The Roses of Pain
Chapter Two: Eien no Ame Tsuzuku
Yoshiki trudged into his house, throwing his coat on a chair, tossing the small paper bag he had been given on the couch. Swift fingers quickly locked every lock and security measure on his front door before he slumped against the door as if his weight could also have been used as a bolt. Slowly, he let his eyes wander to the door-side chair and the small brown package that had been tossed their. "Stupid woman," he grumbled, pushing away from the door and reaching into the bag.
His fingers pulled out what looked like a watch… until he had time to look it over.
It was a linked silver bracelet with a large piece in the center; a crystal dome. And imbedded in the crystal was a black widow spider set against a pink background.
Yoshiki grumbled to himself and padded softly into the living room to sit rather heavily in his couch, and looked over the bracelet carefully, turning it over and over in his fingers. "Pink Spider," he whispered.
The storm outside made itself loudly known, thunder shaking the windows in the house, flickering the lights that threatened to give into the pounding. Yoshiki shivered slightly and watched out his window as lightning struck again and again in massive sequencing. The thunder rang through the house again, threatening to bring the framework down around him.
Again the lights flickered around Yoshiki, but this time they went out completely, plunging the house into a bland and almost dead gray.
All motion and action momentarily stood still in the house, as if reality itself was put on hold for that single stitch in time.
The air chilled around Yoshiki as he sat frozen still on the couch, a thumb rubbing absently over the spider on the bracelet. The air was silent, not a sound was to be heard save for the rhythmic tapping of the rain at the window, blinding his view to the outside world.
And then he felt it… a slight breeze by his ear.
" … yoshiki …" a voice whispered in his ear, seeming to pass from one side of the house to the other, coming at him from all directions at once but from seemingly no place at all.
Yoshiki bolted to his feet, vaulting over the back of the couch to confront his inky blackened house head on, threatening every corner with his sheer presence. "Who's there!" he yelled.
The power surged, bringing light back to the house for a few seconds before fading out again, strobe-lighting Yoshiki's reality to give him a brief snapshot of his grand LA home.
But this time, instead of leaving a silent, dead house, a soft hint of music was left to float gently to Yoshiki's ears.
Kimi wa uso no itohari megurashi.
Chisa na sekai subete to omoiteita….
Yoshiki swallowed heavily and nearly froze in place as the soft music found his ears. It sung in an eerie familiarity, pulling Yoshiki about to make him creep across the front foyer and into the living room where his stereo system was whispering out the song…
Pink Spider, echichaina
Pink Spider, tsubasa ga hoshii
Yoshiki frowned and smacked the power button on the radio, turning back to face the house, once again threatening it in it's entirety. "That's not funny!"
"It wasn't meant to be…"
Yoshiki froze solid in place as the voice floated through the grey air to chill him solid, seeming to come at him from everywhere. "Who… who's there…" he whispered back, his hand feeling through the CD bin for the screwdriver he knew that he always kept there.
"Yoshiki…" the voice whispered to him again, more insistent this time, as if it wanted him to listen.
Yoshiki kept his back to the stereo system and began to slink down the wall towards the hall that lead to the front foyer. "Whoever you are, you better get the hell out of here or I'm calling the police."
"The phone's dead."
"Not my cell phone."
"That one too."
Yoshiki slunk to a quiet stop at the edge of the stereo system, eyes searching the inky black and grey room for the source of the voice. It seemed he was alone in the room... "Okay, show yourself already. I'm not afraid of you."
"Yoshiki…"
"Show yourself!!"
"… what am I doing here?"
Yoshiki opened his mouth to give a yell to the house, but stopped short, cocking his head to the side. "Well, that's what I'd like to know. Whoever you are, I want you to get the hell out of my house!"
"But… I'm confused… and scared…" the voice whispered.
"I don't care! GET OUT!" Yoshiki yelled.
A sudden burst of daring courage sprang to life in Yoshiki and he raced across his living room, bursting out into the side hall. His socks slid his tall body across the hall to impact the opposite wall, Yoshiki's feet carrying him almost instantly down the wooden floors and into the kitchen. Within seconds, Yoshiki had grabbed a ginsu knife from the cutting block and slid around the cooking island, putting it between himself and the rest of the kitchen.
