*steps on the stage* cough-cough , is this thing on? Okay. Welcome to a new chapter of "Starfire", my dear viewers! I was waiting to publish this chapter which i'm very proud of!
The previous one didn't actually turned out like i wanted, but i hope you will forgive me after reading this one. Then, without saying anything more, have a nice reading and enjoy the chapter!
A dim ray of sunshine sweetly entered from the window, making its way inside my room and forcing my eyes to open.
Caught in the pleasant numbness of the awakening, i stared at the wide and cold ceiling, in an seeming absence of thoughts, for a few seconds.
Ahh, it's saturday. I unsually woke up early for a public holiday.
Throwing a distracted and drowsy glance to the alarm clock supported by the nightstand, i could barely tell what times was it, therefore, i frowned my eyebrows,
increasing the focus in my eyes and properly read the time: 7.30 am.
Too early.
At first, i felt like giving my back to the bedside table and going back to sleep, because i was feeling very tired, then i started noticing
an avalanche of rushing thoughts, slowly gathering in my head, which was threatening me of disturbing my dreams.
Again, my mind was circuling restlessly in a carousel of negative vibes; thus, i hastly removed the bedsheets which were wrapping around my body and climbed down
the canopy bed with a vigorous sprint, landing my feet on the wooden floor.
A chill went through my spine: even though it was April, i could still sense a slight coolness whispering between those mansion's walls.
I headed towards the wardrobe and quickly changed my nightgown, then fiixed my hair and tied them in a flawless sided-ponytail.
When i looked into the mirror, though, i've grown horrofied by my own look.
My eyes were swollen and red-injected with blood from all the crying in my sleep, circled with dark shadows. My skin tone was even paler than usual!
If i had stood a little longer in front of that mirror, i was ready to bet about its possible shattering into pieaces.
I looked like a ghost! An evil one!
Maybe i could have put some make up for covering the black circles, but my eyes were another kettle of fish.
Anyway, i didn't matter that much. Looking pretty wasn't my priority that day...strangely.
After all, last night had been the worst night of my whole life, and somewhere deep in my heart i was still feeling tormented by the unpleasant sensations
which those nighmares had left inside my bones. My brain, too, was feeling a bit drifted by those creepy and unreal pictures, foggy with a dark smoke .
I felt like walking in a lucid dream, even though i was wide awake.
The more i tried to shrug off those vibes, the more they were climbing back through my nerves, making me obsessed.
Bringing my fingers on a temple, i started massaging them against it, with a soft pressure, in a strained and stressed out expression.
My head gradually started hurting with a pain which was beating like a drum!
Maybe i was just exhausted, sleep-deprived and too emotional. My cool facade was falling into pieaces, just like my sanity.
Medicines wouldn't have solved anything, either. It wasn't something from a physical origin; indeed, my body was suffering, but that was just the consequence of a deeper issue.
I need some fresh air... I said to myself and then led myself downstairs.
As i was walking through the external yard of the house, i was gazing at the beautiful scenery of the blossomed garden.
The flowers were sparkling with the freshness of the dew, dripping down their petals, and their colours were shining bright under the soft light of the young rising sun.
Unfortunately, the big cherry blossom tree was slowly letting go of its pretty flowers. The blossoming season was about to end.
Yet, the garden still looked like a magical and enchanted glade. Absolutely wonderful!
Probably i was just overacting, but i loved nature just as i loved singing, which was my true passion.
Simply watching at th gathered little flowers in the shrubberies was filling my heart with pure delight and innocence. The clarity of their sweet fragrance was engulfing my whole being
with peace and serenety, regaining a bit of my usual spirit lightness.
Then i stretched my fingers over the flower's petals, gently caressing them wth the tips; as i was doing so,i felt my lips curving into a genuine and shining smile,
But suddenly the fresh dew which was laying on the flowers' crowns, turned into viscous blood and their cheerful colours faded to gray as they were slowly
withering and rotting beneath my fingertips.
My heart froze in horror.
It took me a few seconds to realize that i was just being delusional, while my mind was playing me a bad prank.
