The Rose and the Centipede

The Thorns That Bind Us

The screams only rose in pitch as crimson splashed onto the walls, the stone beginning to crumble. The sounds of skin being torn, bones crunching, gurgling as though someone was drowning; the sounds of heavy, rapid footfall...

And laughter.

Laughter so chilling, so maniacal, that her blood turned to ice.

"One thousand minus seven. Do you know?"

His voice was the same, but it was so different. It was a blade carving the answer to the crescendo of screams belonging to those who just moments before screamed in laughter.

Now they scream as they are slaughtered.

She could hear it all.

She could feel it all. Feel the violence of his fury, the blood soaking his hands, his teeth burrowing into flesh. Feel his madness ruling him, memories of being sliced, of centipedes crawling in his skull, of his fingers and toes being ripped off over and over. Feel the vibrations of his screams, the anger and agony nearly silent among the symphony of fearful screams.

But it's just a dream.

A nightmare...

Hanami's fingers flinched, curling to dig into something. A soft, plush texture met her fingertips and she could feel her visage twist into a frown. The last thing she remembered was the arena, arms around her, before her vision eclipsed into black. Am I dead?

A groan threatening to bubble from her lips, Hanami forced her eyes open, blinking rapidly to clear the blurry sight. Pain shot through her leg, familiar and foreign all at once and yet it felt stiff. I guess that answers my question, she thought grimly, rightly assured that she was definitely still among the living.

"You're awake," a familiar voice murmured lowly, coming from her left. Hanami turned her head.

Kaneki was sitting in a chair beside her, his elbows resting on his legs as his joined hands were under his chin. He appeared to be freshly showered; his white hair glistened and he was wearing a collared white shirt and blue jeans. Steel irises were narrowed softly, but Hanami could see it wasn't from irritation. She met his gaze, aware of her heart picking up pace and pounding furiously inside of her chest. "Kaneki? Where am I? How did you find me?"

"Tsukiyama saw you. He told me and..." Kaneki trailed off, debating whether to tell Hanami that he had been trying to track her scent since he found her gone. She must have known by now, he thought to himself. He would have gone at any length to get her back. He exhaled heavily, his laced fingers tightening to refrain from grabbing Hanami and embracing her. He had other matters to discuss with her. "What matters is that you're safe. Tsukiyama and I managed to find you and get you out of there," he finished. "You weren't unscathed as I hoped. Your left leg is broken and your head was bleeding."

"So it wasn't a dream," murmured Hanami, propping herself upright with her elbows as support. She observed herself, her eyes moving from Kaneki to the torn, bloodied dress that she was found in and the pristine wrap that covered her left leg. She counted her stars that she wasn't changed again while unconscious. Leaning onto her right elbow, Hanami lifted a hand to the back of her head, her fingers seeking the injury and finding nothing. Had it healed while she was unconscious or did she imagine the injury? "You said my head was bleeding," she said softly.