Bleed, Chapter 6
Something is very wrong with Yamato, and Taichi's determined to get to the bottom of it. But is the cost of friendship worth it? Taito.
Digimon - R - English - Angst/Romance - Chapters: 8 - Words: 37396 - Reviews: 33 - Updated: 4-16-04 - Published: 1-11-04
chapter five
Disclaimer: Digimon belongs to Toei Animation, but somehow fell in the wrong hands and ended up with Saban. Ahh.. what is this world coming to?!
Author's Notes: Okay.. final chapter! Wow, I can't believe it's here already. It's been great. Tons more dark stuff in this one.. violence, death, angst, abuse, rape, language.. Yeah. Things will be getting pretty intense and fast for a moment there. Not to mention the time flow between povs isn't equal. They'll be moving at different speeds. Oh, and to Takato the Dreamer - I love cliffhangers. *grins* They're the best places to halt a story! And, thanks to: Luna Wolf, Burned Vamp, Violette Mai, eugene, Takato the Dreamer, Kami9, nEo-cHaN, bullet tooth tony, and kaiya5 for reviewing this story. Your reviews were very interesting to read, I loved all the different opinions. Also, a special thanks to yamatoforever for keeping up with every story I've posted since Untold Secrets. You're my #1 reviewer =^^= Well, I hope everyone enjoys this! I'm off to get a baked potato (mm... supper!), and then I'll set to writing!
Ok, just one last thing. The song I listened to the most while writing this chapter was Tatu's Klouny (the Russian version of clowns), and the music and the words rather suit this chapter very well. (the meaning of the words too, somewhat). If you don't have the song, I'd recommend downloading it ^-^ I'll shutup now and get back to finishing up, mmkay?
Bleed
by: butterflie, formerly known as Crimson Goddess
Chapter 6:In Frantic Desperation
I cautiously entered my uncle's house, unnerved by the silence that didn't sound quite natural.
"Oji?" I called fearfully. Perhaps it might have been better to just search him out, but if he was here, he would have heard me come in and would have not been happy if I didn't say anything.
"Oji, Tadaima," I tried again, still without success. I moved through the house slowly, checking all the rooms, leaving mine for last because it was at the back of the house.
"Oji?" I said once more, and then this I detected a faint tremble in my voice. I was scared. Oh boy, I was scared.
But then again, maybe I'd gotten lucky. Maybe my uncle had never come home last night. Maybe he was still out at wherever it was he always goes after he goes in a rage. Maybe he'd never known that I'd left the house at all, maybe he'll come home and think I was here all night and only left for school. Or maybe he just came home sometime earlier today and assumed I was in school. I can only hope he didn't check.
As I neared my room, I slowed down and tried to listen, wondering maybe I'd pick up on faint sounds that would give me a clue. I heard nothing. My hope rising, and starting to feel confident that my uncle wasn't here, I pushed open the door.
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"Please! I'm desperate! I have to get back to Odaiba! Can't you just give me a ride? I'll pay you whatever it takes!"
The man just looked at him and sat there complacently chewing on some tobacco. "I don't understand," he said in English.
Masaharu groaned and smacked his forehead. He pointed to the plane behind the man, still on the runway. Then he pointed to himself and back to the plane. "Puriisu.." he tried in broken english. "Mii... niido raido. pureein."
"Prayin'?" the man asked.
Frantically he pointed to the plane again. "Pureein! Raido! Mii!" Oh God Yamato.. I'm coming as fast as I can. Hold on, okay? Give me strength.
"Playin'?"
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The ticking of the clock didn't seem right. It gave the atmosphere an ominous quality, one that left me feeling distinctinly uneasy. For the millionth time, I paused the video game and looked back at my clock. It was 4:30, barely an hour since I'd left Yamato. I wondered if he was okay. I certainly hoped so. I wished I could go over there and protect him from his uncle, but I knew it wasn't practical.
I heard the phone rang, and my heart leaped. Yamato?
But it didn't ring again, and no one called for me. I sighed somewhat dejectedly and unpaused my game, pressing the buttons listlessly. I didn't even care when I finally beat the Giant Cactuar, a GF I'd been trying to get for ages. Who could focus on video games when they'd just sent the one they loved into eminent danger? Certainly not me. Sighing again, I climbed back into Ragnarok and set out for Dallet, where I quickly saved and shut the ps2 console off. I wasn't in the mood for video games, not even Final Fantasy ones.
Maybe I'll draw... that should take my mind off Yama.
I loved to draw. It was a great talent that I'd spent years refining; unfortunately, no one knew about it. I kept it secret, afraid of being laughed at. But sometimes I wished someone knew so I could brag about my latest piece of art. Perhaps I'll show Yama tomorrow, after all this is thankfully over...
I pulled out the pencils I used for my art, and dragged out my sketchpad from where I'd hidden it under my bed. I flipped the pad to a clean page and started doing a sketch of Yamato as I'd seen him yesterday when I walked into his uncle's house. It may have seemed weird how I could I stand to do something so cruel and violent, and draw him as he was so violated, but the truth was that the image was forever burned into my brain, and getting it onto paper would at least help me cope some with how I felt about it. I hadn't really had a chance to yet, I'd been too busy taking care of Yama.
My lines were quick and sure, and after awhile an image of Yamato begin to form on the paper. Still, it didn't feel right. I wasn't really concentrating, and too, that damned clock was really unnerving me.
"Argh!" I finally cried in frustration, tossing down my pencil. It snapped in half, and I sighed. "Damn." I closed my sketchpad and shoved it back under my bed.
"I wonder if Koushiro is home?"
About thirty minutes later found me being welcomed into Koushiro's apartment.
"Where're your parents?" I asked.
"They went out for dinner. They wanted to take me, but I said I was busy. So we're by ourselves. Have you eaten yet?"
I shook my head. "No, but don't worry about it, I'm not really hungry."
He didn't bother to tease me; Koushiro always could tell when I was seriously bothered by something, and given my worries as of late, he had a pretty good idea of what it was.
"Well, I'm hungry, so if you don't mind, I'll fix something before we talk about whatever it is you need to unload."
I smiled a bit. "Sorry. I know you must get sick of listening to me whine all the time."
"I don't mind, really. And Yamato's my friend too, I worry about him just like you do, just not to the same degree."
"Yeah. I know. But still.."
"Really, Tai, it's okay," he said, trying to placate me. I followed him to the kitchen, where he'd apparently been frying some rice in the wok.
"Oh, I didn't make you burn it, did I?' I exclaimed.
He stirred it, replying, "No, it's okay. I had it turned down low."
I pulled a seat out at his table and sat there, elbows propped on the table, head resting against my hands, watching him while he cooked his rice. We stayed that way in silence for a bit. Eventually he took the heat off the wok and took a bowl from the cabinet, pausing. "Sure you don't want any?"
I shook my head once more. "No, but thanks anyways Kou."
He shrugged and began scooping rice into his bowl. He got a pair of chopsticks out and sat down next to me.
"Itadakimasu," he said, and began to eat. I raised my eyebrows as I watched him. He was eating almost as fast as I do!
"Hungry, are we?" I remarked.
"Well, if somebody hadn't been skipping school, he would have known I didn't get lunch today. Or breakfast, for that matter."
"I wasn't skipping. Both my mother and I thought it better if we didn't go."
"We who? I know Hikari was there, I saw her."
"Yamato and me."
He took the last few bites and shoved the empty bowl aside, chopsticks laid across. Awfully fast.
"So what happened?" he asked. "I was actually worried when I didn't see either of you guys today. Did he finally tell you what was going on?"
