As Kasai sat on the table thinking about the hours before he lost everything to him, he shook his head at Dr. Philips when he grew closer to telling him about how his father died. His doctor rolled his eyes in disbelief. "You're lying to me again Kasai. You need to open your mind up more. That's not what happened. You're not a wizard. You can't control magic. You're delusional."
"It's all I know," Kasai told him softly. "It has to be true."
Dr. Philips tsked and started to rub a jello onto Kasai's temples- he was going to start shock therapy for Kasai... but Kasai's mind still ran to those hours he hated most about his life... The day his father changed.
Continuation of Kasai Hachirobei's POV:
As soon as we stepped into the hall to go to the living room, I heard Haru yelp and I could smell his blood as we collided into a wall like figure. I looked up to see my dad eyeing us over with a smirk. I looked at him before at Haru and widened my eyes- seeing a knife embedded in his stomach.
"H-Haru!" I yelled and gasped. My dad took the knife out and suddenly lifted his other hand. I stepped back in fear before I saw him swigging back a bottle- liquor. He's been drinking. "SAKI!" I begged for help as I grabbed my brother and pulled him into my arms, covering up his wound with my hand and dragged him back inside Haru's room. I shut the door quickly and whimpered.
"Where are you going?" My dad asked and I heard his footsteps following us. I let Haru go and ran up to the dresser by the door and pushed it in front of the door quickly and ran back to Haru and helped him to his bed. I put him under it quickly and shook my head at him as I covered his lips.
"Don't make a sound," I begged him. I pulled out the needle and thread in my pocket and stitched him up quickly- closing the wound then placed his hand on top of it. "Hold your hand there." I looked back at the door then and crawled under the bed to be with him in the safe place. I could hear my dad trying to open the door now. Haru whimpered and cried softly as he held his wound with a frightened look, still in shock from what happened. I could smell the adrenaline running through his blood as it leaked out onto his shirt and stained it slowly. At least the stitches were helping. I heard the dresser fall over suddenly as my dad pushed his way into the room.
"Where are you!?" He asked us and I could hear him stumble as he walked towards the closet to check there.
"H-hey, dad, is everything alright?" I heard Saki's soft voice at our door before she slowly came in. "What are you doing? You're drunk.... Come on, let's get you some tea."
"I don't need tea. Where's the twins?" He asked as I heard the closet door open. I looked at Haru then. We've got to run for it!
"Run," I whispered softly to him. "Run for the door with me." He looked towards me weakly and nodded as he trembled then slowly shifted to be on his stomach so he could crawl and get up quicker.
"The twins? They're playing a game. They're in the living room by now," she said. "Dad, I think that knife belongs in the kitchen...."
"No," he told her. "They ran in here." I moved with Haru as we slipped out from under the bed. I dragged him to his feet and made him take off running with me. "THERE THEY ARE! GET THEM SAKI!" He told her and started for us. I screamed and rushed to get away from him. Saki tensed and got between us quickly before she gave a small snarl.
"Hey! Leave them alone. You're scaring them," she said then paused, noticing Haru's wound. She snarled then looked back at him as her eyes narrowed. "YOU STABBED HIM?! What the hell is wrong with you?!"
"He walked into my knife- more like ran!" He told her. I paused by Saki and grabbed her hand.
"Run Saki," I begged her. I caught my dad licking the blood off the knife then to clean it. I tugged on her hand then. "RUN!" I begged and started to cry. We've got to go! Her eyes widened as she watched him lick the blade in shock before she quickly grabbed Haru from my arms and carried him as she grabbed my hand and swiftly took us to the door, slamming it shut. She paused by it then looked at the handle, touching it as she muttered then pulled away as the entire door froze shut. I gave her hand a squeeze as my heart raced and I pulled her down the hall.
"What's going on?" Kori asked as he stepped out of his room and frowned. "You guys are annoyingly loud."
"F-father stabbed Haru," Saki told him, yanking me to a stop by him as she looked up at Kori. "He's attacking the twins!" He widened his eyes before he looked down the hall- past us before he took off running.
"Koto!" He yelled and I could hear him going into the kitchen. I buried my face into Saki's shoulder and trembled a little. She took us into the living room quickly then looked around before she frowned as she hesitated then looked towards where the kitchen was.
