VIVI
Chasing Yesterday
By: Lucas McDrake
Chapter 4-Yuan
I closed the front door behind me as I entered the house. I quickly glanced at the clock; the arrows on it proclaimed that it was three hours and forty-five minutes after noon. I sighed, and dropped my book bag off in my room. At least Brock was coming home at seven tonight...
Before I could do much else, the door bell rang. I rushed to the door, and opened it to find a UPS guy standing there, with a little device in hand, and a big box laying behind him.
"I have a package here for Vivian Faruqi," he stated, smiling at me.
"That's me," I half-heartedly laughed.
"Are your parents home?" he questioned me.
"My brother is my guardian," I explained. "He won't be home until seven."
"So...you're the only one home?" he asked.
"Yes," I stated.
"All right," he exhaled. "Just sign here."
"Okay," I mumbled as he handed the device to me, and I signed on the touch screen at the bottom. When I finished with my sort-of-messed-up signature, I smiled up at him and said, "Thanks."
"No problem," he stated as he brought the box in for me. "Enjoy," he offered before leaving.
I closed the door behind him, then inspected the box. I had never received anything through UPS...It wasn't even my birthday.
I checked the clock again. It displayed that the time was three fifty. In ten minutes, Jen and them would be here...There was plenty of time to open my package and see what it was...
I retrieved a sharp knife from the kitchen and cut the tape sealing the box. Then, I dug through the Styrofoam to see that there was an intricately designed suitcase held within. Taking it out, I inspected it further. After closer inspection, I realized that the design actually consisted of mostly weapons.
My curiosity piqued, I clicked the suitcase open, and threw it open. Inside, there was a...doll? It looked too real to be a doll. It's black hair...I felt it with my hand. It felt too realistic. Though it was very soft, unnaturally so, it still was much more real than a normal doll. To top off my confusion, it was masculine. Who would have sent me a male doll? I don't think any of my relatives would have...
It's attire looked sort of old-fashioned. It wore a white shirt with baggy long sleeves, and buttons up the front, the top being undone. It also wore black slacks. The shirt was open just enough at the top to see the start of the crevice formed by a muscular chest. It also had black dress shoes that shined dully against the living room light. It had an onyx ring on it's right ring finger, and two onyx-hilted swords resting in sheathes that were attached to it's red leather belt.
Picking it up, I felt it's torso without realizing it. It felt...slightly bumpy under the shirt. around the stomach area.
My eyes were lured away by a shiny object in the suitcase. I saw that there had been a key under the doll. It was shiny, with no signs of age or rusting whatsoever. Placing the doll on the floor on it's front side, I inspected the key further. It was golden, or it at least appeared to be.
Glancing back at the doll, I noticed that there was a keyhole. Why was there a key for this doll? Was there some weird surprise concealed inside it, or something? Who came up with that? Maybe the doll could walk on it's own...but the legs seemed too loose for it to walk by itself...
Suddenly, I remembered that people were coming over. I looked back at the clock. Shoot! Four o'clock! I immediately threw the key back in, with the peculiar doll stuffed in not long afterwards. Before I could even pick up the suitcase, though, the doorbell rang.
Shootness! My thoughts were a chaotic jumble. What would they think if I had a fancy suitcase lying on the couch? I glanced at the end table in the corner of the room, lying in the dead space that the couches couldn't fill due to the need for foot room. Perfect!
Quickly setting the suitcase in some of the excess dead space not filled by the end table, I then answered the door. Jen was the only one standing outside the door.
"Hi!" I feigned a smile, despite the chaos careening through me. Does the suitcase fit, or is it taller than the couch? "I...uh...come in," I offered lamely.
As she came in, I noticed that Dave was still at his car, taking stuff out of the trunk. "Oh!" I remembered that Jen had offered to bring some things to contribute to the project. Purely on instinct, I rushed out to his car, and asked, "Could I help with that?"
He stared at me for a moment, seemingly inspecting me, then sighed, "Sure. I could use another hand."