"Sorta.. I was right, you know, about his uncle hitting him."
Koushiro winced. "Even though I knew it was likely, I'd kind of hoped you would be wrong."
"Yeah, but there's more.." I trailed off, slightly uncomfortable. "His uncle has been .. well, raping him too."
This time he paled and sucked in a deep breath. "Jesus. Is he okay? How did you find all this out, if he didn't tell tell you?"
Quickly, I went on to describe how Yamato had called me and how I'd found him when I'd got to his uncle's house. "It was pretty bad, Kou. He stayed at my house the night, but he went back today. He said his uncle was threatening to kill Takeru if he told."
"So we were right about that then," he said softly.
I bit my lip, nodded. "Yeah, we were," I said miserably. "And the thing is, we're not really sure if his uncle will believe him when he says he didn't tell. We're only hoping. All he needs is to survive this night, and then things will be okay."
"I thought he had to stay another week."
"Well, he was supposed to, but my mother called his father, and he's coming in tomorrow."
"That's good then! Why are you so worried?"
I frowned. "Something doesn't feel right, Koushiro. It should, but... ever since I left him there at the corner, I've felt wrong somehow. Like I'm making a big mistake by letting him go. I promised him things would be okay, but I feel like they won't be.. like someone won't be coming out of this alive, as if it's not a simple matter of him just living through one more night of being raped and beaten. There's.. something more.. I just sense it."
The redhead stood and walked into the living room. He was quiet for a bit, then, "Isn't there anything we can do to help him?"
I swallowed, and when I spoke, my voice was thick. "I've thought about it so much... thought about so many different things.. but dammit, I can't do a one of them without putting Takeru's life in extreme danger."
He came back in then, and his face was wet with crying. "There has to be something, Taichi.."
"I don't know what.. I feel so helpless still, I really do. Even knowing the problem with Yamato doesn't let me help him.."
"So you mean we just have to sit here until tomorrow, waiting for some word that he's alright?"
"You got a better idea? One that will keep everyone safe?"
He sank back down into his chair, shoulders slumped. "No.. for once, my mind is a complete blank. I'm lost, I admit it.. this is out my depth, Taichi.."
"Mine too.." I sighed. "We just sit here... and wait."
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I pushed open the door.
I didn't see anything, not at first, and I was relieved, thinking I was alone in the house. Then I heard a small, familiar, whimper, and my heart dropped like a stone.
I went further into the room, and briefly closed my eyes at the sight I saw, trying not to cry.
Takeru was sitting on the bed, looking trussed up. He had a black eye and a bunch of bruises visible all over his arms. Fresh blood was dripping down his noise, and there was more blood on his shirt, dried and drying. But he was still clothed, and he didn't look as if my uncle had gotten his hands on him in that way, something I was eternally thankful for.
I licked my lips. I wasn't sure who to address first, my uncle or Takeru. If I addressed Takeru first, my uncle was likely to get pissed and smack me. But then again, he already had Takeru, how much worse could things get? Might as well be reckless.
A word of advice: Never think things are at the worst. You'll quickly find how true that is not.
"Takeru.." I spoke softly. "Are you okay?"
He nodded, but even as he opened his mouth to speak, my uncle smacked him across the face. "Shutup! I told you not to speak!" He turned towards me. "And you! How dare you favor him and ignore me! I'm your elder, and you will show me the respect I deserve!"
"I'm sorry, Oji," I said automatically, though I wasn't really. I'd needed to let Takeru know things would be okay, and if I backed down to my uncle, he'd never believe it.
He stood up from the chair he'd placed next to the bed, and stalked over to me. Reaching out, he smacked me across the face as well, though much harder than he'd hit Takeru. I staggered back some but held my ground, glaring at him.
"Why do you have Takeru?" I asked him. "You promised."
"You told," he said. And smacked me again. Still I held firm. "You-fuckin-told-you-little-lying-whore!" Each word was accompanied by a hard punch to the face. Coming right after one another, I didn't have a chance. The last one knocked me to the ground. I heard Takeru cry out and cry "'niichan!" but luckily my uncle ignored him in favor of kicking me.
"Didn't I tell you not to tell dammit? You stupid little shit! What the hell did you think you were doing? Do you want your brother to die?! Goddamn you to hell!?"
"I didn't tell!" I cried out, all my courage fleeing at the mention of killing Takeru. "I never told, I swear!"
"You lying fucker! I know you told, don't tell me otherwise!" He kicked at me some more, then quit to go back and continue his vigilance besides Takeru.
I stood up on weak legs, blood running down my face and arms where some of his kicks had landed. "I never told," I said, ignoring the pain my body was trying to inform me about. "Really, Oji, I didn't tell.."
His face darkened. "Yes you did, I know you did. I have proof."
I barely had time to wonder about that before he pulled out a knife from the drawer in the bedside table. I flinched at the sharp looking blade, suddenly scared. What was he planning on doing with that? If he killed Takeru..
I didn't even have time to finish my thought. Taking the knife, he ran it down my brother's chest. His T-shirt fell back in half, held up only by being trapped between his back and the bed headboard. Where the knife had ran, a vertical line of crimson welled up.
I felt like I was going to be sick. "No!"
He laughed maliciously, and ran the knife down the length of both of Takeru's arms, drawing more blood. My brother didn't make a noise though, just watched me fearfully. Don't worry about me, his eyes seemed to be telling me. Just worry about yourself. I'll be okay.
"No!" I cried, this time in response to Takeru's unspoken command. "Takeru.."
A feral grin remaining on his face, my uncle stood up and advanced back towards me again. "Take off your shirt," he ordered.
I moaned, knowing what he wanted, and also thinking of all the bruises still residing on my skin. It was bad enough Takeru knew I was being hit. But to actually see the bruises, and to find out what else my uncle liked to do to me... I'd never wanted him to know.
I shook my head, a few tears escaping. "No.." I moaned. "Please, Oji, don't make me.."
He aimed the knife at my brother's heart. "At this close range, I don't think I'd miss," he warned.
That did it. Letting out a whimper not unlike Takeru's earlier, I slipped my shirt over my head. I didn't dare look at Takeru.
"oniichan.." I heard him whisper in shock, and then I chanced to look at him for a second. In just the glimpse that I got, I could see his eyes were wide and full of worry. But not disgust, or hatred, or anger. I was relieved.
My uncle came over and trailed his fingers lightly down my chest, smiling when I flinched at the pain as he went over all the bruises. Then he leaned in and kissed me. I squeezed my eyes shut, partly to attempt not to cry, partly to pretend this wasn't happening, partly so I wouldn't have to see my little brother's reaction as he watched his uncle passionately kiss his older brother.
When I failed to respond to his kiss, he pulled back and slapped me on the back of the head. "Stupid shit," he said again. "You're worthless, and can't do anything right! Tell me why you told!"
"I didn't tell, honest," I repeated, still trying to stick to my story.
He scowled, and suddenly went back to my brother. Scooping him up roughly, he dropped him in the chair he'd sat in, and glared at him. "You move, even so much as shift in that seat, I'll kill you, I swear I will."
Takeru nodded, eyes still wide.
My uncle came back to me, and picked me up as well, slinging me down on the bed. I cringed back away from him, knowing what he planned to do.
"Please," I begged him, darting my eyes at Takeru, who looked confused and unsure of what my uncle had in my mind. "Not here.. not in front of my brother.."
He ignored me and instead yanked my pants down and off me, not caring that they ripped. I let out a small cry, hardly able to believe this was happening.
Taichi... you said everything would be alright.. I believed you. I still do. As long as Takeru and I make it out alive, everything will turn out okay.. Just.. I need you. I wish you were here... please, someone save me! Save Takeru!
