The Eighth Plane

Chapter 13, Accused

Maybe he was right...

Ayato had been so real to me before that day. There had been no question in my mind that he was there, that he was real. I had wondered was if he were sane, but that's about it. He couldn't be a product of my imagination. I'm much too logical for that. There was no way. Was there?

Suddenly Ayato came to a stop. I yelped as I nearly crashed into him. Yet I held my position. It appeared we had come to our destination, though I had no idea where we were.

"Ayato, why are we stopping here?"

I had to whisper. Even though I couldn't recognize the area, I could tell there were nearby houses. Ayato crouched before me and stuck to the side of a building cautiously. I couldn't help but notice his stance resembling that of a canine's. Ayato had to be real... I wouldn't come up with someone that insane.

I tapped Ayato on the shoulder and repeated the question. He was rather focused for such a fictious little kid. He turned and stared at me a moment.

"What do you mean?" He finally said.

"What do you mean what do I mean!?" I stammered back. "I thought we were going to rescue Kaori!"

Ayato shook his head quickly and grabbed me by the wrist. He pulled me around the corner and across the familiar lawn.

"Ryoka! Don't you recognize your own house?" He chuckled, presenting my own front door.

I stared for a moment in shock. How did I not notice? Was I truly going mad? I shook my head abruptly and took Ayato by the shoulders.

"What are we doing here?!" I whispered loudly. "My father will kill me if he sees me!"

Ayato pulled himself away and began looking for an open window. I stared at him as he wandered through the shadows of my towering house. Soon he responded-half in thought and half in speech.

"...We need to talk to your sister. She might have seen which way Kaori went..."

I stared lightly for a moment. His resolve wasn't bad, but the logic was still off.

"The police would have gotten to her first. She has already been interrogated, probably." I retorted. "Besides, I wouldn't put it past her to call our father the second she saw me."

"We have to try Ryoka! If we want to find where your Second Boundary took Kaori, we need to know at exactly what time Kaori was taken."

And so that's how I ended up climbing through my window to break into my own house.

Not a light in the building was on. I fell through harshly and tumbled on the hallway floor, luckily without a lot of noise. I rose with a grunt and threw my hand against the wall for support. No way I'd be able to share this story with anyone. Quickly I peered back outside and grabbed Ayato's arm to pull him in.

"Why are we doing this again?" I asked. Ayato smiled brightly as his response and stepped lightly on the hardwood floor. Naturally he made less noise due to his bare feet. I followed suit and slipped off my shoes.

Hopefully my own sister wouldn't think I was crazy at this point. But then, I was beginning to doubt my own sanity.

I began leading the way. It wasn't too difficult traversing my own halls in the dark. I had enough brainpower to map out a visual image of my house even through a lack of light. So I knew it'd be a piece of cake.

Bump...

Crash!

"Ryoka...!" Ayato groaned.

"Sorry..." I whispered.

Soon enough my eyes adjusted to the light, and our pathway became clear. We snuck up the steps and past a few doors. I was skeptical upon passing my father's room. I wasn't sure if he was awake or not-but in this case the less chances the better.

Soon enough we came to my brother and sister's room. The door was styled with raggish paintings of small animals with black furr. I had never seen the paintings before, but then, I never really approached their door before. I held my breath, kneeled down, and grasped the knob tightly-Ayato breathing over my neck.

The door creaked just as I thought it would. I pushed on it carefully-the room inside was dark. Would she be in there? ...Would my father be in there waiting for me!?

I stopped cold. My breathing grew short. What if my suspicions were true? What if he expected me to escape and come to kidnap my sister next?

I shut the door.

My breath caught in my throat. My lungs no longer worked. I couldn't think straight!

What now!? We were so far. Could we escape if he were in there? What was waiting for me?

"Ryoka?"

I turned to Ayato, realizing he was still there. At least he still existed. At least he was there for now. I did not want to be alone. I wouldn't be caught dead there alone. I wanted to hug him. I wanted something to hug in my new found fear. Yet this wasn't the time... This wasn't the place. I had to open that door-no matter what.

Too bad my arm wouldn't move. I tried as hard as I could. I began mentally thrashing simply to move a muscle! Yet I couldn't move! My brain wouldn't work right. Was I stuck there?!

"What's wrong! We have to hurry Ryoka!" I stared at him. I couldn't breath.

"Fine... I'll open it."

The door swung sharply and slammed against the wall.

"Ayato!" I yelped.

"Aah! I'm sorry!" He paniced. "I didn't know it was open!!"

My father would be there in no time! I just knew it!

"Ayato...?" A small voice curled from the far side of the room. Quickly, I took a look inside. The only light that could be seen was from the open shade of the window above my sister's bed. She sat with her legs curled to her chest, and dried tears on her cheeks. My heart fell at the sight...

She had been crying... Was it because of me?

"Hi!" Ayato sprang forth, hurrying me into the room and shutting the door behind him. I was surprised he knew how to shut a door.

...Perhaps my father wouldn't show up afterall.

Our house was always filled with loud noise.

