The Blue Rock And I Adventures In The Red Rock Arc Part Five

 The Mansion

We were walking for such a long time that I lost count. Yet while we walked, Cho sang a Japanese song that I did not recognize, yet Uncle Haru looked into the far distance as he listened to it with misty eyes. I could not understand why, but I guessed that it had some relevance to his childhood. Yet I did not care to think any further upon it.

It soon came to the end of the day and Uncle Haru was the first to fall asleep. This was soon followed by Cho. However I found it difficult to fall asleep. After all, I was too shocked, especially after what had happened in the village. I just could not get all that gore out of my head! I could not get the images of all the body parts out of my head. Yet I knew that I had to.

"I'm sorry…Nastu, I'm sorry…please!" Uncle Haru muttered as he twisted and turned.

What is going on with him?

I then shook him awake. His eyes opened as he let out a gasp. He was covered in sweat. His eyes were in a panic as he looked at me scared.

"I did not kill you!" He sighed.

He then looked up at me and took a good look. His eyes became misty again.

"Looks like I did…"

"What?"

He shook his head.

"Never mind."

I frowned as his lip curled.

"What on earth is going on with you?"

"Never mind."

I opened my mouth.

"I said never mind!"

I placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Uncle Haru what-"

He then slapped me. I felt shock run through me. I just could not understand it. I felt the icy sting of the slap yet it was as if some part of it did not register. My mind went momentarily blank. 

Yet he looked at me, just as shocked as I was. He looked away and clenched his fist. I would have pursued the subject further, had I not been afraid of him punching me. He seemed to be in pain too. Yet I could see that he had no injuries. I just did not know whether or not I should feel sorry for him or whether I should gloat.

"Sorry." He said after some time. "Get some sleep."

I lay down. Even though I closed my eyes, my mind would not let me sleep. I could not help but turn that moment in my head like a coin. So when morning finally came, I was just as tired as Uncle Haru. I noticed that his eyes were puffy and red.

Cho then gave us something to eat.

"You two look as if you had not a sink of sleep! Did you have a family quarrel?"

I looked at her confused.

How did she know? Did she get us last night?

"Cho. No, just no."

"Is it to do with Nastu?" She asked, making me even more confused.

What had dad got to do with this?

That was when I saw Uncle Haru close his eyes in dread. This confused me even more. I could not get it. I just could not get it.

What is going on? Why is he acting like this? And what has it to do with dad? Was that why he was crying in his sleep? Why would he do that? He killed him! He hates me because of that! The old reason he's even here is because his parents forced him to promise to look after me.

"I think that you ought to talk about it."

"No. I would rather not."

She let out a huff.

"Haru." She said, warningly. 

She then looked at me and let out a sigh.

"What about you? What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing!" I asked, not knowing how to put it into words.

She rolled her eyes.

"She reminds you of him, doesn't she?"

Then his eyes softened.

"Thought so." She said as she let out a groan. "Honestly! Is it an Aoshiné thing or something?"

I frowned suspiciously, yet I returned to eating.

Seriously, what is up with these people? I just don't get it.

After we had finished, we were soon back on the road. My mind soon wandered and soon I was too lost in my own mind to focus on anything else. In fact I was so lost in my own thoughts that I did not notice the mansion before I looked ahead to see it.

"Shall we go on there?" Asked Cho.

I looked at the orb.

"Yes. However, we still need to be on our guard." I said and glanced at Uncle Haru.

He smirked and nodded.

"Which means that, Aqua, you will be staying with me." Cho said.

"Yeah, but why don't we all stay in the same room?"

She grimaced.

"No. We're girls so I do not think that it would be a good idea."

"How come?"

"Because it would not be the proper thing to do."

"Why? After all, if we need to change Uncle Haru could change in another room."

"But what if there's only one bed?"

"Well either one could sleep on the floor or we could carry another bed from one of the other rooms?"

"Oh!"

We all walked in and the hallway was wide and the ceiling was so high up that I could not even see it. It had a blue carpet and scarlet walls. There was a set of stairs in front of us and two more at both sides of the entrance, near the doors. In the centre was a week lit chandelier with many lit candles in the holders.

"Wow!"

"Looks like someone wants to impress."

"I know, it looks beautiful!"

"So there is a feminine side to you."

I scoffed at Cho.

"Shut up!"

She chuckled.

We walked up one of the stairs and looked in all of the rooms. All of which had a single bed in them. Yet I could tell that all of them could contain fifteen and still you would have an easy tone walking around.

Then we all walked down and soon found a kitchen. Then I smelt the sweet smell of cake. Then I saw it right in front of me. A fruit cake with red, blue and purple icing on. I could not believe it! It was my favourite cake. Yet even though I knew that it must have been some kind of trap, I could not remember the last time I tasted it. 

So I walked up to it. I reached out and plucked a handful and put it in my mouth. I smiled as the rich taste of the thick cake and fruit touched my tongue and this field my the taste of the hard icing and the soft marzipan. I could feel a tear fall as I could not remember the last time that I tasted such a sweet thing that I could not doubt.

"What?" I asked upon seeing Uncle Haru at the doorway.

"What is it?"

"Nothing!" I said as I took another bite.

He let out a sigh.

"No, girl. I know that look."

"So do I. I mean both Haru and Nastu made that look many times. Haru especially, after he killed Natsu."

I frowned.

"Why?"

"Because-"

"Natsu?" Haru said, his face pale like he had seen a ghost.

I took another bite as I looked around to see another man that looked like my father. I gulped down the last of the handful of fruit cake as I looked at him. My head started to spin and I could not think straight. My mind felt strange too. It read almost like I was drunk. Yet I could not taste a single drop of alcohol.

"Why did you kill me?" The man asked.

"Brother you were a traitor. Someone had to do it and I had to purify our bloodline of your tretury." 

"Then why do you long for me to come back?"

"Because-" He said as his voice broke slightly.

"Tell me, do you miss me?"

He looked down, his eyes became misty again.

"Do you want me to come back?"

He nodded as he became subdued.

"Then give me the girl."

He looked up, shocked.

"W-what?"

He outstretched his hand.

"Give me the girl and the stone will bring me back."

He then looked at me hungrily.

"Will it really bring you back?"

"Yes."

"Will mum and Aunt Blue be happier with you back?"

"Yes. I will make them happy. However, you must stay here."

I looked down, feeling tears well up inside me. I wanted dad back. I wanted dad back so much that I know I would have given anything just to see him again. Just once and I know that mum and Aunt Blue would have been the same way.

That was when Uncle Haru pulled out a gun and fired right away the head.

"I don't know who or what you are but you are anything but my brother! He would never ask this of either his brother or his daughter! And I don't care." He shouted firing another shot. "How dare you take his form! How dare you disrespect both him and his memory like that!"

I looked at him shocked as I saw the tears run down his eyes like rain.

"No! You're killing me again!"

He stopped.

"No. My brother's dead." He said, throwing away his gun.

I suddenly understood. I walked up to him and hugged him. His eyes dropped and we did not speak until the following day and we had all left through the back doors.