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She walked down the same old streets with those same blank, broken black eyes. The same tattered black dress danced around her ankles as her long, ragged raven hair fell about her back to her waist. Everything about this girl was black except for her unhealthily white skin. Pale as moonlight, she looked and walked as if she were the living dead. Everyone watched, but no one tried to help her. No one ever came to save her.
So many things had happened to this poor child. 'A witch' some called her. 'A demon' said others. Her own parents left her. They packed their things and left without even a whisper of a goodbye. No one was there. No one would ever be there. She avoided that place -her 'home'- choosing to walk the streets instead. A lonly, sad apparition. A shadow of a girl. Not even 18, this frail girl had already seen too much. But no one cared. No one ever cared about the little devil-witch who's very name was black. Kuro was utterly alone.
"Don't look at her, she'll curse you!" said some random mother as she passed, covering her child's eyes. Kuro turned her blank, black eyes away from them. She knew she didn't belong here. She knew that she'd been completely rejected from society, but she didn't know what she could do about it. She had long since cried out her tears. Now there wasn't even those little droplets of salty water to comfort her.
"Where.... where do I belong? There is no place for me... not anymore... Perhaps there never was..." she said in a dead, hollow voice that was laden with sadness. She turned her eyes to the sky above her for a moment before looking ahead again. She took graceful steps toward an unknown destination. "I am alone..."
There's nothing left for me.... Nothing left... I don't know why I continue living... Wouldn't it be better if I simply stopped living? Wouldn't it be easier? Why.... why do I keep living?
"Why...?" She whispered before all but colapsing under a tree. Her tree. The dead, withered old tree that had sheltered her from harm. Even the tree had died because of her. She couldn't take anymore and broke into sobs. "Why?" she asked herself again, her soft question swept away by the ominous wind that always followed her.
"There is no hope...."
~*~
"It's your fault you little demon! It's your fault that Sahra got so sick! You put a curse on her, didn't you?!" screamed the boy, not too much older than Kuro, as he beat her again and again.
Kuro didn't respond. She never did.
"You're jealous of her! You're jealous because she's so much prettier and smarter than you! So you cursed her! You deserve to die!"
Still, Kuro didn't respond. This only seemed to fule the boy's anger. He sent a strong kick to her stomach. She coughed and sputtered, but didn't respond.
"Die you little b***h! I'll kill you for hurting Sahra! I'll kill you!" he screamed.
Kuro closed her eyes and braced herself for the next blow which promised to be a heavy one... but the blow never came.
"That's quite enough. I don't think that she deserves to be beaten like that," came a new, young male voice.
"Ha! You speak as if she were human! This little witch should die!"
There was a loud sound of one of the men's fists coliding with the other man's body. Kuro winced, sure that her rescuer was the one on the recieving end of that harsh blow. She whimpered as a hand touched her shoulder gently.
"Shh! It's okay, I won't hurt you," said the second man's voice. It was gentle and soothing, but Kuro still didn't open her eyes. "You look starved to death! Come with me and I'll get you cleaned up and fed."
A moment of silence passed before Kuro finally opened her black eyes to look at her rescuer. He looked to be a couple years older than Kuro. He had short orange hair, red eyes, and a handsome face. He smiled and stood from his kneeling position in front of her. He offered his hand to her.
Kuro looked from his face, then to his hand, then back again before gently slipping her hand into his.
"My name is Kyo," he said. He didn't seemed the slightest bit perturbed when she didn't reply. "Come this way," he said before leading her away.
It was all she could do to watch him as she followed, amazed that someone would show her kindness.
The two of them walked silently. Kuro had her head down, not looking at any of the people who were whispering and pointing -not bothering to hide it.
"Witch! Are you seducing men now?" someone cried, but Kuro didn't respond. She only kept walking with her head down, slowly distancing herself from her rescuer.
"You would know all about seducing men, wouldn't you?" Kyo aked the woman who had spoken.
The woman huffed and stormed away.
"Why do you let them talk to you that way?" he asked Kuro, coming to walk next to her once more.
Kuro only shook her head, not looking up.
"Well, anyway. My house is just up here. Once we're there, you can take a shower and I'll get you something to eat, okay?" he said kindly. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder only to pull away quickly as he noticed her wince. "Alright, we're there. Just step inside and I'll be right with you." Kuro didn't object and quickly did as she was told.
"You all should be ashamed of yourselves!" Kyo yelled as soon as he was sure Kuro was gone. "What gives you the right to do so much to a girl that she won't even speak? You make me sick!"
"You don't know what you're talking about, new comer! She's a witch! She deserves no sympathy!" called a man.
Kyo only glared at them and went inside. He found Kuro quickly and smiled handsomly. "Here you are!" he said warmly, "The bathroom's this way." He lead the way and Kuro followed. He showed her where everything she'd need to take a shower - or bath if she so chose- was.
'You'll have to wear some of my clothes until I can get your dress washed and maybe even a little fixed up, 'kay?"
Kuro nodded submissively.