"What?" I heard Koto purr out. "What are you so afraid of?"
"Dad just stabbed Haru with a knife," Kori hissed out. "What do you think is the matter. We're leaving, now. Where's Uta?" He asked. Uta looked up from a board game he was playing on the floor and frowned at us.
"Nonsense. It was just another punishment," Koto said calmly. "There's nothing wrong. They're just overreacting. Go back to your room if you're so worried about it."
"Koto! Getting stabbed is not a punishment," Kori hissed out. "You wouldn't like it if dad stabbed you. You could be next! We'll leave without you if it comes to it and he can stab you."
"I'll go see what father's up to. How about that," Koto said then started to laugh a little before he came out. He tensed as he spotted Haru's wound then looked Haru over as my twin cried. "Maybe... we should leave," he whispered, looking a little freaked out to see Haru like that. "Uta, you're going to hold Kori's hand, okay?" Kori walked out to us quickly with a basket of food he dumped into it. He bent down onto his knee then and reached out for Uta.
"Come here Uta," he told him. Uta eyed us over and shook his head.
"I'm not leaving daddy," he told us and frowned. "You're all going to get in trouble."
"Uta! Shut up and get over here. We're going," Kori hissed out to him. Uta stood up quickly and crossed his arms.
"No!" I heard the door in the hall break open- making the room fall silent as father's stumbling footsteps stung the air like angry bees. Saki trembled as she held us then started to rush the three of us to the door to get out of here. Koto tensed as he watched then muttered a few things before I heard our father trip, hitting the floor hard. He watched the hall then snapped his fingers.
"Get Uta the hell out of here and into the carriage," he said and clenched his jaw. Uta gave us a confused look as Kori ran up to him and picked him up- throwing him onto his shoulder before picking up the basket and got out of the house quickly- pushing Saki in front of him to get us away from the door. He let Saki go as he ran off to the stables to get a carriage ready. I looked at the door then in worry.
"Koto," I mumbled. He glanced towards me sharply as he moved over to the door then got in front of it to block it.
"Father~ are you alright?" He called out, letting a sweet tone creep into it for once. I eyed him over and then at the doorway- eyeing past him as I saw our father's figure coming into the view. I hid my eyes into Saki's dress then.
"Koto, where'd they go?" My father asked him.
"They had to go out to get more vegetables for dinner. We ran out," he purred out. "I was just seeing them out after giving them the list of things we need. Hopefully they'll reach the markets in time before they close down."
"You're lying to me," I heard my father hiss out. "I can sense it." I looked up just in time to see Koto's body get flung outside and he landed next to my feet. I eyed him over as I watched his eyes fall shut like he got knocked out.
"Koto," I whispered then grabbed Saki's dress and tugged on it. "Saki!" I called out to her in fear. She tensed before she looked towards the door then snapped her fingers, watching as it slammed shut in our father's face. She touched the door, making it freeze over again before she muttered a few words and smirked as I heard our father fall over.
"There, that'll buy some time," she whispered then looked at the door. "Send me to the nunnery, will you?" She hissed then moved away, going over to Koto as she held Haru tightly in her arms. I saw my twin's eyes slowly falling shut as he struggled to stay awake.
"Saki," I whined out to her as I looked Haru over. He should be fine though right? I closed the wound.... No wait! I need to go back inside to get those healing elixirs for him... "I made healing elixirs," I told her. "They're in the kitchen- Haru needs them. He needs to drink one."
"No," she told me quickly. "We'll make more once we get away. Just wait on Kori to get back," she whispered then rubbed Haru's cheek. "He'll be fine. I promise you I won't let him get hurt," she told me as she kissed his cheek and bounced him a little in her arms. His eyes came back open a little before he weakly grabbed her dress to hold it.
"Okay," I whispered to her. I heard a carriage coming from the stables then as Kori brought it. Uta was sitting in his lap- struggling to get out of it but Kori kept him in it. Saki eyed them over then waved her hand over Koto, watching as his body began to float a few inches off the ground and followed her hand movements. She looked at me sharply then looked back at the door.
