Chapter Five -

Ayame's POV

The dragon had left. He seriously had just left Ayame to fend for himself.

Hatori had given the snake some pull's and told him he'd call him later to check on him. Now Ayame sat on the sofa thinking depressing thoughts.

I've been dreaming, I've been dreaming I was lucid.

Hatori really must not have cared about the snake, if he just left like that. He hadn't even questioned Ayame like he should've. Had he really believed the snake had been mugged, but not sexually molested? Well, okay so perhaps one might not normally draw parallels between those two subjects. However it was always a possibility, and in the case a fact. Ayame had been raped, just not by street punks. Still, Hatori should have had more concern, and pushed harder to get answers.

Ayame mentally slaps himself. What would he have done if the dragon had questioned him on his lie? Would he have eventually spilled about Akito, and that the Sohma God was the one to beat and torture the snake?

The snake shivers. Hopefully he wouldn't have.

Blood was seeping, it was seeping from my pores.

Mustering all his energy, the snake stand up and returns to his office. He finds Mine attempting to clean the remaining blood, sobbing.

"Mine-Chan? My dear, what's wrong?" Ayame asks walking to the woman's side and squatting beside her.

"Ayame-San. Why did you try to kill yourself?" This question shocked the snake. Had she noticed him take the aspirin? "I-I didn't try to end my life Mine-Chan. I was mugged last night, and hadn't wanted to trouble Tori-San. That's all." Mine abruptly stands up. "That it is not all. Something is very wrong Ayame-San. I am worried about you and I wish you would clue me in." The woman says throwing away a bloody rag.

"I am sorry to have worried you Mine-Chan. I shall try to be more open with you too. I promise. Right now, we need to get to work. There are so many orders due tomorrow." The snake flashes his best attempt at a smile. At least with as much pain as he was currently in.

Who'd believe that it was all my own decision?

The next couple of hours were spent working on dress orders.

At 9:00, Mine asks if she could go home. Ayame excused her, but continued to work himself. Going home would be lonely. True he was alone here, but a least he had something to keep his mind occupied.

Cracked faces and medicated smiles.

At 12:30, the snake's cell phone rings. He jumps at the sound, and panic floods his body. He knew who it was calling, and couldn't push off the inevitable.

"He-hello?" He asks cautiously upon answering.

"Snake! I hear you did something you shouldn't have today. You must be punished. Now! Come to me, or there will be worse punishment." A cold voice reaches Ayame's ears. He nearly sobs as he replies, "Yes Mistress Aktio-Sama."

Set fire to my home before I turned and walked back in.

Upon ending the call, the snake falls to the floor and cries. Not again. He couldn't go through that pain and humiliating torture again, but like Akito had said, not going would warrant worse punishment.

Ayame stands up and closes the shop down. Dragging his feet and not in much of a hurry, the snake heads to the subway station. An all too short ride later, he was at the Sohma estate.

For every needle open my chest and insert ten pins.

Kureno stood at the door waiting to take the snake to his doom. Without a word, they walk down the many hallways to Akito's private recieving room. The door swings open with a haunting creak and Ayame walks into the dark room.

"Snake. You took a long time to get here. Did you not wish to be with me?" The evil filled voice comes from the corner. "Of course I wish to be with you, Akito-Sama you are everything to me." The words were forced and nearly tore the snake's throat.

"Good. Come to me, my snake." Akito never called Ayame by his name. It was always 'snake'.

I just anticipate what awaits when I awake break

He tries to not whimper in fear and steps forward tow here he knew the God sat. An icy cold grip grabs his wrist and pulls him to the floor. The snake yelps as his stitches are pulled to their limits.

I die in my day dreams

"Sit. Listen." Akito's tone became angry. "It's come to my attention that you spent the better part of today under Hatori's care."

Oh hell. Ayame knew he was in for it now.

I've been dreaming, I've been dreaming I was lucid

"Why would you keep my Hatori away from me? I may have been seriously ill, and he was nowhere to be found. What it I had died? Is that what you want snake? For me to die and you to have my precious Hatori?" Ayame remained silent. Akito was very angry today and the snake knew he was going to suffer horribly.

Blood was seeping, it was seeping from my pores

"Strip off all you clothing snake. I need to see what you've fixed so it may be corrected." Ayame makes a frightened noise in his throat, then pulls off his clothes.

When he stands stark naked in the room, silence envelops him. He hated this. Akito would attack him without warning any second now.

A bright light is shown on the snake.

Who'd believe that it was all my own decision?

"My my. You certainly have made a mess of things. Why did you have Hatori stitch your beauty marks. Now things are all messed up." Akito's voice comes from behind the lamp, but Ayame couldn't see her.

"What do you have to say for yourself. Before your punishment? It won't help, but I'd like to think I was as fair as possible." The God appears holding rope and a whip.

"No." Ayame whimpers. "Please have mercy on me." He pleads.

The gardens have all been overgrown.

I pushed my hand through the thorns to crush the final rose.

The God shakes her head slowly, a maniacal grin up on her face. "Wrong answer. Hatori will never, never, never want a filthy snake like you. Punishment time."

Ayame watched as Akito bends down and picks up another item. I was a large grotesque phyllus.

A deadly secret only I suffer to know.

"No!" Ayame moans wanting to back away, but not having the mental energy. Akito's eyes stare straight into the snake's. "Your my corrupt snake. You only belong to me. You'll do well to remember that."

I can't eradicate what awaits when I awake break

Ayame begins to cry and the God hadn't even done anything yet.

"Hatori." He mumbles. Why didn't anyone care about him? He feels Akito tie his hands and tries to send his mind somewhere happy. Except, nothing in Ayame's life was happy, and as the whip strikes his back, he knew it never would be.

I die in my day dreams.

Song: "No Poetic Device" - A.F.I.

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Sorry for the late update everyone. It should be going faster now, cause I only have two stories to REALLY concentrate on. Like I've said, it's only the typing that gets me. This story was all written down on paper, and I've had to type it too. But it is finished and there are 9 chapters. Also I've written a sequel. So please keep reading, and don't give up on me. lol. Review please.