Dark Ronin - The Woman with No Master

Chapter 18

Jerking off of my bed, I hit the floor face first. Oof. All of my pain flooded my body even harder, making me tremble. I coughed a streak of blood onto the wooden floor. I pushed myself up with as much strength as I could muster.

"Neera!" Se Ra screamed as she scurried over to me.

"Naara, are you okay? Is that blood? Ri Ri, get help-" Chang Tii yelled.

"NO," I interrupted, "I'm fine. Where's Ryuu? Are yall okay?" I pushed myself back onto the bed and reached for my pills. Se Ra placed the bottles into my hand with a cup of water waiting in her other hand.

"I'm fine, girly. I just hit the floor a little too hard." I explained trying to console Se Ra and Chang Tii.

"We were just stopping by to see you. We wanted to know if you would take us to get some sweets?" Tii popped onto the bed beside me.

"Sure, did yall get Ryuu already?" I asked, taking gulps of water, trying to shake my nerves.

"Naw, we just wanted to hang-" Chang Tii started just as Se Ra interrupted, "We don't feel like dealing with that child no more. And I'm mad at Ryuu for even having an inch of attraction for her. So, he is on punishment at the moment." Moving to the bathroom, I didn't feel like putting up an argument; while I got ready, they watched tv and wrestled a bit.

Chang Tii and I sat on the park bench as Se Ra played hopscotch in the grass. He has grown so much in such a short period of time. I wish he never had to experience this. Losing a parent is one of the worst things but to lose two at a young age and on the same night. I wondered how Chang Tii was really doing.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Neera?" ChangTii waved his hand in front of me.

"Sorry. Just thinking," I responded as I turned my gaze back to the waters in front of us.

"It's hard," he said.

"What you talking 'bout?" I asked, returning my gaze to him.

"Everything. The night I lost my parents, I was right there with them. I saw the killer... I can't remember him though. Is that bad?" he asked. I just stared at him with no reply.

"I'm glad they gave you and Ryuu to us for protection. I searched you up, you know?" he said.

"I never wanted to say anything or cry in front of Ri Ri. She probably doesn't even remember much but the memory just replays in front of me as if it's happening all over again. I can never sleep either," Chang Tii continued to ramble. He was just like me. Only he could remember, so it was worst for him.

"What happened? Can you tell me?" I questioned.

"My parents liked to call me over at midnight and play riddle games with me or any other game they could think of like chess. We were in the middle of playing but it felt different... different like there was something about to go wrong. Mom looked a little more pale than usual and dad was distracted, they were barely paying me any attention. She gave me a riddle to solve when we heard Woon yell from the outside. Everything happened so quickly after that. My father grabbed us and pushed us in the closet. My mom wouldn't stay, though; she said they'd find me when looking for her. My father was angry but everyone knows that when ma makes her mind up, it's useless to argue. She hugged me and kissed my forehead. I could tell dad wanted to cry. They shut the door and that's when everything went dead. I couldn't hear anything but then I did. It was like my ears went numb. After a while, I pushed the door back and there they were. There was blood everywhere. My father was holding mom''s hand. There was so much blood on the floor. It was sticky and smelled disgusting; I threw up. My mom tried to touch my face. I passed out and when I woke up, all I could think of was Ri Ri. I don't know who pulled me out but even now I still feel their blood is on my skin. I.... I'm sorry" Chang Tii said, close to tears. I stayed silent as I imagined what he told me. I wrapped my arms around him.