Chapter one; Bad Night

Ryous point of view.

Bakura never saw me the way I really was. What he thought was I was weak and pathetic; A pushover. Although how can I protect myself when he’s thrashing me all the time? He’s stronger than I am, Much stronger. What he thought was law; Pure and untouchable. I needed to get out, Go somewhere else, To leave him. But I couldn’t. I still loved him. Yet now I’m not sure why. I thought it over so many times that I could write a book about it. That’s the only thing that calmed me from this world. Books. Oh, The wonderful books. They could take you anywhere in the entire world and you could be anyone you wanted to be. A girl who’s lost in Paris, An elf in a different world, An alien from another planet… If only I could write my own book and become the character within.

 

                I lay on my bed countless nights thinking to myself alone. Bakura was always out with “The boys” getting drunk and partying. I always knew he cheated on me. Every time he went out, I knew this. But I wasn’t allowed to say a thing. While he was out, I was always stuck home alone. Never allowed to have anyone over or fear the wrath that he holds within. The look he always gave me when he yelled was enough to scare me stiff. I hated that angry face. It always haunts my dreams. More than ghosts or haunted houses. More than scary movies or demons from hell. I would pray. Pray for us to get better in our relationship. Pray for him to stop being a drunk and to stop having anger issues. All of these things and more I prayed for every night before I went to bed, Unless I was become unconscious from too much pain.

 

                 The front door opened and I looked up, Feeling the chill rush in from outside. I shivered and goose bumps traveled across my arms. I set down my book and placed my feet on the floor, Taking them off the chair I sat in.

“Hey. Welcome home.” I stated and walked over to him, Only to have him pass right by me and into his bedroom. Yes, We both had separate bedrooms. I blinked and locked the door since he hadn’t. I looked at the snow outside and shivered again. Too cold for me. I shook my head, Turned off the porch light and dragged my white socked feet across the hardwood floor and back to my book. I sat down in the chair, Pulled my feet back up next to me and looked towards his shut door. I bit my lip and sighed silently to myself. There’s nothing worse than when he comes home like that. Something bad was going to happen tonight. I knew it. I shook my head, Trying to dismiss the thought.

 

                I bookmarked my page and set it on the brown wooden coffee table. I stood up and looked at the calendar. Christmas was coming up soon which meant I had to set up the tree and other decorations. Maybe that would pick up his spirits. I looked at the couch and folded the blanket up properly. I had just recently gotten over a cold so there were “Sick things” all over the living room. I set it on the arm of the couch and emptied the trash bag again, Setting it in the kitchen by the door. I wasn’t going outside yet unless I had to. I walked back into the living room, Put a new bag in the can and set it to its normal spot. I looked around, My hands on my hips. I picked up dishes from around the room and went to the kitchen, Putting them in the dishwasher.

“Now what?” I asked myself. With the way Bakura passed me, I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on my book and I knew it. Either he won’t come out for the rest of the night or he will, But it won’t be pretty.

 

                I skimmed the kitchen, Looking for something to clean up. Nothing. I had cleaned practically all day. It needed it. I walked back into the illuminate living room and looked over the bookshelf in between the two chairs. Then at the television and stand with all of our movies and what not. Nothing interested me. I scanned the fireplace and it’s recently put out flames and twisted my mouth a little bit. I sat back down in my chair and reached for my book right as Bakura came out in a furry.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” he screamed, Knocking my book from my grasp.

“What… What are you talking about?”

“You! You went in my room! You cleaned it. How many time do I have to tell you NOT to go in there without my permission until you get it through your thick skull?!” he shouted as I fell back in my chair.

“I-I” I tried to think of something to say.
“I what, Ryou? I WHAT?!” he slapped me hard across the face. It wasn’t the first time, Nor would it be our last. My hand flew to my face and caressed it, Trying to take the sting away; Nothing. He growled, Bearing his teeth at me. I bowed my head and stared at the ground so he couldn’t see my eyes. I knew I had been defeated already, There was no question about that. “Well?”

