"I just don't get it!" What don't you get?"A threat?!" A threat to who?"You're nothing but weak children!" Ouch. So we're threat? But to who? Smiley? Was a fear afraid of us? No....no...that wouldn't make any sense. There had to be another explanation...
I was so deep in thought that when Alaska started barking I payed it no mind. Until she bit me. I winced and dived out of the way as a knife flew through the air where my head had just been. I quickly crawled behind the kitchen counter when I heard a sigh.
"You just HAD to dodge didn't you?" A woman's voice spoke. I heard her huff "couldn't of just made it easy." Another sigh. I reached up and quickly grabbed a knife from the knife rack. I gripped it tightly.
The woman's voice rang out again. "Fine looks like we'll just have to do this the hard way." I heard her slow foot steps as she made her way to the counter. Alright I'll jus-My eyes widened when I reached into my pocket to grasp at my runes. They weren't there....Fuck! I left them upstairs. My eyes darted back and forth trying to think of what I could do. My eyes fell upon the knife still gripped tightly in my hands.
The woman's foot steps seemed louder than they should have been. My vision was swimming as I began to panic. STOP IT, YOU PATHETIC LITTLE SHIT! JUST CALM DOWN! I winced as the voice boomed in my head. It was a voice I had not yet grown used to. It was my...other...I don't really have a name for him. I tried to calm down. I took a deep breath. First of all, I realized, I need a wider area to fight. Somewhere more open. I quickly jumped to my feet and ran around the counter, I ran for the back door. I risked a glance back at the woman. She just stood there as I ran, a bored expression on her face.
I heard her sigh again."God damn it. They always run...I don't know why." I could see the back door. Four or five more steps an-She appeared in front of me, a lazy smile on her face. "Because the ending is always the same." I stopped just in time to avoid the knife she swung at my throat. She quickly lunged forward and stabbed at me. I barely managed another step back, the knife stopping centimeters from my eyes. She's fast! I thought as I dodged another swipe from her knife.
I made no move to attack her with my own knife, with her speed I couldn't take the risk. I took another step back. I turned and sprinted for the front door. A knife whizzed past my head, once again barely missing me. The woman once again appeared in front of me catching the knife she had thrown and swinging at me. I hadn't expected this, and because of my surprise she was able to catch my shoulder. I jumped back holding the cut. I moved my hand, and looked at the small cut. It was only a shallow cut, nothing too bad.
She sighed again, a noise I was really getting sick of. "Can't you see that it's useless?" Her tone made it sound as if she was bored. "You're going to die." She stepped forward her knife raised. I took a step towards the back door. She tilted her head to the side seeming confused. I jumped towards the door and she made no move to stop me, her only response to my actions another sigh. I ran out the back door and into the yard. I looked around and noticed it had gotten dark out. I ran and hid behind a tree. I heard her speak from the center of the yard.
"Hiding are we? Don't worry I'll find you." I heard her footsteps as she walked to a tree on the other side of the yard. What was I supposed to do? She was clearly superior at knife play and she was faster. Not only that but I didn't have any runes on me. I had to take another deep breath, despite my urge to panic I had to stay calm.
You know what you have to do. You are simply too afraid to do so.
But the book sai-
I don't give a fuck! Would you rather die?! You told the girl that you would be there for her from now on! That you would help her however you could! How the hell are you supposed to do that if you're DEAD?!
My eyes snapped open and I looked at the knife in my hand. I slowly brought it to the top of my hand and began to carefully carve the necessary lines into my hand. I had to grit my teeth to stop myself from screaming. Once I had finished, I looked at my handiwork. A complex rune, one that I had never tried to draw before. The book had warned against carving the runes into your own flesh. I could not remember why. The rune gave off a dull red glow and I watched in amazement as the blood hardened, making the lines thin and clean. Rather than the mess they had been before.
I gripped the knife tightly in my left hand. I peeked out from behind the tree to see where she was. My eyes widened in surprise when I found that she was no where to be seen. "Looking for me?" I heard from right behind me. I jumped to the side as she slashed the tree I had been hiding behind. I ran to the middle of the yard. I heard giggling, which sounded strange coming from the tired sounding Rose Bride.
"Such a silly boy you are. Thinking that you can fight me?" The yard was suddenly enveloped in pitch black. I couldn't see anything other than myself. The giggling continued. "We were surprised to hear that you had defeated Basilia. A child like you should never have been able to beat her." The giggling paused and another sigh was heard. I looked around, how was I supposed to fight someone I couldn't see? "I always told her that her arrogance would be her downfall. She underestimated you, I will not make the same mistake." I grinned, she thought I was helpless without my eyes. As she would soon find out this was not the truth.
