Back with chapter 4! Sorry about the long wait, I had a bit of a case of writer's block. Thank you all so much for all your wonderful reviews, I really appreciate it! It helps me keep writing. :3
If anyone has any questions at all, do ask, and I'll be sure to reply.
Chrno Crusade © Daisuke Moriyama
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The next morning was the same as any other morning in the Christopher household. Rosette happened to wake up nearly ten minutes late, rushed herself to take a quick shower, almost choked trying to eat her breakfast, and frantically tried to gather up her homework she needed to take to school.
"Ahhhhhhhh! Dammit dammit dammit!" She cried over and over again, setting her backpack down on the coffee table in the living room, looking over the couch and under the TV stand with an impatient tone to her steps. "If I don't find that report Mrs. Conre will kill me!"
And in the midst of all the panic, a small whisp of air traveled through the room, but the young girl was too wrapped up in trying to find her paper to even notice. A few feet away from where she was looking, a pile of books lay on the floor… and a paper that was sticking out seemed to shutter at the wind, and slowly, was pulled out from in between the books, sliding across the carpet a few inches.
"Rosette," A soft tenor voice called out to her from behind the young girl, making her nearly jump out of her skin as she whirled around, face pale with shock. A few moments passed before she calmed herself down, remembering the night before… what had happened. And who she had met.
Before she could open her mouth and speak a word of protest, her eyes fell downwards to the floor, instantly spying the paper she was looking for. "My report!" She almost squealed with excitement, grabbing it in a rush and shoving it in her backpack, before bolting out the door and into the stairwell of her apartment. She quickly mounted her bike that was chained by the sidewalk, and raced off to school.
And just behind her, a pair of warm eyes watched her, as if smiling in content.
--Chapter 4 --
Lost
Being a sophmore in high school wasn't as easy as it was for most people, as it was for Rosette. She rarely was ever able to get her homework done, study for tests, or finish projects because of her job – the one she needed to keep if she wanted to continue bringing food to the table for her and Joshua. Sadly enough, no one teacher in the school gave her an ounce of pity for being an orphan, and having to take the responsibilities of an adult so early in life. Sometimes, it made her seethe in anger at their unwillingness to accept her different lifestyle, but… she was never one to let small setbacks hold her down.
The problem was, she no longer had a small setback. She no longer had to worry only about her grades, social life (Or lack thereof), or work. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't help but feel now that she knew a demon has marked her and forged an unbreakable Contract, her life would only get more complicated.
"Miss Christopher, you are late." An older man in his mid-thirties said monotonously as Rosette walked through the classroom door, all of a few minutes late. Normally when this happens, she'd blurt out numerous excuses, whether they be plausible or not, to try and save another mark on her tardiness. But today, she simply nodded, and made her way slowly to her seat near the back of the room, making her teacher raise an eyebrow in suspicion. That certainly was different…
Despite the teacher's mild worry for his student, he continued class as if nothing had happened, which was a usual routine Rosette was used to. From then on, into all of her other classes, she remained a little quieter than usual, her mind always wandering, thinking, worrying.
"Neesan!" Joshua called with a bright smile from down the hallway, running up to his big sister enthusiastically. "….What's wrong? Did you not sleep well last night? You look horrible…"
"No, I slept fine…" She feigned a smile for her brother, trying to mask her anxiety. "It's nothing, really. Just kind of worried about work is all."
"Eh? Did they threaten to fire you again because of what happened yesterday?" The blond boy blinked, looking positively livid.
"No…nothing of the sort." She replied calmly. "Just don't worry about it. I'm just kind of in an emotional rut right now. Uh…. That time of the month."
"…Okay, didn't need to hear that." He blushed lightly, cringing, but took the bait. "Girls…."
She sighed and rolled her eyes, gripping her backpack in one hand as they walked down the hallway. Maybe she should tell him about what happened yesterday at Yuan's home… she needed someone to talk to so that she didn't keep backing herself in a corner emotionally, but she was afraid Joshua would just worry about her more. And Yuan was out the question. Chrno really didn't seem to like him at all… and the last thing she needed right now was to witness a bloody death right before her eyes.
'Besides… what is there to do?' She asked herself, looking down at the floor as she walked, following her brothers feet. 'It's not like there's a cure or anything to sever this Contract… is there?'
She had contemplated this for a good while, before suddenly a rough push to her shoulder sent her wobbling into her brother, almost knocking them both down to the ground. A male's voice laughed with amusement as she turned around, eyes flickering with annoyance.
"Whoops, sorry Freak." A taller senior snorted, a few of his friends laughing. "Didn't see you there."
Rosette simply regained her posture, biting her lip to keep herself from cursing at him. "Don't mess with me today, Eric. I'm not in the mood." She replied sternly, brushing off her shoulder where he had touched her like it was infected.
"Aww, no witty remarks today? I was looking for a good laugh, too." The boy grinned, raising an eyebrow. "Heard about what happened at the diner last night. You finally get fired?"
"It's none of your business, but for you information, no." She turned back around, grabbing Joshua's arm and hauling him along with her. Her brother looked puzzled once she dropped the argument, wondering why she didn't make a scene, for once.
"I'm surprised to hear that. To think The Possessed is holding a normal job without a high body count…" The senior laughed cruelly. "The world must be coming to and end."
"My curse, Eric," She whirled back around, gritting her teeth. "Doesn't kill people, it never has. Now beat it before I shove my boot so far up your ass you're coughing up diamonds!"
Joshua sweatdropped. That was more like her…
"Big talk coming from a runt like you!" Eric snapped, taking a few steps forward closer to her.
"Stay away from me." Rosette's demeanor swiftly changed, her voice reflecting a scared tone. "Seriously, Eric. Don't."
