Out of Darkness

It took Shinya, Kaoru, and Die four hours to get to Tori. Arriving in the pouring rain and raging storm to the broken down motel on the outskirts of town, they had to fight their cringes. The railings on the rusted stairways to the rooms were hardly holding on, the sign for the establishment had missing letters and missing lights, there were people arguing in the doorway of one room, and what looked like a junkie shooting up under the stairs by another.

They walked up to the run down window where the shady people scattered around had visited to request their rooms, and instantly Die was ringing the bell.

“What do you need?” the disrespectful man who looked to be in his late twenties demanded, leaning on the counter and staring Die down while holding tightly to a bottle of beer.

“We are looking for a friend of ours. She has red hair, and light skin, and comes about to here in height,” he answered, holding his hand just above his shoulder, “She is blind, and would have probably been a little upset as well; she has had a difficult night.”

“Oh yeah, her. Nice piece of ass.” He nodded, sighing deeply and shuffling through some keys, “Here, room 28, second floor.”

Die didn’t say anything as he took the key and walked away, not wanting to say anything rude to the motel attendant.

“This door isn’t closed,” Shinya pointed out worriedly, gently pushing it open and knocking while looking around the dark room. No lights were on, so it was nearly impossible for them to see anything. “Tori-san?” Kaoru called out cautiously, hearing a quiet sob in the corner before feeling his way to a lamp to turn the lights on.

As the darkness fled into small shadows, Tori’s small, broken form came into view. Huddled in the corner beside the bed, holding her knees to her chest and shaking with quiet sobs. She was hiding from something, and terrified. There was a scratch on her shoulder and neck, and her shirt had been torn there as well. As worry filled the three men standing in the room Kaoru cautiously took a few more steps towards her.

After hearing him call her name again she slowly started reaching out to find him. Feeling both of his hands she grabbed onto his wrists and broke into more open sobs, pulling his hands close to her as he knelt down in front of her and took her head in his hands as she leaned her head on his chest and continued to cry, eventually moving to just hold her and mutter small comforts until she was calm enough to explain her situation.

“The couple next door, they were really loud and I was scared because of the storm, and I don’t like this place at all, and after everything that happened at home I couldn’t take it anymore. I slammed my fist against the wall and screamed for them to be quiet. Then the man came into my room, he was drunk and yelling, and he grabbed me by the shirt and threw me onto the bed, and he kept yelling at me and I was so scared! I tired to get away, but he just grabbed me again and pushed me back down until he was done! Then, then he left.” She explained emotionally, still clinging to Kaoru ten minutes later as Shinya and Die stood beside them, secretly afraid to sit anywhere in the filthy room.

“Tori-san,” Shinya sighed sadly, crouching down and putting his hand on her shoulder, smiling when she moved hers to rest over it, “You don’t have to worry anymore tonight. We are taking you back to my house, and you will stay there.”

“Thank you!” She cried, throwing her arms around him, making him sigh and fight back his smile as she held onto him. He loved the feel of her body against his, her arms around his torso, the scent of her hair, the soft skin of her face brushing against his face and neck as she hugged him.

“Come on; I don’t want to be here any more than you do.” Die announced and led them all out as Kaoru took her bag.

“Where is Achilles?” Kaoru asked suddenly. Tori was never without her dog.

He realized that something was horribly wrong when she started to cry again, letting Shinya hug her as he guided her down the stairs to the car. “He’s gone,”

“What do you mean, ‘gone’?” Die demanded.

“My father put him in the shelter! H-he’s gone!” She sobbed.

“Shh, no more crying tonight, Tori-san, you’ll lose your voice.” Shinya soothed, letting her rest against him as they sat in the back of the car. Die got shotgun and let Kaoru drive them off.

“I can’t! I-I’m never going to see him again!” she cried.

“Yes you will,” he assured but went silent, letting her cry herself to sleep against his chest.

“I told you, she isn’t lost.” Kaoru nodded once he was sure that their blind friend was asleep enough not to hear him.

“Not now, Kaoru.” He muttered as they drove through the deserted early morning streets to his home.

Kaoru just smiled and finished the trip in silence.

When they arrived to the house, Die helped Shinya lift Tori out of the car so that he could carry her inside. He carefully laid her down on his bed and covered her up after removing her shoes, and went to leave her when he felt her hand grasping his, tugging him to a stop.

“You don’t have to do this,”

“Do what, Tori-san?”

“Give me your bed again.”

“This is only a guest room.” He smiled, “Please get some rest.”

“No it isn’t,” she laughed, “I can tell you are lying to be nice to me.”

“How is that?”

“The pillow, blankets, and sheets smell like you.” She answered, making both of them blush a bit.

“This isn’t a problem for me. I want you to be comfortable, Tori-san.” He smiled, and went to walk away but she held tight.

“I understand if you don’t want to… but w-will you stay with me in here? I don’t like sleeping alone… there is nothing here to protect me without Achilles.”

He sighed and walked closer to her, kneeling down and brushing some hair away from her nearly terrified looking eyes, brushing a tear away in the process. “You will be safe here, I promise you.” He assured quietly, fighting the urge to kiss her then and there.

She was sure that he was going to leave when he walked away, but instead he climbed into his bed on the other side, letting her rest her head on his shoulder as he lay awkwardly beside her.

“Thank you.” She whispered, holding onto his thin arm as she drifted to sleep.

“You are welcome, Tori-san.” He smiled quietly, and watched her sleep until he joined her.

“Sleep well.” Die smirked an hour later as he passed the room. Shinya had left the lights on, and door open, thinking that he would be leaving the room after she was asleep, but he ended up falling asleep as well. After turning off the light and closing the door quietly, he made his way to his claimed spot on the floor, since Kaoru had taken the couch, grinning the entire way.