Drama, foreshadowing and piggy-backs, oh my!
Mikali woke up with a jolt, letting out a yelp as she crashed onto the floor, her head smacking against it roughly. Of course, to her, it was nothing, but she was still tired and groggy, and she didn't want to move anywhere in particular, unless it involved food. So she lay there, sprawled on the floor, attempting to go back to sleep when the door to her room slams open, making her wince at the loud noise.
'Note to self. Buy and install lock.' Mikali thought with a grunt, not moving as a brown-haired boy entered her room, a joyous grin on his face.
"Hey", he greeted, waving slightly at her even though she wasn't facing him. Recognizing the voice, Mikali pulled herself up, turning her head full of bed-hair in the boy's direction, attempting to smile despite how tired she was.
"Hey Yoh..." she managed, giving him a weak smile back. "Ready to go?" he asked, grinning as his orange headphones bobbed around his neck. "Wha?" Mikali murmured, for it was all she could manage.
Pulling herself into a sitting position, she turned her whole body to face Yoh, her face confused. "Go where?" "Oh, we made a new friend! He's kind of strange, and he tried to steal Amidamaru, but we have it all sorted out now", Yoh explained, waving his hands around in exaggerated hand movements.
"At least, I think it is", he murmured, almost as an afterthought. Mikali let out a groan, but she knew she wasn't going to get out of visiting this person. She grumbled an untranslatable response and rolled onto her feet, motioning for Yoh to get out.
"I need to get changed", she finally said as Yoh stared at her in a confused manner. "Change? O-oh right. Change", he murmured, as if just noticing the only thing Mikali was wearing was a T-shirt and a pair of boxer shorts. She made the shooing motion again, and this time he obeyed, walking out of the room and closing the door behind her.
She drifted back to the window, pulling the curtains open a smidge. The sun was high in the sky now... She must've slept for awhile. She frowned, pressing her hand up against the glass, but nothing happened.
"Milo?" Mikali murmured half-heartedly, searching the room for the ghost-warrior. As her guardian ghost, Milonae took shape behind her, the whole room began to smell like salt water, and she thought she could hear waves crashing on a shore in the distance. She studied the blue curls and golden eyes of her friend, her face slightly sad. Milonae might've been her guardian ghost, but she couldn't remember how she met her either. She was so un useful...
"Yes, Milady?" Milonae asked in a polite, formal way, tilting her head in a form of mock-bow, her eyes studying Mikali's. Mikali sighed, her gaze shifting back to the window as she drew her hand away from it and pressing it to her cheek. It wasn't cold, but...
"I think something bad is going to happen today... I can feel it..." she muttered, grinding her teeth slightly. But was it? What was so bad, so terrible that it had her stomach clenched and turned, making it feel like it was going to burst at any moment?
She let out a grunt as Milonae watched her with sad gold eyes, not saying anything as her Mistress began to get dressed. Oh, if only she could, but she couldn't bring those memories back by force... It might cause Miss Mikali permanent brain trauma. She sighed, seeming to fade back into the air again as Mikali strutted out of the room, an almost cautious air around her. She'd be prepared for whatever she was scared about... right?
She stalked down the stairs quietly, peeking her head around the corner to see Yoh facing the other direction, in conversation with Manta. Smirking, she decided she deserved some fun too, right? So she took a small running start before leaping through the air at Yoh, landing on his back and making him swing forward violently, though he did not fall. He did let out a rather girly laugh, though, and Mikali burst into a short giggle fit, wiggling her legs and clinging to his back.
"Carry me!" she asked, though it was more of a demand, or more likely an order. Yoh grunted, rolling his eyes, but he was smiling. "Don't you roll your eyes at me!" Mikali accused, giving him a noogie as Manta watched, wide-eyed.
"I'm sick, remember?" she taunted, and Yoh sighed, getting a good grip on her legs so he could carry her. "Whatever you want, 'Princess'" he said in a mocking tone before he broke into a run, Mikali giggling and clinging to his back while Manta ran after them, running out of breath very quickly.
About half-way there, Yoh collapsed under her, leaving both of them sprawled on the ground as Manta caught up, panting heavily. "Ow!" Mikali complained, though really, it was hardly a scratch.
"I thought I told you to carry me~?" she asked, her voice sugar-coated. Yoh chuckled, shaking his head. "You're too heavy, 'Princess'. Besides, we're almost there. You can walk a little bit and save my back", he said with a groan, rubbing it.
"Why'd you jump on it in the first place?" Mikali shrugged, scowling. "Why'd you make me come?"
"Good question!" Yoh called out, though he did not answer the questioned posed, for he did not know the answer himself. "Well, where is it then?" Mikali said, glancing around as a queasy feeling began to build in her stomach, though she had no idea why.
