"A Flower in the Attic"

Chapter Thirteen: Revelations and The Reflection

Disclaimer: I neither own Bleach nor Flowere in the Attic.

"What the fuck!"

The door slammed against its frame, almost cracking from the force the man with the amber eyes had put on to it. It was very contradicting against the quietness of the night. Ichigo quickly got on the bed to lie down and rest his mind from what he witnessed.

He wanted to forget that he caught Rukia entering the Mansion again when he followed her. He wanted to forget he saw her entering the 'room'. He wanted to forget he saw her hugged by her brother in a most peculiar way.

When Rukia left after he had asked her about her family, she didn't say a word and immediately stood and told him she needed to leave. Ichigo knew she was acting suspicious as always with the way her eyes kept avoiding his gaze. He didn't intend to follow her but it was actually she who forced him to get up and creep behind the petite girl. Ichigo just went on with his instinct.

He followed her.

Walking as soft but fast as possible, Ichigo was just a few steps away from Rukia when she went back to the Mansion. At first, he thought she was going to steal but he was shocked to find her climbing the stairs and entering a very family corridor with the room at the end of it. All along he wished and chanted in his head that it was a mere joke. His mind was screaming inside of him telling him to believe what he saw but his heart felt the opposite. He didn't want to accept it was really possible for Rukia to live in the Mansion. He couldn't move. He had stood by the doorway far too long but still couldn't move. He wanted to wait for her to come out and explain the reason why she was there. He was serious about waiting for her but, just like before, he heard footsteps coming in the corridor. Immediately, he hid behind the curtains feeling a slight deja vu. Judging by the heaviness of the feet and the grunting sounds, he could guess that it was the old woman. And to confirm his suspicions, the old hag came out carrying a basket of food. He could feel her opening and entering the room and when he heard the door shut close, he ran away back into his own room.

When Rukia didn't answer his questions, he got angry. He was only a boy or a young man, he wasn't immune to anger. He tried being as understanding as possible but she was making it rather difficult. She avoided all of the things she had to respond to and most of the time that he needed an answer, she looked down and pretended she didn't hear a word he said.

When he told Rukia he didn't mind her not answering his curiosity, he was serious about it. But how could he let her go without so much as a bit of an explanation when she was always acting weird and strange? She never told him where she lived. She never said the reason why she was always in the Mansion and she never said anything about her family. Anybody would be as curious as Ichigo was. But he tried keeping his patience, even if it was difficult. He didn't bother her.

The boy felt like a moron for not remembering where he first looked into Rukia's violet orbs. When he was in the garden and he saw Rukia's eyes staring right back at him from the window. Or how could he forget the time he spent breaking in that room but always found it locked? He even saw the old ugly woman taking food in that horrible place. When he saw Rukia, he completely forgot them.

Ichigo pulled his mane strongly enough that it hurt him a bit with frustration and anger towards a certain girl. "Fuck! How could I be so stupid? All along she was living in this Mansion and I never had a clue!"

Indeed, Rukia was a hell of a mystery.

She was such an expert liar. She kept asking questions about the Kuchiki family when she was actually the one who practically lived under their noses.

She lied completely.

She never trusted him.

Why did Rukia gave him her word and said she would trust him? Why did she let him get close to her? Was all she said tonight a big act to play him right on her palm?

So many questions. Even if Ichigo wanted to put the clues together, there were still missing pieces in the puzzle and Rukia had them. She was the only one who could finish the game and if she would let him watch, he would know what the picture was all about.

'Why did I let myself get attached to her? I only have met her for two days and I act like I have met her my whole life! Is it because I feel pity? Is it because I'm bored in this fuckig place that I look for something to play with? What is it with Rukia that makes me anxious to see her all the time?'

Ichigo tried recollecting everything he witnessed, saw, and heard.

The room, the screaming voice, Rukia going in and out of the Mansion, the old woman sneaking inside bringing food, Rukia's wounds, terrified of being caught, and the woman talking about pets she trained in a harsh way.

'What the-! I-is th-that wo-man... hur...ting... Rukia...?"

Ichigo sat abruptly on the bed. His eyes went as wide as saucers when realization hit him. Yes. There could be no other explanation as to why Rukia was terrified of the woman and the terrible bleeding wounds on her back, why she didn't want anybody to find out she was going to the lake every night, and why she looked so pale and unhealthy. The old woman probably was hurting her.

