Flight of Tears

Part Four - Chapter Three

Todomatsu sighed as he slammed the attic door shut, cursing Karamatsu's existence. The priest never cared for him. Never! Even when he tried to be helpful for once, Karamatsu shunned him. He pushed him away, reminding Todomatsu how worthless he really was. What. A. Shame.

"WHY?!" Todomatsu yelled, stomping furiously on the old attic floorboards. His legs trembled, knees knocking together. The few, dust-covered boxes of the boy's belongings shook from the impact. "He'd be happy if I were gone!"

Todomatsu threw himself down the the floor, rolling around agitatedly. He tugged furiously at the ends of his hair, pulling out clumps of it without a care. Nobody would notice. Nobody would care. Life. Wasn't. Fair.

"Things will never change, you know," Osomatsu chuckled devilishly as he appeared, floating down lightly onto one of the boxes. "So why do you even try, Totty? You and me- we make a great team. You don't need Karamatsu at all. All you need is me."

Todomatsu glared over at Osomatsu, letting out an angry hiss. "As if."

"What?" Osomatsu raised an eyebrow at Todomatsu. "I did what you wanted all these years. I killed off everyone who brought you pain."

"If you had just gotten rid of Karamatsu first, everything would be fine right now, I'm positive!" Todomatsu snapped. "You have other intentions don't you?"

"Like?" Osomatsu smirked as he stifled a laugh. "You don't know my pure heart?"

"I don't think murdering kids is exactly pure-" Todomatsu pointed out as he rolled over onto his back. He proceeded to sit up like a child, with his legs spread apart and his hands in between them. "But, I mean, whatever floats your boat, Osomatsu."

Todomatsu sighed as he reached up to scratch his head. "Just tell me."

"You might not understand," Osomatsu chuckled. "You're still a kid. Whereas I've been around for thousands of years now. I know this world better than you ever will. And your dense questions lack significance to me, so why should I even consider to satisfy you with an answer?"

"If me wanting to learn more about you is a dense thing," Todomatsu snapped, "then how about you answer this question, hm?"

"I don't have an answer to statements that are in the form of questions," Osomatsu joked, pulling a cigarette out from his black jacket. Carefully, he lit it, then eyed Todomatsu carefully. "Plus, I told you my story the first day we officially met."

"Did you really?" Todomatsu hissed.

"Even if I didn't, you've never had a brother. You wouldn't know what it feels like to be abandoned by the one person who seemed to care. You don't know how I feel seeing those ribbons everyday out there on that fence," Osomatsu grumbled. "Karamatsu was my brother in the Eternal Kingdom."

"Your what?" Todomatsu's eyes widened, having been slow to realize such. "YOUR BROTHER?!"

"Are you that stupid? We look identical, Todomatsu. My hair is a little different, sure, but we're brothers, still. Karamatsu is oblivious to this, since he can't see me anymore in this world. He's slowly overcome his 'mistakes', sadly."

"But how were you brothers?" Todomatsu asked, his eyes widening with curiosity.

Osomatsu pulled his cigarette from his mouth, sighing as he let out a puff of smoke. "It's hard to explain things that aren't of this world."

"What was the Eternal Kingdom like? How did you leave that place? How are you here now? How come Karamatsu doesn't remember you?" Todomatsu peppered Osomatsu with questions.

Osomatsu shot Todomatsu a warning glare, threatening him to continue if he dared to do such.

"Sorry," Todomatsu sighed. "It's just interesting to me, really."

Osomatsu didn't say another word, causing Todomatsu to stare down at the floor, avoiding the man's eye contact.

Silence filled the attic, but only for a few moments. To Todomatsu's surprise, Osomatsu began to answer each and every one of the young teen's questions.

"First things first," Osomatsu sighed. "Karamatsu and I- we were stillborn twins in this world, years ago, so it seems. I only learned this once I had gone to Hell, once Choromatsu kicked me out of the Eternal Kingdom."

"Stillborn..." Todomatsu echoed. "and you immediately went to the Eternal Kingdom..."

"My first home in 'Heaven' was considered to be the happiest place to ever exist. There were streets of gold, trees always covered in perfectly ripe, delicious fruits, and a clear, blue river running through the location," Osomatsu sighed bitterly. "But darkness didn't exist there. In my heart, I knew Karamatsu was the only reason why I wanted to stay there. Unlike others, I felt sadness there. I knew I wasn't normal- I knew I didn't fit in. Choromatsu knew that too- so that's why he kicked me out. On my final day there, Karamatsu and I tied pastel blue ribbons to each other's wrists..."

Osomatsu paused and pulled up his coat sleeve, revealing a tightly tied, barely blue ribbon around his wrist. Over the years, his ribbon had grown dirty, yet it never came untied.

"You're not really against the Eternal Kingdom then?" Todomatsu muttered. "I seriously thought someone was on my side. Someone Karamatsu didn't love as well. I have no ribbon, but you do. I can't speak to you anymore."

Osomatsu let out an angry hiss, sprinting towards Todomatsu. He grabbed the boy by his shoulders, digging his sharp nails into them. The demon leaned close to the boy, his hot, decaying smelly breath on his neck.

"If you leave me, you're next," Osomatsu hissed, the end of his cigarette touching the boy's neck, burning it a little.

Todomatsu grimaced, though he nodded his head out of fear.

"Karamatsu is against me now, even though he promised he would always love me. It's my own fault he can't remember who I am. I was the one who ended him in that battle..." Osomatsu sighed. "But- the past is the past. Karamatsu isn't the child I knew so long ago. Karamatsu is a disgusting man."