Follow Me Home
Chapter Fourteen
o.o.o
'You can take everything I have...
You can break everything I am...
like I'm made of glass... like I'm made of paper...
Go on and try to tear me down, I will be rising from the ground
like a skyscraper...
o.o.o
Kairi could hear the dial tone next to her as she lay helpless on the ground. Vanitas had just finished kicking her countless times for whatever screwed up reason and was off somewhere that she didn't know. Kairi couldn't lift her head; she couldn't move her body. She was powerless in all aspects and Roxas was her last hope.
However, it also worried her greatly. Vanitas would not hesitate to shoot him upon arrival... and who knows what he will do to her afterward.
'I have... to believe... in him... it's all... that I have... left...'
'He will come for me... he... will...'
This new-found hope was surprising considering the circumstances. Even when she was diminished to a mere object, she was able to hold on.
'But... why...?'
The cold didn't bother her anymore; it was more so the pain that she had endured. Physically, she felt as if she would faint at any moment—and then he would kick and punch her until she woke up again. But why was Vanitas doing this to her in the first place? Why did he want her so badly? This—Kairi could not figure out, nor was she sure if she even wanted to know. He just came out of nowhere—this Sora clone... and already he was obsessed with her? He gained satisfaction through control... just like any abuser would... and he almost made her feel like she was nothing. In the beginning, Kairi thought that this was just some cruel form of punishment for what she had done, but now it had gotten so out of hand that she was losing grasp of reality.
But yet... she really didn't want to die...
She didn't want her life to be reduced to such torture...
What she did was terrible... but why must she suffer like this?
What was the point?
She loved Sora more than ever, even after his death, so wasn't that enough? Couldn't she be forgiven if she truly asked for it?
Was it because she stayed with Roxas, even if she wasn't in love with him?
Kairi respected Roxas as a person and appreciated everything he did for her. That was all there was to it... and yet...
...she put her life on the line just to see if he would come.
In that case, if she truly believed in him... that must have meant...
...that he was no longer just a caretaker... that he was... more than that...
He was more to her than just words could explain... it was not as simple as it seemed...
He has come to her rescue so many times...
'Roxas... please... hurry...'
o.o.o
Roxas jumped into his car and hurried towards the countryside. He had no idea how fast he was going, nor did he care. His main objective was to save Kairi and that was what he was going to do. The road seemed to go on forever, he thought, only making him go even faster. As he approached a red light, he fought with himself on whether to stop for it, but that decision was made as soon as he spotted a huge Semi truck turning in front of him. He slammed on the breaks and stopped just in time.
Roxas flung forward, but his seat belt held him back from hitting the window. He held the steering wheel in anticipation and impatiently waited for the semi to pass by. It wasn't like it was taking an incredibly long time, but Roxas was tied for time.
The semi truck passed and Roxas was about to start driving again, but he couldn't. A pedestrian was crossing the street from his left. Furious, Roxas honked his horn at the person. He put down his window and yelled at him. The guy turned his head. Blue eyes shined in the sunlight. Roxas' eyes widened. Sora couldn't tell what was going on at first.
'It's... him...'
'Why is he... out... here... and where is...'
Without thinking, Roxas jumped out of his car and charged at him. Sora successfully dodged his attack.
"Y-YOU! WHERE IS SHE?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?!" Filled with rage, Roxas swung his fists at Sora. Sora blocked every hit.
'Roxas...' Sora finally realized what was happening. Roxas tried to knock him down, but Sora kept moving away from him. He didn't want to hurt Roxas.
"ARGH, FIGHT BACK!"
"Okay." Sora swiftly struck Roxas in the neck. He dropped to the ground and clutched where Sora hit him.
"DAMN... YOU..." Roxas tried grabbing his foot, but Sora jumped to the left.
Sora knew that he must have thought he was that other guy. He couldn't figure out how to stop Roxas from fighting, however.
Roxas lay in the middle of the street. Sora knelt down and examined his face; he hoped he didn't hurt him too badly. Roxas could feel him bearing over him, but the sunlight was strong and his outline was dark. Roxas extended his leg out and tried to kick him, but Sora grabbed it and held onto it.
"Roxas, you need to calm down."
"You have no right to tell me what to do!" He got up and swung at him again. Sora took Roxas' arm and twisted it behind his back. Roxas cried out in pain. Sora held onto his arm and wrapped his other across his chest to stop him from moving.
"Roxas! I'm not who you think I am!"
