"A Flower in the Attic"
Chapter Fourteen: Foreshadow
Disclaimer: I neither own Bleach nor Flowers in the Attic.
"Renji, what's happening to me?"
A sweat dropped from Renji's forehead to Rukia's hand. He was holding her; comforting her the best he could. His heart was breaking by the mere sight of his lovely sister so lost and broken.
Renji and Rukia were at the dark old dusty attic. The older one was treating the wounded girl sitting at the corner. Rukia ran up the attic after breaking down in front of her brother and the twins. After making sure the younger siblings were fine, Renji followed his sister and began treating all the scratches, cuts and bruises that his own sister had done to herself. She didn't move nor made any move for the past minutes. She let Renji touch her everywhere without even flinching from the pain.
As Renji looked at his frail young sister, he couldn't help but feel rage at the only person he could blame everything on; their mother.
"Rukia, nothing's wrong with you... You already hurt yourself. That's enough..." Renji could feel his inside boiling and melting at the same time. He felt mad at the person who gave birth to him. The one who took care of him and gave him two beautiful sisters and one handsome brother, but wasn't it her fault? Wasn't it her fault that all of them were prisoners in a God forsaken place? Wasn't it their mother's fault that Rukia was broken and miserable? God, their only mother! Who's to blame for the twins both condition?
"But, I hurt them both! And worse, it felt right... I'm such a terrible sister! How can I do those things to them?"
"No! Rukia, you didn't do it because you liked it. You were confused with your emotions because of our situation but that's it! Why would you even say that you liked hurting the twins?"
Rukia stared at her brother for a long time. He was wiping all the blood from her skin. At that moment, she knew how lucky she was to have a forgiving and understanding brother. She took Renji's hand away from her face and touched it with both of her own. Would he still love her this way if he'll knew what she saw through the mirror? Would he be frightened the way she was?
"Renji, I saw my...self... Will I be... Will I be just like he-"
"No!" snapped an angry Renji, cutting her off before she could finish. "You're not like her! You're nothing like her and will never be! What you did... What you did was the result of this state we're in. It's not your fault, it's Momma's..."
Rukia stared at her brother, feeling the emotions emiting from him. Realizing what he just outwardly spoken, was something he wouldn't even try uttering in the past years they've been held captive in the damn room. As much as possible, Renji would always give their mother the benefit of the doubt and would always understand her no matter what. Him, speaking for the first time, blaming their mother meant how much anger and hatred for the said woman he felt at the moment.
He couldn't stand it. One of these days, if not Rukia it would be him going crazy. Looking at their family slowly dying and getting wasted in a small dark room, was not what he envisioned for them. He couldn't continue looking at his sister depressed and scared. He's the oldest; it's his responsibility to protect them from harm. It's up to him to decide for their future.
"Rukia... I should have said this a long time ago. I mean, we should have done this before. I'm so sorry I wasn't brave enough to even think about it! I'm so stupid! I believed in that woman all these years and I never thought badly about her. But enough is enough."
He took Rukia in his arms and hugged her, putting his head on top of her head.
"We'll escape."
The corridor was quiet, none of the workers or the masters of the Mansion were awake before midnight and Ichigo was the only one walking around in the living room. He was on his way to get a glass of water before going to bed. He has done a great job avoiding Nel for the whole day telling lame excuses like not feeling well and more. The Mansion keys were rattling in his pockets making small noises and breaking the silent of the night.
He still hasn't returned the keys.
Just this morning he argued with himself whether he's ready to see Rukia or not. He weighed his emotions if he could calm once he saw her. In the end, he wasn't ready yet. It's not that he's still mad, he just need to clear his head so he could listen to the girl's explanation without interrupting her. Perhaps next night he could meet her; but for now, he would just settle in hiding in his room from everybody.
"Rriiing..."
"Riiing..."
"Riiing..."
Half way in to the kitchen, when a nearby phone rang noisily in the eerie silence.
Figuring no one was awake; Ichigo dragged himself towards the noise creator and answered the phone annoyed.
"Hello?"
"-"
"Hello?"
"-"
"Hel-"
The line died. Nobody answered but Ichigo knew someone was in the other end as he could hear the sound of breathing through it. After staring at the phone for a full minute he put it back on the receiver. He has turned and walked five steps when the phone rang again.
He stared at it and waited for a few rings before picking it up once more, but instead of talking he listened first of the person to say something.
Luck was on his side, for a gentle voice of a woman was heard from the phone.
"He-hello? Moth- mother?"
After hearing someone from the other end, Ichigo grabbed the chance and spoke.
"Hell-"
He couldn't continue his words. He was interrupted by a bony hand that's very familiar with him; snatching the phone away. When he turned his body to look at the owner he saw the person he hated the most while in the Mansion.
The wicked hag.
"What are you doing roaming around at night? Shouldn't you be sleeping, Boy?" The old woman was clutching the phone so hard Ichigo could see her knuckles popping out from her very thin fingers. If she was angry, she did a great job hiding it from him because her face was nowhere near any emotions.
"I can't sleep so I went down to take water. Is that illegal?" Ichigo did his best not to look intimidated by the powerful woman in front of him. "The phone rang and I thought everybody was sleeping, so I answered it."
"The next time you hear the phone ringing, you can just ignore it. Some things are better left alone." A smirked appeared and the woman pointed the way towards the kitchen. "If what you say is true, then I suggest that you do what you have to do and be done with it. It's best to sleep early for a young boy like you. You won't know when someone will grab you and hurt you. You will need to be strong to be able to protect yourself from different kinds of danger. Don't you think so? Especially when you're sleeping."
"Yes, I'm sure there are bears and hags walking freely in this forest. It's best to be safe. Good night then, I'll be heading back to my room." Ichigo couldn't stop the sarcasm from coming out of his mouth. Deciding not to go to the kitchen anymore, he headed to the stairs and left the old Kuchiki alone; but he stopped on his tracks when the old woman spoke once more. This time her voice was lace with venom and threath.
"oh, before you go, just something for the night."
She looked into his eyes with her infamous glare and stone cold expression that would make anyone tremble before her just by witnessing them.
"Don't meddle in others' businesses. Remember, curiosity killed the cat... Literally."
The night was very cold.
A bed made from mahogany wood was placed in the biggest room in the Mansion. The room was grandiose with expensive carpet, drapes, antiques and furniture that showed how well off the owner was. Inside the great four walled room, lying on the bed covert with heavy silk blanket was an old man surrounded with apparatuses and needles sticking on him keeping him alive and surviving.
He looked like a breathing corpse, thin and scary. A very frightening old man.
Another old person came in, but this time it was a woman. It was past midnight and she was waiting for her husband to wake up to talk to her.
When the old man moved his hand to indicate he was awake he motioned for the other person in the room to come closer which the other one did.
The old woman held her husband and gave him water to drink and helped him to take the medicine left at the table, given by Isshin Kurosaki. She cleaned up her husband and went back to the seat beside him and stared at the slowly rotting man in the bed.
"She called." It was the woman who spoke first and when there was no response from the old man, she continued.
"She called and asked me about them."
The man lying on the bed turned his head towards the window at his left. It was new moon and the sight was not pleasant for anybody, not even for the creatures of the night. The surroundings felt heavy mixed with somber and melancholy darkness, it suited the voice that came from the man lying on the bed.
"Let her see them. They're all just mice, not worth my time."
A/N: Boo! haha! thank you so much for reading and I hope you liked it! ^_^
Lilikap! Take care!
Until next time!