Chapter Three
Why was I not informed of the sensitivity to light? I never thought the sun would betray to the point of my face blistering and burning just by taking one step out into its rays. I'm now stuck in a dark and dank bar for about twelve hours until the sun goes down. Even in there my eyes burned and felt as if they were going to burst. I kept to the corner, wrapped up in my gi with my chin down to my chest and watched all the drunken slobs and vile harlots go about their disgusting lives. Few times a girl with long black hair and sapphire eyes asked me if I "wanted to have a good time". My mere response was a low pitched hiss and narrow eyes. The bitch nearly soiled herself and skittered away.
While I sat there in my little cob-webby booth, sipping on some expensive imported red wine (which is actually quite delicious), I learned news that a European government official was coming to negotiate and offer goods and weapons to Japan. Odd, I thought. Why is Europe interested in us? Politics bugged me: I didn't understand it nor did I wish to.
"Be careful going home, Kohta," the bar keep bid as a tall man with a long black pony tail began to walk out, "There were four murders last night. Each one found with two punctures in their neck and some body parts missing."
I smirked.
The man turned around to show a large scar spanning from his forehead, across his right eye, and touching his chin and gave the bar keep a thumbs up. "Don't worry I'll be fine. No murderer is going to get me any time soon."
Oh really? I beg to differ…
The bar keep didn't seem satisfied. "Still, get home soon. It's getting dark."
I looked out the window; my ass it was almost dark! It was just now twilight! It wouldn't be dark for another forty-five minutes or so! Paranoid son of a—
"Alright, alright, fine whatever. See ya tomorrow, Setsuna-san." He bowed his head deeply and exited the building. The bar keep gave him a wave of his hand and glanced over at me warily as he had been doing every hour since I stumbled in there at 6:20 that morning. Obviously I was of some discomfort to him.
After about half an hour, I figured it was dark enough for me to leave without my skin going through Purgatory and Hell so I left my little cob-webby corner booth and left, giving the bar keep a charming grin as I left. If he wasn't Catholic, he could've passed as one as he made the cross on his body.
My eyes screamed in the fading light but I chose to fight through it. Whatever doesn't kill me only makes me stronger, right?
Dark clouds formed in the indigo sky, blotting out all the stars that were inked across the sky. A low wind rustled through the streets and seemed to stab my face with tiny needles. I couldn't help but think it was God's breath trying to torment me. Ha, let him try all he wanted, he wasn't going to scare me into the dark.
I rolled my neck and began down the road. I was relieved when the clouds in the sky fully dominated the sky and covered all of the excess light. My senses heightened, taking my eyes and my nose on a wild ride. I could detect the smallest cut if blood was there, I could see even the darkest of shadows move, and I could even hear the scratching of rats in the allies.
I saw Kohta at the end of the street staring into a bridal shop. He let out a sigh and a smile climbed onto his lips. His fingers ran across the glass and outlined the mannequin modeling a beautiful white kimono with soft pastel blue flowers decorating the soft green vines that ventured and twined all along the outfit. Even I had to admit it was gorgeous. I casually walked up beside him and admired the dress.
"That's a beautiful dress," I said quietly as my eyes took in ever stitch and every pattern it held.
"It is…" he answered.
"Are you, getting married?" I laughed inwardly, "Or are you just curious?"
He laughed out loud. "Funny, very funny, but yes, I am."
That caught me off guard. My head snapped to him with wide eyes. "Um…I'm sorry but…"
Understanding what I thought, he waved his hands in protest. "No, no, no! Yes I am getting married."
I let out a chuckle of relief. "Apologies."
"Think nothing of it." He turned back to the kimono, "I wish I could afford this for her."
I then suddenly realized the Thirst was back with full force. The voices in my head swirled and screamed in their gruesome choir for blood. I looked Kohta up and down and devised a plan quickly. I acted naturally and let my charm and words flow smoothly. "I could lend you funds…" I said slowly.
His blue eyes brightened. "What? Really? Why? I couldn't possibly—"
I chuckled. "A woman should have anything she wants on her wedding day," I nodded to the kimono, "Everything should be perfect."
"I really couldn't accept such a generous—"
"Nonsense," I insisted, trying to keep my cool as the morbid maelstrom in my head gained force, "I'd be happy to."
"Sir, thank you! Thank you! I will pay you back!"
"Don't bother," I said, "Consider it a gift. Just follow me and I'll get you the money." I started to walk away from the shop and down the road.
"Today? Thank you!" Poor, ignorant fool. He had no idea what was coming did he?
I rounded a corner and picked up the pace as I tried to lead him far away to where no one would find us. His feet quickened with mine and faithfully followed me through a maze of corners, allies, and plazas. I was finally satisfied with a location—a deserted neighborhood with burned buildings which looked like a haunted ghetto—I froze and turned around.
