Part XV
Blood
I was standing in the dark. Footsteps pounded loudly behind me… or was it in front…?
I screamed at a sudden sharp pain in my stomach… and looked down to see a steak knife. Blood was running down my jeans and warming my hands.
Much to the dismay of my eyes, there was a bright flash…
And I awoke to find myself lying on my futon in Ryuzaki's room. There was no knife… no blood anywhere. I sighed in relief while my heart continued to race. I need to head to the house now, I told myself.
So, I climbed out of bed and pulled the last clean outfit from my duffel bag. I had just taken a quick shower then wolfed down a cherry Poptart, when I saw Ryuzaki shuffling up the hall toward me. "Good morning," I said.
Ryuzaki inclined his head. "Would you like me to go along? I guess I could drive you," he offered.
"No, thank you. I need time to think. See ya," I said with a wave as I continued to the staircase.
(Time Skip)
Fifteen minutes later, I pulled into the driveway of the two-sided house. Both sides were now empty since Brandon and I had split and moved out.
I flipped through my keys until I found the right one, then proceeded with unlocking the front door. Everything was just as it had been when I left, so I unsuspectingly climbed the stairs to the rooms above.
The one Brandon and I shared was still in a shambles since our fight, but the dressers were untouched. The black curtains over the window hid the clothing in my drawers from view. Wait, I thought then. Black curtains? They weren't here before…
Nervously, I reached into my drawers and pulled out random articles of clothing. As I began to quickly shove them into my duffel bag, a loud sound from near the bed caused me to drop them.
Seeing nothing, I knelt to pick up a shirt…
When strong hands grabbed me from behind. My mouth was covered before I could scream and my waist secured before I could escape.
My captor then grabbed my wrists and forced my back into a wall hard. As I tried to resist, my attacker continued to hold my wrists with one hand pressed a knife against my tender stomach with the other. I gasped, watching my dream become a reality.
"Surprise, Kita baby," a silky voice whispered.
"Brandon. What do you want?"
"You," he whispered into my ear.
"That's not the message you sent when you were with her," I snarled.
"I did that to get you to tell me the truth about you and Ryuzaki. Since you didn't, however, I've come to a decision: if I can't have you, neither can he." I tried to cry out, but he pressed the knife closer to silence me. "He won't save you, no matter how loud you scream," Brandon taunted as he pressed the knife tighter against my lower abdomen.
"You're sick," I breathed, trying to avoid the pain. My assailant turned the tip against me instead of the blade.
Then, Brandon lowered the knife from my belly button about 2 inches. "You probably got his filthy child in there somewhere, too," he continued…
…and stabbed me. I screamed in horror as blood flowed from my wound. "You've got it all wrong, Brandon," I pleaded shakily. I coughed and tasted blood.
"Stop lying!" He cut me several times. My vision blurred. "If I can't have you, neither can he," he said again.
Within the house, a gun was fired. I expected everything to end there; instead, Brandon froze and grew silent. "I'm up here," I called weakly. "Help me!"
Brightness could be seen in the hall, and five silhouettes came into view. "Drop your weapon and freeze! You're under arrest for aggravated assault and attempted homicide!"
The police! Brandon released my hands and I collapsed, too weak to stand. I watched my saviors handcuff my former boyfriend, and I felt my eyes unwillingly close.
(Time Skip)
Then someone was kissing me roughly… urgently… as if our lives were ending.
Things escalated from there… when the pain in my abdomen began. I knew then that I was in labor…
Beep… beep… beep… I opened my eyes to find myself in a hospital. All of my limbs… and my eyelids were heavy. Ryuzaki stood by my side. "Where's my baby?" At least that's what I tried to say.
Ryuzaki's eyes lit up. "You're awake." The relief in his voice was obvious. "I guess the morphine is still working," I heard him say. "Your speech is slurred."
Yeah, tell me something I don't know, I thought with frustration. As my mind cleared I lifted my right arm- the one without the IV and heart monitor attached- and touched my abdomen where the pain had been. Stitches. A C-section!
"Where's my baby?"
This time, Ryuzaki understood. Sadness, confusion, and other emotions flickered in his eyes. "There isn't one, Kita."
"No," I whispered, misunderstanding what he meant.
Ryuzaki put a hand on my shoulder. "Kita, you weren't pregnant. Brandon…"
Finally, I discerned my dream from reality. "M-my mistake. Sorry, Ryuzaki."
"No need to apologize, especially when none of this is your fault," the detective told me gently. "It's the morphine. But tell me, did you and Brandon-?"
"Never!" I hadn't been lying, but my heart rate accelerated. With an extreme amount of effort, the detective managed to calm me again.
Then, he went to the intercom beside my bed and pressed the "call" button. "Could I get another dose of morphine for the patient in room 302?"
"Of course, Mr. Ryuga," the nurse at the other end replied.
"Thank you."
I glared at the detective. "Oh no, I have questions to ask you! First of all, how did the cops know what was going to happen?"
"I followed you and saw Brandon enter at the back carrying a weapon as you walked in the front door. So, I called the Winchester Police Station and they came to your address. They were a little late though, so I should have attacked him myself."
Ryuzaki was shaking. I reached out to touch him, but he backed away as the nurse entered. His face was partially hidden in shadow from the twilight sky outside of my window. "You need to rest."
The needle entered my arm, even as I tried to pull away. I began to protest, but everything went black.
End Part XV