15 Reasons Why | "You Could Save Her?"

Hallow Dare Game's Truth | Friendship

I take Rikkun by the hand. Dusty being held inside her jacket, somehow, like in the cartoons I use to watch. With no more cassettes to listen to, I stuffed them all away. She had told me no one outside of the cassettes should get a hold of these. She didn't want to take a chance into the wrong hands. She grips my hand tightly ready for the next venture. What ever is next.
"You know. Things are going to chance, right?" She looks to me. I nod, "It seems so." People after us. Life and death. Fights. Everything eventually was going to happen. One way or another. I take a glance at her. Everything she did up until now, she was protecting me. Dusty jumps out and runs off. "Dust-" Rikkun calls after her chasing behind.
"Rikkun! That's a road!!"
I run after her barely reaching her hoodie. Miss. My heart might have stopped.
Rikkun tumbles, hugging her captured kitten, rolling onto the other side just missing the passing truck. She lands crisscrossed, shaking the grass out of her hair. "Rikkun!" I shout, "You are crazy!" I thought I lost her. Again! She turns her body around, "Oh hush you big baby."
"Baby? Baby?! You ran onto a road without logic!"
She smiles, "Oops." She mocks.

I sigh. A little dangerous guardian Angel of mine sent from the heavens above. Sometimes I feel like I should be hers.

We got back inside the car. Me being on the driver side as Rikkun cradles her cat in her arms in the passenger seat. We sped a little on the road and highway. I smile knowing Rikkun will be by my side. Yet I frown knowing I never did as much as she did. Protecting and giving. Stealing for me and..everything I should have done for her really. It was always for me. Nothing was for her.

I remember our last phone call. She was humming and singing a few songs. Random songs I never heard of. One song was in a total different language, but it felt like a lullaby.

"Clay..." her voice brings me back. Her eyes a little scared as she led mine to the mirror. Those cars again. Rikkun pulls her hood over her head mouthing the words, don't let them take me. But who was "them"? Was it the gangs? Other gangs? She hugs Dusty. "Don't worry, it's going to be fine." I tell her steering to take a left, "Who are they, Rikku?"
"Terrible people.." her words shake, "please, Clay, please don't let them find me. If they do- I can't take it. Not anymore. I'll snap- I'll blackout and.." she noticed my confused face. "I..I wouldn't be alive. This is my last life."
"How many lives did you have?"
"I wasted three, it's a long story..unrealistic from this world. Your world. Look I don't have time for questions. I need out of their sight. Please.." I nod my head and park under a group of big trees and bushes. The dirt path led there. I turn the engine off. We waited.

The cars slowly pass by. I couldn't see inside the windows. Whoever they are made Rikkun feel so...uneasy. I think back to the times she had stared blankly and stared at people in the school. All those times she was squirming away..was she being watched?
"Rikkun, this is important. Who are they? What do they want with you?" I want answers. Now. She takes a breath. "Nikki has taken the game too far. I never gave you the contract-"
"Contract?"
She nervously laughs, "Well, yeah..small summary, it's supposed to be like an ownership. A deal. It can be singed from one person or two. Sealing the contract. So..if I were to gave it to you I'd be under your rule and care. And you can do as you please because I wouldn't be exiting to much. So think of it as a heavy duty relationship?"
"Who have you gave this contract to?"
"No one really. Shin said I the contact can go against a lot."
"Who's Shin?"
"No one important. Well. Not anymore.." she looks around. "Hm, if I signed it. That means your rightfully mine. Officially. So then those guys would leave you alone?" I was thinking maybe since she wasn't "owned" they were looking to take her back. That would make perfectly sense! But back to where?... "I sure hope." I lean over to her and give her a small kiss. "It'll be OK. I won't let them hurt you." Whatever they did to her. She lets Dusty go and the cat hops to the back seats. Grooming itself. "Clay?"
"Yeah?"
"We'll always be together, right?"
I remember asking her that question. I nod, holding back the water in my eyes, "Yes." I held her pinky in mine, "I promise you."
"I promise too."