I rounded the car to where he was, and looked into the trunk, trying to ignore the abrupt rush of butterflies in my stomach. "What can I take in?" I questioned, trying to distract myself from his...muscles...
Get a grip! I reminded myself. Seriously! You shouldn't be thinking like this.
"As much as you can hold, I guess," he stated, bringing me the much needed distraction. Or so I thought. His deep voice only strengthened my primal instincts.
"I...uh, sure," I muttered lamely, not being able to come up with much reason to speak further. "Is all of this for the project?"
"Besides the spare wheel," he drawled sarcastically. Even his drawl drew me in...
"I-uh, okay." Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid...
After a delayed reaction, I reached out for the biggest case at the same moment as he did. I should have known! He would've probably expected to have to carry it-big muscles, and all. Before I could stop myself, though, our hands collided.
Like the retard I was, I lost my balance at the same moment from the miscalculation. Idiot! Now he'll know for sure!
Next thing I knew, I was leaning on him.
Before I could let my thoughts rest on the situation for long, I squeaked, "Sorry! I...uh, I-"
"It's okay," he excused me, resting his hands on my shoulders. To say the least, my thought were already out of hand as it was. The chaos that wrenched through me was of gigantic proportions. Unlike what most of my thoughts were thinking this would go in my wildest dreams, he just pushed me back up, helping me stand. I was too busy noting that his hands were touching me to keep my balance when he let go. Before I could tip too far, though, he took hold of me again.
Another delayed reaction later, I realized I was staring at him stupidly, and lamely apologized, "Oh, sorry...I, uh, think I can stand now."
"It's okay," he chuckled as he let go of me, giving me a genuine smile. It stopped all of my thought processes from going anywhere else for a few seconds, only letting my eyes gaze lamely at his amazing blue eyes, mouth open wide. Better insert foot now before I do something even more humiliating, I thought.
I spoke anyway. "I think-" I made a move to cover my mouth before I could speak further, but thought better of it, and decided that just abruptly stopping my ability of speech would suffice.
"Yeah?" he pressed. I was still staring, so I noticed curiosity spark within his ponds of sapphire.
"I..." I trailed off as I spaced out. Jerking my head as to look elsewhere, I remembered why I was here. "I...sorry, I think that we should get going on the project," I offered.
"Sure," Dave exhaled, turning back to the car.
Lame, lame, lame, lame...
"This time," he interrupted my thoughts, "I'll pick up the big case."
I laughed nervously for a moment before realizing how retarded I sounded, and slapped a hand over my mouth before moving for some of the not-as-big objects.
It only took one trip for Dave and me to transport all the items in his trunk to the living room, which would become the construction site for our Rube Goldberg project.
"By the way," I asked them, "where's Nori?"
"Oh, when we stopped by at the orphanage, they said that she had suddenly caught the flu, or something along those lines, and couldn't come," Jen explained, shrugging her shoulders afterwards.
"I guess it's just us, then," I sighed.
"By the way," Jen questioned, "I couldn't help but notice that fancy suitcase behind the couch because the box seems like it was just opened, and I wondered what had been inside it...and I was wondering what it was doing there..."
Shoot! I panicked for a reasonable explanation. "I...uh, it...UPS delivered it today," I decided to give them the truth.
"Oh," Jen whispered, gazing at it. After working on the project some more, she asked, "Do you know what's in it?"
Oh, crap! "Um...there's a doll in there." Why did I always have to be a loser, and never think of a convincing lie?
"A doll?" she questioned me.
"Yeah, a doll." Stupid, stupid, stupid...
"What kind is it?" she asked. "Like, a Barbie, a brat..."
"I honestly think that it isn't any normal type of doll," I stupidly stated, not thinking about what I was saying.
"Huh?"
Then, I finally realized what I had said. "Oh! Um...I mean, it doesn't look like any doll I've seen, but it has to be a doll...at least, that's the only way I could explain it..."
"Could we look at it?" she asked.
"Who said that I wanted to look?" Dave countered, mood swing back in action. "Did you forget that we have a project due on Friday? That's only five days away."