My uncle got up on the bed and straddled me, his weight bearing down on me and making me feel slightly short of breath.
I glanced back at my brother again, whose eyes were now miserable with knowledge.
"Now, are you going to tell me?"
Stubbornly, I shook my head. I had to protect Taichi too, and if it meant getting raped for him, I'd do it. Dad would be here tomorrow, and then things would be okay. I could keep Takeru alive until then.
"Goddammit boy! I don't know why you're lying, but it's doing you no good!"
Without hardly being aware that he was doing, he angrily brought the knife up and then plunged it downward into my arm.
Takeru shrieked, and I let out a loud scream. My uncle removed the knife, and blood began to pour out of the wound. The pain was excruciating, a thousand-no, million-times worse than when he'd ever raped me. My arm felt like it was on fire, and my eyes blurred with tears. I was only just conscious of my uncle pulling his pants down, removing my own boxers, and entering me, thrusting over and over... I barely felt it. That pain was minuscule compared to the pain of the wound in my arm.
Dimly I heard Takeru crying off to the side, and gradually my eyes focused enough and the pain abated slightly for me to realize that my uncle was done with me at the moment, he'd had his fun, proven his power over me.
Weakly I lifted my head and looked at Takeru. "Where's Oji?" I whispered.
"Went into the other room. He'll be back," Takeru sniffed. "Are you okay?"
I tried to smile for his sake. "'S'nothing. Just.. scratch.." My reassurance was ruined as I felt my stomach lurch. I sat up and turned my head to the side just in time to hurl Mrs. Yagami's brunch on the floor.
"Ew, gross," Takeru said, giving a small giggle. That, thankfully, brought a smile to my face. No matter that it was a small one.
"Sorry, kiddo," I rasped.
Just then my uncle stormed back in. He looked at the mess on the floor.
"You stupid fucker! Goddammit!" He came over and hit me hard on arm, where'd he'd so happily stuck the knife in earlier. All I could manage was a small moan at the pain. Screams were beyond me.
"I ought to make you clean that," he muttered.
Takeru gave him a pleading look, and I tried to shush him before he could say anything stupid, something he'd regret. "Please Ojisan, he's hurting, don't make him clean it, please."
"Shut up brat!" he said, backhanding my brother.
I stiffened. My uncle abusing me I could take, but it was starting to seriously piss me off the way he kept hurting Takeru.
"Stop that!" I said.
He whirled around. "Excuse me?"
"Stop it, Oji. Stop hitting him. He didn't do anything." It was hard for me to speak, but I spoke slowly, forming my words with care and trying to keep as much slur out of my voice as possible. It was hard for all the pain, but I faired okay.
His reply was spoken softly, dangerously. "You do not presume to tell me what to do. I will do whatever the fuck I want to do , and if that includes hitting little angelic otouto over here, then I will do so. Is that understood?"
"No," I spat out defiantly.
I caught a quick spark of emotion in his eyes, something like I'd never seen before. It wasn't anger, or glee at seeing us suffer. It was something else entirely. Something I didn't recognize. Something.. alien to a man like him. Then it was gone.
I don't remember if he said anything to my defiance or not; I floated in and out for a bit. I was delirious with pain and worry for my brother's life, his innocence. Sometimes I was vaguely aware that I was mumbling, of what I couldn't make sense; it didn't matter anyways. Other times I was crying. Some times I lost all touch with reality completely, and floated in darkness for awhile. I had no idea what was going on. When I finally came to, the pain was a steady throb in my arm, slightly more tolerable. My eyes went to the window. It was dark outside. I looked over at Takeru, surprised to find him tied to the chair. "Why.." I began. My voice cracked, and I cleared it. I started over. "Why are you tied up?"
"Ojisan left." His voice was toneless, and it scared me some.
"Did he hurt you?" I demanded frantically. Oh please don't let Oji have hurt him..
My brother shook his head. "No.. not really. He hit me some more, but that mostly doesn't hurt. It's you he hurt." Takeru's eyes filled with tears.
"I'm sorry," I mumbled. "I didn't mean for you to get dragged into all of this. I thought it would be okay.. I thought I could get through it without you having to find out.."
"You should have told me," he sobbed. "We're going to be stuck in here until he kills us, aren't we?" The fear in his voice was unmistakable.
"No!" I said with as much force as I could muster. I raised my head the tiniest bit and looked him in the eye. "No, Takeru, I promise you he won't kill us. Otousan said he'd get here first thing in the morning. I told him what was going on last night, okay? Everything will turn out fine. Don't fret."
"But I'm scared!" he burst out. "I don't want you to die, Yamato!"
I was amazed. His own life was on the line, and all he cared about was mine. Of course, I was the same way, wasn't I? "Neither of us will die, kiddo. Okay? Can you believe that? Can you trust me?"
He nodded.
Outside a car door slammed.
"He's back, isn't he?" Takeru whispered, and I nodded.
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"Come on, come on, go faster!" he urged the machine on softly. "I have to get to Odaiba now. Yamato's in trouble, I know he is.. I can feel it."
Masaharu leaned his head against the seat of the plane and sighed. "I should have told him not to go back," he muttered. "There had to have been a way to keep Takeru safe without placing Yamato in such danger. What kind of parent am I, anyways?"
"Not a very good one," he answered himself. "Geez, Yamato, please be okay. Be safe. And whatever's happening...hang on. I'm getting there as fast as I can."
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"I can't do this Kou!"
"Huh?" He looked up at me, startled out of his thoughts.
"I can't just keep sitting here waiting for any news. It's driving me crazy! And I'm too wired to sleep, and I'm not ready to go home. I'd do something, but I tried earlier and couldn't concentrate. I don't get it, how can you just sit there so calmly?!"
"I don't feel the wrongness the way you do Taichi. The only way I know something is wrong right now is because of you."
"Gee thanks," I said sarcastically.
"I meant that in a good way."
I rolled my eyes at him, and he had the grace to blush. "I knew that!" he said, before I could say anything.
"Knew what?"
"Whatever you were going to say."
"Uh-huh. Sure," I said, pretending to be disbelieving. "If you say so, Koushiro."
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"Oh, so you're finally awake now, are you?" he smirked.
I just watched him warily, unsure of what he was thinking of next.
He went over and untied Takeru, and then yanked me to a sitting position. I grit my teeth against the pain, determined not to act like a baby as I'd done earlier.
"Now, let's start over, shall we? Hopefully things will go over a lot better this time. I'm going to ask you once more, Yamato. Did you tell?"
I shook my head. "No," I whispered.
His face tightened, and I saw his jaw quirk a bit, but he didn't say anything to me. Instead he went to my brother, who was watching him fearfully. Neither of us knew what he had planned, and couldn't predict what he'd do next.
We especially weren't prepared for what he did.
Without warning, he swung his arm in a wide arc towards Takeru; the next thing I knew was Takeru's face was deadly white, and he was on his knees on the floor, clutching at his chest, trying to keep the blood from spilling everywhere, a huge gaping hole in his chest where the knife had been just moments before.
That's when I lost it. "TAKERU!" I screamed, and I felt new strength beginning to surge up through me. I didn't know where it came from. I didn't care.
"TAKERU!" I screamed again as he groaned. My uncle laughed, and I turned to him, furious, hot tears stinging my eyes.
"You fucking BASTARD!" I shouted at him, then lunged at him. He stumbled backwards, taken off guard by my unexpected attack. His surprise gave me the edge I needed. Within seconds he was down on the ground, and I was on top of him, pounding him with my fists.
