Ch. 7
~
You know, I find it funny that my aunts berated James for dreaming of a better life. If they had even the slightest clue of the dreams I sometimes had, they might have thought twice about greeting us the way they did.
Once again, the air was filled with the smell of blood. The ground was littered with corpses, the sand dyed temporarily red until the tide came in. Rin dug her toes into the soggy grit, feeling flayed flesh beneath her feet.
The half-demon's mouth hung open in a satisfied pant. She could taste the coppery tang of blood on her tongue. Her heart pounded in her chest as her blood thrummed with the song of slaughter.
Rin flexed her claws as a familiar head, its sneer replaced by a look of horror, tilted over. With a laugh, Rin crushed Fred Sanders' head beneath her foot. As the bones crunched into powder, the lawyer's mouth whispered one word.
"Monster."
Rin froze, her foot grinding flesh, brains, and bones into the sand. From the sea of bodies, others began echoing the same word.
"Monster," Mary Williams whispered, her throat torn open.
"Monster," her husband agreed, his limbs ripped from his body.
"Monster!" Angie spat, her blond curls still intact as her flayed body leaked blood.
"Monster," her friends- Abby included- echoed from a nearby pile of corpses.
"Mosnter. Monster." The chant was taken up by every one of Rin's victims, all of them the residents of the small town the half-demon had once called home.
"Monster."
"Monster."
"Monster."
"RIN!"
With a gasp, Rin flung herself back into the waking world. Shaking and gasping, the half-demon huddled on the floor and waited for the aftermath of the dream to pass. Her tongue caught on one of her fangs and the familiar taste of blood filled her mouth.
"Gah!" Rin stumbled to her feet and darted for the bathroom. Turning on the sink, Rin sucked in a mouthful of cold water. Swirling the liquid around in the mouth, the half-demon spat the red-tinted water back into the basin before reaching for her toothbrush.
Damnit, why today? Rin wondered as she scrubbed her mouth clean. Of all the days to have the stupid dream, why today? Spitting out the minty taste, Rin splashed her face with cold water and examined her reflection.
Hair? Short, brown, and tousled. Eyes? A little droopy from lack of real sleep, but still pure gold. Face? Neither a snarl nor a growl, but not happy. Meh, it would do. No sign of the monster in her dream; that was the important part.
Tip-toeing back into her parents' bedroom, Rin poked her head inside. Miraculously, James was still asleep. Good, she didn't feel like telling James about her nightmare; her poor little brother had suffered enough without knowing that his sister was only a dream away from becoming an unstoppable killing machine. Still, it wouldn't be long before James woke and Rin still had to make a few preparations.
Slipping downstairs, Rin saw the sky was only just beginning to lighten. She could hear Mary's heavy breathing coming from the guest room; the half-demon shuddered as she recalled Mary's gaping throat in her dream. Ugh, she didn't like Mary, but she didn't want her neighbor dead. She didn't want anyone dead!
Well, okay, crushing Fred Sanders' head had been kind of fun, but still!
Rin exited the house by the back door and made her way into the dawn. The clean sand was cool under her bare feet and the soft breeze was a balm to her heated brow. Rin breathed in the salty smell of the ocean, savoring the clean taste. With a pang, Rin realized that this would be her last morning tour of the home she had known all her life.
Swallowing back a sigh, Rin ignored the squawk of seagulls and made her way to the meadow. Climbing the familiar hill, Rin beheld her father's shrine, bathed in the first sun rays of the morning.
"Father!" Rin fell to her knees, pressing her forehead against the smooth wood. "Was that you, Father? Did you call me?" Rin recalled the voice that had shouted her name, snapping her out of her nightmare. It had sounded something like Tomoko, though Rin knew it was probably just wishful thinking. For a moment, the young half-demon let herself believe it had indeed been her father calling her, his voice cradling her dream self as his wings had once wrapped her in safety in the waking world.
