Chapter Eight: I am not Rin!
I know it wasn't very long since I passed out that I was coming around again. I felt slender fingers tracing the cut I received several hours ago. "This cut she has acquired doesn't look too terrible, Asuka, and it's healing since you applied the medicine ten minutes ago, but I'm a bit worried about this thing attached to her belly button." She's worried about my belly button piercing? I got that the day I graduated high school. A lot of girls had it and I wanted one. I'm happy mom and dad allowed me. Including my crescent moon and flower tattoo on my right foot. "Do you think whatever she's been this whole time, that she was tortured and received this as punishment?"
"I'm not sure, Nagisa, but I would be more afraid to remove it. We don't know if it has some type of spell upon it and if we were to release a curse within the castle, Lord Sesshomaru wouldn't be pleased. He has enough to deal with as of now." Lord Sesshomaru? Why does that name sound familiar?
"Ah, I didn't think of that! I would hate to have a curse put upon us all, especially our Lord. Maybe he knows someone that can help Miss Rin." Who's Rin? Do they think that's my name? It's a pretty name, but it doesn't suit me.
I opened my eyes to find…. okay! I'm either dreaming or in a room of cosplayers. These two women before me had the same shade of black hair, the tannest skin and piercing sapphire eyes. But what made me believe they were cosplayers was they had pointy ears on the side of their heads, and they were dressed in several layers of kimonos. I find nothing wrong with cosplaying because my best friends and I did that one year. We traveled to the state of California and spent two days at an anime convention.
"Oh! Miss Rin! You're finally awake!" A girl who looked to be around my age looked down towards me and then down to my cut. "How are you feeling?"
Sore, "My name is Hana and I feel alright." I sat up fast, and looked around the room that I was in. "Where am I? Ow!" The last thing I remembered was being put into a dungeon by some crazy ass guards.
"Don't move so fast, Miss Rin! You'll open up your cut… what did you call yourself?" She asked confusedly as she tried to help me to my feet, but I ignored her offer of help. I can do that myself.
"My name is Hana! Where am I?" I asked again. I hope they will not play the twenty questions game with me. I need to get out of here and go be with my parents. I know that they must be worried for me.
"You're within your lord's home, Miss Rin. Why do you think your name is Hana?" What a stupid question to ask.
"It was my given name by my parents," actually I picked it out, but they don't need to know my whole life's story. "And I would like to contact them if you don't mind. Where is the phone!" I looked around the room I was in and did not see one around. Maybe there's one in another room.
"Phone?" The word seemed to confuse her. Are they the type of people who live in a world where technology is a myth to them? "I've never heard of such a thing. Have you hit your head, Miss Rin?" She tried to reach her hand my way and I smacked it away.
"Hana is my name and no I didn't!" I actually think I may have when I fell into that damn well, but I know who I am! "Would you kindly point me in a direction to where I can contact my parents! I need to let them know what happened so that they can come get me."
"Miss Rin," huh. The other woman was now calling me that damn name. How many times will it take for them to call me Hana? "We have no such thing called a phone within the lord's castle. The only thing we have are scrolls."
Scrolls? Who the hell uses scrolls in the twenty-first century? And who doesn't have a phone in their home? "You're joking, right? Haha."
"Miss Rin…" I growled at that name. "Miss Hana, I am not joking. But we need to get you cleaned up. We will escort you to your private room, which has your private bath to wash up."
I am not bathing in a stranger's home! I can bathe at my home where I have the best stuff to treat my hair and body. "I'll take a bath at my home if you don't mind, and I would like to take my leave now."
"I'm afraid you can't leave. Lord Sesshomaru is requesting to see you after you are cleaned up." I'm never going to get out of here.
"Fine! After I am cleaned up, I will speak with this Lord Sesshomaru!" The faster I get this done, the faster I can get to mom and dad. Plus, I hope they are lying about not having phones here. Maybe this said lord has a phone that I could use.
They both led me out one of those sliding doors, onto a covered deck, and I stopped in place. My eyes gazed at the garden before me. It was absolutely beautiful, but oddly familiar. "I see you found one of the many of your personal gardens, Miss Rin."
"Stop calling me that! What do you mean personal garden? I have never been here before!" Have I?
"Miss Rin, don't stand around there long. We need to get you cleaned up and into a dry kimono. Lord Sesshomaru does not wish to smell anything of wet earth," bossy woman cosplayer. "Remember to watch your tongue. Such rudeness is uncalled for within the castle."
I held my tongue. The next words I have built up are very foul. Words I hate to use. I let these two women lead me down the long deck, where a door seemed to be already opened and more cosplayers were coming out with white futons? I hope they're not planning on having me stay here because I will not. I have my own bed that I rather sleep in. When I was led inside, more and more cosplayers were cleaning up the room of dust and cobwebs. How hard is it to keep a place like this neat and tidy for it to get this dusty?
Some of the cosplayers stopped what they were doing, and all turned to me with the biggest smiles upon their faces. "Welcome home, Miss Rin." Damn it!
"Hana," I said angrily. I ignored their confused eyes and followed the other two into a different room where the sliding door was closed behind me. Inside this room was… a large bathhouse. It was more like a spa with a large hot pool. It was very steamy, and I already could feel my pores opening up.
"Miss R…" I growled at that name I was about to be called. "Miss Hana, would you like assistance with your bath?"
