𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐄 | 𝐁𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 [MINOR EDITING]

𝟒 | 𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐤

It must be the middle of the night already when I hear the voices. I shoot up off the floor beside Shōri, who, by the looks of it, has already been up for quite a while.

"Stay here," I order. I roll the sheet off of my legs, stand carefully, and cross to the window. I can see the entire street from where I stand: save for three red lights, it is entirely dark.

Wait a minute...

When they come to a stop in front of the house -- and by they, I mean the small group men standing beneath the window, now speaking in hushed tones -- I instantly turn back to Shōri, who appears to have the same dark look in her eyes as last night.

"No -- no, no, no, no more of that," I say, shaking her shoulders. She blinks, the brightness quickly returning. "We don't want to bring any attention to ourselves, alright? No more of that."

"Okay, sister."

I sigh, relieved. I move my hand to hers and pull her to her feet.

"Come along, now," I say, tugging her out into the hallway. "It's time to play hide and seek with out new guests."

"Are they it?" she asks.

"Yes," I say. "Follow me. And don't make a sound."

I lead Shōri out of the room, gesturing for her to walk on the tips of her toes on our way to the first floor. Earlier when I had gotten a drink, I noticed a latch in the floor by the reservoir in the kitchen. An in-house pantry. And just our luck, it had been empty. I drag her toward it, kneeling down just before the splits in the wood begin, and pry it upwards so that the space is large enough for her to slip through.

"Hurry, get in," I say. Slowly, she does. I offer my arm and with both hands, she takes it. I help lower her down. "Can you touch the bottom?"

"Y-Yes," she hisses, and I finally release her. "It's scary down here, sister..."

"I know, I know, I'm coming," I say. I lift the hatch up more, just as the banging begins.

"Abaron Kakaku!" a voice yells. I freeze, my legs dangling over the edge of the hole. "We know you are in there! Do not try and hide!"

"Well too bad for you, you bastards," I say, and I drop myself into the hole, just as a large bang echoes throughout the shack. Did they just break the door down?!

Shōri latches onto my arm, and tucks herself into me. I hold her close and shut my eyes. That is, until, a bright light breaks through the blackness behind them.

"What on earth-- Shōri!"

"Sister, help!" she cries loudly. I hiss through my teeth. They definitely heard that. And, I have no doubt that they're able to see this light, as well.

I pull her against me and tuck her inside my robe.

"If it's not hurting you, there's no reason to cry," I say, reciting one of our mothers' famous sayings. "Stop crying, Shōri."

"B-But I'm scared!" she insists.

"That's enough," I say firmly. "No more tears."

"I've found them!" a voice yells. I cringe against Shōri, holding her to me, as the creek of the hatch appears once more. "What are you doing in here, milady?" the same voice inquires.

"Get away from us," I growl up at him, shielding Shōri from sight. Though, with her glowing like a firefly, it doesn't really matter. 

"Miladies, we aren't here to hurt you," a second man says. "We're here to take you both home."

"Home?" I repeat bitterly. "What are you talking about? We have no home."

"I'm afraid you're wrong, milady," says a third man -- I recognize him as the same one who'd come earlier in the day to collect our signatures. "The home your mother left to you should your names ever appear in the Soul Society's soul registry-- the Kaoku Clan Manor."

Updated July 13, 2021 | 708 words