Re: Nightmares
Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 2:55 am
by Elroy
The saga continues! With a soundtrack by Metallica. Enjoy!
Chapter 5
I yawn and whipe my eyes, feeling like I just woke up. Maybe The Room is TOO relaxing. I bend backwards, cracking my back and loosening up my joints. I hold out my left hand in front of me, for defensive reasons, and have my right hand pulled back, the knife pointing straight ahead. I probably look like a moron, but I have to be prepared, things got way too fucking close back there.
Thinking back on it...when I was with Shizune, the room was dark, cutting off a vital sense of hers. When I was with Lilly, the room was distorted, and full of monsters that could manipulate her using her sense of hearing. With Hanako...she was attacked by her past, with the memory of her father, and her fear of fire. What the hell is going on? IS this hell? Are each of us being subjected to our fears, out of punishment?
What the hell is going to happen to me? Or...am I immune to all this? And why my friends? Some of the people I'm closest to have been sucked into this with me, with no sign of bystanders or unknown people. Does that mean that my other friends are trapped here with me? Is this...predicament focused on me? Am I in hell by myself?
I was never very religious before, thinking that there COULD be something out there, but not feeling any certainty. Was it for THAT reason? What, if I went to church, I'd never be here? If I said fucking prayers before bedtime, I wouldn't be having to save my friends from demons?
I'm beyond the possibility of "Oh, I'm just fucked in the head." This is all too real. Sigh. Enough moping. It serves me no purpose, I have to remember that. I should do as someone strong would do. Like Shizune. If not for her disadvantage, I'm sure she'd be handling my situation very well. Anyway.
I walk through the hallways of the school. I can't dawdle, and checking every friggin room is going to take a while. I take to the same tactic as before, cupping my mouth and shouting.
"HELLLOOOOO?!" Probably not a fantastic idea, but nothing too terrible has happened in the hallways. Yet. I wouldn't quite call them "safe," though. I've grown too used to crazy shit happening to rule out the idea of something happening here. There aren't many "rules" here, other than The Room being safe. Ha, I keep thinking like I'm used to this place, as if I've been living here or something. I just don't want the others to think like this...to get used to this. Eh, either way, they're safe. They're a great motivation, and I couldn't do it without them, but I can't get distracted right now.
Hmmm?
As I walk through one of the classroom hallways, I hear soft scratching noises coming from a room. I ease my way closer to the door, trying to be as quiet as possible. I look back down the hall, I'm pretty damn far from The Room. If I find someone in here, it's gonna be a long walk back.
"Yes, that's good. If you keep practicing, you'll master it."
It sounds like a woman, definitely no girl I know. A teacher? Or another trap?
I press my ear to the door. Nobody is saying anything, but I hear the quiet rattles of paper, and the light movement of a pencil or pen being drug. Who the hell is writing at a time like this?
I open the door, figuring there's no point in being sneaky. There's no way TO be sneaky here.
There's a young woman behind a teacher's desk. I'd never seen her before...and this isn't the kind of face I could forget...she's beautiful. I almost have to raise my eyes to see the top of her head, she's definitely a bit taller than me, although it could be her shoes. Her eyes are a deep brown, sitting behind a pair of glasses, a small nose and proud smile underneath. Close to her full lips is a small mole, that some people would call a beauty mark. I always found the phrase stupid, but on her, damn did it fit. Her skin is pale, but has just a fair enough hint of color to where it's a not too light. Her rich brown hair is long, wrapped in a ponytail and draped around her left shoulder. She's wearing a tan buttoned shirt, which is probably the sort of thing used to conceal a figure, but there's no mistaking a body like that...the tan skirt matched with the shirt screams teacher, but is she really one? She has very European features, closer to Lilly's, but even moreso than her...is she a foreigner? I'm not sure she's even Japanese at all, though she seems to be of some mixed races. Sick of thinking questions, I start asking them.
"Uhh...ma'am?" I speak slowly, but I'm loud and clear enough to announce my presence....although it goes unnoticed. She continues staring and smiling ahead. I begin to wonder if she's a mannequin or something...I step infront of her, waving my hand infront of her face. Getting no reaction out of her, I turn to look at whatever she's so enthusiastic about.
RIN?!
I take a quick glance around the room, to make sure I didn't miss anybody else. It's a typical classroom, except for the no windows thing, instead there's a dark blue wall, no cutesy writing this time. And I almost missed the sense of humor this place once had. I look back at Rin, who's sitting at a lone desk. Her head is down, staring intently at a piece of paper...that she's...writing on....with...arms?!