"In the carriage, Kasai. I'll make sure father doesn't wake up and come out while you get in." Kori sat Uta down and ran over to us quickly as he took Haru from her and brought him back to the carriage and placed him inside. He forced Uta inside then and looked at me, waving me to him.
"Come on Kasai," he told me and reached out for me. "Let's go," he encouraged. I ran up to the carriage quickly and got in with Haru, pulling him into my lap as I looked out the window.
"Saki, let's go," Kori told her as he got back to his seat to hold the reigns. I heard the door starting to break down then- my dad waking up. Saki yelped and ran over, shoving Koto in then climbed in, slamming the door behind her. I felt Haru stir in my lap before he kissed my cheek lightly and wrapped his arms around me as his heart beat rapidly in his chest. I eyed over Saki then and grabbed her hand.
"We're going to be okay?" I asked her as I felt the carriage moving.
"Yes, we will be," she told me then rubbed my hand. "We're going to go far away and start a new life, okay? We might have to work hard for a little while... and food will be harder to come by... but at least it won't be wizards that we're cooking in our dinners." Uta frowned as he looked out the window.
"But daddy," he mumbled as he touched the window. "I want daddy to come."
"Daddy can't come with us, Uta," Saki told him then pulled him into her lap, giving the top of his head a kiss. "He needs some alone time for a very long time... and you'll love life after you get used to him not being there.... I'll take really good care of us all, okay?" I felt the carriage rock roughly then before it rocked again, and the horses neighed. Suddenly the carriage flipped over and I heard Kori let out a scream of pain as we all hit the ceiling in the carriage. I let out a panicked scream.
"S-saki?" I asked. She tensed before she moved towards the door slowly, putting Uta behind her.
"Kori?" She called out hesitantly then trembled as she opened the door to look for him. "Brother?" Saki was yanked out of the carriage roughly then and I caught my father as he tossed her aside like a rock in a pile of jewels. I could smell her blood as she hit one of the wooden tires on the carriage. He investigated the carriage then and got Uta then and laughed evilly as he dragged him out. Uta let out a scream in fear. I widened my eyes and pulled Haru with me to the other side of the carriage and forced that door open and shoved him out.
"We have to run Haru," I told him as I heard Uta scream's growing silent. Haru whimpered and then gripped my hand as he struggled to get to his feet then took off running with me. I couldn't hear Saki either, like she was gone... or dead.... I ran with Haru down the road and cried as I thought about what could be happening behind me. I glanced over my shoulder quickly to see my dad standing there- watching us running. I felt my feet trip up then as my head hit a rock. I yelped as my head started to bleed. A force started to drag me back to my father then and I let out a scream of fear as I saw Haru's body doing the same thing. He shrieked and tried to grab at the ground before he cried loudly.
"NO! HELP! SOMEONE!" He begged and grabbed at a rock before it cut his hands up a little. He whimpered as it came loose, and he squirmed against the force. I felt the force slowing down before something grabbed my ankle and yanked me off the ground. I looked up quickly as I caught my dad holding me off the ground by it. He eyed me over then smirked as he walked up to Haru's body as his nails dug into my skin. I whimpered as I looked down at his feet weakly. I widened my eyes as one lifted up and stomped down on Haru's head hard- knocking him unconscious. I yelped and reached out to him.
"H-Haru?!" I asked and screamed in fear as I struggled then. He let me go and I fell onto Haru's body. I curled up on him and trembled in fear as I looked up at my dad with a begging look. "M-mercy," I whispered. He yanked out the knife from his pocket and knelt above me before he stabbed into my stomach. I screamed and struggled- but quit as I felt attacked to Haru- he stabbed us both! I whimpered and looked at the carriage.
"H-help," I begged softly and started to cry. "Please wake up Koto," I begged out and whimpered as I felt my dad's hand grab my neck and start to squeeze it.
"No one is going to help you," he told me. "I'm going to eat you alive," he laughed out and I felt his hand cutting into my wound then. I screamed and squirmed then in pain.
"KOTO!" I begged and started to panic. His mouth covered my hand then.