"Blindfolds, really?" I asked her dubiously as she drowned her waffles in syrup.
"Look do you wanna get your ass kicked by a Rose Bride again?" She asked me, raising her eyebrows.
"No I don't wanna get my ass kicked by you, I'm still sore from my last ass kicking..." I muttered.
The woman's foot steps seemed louder than they should have been. My vision was swimming as I began to panic. STOP IT, YOU PATHETIC LITTLE SHIT! JUST CALM DOWN! I winced as the voice boomed in my head. It was a voice I had not yet grown used to. It was my...other...I don't really have a name for him. I tried to calm down. I took a deep breath. First of all, I realized, I need a wider area to fight. Somewhere more open. I quickly jumped to my feet and ran around the counter, I ran for the back door. I risked a glance back at the woman. She just stood there as I ran, a bored expression on her face.
I heard her sigh again."God damn it. They always run...I don't know why." I could see the back door. Four or five more steps an-She appeared in front of me, a lazy smile on her face. "Because the ending is always the same." I stopped just in time to avoid the knife she swung at my throat. She quickly lunged forward and stabbed at me. I barely managed another step back, the knife stopping centimeters from my eyes. She's fast! I thought as I dodged another swipe from her knife.
I made no move to attack her with my own knife, with her speed I couldn't take the risk. I took another step back. I turned and sprinted for the front door. A knife whizzed past my head, once again barely missing me. The woman once again appeared in front of me catching the knife she had thrown and swinging at me. I hadn't expected this, and because of my surprise she was able to catch my shoulder. I jumped back holding the cut. I moved my hand, and looked at the small cut. It was only a shallow cut, nothing too bad.
She sighed again, a noise I was really getting sick of. "Can't you see that it's useless?" Her tone made it sound as if she was bored. "You're going to die." She stepped forward her knife raised. I took a step towards the back door. She tilted her head to the side seeming confused. I jumped towards the door and she made no move to stop me, her only response to my actions another sigh. I ran out the back door and into the yard. I looked around and noticed it had gotten dark out. I ran and hid behind a tree. I heard her speak from the center of the yard.
"Hiding are we? Don't worry I'll find you." I heard her footsteps as she walked to a tree on the other side of the yard. What was I supposed to do? She was clearly superior at knife play and she was faster. Not only that but I didn't have any runes on me. I had to take another deep breath, despite my urge to panic I had to stay calm.
You know what you have to do. You are simply too afraid to do so.
But the book sai-
I don't give a fuck! Would you rather die?! You told the girl that you would be there for her from now on! That you would help her however you could! How the hell are you supposed to do that if you're DEAD?!
My eyes snapped open and I looked at the knife in my hand. I slowly brought it to the top of my hand and began to carefully carve the necessary lines into my hand. I had to grit my teeth to stop myself from screaming. Once I had finished, I looked at my handiwork. A complex rune, one that I had never tried to draw before. The book had warned against carving the runes into your own flesh. I could not remember why. The rune gave off a dull red glow and I watched in amazement as the blood hardened, making the lines thin and clean. Rather than the mess they had been before.
I gripped the knife tightly in my left hand. I peeked out from behind the tree to see where she was. My eyes widened in surprise when I found that she was no where to be seen. "Looking for me?" I heard from right behind me. I jumped to the side as she slashed the tree I had been hiding behind. I ran to the middle of the yard. I heard giggling, which sounded strange coming from the tired sounding Rose Bride.
"Such a silly boy you are. Thinking that you can fight me?" The yard was suddenly enveloped in pitch black. I couldn't see anything other than myself. The giggling continued. "We were surprised to hear that you had defeated Basilia. A child like you should never have been able to beat her." The giggling paused and another sigh was heard. I looked around, how was I supposed to fight someone I couldn't see? "I always told her that her arrogance would be her downfall. She underestimated you, I will not make the same mistake." I grinned, she thought I was helpless without my eyes. As she would soon find out this was not the truth.
"Blindfolds, really?" I asked her dubiously as she drowned her waffles in syrup.
"Look do you wanna get your ass kicked by a Rose Bride again?" She asked me, raising her eyebrows.
"No I don't wanna get my ass kicked by you, I'm still sore from my last ass kicking..." I muttered.