"Over there", Yoh explained, pointing to a large building that seemed to tower over the rest, though it was really farther back, and yet they were close enough... The headache hit her like a ton of bricks, and she let out a blood-curdling shriek before she fell to the ground, cradling her head as she began to whimper. "No... No... No, please, no..."
Click-clack. The door swung upon and the light filtered in onto my beaten face, and I scowled at the light, blocked my face from it. They'd beaten me and beaten me... What more could they want? I had no time to finish that though, however, for moments after I felt the light, I felt something else.
Pain. I was shoved into the wall, and there was someone kicking my ribs. It was a woman, because her kicks were weak, not as strong as mine. If I had the energy, I'd reach out and snap her bone... But I didn't have the energy. The darkness began to creep back in, and then the yelling started. Horrible, jumbled yelling... Why did everyone have to yell?
Then the broom came out. I felt it as my scars were torn open from the pure force of the blow, and I raised my head slightly, staring at the Tao women with a glare of pure hatred.
"GET UP, YOU WENCH. GET UP!" she hollered, wailing at me with the broom again, but it didn't hurt as much this time, and I just brought my body up into a ball, not bothering to try and stop it, but I wouldn't follow her orders either. If I did, I'd just be setting myself up for more pain, and what was the point of that?
Thump-thump-thwack. The sound of footsteps echoed within the dungeon.
I groaned, hugging my knees tighter to me. More Tao's... Ugh. Exactly what I needed. The snide voice Tao Jun rang out into the room, and I practically cringed. I could just imagine who was with her, and I really didn't want to see either of them.
"You never learn, do you? You stupid, stupid girl!" I could almost see the sneer on Jun's face, the cruel laughter that was being shared with her companion, who I assumed was her brother, Tao Ren.
"You really need to learn your place. Stealing is a horrible thing, even after we took you in from the streets and raised you! And this... this is how you repay us? You pathetic excuse for a Tao!" I could feel my hands balling up into fists at Jun's words. No, no, that wasn't true. But would they listen? No. They never listened. But I didn't get up. I wouldn't get up, wouldn't give up.
I heard the soft padding of feet again and I looked up, uncurling from my ball slightly, though it was no sight I wanted to see. Hovering above me was Ren, holding the broom the woman had used to beat me seconds before. In that moment we locked eyes, and I could read every emotion dancing across his face. Remorse, sadness, anger, confusion... He didn't want to do this. But then his gaze became hard, as if he had expected this. Or maybe he just had to, lest he end up like me.
"GET UP!" he bellowed, and I cringed, but not just from the yelling. He began to viciously beat me with the stick like a fat kid who couldn't open a piñata, like he had to break me open, had to see me bleed, to cry, to break under his torture, but I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. Each blow left a new scar upon my body, adding another wave of pain, and I suddenly wished I was still curled up in my ball. He struck out then, as I was debating whether or not to curl back up, and it hit me right across my right eye, the skin ripping as even my eye began to bleed.
An animalistic cry of pain ripped from my body as it shook with a single sob, another cry breaking free. I looked up at Ren, that sick bastard. How could he do this when he was almost my age? A simple seven, and yet he was that blood-thirsty? I was afraid to see what the future held in store for him. When I locked eyes with him, giving him the best glare I could muster, his cold demeanor disappeared, and I could see the regret, the fear pass behind his eyes before it disappeared and he returned my glare.
What were kids of our age doing wrapped up in something like this?
"Get up", Ren repeated, his voice cold and clipped, not betraying any of the emotion I had seen moments before. It must've been a mistake then... I suppose I imagined it.
I struggled to my feet, cupping my bleeding eye, but as soon as I rose, Jun was suddenly there at my side, and she lashed out with her foot, and I collided with the steel door with such force I could hear my bones crunch, and I could hear my breath almost fly from my lips as I crumpled to the floor.
"Come on, you useless sack of meat! MOVE IT!" Jun snapped, as she kicked me in the gullet, pushing the door open behind me as I flew past it, hitting the wall with a sickening crunch before reluctantly getting to my feet as Jun and Ren came out, both glaring down at me. Len pointed to a set of stairs, the lowest level of the basement, and I knew I was done for.
"P-please, N-" I tried to plead otherwise, but in an instant Len was behind me. He wrapped his arms around my mid-section and tossed me down the stairs. I hit each one, landing in a heap at the bottom. I heard their laughter, and then I heard his laughter. 'Uncle' En. My body froze as two large hands gripped around my legs, and I was dragged off to a different cell... I'm pretty sure every single person in that mansion heard my screams that night. Not like they cared, of course.