Whispering into my ears, a detached and disturbed voice was spelling some unidentifiable words. A nasty buzzing was going with it, as well.
Everything that was around me stopped being and got paralyzed in a timeless and shadowy dimension.
Same went for my body, totally frozen in a grip of fear.
Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop!
But the noise and the voices were growing louder and denser too, surrouding me and dragging me down in hell.
Abruptly, i felt a human hand landing on my shoulder.
"Haru!" i quickly turned my face, alarmed.
"Good morning! What...hey, are you okay?" the amber-eyed boy with glasses on, who was standing behind me, rapidly took notice of my heavy breathing and the
dripping sweat which was sparkling on my forehead, like a starry sky.
"U-um, i'm alright, Ren."
"I don't think you're alright, at all! Your skin is so pale, and i can see your neck pulsing from here."
In that moment i had to call all of my strenght just to look as normal as possible, in front of him.
I took a slight breath, without making him notice it.
" I'm perfectly fine and healthy, you don't have to worry about me, i'm not a kid anymore!" i almost yelled at him.
"Now that i'm looking at you better, you're wrecked: you have dark circle and you're eyes are so red!"
His face had grown closer to mine while observing me. I pulled him away pressuring my fingers on his tiny nose.
"Okay, i'll admit it. Maybe, i didn't sleep too well last night but-"
"You had nightmares?" his expressione suddenly turned into a more serious and awfully worried one.
I never saw him makind a face like that: a pair of blinking ambered-eyes under a frowning forehead, his lips boarded up with their angles downwards.
Meanwhile he was cleanching his tender hands around the sharpness of my tight shoulders, almost on the verge of shaking them.
He was scary.
"Ren..." i looked him in the eyes, with a glimps of concern, as he was squeezing me more "I-it hurts..."
"Oh sorry, Haru!" He jumped backwards, unleashing the grip and lifting his hands in the air. I guess he was pretty shocked by his own reaction, too.
"Isn't it normal for people, having nightmare once in a while?" i asked him, staring at the ground beneath my feet, refusing to meet his sharp eyes.
"Ah, y-yeah, you're right!"
He didn't seem so convinced of his own words. Was he hiding something from me?
"By the way Haru, what is that glowing thing around your neck?" he pointed his finger towards the flickering pendant.
I panicked; i didn't want him to find out about its purpose. I quickly wrapped the locket into my hand and gave him my shoulder.
"It's just a present from dad, nothing special..."
I purposely avoided his inquiring gaze, and kept on looking at the flowers, instead.
"Haru." he made a few step into my direction, enough to be very close to me, and then sweetly picked up my hand. My eyes finally met his in a stunned expression.
"Are you..."
He was intensely looking at me, searching for a very intimate part of my soul.
How beutiful... i thought as my amazement was reflecting into those golden jewels.
"Hey, you two, there is an important family meeting now, c'mon, hurry up!"
Rin voice suddenly broke into the magic of the moment, and blew it away.
Seriously, how much graceless could that guy be on a scale that went from zero to ten thousand?!
"We're coming!" Ren asnwered loudly to his call.
A family meeting? It was strange.
I've rarely attended one when i was younger, especially because dad was never at home, due to his former work as an onmyouji.
I curiously followed Ren heading indoors.
_
When i stepped into the living room, passing under the door frame, a lovely and warm-hearted family scene took shape and portrayed before my eyes.
My mother, with her sweet and innocent temper, was sitting on the comfortable couch, hand-in-hand with her chivalrous husband, kneeled on the floor and leaned over her,
talking to her in a mellow and low tone of voice, as he was cuddling her with sweet nothings.
I had the pleasure to meet my dad twice in barely more than on day: a miracle! He'd never came back home with such a brief time gap between a visit and one other!
Strangely, as his silouhette revealed into the clarity of my irises, i didn't feel the usual overflow of hatred, which always poisoned my blood.
I felt rather apathetic about his reappearance, but maybe, and just maybe, a glimpse of delight may had lit in the motionlessness of my mood, as i saw him standind there, near my mom.
A sparkle of wamth, floating in the shadowy deep-waters of my heart. I slighty curved upwards the corners of my mouth, as i was feeling that.
