AN: Well, this is the last chapter you're getting from me today. If you're nice and review a lot, I'll steal back the computer tomorrow and type up a few more for you. In case you don't remember, the :: around a section means it's a dream. As always, read, review, and enjoy!
Indeed, Ulrich was mumbling in his sleep. If Yumi had been able to stay awake a little while longer, she would have heard what the unaware Ulrich had to say. Only Kiwi heard the words Ulrich could never speak out loud, and he wasn't telling. Instead, the dog jumped down from Ulrich's bed and curled up against Ulrich's side, lending the boy his body heat.
:: I can't believe what I'm seeing. How could I stand by and let this happen? How could he do something like this? I knelt down by the bruised, broken body of the raven-haired girl. Theo loomed over us threateningly and I felt my blood boil.
"How could you do this to her?" I asked furiously in a quiet voice.
"Easily," he sneered, kicking Yumi's motionless body one last time before he sauntered over to Sissy and engaged her in a conversation.
"Yumi, wake up," I pleaded, my right hand lingering over her shoulder. I wanted to touch her to see if she had survived the beating at the hands of Theo, but I'm afraid I'll touch one of her many injuries and cause her more of the pain she didn't deserve. Settling on a small portion of her cheek which remained unmarred, I rested my fingertips on her hot skin and received a soft moan in response. At least she's still alive, I thought, withdrawing my hand.
If I could figure out how to move her without hurting her more, I would get her some help. Mainly, I want to get her away from Theo so he can't harm her further. I feel so helpless. I want to kill Theo for what he's done to Yumi, but she needs me now. Knowing I have no other choice, I pick her up as gently as I can and try not to cry with her as more tears leak from her eyes.
Thankfully she was knocked unconscious after a few blows so she didn't see my standing by, doing nothing as Theo beat her. I tried to move to help her, but it was as if my muscles were frozen. As soon as he tired of hitting her, I could move again, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't move fast enough. I was only halfway to her when he bent down beside Yumi and I saw the flash of cold steel in his hand.
"Please don't..." I whispered, fear turning my insides cold. The blade of the pocketknife lingered dangerously close to Yumi's throat and I held my breath. I wanted to turn my head so I wouldn't see him kill her, but I couldn't.
For a few drawn out seconds, he placed the tip of the knife under her chin and tilted it up.
"I think I'll let you live," Theo said coldly, "For now at least. He pulled the blade away from her throat and sliced the sleeve off her left arm. Then he carved an intricate T on her upper left arm. The cuts extended all the way across Yumi's outer arm and halfway down it. The top line of the T curved around so the back was almost touching the vertical portion. The vertical part was lined with vines and leaves and at the very bottom it tapered off to a single upside-down rosebud.
"Five leaves for my other five targets, and a rose for you, my beautiful number six," Theo muttered as he finished the details on the rose. Blood trickled down her arm from the cuts and dripped onto the cement where she lay. Theo wiped the blade on the shirtsleeve he had cut off her. The click of the knife returning to its folded position had snapped me out of my horrified state and I was finally able to run to Yumi's side.
Even as I carry her away, the blood still seeping from the marks stain my shirt. My feet automatically carry me to the trees we had run through so often to get to the sewer. I know I should take her to the nurse, but I can't seem to stop myself. When we finally reach a small clearing, I start to set her down, then think better of putting her on the dirty ground with all her injuries. Instead, I sit down with her in my lap and wrap my arms around her gently.
Seeing her arm is still bleeding, I unwrap my right arm from her and shrug off one side of my green shirt and do the same with the left. Then I carefully lean her away from me and tie my shirt around the markings. Though I tried to be gentle, the unconscious Yumi still flinched and a soft whimper issued from her lips.
"I'm so sorry Yumi," I whispered to her, "I'm sorry for all of it. I always cared. I shouldn't have let this happen to you.... I love you Yumi, I really do. I'll kill Theo for this, I swear it." Once I finished tying the shirt, I put my arms around her and leaned her against me. Her head resting on my shoulder. Her warm breath blew against my neck. I was lost so deeply in my thoughts that I didn't notice as her breaths became more labored and farther apart. I touched her hand and almost gasped in surprise when I felt how cold it was.
"Please wake up," I pleaded, wrapping my hand around hers and squeezing it. Yumi's eyes opened slightly and she struggled to take in another breath. Her mouth formed words I couldn't hear and I bent my head down closer to hers.
"I-love-you-Ulrich," she gasped. Then, her message delivered, Yumi sighed and her body went limp against mine. My whole body tensed as I waited for her to draw another breath. When she remained still, my arms tightened around her and a sob racked through my body.
"I love you too Yumi."::