The 9th

Hear him cry

Rin sat alone in the tree behind a graveyard, how the five year old got up there is completley unknown, but unknown things tend to happen when your in the dark. For Rin, this was a little truer than most would beleive. He pulled dark hood even further over his face, making him nearly invisible among the leaves in the tree, as well as hiding his tears. Today had not been a good day for Okumura, no it had not been.

First of all, he woke up late, which caused his brother to get upset with him again. Oh how he hated when his brother got upset with him. It made him feel as if his existance was wrong, as if all the mistakes were his and his alone. Which, Rin agreed to. He was the imperfect sibling, his brother was smart, kind, and better looking. All Rin could do was run fast and get into fights. That happened to be the second cause for his bad day, some jerk had been picking Yukio about his moles, so naturally Rin went over there to help him. Only to end up being slapped by Yukio and getting in trouble with the teachers (he tried to explain that he was helping his brother and the other kid was just as guilty as he was, but teachers never listen to freaks, do they?), then his dad had to come pick him up, so he got yelled at again, and had to watch as Yukio got awarded for never fighting back against the bullies (Why couldn't they see that he was just trying to help?).

When they got back to the monastary, Rin was sent to his room until dinner was done. Seeing on how he was in enough trouble, he just walked up the stairs without a fight (he had wanted to make dad dinner), and sat in the darkness of his room, for hours he did nothing but think of what he did wrong.

He did do something wrong, right?

He slapped himself. Of course he did something wrong, that's why he was in trouble, because he didn't do something that others expected him to do. He defended his brother when he was supposed to tell the teacher.

Why is that wromg?

He slapped himself again after that thought and forced himself to do the math worksheet about what would be on the test instead. By the time he was halfway done with the backside, dinner was ready.
This brought his fourth problem of the day.
At dinner, it was very quite. The only noises were the clinking of silverwhere and the chewing of food.

"Rin," started Father Fujimoto after he finished his potatoes, "It's high time we talked about what happened earlier."

Rin looked down in shame, "I'm sorry, I know it was wrong but--"

" 'But' nothing Rin, you knew it was wrong and you shouldn't have done it."

Rin had clenched his tiny fist and raised his voice slightly, "I was just trying to help Yukio! The mean kids at school stole his glasses and were calling him 'Mole Face' again!"

Father Fujimoto sat down his knife, "So Yukio could have handled it himself or told an adult what was going on, you could have told an adult what was going on instead of running in like an angry bull!"

The oldest Okumura was near tears, why couldn't they understand that nobody ever listened to him? He had tried to tell people what was happening to his brother, but nobody listens to a freak.

"Dad I did tell adults! I told every teacher at the school, I brought Yukio with me one time too!"

"People shouldn't lie, Rin."

It hurt. It hurt a lot to hear his father say those words. He thought he was lying. Why?

Rin hurridly looked at his brother, "Tell him Yukio! Tell him I tried to tell people! Tell him about what Mrs. Yamomota said!"
Rin remembers his teacher looking down at Rin with a mixture of fear and disgust in her eyes, 'Creatures shouldn't speak about people in a bad way, Rin.'

Father Fujimoto looked Yukio in the eyes, "Is he telling the truth, Yukio?" he asked calmly, "Did he tell people about the bullying?"

It was quiet at the table for a second before Yukio turned to his father, "No dad," he shook his head, "Rin never told anyone."

It hurt. A lot more than last time. Why was Yukio lying? Why wasn't he telling the truth?

"Rin," spoke Father Fujimoto, "I think it's time you told the truth."

Rin was crying now, silently at first, but it grew louder.

"Come on now," said Sam, the second in charge, "Let's just enjoy our dinner."

Rin slammed his fist on the table and stood up, "I'm NOT LYING," he shouted, "why can't you believe me? Why won't you guys listen to me?"

He was angry, he was hurt, he was confused, and somewhere deep inside, something sparked. He was tired and sad and just wanted to help his brother.

"Why do you guys only listen to Yuki? Can't he lie, just like I can? He's lying right now! He knows I told the teachers! HE KNOWS I DID!" Rin was full-on screaming now. A bit of that scream was pain. Not mental pain, real, physical, pain. A black shadow was beginning to grow from his back, it grew bigger and bigger with every scream. "I JUST TRIED TO HELP! I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG! WHY WON'T YOU JUST LISTEN TO ME? NOT THE LITTLE KID, ME, YOUR SON, WHY CAN'T YOU DO THAT?" Rin was full-on sobbing now, and through blurred tears, he could see everyone backing away from him. They were running away from him now.

"Rin, Rin, I need you to calm down, you're making a mess," said Fujimoto, "just calm down and we can talk this out."

Talk it out? Like I tried to do for the last four months? Why talk it out now? What did Father mean by mess?

Rin turned around to see a giant shadow wreaking havoc inside of the monastery, destroying plates, throwing food, smashing chairs. Rin's eyes followed the shadow's trail and- it was attached to him.
Okumura looked up at his brother, who was scared, at his father, who was holding Yukio, and Sam and the boys, who were cradling around Sam, who upon closer inspection, had his arms sliced by a piece of wood.

I hurt him. I hurt him. I hurt him, I hurt him, I hurt him,I hurt him,I hurt him,I hurt him I hurt him I hurt himIhurthimIhurthimIhurthim.

"I hurt Sam," said little Okumura in a broken voice, he had hurt his friend.

"No, you didn't Rin, you were hurt, you're just a kid, I don't blame you for this, it's okay." Sam explained in a gentle tone, "You didn't hurt me-" He was cut off by a piece of chair that the shadow had thrown at him, knocking him unconscious.

This was all too much for Rin, he was only five, he couldn't handle it, so he did what any kid would do and ran away. That's how he ended up in a graveyard tree, alone, if you don't count the shadow that was covering him like a blanket.

"Hey kid, I'm looking for Rin Okumura, have you seen him?"

Rin looked up to see a man with horns surrounded by black bugs smiling at him.

"His real dad wants to see him."

Real... dad?

"I'm Rin OKumura, sir."

"Great!" the man smiled, "Then just come with me."

The next thing Rin remembers is falling.