"What do I do, Father? I... I'm not sure." Rin's only answer was the early morning silence, broken only by the whisper of the waves against the shore. With a sigh, the half-demon pushed herself to her feet and bowed.
"Sayonara, chichiue desu. I'm sure you know that James and I have to leave now. Tell Mother and Henry that I'll take care of him. I'll try to come back soon. Farewell."
Backing away from Tomoko's grave, Rin turned and bolted for the house. She was thankful for her speed; she wanted to finish her preparations before either Mary or James woke up. Reaching the back door, Rin tip-toed back upstairs to her room. Her ears twitched as she noted that both her brother and neighbor were still fast asleep. Opening her closet, Rin grabbed her father's special satchel and knotted the thick cord through the belt loops in her shorts. She grabbed a change of clothes, a few sets of under garments, the heirloom left by her father and a pair of sandals. Carrying the bundle of clothing downstairs, Rin made for the kitchen.
Rin had just finished her tasks when James shuffled into the kitchen, still rubbing his eyes.
"Rin? What are you doing?" he mumbled.
"Just finished packing, I'm afraid."
"Packing?" James blinked in confusion. With a sigh, Rin knelt down and put a hand on her brother's shoulder.
"Afraid so. Apparently, the bank owns our house now and they want us out."
"But... it's our house."
"I know that. But you and I are the only ones who do. Now, we have to go live with our aunts."
"We have aunts?"
"Apparently. I never heard of them before. Did Mother mention having sisters to you?" James shook his head. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Listen, go get dressed and get ready to go. Pack as many clothes as you can and if you take any toys or pictures or anything like that, hide them."
"Why?" James's eyes were wide.
"Because I have a bad feeling about this and I trust my instincts. Go do that and I'll make us some toast for breakfast."
Rin reached for the bread, only to be stopped by James's voice.
"Rin?"
"What?"
"Will our aunts be mad if I bring my toys?" Rin glanced back at James, trying to keep her voice light.
"All I know is that even though they're family, I don't trust them yet. They may have different rules than Mother and keifu-san and I'd rather them not take anything away from you if I can help it. But that's between us, right?" James didn't smile back, but he nodded in agreement with his sister's words.
"Ten minutes then. And I'll try not burn anything."
This time, James managed a half-smile.
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"Well, you two be good and be sure to write. Oh, I'll miss you." Rin rolled her eyes as Mary hugged James goodbye. Frankly, the half-demon was fed up with her neighbor's pitiful attempts at comfort; if she really wanted to help, she'd have stood behind Rin to convince Fred to make Rin James's guardian.
Speaking of the smarmy lawyer, Rin could see him shuffling impatiently by the driver's side of his car. For some reason, he had been elected to deliver the siblings to their new home and Rin was debating whether or not she should spend the ride kicking the driver's seat. Nah, she decided as James pulled away from Mary and took Rin's hand, no need to focus on the slime ball. She had to concentrate on keeping James safe.
"Take care, dears," Mary called as Rin led James to the car. James paused, staring at the house on last time.
"I don't want to leave," he whispered to his sister.
"That makes two of us," Rin replied.
"Hurry up! I want to get there before evening!" was Fred's opinion.
"Damare, kono yarou," Rin muttered. She hefted James's suitcase into the trunk as James climbed into the backseat. Shutting the trunk, Rin held out her arms and retracted her wings. The membranes folded under her arms as neatly as window shades, leaving only a row of bony spikes on the undersides of her arms. Slipping into the car beside James, both brother and sister watched their home fade away as Fred drove them out of the driveway. Sitting back in her seat, Rin smiled as James snuggled up next to her. The little boy was wearing the suit he had worn to their parents' memorial service; Rin guessed that Mary had encouraged him to make the best impression on his new guardians as he could.