My parents were together, in the same room, genuinely smiling and comforting each other: a perfect and filled with love picture.
They were so in love with their better half!
Dad's usual cold and strict gaze, turned out to be so soft and dreamy as he was mirroring into my mother's dull but unbridled with affection, marine eyes.
Respect and blind loyalty, were mixing together in a perfect harmony, while i could easily picture the pace of their hearts, beating as they were one and the same.
I see, so this is true love. i told to myself, but actually i was rather aware of my ignorance about the theme.
I kinda wanted to be a part of that lovely painting, too. i wanted to play the role of the offspring, born from their nurtured love.
Tangled in those deep thoughts, running wilde in my mind, i could distinctly hear the passionate heartbeat in my chest, rushing with an new hope.
"Don't worry about me, i'm fine now, darling." mom's soft cheeks coloured in a slight shade of pink.
"Are you sure? I could cancel my schedule for today, if you want me to." he delicately whispered, still holding tight her fragile hands, and caressing her with the melodic sound of his voice.
She politely shook the head in response, "You have to respect your duties as a Heavenly commander, first. Furthermore, i can always rely on the guys! Please, don't be so concerned."
Her hand kindly freed itsef from his grip and switch to his cheek, stroking the smothness of the pale skin, as he was touching the back of her hand and kissing the fingertips.
"Call me if there's anything troubling you"
"I will."
Their foreheads cuddly leaned against each other, meeting part way in an intimate but simple touch, too meaningful to understand.
From the height of my easily-irritable temper, i was wondering if they were still aware of our attendance in the room. All three of us merely watching that heartwarming scene.
Suddenly coughing in the the sweet silence of their complicity, i managed to make myself noticeable. I didn't want to ruin a married couple's love moment, but i started feeling a bit cut out from the
so-called family meeting. Rin and Ren were quietly watching them, both visibly glad to see them together after some time.
"Guys, Haru. I'm sorry for coming late, i was quite busy." he slightly bowed to us.
Such a funny thing: a father apologizing to the kids for his late coming back. He was a righteous man, indeed.
"Oh no, Shimon-sama, you don't have to apoloigize. We're already well aware of the importance of your work!"
Ren bowed back to him, fully bending is back over and facing the ground. His brother immediately followed him in the act.
For my part, i coldly crossed my arms against my breast and fixed my back in a straightened posture, with a glimpse of resolve in my eyes.
My father genuinely smiled to their overpolite reactions, then calmly walked towards me and encircled my shoulders in a hug.
"I'm glad to see that nothing serious happened to you. I was afraid the charm woudn't' have been enough to protect you."
My overprotective father. Even though this side of him usually annoyed me in the past, that time i was fine with it.
Evry muscle inside my body suddenly mellowed in the warmth of his embrace, and as the scent of his red-blazing hair was soaking my nose along
with the softness of his skin, covered in clothes, the openness of my eyelids started loosening up in a pair of sweeten and half-closed eyes, now much milder than before.
That spreading warmness, slowly reached the purity of my cheeks, colouring them with a rosy blush.
Suddenly i felt like, deep down, i've always craved for that physical contact, hoping for him to overwhelm with affection, even though, a prouder
part of me was still denying it. Vulnerable and frightened as i was back then, i found myself in a need of a hug like that.
Gradully parting from my body, releasing the grip on my back, i could sense her concerned gaze searching for my eyes.
But i refused to honestly face my feelings and focused my attention on the polished wood under my feet, hiding my shaded and flustered expression.
Damn, i was so frustrated! He had dealt another blow into my weaknesses.
I knew he wasn't expecting a proper answer from me, but i felt the urge to say something anyway; so i gathered my courage, swallowing the pride, for once.
"I'm sorry i worried you...dad."
Time stopped flowing for a while, as i was waiting for his reaction. After a few seconds, lifted my eyes a bit and immediately met the astonishment sullying his face.
Embarrassment quickly blossomed in a faded red flower upon my cheeks. But then the weight of his hand gently landed on the softness of my hair and began to pet my head.