"You... imposter! I'm not falling for your tricks!" Roxas tried to break free, but now Sora was significantly stronger than he was.
"Listen to me! Kairi is in danger and we have to save her!"
"What are you talking about?!" Roxas grunted, "You're the reason she's-"
A car approached them in the distance. Sora noticed this, but he didn't move just yet. In the one moment that he was distracted, Roxas was able to break away from him and punch him. Sora was knocked a few steps back, but he held his ground. The car wasn't stopping and Roxas was right there in its path. He didn't seem to notice it coming, either. Sora had to do something or Roxas would be run over...
Sora jumped forward, grabbed Roxas by the arm and pulled him out of the way just in time. They both rolled on the ground. Sora felt his arm hurting again; he used his weak one to grab him, but it was still successful so it was okay to him.
"Who... who... are you...?" Roxas could clearly see his face now. Sora looked over at him, but then looked away. He didn't want to be found out this way. He actually didn't want to even be in this situation at all. This encounter was purely by chance... wasn't it?
Roxas realized that this guy wasn't fighting him or even doing anything hostile. Vanitas would have tried to kill him... but this guy... he just say there and took deep breaths... as if he was tired...
"We're wasting time." Sora said to him. "Kairi needs... us..." he hesitated on 'us,' he really wanted to say 'you' to him, but that was what came out.
"You... you're not..." Roxas was still trying to register in his mind what he was seeing. He looked like Sora... he acted like Sora... but then again, Vanitas tried doing the same thing the other night... for all he knew, this could very well be Vanitas...
But no... something was different... something was more... pure...
"Roxas!" Sora yelled, "Kairi needs our help! Now get up! You said it yourself... you will protect her at all costs, right?!"
"B-But... you... you can't be... here..."
Sora walked over to the car and got into the passenger's seat. Roxas was frozen—this was impossible. Was Sora really... here right now?
Was he really sitting there?
Did he really just try to fight him...?
"HURRY UP!" Sora called out, making Roxas come to his senses.
If this was really happening, then he was right—they didn't have any time to lose...
'But... how...? How did he...?'
Roxas got into the driver's seat and put his hands on the wheel. He couldn't look over at him. This wasn't real...
"Step on it!" Sora demanded. Panicked, Roxas' foot pressed the gas and the car sped down the road.
'This can't... be... true...'
They were only ten minutes away.
o.o.o
Kairi managed to put her jacket on, but was still naked from the waist down. She could barely sit let alone stand. Her hands took refuge in her pockets; she held onto her phone tightly.
Vanitas made a fire just a few feet away, but forbid her to come near it.
He finally had a woman in his life—one he could do whatever he wanted to. Little did he know that his ignorance would send him on a downward spiral...
'Into hell...' Kairi absolutely loathed him and she had every reason to. She had never felt this much hate for a person in her life. She wanted him to burn in the fire for what he had done to her... it would be a rightful punishment in her opinion... if she even had the right to think about that.
Even if Roxas didn't come... she had the courage now to do whatever it took to not only to escape, but to hurt him as much, if not more than he hurt her.
The fact that he killed Seifer on the spot... as soon as he opened that door, was sickening. Only maniacs do such things...
However, despite all of her rage, she still felt like she would never be the same again...
Vanitas watched her from the warmth of the fire. This made him feel as if he was above her as she struggled to get over there. He was on top of the world. Was this the way his father felt when he would do these things to his mother? It must have been amazing for him like it was for Vanitas now...
'Maybe I should play with her some more...'
Vanitas stood up and started taking a few steps towards Kairi. All of her rage disbanded and was replaced with terror. What was he going to do now?
"Stand up."
Given her current condition, that was impossible. But knowing Vanitas, he lived for other people's reactions.
"Ignoring me?"
Before she was able to do anything, he kicked her in her side once again. "I said get up!"
Kairi's arms wobbled as she lifted herself up. The pain was killing her, but she kept trying. Tears flowed down her cheeks. She had to do this. She had to show him that she wasn't going to succumb to his evil ways...
But the pain was too much. Her face hit the ground and all she could do was cry. She didn't have the strength...
"You're not going to do it, huh?"
She could feel herself giving in... the cold may not have mentally bothered her, but physically it was taking its toll on her body. She lay there... completely helpless...
"Argh..." Vanitas was just about to grab her when he heard something behind him.
"KAIRI!"
'That... voice...'
'He's... here...'
Kairi was out.
o.o.o
o.o.o
A/N: Welp, all I have to say is, please leave a review and have a wonderful night!