"You fuckin bastard! You hurt my brother! He didn't do anything to do! You goddamned bastard, I hate your guts, I hate what you did to Takeru, I hate what you did to me, I HATE YOU! I wish you'd die!!" I was pummeling him in the face, hardly aware of my actions. Blood was everywhere, I didn't know if it was his or mine. Perhaps it was both, who knows.
Gasping for breath, his hands fumbled for something a few feet away. I looked. It was his knife, which he'd dropped when I knocked him off balance.
"Oh no you don't, you asshole!" I said, but he managed to get it before I had a chance. He brought his hand towards me, I let out a shriek and grabbed his wrist, bending it backwards with all my strength.
We remained interlocked in our eternal struggle for a bit. I gradually became aware that I was shouting something at him over and over. "Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you! I hate you, I hope you die! Fuck you! Fuck you, fuck you, go to hell! Goddamned bastard!"
At the last moment, just when the knife was getting too close to my back for comfort, I slammed his wrist down on the floor. We both heard the distinct snap of bone breaking, he cried out and the knife clattered to the floor. I snatched it up.
"I hate you!" I screeched. "I fucking hate you!" I wish you were dead!"
"Get off me, you brat," he grunted, and somehow slung me off of him. I went flying across the room, whamming into the wall, the breath temporarily knocked out of me. "Shit," I grunted. At least I was still holding on to the knife. I'd probably need it.
I caught my breath and looked back up just in time to see my uncle rushing towards me. "No!" I cried, and rolled off to the side. He crashed into the wall, and I crawled away from him, too weakened to get back on my feet again.
"You little shit," he muttered at me, and reached over for me. I scrambled backwards, but he grabbed onto my ankle tightly, and I couldn't shake him lose. "No, dammit! I won't lose! I'm not going to die here, not like this!"
Desperate to get away and get to Takeru, I clutched the knife tightly and then stabbed him in the chest, trying not to think about what I was doing.
He hissed in pain, and I pulled the knife back before he could grab it. However, he let go of me. Thinking he'd go for me again, I scrabbled backwards as fast as I could. But it wasn't me he was after. Instead, he went for Takeru.
"No!" Stupidly, and in utter desperation, I tossed the knife at him. The handle hit his body harmlessly and fell gently to the floor.
He laughed and picked it up. "Stupid boy," he told me.
"Fuck me," I cursed myself. "That was so stupid."
Then my eyes widened. "TAKERU!"
My uncle was raising the knife against Takeru, preparing to plunge it deep into his heart...
Somehow I got in front of my brother, grabbed my uncle's wrist. Forced the knife out of his hand. Picked it up, and stabbed him. And stabbed him. And stabbed him.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no," I was muttering as I stabbed him. "No! No! You won't hurt Takeru! NO!!"
"Yamato! Yamato!"
"No! NO! NO NO NO NO!"
Strong hands wrapping around me, pulling me away from my uncle, wrenching the knife out of my hand.
"Yamato! He's dead!"
I struggled, tried to hit whoever it was, not wanting to let go, having to kill him... needing to hurt him for hurting my little brother..
"No!" I shrieked. "Let me go! Let me go!"
"Yamato! Stop it, he's dying, okay? He's dying! You're safe now, you're safe!"
"NOOOO!!! No... no... Takeru..."
Gradually I began to come back to myself, and I realized I was sobbing wildly, and completely covered in blood.
It was dad who was holding me.
"'tousan.." I sobbed. "I killed him, I killed him! Oh my God, I killed him!"
"Shh.." he soothed, brushing back my hair. "It's over, I'm here now, you're safe.. it''s over, Yamato.."
Then suddenly I remembered. "Takeru!" I began struggling against dad again, and he let me go this time. I sort of crawled over to my brother, who was lying still on the floor. "Call an ambulance!" I screamed at my father in panic, as I scooped up my brother's body. He was so pale and lifeless...
"Please don't die, Takeru," I begged him. "I didn't go through all that for you to die on me now... Please, Takeru.." I hugged his body close to me, tears rolling down my cheeks, my uncle's dead body a few feet away from us, and my father sitting beside me, still brushing back my hair, trying to comfort me.
"Takeru..." I sobbed. "Don't die, please don't die.."
In the distance I heard the wail of a siren.
Chapter 6 finale
[Bleed owari]
©2004 butterflie 24 January 2004 Saturday 1:57AM
epilogue
Can you see me now?
Can you see me now?
Can you see?
All this weeping in the air
Who can tell where it will fall?
Through floating forests in the air
'Cross the rolling open sea
Blow a kiss, I run through air
Leave the past, find nowhere
Floating forests in the air
Clowns all around you
Clowns that only let you know
Where you let your senses go
Clowns all around you
It's a cross I need to bear
All this black and cruel despair
This is an emergency
Don't you hide your eyes from me
Open them and see me now
Can you see me now?
Can you see?
Can you see me now?
Can you see?
Can you see me now?
Floating forests in the air
Clowns all around you
Can you see
Can you see me now?
See me here in the air
Not holding on to anywhere
But holding on so beware
I have secrets I won't share
See me here pushing you
If I then deny I do
Contemplate or wish away
If I ask you not to stay
Clowns that only let you know
Where you let your senses go
Clowns all around you
It's a cross I need to bear
All this black and cruel despair
This is an emergency
Don't you hide your eyes from me
Open them and see me now
Can you see me now?
Can you see?
Clowns all around you
Can you see me now?
Can you see?
Can you see me now?
Can you see?
Can you see me now?
-Clowns, Tatu
(Russian Version:)
Poprosi menya'.
Ogon'ki privychnye
Gasnut i konchayutsya.
Tol'ko bezrazlichnye,
Fanari kochayutsya
Mysli postoronnie
Lishnie ne novye
I potustaronnie
Zavodnye klouny
Zavodnye klouny
Sinie I krasnya
Zavodnye klouny
I slova naprasnye
Luchshe poprosi menya
I prosnemsya novymi
I prosnemsya sil'nymi
Tol'ko poprosi menya
Poprosi menya'
Sinie krasnya
Krasnye naprasnye
Krasnye sinie
I sovsem bessil'nye
Samye obychnye
I sovsem ne novye
Kukly bez razlichnye
Zavodnye klouny
Na chetyre storony
Vse chetyre levye
A po pyatoi klouny
Kukly ne umelye
Luchshe poprosi menya
I prosnemsya novymi
I prosnemsya sil'nymi
Tol'ko poprosi menya
-Klouny, Tatu
Author's Notes: Yes, you read that right. The story is over. It ends here. I hope that the whole scene between Yamato and his uncle and Takeru was okay... It was a struggle for me to write it, and still keep it realistic, because I've never really written any kind of scene like that before, and I wasn't sure how to go about it and still interject some life into it. I'm afraid it sounds kind of stuffy, like 'Yamato did this and that and his uncle did this and he said that and he said this and then they did this and then this happened.' I hope it sounds a bit better than that. All in all, though, I had tons of fun writing this, and it was really quite enjoyable. I found it interesting to write a story that actually had like, a plot plot, rather than the usual type of emotion-based stories I write. Maybe in the future I'll write some more stories with actual plots, rather than emotions.
Oh, and just so you know, there is a epilogue coming for this, to provide the closure I know you guys must be craving ^^ In fact, I've already started on it. I wrote some of it in history class today, because Coach gave us free time. The fact that I wrote it before finishing the story is a little odd, but since I knew how the story would end anyways.. And no, I haven't forgotten about Taichi and Koushiro. Anyways, I hoped you enjoyed this, keep an eye out for the epilogue, leave me a review if you want, I'd appreciate it if you did!
epilogue
Digimon - R - English - Angst/Romance - Chapters: 8 - Words: 37396 - Reviews: 33 - Updated: 4-16-04 - Published: 1-11-04
chapter five
Disclaimer: Digimon belongs to Toei Animation, but somehow fell in the wrong hands and ended up with Saban. Ahh.. what is this world coming to?!
