Chapter Twenty-One: Woman Behind Her Wall:

I can’t let anyone else I love get hurt. The way things look now, Kaoru won’t let me go so easily. He has even proved to go as far as to kill anyone close to me. With that in mind, I fear for my family’s safety. I needed to get as far from them as I could.

My best bet was our old studio in Kyoto. That place was only used for storage at the time anyway. Behind it sat an abandoned house. I went out there shortly after Kiku’s death. The manager of the land didn’t understand my motives.

“Setsuna-sama,” he said. “Why would you need to move out here?”

“It’s only for a short time,” I said. “I just wanted a break from the city.”

“But why here?” he asked.

“It’s a quiet place to get away,” I said.

“If you say so,” the manager replied.

“I do, actually,” I mumbled to myself. So in the night, I packed up the things I needed and moved into that abandoned house behind the storage building. I didn’t my best to avoid my family in the process. I’m so sorry; I can’t drag you into this. Please understand.

I left them a note before I walked out the door. “I’ve gone away for a little while, don’t look for me,” I wrote. It still hurt to act on my plan. Yet, it was a measure was I willing to take to keep them safe. Only thing left was to wait for Kaoru to show up while I dealt with a way to end this mess once and for all.

The day after I moved in, I checked out books on how to kill a vampire. I spend days buried in my research. I’m done with running away. The only time I left my desk was to get something to eat.

Six days later, a knock came on my door. I didn’t get up from my desk. “Who’s there?” I asked.

“Only me,” the manager said.

“What do you want?” I asked.

“I came to check up on you.”

I waved him off. “I’m fine, thank you.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah!”

“Okay then.”

I looked up at the door. “How much for rent here?”

“Please! You owe me nothing.”

I shook my head, frowning. “But I feel that I owe you something for boarding me here.”

“Oh, no! Please, I’m happy to help you out, Setsuna-sama. You can stay here as long as you like.”

I shifted a bit in my chair. “Are you sure about that?”

“Yes, it’s fine!” he insisted. “You have a good night.”

I did my fine to sound okay with the whole arrangement. “You too.” I listened as he walked away, supposedly to go home for the night. I breathed out once I was sure that he had gone. I’m sorry involve with me, I thought. I hoped this arrangement wouldn’t last long. I stiffened up and went back to research.

I worked well into the hours with my books and notes. I tried to find off sleep. I felt like I wouldn’t sleep properly until I avenged Akio and Kiku’s deaths. However, the later it got, the more I began to nod off. A felt a heavy hand on the top of my head, stroking my hair. The touch made my spine freeze.

“Who’s there?” I whispered. No answer came in return. The sensation on my hand didn’t let up.

“Kaoru?” I asked. Silence only filled my ears. The stroking grew heavier on my head. Nails started to sink into my scalp. I gritted my teeth. I will not give into fear! I must fight him back! The stroking grew rough with the nails. I buried myself deeper in the book.

“I see what you are doing,” a voice behind my head whispered, “You will not win!” The stroking got to the point where the nails started to scratch my scalp, causing me pain. Shut up. Shut up! I am not afraid of you!

I reached over to pen on my desk and grabbed it so tight that I could feel it pressing into the skin on my fingers. I shut my eyes to keep up my sanity. I reached up and stabbed the “arm” in the wrist. I opened my eyes when all I heard was silence. I turned around to realize only I sat at my desk in the darkness. I reached up ahead my head to feel for anything. Nothing, not a single thing there at all. I shut my eyes and rubbed my temples. I really needed to sleep. I looked over at my books and notes. I think I have it down for tonight.

I didn’t really trust Kaoru and I already what he was capable of just to have me all to himself. With that in mind, I locked up my research in a box underneath my bed. For an extra measure, I slept with a knife at my side. I needed my strength to do another round of research to put an end to this nightmare that monster continued to drag through.