𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙁𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝 -𝘼 𝙃𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞 𝙁𝙖𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙘-

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟗

The dawn is illuminated on my face as I pray that I won't have to lose all of my memories of Hatori. He was the only good thing about living here at the Estate, oh and now the weird Kindness-Spell that has seemed befallen on Hanako. "God! If you exist, don't take this away from me! I can't take the rest of this stupid family."

The sliding door of the room next to me opens up to relieve Hanako glaring at me. "Some of us have work today! You know that?!?!?"

"Oh, shut your yapping! You should have already been awake! And what happened to you being nice to me!" I bark back at him.

"It's six- oh wait, I was supposed to be awake already. Huh." He shuffles back into his room, embarrassed, leaving me with a feeling of victory. Maybe this means luck is on my side! Or God, or whatever.

"Serves him right for trying to mess with me. If only I could do something like that to the Family Head! Then I'd get to keep my memories!" Trying to cheer me up, I say. "Ah, who am I kidding. The Family Head is probably some insane psychopath who wants to have my head for dinner."

I lay back down on the wooden patio and pout.

But before I can let the pouting commence, I hear a knock on my door. "Excuse me, Ms. Yuihiso, the Family Head has called on you. I'm here to prepare you."

"Prepare me?" I sit up and let my eyes trail her as she moves to the closet and pulls out my dress-suit from the funeral dinner. Black and drab and sobering. I guess it would be fitting to meet the Family Head looking like I was attending a funeral. Well, in some ways, it is a funeral, for the memories I'm losing.

"You are to wear black and have your hair done up. No makeup." She lays out some pantyhose and grabs my nice black heels, the only heels which I haven't managed to scuff up. "And I assume you can still sit on your knees?"

I nod as she flicks off some dust off the suit jacket. "Good. Be ready in ten minutes to leave."

Parts of me only feel more scared as it's much clearer that this is something I must take seriously. If I take one step out of line, then I can kiss my memories goodbye. So I should do that now because I know myself well enough to say I take the wrong steps all the time without even trying.

If the Main House didn't already send shivers up my spine every time I saw it, it does now. The sky is no longer bright but a shade of gray, making the house look eerie. "Your imagination is just taking over, Yuihiso. It isn't that bad." I tell myself.

However, my words do not call me down. If anything, they just rial me up more. My imagination, threatening me with terrible scenes, the kind that only leaves you with scars.

The car comes to a halt in front of the steps, and a solemn elder is standing in front of the door waiting for me. I click the door open and carefully tread up the stairs, the woman keeping a keen eye on me, confirming my thoughts from earlier. "Akito is waiting for you just inside."

Do I speak, or do I nod? What must I do? "Of course."

I can feel the eyes of everyone we pass staring at me, with the weight of being watched pounding into me even more. "I see you followed the rules given. We were worried you were going to be difficult."

Refusing to reply, I ponder on who "we" is. Does the woman mean the Akito, the Family Head, or someone else?

Rounding the corner, Shigure and Hatori are both coming out of a dark room, Hatori refuses to make eye contact with me, but Shigure is staring me down.

"You can leave, Robari. We'll take care of her from here." Shigure says to the woman.

"Yes, Mr. Shigure." She bows, but her eyes are focused on me. "Doctor. Yuihiso."

If I wanted to, I could have imagined that she was referring to me as Doctor Yuihiso, but that's foolishness. It's as clear as glass that I have failed to earn respect from anyone in the Sohma Family.

"Just a quick run up Yuihiso for when you go in there, alone, hold your tongue. Also, as soon as you enter, bow on the ground and do so properly. Only speak to Akito if he speaks to you. Understood?" As Shigure tells me these things, Hatori silently walks away. "What, you aren't giving her any good luck wishes, Haa-san?"

"May God be kind to you." He quietly says, turning to look at me, his violet eyes intruding into my own heart and mind. Will this be the last time I can look into them? Is this goodbye to the Hatori I've come to know?

I open my mouth to reply, but words refuse to come to me. I believe my whole body is beginning to go against me.

"I've told you all I can to prepare you for Akito. Now you must go on your own and face him." Shigure leans in closer to me so that I can feel his breath on my ear. "May God not eat you alive."

He gives me one final look before retreating into another room. As for myself? I must now face the Family Head, alone.