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Chapter 2: Be My Pet
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She ran all the way to the barn, lost her shoes in the mud, and was shivering beyond all belief. Yet, all these reasons simply weren't enough for her to enter the shabby old barn. She knew Nekozawa lay on the other side, and considering the type of being he was, there was a good chance he was already aware of her presence. A picture of her mother's agony-filled face flashed across her mind, and it was this image alone that pushed her forward. She couldn't waste any more time.
Inside of the barn was pitch black, as she expected, but it was the silence that unnerved her the most. With the sound of the rain muffled by the aged wooden walls, she was able to hear her thoughts. Haruhi suddenly began to analyze her intentions. She was dealing with dark forces here, and she didn't want to do anything rash. She could still turn back…
"No," she confidently said.
"No, what?" a deep voice asked. She froze.
A flash of lighting revealed Nekozawa's purchases piled neatly on the hay strewn floor. The man himself was standing dangerously close behind her.
"I highly doubt that you came to be in my company," Haruhi blinked, "Though I wouldn't mind it," he laughed, "So, tell me, what is your reason for coming to me? You should be aware by now that you and your people and I are not very friendly with one another." A loud crack of thunder exploded shortly thereafter and Haruhi whipped around and buried herself into Nekozawa's chest. He smirked, "Or perhaps you did come to keep me company, after all, though I seem to remember you giving me a frightened reaction earlier this afternoon," he smirked, "By gods, there really is something more frightening than me, isn't there?" Haruhi quickly withdrew from the awkward position and stood back facing him, avoiding eye contact at all cost.
"I need to make a deal with you."
"Oh?" Nekozawa replied surprised.
"I heard a rumor that you have a Healing Gift," she said.
"There's also the rumor that I'm ten thousand years old, have black tar for blood," he pulled Haruhi's chin up and forced him to look into his eyes and she immediately recoiled, "…and that direct eye contact with me will make your heart explode." He stepped back and Haruhi immediately lowered her head, "But as you can see, there are some falsehoods."
"But…you do have a healing gift."
"And how do you know that for sure?"
"M-my grandmother saw you break your leg on one of your visits…and said when you came back three days later you walked without limp." When Nekozawa said nothing, she continued, "My mother is having a baby…and," Haruhi started tearing up, "And I don't want to lose her, I don't want my brother growing up not knowing her or let my father be without her…we can't let her go!" she yelled unexpectedly.
"I see…she really means a lot to you," Nekozawa replied calmly. Haruhi nodded. "So, what will I get in return?" Haruhi's face lightened up.
"You'll help her?"
"What will I get in return," he repeated, more sternly this time.
"Wh-what do you want," Haruhi stammered.
"What do you have to offer?"
Haruhi's hands began fidgeting. "We-we could give you our chickens for free," she offered.
"And what will your father say when he discovers that you made a deal with the devil; That his wife and newborn son are a product of heresy? He will drive himself mad and eventually kill, not only himself, but his entire family as well. Would you really want that?" Haruhi tightened her fists and continued looking at the ground she knew was there but couldn't see. "Now what? Do you have? To offer?"
"I-I've only got one other thing, but I don't think it'll interest you."
"Try me," he said.
"I-I can give you me."
"Now, that does interest me. But that means you'll never get to see your mother again; it would be no different if she did die."
Haruhi slapped him. She put her hands to her mouth as her eyes widened in shock at what she had just done. Nekozawa gingerly touched the side of his face that had been hit and turned his head to look at her with a wide grin spread across his face.
"I suppose that was out of line. Forgive me?"
Haruhi stood silently, and was afraid to speak. "Please…help her," she finally managed to whisper.
"If you were desperate enough to seek me out," said Nekozawa, "it must be serious-"
"There's not much time!"
Another clap of thunder sounded and Haruhi sunk into herself. The two of them remained silent for a moment and then Nekozawa wandered over to his bedding and sifted around in his personal pack. He pulled out a small vile of crushed glitter as well as a worn square of parchment and set to work. He took the dagger from his belt and cut the tip of his finger from which he used the blood to draw a strange symbol on the parchment, and he sprinkled some glitter on top. Putting away his dagger and the glitter, Nekozawa carefully picked up the parchment and spit on it before crumpling his concoction together within the paper ball.
"Put this in some water and let your mother drink it. I expect you to pack your things immediately afterwards. I will escort you to your house and then wait for you outside. We'll be leaving for my establishment at dawn."
It took a moment for Haruhi to register all that was being said to her.
"I thought you said there wasn't much time," said Nekozawa.
Haruhi immediately snapped out of her trance and bolted out of the barn. Nekozawa was not far behind. They approached her house in record time and Haruhi rushed in to drop Nekozawa's parchment in the water pitcher allowing it to break apart. Then, rapidly, she rushed to her mother's room and presented the pitcher to the midwives who only assumed she wanted to comfort her dying mother as much as possible. The younger midwife tilted the pitcher for Haruhi's mother, and the woman drank every drop. A few seconds later she stopped convulsing and slowly regained her breathing. Ranka held his wife up and the older midwife dropped to her knees to deliver the baby.
"Well, I'll be," she said, "She's going to make it."
Haruhi breathed a sigh of relief and was prepared to stay for the birthing of her brother when she caught sight of a shadow looming outside the room's window. Then, before she could change her mind, Haruhi turned around and bolted back out of her parent's room and into her dwellings where she grabbed a sack and stuffed it full with all of the clothes and personal items that would fit. She wrapped a few other things up in her bed sheet and tied it off before slinging it on her shoulder. She was ready to go. Haruhi hesitated. She could almost feel Nekozawa pulling on her, ushering her to leave. Haruhi complied and walked past her parent's room just in time to hear, "He's beautiful." Tears slipped through her eyelids and trailed down her cheeks, and…
She left.
Nekozawa was waiting for her outside and politely reached out to carry one of her bags. She reluctantly passed over the knotted bed sheet and followed him back to the barn. Each footstep felt weighted and stiff to her, and the shock of what she had done finally caught up with her. Was she really so selfish? No, she decided. She just made a very brash choice.
And now Haruhi must fulfill the consequence of her choice.
When the two of them were safely inside the barn once more, Nekozawa took Haruhi's luggage and set it next to his own. Then with a simple, "Good night," from him, he nestled into his pile of hay and she followed suit. With everything that went on that night, sleep eluded Haruhi, and she found herself growing more and more uncomfortable with her predicament. What would her parents think? How would her friends feel? What would she miss the most? Would she ever get to see the baby brother? Would she get to see anyone ever again? But most importantly, and most relevant to her situation, what were Nekozawa's plans for her?
Tomorrow was going to be a long day.