Save Me From The Monsters (TomoeXReader) • Completed •

The Cat and The Rat

Chapter 1: The Cat and The Rat

Word count: 1335

I am dead. That is my first though as I am thrown into consciousness. The thought is dismissed not an instant later when the sound of my own screams smother whatever hope I had left of dying peacefully.

My eyes are open immediately and they dart around my surroundings too quickly for my mind to process anything but a murky blur. As the pain increases, my limbs fight whatever strength is restraining me, and my lungs push against my chest, the effort shooting needles up my throat.

Not a single thought is able to pass through the wall of panic and fear and pain that circles my mind and body like a vice, tightening with every second that passes. Despite my efforts, my insistent squirming does not quiet the burning nerves, if anything, it only encourages the monster that is eating me alive like a flame.

My own screaming muffles any other noise in the surrounding space and tears shoot from my eyes uncontrollably as my body begins to tremble. Voluntary movement is snatched from my control as the tremors continue until my bones themselves shake.

It is unlike anything that I've ever felt before. A cloth passes my lips and rests between my rattling teeth. My strangled cries are softened as I clench my jaws on the fabric. My eyes snap shut as salty tears manage to squeeze themselves between my eyelids.

Through the pain, I vaguely feel my head being lifted and placed back down on something cold. The rest of my body feels as though it is aflame, so instinctively I curl toward the cool fabric, hoping that the chill will ease the feverish feeling that courses through my veins like blood. A seemingly endless suffering rakes through my body, enveloping every fiber of my being. The sensation seems to go on for hours and hours, and I wonder if my heart is indeed pumping fire in place of blood.

Gradually, as the pain subsides, my screams soften to sobs as the comforting feeling of a hand smoothing down my hair replaces the horrid fire. My hands clutch what I assume is a kimono, and I slowly come to gather that the cold fabric was indeed a person who now serves as my pillow. Tears freely stream down my face, and hands tremble as I grip the cloth. My breathing slows and I relax into the cool comfort that welcomes me.

I no longer feel the icy snow that was below me when I fell unconscious, nor the blood seeping from my wounds. The fire has long left my veins, and my lungs have calmed to a comfortable pace.

Yet the heart breaking feeling of betrayal remains.

I wonder if there will ever be a time when I can no longer recall that rat, that bastard I once called a brother.

I am far too afraid to open my eyes in fear that the soft fabric underneath me and the warm air is an invention of my mind, and that it will all disappear if I dare to open my eyes.

"Tomoe. You can leave now, if you wish. She will be exhausted from the transformation." A faraway voice whispers the words, and they find my ears as smoothly as honey would find my stomach. The hand never stops brushing over my hair. Strong fingers graze my cheek.

"I'll stay here until she falls asleep," A male voice that must belong to Tomoe speaks. A comforting feeling washes over me and my grip tightens on Tomoe's kimono. Tears slowly cease to escape my eyes as I drift to a much needed rest.

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When I wake again, my body feels strangely light. I immediately examine my wounds to find that they are almost completely healed.

Impossible.

I immediately survey my surroundings. I sit on a makeshift bed that consists of a comfortable mat and extremely soft blankets. A window lounges above the bed, inviting the morning light to shine into the quaint room. There is a sliding door opposite of the window. Both the floors and the walls are wooden planked. I am alone, for now. I remove the blankets from my body and attempt to stand, finding that moving still causes a bit of trouble to my aching body.

Long dark hair, darker than I remember it being falls in front of my eyes. I take a piece of it between my fingertips. It is longer than before. My nails are longer too, shaped like the claws of an animal.

How long was I unconscious?

The door to the room slides open and in walks a white haired man with ears on the top of his head and a white tail that drags behind him, inches from the floor.

He's... a yokai......

I scramble back into the bed and throw the covers back over my lightly clothed frame. His violet eyes meet mine and they widen.

He is the most attractive man I have ever laid eyes on.

"You're awake," he states.

Once out of the initial surprise, he walks over to me and immediately rests the back of his hand on my cheek. I flinch.

"I'm just checking your temperature." He says, seeing my expression. "You went under a lot of stress, and we have to make sure that you recover properly. Once I've finished, I'll have Mikage explain everything to you." He says, taking my hand in his and turning it over to examine the strange marks on my arm.

Mikage. The name rings a bell in my mind. I hear the voice that shouted that name before I went unconscious in the snow that night. I try to recall the name of the man who was there with me that day I woke up screaming.

"To-" the white haired man looks up at me.

"Tomoe." I say, my voice barely audible. He looks back at my arm, his brows furrowed.

"You know my name." he says, his hands are gentle against mine. There is a deep focus in his eyes. Every touch, every breath intentional.

"What is yours?" he asks, keeping his eyes down.

My name?

"(y/n)." My voice comes out surprisingly clear. His eyes flicker to mine, waiting. I think of the fire, of my family, of my brother. I'm no longer a (l/n).

"Just," I pause. "Just (y/n)" Yellow eyes look up at me instead of violet ones. I flinch from the lapse of memory.

"What happened to you?" Tomoe asks. The question surprises me, and visions of the white bridal gowns fill my eyes. Flashes of my brother, surrounded in flame, looking back at me like I'm nothing to him, like I'm nothing at all.

The katana, the blood.

Tears prick the edges of my eyes and I look away.

"Get some rest." he says. He stands to his feet, grabs the tray with my old, bloody bandages and leaves the room, closing the sliding door behind him.

"I'm not tired." I said my thoughts aloud, and it is the truth, I feel more awake then I ever have in my life, and I can't overcome the feeling that I've changed in more ways than one.

My hand reaches up to the top of my head as I begin to gather all my dark hair together. As my reach the crest of my skull, I freeze, my mind instantly going dizzy.

In my hand is a fuzzy ear, atop my head, twitching like a cat's.

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First chapter

UH DONE

my chapters are always too short, hahahahahah aha ha     ha

Prolly gonna try to post like once a week or something.

Also. What do you think so far?

How do you feel about your brother?

What's the story behind those ears??

Find out next time :P

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Don't be scared to follow me. My stories aren't THAT bad... hehe

Xoxo Harleighkinz ❤️