Somehow, though, Rin doubted it would matter. She had spoken truly when she told James she had a bad feeling about their aunts. Seriously, it had never occurred to them that they might have relatives, especially if their father's second wife had died after having a baby? Would they have never wondered about their sister? Wouldn't curiosity have encouraged them to seek out their long-lost family? Fred had said that her aunts (whatever the hell their names were; Rin didn't remember) were willing to take the two of them in right away. Not exactly the attitude for a pair of hermits, but then why not make the effort to find their sister sooner?
Okay maybe there was an explanation of some sort. Rin guessed she would find out when she and James arrived. For now, though, Rin wanted to take no chances.
"How long of a ride?" Rin asked. Fred glared at the half-demon in the review mirror.
"About three hours. I suggest you follow your brother's example."
Rin glanced down at James. The little boy had nodded off against his sister's arm, his breathing deep and even. Rin smiled, her urge to growl at the lawyer quickly gone. Perhaps James had moved past having nightmares. The half-demon leaned her head against her baby brother's. Her own eyes closed and she drifted into a light doze.
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"There it is." Rin and James stirred as Fred pulled the car around a curb and began to slowly trundle up a hill.
"You're joking," Rin said, pulling James closer to her. "No way anyone could live here."
"Rin, is that our new house?" James asked.
"I guess," the half-demon muttered.
The whole of her aunts' property was surrounded by a thick stone wall. Grass pushed against the stones and a few dandelions had sprouted against the outer rocks. But on the inside of the stone wall, there was nothing. The whole hill was nothing but dirt and rocks and dead leaves. A rusty car was parked to one side of the lawn and a rotting wood shed faced it. A wrought iron table and chairs, also rusted, were set in the middle of a lawn by a tree. Despite the summer season and the life bursting in the country, the tree was completely bare; not even a hint of green bloomed on its branches. The branches swayed slightly in the breeze, skeletal fingers that seemed to wave any and all away. Were it only that simple...
But it was the house that captured the siblings' attention. While Rin would never have called her family's seaside cottage a manor, it had been a warm and welcoming place. Henry himself had often touched up the cottage's white paint (usually accompanied by his eager little boy) and Miranda had made sure to keep the porch and window sills decorated with bright flowers whenever she could. Not much, but pleasant.
This house, on the other hand, was nothing more than a hunk of splintery wood. The windows were filthy and the roof had worn patches. The whole structure leaned to one side, as if wearied by its existence.
"I admit, the house could use some fixing up," Fred mused, following the wide path through up the hill.
"More like a good tearing down," Rin muttered. Next to her, James shifted uncomfortably.
"The house looks like it's frowning," he said. Rin tilted her head and had to admit that between the blackened windows and the curved and worn front step, the house really did look like it was unhappy. Yeah well, Rin wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of living here either.
As the car rumbled to a stop, the front door flew open. Two middle-aged women strode out into the pitiful excuse for a front lawn. They were, Rin could tell, sisters, though they differed quite a bit. One was short, stubby-limbed and fat with a vapid expression on her doughy face. The other woman was tall and bony, her face pinched in a scowl and her long fingers tapping her prominent hips. Still they both had the same shade of auburn hair, the same pallid skin and the same granite eyes that, even at a distance, gave off no warmth.
James, at a loss for words, shrank against his sister at the sight of his new guardians. Rin felt her ears tilt backwards as the scent coming off the two women's skin crept up her sensitive nose. The half-demon shuddered; her aunts smelled like thick talcum powder, sickly sweet perfume, and heavy sweat. Lovely.
"Alright, your aunts are waiting for you. Out." Fred stopped the car and eyed the siblings. "I did my bit. Now away with you."
"But-" James started to say.
"I said go. This is your home now, so make the most of it." Rin glared at the lawyer as she opened her door.
"If you value your life, you'll help James and I leave this place together. Because I promise you that when my uncle finds out about this, you're gonna wish you'd never brought us here."
Fred raised his eyebrows at the young half-demon. "I hope that wasn't a threat, young lady. It won't bode well for whatever case you think you have."
"It's a warning. Trust me, when I threaten you, you'll know it," Rin spat. "C'mon, James."
