Ch. 8
First day? Honestly, it went as well as I expected. Of course, I didn't expect anything other than a hard time.
~
The sound of pounding footsteps snapped Rin out of sleep a few seconds before the bedroom door slammed open. Rin leapt to her feet as Spiker and Sponge entered.
"So you're up," Spiker hissed. "About time. Sun-up was three minutes ago."
"Sorry. Left my alarm back home," Rin answered as James stirred awake and rubbed his eyes.
"You and the boy have two minutes to get downstairs ready for work," Sponge commanded.
"Or rather, you have two minutes to get to work on the roof." Spiker's horsey lips twisted into an (uglier) grin. "Unless you're re-thinking our bargain."
"Bargain?" James looked from his aunt to his sister and back again.
"Never mind," Rin said before turning back to Spiker. "Look, I'm ready to go. Give James some time to get ready, okay?"
"Humph." Spiker gathered her robe about her like a queen and straightened her blue head warp as if it were a crown. "Hurry up." She and her sister stalked out of the room as James got out of bed and grabbed Rin's hand.
"Rin?"
"Don't worry." Rin knelt down and grasped James's shoulder. "Like I said, I got you breakfast. The hags just want me to re-shingle the roof in exchange for it, that's all. Get dressed and meet me downstairs okay?"
"Okay," the little boy agreed. Rin left the room and made her way down the splintery stairs. The half-demon growled; had everything in her aunts' house gone to ruin or were the two women just too lazy to actually take care of their home? Rin wouldn't put it past Spiker and Sponge to refuse to lift a finger if they were willing to enslave their niece and nephew.
"About time," was the greeting she received from Spiker. Rin rolled her eyes as she stepped into the kitchen. Her aunts were sipping hot cups of tea and sharing a plate of store-bought cinnamon rolls. Rin's nostrils twitched; while she wasn't a fan of sweets, the scones did smell appetizing. Then again, she hadn't eaten much these past few days before, so anything would smell good at this point.
Focus. Fix the roof and grab a bird or two.
"Right," the half-demon said. "I take it the materials for fixing the roof are outside?"
"You'll find what you need in the shed," Sponge said through a mouthful of tea and pastry.
Rin raised an eyebrow at Spiker and Sponge. "Er, pardon my asking, but why buy materials to fix the roof if you weren't going to do it?"
"Not your business, half-demon," Spiker snapped. "You and your brother will do what you're told and not a question from either of you." The thin woman waved her hand at her niece. "Your brother's breakfast is on the table. And as your Aunt Sponge and I have said, if your work is acceptable, you will receive a small lunch."
Rin glanced behind her at the kitchen counter. A single piece of bread sat forlornly on a chipped plate alongside a glass of water.
"That's it? We had a deal!" Rin flexed her claws, wishing she could rake them over Spiker's flesh and wipe that superior look off the old hag's face.
"Another word and the deal will be off the table," Spiker snapped. "And I can always put in a call to our lawyer if I think you're threatening me."
"That's-" Rin sighed as she heard James enter the room, "-not necessary."
"Good. You, boy!"
"Yes, Auntie Spiker?" James asked softly.
"You'll be working outside. You're to rake the leaves, pick up any trash, and chop some firewood. Afterwards, you can both clean the living room. Understand?"
"We understand," Rin said, speaking for both of them.
"Then get to work. We'll be watching." Both Spiker and Sponge swept out of the kitchen.
"And wash the plates while you're at it," Sponge added, waddling after Spiker.
"Whatever," Rin muttered before turning to James. "Hanging in there, James-chan?"
"I guess." James was already nibbling at the bread. "I just wish we could go home."
"Yeah, me too." Rin picked up her aunts' plates, tempted to smash them to pieces.
"What did Auntie Spiker mean when she said she would call the lawyer?" James asked, finishing his bread.
Dammit! "Heard that, huh?" Rin asked. James nodded, eyes not leaving his sister's face.
"Well, it's nothing to worry about. So long as we don't annoy the hags too much." Rin jerked a thumb over her shoulder towards the stairs.
"The lawyer won't take you away, will he?" James asked, drinking the last of his water and taking his plate to the sink.
