Just Call Me Cotton~

Chapter 20

*Cotton's POV*

"Today's the day of the ritual," I spoke softly, Ume-Chan insisted on brushing my hair.

He didn't have his cloak on, the curtains are closed tightly with very few candles lighting the room. I looked up at him as he finished putting my hair in a braid.

"Yes... well... I don't want to think about it right now,"

Right... because without a doubt we're going to kill someone today. It must be pretty stressful for them. Umehito stood up to go put the hair brush away.

"Ume-Chan, I want to be the sacrifice for the ritual,"

He dropped the hairbrush, making me flinch. "Uhm, get dressed, breakfast is waiting," his voice shook slightly and he left with out another word.

I frowned and got off the bed, getting changed into my Ouran uniform. I examined my hair in the mirror before skipping out happily and down to the dinning area. Umehito's little sister doesn't have school yet, so she gets to sleep in.

I walked into the dinning area and saw Umehito already sitting there, having a hush hush conversation with a butler guy. But the butler man saw me and quickly excused himself. I went to go sit in the seat next to Umehito.

"What were you talking about?" I asked.

"Nothing you should concern yourself with," he smiled softly.

I smiled too and reached up to adjust his hood. "You should be more careful, you don't want to get sick, right?" I tilted my head.

"What about you? Your skin is completely open to the light,"

"I don't have it as bad as you," I smiled. "Plus, papa took away my cloak," I leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Thank you again, for helping me," I looked toward my food. "Can I eat now?"

"Yes..." he mumbled.

I dived into the food. It was so yummy. I finished before he did, but he insisted that he was full and didn't want the rest of his food. The limo drive was tense, Umehito stared out the window and only hummed in response when I spoke to him. I eventually gave up on talking to him and just pouted. When we got to school, I didn't even wait for the driver to open my door, I hopped out and went toward the club room.

"Cotton," Umehito followed after me. "Slow down,"

"No," I walked faster.

He grabbed my arm and forced me to stop. "What's wrong?"

"Why are you being so quiet? I don't like it. It makes me feel like you're hiding something. Everyone hides things from me and I don't know why!"

He gently pulled me toward him, wrapping me in his arms. I took a shaky breath, not letting myself cry, like I always do.

"I don't want you to die in this ritual," he mumbled. "I'm selfish and I want to keep you for myself. You seem to be the only bit of light that I need in my life,"

I looked up at him, he had his eyes trained on the floor, tears gathering in them.

"Don't... don't cry... Ume-Chan..." I grabbed his face in my hands gently.

"Please don't do it, Cotton. Let the dead stay dead and let the living live," tears began to cascade from his eyes.

I wiped them away with my thumbs and leaned up, pressing a kiss below his eyes.

"Rei-Chan is stuck in the dark, I can't leave her in there,"

"Once she's buried, she's free, there won't be anything binding her, but if you bring her back... who ever is the sacrifice will have to live in that darkness forever,"