She has....arms....fucking....arms...they don't look like prosthetics, they look like flesh...dead flesh. They're a pale grey color, from the exposed part of her arm I can see, all the way to her fingers and hands, no color, except for blue veins running through them.
"Rin?" Once I peel away from her arms, I can see she's in the normal girl's uniform. White shirt and black bowtie, even a friggin skirt.
Somehow moreso than having arms, this is a look I never thought I'd see her have.
She continues writing, if you can call it that. Her arms move as if they're numb. The way mine get if I fall asleep on them. She raises and lowers her writing arm with all the grace of a mentally challenged zombie. She gets her hand to move in a rotating circle, scribbling on the paper with her pencil. Her hand doesn't hold it as a normal person would, her writing hand is distorted into a claw-like shape, the fingers looking mangled. I jump as I hear a woman speak behind me.
"You're doing great, Tezuka. Just don't quit, keep going." Her accent is perfect. If she's not Japanese, she'd have to have been raised her to attain it.
I look back at her smiling face, and notice her arms are moving slowly, not as if they themselves are moving, but as if her hands are hard at work, her arms twitching slightly from the movements. I approach the desk, looking at The Teacher's eyes intently, waiting for some kind of sign that she knows I'm here. If she can see Rin, why the hell can't she see me? Is she just ignoring me? I look over the desk, peeking at the teacher's hands.
She's holding a cross, horizontally, moving it in small, very precise, turns and angles. I've seen something like this before, I just can't put my finger on it...
I look back at Rin, seeing her arm wiggle and jerk at the paper, the other arm holding onto the paper, using the weight to keep it from sliding across the desk.
I look back at The Teacher, and watch her movements...is she...that thing she's holding, it's like those things the puppeteers would use at the plays they'd do in primary school...was she controlling Rin? The cross looked like it was made out of wood, but it didn't have any strings, and no marionette to attach to.
I walk back to rin, looking down at the arm snaking its along the paper.
"Rin, come on, wake up." I put my hand on her left arm, the unmoving one. It's cold, as if it really is dead...
I bend over and take a look at her face, seeing under her short hair. She looks...hypnotized. Her eyes are wide, her pupils the size of coins. I snap my finger infront of her ear, no response. I need to get a better look at these arms.
I roll up her sleave on her right arm, following the grey skin all the way to a....hand? What the fuck?!
Her...shoulder..really is her's...the stump of her amputated arm is the same way it always was...but there's a grey hand gripping the stump...the arm continues from the hand grabbing the stump, to the other hand holding onto the table....a double-handed arm....I couldn't make this shit up myself...I roll up the other sleeve...same fucking thing. The arms were scrawny and thin, and the hands were about the size of mine, a little bigger than a girl's. Maybe I could pull these things off, get their grip off of her, and she'd be back to normal?
I gulp and put my hand on the finger's gripping Rin's left stump. I hear a soft, calm, feminine voice.
"You shouldn't disturb her, she's making progress."
My body jolts in surprise and I whip around towards The Teacher...she's...looking right at me...
"What the hell are you doing to her?!" I didn't plan on shouting, but the words came out with a loud and beligerant tone.
"Teaching her." She shakes her head in disappointment, her eyes closed. "She had no value of school property. No value of education. No value of life itself. I am making her into a good student. I am making her into a good person." Her words held a grave meaning to them, but she still sounded extremely polite and kind, almost like an older Lilly. She pauses slightly, calculating her next set of words, and begins again.
"You see, those arms grab onto her, and she's under my control. The longer she has them, the more they start to settle in. I know, you must be so disappointed with her movements, they're so uncoordinated and clumsy. Don't worry though, she's been here an hour or so, and has made great improvements. Soon, she'll be able to write straight lines, I just know she will!" She has an upbeat laugh at the end, as if to try and reassure me.
"You're fucking sick, let her go!" I have no time for kindness, no matter how kind she is to me. She's hurting my friend, I can't afford to give this bitch any mercy.
"Now, now, that's no way to talk to a teacher. I see your frustration though, please understand that I do. I know it may look like she's asleep, but she's aware of everything that's going on. Otherwise, what would the point be? It may look like the arms are doing all the work, but trust me, she's going to be able to learn this way. Learning is not about memorizing a select pattern of actions or words, it's about getting a feel for the activity itself, for the lifestyle surrounding it. It's about becoming the type of person that is best suited for the action at hand. It's about immersing yourself in the activity, whatever it may be, until it becomes you. Until you become it."