'But what about her brother? Why isn't he protecting her? Well, he did when he hit me with a plate to save Rukia but, what about saving her from the Kuchiki? If she really gets beaten up by the old freak, then why don't they tell it to somebody?'

"Urgh! I don't get it!" Once again his brightly colored hair was pulled down with frustrated hands.

Hours passed but the more Ichigo tried figuring out every possible solution he could think of, the more he got into nowhere. He needed answers not speculations. He needed truth not assumptions.

Night faded into the morning light and had been wasted for nothing. Sleep was deprived from him and he realized it when Ichigo heard the birds tweet and the sun slowly coming out. He didn't want his morning to have the same fate as the last night so he quickly changed and got ready to enjoy the warm feeling of the walking under the sun. He knew he wouldn't be able to find the answers in his bed nor in the garden, all of them were locked up inside a room full of mystery and lies, so he would find solace on other people.

Frustrated, mad, irritated and betrayed. All the emotions were deep in him wanting to be free.

As Ichigo walked along the garden, he couldn't stop his gaze from flickering towards the 'room'. He didn't know whether he still wanted to see Rukia or not. He didn't know if he could keep his cool and not slash out at her. As of now, he was boiling mad.

A figure was creeping behind him unnoticed. Ichigo was so consumed in his thoughts that he didn't see his father preparing himself to kick his son.

"Arrrgh! Fucki-?" Ichigo was now holding his aching back and glared at his crazy father.

"What the fuck are you doing? It's too early for your stupid games!"

Isshin waved his forefinger at his only son. "Tch, tch, Tch! It's never too early or late! You should always be careful and alert! Just like your old man! Hahaha!"

Rubbing his back and then smoothening his shirt, Ichigo ignored his father and went on walking. "Geez, just leave me alone! I'm not in the mood for this!" He turned around and returned in his inner world thinking of the same girl that had invaded his mind for the whole night.

It was very unusual for Ichigo Kurosaki not to argue back at his father. Scratch that, it was very unusual for Ichigo Kurosaki to be so gloomy in the mornings without a reason. And being a father, Isshin thought it was his job to force his son in saying whatever it was that bugged him.

"Wait! Tell me, what happened?" Isshin's voice was in jest but the concern was real.

"Huh?" realizing that his father might have figured out he had a problem, he sighed and went back to sit on the bench near them. "Yeah... Uhm... I don't think I can tell you."

Isshin dropped his right foot on the bench and waited patiently at his son to crack and say the truth.

"You don't need to tell me everything. I'm sure there are other ways of communicating without really telling me the whole truth."

Sighing once more, Ichigo looked away from his father thought of a way to get through with the embarrassing conversation.

"We-well, yo-you see... There is this... Girl... She ki-kind of li-lied...to me... And she has do-done it a couple of times. Right now, I-I don't kn-ow whether to still believe her or forget her..."

A flushing red was so visible at Ichigo's face. He tried hard keeping his voice neutral like it wasn't really affecting him that much, but it was really difficult.

Ichigo didn't know what his father was thinking. Most of his father's friends just go along with the man's actions. They never questioned and accepted him the way he was. And it was the same with his mother. So the next words Isshin uttered for Ichigo were simple and yet deep.

"If you trust that girl then, believe her. Perhaps there are reasons why she lied to you and perhaps none. But, if you'll just get mad, what will happen? Will that solve anything?" Isshin waited for Ichigo to answer but the younger Kurosaki just kept on staring at his father. "No. Both of you will just get hurt. Trust her. Maybe that's what she needs."

"Rukia, I want my Momma."

The brush Rukia was holding almost snapped in half. It has been six long months since their 'adored' mother visited them. She hasn't shown her face to anybody. Not even letters were sent to them. Weren't they best left alone? Why did they need their mother?

Without looking at the small girl Rukia smiled at her reflection from the huge mirror. "Momo, how many times do I have to tell you, not to ask about her?"

"But, she's Momma! I want to see her..." Momo was holding a small, dirty old rag doll and she kept twisting and untwisting it with her hands, unable to control her feelings.

"Momo," Momo's twin brother spoke with a tiny and yet powerful voice. "Renji and Rukia don't want us talking about that woman. They said it's not healthy for us."

