"A Flower in the Attic"

Chapter Five: An Owl in the Room

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor Flowers in the Attic.

Time is an inevitable thing.

Two years and seven months later...

"Arrrrrgh! Get off me old man! Geez! Can't a boy get any sleep around here?"

"Of course you can! But if you're still considering yourself a boy then it's a pathetic way of an excuse to sleep!"

"Wha-? Urgh! Never mind. Just get off my bed!"

A seventeen year old boy just woke up from slumber. It was the first morning he woke up in a different place. When his eyes scanned the room he saw how big it was. He didn't have the luxury to look around last night when he and his father arrived at the Mansion. It was in the middle of the night when they came and felt he was tired so they both decided to just sleep.

Ichigo Kurosaki. A boy with orange hair as bright as the sun, well-nourished body, a visible scowl stuck on his face, and with a weird yet happy family. He had two sisters who were twins Yuzu and Karin, a father who was a doctor Isshin, and a very loving and caring mother Masaki. He had everything a boy could ever wish for but life wasn't really fair, for his father might be the most lunatic person he had ever met.

"What time is it anyway? I barely slept last night. Remind me again why we left at midnight? Who on earth travels during that time?"

A gruffy voice that belonged to an older man answered Ichigo. "It's five thirty. Unless you don't want to have breakfast and be the rude person you are then you can go back to sleep! We couldn't do anything about it. It was an order to be as inconspicuous as possible.

"Fine! I'll get ready for breakfast!"

Ichigo and his father Isshin arrived at the Kuchiki Mansion in the middle of the night. One morning, a letter arrived at their house explaining of needing a doctor. A private doctor. Isshin needed to stay for one whole month in the Mansion to take care of the oldest living Kuchiki. One of the conditions was to arrive late and hide from the prying eyes of anybody. They didn't know the reason but accepted the offer. A check was also enclosed in the letter with an unexplainable amount. Masaki didn't feel good about sending her husband alone so they decided that Ichigo would come with him. The mistress of the Mansion was furious when she spotted Ichigo with Isshin but recovered fast when her husband told her not to worry. And now they were preparing to meet the whole family of Kuchiki.

"It's still early. Why don't you go outside to explore the whole Mansion. There might be some girls that you can meet and bring with us at home!" Isshin might be speaking in jest but the younger Kurosaki didn't feel it was funny instead, he continued walking outside the room and ignored his father making a commotion about how ill-mannered he was.

It was just six o'clock. The sun was shining and it felt good and warm on the skin. Ichigo decided to take a walk since breakfast wouldn't start in one hour. He was at the back garden just strolling and looking at the scenery. The Mansion was really beautiful. Anybody could see that, but it didn't feel like... Home.

It was big, old and scary. Simple things to describe it. There wasn't anything else in the Mansion aside from the three. Yes, it was beautiful but the beauty was hidden. Overpowered by the scary part. Not to mention that the Mansion was standing in the middle of the biggest forest you could find in Karakura town.

"Che! Why build something like this inside a forest? It feels like they don't want anyone to escape this place. It's like a place for scary movies where you can get in but you can never leave."

Sighing for he was bored, Ichigo continued walking around the garden while looking at the Mansion. He didn't notice a girl with long hair walking towards him until he bumped into her.

"Ouch! Hey! Watch where you're going!"

"Oh! I'm sorry! Did I hurt you?"

A girl with green hair was staring at Ichigo. She had fell on the ground from the impact. She glared at Ichigo who was scowling at him. Half irritated and half sorry. He held his hand to the girl who in turned ignored it and stood up on her own.

"Hey! Why are you being stubborn? It was a freaking accident!" Shouted an annoyed Ichigo.

"Well, I don't need you so just back off!"

Ichigo was starting to loose his temper. He closed his amber eyes and counted backwards in his head. When he reached the last number he looked back at the girl with a smile and bowed apologetically.

"I'm sorry if I had hurt you. I didn't mean to." he held up his head and gave the girl an apologetic smile.

The girl stared at him in awe. One minute she could see that he was irritated and was even scowling at her and the next he apologized sincerely and smiled at her. She took the liberty of checking the boy in front of her waiting for her to make a move.

He was handsome. That was an absolute fact. One look at him and you could see a pretty face. There was a form of a scowl which might meant he did it a lot but aside from that his face seemed perfect. His body was well built and he looked strong. He was a tall man and very noticeable. But the most interesting part of him was how his orange hair outshined his other features.

The girl heard a coughed and was stopped from her reverie. She blushed and looked away from the source of the voice. "That's fine. I wasn't looking either. I'm sorry I snapped at you. It's just that you were scowling at me and looked at me with hatred."

"Oh! I didn't know I was doing that. I scowl most of the time and it's kind of a usual thing for me. Sorry if it frightens you. Name's Ichigo by the way."

"I'm Nel. Nel Kuchiki. Pardon me but, who are you? I mean this Mansion is forbidden from outsiders and people are not allowed to lurk inside."