"What the fuck are you babbling about?!"
The teacher sighs lightly, and with a smile, begins again. "I know how this all sounds. I know that these days, a confident tone and a lot of big words can make you believe anything. I know very well that actions speak louder than words, and the only way we can judge how well something works is by seeing it in action, not by just hearing about it. So please, have a seat, watch her work. In just another hour or so, you'll start to notice improvement, I promise you."
I'm not entirely sure what the hell's going on, but I have no time for this. I have to hurry and get these things off of Rin. I can't be too late...Back when I was lazing around in The Room, I could've been here. I should've been here. I should've found Rin before anything like this could happen to her. It's all my fault....but I have to keep going, there has to be a way to help her....she has to know the way. I take the knife and slide my hand near the right Dead Arm, ready to slice into it, halted by The Teacher's eloquent voice.
"If you do that, she'll feel it. When the arm's grab hold, they become part of her body. She's already had her arms amputated before, do you want her to face it again?" She giggles girlishly. "I'm sorry, I have no anesthesia, but please, go ahead, if you want. Just know, that somewhere in there, she'll feel every cut, the feeling of bone being split apart, her tendons being wripped, her veins torn to shreds. So, be an intelligent young man, and put the knife down. Come, sit with me, we can watch her together. I know you're afraid for her. Just watch her for a few minutes, and you'll know that this is right for her. Please, come sit with me." She drags the chair of the desk out, offering it to me. I retort by pointing the knife in her direction.
"Listen, bitch." Her face tenses at the words, as if she's genuinely hurt by them. "You let her go. Let go of her, o-or, I'll kill you." My voice is way too uncertain, too wavey to hold a real threat....it's harder than anyone would think. Before, when I killed something, I was in a life or death situation. I was reacting to something that was happening, I was on the receiving end. Here...I was about to stab a beautiful woman to death. I know, I shouldn't think of her as that, but her looks have a disarming quality. The faceless things and Mr. Ikezawa were terrifying...she looks like an angel, as fucked up as that is to think. But either way, she's responsible for Rin being in this situation, and with a gulp, I realize that I will kill her if necessary.
"Did you hear me?! Let her go right now!"
She sighs. "You're going to distract her if you keep this up. Just watch her movements, you can tell the difference between now and when you walked in. It's subtle, but it's there."
I start walking towards The Teacher, my knife held out straight.
"I'm serious. I'll kill you." My words are as steady as the blade in my hand.
She sighs once again, then smiles in a flustered way. "Very well. This will serve as coordination training. The arms are the hardest to control, for obvious reasons, but I think her legs will move steadily enough."
"What the hell are you talking about?!"
My body stiffens as I feel a cold hand grab my shoulder, frigid fingers brushing against my neck. My head cranes to the left. Rin's emotionless face is staring straight through me.
"R-Rin?"
I see a blur of grey movement, and a fist crashes into my face with no reserve whatsoever, sending me to the ground.
I grab at my cheek and the portion of my mouth that got hit. Good God, It's a wonder if I'm not missing any teeth after that. I get off the floor in a daze, still holding the knife, somehow. Rin is standing infront of me, her knees wobbling slowly, her back hunched and her head slumped over. Her elbows are bent, and they seem to be the only part that's holding her up.
The teacher jumps in the air and giggles. "Tezuka! That was amazing! You need a little work with your swings, make sure you straighten your arms, but apart from that, a great first effort!"
I need to kill The Teacher...with her dead, Rin may go back to normal. I rush around the desk, intent on stabbing and slicing The Teacher as quickly as I can. The Teacher's eyes catch mine, and I see her flash a smile, her hands moving in my peripheral vision. Rin's hand catches my neck from behind, throwing my balance off, and making my legs leave the ground. Rin's python-like grip holds me up, a groan being stuck in my throat, Rin's thumb pressing into it. She flings me back, tossing me away from the Teacher's desk, and into the center of the room, near Rin's desk.
"Good use of strength! You don't want to throw him in such a way where he could break his neck though, we still need him as a learning tool. Now I'll show you how to use a knife. It's a little like the pencil, pick it up, and drag it across him. You can also push it into him, but I want you to take your time. Even when he dies, keep going. You have to get a feel for it. Become one with the blade, so that you can feel every bone you run through, every drop of blood that you pass through. Then you will have a greater understanding of how the knife works."
I'm in a daze, her words barely audible. I shake my head and lift it off the floor, following suit with the rest of my body. I can't feel the knife... I get off the floor in a panic, my head whipping around the room, looking for my only companion. I see the gleam in Rin's Dead Hand...oh fuck....