Among the four children, Shiro was the only one who had stop calling their mother 'Momma'. The reasons were unknown. For his age, he acted older than necessary. He would have been, what people called them, a genius if I wasn't for their condition, the two older siblings would have thought of Shiro as an Einstein but Instead of a smart boy, they preferred freak. Why else would a seven year old boy act strange if it wasn't because of their current situation? Yes, freak is a much better term for people like them.

"But why? She's our mother. She should be with us always. Shouldn't sh-"

"Stop it!" Rukia's words cut off Momo's question. She quickly ran into Shiro's arms and eyed her brother with wondering look.

With two wide steps, Rukia was in front of the twins giving them both a gaze that will haunt them forever. A gaze that will remind them not to disobey their sister. Rukia took Momo's arms holding it with more force than needed, bruising the younger girl while her other hand pointed at her face. Shiro acted on impulse and shook his older sister's hand and tried pushing her away from the terrified Momo.

"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU? SHE'S NOT COMING BACK! SHE HAS FORGOTTEN ABOUT US! SHE WILL NEVER, EVER, COME BACK! " Rukia's voice rang inside the room that her older brother could hear it from the bathroom. When Renji came out, it was the most hideous sight he has ever seen.

"YOU WILL NEVER SEE HER AGAIN! SHE'S AS GOOD AS DEAD! WHY DON'T YOU LISTEN TO ME? WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE SAVED ANYMORE BY HER!"

Rukia pushed the struggling Shiro to the floor. The toys on the floor were scattered and one of them was a robot toy with sharp edges. Unfortunately Shiro fell on it and accidentally wounded his face just beneath his left eye. But it didn't stop him. He stood up and aided Momo away from the hysterical Rukia. Rukia on the other hand was shaking Momo continuously. She didn't stop shouting, anger, bitterness, and disappointment was evident in her every word.

"SHE LEFT US TO ROT HERE! IF WE WANT TO LIVE WE HAVE TO DEPEND ON EACH OTHER! STOP ACTING LIKE A BABY AND GROW UP! STOP ASKING FOR HER! SHE DOESN'T LOVE YOU ANYMORE! SAY IT! SAY THAT YOU'LL NEVER ASK FOR MOMMA AGAIN! SAY IT! SAY IT! SAY IT!"

Renji's eyes were used to the old woman screaming and whipping them one by one. He's not shocked anymore when their grandmother punished them over nothing. He's familiar with the disgusted and hateful look the old Kuchiki woman gave them whenever she went inside the room but, seeing his own sister hurting the younger girl... it was terrifying.

He pulled the panicking twins away from Rukia's grasp and held them tighter. He put a wide distance between the three of them and Rukia. He went farther and farther until he and the twins were on the wall. In a rush, he hid the twins at his back and stared with shocked and frightening eyes at the trembling girl before him.

It wasn't Rukia. Surely it wasn't her. Rukia would never do what the scary petite, raven haired girl did who was standing before him. It couldn't be her.

"Ru... kia...?"

Her whole body was shaking. From head to toe, everything was numb. The possessed Rukia stared at her three siblings back away in the corner. Renji was eyeing her with disbelief emotion, Momo was crying and scared and Shiro, he was looking at Rukia with pity in his eyes. Ruikia was speechless and as quiet as the night. Her breath was uneven. She looked at Momo with pain and guilt clear in her eyes.

In an instant, Rukia screamed like she has never done in her entire life. She took out her voice and poured everything in it. Her own hands pulled her own raven locks. She scratched her face until it bled from own fingernails. She clawed her own shoulders and arms as hard as she could and she slapped her face over and over and over...

No one tried to stop her. No one could stop her.

No matter how much she hurt herself, the pain in her heart lingered still. It stayed and never left her. It was powerful than most scratches, wounds, bruises or whip.

In the huge mirror she could see her own reflection.

An old woman wearing an evil grin with a shiny long whip.

A/N: Thank you to Lilikap for helping me proofreading this chapter! I hope you won't get tired of me! LOL!

I don't know how I managed to write the last half part. I was teary while writing that. By the way, I, the writer, personally didn't like Isshin's part here! It is SERIOUSLY different from the one I really want. But somehow I couldn't write it. Haha!

Hope you liked it! And if you can, do leave a review! I'll appreciate it!

Bye! ^_^