"Yeah, there's plenty of time," she excused, looking back at me, her blue eyes expectant.
I realized that she was serious. "Um...maybe later?" I suggested, looking for a reasonable excuse.
"Why not now?" she pouted, giving me a puppy dog face. "Come on! I'm curious now..."
"I...uh, okay?" It came out sounding like a question. I glanced at Dave, who seemed absorbed into making the project. "Uh...you might as well look, too, Dave. It's a...guy doll."
"I'll pass," he mumbled, not seemingly fazed at all.
"Okay," I whispered, turning to the couch, which Jen was already sitting on, bouncing slightly in excitement.
I stood, and walked gently over to the couch, which suddenly seemed ominous...
"Go ahead!" Jen encouraged me. "I want to see it!"
I wordlessly picked up the suitcase by it's handle, and place it on the floor. Then, I clicked it open.
Click. Click.
Hesitating, as if waiting for something to happen, I then revealed the contents by swinging the lid open. The doll still lay there, like I left it. The key still shown beneath it, as well.
"Whoa." That was the only word that Jen could speak.
"What?" Dave asked. It was only then that I realized that the room had become utterly silent as the inhabitants had turned to witness the contents of the suitcase.
"It looks so...real!" Jen explained.
"Huh?"
I picked up the doll, and held it up for him to see.
"Whoa. It does," he whispered, eyes bulging slightly in obvious awe. His mouth gaped open slightly in wonder.
Suddenly, he shook his head, muttering, "Yeah, let's get back to the project."
"Wait!" Jen proclaimed, pointing back in the suitcase, then at the back of the doll. "There's a key in there! It probably goes in the back of the doll."
"What?" Dave exhaled, obviously irritated by this sudden delay.
I turned around the doll to show him the back, where the keyhole still shone dully against the scattered fluorescent light coming from the ceiling light. Then, I freed a hand from the doll's shirt, and picked the key up. The key was nearly half as tall as the doll was.
"That's weird," he stated.
"No kidding," Jen agreed.
I nodded wordlessly, my bewilderment returning head-on from before.
"Don't you think you should...I don't know...put the key in?" Jen asked.
"I...don't know," I whispered.
"Who was the suitcase for?" Jen asked.
"I...it was addressed to me," I informed her.
"Then I think that you should put the key in," Jen declared.
"Well...shouldn't I wait until later?" I asked. "I mean, my brother gets home later tonight..."
"Come on, just do it!" she urged me on. "I'm curious what will happen..."
I turned to Dave for an excuse, but found that he seemed to be just as curious as Jen. I quickly turned back to the doll, embarrassed that Dave hadn't been emotionless, for once, when I sort of had needed it.
I sighed. "Fine."
I gingerly picked up the key again, and slowly inserted it in the doll's back.
Nothing happened.
"Turn it!" Jen pressed, bouncing up and down in her excitement.
Wordlessly, I turned the key. Once...twice.
Suddenly, the key was ejected out of the keyhole gently as the keyhole suddenly shrank, until it seemed as if it had never been there.
"D-did you just see that?" I stuttered, not believing my eyes.
"I...uh, it depends. I mean, did you see that keyhole disappear, too?" Jen asked.
"Huh?" Dave asked. I realized that he must have been far enough away to not see exactly what had commenced.
Before I could start to explain, though, the doll started to move.
Jen and I screamed, jumping away as if we had just both seen a spider.
"Stop screaming!" a slightly deep voice yelled at us.
We just screamed louder.
It stood up, and turned to me. It ordered, "Stop it! You are so loud..." It was seemingly glaring at me.
I'm just imagining things...I'm just imagining things...I kept repeating to myself. This is all just a bad dream.
After another moment, Jen and I ceased our screaming, hyperventilation taking it's place.
"Seriously...I have no time for this," the doll stated. It then pointed a finger at me, and asked, "Were you the one that turned my key?"
I hesitated. Why did it want to know?
"Well, did you?!" it yelled, narrowing it's eyes at me.
"I-yeah, yes, I did!" I breathed.
