Goin' Under

Part 2

Through some twisted string of fate, Kisumi had managed to follow both Makoto and I to middle school school. He transferred to a more basketball oriented high school after graduation. Very rarely did Makoto leave my side. If he was out for a family trip or had to study for an exam and had to stay in longer, that's when the brutes would pounce. Even though his high school was across town, Kisumi and his group would corner me in the men's bathroom, the pool locker room or that dirty alleyway between the grocery store and apartment. The more isolated we were, the better. They would strip me down to my swimsuit and beat the living hell out of me. When they were done having the time of their life, they would leave me on the dirt, bloodied and mangled. I would usually lie in in agony for hours until I had enough strength get myself up. I would put my clothes back on and limp all the way home, where I would sit in the tub and clean the dirt and grime off of me. The difficult part was seeing Makoto's heartsick reaction to the patches and band aids.
One day, Makoto had stayed after school to help Mrs. Amakata with help on grading the tests. I waited for him outside the class, but the chemistry teacher had kicked me out. He had a thing for sweeping the students outside the school. Me specifically. Maybe it was because I had taken off my pants in front of the class when he brought a kiddie pool that he had planned to freeze with nitrogen. I got 2 weeks of detention for that stunt. He didn't even let me bother to let me tell Makoto that I would wait outside. He nudged me down the hall with his meaty hands until I gave in and walked myself out. When I got to the entrance, I stopped my breath. My heart had began to race. I saw them leaning against the concrete gate gate up ahead. I tried to hurry back inside, but my name had been called out.
"Yo, Nanase." The cockiness in that nonchalant voice could be none other than Kisumi. Basketball had done good to this beast. He was a full head taller than me and buffer since the last time he had taken hits on me. His smile revealed teeth that would be compared to a pearl. His skin had tanned slightly. He sped walked toward me. He even had the audacity to fling his heavy arm around my shoulder. I faced to my side, starring at the concrete wall across the campus. "It's been such a long time since we've hung out. Where's your beloved Makoto?" He asked. I could sense him grinning at my isolation. "Well, since he's not around, why dont you hang with us for a while?" I didn't bother to answer back. It was a rhetorical question anyway. The strong, gagging scent of nicotine from his body made me want to cringe. He dragged me toward the gate, his arm tightly gripped my neck. My eyes were caught by a freshly painted black van parked in front of us. It's engine was on.
I gulped and mustered all my energy to ask, "What are you up to?"
"Now, now. No need to get all nervous," he chuckled. His voice irked me. "We're just goin' to have a little fun, that's all. Like the good ole days."
I tried to turn my head to my side, but Kisumi grabbed my cheeks with his large left hand. He forced my face to stare at his. His air turned serious and his eyes narrowed. Kisumi exchanged a devilish sneer to his 2 friends and grinned. "Since Makoto isn't here, I have you. All. To. Myself~." He sang.
Someone had covered my head with some sort of bag and carried me into a car. I never got a chance to find out who exactly bagged me. I tried to wiggle my way out of their grip as they caried my by my wrists and ankles into the van. They beat my legs as I laid on my side. The rocks that had been pelted at me all those years ago had turned into boulders. I heard them slam the door and drive off. A few of them sat on my legs whereas one had pressed my head onto the seat cushion. It was hard to breath with the weight of a whale pressing my face onto the cushion. I felt that I would die from oxygen depravation before heading to the destination. Before long, they opened the door and dragged me back outside. The sounds of cars driving in the distance and the freezing air was a dead giveaway. I felt my head throbbing. My legs felt like they were going to collapse under my weight. I blacked out.
They removed the bag from my head. Both of his companions grabbed my arms tightly and kept me up on my heavy feet. I still felt disoriented. I came back to my senses when the strong sent of chlorine filled my nose. Kisumi cracked his knuckles with his palm and chuckled. His fist collided with my nose. He pummeled my arms and legs to the point where I had to kneel on the floor. It felt as though heavy rocks had smashed into my legs. Water from the floor had stained my pants. A stream of white and blue flags hung across the ceiling and white, blurred ripples cloaked the dark walls and our bodies.