"Shut up," he told me and tilted my head to the side. I felt his hand suddenly snatching something out of me and my mind got dizzy fast. I let out a small scream as I looked out at the house. What- why is he doing this? I could smell the bottle all over him- like he had dumped it on him earlier while trying to get to us. I trembled and looked around. I'm the only one awake now! I've got to- to do something about this... I can't let him win.... I can't! I don't want to die- I'm going to die if I don't do something about this.... I felt the knife slip out of me and heard it clatter to the ground as my dad pulled back and started to eat some chunk of meat- something that looked familiar to me- we eat that for supper- what is that? My vision blurred then, and I felt weakened. No- stay awake Hachi- I need to get out of this! I grabbed the knife quickly before I felt stitches running against my wound to sew it up. I rushed at my dad then and dragged the knife into his throat- slicing it open quickly since it was exposed to me. I heard him start to choke on what he was eating as he stumbled onto his back. I went after him again- crawling on top of him and stabbed him again- placing the knife into his eye this time. I felt his body going limp under me as I trembled. I eyed him over and started to cry as I laid down on him and whimpered. D-dad.... I grabbed at my stomach as I felt lightheaded again. I looked towards the house quickly. I- I need to get us those potions! I groaned out in pain and started for it quickly and whimpered in pain from my wound. W-what'd he take from me? I don't feel good- I don't feel good at all- I grabbed at my head quickly as I fell over and grabbed at my stomach. I'm not going to make it to the door- "Koto," I whispered and trembled in pain. I looked back at my dad then. No- I've got to keep going! I let out a hiss of pain as I forced myself to my feet and started out into a run for the door as I held my stomach. I ran back to the house and ran straight into a wall after getting past the door. I let out a scream but used it as support as I started for the kitchen. I whimpered in pain as my head throbbed and I rushed into the kitchen. I eyed over the elixirs and walked up to them weakly before I walked straight into the cabinet and fell quickly. I felt it tilting before a bunch of elixirs fell out and into the floor around me. I started to cry as some poured onto me and a glass cut into my skin as I squirmed on the floor. I coughed and felt my head hit the floor. I whimpered as I looked up at the cabinets. N-no... Where's the elixirs I made? Did they fall off- Uh- oh... What did I just do? I felt my breath catching before my vision darkened on me...
I felt hands shakily grabbing my shirt before I felt Haru's soft lips against my cheek. "H-hey bubba... we need to go," he whispered. "P-please... it's so horrible. I'm scared. Daddy won't move.... and Uta. It smells so awful.... Please!" I felt his tears hit my face then. "Please wake up!" I opened my eyes slowly and looked around in fear before I reached up and grabbed his head.
"H-Haru?" I asked him. "H-how's your head?" I asked in worry.
"It hurts," he whimpered and buried his face into me. "I'm so scared!" I looked around quickly before I sat up and winced with every cut I made in my body as I fought the glass around me. I eyed over the liquids on the floor around me with the mixture of my blood. I grabbed at my stomach then before I yanked back and looked down to see the wound was missing. I widened my eyes and shook my head quickly. Where'd it go? He looked at me then yelped as his hand got cut before he shakily started to pull out a large piece of glass from it. He trembled as he bit back a cry then dropped the glass as his scent filled the air. I looked at him and grabbed his hand.
"Haru," I whispered and used his hand to help myself up. I glanced around quickly before yanking him out of the kitchen with me. I shook off the glass with every step and yanked out a few shards as I kept going. He yelped and fell against me weakly before he clung to my shirt as he went down to his knees. I glanced around then before I picked him up and went back to the kitchen- looking through the elixirs. I caught one left standing that I made and grabbed it before I forced him to drink it. He gagged for a second then started to swallow it quickly, closing his eyes as his hand brushed up against mine. I carried him out of the house then and glanced around for anyone. I noticed that Saki was missing from where she had been lying by the wheel. She must've woken up and ran away.... Haru clung to me as he nuzzled his head against me then kissed my neck as I carried him. I eyed my surroundings over then.
"S-saki?" I asked and glanced around in confusion.
"S-she wasn't here when I woke up.... I couldn't find her... but Koto is still knocked out. He's breathing," he whispered. "K-Kori died...."
"Died?" I asked softly. I looked at the carriage before I walked up to it with him. I eyed over Uta's limp body as I passed it then searched the carriage- finding Kori crushed under the carriage. I trembled a little then as I looked it over. I slowly walked up to the open doors of the carriage and glanced inside.