"Nah. It's an empty threat. He can't do anything to me." So long as I behave, as the hags put it. "C'mon, let's get to work."
The two siblings stepped out into the dead yard, blinking in the early-morning sun. Rin led James around the side of the house where a decrepit shed sagged and threw open the door.
"Oh, nice," she said. A bright blue wheelbarrow, emblazoned with the word "TOYS" in bright red paint was leaning against one wall. Said toy chest was stuffed full of rakes, shovels, and buckets, all the necessary equipment for yard work. Rin spied fresh tiles, several packs of nails stacked against the other wall. With a roll of her eyes, the half-demon grabbed her roofing material while James grasped the wheelbarrow's splintery handles.
"Do you think Auntie Sponge and Auntie Spiker played with these when they were little?" he asked.
"Who knows? Would explain something." Rin followed James out of the shed. "You gonna be okay while I fix the roof?"
James nodded. "I helped Mum and Dad rake leaves last fall. I can do this."
Hai, but the rake you used wasn't as big as you were, James-chan. "Alright. Give me a call if you need help."
"Okay."
Rin watched her little brother push the wheelbarrow over to the tree, the cart wobbling slightly under James's small hands. With a sigh, the young half-demon jumped up, grabbed the edge of the roof and nimbly swung herself up just as her aunts came outside. They both glanced up as Rin laid out her supplies.
"Not a single tile out of place, girl," Spiker called.
"Trust me, I've done this before!" Unlike some people.
The young half-demon began her task of inspecting the tiles, seeking out the ones that had holes. Finding one, she ripped it out with her claws and tossed it aside. Pulling a fresh tile from the box, she set it in place and, with a few sweeps with her brush, smeared the edges with tar. With a satisfied grin, the half-demon surveyed her work. Straight and sturdy and, if she smeared the edges of every tile- old and new- watertight. Let the old hags complain then! Of course, they probably would, but Rin would deal with that later.
A familiar caw snapped Rin out of her thoughts. Out of the corner of her eye, Rin spied a decent-sized seagull circling above her before rather stupidly landing on the chimney. The bird folded it's wings and regarded the young half-demon with beady eyes. Before it could utter another squawk, Rin leapt forward, snatched the seagull by the neck and gave it a jerk. The bird's neck snapped and its head fell back against Rin's fist. With an eager grin, Rin tore the feathers from the seagulls body and sank her fangs into the juicy meat.
Hmmm, perhaps she should offer to fix the roof more often.
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"Have you finished yet?"
Rin poked her head down to find Spiker glaring at her. Or rather, she guessed her aunt was glaring at her. It was hard to tell with the massive sunglasses obscuring most of her aunt's face. She ran a hand through her hair, freeing the last few feathers caught in the light brown strands.
"Only been an hour, but yeah, I'm almost done. Just need to set one more tile, actually." Rin hoped she was able to keep the disdain out of her voice.
"Boy, what's taking so long with the leaves? Hurry up!" Rin looked up from her task to see James raking a few scraggly leaves.
"I'm almost done," Auntie Spiker," he called.
"I didn't ask you to talk back. Do it again and you'll be sorry!"
With a growl, Rin jumped down from the roof, landing lightly between her brother and her aunts.
"One word out of you, half-demon, and the two of you can go without lunch and dinner!"
Rin curled her lips back from her fangs at Spiker, but said nothing as James trotted up to her.
"I suggest the two of you get back to work right now if you want an evening meal," Sponge snapped as she joined the group. "As of now, I don't see any point in giving lunch to a couple of mouthy brats."
"Hold on-"
"Chop the wood now!" Spiker snarled, sweeping back to her rusty lawn chair. Rin flexed her claws a few times before leading James to the woodpile.
"I'm sorry, Rin," James whispered.
"Hey." Rin paused and knelt down in front of her brother. "You have nothing to be sorry for. You did nothing wrong, understand?" James gave a half-hearted nod, eyes still downcast. Rin bit her lip, wishing she knew a way to make this nightmare seem a little more bearable to her baby brother.
"Want me to show you how to chop wood like a samurai?"
James looked up at his sister, his brow furrowing. "Like a samurai?"