"Um, is this where you live?" He asked; anxiety in his eyes but his voice strong and brave.
I spat. "You are a fool, do you honestly think someone would offer you money to help pay for a kimono?"
He looked taken aback.
"I'm about to reconsider my plans for I don't like the idea of feasting on an idiot's blood."
"You're—"
"Going to kill you," I finished with a twisted grin on my face, "Oh yes. And you have no way out." He tried to turn and run but I leapt on him and pinned him to the ground, my fingernails digging into his shoulders. My eyes blazed with insanity and lust.
Blood, raged my gothic choir, Blood! Blood! Blood! Blood!
I opened my mouth wide and let my teeth grow to their full size and emitted a hiss.
"Jesus Christ! Devil; be gone!"
I cackled. "I guess you were wrong about the murderer not getting you…" His pupils became no bigger than a pin head; horror shook in his soul and it died immediately as I plunged down to his neck and indulged in my sweet rapture. Low hisses and growls emitted deep from within my throat as blood poured in clots down into my stomach.
His neck was mauled by the time I was finished; that is, if you think a bone with scraps of meat and flesh hanging off here and there is considered a neck. Gore smeared itself all over my face and dripped off my chin onto my chest. Oh, how sweet it tasted. There was something different about his taste though. Be it his personality, his soul, or his blood type, it was different and I liked how it tasted.
"Hello? Who's out there?" A voice belonging to probably a girl in her mid teen years called out through the darkness. Quickly, I vanished from my puddle of blood by Kohta and into the shadows of a partially burned building and hid. I couldn't understand why, but there was just something about the feel of this new presence that made me wary. A young girl, probably no older than sixteen, stepped into the deserted ghetto, clutching a blanket around her shoulders and holding a torch up to light her way. I braced my sharp ears for the shrill keen that I sought coming, but it never came. Instead she kneeled down beside the disemboweled carcass and inspected it, examining his neck and touching the already rotting skin. I stared in shock; I didn't think anyone wouldn't pass out at that sight much less poke and touch it.
She slowly rose to her knees and whirled around, throwing the torch this way and that. I couldn't see her face, but from the glow and shadows of the torch that fell on her face, I could tell that she looked pissed.
"Come out you demon!" she muttered just loud enough for me to hear, "Show yourself to me…" I almost considered stepping out into her view but I decided against it. She returned to Kohta and kneeled by his side and took a round glass bottle from her side. She popped the cork off and poured it over the body. Instantly, black smoke rose from his body with the most acrid smell I ever had the displeasure to inhale. With that, she muttered a blessing beneath her breath and ran off from where she came.
Once I was sure she was gone, I jumped down to study the body. It looked just like it did before only wet. I began to walk away when I accidentally kicked the bottle she had used. I bent down to pick it up and instantly my hand felt as if it were lit on fire. I screamed in pain and tried to drop the bottle but it seemed to have melting on my hand. The smell of burning flesh assaulted my nostrils and burned my sensitive eyes. I ran to the nearest building and smashed my hand against the wall in hopes of getting it off but it didn't break! It didn't even scratch! The choir in my head began singing a different song; this time of sweltering pain and aggravation.
PEEL IT OFF! The hissed in agony, PEEL IT OFF! PEEL IT OFF PEEL IT OFF!
I obeyed them and covered other hand with the sleeve of my gi and knocked it off my hand. Still wracking with the fire, I fell to my knees cradling my hand close to my chest. What the fuck was that! I crawled over to the bottle on my knees and rolled it over using a stick. On its front was a golden cross with tiny little lines of silver painted projecting from it like rays of sun. What? Why did that burn…?
HOLY! My maddening choir hissed, ITS HOLY! DESTROY IT! DESTORY IT!
Submissive once more, I stood and drew my katana from its sheath. Holy, eh?—So I am God's enemy. He was out to vanquish me. Well, Lord, I'm not going anywhere.
I broke that piece of shit to pieces with one swing of my sword.
A/N: So ends another chapter of See Red Again. I had to redo this a couple of times because I didn't like how its flow. . I enjoyed writing Kenshin's first encounter with something Holy...heh, I could just picture that cute little redhead writhing with pain from it. . Oh yeah, to those who didn't realize it (or made the mental connection with this twisted author), the bar maid with the long black hair and sapphire eyes was Kaoru. Sorry... I really don't like her. She's kinda a ...biotch. lol.
ELLIE 31773: O.O;;; long enough? -doesn't wanna die yet-
Kenji's Girl: . you're very welcome. Ah, don't worry about it; no review is too long for moi.
plutobaby494: at the moment, he is
Ame Ulan: I know, I know. I was just a joke, no worries .- Hope you enjoyed this one! I hope I did this foreshadowing thing correctly... 0.0 -shuts mouth before she gives any more hints- >.>