a terrible nightmare" she stammered. He stroked her hair like he used to with Ebony when she had nightmares as a child. "What nightmare Kerri? What happened?" He asked her calmly. "You k-killed yourself." She whispered, he almost didn't catch what she had said. "I am ok though. And so are you." He said but he knew that this would not console her too much. When one is frightened the best thing to do is to hold them. He led her to his bed and pulled her down onto the mattress. "Do not be afraid Kerri" He said quietly, pulling her close to him and wrapping his arms around her waist. She trembled terribly and turned to face him, looked into his emerald coloured eyes. "I'm s-sorry" He hushed her and kissed her forehead. Kerri drifted into a deep sleep gradually within the circle of Hakkai's arms. He watched over her for a while, watched her sleeping. Her dark lashes against her cheek and fell asleep smiling.
Sanzo didn't know what to do he didn't know what to say to her. She stood there chest puffed out like she was trying to prove something. /Why should I give a damn/ He asked himself, the cool night breeze brushing her hair away from her face. "I don't need you to tell me what is and isn't safe" She said harshly and tore herself from his grip. Sanzo tugged on the end of his black sleeve and shrugged. "Thought you might want to be considerate to your brother" he said and took his lighter out. The fire reflected in his violet eyes, she frowned wanting him to leave her to her thoughts...to her fears. She didn't need anybody especially not him, she turned and walked into the inn. Hugging herself as she passed him and Sanzo remained out there, watched her until she had completely disappeared from his sight. His cigarette smoke engulfing lungs.
Ebony returned to the room, embarrassment flushing her face a pale pink. She curled up alone on her bed and glanced over to the crumpled sheets on Kerri's bed. Her heart froze like the tears in her eyes. She brushed her hair from her eyes and crept into Hakkai's room. Tears spilled over her cheek when she saw her brother holding Kerri in his arms. She wrapped her arms around herself, the stinging of her nose causing tears to prickle in her eyes. Without making a sound she walked back into her empty room and saw Sanzo perched neatly on the edge of Kerri's bed. The black latex material clinging to his every contour, blonde hair feathered across his violet eyes. He held a cold beer in his hand, the frost droplets were trickling down the glass. "where'd you get that" she asked confused. "I always have a beer close on hand" he said quietly, tipping his head back and pouring the liquid down his shivering throat. "What are you doing in here" She demanded. "Hakkai and your friend seemed a little cosy, didn't want to spoil anything" He replied, noticing the hurt expression flicker into her face. The glowing light reflected in his eyes, he tapped his fingers against the side of his bottle. "I am not sleeping in the same room as you" she hissed. Detested the idea, just like he did. But Sanzo felt more uncomfortable sleeping in a room with two happy people than one miserable one that fucked him off. "That's too bad." He said gravely.
"Why did you save me" she didn't ask this, she demanded the answer suspiciously. "I don't have to justify myself to you" He scoffed and looked at her. "Why" She repeated. He didn't answer. She sat on her bed and curled up on her side, the tears sinking into the pillow. She made no sounds as she cried but Sanzo could tell. He looked at her, the shudders convulsing from her like an unstoppable disease. "Don't flatter yourself, I wouldn't touch you if you were the last woman on earth." She didn't look at him, but his words made her flinch. He suddenly regretted saying this and lay his head against the pillow, the golden liquor purging his dry lips. "Why did you save me" she sobbed, weak voice cutting through the air. Shocking him. "Why...why, why am I still here.." she squeezed her eyes closed and buried her face in her pillow. Sanzo didn't move, savouring the taste of alcohol. Thankful that it was here to aid him when threatened by an emotional female situation. "Feeling sorry for yourself is going to do nothing for you." He said impatiently. She rolled over to stare at him, she stopped crying. A look that said "That's right, I am weak aren't I?" Although she didn't say these words, he could hear them. He rolled his eyes "Tch, your fighting skills are impressive for someone so inexperienced. You waste all of your energy on feeling sorry for yourself and you're never going to improve them." She gritted her teeth and threw herself on top of him. Her arm beneath his chin, pushing harshly against the flesh there. "You know NOTHING about me" she hissed. He didn't say anything, his windpipe crushed beneath her arm. "How DARE you speak to me this way." She reached over and took the beer into her own hands, pouring the substance down her throat. /NOT THE BEER (Shy-Phantom - not the rum lol! Elendur – POTC!)/ he narrowed his eyes and rolled her over onto the ground, his knee between hers fingers biting into her arms and holding them over her head. They stared at each other, both fuming. Her face flushed with angry blood, his a cool mask of void expression.
She felt something hard against her stomach, the length of his body pressed against hers. She cocked a brow and glanced up at him. "Flesh gun huh" she remarked. She was shivering, afraid of it. Afraid of him. "Oh for god's sake" He muttered and pulled her to her feet. Holding him against his chest. "You want me to kill the fear?" He demanded with the same impatience. She didn't know what he meant, he rolled his eyes. Pushed her down onto her bed and picked up the beer bottle. "Forget it" he said, cursing himself that he had spilt some of the alcohol and expressed his frustration with her. In more ways than one. He shifted the folds of his robe to cover his shame from her. She was still afraid. /If she doesn't change something soon, she always will be/ He thought to himself before crushing the cigarette out on the bedside table. "Bad manners you know" she spat from the other side of the room. "Oh, fuck off" He groaned (Shy-Phantom - Yes GROANED - but not the groan which normally follows "Oh god YES!" - unfortunately vv)his eyes were weary from the long day he was forced to endure.
Elendur – Wow…a long one
Shy-Phantom – I have too much spare time on my hands…obviously
Elendur – Nah, you're just getting into this