Author's Notes: Okay.. final chapter! Wow, I can't believe it's here already. It's been great. Tons more dark stuff in this one.. violence, death, angst, abuse, rape, language.. Yeah. Things will be getting pretty intense and fast for a moment there. Not to mention the time flow between povs isn't equal. They'll be moving at different speeds. Oh, and to Takato the Dreamer - I love cliffhangers. *grins* They're the best places to halt a story! And, thanks to: Luna Wolf, Burned Vamp, Violette Mai, eugene, Takato the Dreamer, Kami9, nEo-cHaN, bullet tooth tony, and kaiya5 for reviewing this story. Your reviews were very interesting to read, I loved all the different opinions. Also, a special thanks to yamatoforever for keeping up with every story I've posted since Untold Secrets. You're my #1 reviewer =^^= Well, I hope everyone enjoys this! I'm off to get a baked potato (mm... supper!), and then I'll set to writing!
Ok, just one last thing. The song I listened to the most while writing this chapter was Tatu's Klouny (the Russian version of clowns), and the music and the words rather suit this chapter very well. (the meaning of the words too, somewhat). If you don't have the song, I'd recommend downloading it ^-^ I'll shutup now and get back to finishing up, mmkay?
Bleed
by: butterflie, formerly known as Crimson Goddess
Chapter 6:In Frantic Desperation
I cautiously entered my uncle's house, unnerved by the silence that didn't sound quite natural.
"Oji?" I called fearfully. Perhaps it might have been better to just search him out, but if he was here, he would have heard me come in and would have not been happy if I didn't say anything.
"Oji, Tadaima," I tried again, still without success. I moved through the house slowly, checking all the rooms, leaving mine for last because it was at the back of the house.
"Oji?" I said once more, and then this I detected a faint tremble in my voice. I was scared. Oh boy, I was scared.
But then again, maybe I'd gotten lucky. Maybe my uncle had never come home last night. Maybe he was still out at wherever it was he always goes after he goes in a rage. Maybe he'd never known that I'd left the house at all, maybe he'll come home and think I was here all night and only left for school. Or maybe he just came home sometime earlier today and assumed I was in school. I can only hope he didn't check.
As I neared my room, I slowed down and tried to listen, wondering maybe I'd pick up on faint sounds that would give me a clue. I heard nothing. My hope rising, and starting to feel confident that my uncle wasn't here, I pushed open the door.
+-+-+-+
"Please! I'm desperate! I have to get back to Odaiba! Can't you just give me a ride? I'll pay you whatever it takes!"
The man just looked at him and sat there complacently chewing on some tobacco. "I don't understand," he said in English.
Masaharu groaned and smacked his forehead. He pointed to the plane behind the man, still on the runway. Then he pointed to himself and back to the plane. "Puriisu.." he tried in broken english. "Mii... niido raido. pureein."
"Prayin'?" the man asked.
Frantically he pointed to the plane again. "Pureein! Raido! Mii!" Oh God Yamato.. I'm coming as fast as I can. Hold on, okay? Give me strength.
"Playin'?"
+-+-+-+
The ticking of the clock didn't seem right. It gave the atmosphere an ominous quality, one that left me feeling distinctinly uneasy. For the millionth time, I paused the video game and looked back at my clock. It was 4:30, barely an hour since I'd left Yamato. I wondered if he was okay. I certainly hoped so. I wished I could go over there and protect him from his uncle, but I knew it wasn't practical.
I heard the phone rang, and my heart leaped. Yamato?
But it didn't ring again, and no one called for me. I sighed somewhat dejectedly and unpaused my game, pressing the buttons listlessly. I didn't even care when I finally beat the Giant Cactuar, a GF I'd been trying to get for ages. Who could focus on video games when they'd just sent the one they loved into eminent danger? Certainly not me. Sighing again, I climbed back into Ragnarok and set out for Dallet, where I quickly saved and shut the ps2 console off. I wasn't in the mood for video games, not even Final Fantasy ones.
Maybe I'll draw... that should take my mind off Yama.
I loved to draw. It was a great talent that I'd spent years refining; unfortunately, no one knew about it. I kept it secret, afraid of being laughed at. But sometimes I wished someone knew so I could brag about my latest piece of art. Perhaps I'll show Yama tomorrow, after all this is thankfully over...
I pulled out the pencils I used for my art, and dragged out my sketchpad from where I'd hidden it under my bed. I flipped the pad to a clean page and started doing a sketch of Yamato as I'd seen him yesterday when I walked into his uncle's house. It may have seemed weird how I could I stand to do something so cruel and violent, and draw him as he was so violated, but the truth was that the image was forever burned into my brain, and getting it onto paper would at least help me cope some with how I felt about it. I hadn't really had a chance to yet, I'd been too busy taking care of Yama.
My lines were quick and sure, and after awhile an image of Yamato begin to form on the paper. Still, it didn't feel right. I wasn't really concentrating, and too, that damned clock was really unnerving me.
"Argh!" I finally cried in frustration, tossing down my pencil. It snapped in half, and I sighed. "Damn." I closed my sketchpad and shoved it back under my bed.
"I wonder if Koushiro is home?"
About thirty minutes later found me being welcomed into Koushiro's apartment.
"Where're your parents?" I asked.
"They went out for dinner. They wanted to take me, but I said I was busy. So we're by ourselves. Have you eaten yet?"
I shook my head. "No, but don't worry about it, I'm not really hungry."
He didn't bother to tease me; Koushiro always could tell when I was seriously bothered by something, and given my worries as of late, he had a pretty good idea of what it was.
"Well, I'm hungry, so if you don't mind, I'll fix something before we talk about whatever it is you need to unload."
I smiled a bit. "Sorry. I know you must get sick of listening to me whine all the time."
"I don't mind, really. And Yamato's my friend too, I worry about him just like you do, just not to the same degree."
"Yeah. I know. But still.."
"Really, Tai, it's okay," he said, trying to placate me. I followed him to the kitchen, where he'd apparently been frying some rice in the wok.
"Oh, I didn't make you burn it, did I?' I exclaimed.
He stirred it, replying, "No, it's okay. I had it turned down low."
I pulled a seat out at his table and sat there, elbows propped on the table, head resting against my hands, watching him while he cooked his rice. We stayed that way in silence for a bit. Eventually he took the heat off the wok and took a bowl from the cabinet, pausing. "Sure you don't want any?"
I shook my head once more. "No, but thanks anyways Kou."
He shrugged and began scooping rice into his bowl. He got a pair of chopsticks out and sat down next to me.
"Itadakimasu," he said, and began to eat. I raised my eyebrows as I watched him. He was eating almost as fast as I do!
"Hungry, are we?" I remarked.
"Well, if somebody hadn't been skipping school, he would have known I didn't get lunch today. Or breakfast, for that matter."
"I wasn't skipping. Both my mother and I thought it better if we didn't go."
"We who? I know Hikari was there, I saw her."
"Yamato and me."
He took the last few bites and shoved the empty bowl aside, chopsticks laid across. Awfully fast.
"So what happened?" he asked. "I was actually worried when I didn't see either of you guys today. Did he finally tell you what was going on?"
"Sorta.. I was right, you know, about his uncle hitting him."