"And if you need anything, I'm right over here." He gestured toward the kitchen which she'd seen as they'd walked to the bathroom. Kyo left and got some of his clothes for her to wear and gave them to her.
"Do you like pizza?" Kyo asked Kuro as he was about to leave. Kuro shrugged lightly. "Well, then I'll order a peporoni pizza and you can find out. Take your time!" With that, the orange headed hero left.
Kyo left her to take care of herself and went to order the pizza. Shortly after it arrived, Kuro stepped out of the bathroom. She quietly searched for Kyo and found him quickly as the pizza man left.
"Feel better?" he asked as he placed the food on the table. He glanced at her, but had to double take. He'd thought she was pretty before, but with the mud and dirt and things cleaned off and with her hair combed, she was breath taking -even in men's clothes that were at least 2 sizes too big. He shook his head to clear himself of his little stupor and looked to a decent sized cut on her cheek that was still bleeding. "Here, let's get a bandage to put on that cut," Kyo said, "do you have any more cuts?"
Kuro shook her head. The rest of her injuries were bruises.
"Alright, then follow me. Once we're done, we can get to the pizza. It's probrably too hot to eat anyway."
He led the way to where he kept the bandages and he fixed her up quickly enough. She managed not to flinch away when he touched her cheek to put on the bandage.
"Okay then! Now we eat!" Kyo said with a large smile before leading the way to the pizza.
As they both sat down, Kyo took a peice of paper and a pen and passed it to Kuro. "Do you think you could at least write your name for me?" he asked.
Kuro nodded after a moment's heasitation.
Everyone calls me Kuro.
"Is that your real name?"
No. I've forgotten my name, but that's not it.
"Do you like that name they've given you?"
No.
"Well then, let's give you a better name."
Like what....? she wrote.
"Well, we should keep it to something fitting, but not quite so depressing....." Kyo said, thinking aloud.
Like what?
"Hmm.... What about...." He thought some more, and then something in his mind seemed to click. "Ciara. It meand 'black and mysterious'."
She was still for a moment or so, then wrote her responce.
I'd like to have that name. Ciara wrote. When she looked up, she smiled slightly at Kyo and his breath hitched for a moment.
"A beatuiful name with a beautiful smile," he said, smiling himself, "And maybe soon I can hear your beautiful voice, Ciara."
Ciara blushed lightly and looked away. She had never seen herself, or had been seen by others as beautiful. And the chances of her speaking to someone, in her mind, were slim to zero. She spoke rarely, and when she did, it was always when she was alone. Even so, her eyes were no longer as broken as they once were. She was startled from her thoughts by the sound of her hero's voice.
"The pizza is probrably cool enough, and I've got some sodas in the fridge, so help yourself," he said with a soft smile.
Ciara nodded and smiled lightly again. She couldn't help it! His smiles were contagious. This only made his smile grow as he passed her a slice of pizza.
After watching him eat a bit, she took a bite of the food. Her eyes widened a bit as the unfamiliar flavors assaulted her mouth. Before Kyo could ask her what was wrong, she was chowing down like she was starving to death -which was basically true.
"I guess that means you like it, huh?" Kyo asked with a light laugh in his voice.
Ciara nodded with a light blush and continued to eat, though a bit more politely now.
The food disappeared quickly between them, Kyo letting Ciara have most of it. As she was writing her thanks, she yawned.
"You must be tired. It was a long day, and I bet you haven't rested very well in a while," Kyo said kindly.
Ciara nodded gently, yawning again.
"You can have my bed. It's just down the hall," he said with a bit of amusement dancing in his uncommonly red eyes.
Ciara seemed taken aback and shook her head.
"What? Do I smell?" Kyo joked, laughing lightly as she shook her head again. "Don't worry about it. You're not putting me to any trouble with this. I'm not letting you sleep on the couch. You deserve something more comfortable than that with all you've been through."
I couldn't possibly. she wrote hurridly.
"Yes you can. If you don't walk there, I'll carry you there," he said.
His grin made her defencless against his wishes and she nodded complyingly. She didn't know why his smile effected her like that. Perhaps it was because he was the only one who had ever smiled at her since It happened. When It happened, her whole life changed for the worse. Because if It, she was shunned. But, the way he smiled at her.... Would he still smile to her once he learned of It? Or would It make him shun her like everything else. Would he call her a witch? Or a demon? Would she have to forget the name he gave her and be Kuro once again? Only time would tell.
Kyo led her to his room and tucked her into bed. "If you need anything, I'm right in the living room," he said with that warm smile of his.
Ciara nodded and smiled timidly.
"Goodnight," he said and she nodded- her way of wishing him the same.
Kyo turned off the light and closed the door. Ciara was asleep in moments.
Kyo got a blanket and a pillow from one of the closets and laid down on the couch comfortably. "I wonder what happened to make everyone fear and hate her like that.... What happened to you, Ciara?" he wondered aloud before letting sleep claim him.
 Konnei · Mon Feb 20, 2006 @ 07:11pm · 0 Comments |
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