"Koto?" I asked. Where's Saki? Why isn't she looking for us? I saw him sprawled out at the bottom of the carriage, his eyes squeezed shut as sweat dripped down his forehead while his breaths came short and ragged. Haru looked towards him then kissed my neck again before he whimpered.
"H-Hachi... it hurts," he murmured to me. "I'm dizzy...." I sat Haru down then and kissed his cheek.
"You're going to be okay," I whispered to him before I crawled into the carriage and over to Koto. I ran my fingers down his shirt before I grabbed his shoulder and shook him. "Koto," I begged him. "Wake up." He snarled suddenly and yanked me down to him as his teeth sunk into my shoulder harshly. I could hear his heart racing from here as he tore out a chunk and went to bite me again, afraid. I whimpered and tried to get away from him then. "KOTO!" I begged. "Pl-please! It's okay- it's me!" I told him. He snarled at me and yanked back as he looked at me then gave a soft moan as he licked my blood off his lips. He eyed my shoulder over with a starved look and went for me again. I widened my eyes and gasped before I crawled out of the carriage. I grabbed Haru's hand and forced him to follow me as I ran from him.
"Kasai~ Where are you going?" He purred out, coming for us as he got out. "Don't be afraid! I won't kill you!" I looked over my shoulder at him in fear.
"No!" I told him and shook my head. "I'm not- not going to go back to you! You look like daddy!" I told him and forced Haru to keep running with me. I ran up to our dad and snatched the knife with his eye still attached and pointed it at Koto. He paused then smirked as he eyed me over.
"I do not look like daddy.... You look like daddy, Kasai... holding that knife like that with his eyeball on it. I bet you'd love the taste of it," he told me then licked his lips. "Go on~ eat it. He's already dead. There's no point in leaving his body to go to waste." I looked at the tip of the knife then- eyeing over the eyeball.... I felt my mouth water then as I watched it. It's an eye.... No- it's daddy's eye... "Eat it~ No one will blame you," he told me and started to grow closer to me as his smirk widened. "It might be one of the last meals you have in a long time." I looked at him then and backed up with Haru- pushing him behind me to protect him.
"What do you mean one of my last meals?" I asked him softly.
"Think about it.... Dad is no longer here to hunt for you," he told me and smirked. "You're just a little brat. You can't feed yourself on your own. You'll starve." Haru whimpered and then yelped as he tripped over our father's body.
"Y-you're my big brother.... You're supposed to protect me," I whispered to him. "You're going to feed me," I whispered softly and watched him. "Right? You're going to take care of us now- right?" He eyed us over.
"How can I feed you if you're not even willing to eat an eye," he hissed then spat at my feet. "I won't feed a brat that won't eat what I bring him." I whimpered then and looked at the eye before I looked at him. I lowered the knife and took the eye off before I looked at him again and then slowly stuck it in my mouth to obey him. He smirked as he watched me then crossed his arms. "Eat it." I sniffled as I moaned at the flavor and slowly chewed it up before swallowing it. I looked at daddy's body then in hunger. "Eat up," he purred then lightly pushed me at it. Haru looked up at me with wide eyes then shrunk against our father's corpse with a scared look. I eyed over the corpse before kneeling by it and used the knife to cut off his shirt and then stabbed into his body and cut it open. I looked up at Koto then and gave a huge smile. He smirked and then knelt by me as Haru shrieked and started to run off. He eyed Haru over then reached into our father before he yanked out his heart and held it up to my lips. "Take a bite." I eyed it over before I bit down into it and moaned as I ripped a bite out of it and chewed it up- swallowing. I moaned and dropped the knife as I reached into his body for something to grab- yanking out a chunk that was easy to take and licked my bloody lips clean. Koto moaned as he bit into the heart then leaned over our father and started to eat pieces of him greedily, taking some of the major organs. I bit down into one of the organs I took and looked across the yard- looking at Haru.
"Haru, come eat," I told him. He shook his head no at me quickly as he sniffled and looked up at his favorite branch on his tree. He climbed up into it and curled up against the trunk, hiding his face into it. Maybe he's not hungry... I looked at Koto then.