He knew that behind him just above the sink, he had left the kitchen window unlocked. He was at ground level and could easily slip out into the side yard and run for help. The escape route was beginning to form in his mind as Yoshiki backed over to the window, turning briefly to throw it open and take the knife to the mesh screen beyond.
His attention went back to the house the instant he had cut a hole in the screen, ears straining above the sound of the rain outside to listen for movement. He was breathing heavily, at times holding his breath to hear the noises of the home. But the house was as deadly silent and unmoving as it should have been. His invisible guest had not caught up with him… yet.
Turning quickly, Yoshiki climbed onto the counter and into the sink, letting the knife fall noisily into the stainless steel sink. He crouched down to begin sliding out the window…
"Where are you going in this kind of weather?" the phantasmal, whispering voice laughed behind him. Yoshiki tried to ignore it, his heart beating out of his chest as he stuck a leg out the window… and then he felt a hand fall softly on his shoulder.
Yoshiki nearly jumped out of his skin, but turned his head to see his intruder as he continued to push himself out of the window.
Brown eyes met his and smiled widely, chuckling. The intruder gave Yoshiki a tug and pulled him back into the house and off the counter, landing Yoshiki in an uncomfortable pile on the tiled-floor of his kitchen.
"Yo-chan… good grief… you still amaze me."
Yoshiki growled but stayed in his position on his kitchen floor, staring at the ceramic tiles below him. His heart raced and threatened to pound out of his chest as he tried to think up another escape route. He remembered securely barring the front door when he had gotten home. It would take too long to unlock all those locks with an intruder hot on his heals. So finally, Yoshiki admitted defeat and stared blankly at the tiles. "What do you want."
"Um… oh, I don't know… how about a beer?"
"No… what do you want from ME," Yoshiki growled, remembering that he had left the knife in the sink.
"Help… help is good."
Yoshiki sat quiet a moment as he stared at the kitchen floor. "Help? Why would I help you?"
"Because you always have. Yoshiki… I don't know why I'm back here. I…"
"I don't know you."
"Yoshiki…" the voice whispered again, a finger going to lift Yoshiki's chin. "I thought I was supposed to be dead."
Yoshiki raised eyes slowly and cautiously to meet the intruder before him. The intruder looked so familiar: Wild eyes, a concerned gentle face. The light coming through the open window highlighted on pink, messy hair…
Yoshiki's eyes flew wide open at the image that greeted him with a large smile. Memories of after-concert parties, drinking and hijinks flooded back in a wave of emotions that almost knocked Yoshiki out cold. "Shit… by the gods… Hide…"
Yoshiki gave a squeal and shuffled backwards on his rear end before he could make it to his feet, scared eyes fixed on the man before him as he moved to put the kitchen island between the two of them.
"No, wait! Yoshiki!" the intruder called after him.
Yoshiki was panic stricken as he turned and bolted through the house. "Masaka… " he cursed to himself, swinging around corners and bursting through halls. "This is NOT funny!" he screamed to the house as he broke into the main foyer, feet slipping over the wood floors.
The front door was in sight as Yoshiki ran as hard as his heart and feet would let him. He had to get out of this house no matter what. He'd have to run a few blocks through the rain in his socks to the neighbors…
The front door was barely 10 feet from him when the intruder suddenly slid into view between Yoshiki and the barred, oak door. He didn't have time to stop, instead, Yoshiki slid into the intruder and the two created a rather ungraceful pile at the door, the impact knocking the wind out of Yoshiki and knocking him unconscious.
Toshi signed lightly as he waved goodbye to his wife, stepping into the airport terminal to board his plane. He wasn't really sure why he was here and flying off to LA because of an unsigned note. He felt uneasy as a stewardess directed him to his seat and helped him to get settled. "Why am I doing this?" he whispered to himself, looking down his seat. "This is nuts."
He sighed and sat down. The only person he knew who would be writing him from LA was Yoshiki… but the two had not been on speaking terms since the death of guitarist Hideto Matsumoto. "You better have a good explanation for this, Yoshiki."
On to Chapter 3
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