Asuka: Island of Shadows

chapter 7

 Chapter 6

We succeeded in the plan. That night, I moved enough that my wound opened a little, just enough that it bled all over my clothes again, looking like I had been in utmost pain.

Of course it had hurt, but I had ignored the pain. We then made it look like I had been struggling like crazy, and I used some of the blood from my wound to dampen my hair, make it look like I had hit my head.

“I’ll lay down and close my eyes. Akemi, scream, Benjirou, use your loudest wail. You two,” I looked at Akiyo and Naoya, “you two, just sit there and stare at me.”

They nodded. I lay myself down and closed my eyes, making myself go limp and trying to soften and quiet my breath.

Akemi took a deep breath and then started wailing at the top of her lungs, her screams and cries terrible.

I wished I could help her, but it was all part of the plan, so I knew I needed to be as quiet as possible.

Benjirou added his considerable voice to Akemi’s, crying and screaming out as loud as possible.

The cries and shouts of Guards reached my ears, and General Neiken’s voice rang out in annoyance.

“What is the meaning of this? Why are you being so loud? I will not have you disrupting the sleep of my company any longer!” Suddenly he fell silent.

“Oh. I see, your friend has finally ended his life here. What a pity . . . oh well. Soldiers, help me take this thing and drop it in the forest. It is no longer necessary.”

Akemi’s screams rose to a fever pitch, hurting my ears as the Guards opened the cage door and dragged me out.

I didn’t move a muscle. I let them drag me out, hanging limply from their hands. General Neiken laughed. “Guess he really is dead, and even if he’s not, he will be soon.”

“No! Please, please let us keep him. Please!” My sister’s pain filled voice begged.

I felt Neiken turn back to look at her, and I reached into his cloak pocket that I had dimly glimpsed and snatched a letter, pulling it into my pocket.

We kept moving, Neiken sneering at my sister’s request, while Benjirou began to call my name.

Akiyo began to protest, shouting angrily at the Guards as they took me away.

I closed my eyes even tighter, trying as hard as I could to preform the impossible task of shutting out the sounds of my friends’ pain.

                                 ~  ~

The Guards traveled a few minutes into the forest and dropped me on the ground, kicking me a few times for fun and laughing the entire time.

I didn’t move, I pretended to be dead, and I tried hard not to get up and fight them.

Because I knew very well that it wouldn’t work in my condition.

I thought I heard, dimly, maybe I even imagined it, Keiji’s voice calling out my name, horror filled and broken.

I hoped desperately that it was my imagination. Because if Keiji thought I was dead, he would never stop fighting until all of the Guards had payed with their lives.

The Guards left, and I heard still the sounds of my sister’s pain as I left her, left her like our parents had left us when I was six.

I hoped Keiji would protect her.

In the meantime, I decided to sleep, rest, and maybe if possible, leave in the morning to find help.

                              ~  ~