Whispers in the Dark
Flashback - Shiori age 13
I hit my head on my desk as I hear the old woman ranting and raving down stairs about the dinner that is to happen tonight. Dammit I don't want to go. The old bat is just going to want to introduce me to all the son of the business men coming. Like I'm interested in those pansy ass stuck ups. All of them are the same and all they want is to find a potential wife that will help them further their family name when it comes time for them to take over for their fathers. I can here Okaa-san with her. Oh goody. Mother actually came home for once. Like I give a shit. I get to see her and father once a month. It’s always been like this. They have no time for me. Not yet anyway. I know the moment I'm marrying age they'll suddenly gain an interest in me again in order to get me a husband that will help the Kyro family. Like I care. I don't plan on following any of their 'plans'. I sigh and lean back in my chair and look down at the paper I'm working on. It’s my high school entrance essay. I plan on going to High school and then SaiU. I want to go into English literature. My eyes flick to the books that line all my walls. Since my parents are never around they gave me a credit card at age eight in order for me to buy anything I wanted. I guess that was their way to make up for never being parents. Load of crap in my opinion. But I got to buy all these books to keep myself company. I look back down at my half done essay. I can't think right now with all the noise from downstairs going on. Kami if only I could tell them off. I bet the old hag would have a heart attack and my parents wouldn't even know how to handle that. With a groan I hit my head on my desk. Dammit. This is never going to get done at this rate. I sit back up, my essay stuck to my forehead. I try my best to glare at the paper from the angle its at on my forehead. I then pull it off with my eye twitching a bit as I hear my grandmother yelling more orders. By Kami! Shut it you old goat!
I growl and get to my feet, setting the essay on my desk as I begin to pace my room like a caged animal. I couldn't sneak out to martial arts class thanks to this huge dinner party. I knew if I skipped out on it that the old bird would have a royal melt down and I would have servants dogging my steps for weeks afterward, insuring I would not be going anywhere. I pause in the middle of my room and rub my temples. I believe I shall have wrinkles by the end of high school with the stress I go through in this house. Like a caged bird. I'm meant to sit and look pretty. But I refuse. I want to fly as fly as a beautiful butterfly. I sigh and let my hand fall to my side as I look out my window and to the outside where the party is being set up. The estate is set up near a fall forest that has been in the family for ages or something. My mind flashes back to when I was little. Red eyes and a half moon smile glowing in the darkness. I shake my head, dispelling the image. No need to get myself worked up. I have no time for ghosts. I tend to simply ignore them these days. They are so needy when they realize someone can see them. Having them follow you is even more of a hassle because people think your talking to yourself.
"Shiori!" I wince as I hear the banshee screech my name. Was that really necessary? I am only up the damn stairs you old bitch. No reason to scream my name as if the house is burning down or something of the latter. My eye twitches and I clench my jaw as I walk to the door and throw it open.
"What?!" I throw back down the stairs in an angry manner. I can almost see her turning red with my rudeness to her.
"Come down here this instant, you uncouth child!" she spouts her orders and I can see in her words that she is seething. Whatever. I curse under my breath and step out of my room, closing the door behind me and head down the stairs. I nearly run into the old woman and my mother at the landing. Grandmother looks at me with a glare and taps her cane on the hard wood floor while mother simply stares at me blankly. "Go get ready for the party. A kimono has been prepared for you," Grandmother says and I nearly curse aloud. I hate. No. I loathe traditional kimonos. I give her a glare and keep my mouth shut, forced to bite my tongue as I storm past them both to go to the changing room that is near the old bat's quarters. This is a load of bullshit. A traditional kimono! Why? So I can't run away from the fuckin' dick wads that are coming tonight. Is that the plan? Stick me in a kimono that I can hardly move in then toss me to the slobbering wolves. Brilliant idea. The old woman is becoming more cunning with each event she plans. Damn her.
I step into the changing room and the servants greet me with a bow of their heads and a 'Good evening, Shiori-sama'. The 'sama' makes me recoil. I don't like it. I remain silent and move to the raised dais meant to help dress me on. I step up as the door is shut and the woman take off my clothes and begin piling the layers of silk on my form. I had taken a shower a bit earlier and my hair had been pinned up, though I took it down. They would have to re-pin it. Not that I cared about making more work for the servants, meant more time I had to keep away from the party. I could already hear some of the guests arriving. Grandmother had cut it close with preparations. But as always I know everything will be perfect the moment I walk into the party. Everything is always so sickeningly perfect. A false happiness is what it all shows. There is no happiness in this household. I look to the side as the maids dress me. Kami why can't I escape all of this?