The little boy obediently followed his sister, lugging his suitcase. Behind them Fred wheezed his car away and trundled back down the hill. James clutched his sister's clawed hand as the two of them met their aunts' cold eyes.
"Well, aren't you two a sight?" the tall skinny woman said. Her voice was as cold as her eyes and the words slid greasily out of her mouth and past her oversized teeth.
"Nice to meet you too," Rin replied, rolling her eyes. Oh yeah, this was off to a great start. With a glare, the tall woman jabbed a boy finger at the house.
"Inside, both of you! This instant."
"Ugh, children," the fat woman muttered, scratching at a mole on the side of her nose. James swallowed nervously as the group headed inside. He attempted a smile at the woman as he spoke.
"Nice to meet you, Auntie-"
"Shut up, boy! You'll speak when you're spoken to!" the tall woman scolded as the four of them entered the cramped kitchen.
"Shut up yourself! Don't speak to James like that!" Rin snapped as James glanced nervously up at her.
"Mind your tongue, you little monster," the woman shot back.
"Rin's not a monster," James piped up, squeezing his sister's hand. "She's nice."
"You be silent, you little wretch!" James gasped in shock, shrinking against Rin's side. The half-demon's ears tilted flat against her head as she pushed James behind her.
"Speak to my brother like that again and I'll rip your tongues out."
"I warned you! Seeing as you're both willfully disobedient, neither one of you will receive dinner tonight."
"Now hold on-" Rin started, but was cut off by the fat woman.
"I warned you this one would be difficult, Spiker."
"Nothing we can't handle with discipline, Sponge."
Spiker and Sponge? Who named you two? An idiot kitchen manager? Rin was stopped from asking that question when Spiker spoke up again.
"Since you two have no choice but to remain here and since we have no choice, but to raise you, you both will earn your keep."
"Meaning what?" Rin growled, pulling her trembling brother close to her.
"You're not very clever, are you?" Spiker sneered at her niece. "If you want to share what we have, you'll earn it through your work."
"And if we don't?" Rin scowled.
"My, you really must really want to be punished," Sponge noted. "Fine, then. No breakfast for either of you tomorrow."
"You can't-"
"You, boy!" Spiker had turned her full attention to James.
"I'm James, Auntie-"
"That suitcase of yours. What's in it?" James glanced up at his sister before swallowing and speaking in a voice barely above a whisper,
"Rin said to only bring clothes."
"That I did," the half-demon affirmed, still seething. "And a good thing too."
"Humph. Let's get on thing straight now, boy," Spiker stated, glaring at James. "No toys! Stupid little distractions, they are, and you'll be too busy anyway."
"That's right. And we expect you to work as well, girl!"
"Rin. My name's Rin. Look, James has had enough for one day. Could he go up to bed while we have a private word?"
Slightly taken aback, Spiker nonetheless nodded. "The attic, boy. Both you and your... sister will be sleeping there."
James looked up at Rin, who nodded at him.
"Go on up. I'll be there soon." Silent and still shaking, James trotted over to the nearby staircase and vanished up to the second floor. Rin heard his light footfalls above and heard him open and shut a door. Good, now she could say what was on her mind.
"Well, speak your piece!"
Rin bared her fangs at her kin, eyes little more than slits. "You had no right to speak to James or me like that. I get that you don't want us here. Fine, let us leave. I'll take James and-"
"I think not!" Sponge said.
"What?" Rin started in surprise.
"You're staying here. You and the boy are staying here," Spiker clarified.
"Why? You don't want us here! Let me take care of James and-"
"Not another word, girl! Keep it up and neither of you will eat for a week!" Sponge snapped.
"You can't do that," Rin growled. Raising her her clawed hands, she hissed,
"If you have a fraction of a brain between you-"
"Raise one filthy claw against us, half-breed, and you'll never see your wretched brother again," Spiker said softly. Almost automatically, Rin's hands dropped to her sides as her aunt give her a cruel smirk.