Koushiro winced. "Even though I knew it was likely, I'd kind of hoped you would be wrong."
"Yeah, but there's more.." I trailed off, slightly uncomfortable. "His uncle has been .. well, raping him too."
This time he paled and sucked in a deep breath. "Jesus. Is he okay? How did you find all this out, if he didn't tell tell you?"
Quickly, I went on to describe how Yamato had called me and how I'd found him when I'd got to his uncle's house. "It was pretty bad, Kou. He stayed at my house the night, but he went back today. He said his uncle was threatening to kill Takeru if he told."
"So we were right about that then," he said softly.
I bit my lip, nodded. "Yeah, we were," I said miserably. "And the thing is, we're not really sure if his uncle will believe him when he says he didn't tell. We're only hoping. All he needs is to survive this night, and then things will be okay."
"I thought he had to stay another week."
"Well, he was supposed to, but my mother called his father, and he's coming in tomorrow."
"That's good then! Why are you so worried?"
I frowned. "Something doesn't feel right, Koushiro. It should, but... ever since I left him there at the corner, I've felt wrong somehow. Like I'm making a big mistake by letting him go. I promised him things would be okay, but I feel like they won't be.. like someone won't be coming out of this alive, as if it's not a simple matter of him just living through one more night of being raped and beaten. There's.. something more.. I just sense it."
The redhead stood and walked into the living room. He was quiet for a bit, then, "Isn't there anything we can do to help him?"
I swallowed, and when I spoke, my voice was thick. "I've thought about it so much... thought about so many different things.. but dammit, I can't do a one of them without putting Takeru's life in extreme danger."
He came back in then, and his face was wet with crying. "There has to be something, Taichi.."
"I don't know what.. I feel so helpless still, I really do. Even knowing the problem with Yamato doesn't let me help him.."
"So you mean we just have to sit here until tomorrow, waiting for some word that he's alright?"
"You got a better idea? One that will keep everyone safe?"
He sank back down into his chair, shoulders slumped. "No.. for once, my mind is a complete blank. I'm lost, I admit it.. this is out my depth, Taichi.."
"Mine too.." I sighed. "We just sit here... and wait."
+-+-+-+
I pushed open the door.
I didn't see anything, not at first, and I was relieved, thinking I was alone in the house. Then I heard a small, familiar, whimper, and my heart dropped like a stone.
I went further into the room, and briefly closed my eyes at the sight I saw, trying not to cry.
Takeru was sitting on the bed, looking trussed up. He had a black eye and a bunch of bruises visible all over his arms. Fresh blood was dripping down his noise, and there was more blood on his shirt, dried and drying. But he was still clothed, and he didn't look as if my uncle had gotten his hands on him in that way, something I was eternally thankful for.
I licked my lips. I wasn't sure who to address first, my uncle or Takeru. If I addressed Takeru first, my uncle was likely to get pissed and smack me. But then again, he already had Takeru, how much worse could things get? Might as well be reckless.
A word of advice: Never think things are at the worst. You'll quickly find how true that is not.
"Takeru.." I spoke softly. "Are you okay?"
He nodded, but even as he opened his mouth to speak, my uncle smacked him across the face. "Shutup! I told you not to speak!" He turned towards me. "And you! How dare you favor him and ignore me! I'm your elder, and you will show me the respect I deserve!"
"I'm sorry, Oji," I said automatically, though I wasn't really. I'd needed to let Takeru know things would be okay, and if I backed down to my uncle, he'd never believe it.
He stood up from the chair he'd placed next to the bed, and stalked over to me. Reaching out, he smacked me across the face as well, though much harder than he'd hit Takeru. I staggered back some but held my ground, glaring at him.
"Why do you have Takeru?" I asked him. "You promised."
"You told," he said. And smacked me again. Still I held firm. "You-fuckin-told-you-little-lying-whore!" Each word was accompanied by a hard punch to the face. Coming right after one another, I didn't have a chance. The last one knocked me to the ground. I heard Takeru cry out and cry "'niichan!" but luckily my uncle ignored him in favor of kicking me.
"Didn't I tell you not to tell dammit? You stupid little shit! What the hell did you think you were doing? Do you want your brother to die?! Goddamn you to hell!?"
"I didn't tell!" I cried out, all my courage fleeing at the mention of killing Takeru. "I never told, I swear!"
"You lying fucker! I know you told, don't tell me otherwise!" He kicked at me some more, then quit to go back and continue his vigilance besides Takeru.
I stood up on weak legs, blood running down my face and arms where some of his kicks had landed. "I never told," I said, ignoring the pain my body was trying to inform me about. "Really, Oji, I didn't tell.."
His face darkened. "Yes you did, I know you did. I have proof."
I barely had time to wonder about that before he pulled out a knife from the drawer in the bedside table. I flinched at the sharp looking blade, suddenly scared. What was he planning on doing with that? If he killed Takeru..
I didn't even have time to finish my thought. Taking the knife, he ran it down my brother's chest. His T-shirt fell back in half, held up only by being trapped between his back and the bed headboard. Where the knife had ran, a vertical line of crimson welled up.
I felt like I was going to be sick. "No!"
He laughed maliciously, and ran the knife down the length of both of Takeru's arms, drawing more blood. My brother didn't make a noise though, just watched me fearfully. Don't worry about me, his eyes seemed to be telling me. Just worry about yourself. I'll be okay.
"No!" I cried, this time in response to Takeru's unspoken command. "Takeru.."
A feral grin remaining on his face, my uncle stood up and advanced back towards me again. "Take off your shirt," he ordered.
I moaned, knowing what he wanted, and also thinking of all the bruises still residing on my skin. It was bad enough Takeru knew I was being hit. But to actually see the bruises, and to find out what else my uncle liked to do to me... I'd never wanted him to know.
I shook my head, a few tears escaping. "No.." I moaned. "Please, Oji, don't make me.."
He aimed the knife at my brother's heart. "At this close range, I don't think I'd miss," he warned.
That did it. Letting out a whimper not unlike Takeru's earlier, I slipped my shirt over my head. I didn't dare look at Takeru.
"oniichan.." I heard him whisper in shock, and then I chanced to look at him for a second. In just the glimpse that I got, I could see his eyes were wide and full of worry. But not disgust, or hatred, or anger. I was relieved.
My uncle came over and trailed his fingers lightly down my chest, smiling when I flinched at the pain as he went over all the bruises. Then he leaned in and kissed me. I squeezed my eyes shut, partly to attempt not to cry, partly to pretend this wasn't happening, partly so I wouldn't have to see my little brother's reaction as he watched his uncle passionately kiss his older brother.
When I failed to respond to his kiss, he pulled back and slapped me on the back of the head. "Stupid shit," he said again. "You're worthless, and can't do anything right! Tell me why you told!"
"I didn't tell, honest," I repeated, still trying to stick to my story.
He scowled, and suddenly went back to my brother. Scooping him up roughly, he dropped him in the chair he'd sat in, and glared at him. "You move, even so much as shift in that seat, I'll kill you, I swear I will."
Takeru nodded, eyes still wide.
My uncle came back to me, and picked me up as well, slinging me down on the bed. I cringed back away from him, knowing what he planned to do.
"Please," I begged him, darting my eyes at Takeru, who looked confused and unsure of what my uncle had in my mind. "Not here.. not in front of my brother.."
He ignored me and instead yanked my pants down and off me, not caring that they ripped. I let out a small cry, hardly able to believe this was happening.
Taichi... you said everything would be alright.. I believed you. I still do. As long as Takeru and I make it out alive, everything will turn out okay.. Just.. I need you. I wish you were here... please, someone save me! Save Takeru!