He was tenderly looking at me, with his fresh and lightly watery eyes, a rosy dust on his cheeks and a welcoming smile. That moment, i think i returned to be a child. The sweetheart
one that i used to be.
"Just be more careful, okay?"
I nodded and openly faced him, this time. But i regretted it pretty soon, making me wish i've never done that.
His caring expression abruptly turned into a shocked and much darker one, as he started noticing the ugliness of my features.
"You don't look so good. Something happened?" he asked while carefully studying every centimeter of my skin.
"I just...had a rough night. I didn't sleep well."
"What do you mean?" by asking that, the shape of his voice switched into a very earnest and darkened one.
Why was he so agitated now?
"I had nightmares, that's all!"
As i spelled those words, i could visibly see his icy irises getting smaller and trembling in the whiteness of the eyes, and his red lips
barely parting: he was wearing a stunned expression.
Looking through those present, i could easily distinguish different shades of heavy concern, and ashy clouds passing through their faces, as i bluntly said
that sentence. First,i cought mom with her slightly bowed head and not-visible gaze, sitting quietly on the couch; then my eyes went searching for Rin and Ren, who were both
painfully staring at the ground, with their wrinkled foreheads, distressed by a bleak passing train of thoughts, which was furrowing their irises.
Meanwhile, dad's angsty visage lightly faded to a more serious and tighten one. Just as he used to look at me when i was causing trouble.
What the heck were those tragic reactions for, now?! They were acting like someone dear to them just passed away!
"W-what's the matter?"
I was sure i didn't do anything wrong; dreams had their own will and i couldn't possibly control them.
Yet, why they were making me feel so guilty, all of a sudden?
I never had an answer to my question.
"Dear, you should go now. You woudn't like to be late at your working meeting, right?" mom's fine silouhette began to move towards dad's back, kindly caressing his shoulder.
"Wait, what about our meeting then?"
I couldn't accept a family gathering where everyone was looking at me like that!
"Don't worry about it, i wanted to stay here a few days. Besides, i was planning to go to certain place, before the assembly."
He turned to face me "Would you like to come wih me?"
An eyebrow lifted above my eye, while i was looking at him mildly puzzled.
_
The tingly fragrance of chrysanthemums and lillies was soaking the spring breeze, dancing and whispering around our figures.
A smoke trickle,coming from the lit incense, was scattering into the pure air, as we were gathering in prayer, surrounded by the religiosity of the moment.
"I wish you could've met her." he said unjoining his hands, standing beside me, "You would have got along, for sure."
I was still paying my respect to the dead, but i could clearly hear a wistful sparkle budding in his voice.
Lifting my gaze over the haka i read the kanji of "little night" carved into the monument. Her lifespan hadn't been so long, apparenlty.
"She died when she was just nineteen, but we were well aware of her brevity." his knees leaned on the dirty ground, as we was lightly passing his fingers over the stone's roughness.
"Was she ill?"
"Kinda."
Kinda? I was very annoyed by the vagueness of his words. Why couldn't he just clearly answer me, for once?!
Sayo Ikaruga was my father's non-blood related sister, his cousin. Little did i know about her; she should've been my aunt, but we never met.
He stood up again, shaking the dirt off of his trousers, "She was desperately in love with life, especially with the outside world, but she wasn't
allowed to get out from the Ikaruga mansion so many times." the lifting corners of his mouth were portraying a sad smile on his face, while those words were leaving his lips.
"Why are you telling me this, now?" the sharp sounding of my voice, abruptly shattered the warmth of his memories.
I wasn't angry or irritated, but simply, i couldn't understand the true meaning behind his deeds.
He looked at me from the height of his shoulder, with an innocent wonder, "I just wanted to let you know about a small part of my family."
A fuzzy and warm feeling, suddenly lit up in my chest, spreading throughout my whole body and reaching the top of my cheeks.
I felt like staying quite for a while, caressed by the deepness of his caring words. He wanted to give me something of his which i was glad
to welcome inside of me. A sense of peace engulfed our hearts as we were breathing the sancitity which was filling the place.
"Thank you, for taking me here."