"I knew that would get you to listen. And listen you will, to both of us."
"That's right," Sponge said, bobbing her head on her thick neck. "Either that or we'll make sure you're sent away and kept away from that boy for as long as we live."
"You... you can't..." Rin felt herself wilt, the idea of her poor little brother dragged away for her burned in the back of her mind.
"Then we can count on you being an obedient girl from now on?"
Rin glared her aunts, grinding her fangs. Oh, she would have given anything to rip them to shreds right here and now. But if she did...
They must have been speaking to that goddamn lawyer. He probably told them I was dangerous and if I prove him right... and damn them for using James against me!
"Well, girl? Speak up!" Taking a deep breath, Rin met Spiker's granite gaze.
"The roof."
"What about the roof?"
"It's missing some shingles. I can repair it; I know how. But I want you to give James breakfast tomorrow."
The two women shared a glance, obviously debating if a sturdy roof was worth some eggs and toast for a little boy. Finally, Spiker nodded.
"Re-shingle the whole roof, girl, and your brother gets breakfast."
"Do a good job and you might even get lunch," Sponge added.
Yeah right. "Very well. I'll let James know." Rin stalked upstairs, Spiker's last words following her.
"I suggest you two get to bed. Your day starts when the sun rises."
"I figured as much, Baita Oba-san."
Rin darted upstairs before her aunts could ask for a translation.
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The splintery door creaked open as Rin pushed it open. The half-demon sniffed the drafty room, shuddering as the scent of mildew and dust hit her full-on. She turned to face James, who was seated on the single wrought-iron bed, fingering the rough woolen blanket.
"Good news. I got you breakfast tomorrow," Rin said, giving her brother a cocky grin. Instead of returning the expression, James just raised his eyes to meet those of his sister and Rin felt her heart lurch at the utter despair on the little boy's face.
"What did we do?" he asked softly.
"Hey now, we didn't do anything." Rin crossed the rough wooden floor and sat down next to James. "Spiker and Sponge, they're bad people. Anyone with a brain can see that."
"But ...they're our family and they were so mean to us." James looked back down at the blanket.
"Yeah, I know," Rin sighed. "But they can say whatever they want. We don't have to listen."
James peered up at Rin again. "Like whenever people said bad things about you?"
"I... hai. Just like that."
James threw his arms around his big sister, squeezing her tightly. "I still think you're the best sister in the entire world."
Hugging James back, Rin managed a laugh. "Well, thank you, James-chan. And you are- without a doubt- the world's greatest little brother." Rin flopped back onto the bed, dragging James with her and running her claws over his back affectionately. For the first time in days, James giggled, his laughter sweeter to Rin's ears than any piece of music.
"Rin, stop!"
"Nope! I caught you and I'll keep you!"
"I got you too!" James declared, his small fingers tracing the edges of Rin's ears.
"Nooo! Not the ears!"
"Now I caught you!"
The two siblings' mirth was cut short at the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs. James hunkered down Rin's arms. Rin sat stock still, hardly daring to breathe. Not that she was afraid of the foul-smelling women she was supposedly related to, but because she didn't want James exposed to them any more than he had to be. Thankfully, the footsteps retreated further down the hall and a door slammed shut. Rin sighed with relief.
"It's okay, James-chan. They're getting ready for bed. And we should too, since we apparently have to be up early."
"Oh, okay," James sighed. "I wish breakfast wasn't so far away though."
"Oh, that reminds me, I have a surprise for you."
"What's that, Rin?"
The half-demon grinned. "Close your eyes, James."
The little boy obeyed, resisting the urge to open them as his sister rustled about the room.
"When can I open my eyes?"
"Go ahead." James did and gasped at the sight. Rin was seated on the floor, grinning proudly. Spread out before her were four small sandwiches, two apples and a thermos of lemonade, still cold and dripping with condensation. Two paper plates, plastic cups, and a small pile of napkins completed the scene.