She pulls her arm all the way back, behind her head, directly behind her shoulder, then floppily brings her arm down. I jump back at the last second, the blade nearly hitting my face. My lower back hits Rin's desk, and I fall backwards, hanging halfway over the edge of the desk.
I try to move, to get the fuck away from Rin, as far away as I can, but she juts forward, her free hand grabbing my throat, not to strangle me, but to hold me still. She freezes, her feelingless, unblinking, face staring at me. I hear a laugh. From the desk, I can see The Teacher giggling, she's only a few feet behind Rin...I need to escape...I can rush her...I have to.
"You have done well, Tezuka. And you." She smiles lovingly, her perfect teeth peeking behind her curled mouth. "You have deemed her education the most important thing in your life. You are what all teachers wish for: the student that's willing to do anything to support learning. It's most innappropriate for me to say, as I'm not your teacher, but I'm really proud of you. I can only hope Tezuka can learn from you. It was such a pleasure meeting you, farewell!" She speaks with nothing but sincerity and joy....she's not saying this to fuck with me...she's serious...this crazy bitch...
I see her start to manuever the manipulating device, Rin's knife-weilding arm draws back waveringly, till the knife points directly behind her.
....I can't believe it....Rin's going to kill me.....fuck....there's no way out...Hanako's not here to save me...one of my best friends is about to slaughter me....
I look into Rin's empty, soulless eyes, and plead...the only thing I can do...
"Rin! Rin! Wake up! Please! You have to wake up! It's me, Hisao!"
I try struggling, kicking my legs off the floor, hoping to be pushed back, trying to get Rin's grip off of me...no use...she's too strong...even with both of my arms pushing on her one arm...it won't budge...
I look past Rin and see The Teacher sigh. "You don't understand, there is no amount of 'waking up' she can do. She's my puppet, not my slave. A slave can disobey, a puppet has no will. A slave is a broken person, a puppet is an extension of the master. I am done teaching you, you have learned all that you can."
She tugs at the manipulator, Rin's arm flying back behind her shoulder...
...it's not ending this way...it can't...
Rin's arm starts to jolt up, starting to slowly raise, awaiting the momentum in the fall of the knife, the driving force behind the blow that will kill me....
I can't allow myself to die, and allow Rin to be left like this...This isn't the end...
I tuck my knees in, my shoes pressing against Rin's stomach. I shout in anger, in defiance, in desparation, hoping this keeps me alive for at least another second. My legs spring forward, rocketing my feet into Rin, I kick like an angry mule.
Rin is thrown back, her wobbly legs unable to support her. Her feet try regaining their balance as she falls backwards, into The Teacher's desk...Rin's arm still held behind her...the hilt in her hand...the blade in The Teacher's chest!
I get off the desk, and onto my feet, clasping at my aching throat, every pant another twinge of discomfort. The Teacher's beautiful brown eyes are wide as saucers, small gasps coming from her.
"T-take...it....get...it...out! She inhales harshly between each word. She lifts the manupilating cross in the air, and tugs it at her 2 O'clock
Rin's arm discordiantly pushes in the direction intended, the knife sliding through The Teacher's chest, till it's finally out, leaving a long, deep, gash. There is no blood, as usual, just a stretch of torn cloth and skin. Even without the blood loss, she seems to be panicing, as if she's at her last legs...good.
She stands stiff, except for the twitching originating from her cut chest, her panting becoming faster, a quick breath twice every second. Her eyes start to blink rapidly, a prolonged moan escaping her as she falls forward, slumping over her desk, her glasses fall forward infront of her. Her arm is reaching over the desk, her fingers reaching out and moving slightly, as if to grab onto something...I....I almost feel sorry for her....I know she deserves this....but her "kindness" and her beauty have been fucking with my head. There's no going back now, not that I would. I killed a monster...that's what I have to think of her as. She's a monster. Not a human.
While the teacher continues to heave on the desk, Rin sinks forward into the air, like a hanging marionette, no tug or pull in any direction, the elbows of her arms sticking straight up, her knees bent, her head hanging down...how the hell is she not falling forward?
The teacher continues to pant on the desk. If this keeps up...maybe I should put her out of her misery. I look back at Rin, still clutching the knife in a contorted hand. No, I can't risk it. If she still has any control over Rin, I may be walking straight into the knife. Finally, The Teacher's sliced chest stops moving, her beautiful eyes go still....whew, I breathe a sigh of relief and step infront of Rin, figuring it's okay now, with the master dead. The fingers of her Dead Arms start to extend, losing their grasp of Rin's stumps and falling to the floor with an empty thud. Without them to hold her up, Rin falls forward, her head hitting me in the chin. Before she manages to drop down anymore, I grab her by the sides and hold her up, her eyes are closed.