"Hai. Come on, I'll show you." Rin led her brother to what was obviously the wood pile, seeing how that portion of the lawn was strewn with heavy logs and a thick piece of cement stuck into the ground. To complete the picture, there was a half-rusted chopper set against the cement. Quite the lovely sight indeed.
"Right. Now, back in the feudal era, when my grandfather was alive, the samurai in training would have to perform chores for their masters. Preparing food, cleaning their homes, and chopping wood. What's more, chopping firewood helped the young samurai refine their sword techniques."
"Really?"
Rin was relieved to see a small smile appear on her brother's face. "Really. Watch." Rin set a piece of wood on the cement and hefted the chopper a few times. Eying the wood, Rin struck the piece of wood in one swift motion. The wood parted into two even pieces, releasing a fine puff of dust.
"Can I try?" James asked.
"Hmm. The chopper's a little heavy, but..." Rin glanced at Spiker and Sponge, cocking her ears toward them. Both women were deep in conversation about how what it would be like to be Hollywood sensations like a couple of high school girls.
"Okay. I'll help you. But if you think about Mother and Henry-san tonight, don't tell them I let you do this."
James giggled, then bit his lip, his face a mix of emotions.
Damn. "Come one. Like this." Rin set another piece of wood on the cement and motioned James over. Wrapping her brother's small hands around the handle, Rin placed her own clawed hands over his and helped him lift the chopper.
"Okay. Just like this." Rin guided James's arms and helped him split the wood, which parted like butter under the hands of the siblings.
"Wow!"
"Not bad, James-chan. You'd make a good samurai."
"Can I try again?"
"You! You're here to work, not play!"
Rin gritted her teeth as Spiker's screeching voice hit her ears. "Better let me handle the wood, James-chan. Why don't you scout around and pick up any trash? I'll meet you inside, okay?"
"Okay."
Rin watched as James began his chore before turning back to the wood. To hell with the chopper; Rin picked up a piece of wood and split it easily in her powerful hands, wishing she could do the same to the two old women not five feet away.
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By the time the sunset rolled around, the wood had been split and moved inside and the yard cleaned of any debris. Inside, Rin and James had dusted the entire living room and scrubbed the floors to a high gloss. Or rather, James had dusted and Rin had run a damp rag up and down the wooden floors of the house. Still, said floors were a lot cleaner than they had been that morning.
"Done?" she asked as James finished dusting what was probably the hundredth photograph of their aunts.
"Yes," James answered. "Auntie Sponge and Auntie Spiker sure have lots of pictures."
"Yeah, and they're all ugly," she whispered. James stifled a small laugh as the tell-tale sounds of footsteps were heard on the stairs. Down the two old women came, both dressed to the nines in sequined black dresses and feathered hats.
"Going somewhere?" Rin asked, raising an eyebrow at her aunts' choice of clothing. Spiker's red-painted lips curled back from her horsey teeth in an all-too-familiar expression of disdain.
"We dress for dinner in this house," she announced, her voice so thick with pride you could cut it with a knife. "However, seeing as to how you won't be joining us, I suggest you retire."
"We finished the chores, Auntie Spiker," James said, his brown eyes hopeful. "We both worked hard."
"Meaning?" Sponge asked.
"Meaning I think we earned our dinner," Rin clarified.
"Oh, you think? How charming?" Both Spiker and Sponge tittered. "But seeing as to how you failed to clean the fireplace, I don't think you have earned your right to eat."
"That wasn't part of the deal!" Rin snarled.
"The fireplace is part of the living room, is it not, girl?"
"That type of job takes more time than we had today. We can clean it tomorrow."
"Then the next time you have a meal, it will be tomorrow." Spiker had by now dropped her good humor. "Get upstairs, the pair of you. I don't want to see you for the rest of the night."
"Please, may we-" James began.
"No you may not! And don't talk back again or you'll be sorry! Both of you!"
"Let's go, James-chan." Rin took her brother's hand and led him upstairs. "Old hags," she muttered.
"It's okay," James said softly. "I'm not that hungry."
"Yeah, right, James-chan. I can hear your stomach growling."
"Well I am a little hungry, but I'd rather go to sleep." Considering that James had been working harder today than he had in his life, Rin wasn't surprised.