"No, I can do that myself. Please leave!" I like my privacy. When the doors opened and closed behind me, I hesitated for a minute or two if I wanted to strip off my clothes in some stranger's home. I looked around for any sign of camera's and I didn't see any around. So, I cautiously stripped out my clothes and stepped into the pool and allowed my body to sink all the way in. "Why does this feel so good?" I could tell there were very good minerals in the water and the delightful scent of pear and vanilla. As I rested within the pool, I started to think of the ones that I love and how worried they all must be. I want to let them know that I was alright and that I'll be home shortly. But I just don't know when that will be. Hopefully sometime today.
After I felt cleaned the same women from earlier came back in with new clothing. "We have a fresh clean kimono and a pair of koshimaki for you, Miss Rin."
"I told you it's Hana." Kimono? Koshimaki? What era do they think we are in? No one wears koshimaki anymore.
The woman eyed me heavily as she said, "your lord is waiting for you. Come, this kimono takes time to put together."
"Excuse me? No! I can dress myself! Now leave!" I pointed towards the door.
"I'm sorry, but we were ordered to assist you. Please, don't make this more complicated for us!" Assholes.
I gritted my teeth, "fine." They dressed me in a koshimaki, then a white yukata, and lastly, the kimono. No one wears them much, except for festivals and or special occasions. The next thing they did was put my hair into a very low ponytail. The ribbon they used was close to the end of my hair. Who wears this style anymore?
"Now Miss…. Hana, we will lead you to see your Lord."
I thought, "I have no Lord." The faster I talk to this Lord Sesshomaru, the faster I can go home. I want mom to run her fingers through my hair. I want her home cooking and her special tea. I was led back through the same room we came in and I found my bag next to a clean futon.
Back outside, a storm appeared, and you couldn't see anything within the garden. I hope it ends soon so I can go home. I was led through different long hallways away from where we were. How many buildings does this home have? Why do some of them look familiar? I feel like I've been here before.
The waft of something cooking almost made my mouth drool. It smelled so good. "Miss Rin, we are here!" I'm going to give them a piece of my mind if they continue calling me that damn name. I held my tongue and kept my mouth shut as I was led inside.
After I walked a few feet inside I stopped in my tracks to see a young silver haired man. Why does he look so familiar? Where have I seen his face before?
"Nagisa and Asuka, you may leave," he ordered the two cosplayers behind me. Good, so they aren't staying with us. After the door closed, I was now face to face with the man known as Lord Sesshomaru. He has some strange markings on his face and his eyes are an odd shade of gold. Pretty, but strange.
"Rin, shall we sit?" He gestured a hand towards the table filled with food and hot tea.
"I rather stand, and my name is Hana, not Rin." I looked at the table again. My mind was telling me to have a bite to eat, but I won't.
"What did you call yourself?" I heard him ask.
I looked back at him, and I said heavily, "I said my name is Hana." Do I need to spell it out to him? I crossed my arms and eyed him heavily. "So, you and everyone needs to stop calling me Rin. Whoever she is, I'm not her!"
"What do you mean?" He came over and lifted my chin up. "What do you mean your name is not Rin?" Another stupid question.
Who does he think he is putting his hands on me? I grabbed his wrist fast and ripped it off, "Don't ever lay a fucking hand on me! Who do you think you are?" If I had a way to contact Kiyoshi, I would have him kick this guy's ass. "I've been called Hana since I was found and adopted five years ago. I would like to return to my family now!" Mom is probably freaking out and calling my phone like crazy. Dad and Kiyoshi too.
His eyes remained heavy when he said, "where exactly where you found five years ago? Where have you been all this time?"
Maybe the faster I explain myself the faster he'll let me go home. "I was found inside a well in the forest by the lake," I pointed out towards the door. "What do you mean where I've been? I've been living with my family not that far from here and I would like to go home to them."
He came much closer into my personal space. His hands were on me again, but this time along my waist. "You will show me where you've been these past five years."
One second, we were inside the building and then we were out by the lake. What… What the hell? What the fuck is this guy anyway? He let my waist and I gave him a piece of my mind. "I told you not to lay a hand on me. I do not appreciate being touched, nor would my fiancé." On another note, "why should I show you where I was for the past five years? It's none of your concern. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going home. I'll have my father pick up my bag later."
I tried to walk off, but he gripped my forearm so tight that I felt sharp nails digging into my skin. "I said not to lay a hand on me!" With my free hand, I balled it into a fist, and tried to aim for his face. But his other hand stopped me from giving him a bloody nose.
"Rin, don't ever do that again. Now! Where is this home you speak of?"
"No! Where I live is none of your business! I never agreed to show you…" something shiny on the ground caught my attention. I noticed the familiar pendant. It was my necklace. It must have come undone when I either fell in or when I climbed out of the well! I picked it up and I was relieved that it was still in one piece.
"Rin? What do you have there?"
"It's Hana! What I have here is something of mine and if you'll excuse me, I'll be taking my leave."
"You will not leave, Rin. Lead me to where your home is now!"
I have had it with this name Rin. "Stop calling me Rin! It's Hana! Tell me why I should show you where I live?"
"Because I am your Lord!"
"Lord? Since when were there lords in the twenty-first century?" This dude is nuts
He raised an eyebrow my way. "It's the fifteen-hundreds, Rin!"
"What?"