"Rin! Wake up!"
I drag her over to her desk and kick the chair to the side, then gently sit her in it. Fuck, it may take a while for her to regain total control...if she does. What if she was too connected to those things...maybe I'm already too late....fuck.
Too keep her from laying back over the chair, I sit on the desk and hold her head up straight. I tap her cheek with my hand, hoping to wake her up. I hear a quiet moan, and she twitches her head to the side.
"Rin?! Are you okay?!" I take a long breath and refrain from anymore shouting, my heart's tugging at me, warning me to slow down. I'm still surprised I haven't had any real problems with it. Sure, there's a pain every once in a while, or it'll seem to take a while to slow down, but that's as far as it's gone. It's probably just a lasting effect of The Room. I swear, when we make it out of this, I'll buy Kenji whatever he wants, whenever he wants.
I put my hand on Rin's face and open her left eye. Her pupils seem to be back to-
"Hello."
I jump back, nearly falling over the desk.
My fingers grab the back of the desk and spring myself back up.
"Rin! You're alright!"
She blinks thoroughly.
"Hello."
"Uhh, you just said that. Are you really okay?"
She shrugs her shoulders, bored as ever, as if she'd just been watching TV this entire time.
"I just wanted to make sure you heard me. From the moment I saw you in here, I thought 'hello' over and over, but I couldn't say it."
"Oh, I see."
"After a while, I got tired of that, and thought your reply. Then I thought mine. Then yours. Then we kept going."
"Uhhh, I see." I hate repeating myself, but I have to fill the void with something.
"You were just about to ask me if I was hungry, then everything went back to normal."
"Oh, ARE you hungry?"
She wears a satisfied smile and looks at me happily.
"No."
"Then why are you so happy about it?"
"I appreciate the continuity between the you in my head, and the real you."
"Are you really okay though?"
"Yep. You? Sorry about the punching you in the face, and nearly cutting you. Though it wasn't really me, I promise. It was Puppet Rin. Puppet Rin was a bitch, I'm glad you killed her."
'Puppet Rin' I like the name, I guess it fits what happened. It was the first time she's ever cursed though, weird. I guess after all that's happened, this is the extent of her reaction. Normal people would be crying, pulling their hair out, and considering suicide. Rin said the B-word. Huh.
"Yeah, I'm okay, and I understand, of course. I'm sorry about kicking you in the stomach, I hope it didn't hurt."
"Naw, it's cool. I'd have kicked Puppet Rin in the stomach too. I tried, but it didn't work. And I think if it did work, it wouldn't really work. It'd be impossible to kick yourself while you're standing up. Unless you're like a gymnast or something. Which I'm not."
"Yeah...."
She glances back at the dead Teacher, then closes her eyes, squinting them in a focused way. I can't help but ask what she's doing.
"Uhhh, what are you doing?"
"Committing her to memory."
"Why?"
"So I can paint her when this whole thing is done."
"Why would you want to paint her, after what she did?"
"I'm going to burn it when I'm done."
"I never pictured you as the revenge type."
"I'm not. That's why I'm going to try it. Might be cool. Revenge movies are cool."
"Okay, just don't do it infront of Hanako."
"Mmmm. Thoughtful."
This is a good a time as any to "explain" things. We've got a sizable walk back to base, so I figure the faster we get moving, the better.
"Uhhh, I'm just going to summarize this, but crazy monsters like this woman, and those arms, have been happening all over the school. Because of a prayer my insane, but in this case, actually sane, roommate put on my room, it has magical powers, and is the only safe place in the school. I've helped a few others get there, and I've been going out around the school to help other people that I come across. So basically, we're gonna go back, so you'll be safe."
She stares at me for a few seconds, looks over her shoulder, at a blank wall, then looks back at me.
"Sure."
Well, that was actually pretty painless.
"Hey, would you mind getting me out of these shoes? I don't like them. And now that I don't have hands, I'm not good with laces." I look at her feet, she's wearing prim and proper white shoes.
"A-alright." I bend down and start untying the laces, which are very intricately tied, as if the person tying them was working on a masterpiece that would stand the test of time. Curious as to how she ended up like this, I ask. With other people, I'd be a bit more reserved. But this is Rin. And Rin is not other people.
"So, how'd you get caught in this situation?"