My uncle got up on the bed and straddled me, his weight bearing down on me and making me feel slightly short of breath.
I glanced back at my brother again, whose eyes were now miserable with knowledge.
"Now, are you going to tell me?"
Stubbornly, I shook my head. I had to protect Taichi too, and if it meant getting raped for him, I'd do it. Dad would be here tomorrow, and then things would be okay. I could keep Takeru alive until then.
"Goddammit boy! I don't know why you're lying, but it's doing you no good!"
Without hardly being aware that he was doing, he angrily brought the knife up and then plunged it downward into my arm.
Takeru shrieked, and I let out a loud scream. My uncle removed the knife, and blood began to pour out of the wound. The pain was excruciating, a thousand-no, million-times worse than when he'd ever raped me. My arm felt like it was on fire, and my eyes blurred with tears. I was only just conscious of my uncle pulling his pants down, removing my own boxers, and entering me, thrusting over and over... I barely felt it. That pain was minuscule compared to the pain of the wound in my arm.
Dimly I heard Takeru crying off to the side, and gradually my eyes focused enough and the pain abated slightly for me to realize that my uncle was done with me at the moment, he'd had his fun, proven his power over me.
Weakly I lifted my head and looked at Takeru. "Where's Oji?" I whispered.
"Went into the other room. He'll be back," Takeru sniffed. "Are you okay?"
I tried to smile for his sake. "'S'nothing. Just.. scratch.." My reassurance was ruined as I felt my stomach lurch. I sat up and turned my head to the side just in time to hurl Mrs. Yagami's brunch on the floor.
"Ew, gross," Takeru said, giving a small giggle. That, thankfully, brought a smile to my face. No matter that it was a small one.
"Sorry, kiddo," I rasped.
Just then my uncle stormed back in. He looked at the mess on the floor.
"You stupid fucker! Goddammit!" He came over and hit me hard on arm, where'd he'd so happily stuck the knife in earlier. All I could manage was a small moan at the pain. Screams were beyond me.
"I ought to make you clean that," he muttered.
Takeru gave him a pleading look, and I tried to shush him before he could say anything stupid, something he'd regret. "Please Ojisan, he's hurting, don't make him clean it, please."
"Shut up brat!" he said, backhanding my brother.
I stiffened. My uncle abusing me I could take, but it was starting to seriously piss me off the way he kept hurting Takeru.
"Stop that!" I said.
He whirled around. "Excuse me?"
"Stop it, Oji. Stop hitting him. He didn't do anything." It was hard for me to speak, but I spoke slowly, forming my words with care and trying to keep as much slur out of my voice as possible. It was hard for all the pain, but I faired okay.
His reply was spoken softly, dangerously. "You do not presume to tell me what to do. I will do whatever the fuck I want to do , and if that includes hitting little angelic otouto over here, then I will do so. Is that understood?"
"No," I spat out defiantly.
I caught a quick spark of emotion in his eyes, something like I'd never seen before. It wasn't anger, or glee at seeing us suffer. It was something else entirely. Something I didn't recognize. Something.. alien to a man like him. Then it was gone.
I don't remember if he said anything to my defiance or not; I floated in and out for a bit. I was delirious with pain and worry for my brother's life, his innocence. Sometimes I was vaguely aware that I was mumbling, of what I couldn't make sense; it didn't matter anyways. Other times I was crying. Some times I lost all touch with reality completely, and floated in darkness for awhile. I had no idea what was going on. When I finally came to, the pain was a steady throb in my arm, slightly more tolerable. My eyes went to the window. It was dark outside. I looked over at Takeru, surprised to find him tied to the chair. "Why.." I began. My voice cracked, and I cleared it. I started over. "Why are you tied up?"
"Ojisan left." His voice was toneless, and it scared me some.
"Did he hurt you?" I demanded frantically. Oh please don't let Oji have hurt him..
My brother shook his head. "No.. not really. He hit me some more, but that mostly doesn't hurt. It's you he hurt." Takeru's eyes filled with tears.
"I'm sorry," I mumbled. "I didn't mean for you to get dragged into all of this. I thought it would be okay.. I thought I could get through it without you having to find out.."
"You should have told me," he sobbed. "We're going to be stuck in here until he kills us, aren't we?" The fear in his voice was unmistakable.
"No!" I said with as much force as I could muster. I raised my head the tiniest bit and looked him in the eye. "No, Takeru, I promise you he won't kill us. Otousan said he'd get here first thing in the morning. I told him what was going on last night, okay? Everything will turn out fine. Don't fret."
"But I'm scared!" he burst out. "I don't want you to die, Yamato!"
I was amazed. His own life was on the line, and all he cared about was mine. Of course, I was the same way, wasn't I? "Neither of us will die, kiddo. Okay? Can you believe that? Can you trust me?"
He nodded.
Outside a car door slammed.
"He's back, isn't he?" Takeru whispered, and I nodded.
+-+-+-+
"Come on, come on, go faster!" he urged the machine on softly. "I have to get to Odaiba now. Yamato's in trouble, I know he is.. I can feel it."
Masaharu leaned his head against the seat of the plane and sighed. "I should have told him not to go back," he muttered. "There had to have been a way to keep Takeru safe without placing Yamato in such danger. What kind of parent am I, anyways?"
"Not a very good one," he answered himself. "Geez, Yamato, please be okay. Be safe. And whatever's happening...hang on. I'm getting there as fast as I can."
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"I can't do this Kou!"
"Huh?" He looked up at me, startled out of his thoughts.
"I can't just keep sitting here waiting for any news. It's driving me crazy! And I'm too wired to sleep, and I'm not ready to go home. I'd do something, but I tried earlier and couldn't concentrate. I don't get it, how can you just sit there so calmly?!"
"I don't feel the wrongness the way you do Taichi. The only way I know something is wrong right now is because of you."
"Gee thanks," I said sarcastically.
"I meant that in a good way."
I rolled my eyes at him, and he had the grace to blush. "I knew that!" he said, before I could say anything.
"Knew what?"
"Whatever you were going to say."
"Uh-huh. Sure," I said, pretending to be disbelieving. "If you say so, Koushiro."
+-+-+-+
"Oh, so you're finally awake now, are you?" he smirked.
I just watched him warily, unsure of what he was thinking of next.
He went over and untied Takeru, and then yanked me to a sitting position. I grit my teeth against the pain, determined not to act like a baby as I'd done earlier.
"Now, let's start over, shall we? Hopefully things will go over a lot better this time. I'm going to ask you once more, Yamato. Did you tell?"
I shook my head. "No," I whispered.
His face tightened, and I saw his jaw quirk a bit, but he didn't say anything to me. Instead he went to my brother, who was watching him fearfully. Neither of us knew what he had planned, and couldn't predict what he'd do next.
We especially weren't prepared for what he did.
Without warning, he swung his arm in a wide arc towards Takeru; the next thing I knew was Takeru's face was deadly white, and he was on his knees on the floor, clutching at his chest, trying to keep the blood from spilling everywhere, a huge gaping hole in his chest where the knife had been just moments before.
That's when I lost it. "TAKERU!" I screamed, and I felt new strength beginning to surge up through me. I didn't know where it came from. I didn't care.
"TAKERU!" I screamed again as he groaned. My uncle laughed, and I turned to him, furious, hot tears stinging my eyes.
"You fucking BASTARD!" I shouted at him, then lunged at him. He stumbled backwards, taken off guard by my unexpected attack. His surprise gave me the edge I needed. Within seconds he was down on the ground, and I was on top of him, pounding him with my fists.