"Oh, my father was hired by the Kuchikis to take care of Ginrei Kuchiki. I heard he was getting worse. I'm accompanying him. We'll be here for a month. What about you? You said you're a Kuchiki how are you related to Ginrei?" The two teenagers dragged their feet towards a bench by a fountain. They continued their conversation while sitting side by side.

"Ginrei is my grandfather. My father is the Kuchiki. We lived here ever since I could remember. Which is what I don't understand!"

"What do you mean by that? You live in a Mansion! You're also a Kuchiki who are quite famous in karakura! I'm pretty sure you have privileges that not everyone can have." Ichigo's eyes started wondering around the Mansion once more. It was quite intriguing that no matter how big the place was the maids nor any gardener could be seen. He has been walking around the garden for quite q while but haven't seen anyone yet.

"Kurosaki, obviously you haven't met my grandfather yet. That's very fortunate." Narrowing his eyes he looked at Nel incredulously.

"What do you mean? What exactly are you say- what's that!" sweeping his gaze towards the Mansion while talking, Ichigo stared at a particular window and kept his gaze on it.

Nel narrowed her eyes at what Ichigo was staring at. She saw nothing unusual at the view. Ichigo's gaze was on an ordinary window that belonged on the Mansion's west wing. "What is it Kurosaki? Is something wrong?"

He couldn't have imagined it. There was a pair of eyes staring right back at him a moment ago but disappeared suddenly. He didn't saw what or who owned those orbs. It was just for a second but he was certain he saw someone or something. And Even from afar there could be no mistaking the colors of those orbs. They shined in the darkness of the room. The sunlight barely hit them but enough to show they were there.

Violet eyes.

A pair of mysterious big violet eyes were looking at him and observing him. But when he looked back at them they hid themselves somewhere in the room. Did they belong to a bird? But that's impossible why would a bird be inside a room? That's ridiculous! Perhaps it was trapped inside when one of the windows was opened? That was rational, the Mansion was inside the forest and unwanted creatures were surrounding it. What was it?

"Kurosaki? Kurosaki are you listening to me?" Nel kept looking back and forth at Ichigo and the 'window'. Ichigo was still in a trance and has ignored her. Lifting up her hands she shook the boy in front of her and forced him to look back and snap out of what ever it was that occupied the boy's mind.

Feeling the movement made from his companion, Ichigo remembered her and smiled back at her. "I'm sorry I think I imagined it. The hunger must be playing tricks on me." Giving the window a last look he sighed and stood up. "I better get going. My father might be waiting." and without waiting for a reply he turned around and went back inside the Mansion without so much as a glance at the young girl left behind. With thoughts plaguing deep in his mind.

His feet carried him back inside but they didn't go looking for his father. He continued walking passing the back kitchen into the center of the house. He saw the flight of stairs that led to the second floor landing and took it. He didn't stop at his room nor his father's room and kept on walking towards the left side of the Mansion. Something tells him he needed to be careful and had to turn around and go back but he couldn't do it. No, he needed to keep on going and reach that room.

Walking along the corridor he saw another flight of stairs. Without a clue, he took it and went straight down a corridor. Slowly walking towards the end of it he noticed there was nobody around. The Mansion is a deserted place but not as deserted as the West wing. There were windows with drapes covering them and portraits of different Kuchiki members. It was kind of creepy how everything looked cleaned but it seemed like no one ever dared to venture in this part of the Mansion.

Ichigo touched every door he passed on and tried opening them one by one but found them all locked up. He continued walking straight when he realized the end of the corridor was near in sight. He saw the last door.

He felt the urge to try opening it although he had a clue it would be futile.

It must have been the slowest movement he made. He lifted his hand and touched the knob. Turning it proved his suspicion. It was locked.
Sighing once more he turned around and prepared going back to his room.

BAM!

His head whipped around to the source of the sound to find nothing strange. He was certain he heard a loud noise like something fell on the floor. Yes. There was someone or probably something living inside the room. If no one was inside how would an object fall? Maybe the wind? That's impossible since all of the curtains looked like glued onto the windows. They never swayed from the swishing of the wind even once. They looked really heavy for drapes.
Ichigo tried opening the door once more just to be sure. All was in vain since it was really locked. Frustrated, he kicked the door as hard as he could but only received pain from it.

"Huh! Fine! Don't even budge! It's not like I really care!" turning around, he head back to his room. His father will kick his butt for missing breakfast. But he didn't care. It was too late to eat. He knew it will agitate the old woman and the 'Master of the house' if he shows up looking like he committed a crime. Well, he did venture alone in the Mansion and probably even went somewhere forbidden.
And with an annoyed scowl he left the west wing without looking back.

A creaking faint sound of an opening door was silently heard in the far end of the west wing.

A girl with the brightest violet eyes stared at a young man's retreating form.

In two years and seven months, the room has finally been disturbed.

A/N: FINALLY! Ichigo's here! Well what do you think of this chapter? Is it even worth reading? I don't really know!

Thank you for reading! ^_^