"I fell asleep in here. Room was empty, teacher's desk was comfy. I woke up with the arms. I thought I was dreaming for a while. In dreams, I'm able to control what happens. When I realized that I couldn't create a tree that grew cookies, I realized I wasn't
dreaming. After that, things were pretty boring."
I hold down her shoes, so she can pull her feet out of each one.
"That Teacher lady took my clothes and put these on me. It wasn't as awkward as one might think. I'm used to Emi dressing me. Though she picks better clothes for me."
I tug at her socks, so she can pull her feet out of them. I don't have a foot fetish or anything, but she does actually have nice feet, I must say. Not in a weird way, or anything. Rin starts again.
"I'd ask you to take the rest of them off, but I have no replacements. I don't know what she did with my clothes. And It might get too cold to be out in underwear. Even inside. We seem near enough in size to where I could wear your clothes, but you might get cold too. So for now, I will look like this."
I reach into my brain and suppress the blush that started to come about when she mentioned me undressing her. I step off of the floor, and in trying to keep the blush away, opt to ask a stupid question to keep the heat off me.
"Do you want to keep the shoes?"
"Why would I want shoes? You can have them. You could think of them as trophies. I think those hand-monster-things are safe to hold now, so you could probably keep those as trophies too. But people might think you're a psycho if you keep disemodied hands in your room. And they might think something else if you keep girl's shoes in there."
"Y-yeah." I open the door and hide my shamed face, then motion for her to follow.
"Aren't you gonna get your knife? I guess you could still fistfight monsters, though. And I could kick things."
I slap my forehead with the palm of my hand. What was I thinking?! My one defense, and I was going to leave it here!
I run over and grab it, then head back to the door.
Rin looks around the room, then at the dead Teacher.
"Class dismissed." Rin wears a smug grin, the grin of a winner.
"Uh...."
"Trying out one-liners. This may be our only opportunity to get the good ones out. It's not everyday you kill insane teachers obsessed with education to a scary extent. I deem this one a success. You can do one too."
I grimace into a smile and wave my hand.
"Naw, I'm good. Lets go. Unless you have more."
"No, I don't want to drive it into the ground. Lets go."
We don't get even 5 feet away from the door before she stops dead in her tracks. I look back at her.
"Uhh...Rin?"
"Do you want to carry me?"
"Are you hurt? Are you tired?"
"No, and yeah, a little, but not enough to not be able to walk."
"Then....?"
"You know what I said, about this not being an everyday thing?"
"Yeah....where does that lead to this?"
"You see, you came in there, fought the monster-lady heroically, and saved the girl. Me. We're about to escape to safety. So, the hero in movies is usually carrying the girl, when they escape to safety. You know, it gives a greater sense of victory. I guess. Again, like having a trophy. A woman-trophy."
I stay silent for a few seconds, an eyebrow cocked as high as it can be cocked. Maybe it's Rin's Rinness rubbing off on me, but it sounds like a fun idea.
"Uhh, sure."
She bends her knees, as if she's sitting on an invisible chair, a blank expression on her face, as always.
I slip the knife into my pocket and put one arm under her knees, and another at her back, and lift her up. She's surprisingly light. Well, not that she looked heavy or anything. I hate to think it, but is it the lack of arms that contributes to her light weight? I mean, it's gotta take something off. I shake my head.
"There, are you feeling more victorious now?"
"Uhhh....sure."
I know it's not the right time to think about this, or maybe it is, but GodDAMN does Rin have some nice legs! I've never been a legman, but wow.
We....well, I, start walking again. Rin is silent on the way there. She lays her head back, closing her eyes. I almost wonder if she's going to fall asleep. After a few minutes, she lifts her head back, a strained expression on her face.
"Rin? You okay?"
"Uhhh-Uhhhhghh"
"...Rin?"
"Achoo!"
I close my mouth and eyes tightly, groaning inwardly.
"Achoo! Achoo!"
Each blast hits my cheeks and chin, a bit of my nose and mouth as well. It feels like I just ran infront of a sprinkler.
"Sorry, Hisao."
I don't know if I should tell her it's okay, but I keep my face stonewalled just in case I get another spray.
"I'm done. It's okay to open your eyes."
I open my eyes, and want to whipe my face as thoroughly as possible, but Rin distracts me. She's doing something weird with her mouth. She keeps it closed, but keeps moving it rhythmically, as if she's chewing gum or something.
"Uhh, what are you doing?"
She leans forward, into my face, I try backing away, but can't get far away enough. She has a curious expression, and gets about a milimeter away from my face.
