Don't Let Him See

I was at the lunch table. Steam from the soup swirled up to the roof, mixing with the darkness there. I was looking at the greyish aroma when Grandma placed a bowl in front of me. She then poured some soup into it. I picked up the chopsticks and dunked them. 

Ai-chan chuckled. Silly Sora. Use the spoon.

'Why did I do that?' My face burned as I tried to hide the chopsticks, but they slipped from my hand, hitting the floor.

"Sora." My father's voice came from in front of me. I pretended not to hear.

"Sora." Grandpa, this time. His voice was still hoarse and impatient. 

I looked up.

"We're going out today," Father spoke slowly, as if I wouldn't understand his accented Japanese. "You want to come?"

"No." I continued my meal while Ai-chan kept laughing.

"It'll be fun." The step-being's voice spilled across the table like syrup. Her smile stretched. My hands flinched, and the mark pulsed. I turned to her, then Ai-chan, then her again. The soup sat in my mouth. I couldn't swallow it.

I nodded.

Her smile widened as darkness rose from her body. The room shook and stretched. I diverted my gaze to the soup. It was better to stay silent. The sound of spoons hitting plates kept echoing. The sound of their voices filled the room. 

Then silence.

I gasped. The room was silent. I looked around. I was sitting on my bed in my room. 'Oh, I escaped the step-being.'

A knock came at the door.
I stayed silent, staring at the wooden frame.

Another knock.
Silence from me.

The knob turned. I lunged for the door, but my foot slipped, and I hit the floor as the door swung open.

My grandparent's son stood in the doorway, light bouncing off his glasses. He knelt beside me. "So the youngster likes to lie on floors?"

He laughed. I didn't know why, but I laughed too. He helped me up. He sat on my bed and pulled me down beside him. He was quiet for some time. I looked at Ai-chan, and she shrugged.

"So how is school going?" 

His words came so suddenly that I almost jumped. I nodded. 

He placed his hand over my shoulder with a smile. "Oh, I saw Kaito the other day. He grew tall. Is he taller than you?"

I tilted my head. "Kaito... is... I don't know."

He pressed his lips while he nodded. He let out a small sigh. "Sora. I need to see that mark on your stomach."

I blinked.

'How does he know?'

"There's a doctor in Germany I've been talking to. He specialises in dggjgd hdjagdahdbnadqkjdnama j dkhddj kdhk."

The words dissolved, leaking out of his mouth. The fluid was thick, maybe like his accent. 'Are the letters German? English? I don't understand.'

I stood to leave, but he grabbed my arm. "Come on. Show me the mark. Then we can go out."

"I don't want to." I tried to pull my arm away. The mark began pulsing. It didn't want to be seen, especially by this person who would make it vanish. Make Ai-chan vanish.

"I know it still hurts. I won't touch it. It'll be okay." He made me sit down again.

"I SAID NO." The mark began to burn. 

"Dad was right; you don't comply." He spoke softly, maybe in a whisper, but I heard him. He reached for the shirt. The smell of burning rose from my body.

Let me.

Ai-chan appeared beside me, and she looked at me with a smile. Then my hands moved. Fingers clasped around his neck. 

'No. Don't.'

I felt his pulse. His skin was hot. I pushed him down and crawled over him. My fingers continued pressing into his spine.

'No, please. Ai-chan, don't.'

"It will be okay." Her voice came out of my mouth.

He grabbed my hands and pulled them away from him. He gasped, still holding my hands tightly. I tried to push him, but he shoved me down. I reached for something...the lamp. 

But he caught my arm.

I gasped. My body felt heavy, like something had left it. The grip on my arm loosened. I looked at my father, and he was staring. I followed his gaze back to my arm. There were long scars. I'd never seen them before. 

"He was right... You have been..." His voice was a shallow whisper.

My breath came in gasps. I couldn't tell him I didn't know. 

Ai-chan pointed at the lamp. Hit him first.

He turned my arm, looking at the scars. He grabbed my hand and looked at my missing nail. Shook his head. "You did this, too?"

"I-I don't know." I shook my head. My body was trembling now. I kept looking at his face. Something on it tightened. 

He got off me and sat with his face in his hands. "I-I'm sorry..."

Ai-chan shook her head. She stood next to him. Want me to?

'I need to make him leave before something happens.'

"Y-you can see the mark." I whispered as I sat up. I reached for my shirt. My hands didn't stop shaking.

My father looked at me and then at my hands. He pressed his hand on top of mine and pulled me in. It was just like the first day. 

He hugged me. 

"You don't have to force yourself," he whispered. 

I wrapped my arms around him, too. Then I saw her. Ai-chan was glaring at his back. 

Who knows what this one wants...?