Outcast

I Will Protect Him

Mori and I were kicked awake as metal trays of stale bread and old porridge were dropped in front of us.

"Eat," Mori ordered once the two assaulters had gone. "You need your strength."

I obeyed. We had to eat like animals, what with our hands chained to the floor.

"How are you feeling?" Mori asked after "breakfast".

"Okay," I lied. "You?"

"Fine."

So were both liars.... But I have to be fine to save him.

"What happened to not lying to those you care about?" I teased halfheartedly.

"I'm fine," he said. "I have to be if I'm going to save you from here."

Did he read my mind or something...?

"The others and our families will have suspected something by now," I said.

He nodded, but knew that my plan wasn't to wait here for help to come.

"I know." He said. "You'll be okay."

"We'll both be," I argued.

"We'll both be," he agreed.

The beatings again. It's like they're meals. Regular times. Morning, noon, night. The same for the past two days, three after today.

It was worse for me today, I'd smarted off to Nathaniel, and he had kicked the side of my head as punishment.

"Maybe I'll send the ransom notes today," he said after the noon beating. "Or maybe I'll have more fun with you two before that."

"The longer you wait, the closer they'll get to finding us," I croaked, lying on my side.

"Shut up before you get yourself hurt," Nathaniel said, pulling back his foot.

"TOUCH HER AGAIN AND I'LL KILL YOU!" Mori roared.

Nathaniel stopped, looked at Mori, and turned his back on me.

"Leave us," he ordered his lackeys.

"Leave him alone," I said hoarsely, trying to raise myself up as Nathaniel approached Mori. "Get away from him...!"

Nathaniel's foot sank into Mori's stomach before he approached a wall, covered with weapons and grabbed a whip. "I'll have to get rid of that will of yours."

"No!" I yelled.

He slowly brought the whip behind his head and I hurried to unlock myself with the key. Screw plan A.

"This is what happens when you play the hero!"

"NO!"

My shackles hit the floor and I dashed between them, taking the lashing diagonally across my back. The pain made my vision go black a moment, and I was so weak from hunger and the beatings I couldn't do much more than fall to my knees.

"YUKI NO!" Mori yelled.

"I won't let you hurt him!" I yelled, holding Mori's head protectively against my chest.

"You want to protect him?! Fine!" Nathaniel screamed madly. Another lashing made me scream.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY YUKI!" Mori screamed.

"I'm sorry!" I cried, holding him closer. "If I hadn't avoided you, you wouldn't have had- AAAAH!- to take me from class and- AAAAAAAH!- we wouldn't be in this mess! AAAAAAH!"

I could feel blood rushing down my back, soaking my torn shirt.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY, PLEASE!" He yelled desperately, unable to move me because of the shackles as I held him close.

"I can't," I said softly. "I won't let him hurt you- tch!" I bit back a scream at the next lash. "I avoided you for two weeks because I was scared- GAH!- to know what might happen if you found out- GUH!- but I... I.... I-"

"FREEZE, OOTORI POLICE! NATHANIEL JONES YOU ARE UNDER ARREST!" Someone yelled as the door burst open.

Lash! I screamed in agony as the final lash hit me hardest.

Bang! A cop shot Nathaniel and the bastard hit the stone floor.

I was about to pass out from blood loss, but I pulled away from Mori and held his face in my hands. He was crying, silent tears rushing down his cheeks as he stared at me, the emotional pain showing worse than anything physical he'd received.

"Mori, I love you," I whispered, pressing my lips to his before losing consciousness and collapsing against him. The last thing I heard was him, yelling my name.

And then it all went black.