"Surprised?"
"Rin, how did you...?"
"Come and eat first. I'll explain in a little bit."
Considering that James had barely touched food since the death of his mother and father, the little boy needed no second bidding. And Rin had to admit that she was quite famished as well. And so, with lavender twilight spilling through the sagging window above them, Rin and James enjoyed their picnic dinner. Rin watched her famished brother eagerly biting into the sandwiches (turkey and swiss with lettuce, his favorite) and sipping the lemonade that had been left over from their parents' memorial. Rin paused before biting into her own second sandwich before offering it to James.
"Here. Take this one too. You must be starving."
"But what you?"
"Meh, I can always hunt. Go on, take it. You've lost enough weight as it is." James took his sister's sandwich, asking,
"So, how did you get the food in here without Auntie Spiker and Auntie Sponge knowing?"
Rin grinned and held up her father's satchel, pulling the cord free from her shorts. "In this." James nibbled his sandwich, brow wrinkling in confusion.
James nibbled his sandwich, brow wrinkling in confusion. "But it's so small." Indeed, the bag nestled perfectly in the half-demon's hand. Rin set the tiny cloth satchel on the floor and pointed at it.
"Try picking it up."
James reached out and tried to lift the little bag, but the satchel wouldn't budge. "It's... heavy."
"Look closely at it, James-chan. Tell me what you see."
James leaned forward and squinted at the bag. Rin watched him and after a few minutes saw her brother tense and gasp. She grinned, knowing what James was seeing: the tiny satchel had become a carrying case that a could only be worn slung across the back. Picking up the satchel, Rin slipped the cord back through her belt loops.
"It's a special bag made by a kitsune tribe."
"Kitsune?"
"Fox demons. They're masters of illusion. This bag was my father's; he got it as a reward for helping out the tribe back before I was born. This little bag can actually hold as much as a good-sized suitcase. That's why I only had you pack a few things. I have more of your things in here, including some a few of your favorite toys and some of our photo albums. No one's taking them from us."
James's eyes shone as he gazed up at his sister. "So, we're always ready to leave?"
"That's right," Rin said firmly. "And we're going to leave here, James-chan. I promise! It'll take a little time, but we will leave here."
"I know we will, Rin."
"Good. You go get ready for bed while I clean up here." James trotted out of the room while Rin swept the remnants of their dinner back into her bag. She could dump it in the garbage cans some time tomorrow, most likely while her aunts were being idle. The half-demon clenched her claws. Oh, Spiker and Sponge were going to pay one day. And Rin was going to take the utmost delight in hearing them beg for mercy!
"Where are you going to sleep?" James asked with a yawn as he climbed into bed. Rin looked up as she watched her brother wrap himself in the rough blanket. She gave a half-hearted shrug and sat down, propping herself against the brick wall.
"Don't tell those two, but they did me a favor. I never sleep on my back. I'm actually fine with this." James yawned again and reached under his pillow. Rin watched as he pulled a small folded paper out from under it and cradle it in his hands.
"Your travel book?" she asked.
"Mum and Dad gave it to me," James murmured.
"I remember." Rin looked at the floor, remembering too how she had been quite opposed to the idea of a family trip to New York. Remembering how she had snapped at her mother later that night. Remembering how tired her mother had been when trying to talk her into enjoying the trip.
"Rin?"
"Hmmm?" Rin looked back up at her brother.
"The rhino can't get us, can it?"
"No, of course not. It never will." James nodded and slid his travel book back under his pillow. Laying down, the little boy whispered,
"Good night, Rin."
"Good night, James. Sleep well." As well as you can, little brother. Because you're going to need it.
~
Was I surprised my aunts were that bad? Well, I wasn't exactly expecting much, but I sure as hell wasn't expecting... whatever you want to call Spiker and Sponge. Still, I wasn't taking any chances when it came to my little brother. Nothing would have been worth losing him.
I just wish Spiker and Sponge hadn't figured that out.