Saturday Night
(Hide)
As always, when I’m lost, I go out to the garden. Sitting out there in the dark, on the little bench. Near here we passed an early test, we made our firstborn…
It was hard, tonight, to keep a nice face on. I came out here for air, to breathe. Hoping the cool air would give me clairty, to focus on what I must do to wrap up this world. Will another nice young couple take over this house again? I feel sorry for the ones we displaced. We didn’t even get a year here, since coming back from Ito.
Then there’s a man in front of me, in the shadows. “Oh, Hide-chan I found you!” I hear a voice, almost in a sing-song.
Who?
Then there’s some light from the bedroom window and I see him – “Souji?” I ask, at first… but then I realize. “You’re… you’re that imposter Kichisaburo….”
I scream, I try to run, but then there’s a tug and I fall and…. Hajime….
(Kichisaburo)
God, Asato is useless. She can’t find anything out and all it took me was a few hours. Someone was willing to babble on Fujita Goro, who actually is Saitou Hajime! Oh, this is -funny-. So I’ve been watching the house for a day or two – I see her head out in a hurry and return in rickshaw, looking… eh, oh well, he’s not here. And isn’t back by dark and then I’m there.
You’re… you’re that imposter Kichisaburo…
“Stupid bitch,” I say, grabbing her foolish long hair, and with one move I pull her to the ground, where her head hits -hard- and she’s finally quiet. I stop and look around – did nobody notice?
It was cute the way she tried to run. No match for me, even in my current state. I look at that long hair still in my hand, and pull out my tanto, and slice it. My hair never grew back the same, after, and so why should she have hers? Also it’s funny – didn’t I cut off some of Saitou’s bangs, the time we fought?
I leave a note – how classic! It’s a call-out, but if I remember that gloomy Saitou fellow right, he didn’t seem to have much passion for him. Probably some sort of pity thing, and then some men just like to sow children in any warm place. And women cling like vines, first chance they get.
“I have come back for my Hide-chan. I forgive her for her years of transgressions, but do not wish to have any reminders of her misdeeds, so I leave the children to you, Fujita-san, I mean Saitou-san, you disloyal “brother”. Do not search for her, for I am still deadly and rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. -Okita Souji, 1st Captain, Shinsengumi.”
That last line is a good one! Some American supposedly said it, but it works for me. Asato-san wrote one, too, but I discarded it. I guess it looks like it’s supposed to but ugh, it’s so -dry- and I’m having some fun here with the people I hate most. I leave it on the pile of her hair.
I hoist her up – ugh, she’s one of those soft, fat women that I find the most disgusting. She’s bleeding from her head… but she’s alive. I go out of the back gate, with its rusty lock that I found easy to smash.
We have a train to catch! My benefactor is quite pleased that I have his long-sought prize in view. I’ve made Asato-san very happy… it’s funny how things all come together like this!
(OOC – Kichisaburo and Hide leave for the train station. Please note that the note is sloppily written and contains many grammer and kanji mistakes and Kichisaburo made no effort to attempt to replicate Souji’s writing. There is also blood on the ground where he left the note and hair. Whoever can find it whenever.)
I hung around in the office, past dark. Uramura was strongly suggesting I go and just spend time with my family. Perhaps he sensed that something was wrong. No definitely he knew something was wrong. He basically did all the reports himself as I smoked, my contribution were mostly grunts and a nod or two here and there.
I was too angry earlier but I do want to see her and the children, for whatever time we do have left. Opening the gates, I realize it’s unlocked. Immediately my neck bristles… as I see the smashed lock.
Quickly, staying to the shadows I run towards the house with my blade drawn. Slowly I open the door and go inside but I see Yukiko first. She’s alert, guarding the stairs.
“Uncle.” She runs up to me, “I’ve kept the children upstairs.” She says in between breaths holding a knife close to her chest.
“What’s happened.”
“I heard a scream and I can’t find Auntie in the house. I don’t dare to check outside.”
My eyes narrow. “You did the right thing.” I tell her but take the knife. “But don’t show this to the children. Are they asleep?”
“Yes Uncle.” I watch her, she’s afraid but calm enough to be trusted.
“I need you to take Ai-chan upstairs with you. Try not to wake up Makoto and Tomu.” I hold her shoulders. “I’m going to secure the perimeter.”
She nods slowly and I lock the front door first, then go out the back door. The last thing I want is for someone to slip past me. But it’s mostly dark in the back but I sweep it anyway just in case. That secure I go to the front, careful to stay in the shadows and cross the engawa just outside the tatami room. Nothing… I glance up at the treehouse but I don’t see anything.
Where is she?
Finally secure in my knowledge that there is nobody else in the yard, I go to the middle where the bench is and right there. I step on something. A piece of paper and a pile of hair. Hers!
“I have come back for my Hide-chan. I forgive her for her years of transgressions, but do not wish to have any reminders of her misdeeds, so I leave the children to you, Fujita-san, I mean Saitou-san, you disloyal “brother”. Do not search for her, for I am still deadly and rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. -Okita Souji, 1st Captain, Shinsengumi.”
Souji… Must we always be haunted by him?
But I read the note again. It’s not his writing and Souji knows calligraphy through Kondou-san who is a master of calligraphy. So it’s an imposter or an impersonator. One that knows her and hates her enough to cut off her hair. She knows this person.
I kneel on the ground and feel it through my gloves. There’s a depression, she probably fell. I rub the grass and see caked blood adhere to my gloves. Thankfully the blood spilt is not a lot, which means they only meant to take her… I breathe a sigh of relief. They probably caught her by surprise and she tried to run.
Taking a deep breath, I go back inside the house. I speak to Yukiko, tell her the truth that I think Hide has been abducted. That they likely won’t come back here but she should be on her guard. She asks me what will she tell the children and for a moment I’m tempted to shield them, tell them Hide and I went to the province. “If they ask, tell them I will be coming back in a few hours to explain. Hopefully I’ll be back before they wake up. I need to get security for this house first… Eiji and some policemen.”
She nods seriously. I’m very proud of her, my brother’s daughter.
(OOC: Saitou goes first to Eiji, who goes straight to the house. Then installs a few policemen to surround their house with Kawaji’s approval. Saitou will return to the house to speak to the children if you want to Makoto to post or not)
(OOC – new thread started for Sunday morning)