My words echoed in the sweet-smelling air, bluntly breaking the quietness around us.
I couldn't met his face, but i had a feeling he was looking at me with a loving glimpes in his eyes, standing in a deep meaning silence.
"But..." i continued, "...next time let's go eat some ice cream. Together."
As i was suggesting that, i turned my head to his opposite side, gazing at the other graves, in the hard attempt to hide my
blushing face, already stained with pure embarrassment.
"Sure." he answered in the background.
Spacing my eyes out of the wide and shiny window, which was occuping a large part of the wall in the living room, i didn't
realized when i fell asleep, on the couch. I was exhausted; sleep-deprived from last night, so i coudn't help myself.
The only thing i remembered from my being awake time, were the gray clouds coming forward and sailing the sky like a thousand ships.
And then i've fallen victim of the blackness.
In my dreams i was walking down a huge street, surrounded by ancient houses at the sides and garnished with lit lanterns.
It was a lively place, filled with shops and stalls; people were wearing old-style clothes, such as kimono's.
Was that Kyoto?
As i was proceeding with my walk , a dark nd thick fog suddenly fell from the scarlet sky, engulfing the whole street.
People around me vanished into the polluted air, leaving me alone, surrounded by decadent and rotten buildings.
A heavy noise was coming from the end of the street, rumors of stomping and loud screams..
Before i could even blink, an indistinguishable herd of monsters bumped onto me with an overwwhelming strenght.
Those scary creatures started menacigly dancing and circling around me, crying in madness, bloodthirsty
and fiercely craving for my flesh.
I covered my ears, while shutting my eyes, as well, which were burning due to the tainted air.
Go away! Go away! i was desperately screaming as i was trying to escape, but failing. I was caught in a cage of darkness!
All of a sudden a familiar shadow appeared before my eyes, dripping in blood and watching me with its evil gaze. Blurry words were
coming out from it mouth, and i couldn't understand anything in that filthy parade.
The only thing i clearly heard was its creepy voice whispering, "i'm coming for you, child of light."
When i returned to the awakened ones' land, i found myself covered in sweat, trembling, with Rin and Ren's alarmed faces
above me. It took me a few seconds to regain perception of reality, while my panicked pupils were snapping around the room.
"Haru! Haru!" a hand abruplty shook my shoulder.
As i was blinking, i could easily track their distressed and starteled profiles.
"What happened...?"
My throat was dried and sore, like i had been screaming the whole time.
"You were having a nightmare." Rin answered.
"I see." i tried to fix my position on the messed couch, bringing my fingers to a temple. My head was in pain. "What were you doing?"
"After hearing you screaming like crazy, we rushed over here and..." the guy in glasses took a doubtful pause, while throwing a concerned glance to the sofa.
"And?"
"You were squirming hard, we couldn't even wake you up. It was like you were being possesed by somthing."
I froze in shock, clenching the fists upon my thighs and nerviously biting my lip.
They cought me!
I didn't want to see their panicked faces. I didn't want them to know about what was going on. Not them, not my brothers.
"Oh, c'mon, i was ju-"
"Haru."
Ren's grave voice cut my words out. His beutiful amber-like eyes, turned darker and hardened, like i never saw in my life.
"Stop it, Nii-san! You can't tell her!" Rin yelled behind his brother's back.
"T-tell me what?" I was still shaking in fear, i couldn't stop stuttering, feeling like many little shocks of electricity
were tingling and flowing through my flesh.
"We can't keep on hiding secrets from her!" he shouted in response. My heart jumped inside my chest.
Taking a deep breath, Ren pulled himself together again, and delicately alighted his hand on my head.
"Haru, i think you should know something."
_
Author's notes:
Haka (墓): a family graveconsisting of a stone monument, with a place for flowers, incense, and water
*gets her lazy ass on the stage* cough-cough.
Here we finally arrived to the ending of the chapter, guys! Haru is undoubtedly haunted by some evil thing, but at the same time she's opening herself
a little bit towards Shimon! what'll it be the secret which the guys have been hiding from haru?
If you're curious to find out, stay tuned!