Sweet Burden (50 page)

The thunder cracked above jolting Obi back to consciousness. His neck was sore from his head being slumped forward. He opened his eyes slightly and slowly lifted his head. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust during which he realized that he was unable to move. His wrists were bound tightly behind his back and his ankles were bound together and he was secured to a tree. Obi tried moving against the confines, but he was unable to budge. Suddenly he felt a prick on the back of his neck and he turned to find Deiman standing there with a smile on his face. He withdrew the needle from Obi’s neck and let out a laugh. Obi immediately felt the Angelica root poison moving through his veins. He blinked his eyes repeatedly to try to focus on a form moving towards him. His vision blurred as the toxin spread through his body heightening every nerve ending.

Before he was able to see who was standing before him, he felt a heavy blow to his jaw. His head dropped and swung from side to side. Obi could feel the bones in his jaw grinding together. It took a few seconds for him to comprehend the pain of the blow and then there was more throbbing he had to process. He took a series of strikes to his face and a flurry of punches into his abdomen. The abuse didn’t stop until Obi began coughing. A warm thick substance traveled up his throat almost causing him to gag. It dripped from his lips as he opened his eyes back up and lifted his head. Domitori stood in front of him with a smirk on his face while rubbing his hands together.

“The council thought you had so much promise,” Domitori laughed. “I wish they could see you now.” He stepped up closer to Obi and reached up wiping the liquid from Obi’s mouth. Domitori pulled his hand back and examined the blood on his fingers. “Do you think she will come Obi?” His eyes narrowed and he stepped even closer to Obi. He wiped his fingers across his shirt and quickly his hand was wrapped around Obi’s neck forcing the back of his head against the tree. “I asked you a question.” Obi mashed his lips together in an act of defiance. Domitori’s face filled with rage and his fingers slowly tightened around Obi’s neck crushing his windpipe. “Answer me you traitor.”

Obi stared at him as he attempted to gasp for air. The sounds from his throat became raspy and gargled. But all Obi could think about was Hitomi. If he was to die now, he was thankful that he had the short time with her that he did. He was glad that he had been able to experience the love he had for her. She had taught him a greater existence than just being. He couldn’t imagine not knowing the touch of her skin against his or never knowing the taste of her lips on his. The memory of those somehow comforted him. His breathing was completely cut off as Domitori’s nails dug into the skin of Obi’s throat and his eyes slowly closed.

Obi opened his eyes as wind brushed his hair across his face. He glanced around and realized he was standing on the roof of Hitomi’s school building. He spun around searching for Domitori or Deiman only to be met with Hitomi’s scent. Rushing over to the edge of the building, he peered down searching for her. Easily he spotted her running towards the building when she tripped and fell to the ground. Something twisted inside Obi’s stomach as he realized he was remembering the first time he saw her.

There were so many details he hadn’t remembered about that day or maybe they were things he hadn’t noticed. Her scent filled his nostrils and immediately calmed him. He gazed down at her watching the way her long hair fell across her face. The mist in the air dampened her skin causing it to glisten. She looked so vulnerable and all he wanted to do was go to her. But he couldn’t. Not because he didn’t want to, but because something unseen wouldn’t let him leave the roof. He tried to step up to the railing, but something forced him backwards. Obi looked down at her again as she started to get up from the ground. He opened his mouth to call out to her, but nothing came out. His voice was gone. He clutched at his throat as he tried to call out to her again. The only sound that could be heard was the high pitched whistle of the wind. He clawed at the invisible force not allowing him to move closer to her while continuing to try to call to her. Hitomi gathered up her items from the ground and continued into the building disappearing from his sight.

“Obsidian?”
a voice said behind him. Obi spun around finding nothing. “Obsidian?” the voice said again. Obi turned forward still met with nothing. “Wake up Obsidian!” Suddenly, Obi’s cheek stung and he lifted his finger up to a bloody gash. Instantly he began to feel pain coursing through him. His legs started to give out as his eyes closed.

“Obsidian?”

Obi shook his head as someone smacked him across the face. He tasted the warm metallic liquid in his mouth and immediately spit it out as he lifted his head. His eyes opened and he was met with Domitori’s face.

“Almost thought you weren’t going to make it there for a few minutes,” Domitori commented. “You never answered my question.”

Obi let out a cough. “I hope she doesn’t come,” he mumbled.

Domitori let out a cackle. “You’re so noble,” he said sarcastically. “Really though, do you hope she comes? You can tell me the truth.”

Obi glared at him. “Get out of my face.”

Domitori smiled and turned around to Kooisan who was a few feet behind him. “Can you believe him?” Kooisan shook his head and Domitori spun back around with a blade in his grasp. He held it up to Obi’s throat and brought his face within an inch of Obi’s. “I am going to take great pleasure in killing you. But I think the first thing I will do is carve off your face. Do you think Hitomi will enjoy that?” He moved the blade from his neck up to his forehead and traced an invisible line along the contours of his face. “She should be here soon. Deiman went to retrieve her. Because, let’s just admit that we both know that your darling little Hitomi is going to try to find some way to save you.”

