"I'm home," Kyousuke called out, stepping into the apartment. He walked further in and stopped still at the sight. It almost seemed normal enough with cats prowling around and meowing, but they did little to hide the sight of what had happened in here. Various objects were strewn all over the place. It didn't look like simple feline inflicted chaos. "Rin? Rin, where are you?"
There was no answer. Kyousuke checked her room but found no sign of her. He looked in the bathroom, finding nobody there, then went into his own room. Of course, she wasn't there either. He stood in the middle of his room, slowly shaking his head. Maybe there was a rational explanation for this. He wanted to believe that. Rin must have gone out for a bit, even if it meant leaving that mess untouched. Maybe it really had just been the cats who made the mess, perhaps Rin had just got a bit too playful herself. Yeah, that had to be it.
Kyousuke heard heavy footsteps from behind and whirled around to see a tall, bulky figure. Their face was concealed beneath a mask, half hidden within the shadows cast by the dark hood they wore. In one hand, they held a taser which they immediately fired. The prongs flew out, slamming into Kyousuke's body. He dropped to the floor, gasping. The mysterious figure stood over him, withdrawing a cloth and a bottle from the pocket of their robe. They applied whatever was in the bottle to the cloth and then pressed it against Kyousuke's nose and mouth.
A sweet smelling scent wafted up Kyousuke's nose. He couldn't move a muscle. His ears filled with the sound of roaring blood and his heart raced. As the darkness swooped in on him, his last thought was of Rin, wondering what had happened to her, and a prayer that she was safe.
Kyousuke woke to the sound of an engine. He could tell that he was in some kind of moving vehicle. It was too dark to see anything, all he saw was a tiny little chink of light. His arms and legs were secured tightly.
"Ugh... what the hell?" Kyousuke writhed about, trying to break free of the bonds but they remained fast. "Dammit."
"Kyousuke?"
Kyousuke's heart leaped. That was Rin's voice! His spirits immediately sank. If she was here too, then she was in the same situation as him.
"Rin... are you alright? Did they hurt you?"
"No, but it was scary," Rin said in a wobbling voice. "They hit me with something and I couldn't move, then they put something on my face and I fell asleep, then I woke up in here."
"Don't worry, Rin. I'll keep you safe, no matter what." Kyousuke prayed he would be able to keep that promise.
After a long while, the vehicle came to a stop. The doors opened to reveal people clad in robes. They pulled Kyousuke and Rin out, removing the bonds from their legs and blindfolding them, and forced them to walk while holding onto them, guiding their way. They walked a long way, first along graveled terrain, then along solid wooden floors. Eventually, they came to a stop and the blindfolds were ripped off.
They were in a small room. The only window was high up and had bars on it. The door they had come through had a small window in the top and a flap in the bottom. There was little furniture in the room, just a double bed, some worn leather chairs, a bookshelf with a small assortment of books. In one corner of the room were a sink, a toilet, and a dingy bath.
Kyousuke's blood ran cold. This was clearly somewhere to keep people prisoner. The ropes around his hands came loose. He whirled around, intending to fight, but the people were quicker. One of them swung a club at his head. It smacked into his skull with a sharp impact and he dropped to the floor, his head ringing.
"Ugh...!" Kyousuke tried to get up again, but a sharp impact to his knee brought forth a burst of pain that prevented him from doing so. "Dammit... I won't let you hurt Rin, you bastards!"
The people quickly retreated, slamming the door shut. There was a click, the sign of a lock being put in place. One of their captors put their face to the window.
"Relax, no harm will come to either of you... as long as you follow our orders."
"Orders?" Kyousuke repeated, gritting his teeth as he clutched his knee. "The hell are you talking about?"
Rin quietly whimpered, dropping to the floor and hugging her legs to her chest.
"All will be explained in due time. However, let us bring you dinner first. It is late and you must be getting hungry." The face disappeared.
"Hey, wait!" Kyousuke staggered over to the door and pounded his fists upon it. "Why are you doing this? Let us out!" He kicked the door but it remained in place. It was clear no amount of kicking would do anything either. "No... damn it..." Kyousuke sank to the floor, hitting it with his fists.
"What's going to happen to us now?"
"I don't know," Kyousuke replied, feeling a wave of shame. He should have protected her from harm, but in the end, he had been completely unable to do anything.
A short while later, a tray laden with food came through the door. It looked dull and unappetising. How could their captors possibly think they could eat at a time like this? However, their stomachs were eventually grumbling enough that they gave in and ate the food.
