Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ Autumn Leaves ❯ When Shadows Try to Catch You ( Chapter 2 )

All Characters with names belong to Clamp. Those with none, you can have them.

Autumn Leaves

Chapter 2 of 5

As you know, I was closer to Okasan than with Ottosan. It's not that I love him any less, but when I was young, he often spent months away from home, in the various archeological digs he was assigned to. Okasan missed him very much. So I made it my duty to make her happy. Try as I might though, I still felt that I was only a diversion, a doll, for her to play with, until the real Love of her life returns.

Understand, I was not competing with Ottosan. But their love to each other, it was all-encompassing. I know they didn't mean it, but when they're together, they sometimes forget that I, or anybody else was still there. I felt left out. Sakura never had that problem. He was Daddy's little girl, while I was never their little boy. Don't look at me like that, honey! <kiss> They're wonderful parents, and if loving each other too much was their only fault, I could live with that.

School was my problem when I was young. I hated going. But for Okasan's sake, I pretended that I loved that damn school, with the pink walls and red windows.

She would leave me outside the gate and tell me to have fun. Always, I didn't want to let go of her hand… because I was afraid. But of course, she can't stay. And when she leaves, that's when they come.

The shadows.

Sometimes, they moan, and try to grab me. I didn't understand that they were just spirits, but I was still a kid, and I didn't know. I tried to stay aloof to the chaos around me. But when I can't stand it anymore, I rush to the giant Sakura in the Tsukimine Shrine, just in front of the school, and everything would fall silent.

The teachers didn't notice anything wrong. I always behaved accordingly and was on top of my classes. Besides, I was braver when there were people around me.

But my classmates noticed the 'crazy' kid in school. The one who suddenly stares beyond you when you're talking. Or starts shouting to leave him alone. They grew afraid of me. Those who avoided me were the kinder ones. But some kids were cruel, even if they didn't mean it… they threw rocks at me, made fun of me… asked which weirdo in my head I was with now.

I tried to take it all in stride, but it was hard. My only consolation was there were no ghosts at home. And Okasan would pick me up very early so she can have some company.

Of course, as long as I can help it, I avoided school. Even looking at its direction.

I only spent one night in school, when the boy scouts were required to attend a camp-out. Ottosan was at home, so I didn't need to be the man in the house.

It was a full moon like tonight, and we were divided into ten troops. Two students each. I don't remember the name of my buddy, but I'm sure, whoever he was, he still remembers me.

"Hey, be careful! Touya might feed you to the monsters!" they jeered. I pretended not to hear. The poor kid was arguing with the teacher why he was paired with me. But everything was settled by random, and we were ordered to go to sleep for disturbing the peace.

Our tent was pitched on a hill, overlooking Penguin Park, which was still a forest back then. I shivered as I felt a foreboding pass over me.

"Nani, weirdo?" my buddy asked tauntingly as I stared in the darkness. "See your friends?"

I glared at him, and he shut up. Without saying anything else, I slid inside my sleeping bag. He must've slept after some while. I could hear his soft breathing.

Soon, even the voices outside grew quiet.

I wish I could fall asleep so easily too. The billowing wind rocked the tent, and the darkness added to my fear. I saw a shape rise in the tent, a shadowy figure in the shape of a small human… it was like mist rising from my feet, and it was crawling towards me.

My heart beat wildly as I struggled to get up but cannot. My eyes darted to and fro. I strained to shout for help, even if it meant losing my dignity… but my voice caught in my throat. My body refused to move, and all I could do was tense as I felt the creature's hand? it looks like a hand, claw-like and thin, writhe like a mad skeleton up my side.

The wind outside blew stronger, I could hear the leaves rustling as the wind passed through the trees.

The creature was on my chest now. It bore no weight. It has no features in its face. Just a hollower shadow to suggest where the mouth nose and ears should be. It seemed to be screaming because its 'mouth' was agape, and its head was tilted back a little. It was just a presence, a horrible presence. I was looking straight into its face because I can't turn my head. And I was too far in shock to realize that I could close my eyes.

And you know what scared me the most?

As it crawled on me… its face vanished into my head…passed into me… and I could see its darkness overcoming me, its coldness spreading to my limbs.

That was when I screamed I think.

I struggled to take it out of my head. I tried pushing it away, but my hand passed through it. I trashed in my sleeping bag like crazy, screaming for anyone to help.

On some level, I heard my buddy scream and rush outside. Then, I heard 'Oh my God' from one of the teachers.

I was breathing harder now. No one wanted to go near, they all gawked and screamed. I thought, oh my God, I'm not bad, why are you doing this to me? If this thing doesn't go away, I'd go crazy… someone, help me, please, I prayed.

Then everything else vanished, and I was awash with the most soothing light you could ever imagine. It banished away all my fear, and the darkness which the creature brought. I remember seeing the outline of a person with long hair, and a bulky coat. His voice was resolute as it ordered the thing to disappear…

I saw his face, but I can't remember it now. I think I know him because I remember the feeling of someone very close to me. The man smiled and touched my forehead with the tip of his index finger…

"Everything will be all right," he whispered.

Then I was in reality again.

I found myself in the middle of a scream. I was still in the tent, but somehow, the sleeping bag was bundled on my feet, and I was on my side, clutching my head like I intend to rip it off…

When I realized that, I stopped instantly. But I was still afraid… I was shaking so hard, and breathing so hard. I hugged myself, forcing myself to remember the serenity the light brought me. It wasn't enough, but it helped.

Then I was aware of the crowd around me…

"He really is a monster…" I heard someone say.

"Did you see that? It was horrible!"

They thought I conjured it up! I peered through the damp hair which clung to my face, and saw their expressions…

Fear.

They fear me Yuki…

I didn't see one worried face.

They didn't ask if I was all right. If I had died, if that creature succeeded… I think they will sigh in relief. I cried and cried when I realized that. That's what hurt me more. No one cared for me…

* * *

"To-ya…" Yukito searched his lover's face for any emotion, but there was none. Touya was so serene. It looked like he was watching a TV show and just reporting back everything to him. "To-ya… you don't feel like that anymore, do you?" he asked. Half afraid of the answer. If Touya still felt the same, then what was he for? He failed in his love for him…

Thankfully, Touya slowly shook his head and looked at him with the most loving twinkle in his eyes.

"No, koi," he smiled as his embrace on Yukito tightened. "I know I have someone now…"

"Do you still see ghosts, To-ya?"

"Sometimes."

"Is there… any ghost here, now?" Yuki asked softly.

"As a matter of fact, yes!"

"To-ya!" Yuki whimpered and hid under their head pillow. Touya laughed and playfully rolled over Yukito, his body on Yuki's back.

"Hey, c'mout there. You're the one who asked, remember?"

"You should've said no!" his Snow Bunny whimpered, his voice muffled by the pillow. "It was a rhetorical question!"

The taller boy peered under the pillow. It was funny the way Yukito close his eyes like his life depended on it. Kinda cute, really.

"Yuki…"

"No more scary stories, To-ya!"

"Hai. I promise. No more." Touya rolled over the other side while Yukito reluctantly came out. Touya smiled sweetly at Yuki and offered his outstretched arm as a more comfortable pillow. Yuki snuggled like a little kid.

"I quit school after that. They told Ottosan to take me home where discharge papers will be sent. I was 'disturbed', they said, and a menace to the others. I didn't really care much, whatever they said. They didn't matter to me. But I was afraid when we had to tell Okasan. I was afraid she'd hate me, too…"

<<To Be Continued>>