HIROSHI: Truth And Illusions

Ch 2: Last Night At The Estate, Pt 1

A dark figure crouched quietly in Mayu's bedroom window carefully scanning the room, which was dimly lit and now filled with more smoke than before. The black cloth covering his face, filtered out some of it. Before long, he saw the woman lying in the same position he had left her; unconscious on the floor. He also noticed the tray and broken dishes not too far from her. He looked back when he heard them, distant voices screaming near the front of the estate. It was complete chaos, as large yellow and orange flames erupted there.

His clothes were damp from the rain. Upon entering the room, he grabbed a lamp and set it near the woman. The masked man kneeled down beside Mayu and thought about some of the rumors he had heard, wondering if any could be true. He suspected most of them were not. How could they be? People believe just about anything these days. But it really doesn't matter, this will be her last night at the estate.

However, he had never seen her up close and under normal circumstances, he would have never seen her at all. The increasing smoke spilling in from under the door caused his eyes to water. So he put his thoughts aside and decided to just get on with it. Moving quickly, he pulled some black cloth from his bag and began to wrap her body with it; starting with her legs. But when he got near her upper half, something happened. He swallowed hard and looked away. It was difficult to breathe, but it wasn't because of the smoke.

An uneasy feeling crept inside of his stomach. Similar to what he felt years ago as a boy, whose face had turned white as limestone standing on the edge of that cliff. Small rocks pinched the bottom of his feet, but they wouldn't budge even for a more comfortable position. He stood there like a tree hoping to grow roots, only swaying slightly whenever a cool gust of wind blew at his back.

That twirling sensation inside his stomach exploded when a finger polked his shoulder, followed by, "Hey, it's your turn. Jump!"

This time it was different though. There were no cliffs, just him and her. The feeling seemed to come and go, like the glow of a firefly. Grabbing his stomach with one hand, he pondered, Is this how it starts? Is this what the others meant? Finding himself unable to continue, he turned away and clutched the cloth in his hands. Now his body resisted him like a mule, refusing to move. The man found himself stuck in a peculiar situation, unable to continue and unable to leave.

"Don't do it...Don't look at her!" he mumbled, while suppressing the urge to do so.

However, the urge grew stronger by the second, while his resistance faltered. He cleared his throat and mustered up the last bit of defiance he had left. But then, the soft hand of curiosity gently tugged his chin back towards her. His will stepped aside.

He reasoned, Since she is unconscious, maybe it's ok. Maybe just this once, I'll break the rule and see for myself.

Still looking away, he swallowed hard again. Then he reluctantly extended his right hand until he found the base of her head, which was slightly warm. Mayu's hair felt rich and soothing to touch, like soft spring grass gracing his fingertips. His calloused hand, welcomed each strand.

Gently he raised Mayu's head to bring her face into the light. His heart thumped faster and shifted to the center of his chest. Cautiously, he turned in her direction. Peering through the opening in his mask, he looked upon Mayu for the first time. He swallowed, not able to blink or turn his eyes way. Little by little, a weak, icy-warm sensation slithered around his heart.

Even through the smoke, he could distinguish Mayu's subtle fragrance. It was a certain kind of sweetness infused into her skin, like the mild, pleasant scent of pure wax made from bees. Almost as if she had been bathed in a pool of nectar, deep inside a flower.

He never imagined himself being this close, holding her like this. In fact, it was his first time ever holding a woman. Her skin was flawless and inviting to touch. He was curious to know what it felt like, so he reached out for her cheek with his free hand. But his finger stopped just before touching her.