"Okay. But go to the bathroom and do a sponge wash first. Trust me, it'll help," she said as the two entered their room.
"Okay." James grabbed his pajamas and toothbrush and tiptoed down the hall. With a sigh, Rin entered the siblings' room, leaned against the far wall and sank to the floor. While not exactly tired, the young half-demon did feel drained from trying to keep her aunts' attention on her and away from James. Still, if she was going to be the only one standing between Spiker and Sponge and her innocent brother, Rin decided it was time to do something she only did when truly desperate: think long and hard.
Crossing her legs, Rin rested an elbow on her knee and placed her cheek against her curled fist, closing her eyes. Okay, what had she learned about her aunts? Well, they were both high on the bitch scale; could probably give Angie a run for her money. Still, if Rin had to guess, she would guess that Spiker was the one to watch out for. Sponge, Rin decided, was more like Angie; both were more likely to spout out whatever angry thoughts that popped into their heads in the heat of emotion. Spiker, while just as likely to snap as her sister, could usually pull herself back. Her constant threats about contacting the bastard known as Fred Sanders was proof of that. And Rin had little doubt that Spiker would have nor problem taunting James as well, most likely using the little boy's raw grief over the death of his parents.
Not like I miss them too. Rin gritted her teeth; she could allow herself to mourn her mother and stepfather more freely when she and James were free of this hellhole.
Once I turn seventeen, I can start the process to become James's guardian. The lawyer can protest, but Mary will vouch for me. Or I'll know the reason why!
A good plan, but could the two hold out? Rin knew she could, but how long could James last as little more than a drudge? With a growl, Rin reached behind her and felt for the folded letter in her pocket. If she could somehow contact her uncle, Rin had little doubt that she and James would be free of her aunts (and heads would most certainly roll).
If I am to contact my uncle, that would mean leaving James alone with the hags for a day or two. Sponge would just pile on extra work, but Spiker would probably take advantage of the situation. Rin frowned; would Spiker be that cruel? Somehow, the half-demon knew the answer was yes. She didn't put it past Spiker to hurt James and claim that the little boy had "an accident." Or, Rin thought as a strain of high-pitched laughter drifted up from the kitchen, her aunts could claim that Rin's absence, however brief, meant that she would be a negligent guardian. Rin's plan to take James away would be foiled before it began and she could even be forced away from her brother, ensuring James would stay with Spiker and Sponge.
But why? They don't want us here. So why are Spiker and Sponge so determined to keep us here? Or rather, to keep James here? Rin didn't know, but she would find out, one way or another.
The door creaked open and James entered, rubbing his eyes. Rin smiled, sitting up.
"Ready for bed?"
"Yes." James climbed into bed and wrapped himself tightly in the single woolen blanket. Rin watched as James reached beneath his pillow and drew out his beloved travel book, hugging the small brochure to his chest. "I think Auntie Sponge and Auntie Spiker are still downstairs though."
"Meh, they can stay there all night for all I care. But I guess we should go to sleep. For some reason, those two love the morning."
"Mum liked mornings too," James said, looking at the travel book.
"Hai, I know. But she didn't pound everyone's doors down at the crack of dawn." No, Miranda Trotter preferred to savor the early mornings in peace, despite her daughter declaring that the morning was evil.
"Mum would make cinnamon rolls on winter mornings too," James added, no doubt thinking of the cinnamon rolls their aunts had so gleefully scarfed down that morning.
"Well, when we get out of here, we can make cinnamon rolls whenever you want," Rin replied, settling back against the rocky wall.
"Rin?"
"Hmm? What?"
"When we leave this house, can we go to New York?"
"Of course, James-chan. I promise." Rin sensed rather than saw her brother's smile and heard him yawn as he settled back against the limp pillow.
"Good night, Rin," James whispered.
"Good night, James-chan." Rin shut her eyes, relaxing as James's breathing became slow and even. Hopefully, no nightmare would invade James's dreams tonight.
There was enough of that during the day.
~
So that was the end of the first day. And I knew we had plenty of long days of chores and abuse ahead of us before we left the home of Spiker and Sponge.