My smile widened slightly, we had practiced everyday. Taking turns wearing the blindfold, learning how to fight without the benefit of sight. While I was no where near as good as Tori was at it, I had to hope I was good enough to take this woman by surprise. I shut my eyes, focusing only on my hearing. The giggling was growing closer and closer. It was hard trying to pinpoint where from. I opened my eyes and threw my knife into the darkness. The blackness around me disappeared and was replaced with the backyard once again. The woman had a look of surprise on her face as she deflected my knife. I rushed forward hoping to take advantage her momentary surprise. When I got within striking range the rune on my hand glowed an angry red. She seemed to snap out of her stupor and swung her knife at me. I ducked quickly and thrust my hand at her.
I lightly touched her stomach with my glowing hand. She was launched backwards with the blast of concussive force. She screamed when she hit the tree with a sickening crack. I was amazed at the power of the rune, it was only a lower tier rune. It wasn't supposed to be that powerful. She slid to the ground and laid completely still on her stomach. I gasped in pain and looked to my shoulder. My shoulder had taken damage as well, it was bent back at an unnatural angle. It was dislocated, I realized. I heard cracking bones and looked forward in disbelief to see the woman slowly standing once again.
I knew it was dangerous but I couldn't fight with a dislocated shoulder. I had read about it before, I reached over with my good hand and a scream escaped my mouth as I put my shoulder back in place. I rotated my shoulder slowly, it was painful to move, but I could manage. I rushed the woman, picking up my knife from the ground on the way. I had to end it before she had a chance to recover. Once I had gotten in range I swung the knife at her, she reached into her back pocket and I froze when I felt cold steel touch the bottom of my chin. I heard a click as she pulled the hammer back.
"That really hurt you bastard....." She said quietly. "I don't like having to resort to using guns, I usually don't have to." This was it, I realized...There was no way out of this. She would pull the trigger and I would be dead. You know how they say that before you die....your life flashes before your eyes? I never believed that, it didn't make much sense. But it happened, I saw so many things, so fast. I was sad.....because my life, had been so pathetic....My mind froze on one image. A smiling Tori.
I smiled sadly, and shut my eyes. "I'm sorry." I muttered. I heard the woman scream in pain and my eyes snapped open. The woman was standing a few feet away clutching what was now nothing more than a bloody stump. I looked to the ground and almost puked when I saw the woman's arm on the ground still clutching the gun. Standing in front of me with a sword held outward was a cloaked figure. A hood over the persons head.
The Rose Bride glared at the figure still clutching her bloody stump. "Who the hell are you?" she demanded.
I heard a pleasant laugh from the figure in front of me, who I now knew was a woman as well. "Why does it matter? I need not give my name to someone who is already dead." I could practically hear the smirk in the figure's voice. The Rose Bride went to say something else when something below her glowed. She looked down to see a large rune below her. She barely had time to scream as a large pillar of white hot flames erupted from the ground completely enveloping her.
When the flames died down, there was nothing more than a pile of ashes left where the Rose Bride had once been. I stared at the cloaked woman in amazement. That was a higher tier rune, one that only a master could use. She turned quickly and before I could thank her.."You idiot! Do you know what you just did?!" I stepped back surprised by the outburst. She took a step forward "Did you wonder why that rune of yours was stronger than it should have been?! Didn't you read the warning in the book?!"
"Well I did....but I-" I tried say.
"What you forgot?! When you carve runes into your skin, it doesn't use your blood as the medium anymore! It uses your own life force!" My eyes widened slightly at hearing this. "So sure it may have been a little stronger than usual, but that one little attack probably costed you weeks of your life!" I chuckled when she said this."What's so god damn funny?!"
I looked up at her with a bitter smile on my face. "So what? It's not like anyone being chased by these fears dies of natural causes anyways."
Her response was to smack me in the back of the head. "Just don't do it again you moron." She muttered as she walked away.
I rubbed my head. "Wait! Who are you?" I asked.
"Don't worry, you may find out soon enough." She called back as she continued to walk. When she had vanished I walked back to the house. I looked out the door to see...The Smiling Man in the backyard standing near the pile of ashes. I was honestly too tired to be afraid. He stared in my direction for a few minutes before vanishing with the pile of ashes. I sighed and then fed Alaska. I made my way up the stairs towards my room. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
Sorry this took so long....There's more to talk about but I'm too tired to talk about it today......So until next time I suppose.