"Saki is missing... but other than that- Kori and Uta are dead too," I told him softly.
"We'll cut their bodies up and store them," he growled out and looked towards me before he smirked slowly. "You know... there's a saying that if you eat a wizard... you gain their power," he told me. "Especially their eyes." I looked at daddy's other eye then and slowly stole it before I looked at him and giggled as I ate it before he could. He smirked at me then bit harshly into the liver, leaning his face down into the wound I made on our father as he didn't bother ripping it out with his hands. I watched him before I licked my lips again and finished off one of the organs. I looked at Haru then and frowned. I should save him some for later.... I ripped out another organ and stuffed it into my pocket. I noticed he was trembling up in the tree as he gripped the bark tightly, refusing to look in our direction, but Koto quickly caught my attention again as he snarled at me. "Don't give that brat that.... If he wanted it, he'd be down here with us. He's selfish."
"I want to save it for him when he's hungry..." I trailed off then as I looked at Koto before I crawled over to him and got in his arms and buried my face against his chest as I pushed him back. I sniffled then rubbed my head against him. "I was so scared," I mumbled to him. "He was awful."
"Hmm... we're no better," he purred into my ear. "It's an eat or be eaten world out there, Kasai. Which one are you?" He grabbed a chunk of the liver and put it into his mouth before he moaned and chewed on it.
"Eat," I told him and nodded quickly. I'm not going to be eaten. I don't want to be. "I'm the eater." He smirked at me then.
"Good," he whispered then offered me another chunk of the liver. "Eat up... get strong.... With any luck, Haru will stop crying like a baby and learn to eat instead of be eaten." I nodded and ate the chunk he gave me before I crawled off him and went back to the corpse to search for something else to eat. "Or we could eat him... before he gets out of hand," he whispered and smirked as he watched me. "I bet he'd taste great." I looked at him quickly.
"He's my twin!" I said quickly. "He'll eat," I promised.
"He's the black cat out of the two of you- the bad one," he told me and tsked. "Besides, we're eating our own father... and we'll eat our own brothers. Twin doesn't mean anything."
"Then what separates us from eating each other?" I asked coldly.
"Because I'm stronger than you and I could put you out of your misery whenever I feel like it... and because it's amusing to have a partner if we're going to eat together." I watched him and then looked at my dad before at him.
"Okay," I whispered to him. He smirked then rubbed my head.
"And you are my cute little brother even if you are a brat," he told me then yanked his hand away as he gave a hungry growl and went for our father's throat to eat it. I watched him and blushed before I looked at Haru. I've got to get him to eat- or we'll eat him... Koto started to finish our father off, not taking his time to give me a chance to get much more as he gave a few starved growls every now and then, eating his skin off his bones. I watched him before I ditched him and ran up to the tree and reached up for Haru. I held out the piece quickly to give to him.
"Haru, eat this," I told him. He trembled as he looked down at me then shook his head quickly as a tear rolled down his cheek.
"N-no! I don't want to eat daddy!"
"It's not daddy anymore," I told him. He eyed it over then shook his head again.
"I don't want it," he whispered.
"Haru, eat this," I told him sharply. He yelped and clung to the tree.
"N-no! Bubba, don't make me eat," he whimpered out. "You're acting like daddy!"
"Eat," I told him and crawled up the tree to get him. He shrieked and gripped the tree before he looked at me with wide eyes, frightened.
"Bubba!" I grabbed his ankle and moved onto the branch he was on before I shoved it into his mouth. He whimpered as he squeezed his eyes shut and went to spit it out. I covered his mouth quickly.
"Please eat it," I whispered. "I don't want to eat you.... It's an eat eat world... Eat or get eaten." He whimpered as his eyes opened quickly and looked at me in fear before he slowly ate it then started to cry. I kissed his tears away quickly before giggling.
"Shhhh," I whispered to him as I smelled him.
"B-bubba... we don't have to eat people," he told me and gripped my shirt. "Don't listen to Koto!" My mouth watered up at his scent as I leaned in and licked his neck- thinking about how Koto ate daddy's neck. He shivered and tilted his head back as he trembled against me. "B-Bubba! Stop," he told me and sniffled. "I don't like this!" I grabbed his shirt then and moved him off the base of the tree as I held him out to push him to the ground.