Obi’s eyes quickly scanned for Deiman, who wasn’t there. His body filled with panic thinking of Hitomi in the clutches of Deiman or worse, Domitori.

****

Hitomi changed her clothes quickly and turned to stare at the cell phone on the bed. She was hoping that any second it would ring again and it would be Obi saying that he was fine and it was all a joke. But the call never came and now she had to figure out how to save Obi. She wasn’t sure what exactly she was going to do, but she was going to have to walk into the lion’s den. Her hands shook as she sat down on the edge of the bed. She picked up the cell phone and slipped it into her pocket. She drummed her fingers on her thighs and stared up at the door. She was scared and she was wasting time. She was wasting time that Obi didn’t have.

Hitomi knew that she had to be strong, but being strong and feeling strong were two different things. And at that moment, she felt neither. She couldn’t imagine what Obi was possibly going through at the hands of Domitori. Her lips trembled as she thought about was pain he was being subjected to. She squeezed her eyes shut and smacked her hands on her thighs. She got up from the bed determined to save him. Her eyes opened and narrowed. She would not let Obi be hurt because of her anymore.

She moved over to the door and cracked it open. Hitomi peeked out seeing her mother and Guri heading into the kitchen while Rediisu and Liam were talking on the couch. She knew that Rediisu and Liam would notice if she tried to leave without saying anything. She took a deep breath and opened the door. Immediately Rediisu and Liam looked up. Forcing a smile, she tried not to look suspicious.

“Obi’s not back yet?” Hitomi asked nonchalantly.

“No, not yet. He should be soon,” Rediisu replied while eyeing her.

Hitomi nodded and folded her arms over her chest. “I’m just going to go wait for him outside.”

“Um hm.” Rediisu nodded as Guri poked his head out from the kitchen.

“Everything alright?” Guri questioned.

“Yah.” Hitomi forced her smile wider. Guri raised an eyebrow and Hitomi felt like she was being examined by him. She knew she wasn’t doing a very good job of hiding her emotions and she quickly turned away from him. “I’ll be on the porch.” She hurried out onto the porch and closed the door behind her. Taking a deep breath, she turned around to see if anyone had followed her then she turned back around and ran from the porch. Hitomi sprinted off to the right and quickly reached the woods. Pushing past the branches and leaping over roots and twigs, she ran as fast as possible.

Her mind was racing and she had no idea what exactly she was going to do, but she needed to find Obi. She needed to make sure he was alright. She wished that she had told Rediisu or Guri, but she couldn’t risk Obi’s life.

Hitomi couldn’t hear anything around her above the sound of her erratic breathing. She gasped for air as she rounded a tree trunk and grabbed onto it to catch her breath. Suddenly tears started pouring down her face. She wiped her face with her sleeves knowing that she needed to stay positive and focused on helping Obi, but the situation was grave. Even with everything that she had found out tonight, Obi was still her main priority. She couldn’t change that fact.

Her body shivered in the cold night air and she was already completely soaked again. She wiped her face again as her tears mixed with the rain dripping from her hair and took a deep breath. Her heart pounded against her chest as if trying to escape. Her eyes frantically searched the dark area for any sign of bodies. She wasn’t even sure where exactly the boundary for the barrier was located.

Inhaling deeply again, she tried to compose herself for another long run. She was running out of time. Pulling her cell phone out, she glanced at the time. There were only 13 minutes left for her to reach the barrier.

“Hitomi?”

Her head jolted up and she looked around as she slipped the phone away.

“Hitomi, what are you doing?” Isbian said as he stepped out from behind another tree. The glow from his body lit up the area with a yellow brilliance.

“I’m…um, I’m looking for someone,” she stuttered in response.

“Don’t lie Hitomi. You don’t do it well.” Hitomi felt a lump develop in her throat and she tried to swallow it. “What has my dear daughter so upset?” he questioned moving towards her.

“Nothing. I’m just trying to accept everything that you told me.”

He shook his head. “No. Something has happened to upset you more. Please, tell me.”

“I don’t have time for this,” she blurted out in frustration.

“Hitomi…”

“Stop saying my name like you know me!”

Isbian nodded. “Okay. I understand you are upset with me, but…”

“This has nothing to do with you.”

“Then what is the matter?”

She pondered whether to tell him or not. Maybe he would be able to help her, but she would also be putting Obi at risk. At the same time, Isbian still had some powers and she needed all the help she could get. “It’s Obi,” she mumbled before she could think her decision through.

“Your protector?”

“Yes. He’s been taken by others from the Afterworld and they are going to kill him.” A new wave of tears overflowed from her eyes.

“And this concerns you how?”

Hitomi looked up at him in disbelief. “I can’t let him die.”

“He is already dead.”