It had grown dark by the time one of their captors came back to the door.
"How are you settling in? We know it's not much, but we ask only for your understanding. However long you must spend in here is entirely down to you."
"So what do we have to do then?" Kyousuke asked. "Why us? I don't get it... what do you want?"
"It is very simple. We are collecting blood."
"Blood?" Rin repeated, her voice shaking. "Are you vampires?"
Normally, Kyousuke would be amused by Rin saying something so ridiculous, but at a time like this, he could find no humour in the situation.
"No. We are not vampires. We are followers who were gifted with a mission. Our god commands it."
Kyousuke felt a chill. These people were crazy, no doubt about it. "Your god? He wants you to kidnap people? That's just messed up."
"He has spoken. Precious are the bonds of family, the bonds of blood, and it is our mission to bring about the creations from the union of blood, for the sake of our god, so that he may someday return to this earth."
"I don't get it," said Rin. "He sounds completely crazy."
"The fuck is this... some kind of creepy cult?" asked Kyousuke.
"Cult? That is a harsh word, but call us that if you want, it matters not as long as we succeed in carrying out our god's mission, and for that we need your help. You two are brother and sister, are you not?"
"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?" Kyousuke glanced at Rin. She met his gaze, her expression fearful.
"You two must create. Your blood must combine. You will bring life into this world together."
"Huh?" Rin looked back at the door. "I really don't get it. Can't you be clearer?"
All the colour drained from Kyousuke's face and his eyes grew wide. "No. You're kidding... you can't possibly mean... that's just sick!"
"Yes, it is understandable that you would be resistant to it at first but you must follow our orders. The sooner you two create the bond of blood and produce a child, the sooner you two will be free."
"Oh god." Kyousuke's head sank into his hands. "This is crazy. You can't be serious. No. Please. Don't make us do this!"
"Think about it. You have plenty of time. Our god is patient. He is willing to wait as long as he must." The figure turned around and walked away.
"No... no, no, no..." Kyousuke shuddered. This had to be some kind of bad dream. He couldn't do this. It was wrong.
"What was that about producing a child?" Rin's brow furrowed as she looked at Kyousuke. "Are we meant to go and have children? How are we supposed to do that if they keep us in here? I'm not sure if I even want to... I don't know who I would have a kid with yet." Her face reddened at the thought. "What about you, Kyousuke?"
Kyousuke's hands dropped to the floor and he slowly shook his head. "With each other, Rin. That's what they mean."
"Each other... you mean..." Rin's expression turned to revulsion. "Ew! But that's weird... I mean, you're my brother. You can't be my boyfriend as well. I don't want to marry you. Isn't that really weird?"
"Well, that's what they want us to do," Kyousuke said dully, staring at the floor. "They want us to have a baby together. There won't be marriage involved."
"Huh." Rin folded her arms, frowning. "And if we don't have a baby, they won't let us go?"
"That's right." Kyousuke swallowed. He looked over at the bed. Just one bed. Double, too. How could he possibly do something like this? Rin was his cute and innocent little sister. There was no way he could even think about defiling her. It was disgusting.
"Oh. That's too bad." Rin got up and walked around the room. "Maybe the police will come and save us. They will notice we're gone soon, right? I hope my cats will be okay." She flopped into one of the chairs.
"Yeah. I'm sure we'll be rescued soon." Kyousuke had to force the confidence into his voice.
Were there others like them here? How long had they been held in this place? He needed to believe it, that help would come.
The days passed by. People would come to the door with food and water. Kyousuke and Rin would pass the time reading or talking to each other. Not once did either of them breach the subject of having a child. They couldn't do it. There was no way.
Finally, someone came to the door.
"We have noticed you two have yet to attempt to produce a child."
"Yeah. I wonder why," said Kyousuke. "You seriously expect us to just go along with your sick and twisted game?"
"Are you willing to protect your sister at all costs?"
"Of course I am."
"Well, our god is patient. However, our members do have certain desires. If you are unwilling to cooperate, you may find some of them inclined to borrow her."
"B-borrow?" Kyousuke's mouth grew dry.
"They would use protection, of course. After all, she may only become pregnant by her brother. If you would wish to ensure that she remains yours and yours alone... then we suggest you hurry up. We are watching you."
"You bastards! What do you mean, watching?"
"We have cameras in the rooms, you see. So, think about it. We would be very pleased if you were to help us complete the mission for our god. Do not waste any more time for her sake." With that said, they walked away.