I thought I would have gotten use to this sort of pain. Turns out that this had grown to the most painful beating I had received. And its only just begun. His two henchmen pinned me against the tiled wall. The belligerent man wedged his fingers in the space between the buttons on my uniform just below my collar and ripped my shirt open. He pulled out a small picket knife and sliced my sleeves, cutting my arm in the process. He pulled my shirt down, completely ripping it off my torso.
"Ya' know, Haru." I flinched when his cold hand rested on my bare waist. "I'm gonna miss having fun with you when I leave tomorrow. I'm transfering to a school in Tokyo with my dad. He got this new promotion and he couldnt pass it up."
I should have rejoiced when he told me he was moving. Why did I feel like this was the most terrifying thing he had ever said to me? He eye lids began to droop down as he leaned into my face. I was sure his friends were more shocked by his sudden action than I was.
He kissed my cheek.
"I've been meaning to do that for a long time," he whispered. He pulled his head back and explained, "With Makoto out of the way, I was finally able to express how I truly felt about you." He went on about his reasons for bashing me. He said that he had been meaning to confront me about his feelings for me and that he had finally gathered enough courage to express himself after finding about the move. Complete bullshit.
He slid his hand down my waist to my thigh as he planted his dry, cracked lips onto my neck repeatedly. He bit down onto the side of my neck. I was sure he had left a few marks, in an effort to claim me as his.
"P... Please s-stop." I muttered. Talking felt like chewing on glass. I coughed a mix of saliva and blood before continuing. "I... I've never d-done anything to you.
He looked into my eyes intensley. I've seen those eyes before. Those were hungry eyes.
His hands trailed down and grabbed my belt. I rolled my head to my sides, hoping his companions would intervening in some way. Their faces were turned to the opposite direction. I could sense from them that they would regret tagging along with him for all these years. They were probably more afraid of him than I was. Even so, I couldn't let him take me. It can't end like this. I won't allow him to have the pleasure of taking something he admired for his belligerence.
I bent my leg and kicked him in his sensitive area. He rolled to the ground and cupped his crotch with his hands. High pitched squeals emitted from his clenched teeth and his face reddened, as though he had eaten something hot. His men rushed to his side. I had almost tripped on my own foot as I hurried toward the door. My hands had fumbled to turn the knob, but time wasn't on my side.
It felt like a large sack had been thrown at my. My face slammed against the cold, steel door. I stopped fighting.
A hail of fists and feet fell heavily onto my body. Through the mix, a cold, piercing feeling stung my back and swiped the back of my neck. The two henchmen flung me onto the floor. They pinned my wrists together on by back, the tip of my nose barely touched the water.
"Once I'm done with you, I'll have some fun with Makoto too-"
"Dont you dare hurt Makoto!"
He can torture me all he want. He can slice my arms, gouge my eyes out or even have his way with me. He can strike me dead if he insists. But I will not allow him to so much as lay his revolting, diabolical sights on Makoto. Never! Even I'd it means I have to crawl out of the grave to keep him safe.
Kisumi grabbed the back of my hair and brought his lips to my ear. A cold shiver traveled down my spine. His voice was like a razor in my ear. He whispered, "Say hey to your grandma for me."
I hadn't taken a proper breath before Kisumi shoved my head in the water. I desperately tried to wiggle my way out of their grasp, but what was the point. The more I struggled, the more air had escaped from my mouth. If I did manage to have that one in a million chance of escape, they would just run after me. Plus my throbbing legs felt like they had been run over by a truck. I stopped moving. I starred straight down onto the white tiled floor. The water began to turn into a dark red, almost black color in front of my face. A heavy weight lifted from my head. I felt him shove the rest of my beaten body into the water. I heard them run out the door through the loud rumbling of bubbles rising to the surface. They left laughing.