"Uhhh?"
She sticks her tongue out flatly, and presses it against my cheek, then drags it upwards.
"Rin, what the hell are you doing?!"
"Whiping your face. It's not like my feet can reach."
"But you're whiping it with your tongue! It's gonna make it worse!"
"But I dried my tongue. It's alright."
"But your tongue is in your mouth! It's still going to be at least a little wet!"
"Not as wet as your face, so it'll work well enough. Now hold still."
She starts lapping up my cheek again. Her tongue feels warm, and it does actually feel pretty dry, she did a good job.
Rin stops abruptly and pulls back, her lips pursed and her eyebrow cocked. Is she...?
"Are you judging my taste?!"
"Mmmhmm." She angles her head and continues to wear her "judging" face. After a few seconds, she goes back to her good ol' neutral Rin face.
"I've come to a decision. It's either your face, or my spit, but something does indeed taste good." She leans in again and licks my other cheek.
"Nope, it's definitely you."
"Uh...thanks?"
"You're welcome."
She keeps licking my face, which I can feel getting hotter by the second. I keep walking, hoping it'll distract my body.
"Your skin is reddenning. Am I licking too hard?"
"N-no. You're doing fine."
After a few more licks, she deems my face presentable enough and pulls away.
"There we go. Squeaky clean." Rin dons a proud smile.
"Th-thanks."
Too eager to change the subject, I begin shakily.
"S-so, we're getting closer to my room. Uh, there's a bathroom near it, and I may as well ask now. Do you have to go?"
Her face draws back, her mouth agape and her eyebrow raised.
"Do you like watching girls pee?"
Stupid, stupid stupid! Why did I not see that coming?! I get the feeling I've opened Pandora's Can of Worms.
"Ughhh, n-no. Of course not."
"If you did, I think it'd be okay."
"W-what?!"
"It'll take more time for me to make any bigger decisions."
"...About what?"
"You. I don't think that I can quite yet offer you the contents of my heart..."
"Why do I feel like this ties into the other thing?"
"...but I CAN offer you the contents of my bladder."
My left eye twitches slightly.
"And you see, I think that's a pretty good deal, actually. Out of internal organs, at least. Cause if you think about it, I'd only symbolically be offering you the contents of my heart. With my bladder, I could physically offer it."
"Uhhh...really, really, no, I-I-I don't think that'd be a good idea."
"Suit yourself." She leans her head back and scrunches up in my arms, trying to get comfortable.
These...talks with her have done a good job of distracting me from the long walk, we're already at the door. She lifts her head back up.
"I got it, let me get that for you."
The door? That's nice of her, but....
"Uhhh..."
She twists and extends her legs, trying to grip the door with the soles of her feet and turn it. I hear her grunt softly as she tries to turn it, but can barely get it to budge.
"Rin, it's very considerate of you, but don't worry about it." With the hand under her knees, I grab the knob and twist it. I turn to the side, so I can enter the room while carrying Rin.
I look around the room. Misha and Shizune are sitting where they were before, on my desk and chair, smiling at me. Lilly and Hanako are sitting in the corner, by my bed, against the wall. Hanako's sleeping peacefully, resting her head on Lilly's shoulder. Lilly's smiling and has an arm around Hanako's shoulder, her other hand stroking Hanako's hair softly. I smile at the sight of it, and feel my chest grow warmer.
"Hicchan!" Misha whispers loudly. I guess she's trying to stay quiet, so she doesn't wake Hanako. That's actually kind of sweet of her.
I wave with the hand at Rin's back. "Hey, Misha." I feel Rin wiggle in my arms.
"Yo."
"Hey, Tezuka!" Misha clasps at her mouth and looks back at Hanako, worried she was too loud. She wasn't.
Lilly waves in our direction and smiles.
"You can put me on your bed if you want. I don't want your arms to fall off."
Rin yawns and stretches her stumps out.
I lay her down on my bed, and she immediately rolls over on her on her stomach. I her a muffled moan into my pillow.
"Your bed is nice. I guess I should ask. Can I sleep in it?"
"Sure, of course. You want anything to eat?"
"Naw, thanks though."
"Want anything to drink? I've got a few more water bottles."
She raises an eyebrow...I know this look.
"You sure this isn't your way of getting me to have to-"
I piece together the rest of her sentence, and cut her off before she can reach the end.
"No!"
Like Misha, I cover my mouth as soon as the sounds leave it. Whew, Hanako's still asleep.