"Eat eat," I told him softly as I felt my fingers slipping to let him drop. He shrieked and gripped my hand quickly.
"Hachi! Stop!" He started to cry as he gave me a heartbroken look. I leaned in and kissed his cheek.
"I love you," I whispered to him as I moved him to let him grab onto the tree again. "But you've got to start eating- or I'll eat you before he can." He whimpered as he grabbed the tree then smacked my hand away from his shirt as he climbed down then took off running towards the house, going in and slamming the door behind him. I climbed down and walked back to the carriage and up to the horses that were injured and still tied to it. I worked to get them free and lead them back to the stables- putting them inside. I ran back to the carriage and up to Koto. He looked at me as he was dragging our brother's corpses together then pulled out the knife that I had earlier and knelt, starting to cut our brothers open. I watched him and frowned before I went into the carriage and got the basket before I brought it to him and placed it next to him. I eyed over Uta and Kori and tilted my head a little. I could imagine them screaming deep inside themselves at Koto- telling him to stop- and how they wanted to stop him but couldn't move... because they're dead and they don't know it. He dumped their organs into the basket before he began to cut their meat up into sections and whistled, filling up the basket before he licked the knife clean and left a little meat on them. He looked towards me then smirked as he eyed me over. I blushed at him and picked up the basket before I started for the house with it to go put it up for safe keeping.
"If you ever disappoint me Hachi, I'll stick you in a nut house," he warned me sharply as I walked away. I looked at him quickly. H- he won't eat me then? I gave him a sweet smile.
"Y-yes sir," I whispered to him. Does that mean he likes me?
"Good boy," he purred out. "I'm head of the household now, got it? You obey me and me alone." I nodded quickly to him and blushed. I already knew that now that father is dead, he was in charge... "Take that basket into the kitchen. I'll burn the remains out here." I nodded to him quickly. It's not like I can make it on my own with Haru we're not old enough for that.... Our best bet is to stay on his good side.... who knows where Saki went.... Maybe she ran away for good. I took the basket inside and into the kitchen- where I placed it in the walk-in pantry to store- where we stored the extra meat usually. I could hear Haru moving around on the other side of the house like he was moving furnature in his room, probably fixing it from what had happened to it earlier. I walked out of the kitchen and rubbed the back of my head before I started to search everywhere for Saki. Is she even here anymore? I checked her bedroom first thing. She was lying on her bed, curled up as she faced away from the wall and had her hands over her ears as she laid in a ball. I walked up to her slowly and grabbed her dress- tugging on it to let her know I was here. She looked down at me sharply then relaxed before she held her arms out for me.
"Kasai," she murmured.
"Koto and Haru are left living too," I whispered to her.
"Koto?" She asked as she wrapped me up in her arms then held me to her chest. "Is everyone alright? I thought everyone was dead...."
"Just us four now," I told her softly.
"Good... we can finally move on and make things right around here," she whispered then kissed the top of my head. "Eating others is not something we should be doing."
"Oh... well you better talk to Koto then," I told her and blushed.
"Koto can go take a flying leap out of a tree," she grumbled. "Eating others like us is wrong. I don't want to catch you doing it, Hachi."
"Too late," I told her and moved away from her. She frowned as she watched me then shook her head with a disappointed look.
"All of you are just like father...."
"But it's so good," I told her and whined. I eyed her over before frowning. I better go tell Koto I found her.
"It's not good," she told me and sat up a little. "You'll wind up like father! You'll go crazy then you'll drink because you're alone with no real friends who you can trust... and then you'll eat the ones closest to you...." I shook my head then.
"We're better than father," I told her and then backed out of her room and looked for Koto. "KOTO!" She frowned at me then threw a pillow at me.
"Don't call him!" She said then flopped down onto her bed. "I don't want to hear him talking about how glorious it is to eat others!"
"WHAT?! IT BETTER BE IMPORTANT!"
"I FOUND SAKI!" I told him.
"OKAY!" He shouted and didn't sound like he was coming. I looked Saki over then.
"You better not talk about not eating others around Koto. He's head of the house now," I told her. "He wants to eat others still and we'll follow his orders."