Our car gets bumped into. Crash into really. Dusty jumps and hides inside Rikkun's hoodie. I saw the fear in Rikkun's brown eyes. I leave the car. "Clay?" She asks. Not wanting me to go out. I load my gun. "What do you people want!" I shout. The driver comes out from the car. A tall man, slick white hair. He had a scar on one of his green eyes. Gray suit. He grins, "So you must be Clay Sanner."
"Who are you?"
He doesn't answer my question. Rikkun leaves the car. Dusty being inside and watching from the window behind. "My dear, fox," he opens his arms out calmly towards Rikkun. I stand in front of her. Fox? Where did that come from? He ignores me, "Little fox, wouldn't you like to come home with us? Your fellow friends will be happy to see you."
I hold Rikkun back with an arm as she wanted snap, "I'm never going back! And I'm not your fox!"

The scar eye man glares. Aggravated by her words and tone. "Sanner. Do you have any idea what and who she is? Do tell me you have senses."
"Senses of loving her for who she is. She's an amazing girl with a big heart. Many personalities that I love. She fights for what's right and cries through the pain. She's human like me."
Without a signal from him. I felt shot. The man had aimed his knife into my thigh. So he was skilled with knifes..
"Clay!" Rikkun helps me sit. The blood poured out like goop, "Fuck you Shinastae!" She hissed out. She holds me tightly.
"This is your test, little girl."
"Leave him alone. He hasn't got a mind of what this is!" Rikkun looks back to my wound, "Bare with me Clay.." I press my teeth together as she takes the knife out. I wanted to scream. It hurts. She holds the knife in her hand. "F-fuck.." I weeped out painfully. I wanted her to stay but she stood up and faced Shinastae. "You are little bit of a dickhead.." she mumbles, "you want a fox? I'll give you a fox!" She holds the knife up and swirls her foot on the ground. Kotutsu. She leaned a little farther, keeping so still. Keeping her balance she makes her move around him. Stalking.

How can I even help her?..

She charges at him. High kicks. Step and a kick and turn to repeat. Shinastae avoided them so easily. Calm.

I aim at the edge of the car's window.

Bang!

Dusty hops out hissing. "Sorry Dusty, but your mama needs you." She jumps down and paws my face. She dashes towards Shinastae, climbing onto his slacks and under his shirt. Scratching him. Rikkun runs back to me, helping me up. "You gotta go."
"You need to too."
She helps me limp to the car, "I'm not leaving my cat behind." As she set me inside the driver's seat she runs back into the fight. I aim for his foot.
Bang!
He wanted to crouch down in pain. He throws Dusty instead. Lucky Rikkun catches her. Despite the clawing. She makes her way into the passenger's seat. "Drive or switch?" "Drive." As I start the engine. A knife was tossed inside and missed us. Rikkun pulls it out, "Duels for me. C'mon, lets go!" I press down and the car speeds in a flash.

I heard Rikkun grumble underneath her breath. Something about how hated herself for letting some things happen. "Hey, it'll be fine. OK?" I tell her. "It's all my fault. Partially you too because you brought me back to life!"
"I loved you, I wanted you back!"
"You can't just bring a dead soul back! Look at me!" She rolls her sleeve up, her veins weren't the normal blue and green. They were red, "I loved you too, I always will love you." She reaches for the door's handle, "OK?"
"Rikkun..no. We promised."

I drifted the car to a stop, making her body shift towards mine. Ignoring my wound. I held her up to look at me, "I don't want to lose you. Again. Why do you keep running away like that?"
"I never ran away. I always stayed with you. You did a lot to me. For you." I saw a small embarrassment in her, I knew what she meant. We looked behind us. His car parked so behind. Just away from us. He steps out. Waiting. "I can still save you," I grip her shoulders, "There has to be a way you can stay here." Rikkun smiles through her tears. "Close your eyes."
"N-no." She says.
"Please, babe, I'll be fine." I kiss her lips. Taking the gun and limping out from the car.

I stood my ground.

This was it. My options depends on my own life and hers. I look at the man. This was my fight.

No one is taking her away from me, again. She was mine. My Angel. My love.
"She is staying with me."