"How could they... those monsters!" Kyousuke slammed his fists against the floor.
"There they go again with the weird nonsense. So what did they say this time? I didn't understand much."
Kyousuke looked at Rin, a lump forming in his throat. "We have to do it."
"What?" Rin's eyes widened. "But weren't we going to wait for the police to come and save us?"
Kyousuke exhaled. "There's no time left. If we don't do it, you're going to be hurt, Rin, and I can't let that happen to you. You remember your trauma from childhood?"
"Oh... that?" Rin looked worried.
"It's going to be even worse than that."
"No..." Rin stepped back, shivering and wrapping her arms around herself. She shook her head. "No... I don't want that... please..."
Kyousuke got up and walked over to embrace her. "I'll do anything to protect you, Rin. Anything."
"Kyousuke..." Rin pressed herself against his chest. "I'm scared."
"It's alright." Kyousuke stroked her hair. "I won't let those bastards touch you, I promise."
That night, they began. Kyousuke's heart was pounding as he gazed down at his little sister's face. She looked slightly anxious, but didn't so much as protest. Rin understood that this was something they had to do, no matter what. Still, that didn't mean he was entirely okay with it. He felt disgusted with himself for daring to touch his own little sister, but what choice did he have?
After the deed was done, the two of them lay side by side, staring up at the ceiling.
"It wasn't too bad," Rin said. "Yeah, it was really weird, but... it was better than having some scary stranger do it to me."
Kyousuke was relieved that she was taking it in stride so well. It could have been worse. Had she been disgusted with him or hated him for it, he didn't think he could have lived with himself.
"So, I'm gonna have a baby now, right?"
"I don't know."
"Hm? But we did it, right?"
"Yeah, but it might take more than one try for you to get pregnant. We won't be sure for quite a while, so we're going to have to keep doing it until we're sure." Kyousuke turned over, looking at her face, his brow furrowed. "Is that alright, Rin?"
"Mmm." Rin nodded. "If it keeps the scary people away from me, I'll do anything."
"Good." Kyousuke smiled, reaching out to brush back a strand of her hair. "We'll get out of here someday, I promise you."
"Yeah." Rin half closed her eyes, smiling back. "I can't wait to see everyone again. I miss them."
"So do I."
After that, Kyousuke made love to Rin every day. He was dismayed when her period came, but assured her it was just a matter of time. She would become pregnant sooner or later. They just had to keep trying.
How much time passed, neither of them knew. They had lost track of time, stuck inside that small room. It was the same old thing every day. They would sit, pace around the room, talk, have sex, eat and drink whenever their captors brought food and drink to them.
One day, someone came to the door. "We have noticed it has been almost two months now since the girl's last bleed."
Had it? Kyousuke had honestly had no idea, and neither had Rin.
"Here is a pregnancy test." A box was passed through the flap. "Please let us know the results as soon as you can."
The blue line confirmed what they had been hoping for. Kyousuke felt a rush of elation, mixed with shame. This was the key to their freedom and yet, it disgusted him to think he had got his own little sister pregnant.
"Thank god." Kyousuke smiled weakly. "We don't have to have sex anymore."
"We don't?" Rin frowned slightly.
"No. You're pregnant. Once you have the baby, we're free."
"I see." Rin let out a faint sigh.
"Rin?" Kyousuke peered at her. "Are you alright?"
"Huh? I'm fine." Rin lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "I'm glad we're getting out of here at last. So how long do we have to wait?"
"Somewhere up to nine months, I suppose. You're not actually disappointed, are you?" Kyousuke couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"Well, I mean, it's so boring in here. At least it was something to do and it felt nice." Rin shrugged again, looking at him with dull eyes. "But I guess I can wait until the baby comes out. Nine months, huh. What a long time."
Kyousuke forced back the lump in his throat, his eyes stinging. Just what had he done to her? No, this was all because of them. They were the ones who had locked the siblings up here and made them commit this depraved sin. He pulled Rin into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry."
"Huh, why?"
There was no answer. Kyousuke just held on to her tightly, his eyes closed. They would get out of here soon, and then they could get back to their lives and Rin would return to her normal self.
Time passed by. Rin's stomach grew in size. They were served larger meals, and their captors even bought them new books and newspapers. Kyousuke read the newspapers thoroughly, looking for a mention of them, and eventually an article revealed another pair of siblings had been kidnapped, while mentioning that the search was going on for others, him and Rin included. So they really weren't the only ones. Kyousuke felt ill at the thought. It was nice to finally be able to track the time. Almost six months had elapsed since his and Rin's kidnapping at this point. He wondered how Riki and the others were. They had to be so worried.