"W-what are you doing here...?!" She asked, unfolding her legs and throwing herself to the side of her bed. I walked to her quickly and crouched down beside her. It seemed she wasn't afraid. Maybe she knew I didn't do it after all!

"Sis", I began. "Do you trust me?"

She nodded. I smiled.

She trusted me after all. She knew I didn't do anything!

"We need to know if Kaori followed us tonight or not!" Ayato cut in.

I turned to him slowly, then I turned to my sister. She looked directly at him.

"I don't know, he told me he was, but I didn't watch him leave."

My heart nearly leapt. There it was! Irrefutable proof!

"Wait! You can see Ayato?! You can hear him and everything!?" I asked in my most excited tone. I couldn't believe it. There was no way I was hullucinating this!

She nodded again.

"Wha? Why wouldn't she be able to..." Ayato began.

"Nevermind!" I interupted, leaping to my feet. The greatest feeling in the world came with my confirmed sanity. I could assess that my reasoning was now just, and that perhaps I hadn't kidnapped my little brother afterall!

I hopped to my feet, gave a large smile, and turned toward Ayato. But what I saw there wasn't Ayato...

It was my father standing in the doorway.
---

"...Where is Ayato?" I asked again.

My father had already called the police. They had confirmed they were on their way. I now sat facing my father in the kitchen, where our normally inedible food was prepared for digestion. But for the first time there, the food wasn't my only fear.

My father's eyes bore into mine and I couldn't help but stare back. There was a large wedge growing between he and I. I hated it, but it couldn't be helped. If he didn't want to believe me, that was his problem. So I asked again.

"Where is Ayato!?"

My father took an agressive sip of his coffee. We had been sitting there for nearly ten minutes. My mind was on the fritz. Ayato had disappeared, my father had caught me, and the only resolve I could come to was ludicrus. But I clung to it anyway. What else was there to believe other than, "my father took Ayato away"? How else could I respond? So I kept asking.

"Where is Ayato?!"

"There is no Ayato, Ryoka." He sighed. "I don't know what game you're trying to play..."

"I wasn't going to kidnap her." I said with slight grimace. I had to force down the aching feeling that nothing would ever be the same. I had to restrain my thoughts. They would be the death of me otherwise. So I sat there with a cold stare to my father. He was keeping me from rescuing Kaori. He was keeping me from my brother.

"How do I know." My father followed after moments of the incessant war waging within my mind.

"You don't... Just tell me where Ayato is."

"He's doesn't-"

My fist slammed against the dining room table.

"I know you're lying! Of course he's real! My own sister could see him-she knew exactly where he was!" I huffed like an ape after an afternoon wrestling.

"I'm not crazy!" I yelled even louder.

The police would be coming soon.

"I don't know Ryoka. I don't know what to tell you." He stood and began pacing the floor slowly.

"Your sister has been asleep the entire night. You were just sitting there with her."

I immediately began shaking my head. No way I'd begin to accept the possibility of my insanity. Not again! I pushed myself from my seat with a gruff.

"So what's that supposed to mean?! I imagined talking to her?! You crazy old man!"

"That's enough."

"Your deductions always had been so wrong. You failed at your job and you fail as a parent!" My voice only grew. "What makes you think you'd be right, now?!"

"I said that's enough!" I jumped as the coffee mug snapped against the wall. His voice was louder than mine. I couldn't combat it. Finally, after few breaths and took my seat.

A silence awaited us. A silence I wasn't too keen to hear.

"I'm not going crazy. I'm just trying to save Kaori. The police won't find him-only I can."

My father stared at me for a moment. I didn't meet his gaze.

"...C-can you take me to him then, Ryoka?"

That's when I gave him my glare. Did he think I was dumb? He really thought I hid Kaori, and was still playing some twisted game. How could he be so dense?!

Or was I the dense one...

"I can find him, if you tell me where Ayato is." I huffed. I could only cling to the thought of Ayato. I know I hadn't imagined talking to my sister. I was sure of it!

"I'll tell you where he is once you find Kaori..."

"Fine."

I knew his tactics. He was goating me into finding Kaori. Yet-what else did I have? What else could be done...? I had to do this one way or another.

"But let me go alone. I'll bring him back-as long as you promise to tell me where Ayato is."

Another silence.

"...Okay."

I got him.

What twisted snare this was. At least this way he'd trust that I'd return. I'd be free to search for both Ayato and Kaori. I doubted that my father had Ayato-but maybe if I left... Maybe if I were away from my father, Ayato would appear again. And then I'd ask him what happen. I'd ask him where'd he go.

It would all fit perfectly. I smiled my first sincere smile since the beginning of that night.

"Mr. Huoh!" A strong hand began beating against the door. Both my father and I threw our attention the door's way. It was the officers. They were coming to collect me. They were there to take me away. I took several steps back and looked fearfully at my father.

Would he trust me to bring Kaori back?

"We're coming in on the count of three!"

"Dad?!" I stammered.

My father looked at me slowly. Suddenly I could feel it again. The swallow of darkness-the essence of the corrupt. I stared at my father with a rising fear. The coffee on the ground seemed to boil from the air's tension...

I could tell from his eyes.

My father was possessed...
---Next Time