"Why? You afraid you'll get the beating you deserve? Let me tell you something, Christopher, I-"
And at that moment, the boy had crossed the line, sending a wave of air fluctuating around the hallway, Rosette's shadow rippling for but a moment, before it seemed to disappear. In a split second, an invisible force grabbed Eric by the neck, and flung him like a rag doll into the wall, sending the people around him into a panicked fit. The senior's eyes had widened at shock at the speed of the impacts, his body frozen against the cracked plaster of the wall he leaned against, before a small trickle of blood appeared from his forehead, running down to the front of his face. Silence set in for but a moment as people stared at him in horror, before his eyes rolled to the back of his head, his face growing pale as his body slumped to the floor…. Still… cold…
Lifeless.
A handful of people that had seen the horrific event happen before them, ran quickly in opposite directions, some to call for help, others simply to get away from 'The Possessed'. "Rosette…" Joshua's voice cracked timidly into the thick silence, as he slowly looked up to the frozen girl, who stared at Eric's motionless body, slumped to the floor, his limbs strewn about painfully in odd directions.
Her eyes went wide, tears began to stain the corners of her eyes, her heart racing in her chest, the erratic beats doing no such help to calm her nerves. She screamed at the tops of her lungs, her hands reaching up to hold her head, her whole body shaking erratically.
'This wasn't happening.'
'He's dead.'
'Lifeless.'
'He killed him….'
'The demon killed him.'
'I killed him.'
Suddenly, a warm wave of air encircled her shoulders, moving down to her arms as a voice cooed softly in her ear, calm, distant… if not sickeningly satisfied.
"Don't worry, dear heart." There was a pause, and Rosette could tell he was smiling. "He won't be able to bother you anymore."
At that moment, she felt something like a violin string snap within her.
It was no use.
No matter what she did, what would happen, he would always be there.
Everyone around her was in danger. More so now than ever. Eric hadn't even touched her… and he had killed him. The demon had killed him. She had killed him.
With another agonizing scream, she suddenly bolted from her frozen position, disappearing down the halls and from the school, never once looking back. Her brother had tried to catch her until she made it off the school grounds, but by then, he had lost sight of her.
She was gone.
-
Hours upon hours have passed. Night had fallen, though the streets of the city, even through the slums, were dimly lit by street lights. Some were flickering in and out of death, some had simply been burnt out for ages, but no one had cared enough to change them.
Far into the city, where scarcely anyone dared to wander, a young girl sat in the shadows of a tiny alleyway, hiding behind an old, rusted tin trashcan. A few people had walked passed her, but paid no attention to her crying form.
Rosette didn't even know where she was anymore… somewhere in the slums, she knew. Far enough from home. But that didn't matter anymore… she didn't want to go back home. Back with Joshua, back with her only family, where she would expose him to her horrifying curse. The curse that had killed someone today, right before her very eyes.
"Why…" She whispered under her breath, lifting her head up from beneath her arms, her knees hugged tightly against her chest. Her eyes were stained as red as her tear-stained cheeks. Her life was slowly but surely… being torn apart.
"Dear girl," The voice of the demon whispered into her ear, but she no longer jumped, no longer became startled of his presence. Instead, she simply sat there, her face void of any emotion. It was almost like she was dead… staring into nothingness. "Does the death of that boy still haunt you? I thought you held no compassion for him."
She didn't reply, but only blinked as a few raindrops hit her face, mixing with her drying tears. "I hated him." She spoke quietly after minutes of silence.
"Then why do you cry?"
"Because he's dead."
This made the demon pause in curiosity. This didn't make any sense. "Why do you care if he is dead? He almost harmed you."
"That doesn't make it right to kill." She replied softly, her voice still barely a whisper. "Chrno…?"
He didn't answer, but she knew he was listening.
"Tell me… Do you think you are protecting me?"
There was a long pause again. "…Yes. I won't allow another to touch you."
"You don't understand…" Her tone became an octave high while she strained to keep more tears in check. "What you did back there… that hurt me more than any punch Eric could have thrown at me."
"…I don't understand."
She smiled faintly, a melancholy laugh echoing through the dark alley. "Of course you don't. You're a demon…"
Another long silence passed between them, as she continued to stare blankly at the wall in front of her, the rain beginning to pick up and now began to soak into her hair and clothes.
"Rosette?"
She didn't move. She didn't even blink. At first, she thought it was the demon again, but then she realized the tone was different… and it no longer had an otherworldly echo. Slowly, she looked off to her side, back towards the street where she saw a pair of brown leather shoes standing before her. And steadily, she gazed upwards, her eyes still horribly red.
Yuan almost dropped his umbrella once he saw how terrible the young girl looked, huddled in a dark corner, shivering from the cold (Though she hadn't noticed), her cheeks and eyes bloodshot from crying. "Rosette… what happened?" He asked with concern, dropping to his knees and letting go of his suitcase and umbrella as he placed both hands on her shoulders.
The moment he came in contact with her, her eyes went wide, and she squirmed away, scooting against the dirt and grime that coated the dingy alley. "N-no…don't touch me…" She whispered, looking up at him with fear. "Then you'll….you too…."
But to her surprise, the man persisted, bending down to hoist her up in his arms, helping her stand. Without a word, he dusted the front of her shirt and pants off, before grabbing his umbrella and handing it to her.
"Let's get you cleaned up." He said softly, and lead her out of the darkness.
-
Oh noes! I'm afraid I'm making Remi a little too nice. Hm… oh well. That'll probably change next chapter.
This chapter is dedicated to Autumn Dragon, who's fallen ill with the flu, but is kind enough to continue to review. I hope you feel better, Autumn!
Zoey