If I were to go, then I would have been glad that I went in the place that I was most comfortable in. My face had broken onto the surface, where I inhaled a raspy breath. From the stabbing feeling in my chest, I might have had a broken rib or two. The smell of chlorine and metal poked its way into my nostrils. I stayed above water for a while, but I sunk back into the water.
All I had ever wanted in my dysfunctional existence was to feel free. The one thing that had helped me achieve the ability to be free, was water. Even as I am clinging to life, the water is embracing me. It's smooth arms wrap around my body, caressing me into slumber. At that moment, I was neither upset, nor angry. Why not give the town what they want and just leave? Why not end the suffering? It's not like there would be anyone who would miss me anyway. Nothing to leave behind or miss me. There would be no one to cry over me. No one would even bother to show up at my funeral. They would be better off if I departed. I would be better off if I left. I would finally be free.
Suddenly, I heard a low splash, followed by the sound of someone trudging through the water. Had the guys come back to see if they had finished the job? The reddened trail of water had rippled above me. Suddenly, I felt a warm, firm clasp on my right hand. I was pulled out of the water. A foreign arm wrapped around my shoulder and another one under my knees. It was difficult to make out the identity of the stranger. I felt so weak. I closed my eyes and hoped that this pain would disappear.
"Haru!" I heard the stranger call out. I recognized his voice. I was surprised that my brain was still intact enough to process his voice. He sounded so broken.
My body was gently placed on the cold, wet tiled floor. My legs dangled on the edge and my feet were submerged. He pulled himself out of the water and looked down at me. He pressed his shaken hands on my chest and pushed down a few times. My chest inflated with each breath he passed to me. He repeated this process a few more times. My chest filled with air, rising and falling. I moved my head to the side and hacked out water that had been trapped inside my beaten lungs. It felt as though something hot was trying to crawl it's way out of my body.
Once my vision adjusted, I could make out the strangers details. The edges of his hair was hi lighted by the light blue light from the pool, giving it an angelic similarity. His deep green eyes sparkled like crystals in the sun. His lips smeared with a dark stain. My blood most likely. Water and tears dripped and slid down my cheeks and face. He bit his bottom, trembling lip. I was going in and out of consciousness as my vision fixed and darkened. I knew that I was hanging on a thin string.
I grew more in agony if I made any movement, but it couldn't bare to hear him so destroyed. It tore me apart. Even more so than the stinging sensation of the chlorine water seeping into my cuts or the throbbing in my head. I mustered all my strength into my throat. "Ma... Makoto," I muttered, barely able to recognize my own voice. The metallic taste of blood seeped into my mouth. "P... Please... Don't c-cry." I could hear my own voice cracking.
He whimpered my name again. "H... Haru..."
I brought up my right hand and lightly pressed my palm onto his hot, pale cheek. Even with this pain, nothing had taken a greater toll on me than seeing his tears fall on the likes of me. I wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. He then clasped my hand with his, the grip was tight and his hands trembled.
"I... I'm so g-glad that y... Your alive..."
Makoto dropped his head and sobbed into my chest. I could feel his warm tears melt into my skin. His back rose up and down with each sniffle and his hand clenched tighter onto mine.
My body was about to shatter. I could feel my own tears slide down the side of my face. This was truly heart wrenching. No. This agony doesn't compare. Even so, I didn't realize how much I would have left behind if I had gone away. My arm had been wrapped around his shoulder, almost as if on its own. I don't think I've ever craved for an embrace as strongly as this, until now.
With him by my side, I now see that all those people were insignificant me. They made my feel as though my life was worth less than that of dirt. I had tried my best to please the others enough to finally feel accepted in the community. But the only one who had and made me feel truly at home, was Makoto. It was only the green eyed brunette who invited me home. The man who years ago offered me an umbrella in the heavy rain. The man who walked next to me everyday afterschool and sharred his popsicle with me. Whose smile outlined the sun itself. Cared, loved and protected me. The man who made me feel that living was a good thing.
Makoto was my friend. My savior. My everything.
He helped me feel free.