Centipedes in my ears

Chapter 2

Chapter 2: I'm breaking, yet unbreakable

Kaneki didn't want to get up the next morning. Rize tried her best, but couldn't get the white haired boy. Every time she'd try pulling something off, whether it be a blanket or a pillow, he would unconsciously burrow into what she wasn't yanking off him. It was absolutely adorable to the older ghoul. With this kind of behavior, it was hard to believe the boy in front of her was the famed Mukade. But, appearances were deceiving.

Around dusk that night, Kaneki finally got up for good. Although something startling was found when Rize had him move up. Some of the pillows, sheets, and blankets had large blood stains on them. How she hadn't noticed them before was beyond her. She just put it off as the injuries he'd had the night before were finishing healing up and had bleed a little in the process. Besides she needed new linens anyways.

Under the cover of darkness, Rize took her nephew to the café Anteiku. She really hoped they would be able to help him blend in. She didn't want to loose the only family she had now. They arrived minutes before closing. All the other customers having left. Yoshimura was actually in the main room, perfect. Rize told Kaneki to hang around towards the back and confidentiality walked up to the manager.

"I need your help Yoshimura. "

It was then the youngest waitress, Touka, walked out. "The famous Binge Eater needing help, as if. Cut the crap Rize. What the hell do you want."

"Touka, that wasn't very nice. Miss Rize may actually need help with something. You know it's Anteiku's policy to help ghouls in need.

"Thank you Yoshimura. Now, it's not exactly me that needs help, rather my nephew over there."

It was then that a loud crash could be heard. The white haired boy that walked in with Rize had accidentally knocked over one of the chairs that had been stacked up.

"What the bloody hell did ya do that for?!" Yelled the dark haired waitress.

"It fell over. It's not my fault. Besides it wasn't even that loud!"

"What are you deaf?!"

"Probably!"

In a childish way Kaneki turned his back to the group, consequently showing them the left side of his face. There was a steady stream of blood dripping down from his ear. A shocked gasp went throughout the entire group. After regaining her senses, Rize slowly walked forward. When she reached Kaneki, she began to whisper into his bleeding ear. Loud enough that he should be able to hear, but not so loudly that his other ear would pick up on.

"Kaneki-kun~." Nothing.

"Ken." Again nothing.

"If you stop pouting, I'll let you kill the waitress over there." There was no response from him, but a startled gasp came from Touka.

"How dare you, you bitch-" she was abruptly stopped by Kaneki.

"Why are you calling Aunt Rize a bitch? You swear a lot miss."

"How the hell didn't you hear what she said about me?! You must be an absolute idiot!"

"Touka, stop yelling at him. He didn't hear it because he's actually deaf in his left ear. Miss Rize just proved that. Although what she said was a little uncalled for."

"Oh yeah! I completely forgot about my left ear."

It was then that the white haired boy did something that horrified even Yoshimura. He tilted his head to the side so that his left ear was pointing to towards the floor. The drip of blood onto solid wood could be heard. He tapped the right side of his head a few times before bringing his fingers up to the bleeding left ear. It took him but a moment to grab on to what appeared to be something before dragging it out of the ear. What he held in his fingers was a twenty three centimeter centipede.

Everybody just stares in shock. The other two Anteiku workers, Irimi and Koma, had come out of the back room to see what all the yelling was about and came in as Kaneki pulled the large centipede from his ear.

"What...the hell?" Could be heard from Touka.

"I told you guys, I forgot about. It hurt like hell to put in though! Always was the worst one they used in the sessions. Only old one that can still make me scream... Guess escaping and sleeping made me block out the pain. Tends to happen when they leave it in to long." In between his explanation for the creepy crawly in his ear, the others began to notice he would talk to himself. It was very obvious that the poor boy had been tortured from birth.

"Kaneki-kun~. You should probably eat after that. I know some good hunting grounds with just the most delectable humans. Almost all of the have that perfect muscle to fat ratio. Yum~!"

Kaneki screamed at that. He quickly put his back to a wall and slid down until his knees were brought to his chest. In his hand was the squirming centipede. He began to count back from one thousand using sevens. Any association with human flesh had always resulted in pain for Kaneki. Lots and lots of pain.

"What's 1000 minus 7? ...993...986...979...972...965..." On and on he went. He only stopped when Rize snapped him out of it.

"What the hell is he doing. "

"Quite Touka. Shut your damn mouth if you know what's good for you." With that, Rize ran over to Kaneki. Wrapping her arms around him, she lightly shook him, snapping him out of his counting trance.

"What was that about Ken?"

"I won't eat humans. Only ghouls..."

"Filthy cannibal..." Could be heard from Koma.

"While I'm not saying your opinion of ghoul cannibalism is wrong Koma, maybe there's a reason the young lad only eats ghouls. You say his reaction to Miss Rize mentioning him eating humans, yes? It is most likely that whoever tortured him before didn't like him eating human flesh." With a slight grumble, Koma agreed with the manager and apologized to Kaneki.

The boy was shaking badly. Rize's comforting touches making it worse. It got to the point where he could even hold the centipede anymore. Irimi quietly picked it up and let it outside.

"What happened Ken?" A worried Rize asked.

"It's always worse after I eat flesh. They told me again and again not to eat it, but sometimes I couldn't help. I was just so hungry last time... They starve me... They came across my path. I couldn't resist. Who would in that situation? They always hurt me worse after I eat flesh. I make sure it doesn't happen often..."

The boy had become lost in his own world of pain filled memories. Kaneki became silent, refusing to say anything. He just focused on a spot on the floor and stared off into space. Trapped in a fortitude pierced by memories. All everyone could do was watch the unstable and broken boy.

"So, will you help me help him?"

"Of course." All the workers at Anteiku replied.

"Come along Kaneki. Let's go hunting. I'm sure you can find a ghoul suited to your tastes. Wouldn't want you to become weak now would we?"

Kaneki walked over to Rize with a small smile. He had learned long ago on how to pick up the few remaining broken pieces that made him him. Doing it again wasn't so hard, but he wishes that for once he could be whole. That he didn't have to continue to put himself back together. Or that he could at least have some to help pick up the pieces.

And with that, he walked out of Anteiku with his aunt. Hunting another ghoul, even though he had eaten a couple days ago. Breaking out of Cochlea had taken everything out of him. Maybe once he got his strength back, he could finally find a way to keep himself from breaking. After all now, he was free.