"You fuckin bastard! You hurt my brother! He didn't do anything to do! You goddamned bastard, I hate your guts, I hate what you did to Takeru, I hate what you did to me, I HATE YOU! I wish you'd die!!" I was pummeling him in the face, hardly aware of my actions. Blood was everywhere, I didn't know if it was his or mine. Perhaps it was both, who knows.
Gasping for breath, his hands fumbled for something a few feet away. I looked. It was his knife, which he'd dropped when I knocked him off balance.
"Oh no you don't, you asshole!" I said, but he managed to get it before I had a chance. He brought his hand towards me, I let out a shriek and grabbed his wrist, bending it backwards with all my strength.
We remained interlocked in our eternal struggle for a bit. I gradually became aware that I was shouting something at him over and over. "Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you! I hate you, I hope you die! Fuck you! Fuck you, fuck you, go to hell! Goddamned bastard!"
At the last moment, just when the knife was getting too close to my back for comfort, I slammed his wrist down on the floor. We both heard the distinct snap of bone breaking, he cried out and the knife clattered to the floor. I snatched it up.
"I hate you!" I screeched. "I fucking hate you!" I wish you were dead!"
"Get off me, you brat," he grunted, and somehow slung me off of him. I went flying across the room, whamming into the wall, the breath temporarily knocked out of me. "Shit," I grunted. At least I was still holding on to the knife. I'd probably need it.
I caught my breath and looked back up just in time to see my uncle rushing towards me. "No!" I cried, and rolled off to the side. He crashed into the wall, and I crawled away from him, too weakened to get back on my feet again.
"You little shit," he muttered at me, and reached over for me. I scrambled backwards, but he grabbed onto my ankle tightly, and I couldn't shake him lose. "No, dammit! I won't lose! I'm not going to die here, not like this!"
Desperate to get away and get to Takeru, I clutched the knife tightly and then stabbed him in the chest, trying not to think about what I was doing.
He hissed in pain, and I pulled the knife back before he could grab it. However, he let go of me. Thinking he'd go for me again, I scrabbled backwards as fast as I could. But it wasn't me he was after. Instead, he went for Takeru.
"No!" Stupidly, and in utter desperation, I tossed the knife at him. The handle hit his body harmlessly and fell gently to the floor.
He laughed and picked it up. "Stupid boy," he told me.
"Fuck me," I cursed myself. "That was so stupid."
Then my eyes widened. "TAKERU!"
My uncle was raising the knife against Takeru, preparing to plunge it deep into his heart...
Somehow I got in front of my brother, grabbed my uncle's wrist. Forced the knife out of his hand. Picked it up, and stabbed him. And stabbed him. And stabbed him.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no," I was muttering as I stabbed him. "No! No! You won't hurt Takeru! NO!!"
"Yamato! Yamato!"
"No! NO! NO NO NO NO!"
Strong hands wrapping around me, pulling me away from my uncle, wrenching the knife out of my hand.
"Yamato! He's dead!"
I struggled, tried to hit whoever it was, not wanting to let go, having to kill him... needing to hurt him for hurting my little brother..
"No!" I shrieked. "Let me go! Let me go!"
"Yamato! Stop it, he's dying, okay? He's dying! You're safe now, you're safe!"
"NOOOO!!! No... no... Takeru..."
Gradually I began to come back to myself, and I realized I was sobbing wildly, and completely covered in blood.
It was dad who was holding me.
"'tousan.." I sobbed. "I killed him, I killed him! Oh my God, I killed him!"
"Shh.." he soothed, brushing back my hair. "It's over, I'm here now, you're safe.. it''s over, Yamato.."
Then suddenly I remembered. "Takeru!" I began struggling against dad again, and he let me go this time. I sort of crawled over to my brother, who was lying still on the floor. "Call an ambulance!" I screamed at my father in panic, as I scooped up my brother's body. He was so pale and lifeless...
"Please don't die, Takeru," I begged him. "I didn't go through all that for you to die on me now... Please, Takeru.." I hugged his body close to me, tears rolling down my cheeks, my uncle's dead body a few feet away from us, and my father sitting beside me, still brushing back my hair, trying to comfort me.
"Takeru..." I sobbed. "Don't die, please don't die.."
In the distance I heard the wail of a siren.
Chapter 6 finale
[Bleed owari]
©2004 butterflie 24 January 2004 Saturday 1:57AM
epilogue
Can you see me now?
Can you see me now?
Can you see?
All this weeping in the air
Who can tell where it will fall?
Through floating forests in the air
'Cross the rolling open sea
Blow a kiss, I run through air
Leave the past, find nowhere
Floating forests in the air
Clowns all around you
Clowns that only let you know
Where you let your senses go
Clowns all around you
It's a cross I need to bear
All this black and cruel despair
This is an emergency
Don't you hide your eyes from me
Open them and see me now
Can you see me now?
Can you see?
Can you see me now?
Can you see?
Can you see me now?
Floating forests in the air
Clowns all around you
Can you see
Can you see me now?
See me here in the air
Not holding on to anywhere
But holding on so beware
I have secrets I won't share
See me here pushing you
If I then deny I do
Contemplate or wish away
If I ask you not to stay
Clowns that only let you know
Where you let your senses go
Clowns all around you
It's a cross I need to bear
All this black and cruel despair
This is an emergency
Don't you hide your eyes from me
Open them and see me now
Can you see me now?
Can you see?
Clowns all around you
Can you see me now?
Can you see?
Can you see me now?
Can you see?
Can you see me now?
-Clowns, Tatu
(Russian Version:)
Poprosi menya'.
Ogon'ki privychnye
Gasnut i konchayutsya.
Tol'ko bezrazlichnye,
Fanari kochayutsya
Mysli postoronnie
Lishnie ne novye
I potustaronnie
Zavodnye klouny
Zavodnye klouny
Sinie I krasnya
Zavodnye klouny
I slova naprasnye
Luchshe poprosi menya
I prosnemsya novymi
I prosnemsya sil'nymi
Tol'ko poprosi menya
Poprosi menya'
Sinie krasnya
Krasnye naprasnye
Krasnye sinie
I sovsem bessil'nye
Samye obychnye
I sovsem ne novye
Kukly bez razlichnye
Zavodnye klouny
Na chetyre storony
Vse chetyre levye
A po pyatoi klouny
Kukly ne umelye
Luchshe poprosi menya
I prosnemsya novymi
I prosnemsya sil'nymi
Tol'ko poprosi menya
-Klouny, Tatu
Author's Notes: Yes, you read that right. The story is over. It ends here. I hope that the whole scene between Yamato and his uncle and Takeru was okay... It was a struggle for me to write it, and still keep it realistic, because I've never really written any kind of scene like that before, and I wasn't sure how to go about it and still interject some life into it. I'm afraid it sounds kind of stuffy, like 'Yamato did this and that and his uncle did this and he said that and he said this and then they did this and then this happened.' I hope it sounds a bit better than that. All in all, though, I had tons of fun writing this, and it was really quite enjoyable. I found it interesting to write a story that actually had like, a plot plot, rather than the usual type of emotion-based stories I write. Maybe in the future I'll write some more stories with actual plots, rather than emotions.
Oh, and just so you know, there is a epilogue coming for this, to provide the closure I know you guys must be craving ^^ In fact, I've already started on it. I wrote some of it in history class today, because Coach gave us free time. The fact that I wrote it before finishing the story is a little odd, but since I knew how the story would end anyways.. And no, I haven't forgotten about Taichi and Koushiro. Anyways, I hoped you enjoyed this, keep an eye out for the epilogue, leave me a review if you want, I'd appreciate it if you did!
epilogue