Unspoken (ON HOLD)

Chapter 10

 It had been a couple months since the events of the hot spring and the day started out just like any other. The air was starting to grow crisp and chill as we moved into the autumn and winter months.

But what everyone didn't know at the time was that today was the start of something the Sohma's could never go back from, the events that would shake their entire existence.

The downfall of Aria Sohma.

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It all started when Shigure came bustling into the living room while all of the kids were. He held the phone in his hand and spoke directing towards Aria. "Ari, you have a call!"

Putting her sketchbook down, she looked up, half dreading who it might be. No one really called her so the choices where rather limited.

He must've understood this and eased her worries right away. "Don't worry, it's just Hatori."

She echoed out a sigh of relief and everyone around her couldn't help but see it. Why did she look so tense?

Yuki also saw this and couldn't help but flashback to those terrible visions of the scars and cuts that lined her back secretly. Was it Akito that she was dreading to hear?

Aria stood and excused herself from the group, exiting into the hallway and taking the phone in her hand. She put it up to her ear and waited for him to speak first, like he told her to do. "Aria? Are you there?"

Hearing his voice, she sighed and knew it was safe to speak. "Hey Hatori, what's with the sudden call?"

The air stood quiet, like he didn't want to answer, but then decided to. "How have you been?"

At the question she usually would of given a plain lie but thinking back on it, she actually was happy. Kyo, Tohru and Shigure had given her a home here, even Yuki was starting to become a bit more kind.

Feeling her smile through the line, she answered. "Good. I'm really good."

But this didn't make the atmosphere any lense tense. Aria could sense this. "Hatori, what's wrong?"

Another silence entered and when his voice returned, it was soft. It rang with a sense of pity and she dreaded what he was going to say. It seemed she didn't have to wait for long.

Hatori took a breath and answered her, despite his own hesitation. "Ari, your necklace is almost finished."

At his words, the world stood still. Soon she would have to be silenced again, soon she would have to be mute. Soon she would be chained up once more. The thoughts circled around her head in a tormenting fashion. "How long?"

He answered after a few moments. "A couple days."

A couple days? That's all she had left of her voice?

Trying to reason with him, Aria shuttered. "Well I mean, is that really necessary? I've kept my end of the deal right? So if I just keep that up then I wouldn't have to..."

But Hatori cut her off. "No, I'm sorry Ari, but this was Akitos order. You know we can't go against him. It's too dangerous. You're too dangerous. Our deal was to hold out until it was fixed. That's all I can do. I'm sorry."

Hearing the fact that he was defending Akito rather then her was heartbreaking. She knew he couldn't break his orders but at the same time he was basically condemning her to death. It wasn't fair.

Balling her hands into a fist, she understood. Speaking bitterly and sarcastically, everyone in the living began to hear. "That's always how it is, isn't it? And here I thought you were different from all of those years ago. You are still the same as always Hatori, not wanting to get your perfect hands dirty. Fine. I get it."