I shiver a bit as I feel arms wrap around my chest. I look back to see Shizune hugging me. Not one to be left out by her partner in crime, Misha ties her arms around me, right under Shizune's.
"We missed you, Hicchan."
Maybe it was my adapation to this place, maybe some screws in my head got knocked loose, or maybe Rin's woman-trophy idea was right, but I felt victorious. I was beginning to feel like a hero.
I hold a hand from each of them.
"I missed you too."
"Are you okay, Hicchan? Did everything go alright?"
It's sweet of them to ask, but I'd rather not elaborate on it.
"Yeah, I'm okay. Rin too."
Rin let out a sigh of comfort.
"Your bed smells really nice, Hisao."
"Uhh...thanks. How so, though?" It didn't really have a smell to me. Maybe her sense of smell is stronger.
"It smells like you."
I blush a little. Rin never has any difficulty turning my face red.
"Th-thanks."
She starts to sniff the pillow and sheets.
"It also smells like the girl with the icecream cone hair."
It takes a second of thinking for her to put it together, but when she does, Misha frowns angrily.
"Hey!"
Rin shrugs.
"What, I just said you smelled good."
Misha's frown turns into a giant smile.
"Oh, thanks! Wahahaha!"
I hear some movement from across the room, and notice that Hanako's lifted her head up and begun whiping her face drowzily.
She starts to yawn, then stops midway when she sees me, her face frozen in surprise. She bolts up and hugs me.
"Hisao! You're here! You're okay!"
I almost get knocked over by her Misha-like enthusiasm, but manage to catch her in my arms.
"I missed you, Hanako. You doing okay?"
"Yeah! I got really tired though."
"You've had a long day. You can use my bed if you want though, you don't have to sleep on the floor."
We both look at Rin, who's yawning and stretching her legs out.
"There's room for one more." She says flatly.
"T-that's okay, I'm not tired anymore." Hanako meekly says into a yawn, which she covers her mouth for, her face starting to flush.
Lilly approaches, wearing that trademark kind smile of hers. She slides her hand across my bed, holding onto it to keep mark of the room.
"Hello, Hisao. I'm glad to hear you're okay."
"Hey, Lilly. Glad to see you. Wai-"
Lilly giggles softly.
"It's quite alright, Hisao. You don't have to apologize. I like hearing you say that." Her smile expands, and I put my arm on her shoulder, then decide it's too little a thing to do, and hug her. She holds me, then puts her head against my chest. It takes me a minute to figure out what she's doing.
"Has your heart been okay, Hisao? I hate to intrude, but you've faced a lot of strain today."
I put my hand on her back.
"I'm okay, really. This room, and all of you, have kept me okay."
She pulls her head back and smiles.
We pull away, and I begin to sigh.
Last time, I stayed in here too long. That psychotic, albiet gorgeous, bitch was able to make Rin into a puppet while I was fucking around in here. This time, I've got to get going, quickly. In the short time I've spent here, my legs are feeling full of energy, my heart is beating at a steady rythym, and I'm ready to do what I'm meant to do. It's time to be the hero.
"I'm gonna have to go, you guys."
I look around the room, watching the smiles turn to frowns. Except for Rin. Who's actually starting to snore quietly.
"But you just got here, Hicchan!"
"I know, but I really should go now. Someone out there might need me. I'll be back. I promise."
I hear a few sighs, and see a few faces droop down.
"I understand, Hicchan. Do your best, and never give up."
Their encouragement raised my spirits a bit. My hand starts heading towards the knife, but I realize that drawing it infront of them may unnerve them a bit.
"Good luck, Hisao!" Lilly says, then Hanako parrots.
I sit on the side of the bed and take a drink of water, collecting my thoughts and psyching myself up.
I feel a pair of legs wrap around my waist from behind, I nearly spill the water. Rin?
"Rin...what're you doing?"
"I'm hugging you, Hisao. Good luck."
I put my hands on her calves and smile, although she can't see it from where she's sitting. I guess she woke up at Misha's shout, and put together what was happening.
"Thanks, Rin."
After a few seconds, she releases me, and I get off the bed. I turn back towards my watchful audience and wave.
"I'll be back. See you guys later."
I open the door and step out, giving a smile, and receiving 4 when I shut the door. Rin gives me her regular neutral look. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
I pull out my knife, see my smiling reflection in the blade, and start my walk.
Thank you! I'm very glad you enjoy! I've got most of the King Kong sized monkey on my back called school at bay for now, so I've been able to get a bit of the next chapter done. I really don't want to take as long as I did with chapter 4.