Tsuchinoto of Lightning

Part 5 - Why me...

It was a day like every other, the sun had shone and the nature was waking up from its snow adorned slumber. The day had been filled with spring activities such as cleaning the house and talking to the neighbours.

Because of all the things Fumiko did, she made dinner late, and as a result- supper was late too. Usually they would eat before it got dark, but while the sun was hiding under the horizon, they were still preparing the ingredients.

- yuki... Yuki... Yuki! - She called her out from the doorway. Yui stopped washing the rice and turned to her.

- Yes, mom?

- I know it's getting late, but could you get some wood? We're running low...

- oh, okay. - She stood up and walked over to her mother, taking the basket and putting it on.

- Oh, Yuki, your haori is dirty. - She held her sleeve.

- Mom, It's fine, I'll get it clean tomorrow.

As such she went out, and throughout her village she was stopped but the same old lady that once gave her the hakama pants she was wearing.

- Yuki, I'm sorry to trouble you, yet I'm running out of wood. I-I'll pay you more, because I know you want to get home as fast as you can.

- Oh, okay Mrs! I'll do my best.

She took that commission and made sure to cut enough wood for both her family and for Mrs. Hamakishira.

The sun had set before Yui had even gotten ready to leave, making sure to secure the wood well since she was going to run back home.

She wanted to make sure she would get home as fast as possible, since she felt something was off.

***

Mrs. Hamakishira was very thankful for Yuki's help and wished her a safe return, sure that she was just overreacting, since she didn't hear anything bad happening in her house.

And then she heard some rucus.

It was odd for her because there were never any fights.

Sure there were disagreements, but nothing ever had turned into a full-blown argument, nor had it ever gotten physical.

She ran up and opened the door, and as she did that, her sister's blood splattered across her face, lucky she closed her eyes or else she would have been temporarily blinded.

Her mother's corpse was laying on the ground, her brother-yun, sitting up against the wall to Yui's right hand side, slashed open. Terumi was laying down, quietly crying as a man stood in the middle of that blood bath, holding a sword in one hand, and in the other, Tsumugi.

Yui's instincts got the better of her, leaping in and trying to beat him up. He fell back a bit but then hit her back, making her fly across the house, next to Terumi.

And if not for his cries she would have stayed unconscious there, but she still had someone to protect.

She grabbed him on her arms and ran out through the thin walls, running for the woods where she knew someone who would save her. To this day she doesn't know why she ran there instead of into the village, hiding in one of the houses.

The dark forrest stretched for what seemed like infinity, even Yui started to doubt where she was going. She half hoped that the man wouldn't see her in the dark shrubbery, and when her instincts told her that he was chasing her, she hid in a bush, making sure not to be visible.

"Oh god, please don't find me, please"

Unfortunately, he did. Running was futile, she knew it, but she couldn't resist.

"OH GOD PLEASE NO, PLEASE, I'M BEGGING YOU. PLEASE JUST LEAVE ME"

She tried to fight him, throwing punches and kicks just to protect the only person that survived from her family.

He got tired of fighting her, sure he did like how she wanted to run, how he loved that in just a couple of minutes he'll be able to use her.

But he wanted her to cry, just like her younger sister, so, he pushed her down onto the ground and he grabbed her brother...

He took her brother...

He took Terumi...

...

He took him...

And ripped his head off of his body, throwing the latter on Yui's lap, and chucking the head away.

Blood poured and drenched her pants.

Blood splattered on her face

She had no need to fight anymore. If no one from her family is going to survive, she doesn't want to either. Tears rolled down her face, but she didn't even squeak. She didn't whine, she didn't make a noise.

She was too stunned to.

But just something in her told her to fight. Maybe her mother's voice? Maybe her father's? And so she did.

But as she tried to get up, he kicked her and flung her into the tree, yet she didn't give up. She still tried to hit him.

And then he grabbed her left arm and snapped it, slashing across her thighs and making her lay on her stomach, pulling her pants down...

- My, my, your hair is as soft as a fresh kimono, and your skin is delicate, I just can't wait...

...I think we all know where this is going...

The next day Yui woke up and remembered what had happened.