The day came when Rin's waters broke. Their captors wasted no time in entering the room and bearing Rin away, leaving Kyousuke alone in the room. He waited and waited, wallowing in anxiety. Would Rin be able to deliver the baby safely? Was she scared, having to deliver the baby without him there? Day became night, and then it was day again.
Someone came to bring him breakfast. "The baby has been born and is healthy. The mother needs her rest. We will return her in a few days."
Kyousuke was so relieved to hear the news. He waited for her safe return.
Finally, after several days, the door opened and Rin was thrust into the room. Her face lit up when she saw her brother. "Kyousuke!" She ran over and grabbed him in a fierce hug.
"Rin. Oh, thank god, you're alright." Kyousuke held onto her tightly. "I was so worried. Where's the baby?"
"They said they were going to hold onto her."
So it was a girl. Kyousuke swallowed, feeling a rush of emotion. They had actually brought a child into this world. He didn't know how he was supposed to feel.
The hooded people were coming into the room. Kyousuke tightened his hold on Rin, watching them guardedly. "What do you want?"
"You have done as we have commanded. The reward is your freedom. Now come, let us bind you."
Kyousuke and Rin were seized and their hands tied behind their backs.
"Hold on, what about the baby?" Kyousuke asked.
There was no response. They were blindfolded and marched out of the room, then thrown into what was presumably a vehicle, perhaps even the same one that had brought them here. After what felt like an eternity, the doors opened again. They were thrown out onto a dusty path and their bindings removed.
"The road ahead leads back into town," said one of the hooded people. "It shouldn't take long. Farewell."
Kyousuke and Rin watched on in quiet disbelief as the people got back into the van and it drove away.
"We're free," Rin said in a wondering tone, looking around.
Kyousuke hunched over on his knees, staring at the ground. His eyes prickled with tears. "Oh my god... we're really out. At last." A sob burst from his throat.
"Shouldn't we get going? We've got to let Riki and everyone know we're okay."
"Yeah. Of course." Kyousuke staggered to his feet. He took hold of Rin's hand and they walked along the trail. Soon enough, they saw houses in the distance. The sight was enough to bring fresh tears to his eyes.
"Hey, Kyousuke."
"Hm?"
"Those people kept the baby."
"Yeah. They did." Kyousuke felt a pang. He had watched Rin's belly grow over these months, conscious of the life within, and even felt the baby kicking. Yes, it was a life that shouldn't have been brought into the world, but it was still a life.
"It's kinda sad." Rin looked down. "I saw it, you know, the baby. She was really small. There was hardly any hair on her head."
"Uh huh." Kyousuke swallowed. Hearing her talk only drove the spike of pain even deeper in his chest.
"Do you think we'll ever see the baby again?"
Kyousuke was silent for a while. "Who knows."
"I wonder what they wanted to do with her. Why did they make us have sex and have a baby?"
"I really don't understand any of it. But it's over now, Rin. We're free. We can go back to our normal lives now. Let's just put it all behind us."
"Okay." Rin looked ahead with a slight frown. "It's going to be so weird."
"I suppose so." Everything felt so different to Kyousuke. The sound of the birds, the wind on his face, things he had taken for granted, it was as if he was experiencing them anew. "It does feel so strange."
"What are we going to do now?"
"What do you mean? Everything will go back to normal. I'll get another job, you'll go to college, we'll live our normal lives again."
"We're just going to be a normal brother and sister again, right?"
"Of course we are."
"I see." Rin exhaled. "Honestly, it doesn't feel like you're just my idiot brother anymore."
"Rin," Kyousuke said in a serious tone. "I am just your idiot brother alright? Nothing more than that. You're my little sister. I know after everything that's happened, it feels weird, but we'll get back to normal. We have to."
"Alright." Rin looked at him with a faint hint of sadness in her expression. "I'm glad though. That you were with me. It would have been super scary if I was by myself."
"Yeah. I couldn't do anything about us being taken, but I did my best to protect you." Kyousuke smiled. "I made sure you didn't get hurt. And now, here we are. Free at last."
"I can't wait to see everyone again." A smile formed on Rin's own face.
The sight of her smiling face filled Kyousuke with warmth. He had done everything he could to protect his little sister and now here they were, safe and free. Side by side, they made their way into the town.