"You're being brainwashed," she muttered under her breath. "I won't have no part of it, and neither will Haru. He's still innocent."
"I'll make Haru love it too," I mumbled. "I don't want to eat him."
"You'd eat him?!" She asked and sat up, looking towards me in horror. "He's your twin! Does that not mean anything to you?!"
"It's an eat eat world," I told her softly. "If he doesn't eat, Koto will try to eat him- and I don't want Koto eating my twin."
"Then you help him stay out of Koto's grasp," she told me firmly. "How could you even think about killing your twin?! He adores you! He would follow you to the ends of the Earth if you decided to leave! You're a bad twin!"
"The earth is round," I told her and tsked. "They discovered that years ago." I frowned at her then. "It's not being bad. I'm looking out for him." I shut the door then and stomped off to Haru's room.
"You'd never be able to play Sailors with him ever again!" She screamed at me. "YOU'D KILL HIM!" I frowned and shrugged off her words as I entered Haru's bedroom.
"Haru~!" I purred out. "Bath time?" I asked him. I couldn't see him in the room, but I could smell him, his blood from his wounds like they had reopened from his moving around furnature. I glanced around and frowned. "Haru?" I asked softly and looked under his bed. "I want to take a bath!" He yelped as we locked eyes and then hid his face against his body, trembling.
"Please don't eat me," he begged.
"Never," I promised him and snatched him out from under his bed. I cradled him in my arms and carried him to the bathroom. "We'll be together forever. You'll eat and stay with me." He whimpered and wrapped his arms around me.
"I don't want to eat other people.... They might have a twin that loves them," he whispered and hid his face into me. "Please don't make me eat others! I'll just eat the veggies!"
"No," I told him. "Koto will eat you if you don't straighten up and eat what he makes for us. You better behave," I told him. "Act like a good brother for him now with me.... We'll eat everything he cooks so he doesn't get mad at us." I kissed his cheek then as I carried him to the tub and put him in it and turned on the water. I took off my clothes then his and got in with him. "We'll be good boys for him." I leaned in and kissed his cheek. "For him." He widened his eyes then trembled.
"B-but... I..." he trailed off as he watched me. "Don't let him eat me," he begged. "It's not my fault I don't want to eat others!"
"Haru," I told him firmly. "We're eating others. Just don't think about it," I told him and shrugged. "As long as it tastes good it shouldn't matter." I licked my lips then. "I killed daddy," I whispered to him. "I wasn't going to let him go to waste- so I ate him with bubba." He lowered his head, letting his hair fall into his face as he trembled then brought his knees slowly to his chest as he hugged them. I gave his cheek another kiss before I started to wash him- cleaning up his dirty body for him. I caught the glimpse of something tall in the doorway- like daddy but when I looked, I saw nothing. I frowned a little as I watched the doorway before going back to scrubbing Haru clean. He grabbed my hand suddenly and rubbed his cheek against it, but I could feel his face was wet like he was crying.
"I love you," he whispered, barely getting it out.
"I love you too," I whispered to him and kissed his cheek again. "Be strong for me and start eating dinners he cooks for us." He sniffled and gave my hand a squeeze before he pulled away and sunk down into the water, facing away from me as he went down to his chin. "You've got to Haru," I told him again. "You've got to... Think of it as cow's meat."
"B-but it's not," he whispered then looked back at me, sniffling. "It's not a cow.... It's someone's bubba...."
"No, it's cow," I told him calmly and smiled at him. "That's all it is." He sniffled and watched me before he looked away and tugged lightly on his hair. I started to wash my body then as I watched him.... He better not get on bubba's wrong side.... I don't want to eat him... but I will before Koto get's to him.
"You promise you won't eat me?" He asked softly, looking towards me as he sunk a little lower like he was afraid I'd say no.
"I promise," I told him to ease his mind. He relaxed a little, his smile slowly coming back before he moved closer to me then pulled me into his arms. I giggled and grabbed one of our boats.
"Ships," I told him and gave him his. "Let's play." He looked it over then giggled, snatching it from me then ran it across the water with a happier look.
"Hachi~ grab the other and we'll play pirates!" I giggled and nodded as I grabbed another boat to play with- sailing it towards his so I could capture his ship.
"Here comes the sailor men!" I told him.