the long awaited 'character history' chapter is finally here! Questions being answered! Mysteries being solved! Hope you enjoy :)
I couldn't see anything through the black smoke. I coughed heavily as I fumbled around the burning barn, I could hear my horse neighing wildly as I approached it. The sounds of distressed animals were loud as I steered the bucking horse towards the door. I knew it would make it out okay, I hoped the other animals would follow. I made me way deeper into the barn,
"Mom! Dad!" I called, "Where are you?" I coughed again and swayed, I was dizzy and it was hard to stay awake. I could feel my body becoming weak, but I couldn't give up, "Where are you?"
"Hikari!" I could hear a male voice, Daddy?
"Dad! Daddy I hear you! Where are you?" I walked in deeper and bumped into something, falling to the ground. The crackling of the fire was loud, the wooden beams collapsing around all around filled me with fear, but I had to find my parents. I heard myself whimper.
"Hikari? Where are you?" The voice again,
"I'm going to save you Dad! Tell me where you are!" I could barely speak, I coughed again and felt my eyelids closing, I couldn't move, I couldn't stand up.
"Hikari," The voice breathed, I looked up and saw a figure standing over me, "Shit," he said, pulling me into his arms and running towards the door of the barn,
"Dad?" I looked up at the figure,
"No," He said flatly, "It's me, Kurt," He held me close as he dodged a falling rafter; it sent glowing red embers towards us as it crashed the ground. He swore loudly and starting running towards the exit again,
"Kurt?" I said, processing what I already knew,
"I'm getting you out of here Hikari," He said with intensity,
"NO!" I screamed, fighting his grip, "No! My parents! They're in here, my mom! My dad! Let go!" I struggled with all my might,
"Hikari! Stop that!" We got outside and I broke free of his arms, trying to sprint back into the building. He caught my arm and spun me around, "Are you insane?"
"They're going to die!" I was frantic as I twisted my arm in his hand, shaking, trying to get back into the barn. I broke free once more and starting running,
"Stop it! You don't know what you're doing!" He roared, tackling me down on the ground,
"Please!" I begged, spinning myself over. He pinned down my arms, straddling my stomach, holding me to the ground; my legs kicked fruitlessly.
"Do you want to die too?" He spat. I froze and stared into his brown eyes, I could feel the tears fall over my eyelids and his expression softened,
"They're my parents…" I trailed off, and relaxed my body in defeat. Kurt didn't move, he continued to hold me down,
"I'm sorry," Was all he could say.
The whole island had seen the smoke, obviously, and it seemed like everyone was there, either to watch in horror or help. Kurt wouldn't budge no matter how I begged and pleaded. Blue, the normally taciturn rancher next door who I had grown up thinking I would marry started barking out commands to the others as they carried buckets from the well, splashing the building in a feeble attempt to stop the fire. Bob the muscular boy who collected shipped goods and Kurt's brother Joe were doing most of the work as they doused the large flames. I saw Gwen comforting the horse I had managed to lead to safety, but nothing else: no other animals, no mother, and no father. I watched in horror as different groups of people tried to enter the building but they were overpowered by smoke and flames. They couldn't put the fire out fast enough, and it soon spread to my home, consuming it as well.
"Let me go…" I pleaded, "Don't make me watching this…" I sobbed, trying to turn away from the destruction all around me,
"You'll just run back in there," Kurt said coldly, still holding me down,
"Please…" I begged. Alex the doctor hurried over,
"Kurt, let her go," he said, bending down over me,
"No," he growled up at Alex,
"She could have bad smoke inhalation," he tried to explain, touching my forehead. Kurt let go of one of my arms to slap Alex's hand away,
"Don't touch her!" he spat,
"Hey. Relax man," Joe was suddenly standing over us, "He's not trying to hit on her: he's trying to save her life! Let her up!" Joe reasoned harshly with his brother. Kurt stared at everyone for a few seconds before letting go of my hands and standing up. I slowly sat up, not wanting to be pinned again. My entire body hurt and I was still lightheaded. I couldn't look up from the ground; I couldn't look at the total destruction all around me. My eyelids became heavy,
"Well, stand up then!" I could hear Kurt's annoyance and tried feebly to stand,
"What has gotten into you?" I could hear Joe questioning his brother, "Do you understand what she's just lost? Can you relax? I haven't seen you like this in forever! Cool it!" Joe was inches away from his brother's face before he shoved him, obviously trying to calm him down. Kurt's hands turned into fists,
"Shut the hell up!" he yelled pushing his brother back, but much harder. Joe fell to the ground. I couldn't keep my eyes opened any longer, I felt my body collapse.
I had been staying in the clinic, Alex had been watching over me closely. I didn't want to go outside; I couldn't walk out of the building. Everything was different now, and the entire island brought back memories of things I couldn't bear to remember. For three days I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, feeling the tears pour from my eyes and dropping into my ears and hair. I wouldn't say a word to anyone, I couldn't speak: I felt like I didn't remember how. The mayor, Theodore had shown up to drop off the inheritance money my parents had locked away. He placed it on the desk and offered his condolences, but I couldn't look at him. A few more days slipped by after that.
