Ye old Willow

Part 13 Garden

-1 year 10 months ago-

Kazuki could not get Zachariah to face him again. The ghost remained immaterial at the edge of his vision. Even if Kazuki tried to trick him again, the man seemed to predict his actions and did not appear.

Without the solidity the ghost man had brought him, the only way to verify his existence was his sister. But even then he found it hard to face her. She was different than him, she had value. He had no purpose, while she had too much.

He watched silently as his sister flung her combat teacher for the third time that day.

The teacher called a water break for fear of being out-shined by her student too often. At that Kazuki smiled, that women who prided herself in her ability to fight was losing so easily to an eleven year old girl. His sister would lose in terms of strength, but that wasn’t all you needed in a fight. Even if you are one of the weakest, you only need to use your opponent’s power to win. That was what his sister excelled at. So much so she was called a prodigy. She had value.

Kazuki stared at his own hands. He could never do something like that; they did not want him too.

His sister walked over to him a prideful look on her face. “Kazi did you see that, you see that?”

He nodded.

His sister looked back towards her teacher who was resting against the wall, grabbing his wrist. “Kazi I want to show you something.”

Kazuki followed at his sister’s prodding.

She dragged him through the maze of hallways, eventually pulling him towards the large oak doors in the front of the house. He froze in place before she could pull him through.

She look at him questionably, “Let’s go. Let’s go.”

He smiled lightly, “I can’t.”

She started to beg pulling on his arm, “Come on brother, come on. You always liked going outside. But since father died you haven’t been out of this house once. You always have this sad expression on your face. I want my old brother to return, the one who always played with me outside.”

He looked around making sure no one was around, whispering lightly, “As long as it’s for a short while.”

His sister smiled brightly, nearly blinding the young boy

He let her pull him to the outside, the fresh air pressing against him for the first time in two years. A honest smile spread across his face.

No one approached them, and he let his heart settle. His sister dragging him freely through the garden.

The garden was intricately designed. Large bushes of roses and other flowers covered the place in bright blotches of color. Just being able to touch them, to smell the flowers for the first time in so long kept Kazuki in a very happy state.

“See? You always liked going outside. Why do you never go out anymore?”

Because I am not allowed too. He thought his heart covered in fear.

“Kazi, “She shook him, “Let’s play a game, a game!”

He took a glance around the garden. “What do you want to play?”

She cutely shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t know. But I want to play something. It’s the first time that brothers came out to play with me in a while. So I want to play!”

“Then what do you want to do, “ He gave an exaggerated sigh. He did not have enough energy to keep up with his sister most of the time.

“Hmm…” She thought furiously, her face scrunched up in intense concentration. “How ‘bout, How ‘bout…. Uhhh HIDE AND SEEK!”

When she said seek she gave a quick dash hiding out of sight. From behind the busheshe could hear her say, “You better count properly. No cheating.”

He didn't have to cheat, after counting to the obligatory one hundred he turned around to find- her jumping behind a rose bush. She must have decided her orignial hiding spot was bad to late in the count and switched to a different one. He approached slowly acting like he was checking everywhere left first. She ended up squawking in panic when he approached her. He couldn't help chuckling.

His turn however he found a long hedge. That if he needed he could walk around it in order to hide himself from her vision. He sat their waiting for her to finish her count of one hundred.

56…57…58

As he sat patiently waiting for his sister to finish the count, the world went black. He tried in vain to remove the blindfold, his captors stopping him by twisting his arm painfully against his back. Holding his mouth shut in order not muffle his screams of torment. They did not want his sister to know how they treated her brother. In order to use someone properly they need to keep them ignorant.

They started to drag him back towards that dark place. Away from his sister and the light.

He thought in a panicked state, ‘What about my sister. Will anyone tell her he was brought in? If no one tells her, she’ll remain out there all night. Someone please tell her…’

They shoved him into his dark room, and locked the door tight. He steeled himself for the long hours of silence. Something he had suspected to come, when he gave into his sister’s wishes.

 

 

The door creaked open sooner than he thought, barely more than an hour since it had been originally shut.

Kazuki was unable to see who opened it do the blinding light. Someone whispered beyond the door. “Take a left down the corridor and listen into the room on your right.” The voice felt odd, as if it was faked. A tone higher then it should have been. It loosely reminded him of the ghost.

His eyes slowly settled to the light, the door creeping open. No one was standing there.

He decided to follow the advice…

 

-()-()-()-

 

-Present time-

Fray stared intently as Kazuki said his life story, only to snap back and retort, “Wait why am I listening to this again. You already tol' me most of it.”

The child that had yet to be found weakly waved his hand through the edge of the water. “I told you the conclusion of my story. Oftentimes it is the journey not the end that is by far more important.”

Fray glared at him,”Their you go again, speaking all high and mighty. Why do you talk like that anyway?”

Kazuki waved it off, “I learned it from my father.”

Fray went silent to that.

The sound of bushes rattling disturbed them, they turned their heads to see someone Kazuki had not wanted to see. His stepmother stared directly at them, an evil glint in her eye.

“Sorry for the intrusion my dear, I also want to hear this story.”

Kazuki went on full alert, using his arm to shield Fray from her. “What are you doing here mother?”

“Oh?” She said, her tone mighty and impertinent. “Can't I look for my missing son?”

“Mother, “ He said again, “You have no business with me.”

She laughed, “But I do dear, I came to tell you in advance. I'm only giving you a week.”

At this Kazuki started to shake, his limbs frozen in place. Fray could not comprehend this reaction, but was too confused to move.

Mrs. Pini gave them her best sadistic smile before waving goodbye. “But.” She added, “I would like to hear the ending to that story of yours. Be a good son, and tell me it before the week is up. I wouldn't want to leave the story hanging.”