Chapter Eleven: Forced Entry:

I didn’t look at anyone on my way home. I kept seeing Kaoru’s face in everyone else’s. He sank into me deep. Now, I am trapped in his game.

“Good evening, Hirata-sama!” someone greeted me. I nearly jumped in the air. Yamamoto-san, the book shop keeper in my town, stood in front of his shop smiling at me. He gave me a little wave.

“Lovely night, huh?” the old man asked me. I nodded as I waved back at him.

“Yes…” I mumbled. I hurried away as fast as I could. Kaoru’s threat blasted in my head again. “You breathe a word of what you saw tonight and I will kill everyone else dear to you, got it?” he told me. I froze and shook my head hard. No! I’ve already lost Aki. I can lose anyone else. I ran all the way home while trying to avoid any more people.

I quickly unlocked my door and rushed inside my house. I tightly locked the door and panted. What is happening to me? Kaoru kept twisting my head into his madness. This is what he wants from me. I must not give in. I have to fight back. But how? How can I fight someone that lives on by killing? I’ve already seen what he can do. I don’t want to cross him. But I have to get him out of my life for good.

“Setsuna-chan!” someone called out to me. I gasped as I jerked up my head. My mother peeked out from the kitchen. She had a deep look on her face.

“Something wrong, sweetheart?” my mother asked. I shook my head at her.

“Nothing,” I lied. “I’m just tired.”

“Would you like me to run you a bath?”

I nodded at her. “Yeah, that would be nice.”

“Okay.” Then, my mother disappeared down the hall. I breathed out a heavy sigh. I can’t tell anyone about my ordeal. The last thing I want is my family to be killed by such a monster. I shut my eyes to think for a moment. My head hurts. Maybe a bath would be a good thing. I take off my shoes and walk into the house.

As I took my bath, many thoughts invaded my brain. Most of them were about Kaoru and Aki. I couldn’t cry for Aki anymore. I did love him. But yet, I just couldn’t feel anything anymore. That beast tried to drain those away from me. I had to hold onto my emotions at all costs. I can’t cave into Kaoru.

I sank down into the water below me. My long indigo hair spilled out around my head. I had never noticed the ceiling looking so white before. Everything felt like a dream. I lazily reached my arm out of the water towards it. The ceiling seemed out of my reach. My eyes began to sink shut. I saw Aki’s face again. For once since my shock of Kaoru’s true identity, my heart ached for him. Aki…

A knock on the bathroom broke my trance. “Setsuna-chan, how are you doing in there?” my mother asked.

I quickly sat up in the tub. “I feel better now!”

“You can sleep in tomorrow, okay?”

I nodded to myself. “Thank you.”

“I’m going to bed now.”

“Okay.” I heard her walk away down the hall. I shut my eyes again. My head feels so light. It’s like I’m not even here.

After my bed, I walked all the way to my bed. I tried to turn on the lights. I snapped out of my warm daze when my lights didn’t turn on. I flipped them on and off repeatedly. “What the hell?” I thought.

“Why do you need the lights, baby?” a seductive voice asked me. I froze in my tracks and looked up against my will. Kaoru stare on my bed, licking his lips at me. I backed up to the door.

“What the hell are you doing here?!?” I whispered in panic. “How did you get in here?!?”

“I came to see you, my pet,” he whispered back.

“Get out of here!”

“But I came to see you.”

“Get out of here or I will call the police!”

“No, you won’t.”

“Yes, I will!”

Kaoru was inches away from my face. He gently put it his finger to my lips. “No, you are not.” I went quiet. This monster smirked at me as he kissed me on the lips. I wanted to fight him off, but my body broke down and I kissed him back. He dragged me over to my bed. I hate him so much. Kaoru owns my soul like a little puppet. I need to break the strings from this bastard or he’ll drag me further to hell.