Chapter Four

Kuina POV

               After my run in with death a few days back, Meto had been unexpectedly kind to me, and well that meant a lot less beatings. Don’t get me wrong, he still physically and ually abused me at times, it just wasn’t as harsh. Despite being healed by Master Kyo, I still felt sort of messed up. There were random things that escaped my mind, or a bout of pain would attack my stomach, reaching up and shredding through my innards. After those random pain attacks I would collapse on the floor and everyone would just walk around me.

               Meto didn’t require my presence, so I escaped to my only safe haven, which wasn’t even that safe, my room. After a long day of being yelled at, and beaten, I stripped my clothes off my battered body and stepped into the shower, washing all the blood and soap down the drain. Rubbing soap into one of the wounds, I heard a snicker behind me. I whipped around to find the man from the bar leaning on the door frame to the bathroom, red eyes gazing intently at me. “What the ?!” I yelled, quickly grabbing for the towel strewn across the counter.

               He was beside me in a second, covering my mouth with his hand, a finger to his lips. “Be quiet, they might hear you.”

               His mouth was close, lips brushing my ear, as he sent little shivers down my body. I stepped back from his grip, and led him to my room. There were no seats, only a flimsy futon, so we both sat down on that. I carefully adjusted my towel so it was still covering me, but I could feel my face growing hot. I was and alone with a y vampire. “So why are you…”

               My voice was cut off by his lips on mine. I tried to murmur something in protest and push him back, but he was stronger than me. Tsuzuku nipped at all the piercings on my lips and moved his lips back to my neck to on it.

Gently pushing my bruised frame onto the futon, he covered my body with his, straddling my waist. I finally gave in, wanting to lose myself in the moment and forget about my ty life. He bent down, firmly kissing my lips, slipping his tongue in. I brushed my hands down his smooth, soft skin, moving my hands to wrap around his neck to bring him in closer. His hair hung down into my face, tickling slightly. I breathed in his scent, he smelled like exotic spices. Tsuzuku stopped kissing me to kiss down my jaw and neck, pausing at a specific spot. harder on my neck, I felt something prick it slightly, sending a flash of heat throughout my body. At first I thought nothing of it, nuzzling my face into his silky black hair. The prick grew more painful and after a couple minutes of Tsuzuku my neck in that same spot, I shifted away awkwardly, trying to return his mouth to mine. He wrapped his hands around my bare shoulders, lifting me off the futon slightly, bringing me closer to him. The pain increased again as I felt warm liquid run down off my neck and onto my collarbone. I could see his muscles flexing as a coppery scent filled the air. My vision started swirling, as I pushed Tsuzuku’s chest slightly, trying to get him to stop, but no anvil. He gripped my shoulders tighter, sitting us both up. His hands splayed out across my back, pulling our bodies together. My vision flickered as even more of the warm liquid ran down my chest. My eyes started fluttering closed as I whispered his name.

               I later opened my eyes to an empty room; the window left open, and a breeze wisping in, upsetting the papers I had on the floor. I groaned as I got out of my bed and closed the window to the outside world. I tied my towel tighter around my waist and started cleaning up the papers that had been scattered. One stood out from the rest, it was written in what appeared to be vibrant red ink, but could just as easily have been blood. Scrawled on it in sketchy handwriting was “I hope we can meet again, my little fallen angel.”  I touched the small paper with my hand and drew back ink, meaning Tsuzuku had just left; it hadn’t been just a dream. Wandering into the bathroom, I splashed my face with water and tied back my long hair. Looking in the mirror, I realized the giant piece of gauze taped to my neck. Hiding that was going to be impossible. I groaned loudly, cursing Tsuzuku’s name. “Ughhh! That ing vampire! Is he trying to cause problems?!” I mumbled to no one in particular.

               Searching through my wardrobe for an outfit, I let the towel slide off my slim form and fall onto the floor. Pulling on a pair of underwear and some harem pants; I stood for a while in front of my wardrobe trying to decide what to wear, when I heard heels clicking down the hallway. Panicking, I quickly grabbed a high collar sweater and threw it over my head to cover the gauze. Meto stopped at my doorframe and gave me a sympathetic look; I stood there confused, why would Meto give me a sympathetic look? “Master Kyo asked me to bring you to him,” he mumbled, gesturing me to follow.

               Shivers were sent though my body at the mention of his name. Following Meto down the hallway and up the stairs, out of the dim basement; we passed other witches talking and when we passed the paused, frowning at me. Once we arrived at the grand doors to his room, Meto firmly patted me on the back and stepped back a couple steps. I hesitantly knocked, also taking a step back. After a few seconds of waiting, Kyo opened the door a sliver, glaring out at Meto and I. He grinned sadistically once he saw me, grabbing my wrist and pulling me into his room. Yanking hard on my wrist, I tripped and fell on the floor.

 He kicked my ribs repeatedly, causing me to scream in pain as I could feel them cracking. I lay crumpled on the floor, when he stopped, grabbing me by the back of my sweater, yanking me back to my feet. I stumbled, gaining my balance through the pain by grabbing a table. My breathing loud and uneven as I tried not to cry; each breath felt like a razor shredding my lungs.  He ped my sweater and quickly took it off, shoving me to the floor again. I raised a hand to my neck to cover the gauze and curled into myself to protect my vitals. A loud snap sounded as Kyo had gotten out a whip. Burning pain spread over my back as he lashed out at me with the whip. It was like nothing I had ever felt before; I screamed loudly, it echoing around the room as he just laughed wickedly at me. Tears streamed down my face as I cried out, cried out for the life I could barely remember before all these things happened.

               I remember being a little boy, with a chubby face, always getting into trouble. I remember being scolded a lot but at the end of the day my parents would always hug me, telling me they loved me. Why couldn’t I have this now, why did I have to be dragged away by what lurks in the shadows at such a young age. Tears started streaming down my face more urgently as I thought of the family I could barely remember.

               I was so lost in my thoughts, that I wasn’t aware that the whipping had stopped. I slowly opened my eyes, afraid of what was awaiting me, to find Kyo squatted in front of me. He grabbed the hand covering my neck, swatting it aside. He grabbed an edge of the gauze and ripped it off. After a few seconds of dead silence, he growled and my vision went dark. I had out for the second time that day.