I find myself drawn back to reality as one of the maids tugs on my sleeve to get my attention. I blink and tilt my head to gaze at her. Oh. They're done with me. I flick my eyes to the mirror and I glare softly at the china doll reflected back. I then turn my eyes away and allow them to help me down from the dais. My hand waves them off and I walk on my own. I'm not an invalid and I've been wearing kimonos since I was two. The door is opened as they bow and I ignore them as I head out. My father is the one to meet me. His face is solemn and he says nothing to me as I am forced to lay my hand on his arm and he escorts me out to the party, guests arriving now in droves. I feel crushed and it’s almost hard to breath. Damn them all.
I force a smile, fitting on the mask of the perfect daughter while inside I am screaming. I am forced to greet each person. Meet their sons. Deal with leers from the sons and even some of the older gentlemen. The urge to vomit twists my stomach into knots. It takes almost an hour before father lets me go and I head right out into the garden. I hide myself form the guest and pant for breath. I feel sick. I can't do these things. All these fake smiles. Fake friendships and alignments. All the lies make me want to tear out my hair. Calm. I need to calm.
I take deep breath and slowly I am able to quell my nausea. I can here the party in the background by I remain hidden in the rose alcove. I look up at the moon and note the full roundness of it. I then blink as I hear something. Was someone singing? I look around and don't see anyone close. I look into the forest near the edge of the property. Apparently my great-grandfather was a fan of nature and had kept a lot of the natural part to the property. I peek around again and then move to the forest. I pause to look back at the house before the foliage surrounds me and I know no one can see me any longer.
Whispers. Or something. All I know is it is calling me for some odd reason. I step into a clearing, the moon shining down on me. My senses are suddenly on alert and I hear a dull buzz and it fills the dead space. What the hell? Laughter. I whip around and I watch as a woman.. spider thing crawls down one of the trees. I rear back in disgust. What the fuck was she? A youkai my grandmother had always warned me of as a child? No way the old bat was right about this.
"Oh look what I caught tin my web," the thing coos and I have this urge to reel back from its grating voice. This is bad. I suddenly find myself screaming as I'm lifted into the air. What the hell is going on?! The thing is laughing again and I feel sick. I'm hanging upside down and that thing's face is suddenly in front of my own. I scream at the ugly twist and turns within it. Eight eyes, contorted features of something that might have been human once. And those pincers, dripping and clicking together and the sound is making me ill. I want to get away. Need to get away. The thing is talking again but I feel so sick I can't hear whatever it is saying to me. The world is spinning. I wonder if it poisoned me?
I don't want to die like this. Someone help me. Please? Someone please save me from this monster. The world is starting to go black and I feel so numb now. So.. This is what dieing feels like.
A butterfly flits before my darkening vision. I feel sakura flowers. No! I won't die! I refuse dammit! I feel my heart speeding up and something within me is awakening. A crack in the cocoon of my soul. I feel it swirling like petals caught in a spring wind. The crack widens and I feel something emerge. But its wings do not unfurl. My eyes open and the spider creature has backed up from me, all its eyes wide.
"Flutter on the wings of butterflies..." words begin to spill from my lips and I feel the wings beginning to take shape. "Cast away all masks and ties.." my blood feels like it is on fire, as the words do not cease. "Spread the wings...Of freedom and sing.." the wings are formed.
"SCATTER! RELEASE! TIME CEASE!" the last words are a roar of power from my lips and I feel as the wings snap open and I am free. I land in a crouch, my kimono in shreds now. My back feels as if a pair of wings now reside there. My wings. The spider thing gives a shrill cry as I pick up a stick and wield it as a blade and skewer the vile beast. I back up, feeling overloaded with everything around me. I've never felt so strong. I smirk at the dieing thing and take off in a run back to the house. I feel so alive. What has happened? I leap up the side of the house the moment I arrive and land on my balcony. Amazing. But as I enter my room the world spins and I pitch forward. Too much.. Too much all at once. But I'm free. I won't let them pluck off my wings.
-2111
![.Whispers in the Dark [Artifact Activation] Henban2](https://2img.net/h/img.photobucket.com/albums/v498/tre2k/h2h/henban2.jpg)
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