“N-Nothing… I’m sorry…” I mumbled, Barely audible.

“Sorry?! I have told you COUNTLESS times not go in there and what do you do? You do it anyways!”
“You had beer bottles and bags of old blood and dishes all over the place, Bakura… It needed to be cleaned.”

 

“That’s none of your business, Now isn’t it?” his alcoholic breath skimmer passed my nose. Too much Jack. I cringed at the smell. “And that blood was still good!”
“I read the dates your put on them, It would have made you sick. I’m only looking after you.” I stated, Trying to stand up for myself. Bad mistake. It got the chair I was in knocked over and I found myself with my head on the floor with Bakura glaring down at me.

“You know better.” His teeth gleamed in the light like a werewolf. I tried to grasp the bookshelf to prop myself on two legs again but was pushed back into the wall when I was half way up. His left hand was around my neck, Pinning me to the wall as his fist flew back behind his head about to collide with my face.

‘Not again.’ I thought to myself with a cringe on my lips. I shut my eyes as he let his fist fly like an arrow as it shoots through the sky. It hit me hard in the face and smashed it into the wall, Blood trickling out my nose and down my mouth. I coughed, Trying to pry his grip off of my neck. He grasped harder, Making me choke. I started to lose breath as a blinked, Looking for anything to help me. I saw nothing but those dark eyes piercing into my soul. I couldn’t look away, His lip curling up over his teeth as he dropped me to the floor right before I gave way to the darkness. I looked up at his thin stature and big muscles. All I could think was ‘Not again’. Over and over it ran in my head.

 

                He knelt down as I jumped. He looked me dead in the eye and glared.

“Go and get me a bag of blood.” his voice was liked ice. I gulped. I didn’t know whether to tell him the truth or not so I just sat there; Intimidation pulsing through me. “Well?” he leaned in closer, The smell of Jack still on his breath. I blinked and tried to look away. He growled and then realized and brought his head back to look down his nose at me.

“There… There’s…” I looked up at him to get slapped across the face.

“Damnit, Ryou! Why do you always have to do this to me?!” he shouted towards me, Venom coating his voice.

“I-I” I got cut off again by another punch to the jaw.

“You know what this means.” he cracked his knuckles and reached into his back pocket.

“N-No… No. Please.” I shook my head violently.

“You brought it upon yourself, Ro.”

 

                The pocket knife he carried for defense, Even if he WAS big enough to take care of himself, Was aimed right towards me. He brought it closer with every beating second.

“No…” I grasped the hardwood floor as best as I could, Only to slip and fall again. My eyes darted around the room frantically, Trying to find something as a lifeline. Nothing worked. Finally, He lifted up my shirt and sliced me open. Right across my pale stomach. I screamed in agonizing horror as the blood was drained from my flesh.

“You brought it upon yourself.” He chanted, Grabbing a pail. I gasped, Short of breath, And tried to stay awake. Hard to do when pints of your blood is being drained from your body every few minutes. He smiled grimly as the pail began to fill and I began to drift. Drift off into that most wanted, Most needed sleep. If you would call such a thing sleep. I heard him laugh, Saw him snicker. Looked at the pail and back to me and then lay me gently on the floor as he rose to the sky, Carrying his bucket away with him.

‘How could you?’ I thought I asked aloud. But nothing came out. Nothing but hoarse whispers and then, Darkness.

Reviews

[Kaylor Mason]

To be honest, I read the last few chapters and some of the first. From what I gathered, this is one very disfunctional relationship going on. But as far as the writing goes, it's really good. I like it--especially the vampire element. You have really good descriptive powers, and the ability to buiild underlying tension and a yearn to delve deeper--to see behind closed doors--without explaining things in a straight-forward manner is really well developed here. Poe had that same quality--he left his readers wanting more. they wanted to go deeper.

[Calypso]

Still very good. You are a wonderful writer.