"Hikari?" I heard a familiar voice, "I'm worried." I knew it was my childhood best friend. The quiet rancher, whose baseball cap almost always covered his eyes. Blue was standing at my bedside, but I couldn't take my eyes off of the ceiling. "I'm sorry that this happened," I could tell he was struggling for words: frankness was a quality I quite liked about Blue, but now it was apparent he was just as lost as I was. I breathed in deeply,
"Yes," was all I managed to say.
"Yes?" He stepped closer to me, I could see he wasn't wearing his hat today, "Hikari, they were a second family to me, you know that. I miss them." He paused, "I miss you. I don't trust Kurt, why won't he let you talk to anyone ever?" I sat up abruptly,
"Kurt?" I hissed, "You're worried about Kurt?" He stared at me and then simply nodded,
"Yes," he replied, completely serious,
"My family is dead; everything they ever worked for is gone: it's GONE. And you're worried about Kurt?"
"He beat the shit out of Joe." He stared at me, his expression blank. His frankness had returned,
"What?" I breathed. Joe and Kurt were best friends… They were the only family they had left. They needed each other, "Why?"
"Kurt is not who you think he is Hikari," Blue said, "The quiet kid has a temper: a bad temper." I lay back down and stared at the ceiling once more. Blue sighed, "Do what you have to do," he turned, "And Hikari… I'm…" He paused for a moment, "I'm marrying Ann," I didn't move. The little red head inventor… Blue had liked her for years; I knew he was going to propose soon. Normally I'd be happy, but right then I didn't care,
"Good," I muttered.
That night I went back to my old house. I walked through the rubble, collecting anything I could. It was cold but I didn't want to wear a coat, all I could remember was the flames and the heat and the smoke. The cold was welcomed. I knew Gwen had my horse, and when I wanted it back I could just go get it. I felt sick walking through my old, now broken memories.
"It's late," I heard Kurt say from behind me, "Why are you back here?"
"I needed to see what was left," I breathed, turning to face him. His spikey brown hair stood straight up in perfect points. His Camo print headband tied neatly half way up his forehead. He leaned against a tree, his axe propped against his shoulder. He must have been working when I came by.
"There's not much," he said, pushing himself up from the tree and walking towards me, there was something off about him, but I couldn't put my finger on it.
"I'm sorry," I said, "That I fought you…" I was holding back tears and stared at the ground,
"Yeah," He said, still coming closer to me, "It was dumb of you," I couldn't tell if he was joking or angry, but it didn't seem to matter,
"But you… you should have let me save them!" I suddenly shouted, staring up at him. He was only a foot away from me. He stopped walking,
"What did you say?"
"I said you should have let me save them! They're dead now!" I screamed at him, tears now pouring down my face,
"I saved your life!" He roared, throwing his axe down on the ground, "A simple 'Thank You' would be nice!"
"You let them die!" I approached him, "And why is Joe all messed up now Kurt?" I was so angry… I knew Kurt had saved me, I knew it wasn't his fault they were dead… but I couldn't hold in my rage anymore.
"Joe?" He hissed down at me, his body becoming tense and shaking slightly, "Joe's an idiot that's why, he doesn't know when to shut his mouth, a lot like a little orphan farm girl I know," he growled. Before I knew what I was doing I swung my arm. We stood in silence from the loud SLAP. My hand burned and his face was turned downwards from the impact. I couldn't believe my ears; did he really just say that? Kurt raised his head, fury in his eyes. I stepped back instinctively: I had never seen him look like that before. The brown eyes that were usually filled with understanding now burned with hate.
"Kurt I—" I was cut off by an uppercut me in the stomach. I crumpled over in pain and gasped, trying to breathe. He swung again, this time the back of his hand meeting my face. The loud sound of the impact resonated in the still night. I could taste blood. I wanted to scream but I couldn't find my voice. I fell onto the ground
"I warned you!" he shouted, his foot coming down hard on my leg, "Is 'Thank You' so hard?" He bellowed bringing his foot down again. I whimpered, curling into a ball. His breath was loud and heavy as he turned and walked away, "You're not even worth it," he muttered.
Kathy hugged me tightly,
"Hikari, that's terrible!" she said, pulling me back and measuring my expression, "So then… you just left?" she asked.
"Yeah," I said wiping away the tears that seemed to be plastered to my face, "There was nothing left for me there. I couldn't live like that any longer," I explained.
"You shouldn't have had to at all!" she was now angry, but not at me, "That's terrible! That man is terrible!" She paused for a moment, "So then, no one knows where you went? No one knows you're here?"
"No one. It took me two different boats to get here and most of the people from my old island will never leave it, so I'm okay," I stopped and steadied my breathing, "And it doesn't matter… I just needed to leave behind the memories…" I looked down at the sheets of the clinic bed, and Kathy hugged me again,
"I'm really sorry Hikari, I really am," She said earnestly,
"Thanks," I mumbled.
We sat there for a long time, until Jin came down and told me I was healthy enough to go back home, but Kathy insisted I stay with her at the Inn that night. I didn't want to be alone… I couldn't be alone after finally revealing everything: so I agreed.
Gahhh finally done. Sorry this one took a while to update: to be honest I didn't really like writing it ;P but I hope you guys liked it! Don't forget to Review! They make me smile and dance. Loove you guys :)