It abruptly showed me it's right hand, displaying the now-amethyst ring, and I realized that the jewel was shaped like a sword.
I looked up into it's violet eyes as it ordered, "Then kiss my ring."
"What?!" I looked at it peculiarly.
"Just kiss my ring," it repeated.
I looked down at it's ring, wondering what would happen.
"Set your lips upon it!" it yelled. "It isn't really that hard..."
"What will happen?" I asked.
"Just do it!" it ordered again.
I deliberated for a second, gazing into it's eyes. I realized that, if this had been any normal human, he would have looked...beautiful. Gosh, what was I kidding? It seriously did look gorgeous, now that I thought about it.
I slightly shook my head, trying to shake the thoughts away.
Before much else could happen, the mirror hanging over the piano started to shine. I turned my gaze toward it, and beheld a teddy bear coming out of it.
Could this evening possibly obtain any more insanity than it already had?
The doll uttered something under it's breath, then turned to me. "Hurry!" it urged after a moment's worth of hesitation, it's voice more gentle. I turned to it, and saw that it's irises had changed to white, speckled silver, and rimmed along the actual white of the eye with a slight gray so that you could distinguish the iris from the white of the eye. Glancing down at the ring, I noticed that it, too, had changed to pearl.
Suddenly, the teddy threw a pole at me. Barely dodging it, the pole stabbed the wall, wiggling as it tried to lose momentum.
I glanced at Jen as she fainted, most likely due to fright. Then, I gazed at Dave, who kept glancing at me and then the doll in utter shock, too terrified to react.
My attention was averted back to the doll as it spoke. "Kiss my ring, and I'll save you," it stated, it's calm, soothing tone taking over me.
I exhaled quickly, then bent down, and kissed the pearl, because his tone had suddenly ceased the chaos raging through me. This action of mine suddenly made sense, for some reason I couldn't explain. It was the only thing that made sense.
As I stood myself up again, I saw that a light was forming around my finger. I had to look away because of how bright it was. Eventually, the light faded to reveal a ring identical to the doll's on my right ring finger.
Before I could inspect it much further, the doll jumped up onto the pole still protruding from the wall, and used it's flexible form to gain altitude as he leaped across the room, and towards the evil teddy bear, his two swords taken out of their sheathes, and set in position to attack.
The teddy bear jumped out of the way, and onto the couch that Jen was laying unconscious on, obviously moving for me, and the doll's swords stabbed into the piano. Irritatedly, it pulled the swords back out. The doll grunted as he jumped back across the room, quickly cutting off the bear's path. Before it could respond, he slashed both of his swords through it, and it fell to the floor, tattered beyond repair.
"Huh," he grunted again. "Junk."
Before I could ask any questions, he turned to me, and apologized, his eyes amber, now, "Sorry that you had to be dragged into this mess, but I had no choice but to do so."
I suddenly felt slight exhaustion coming over me. "I...uh, could you explain any of this?"
As he jumped up, and took the pole protruding out of the wall out, he started, "All the damage done to non-humanoid things in this world will automatically heal itself in a matter of minutes, and things will look as if nothing had happened to them."
"I guess that's convenient," I stated as I attempted to think about it, leaning against the wall, and taking deep breaths. "But that doesn't explain...you."
"Oh, right," he muttered. "I forgot that most humans don't know anything concerning Rozen, nor his dolls." He sighed. Then, he reached one of his hands out towards me as he stated, "I'm Yuan, first of the Rozen Knight dolls."
I glanced at Dave, the only other human having witnessed everything up to this point. I raised an eyebrow at him, showing that I couldn't believe any of this, either. I accepted the doll's-Yuan's-offer, and shook it's-his-hand.
Shaking my head slightly, I deeply exhaled. As long as the dream was...slightly pleasant, I would just go along with it.
Yay! Yuan is in the plot at long last!
If there are any questions, comments, or critique, reviews are welcome. I'll be waiting for 2 this time...
^_^
(cue for reader to press review button, and give at least one word summarizing thought processes going on upstairs)