Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Built on a Dream ❯ Denial ( Chapter 5 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

***Author's Note: Ohayou minna! Enjoying the fic so far? You're on chapter five. How many chapters will there be? I have no idea. Once I post the chapters I've already done, I have to wait until my dreams come. Weird, ne? A whole story based on dreams.

*Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin… though, I really really really wish I did..

The last few breaths of sunlight filtered through the kitchen windows and kissed Kara's face. She was on her back, clutching the phone, the cold kitchen floor beneath her.

I'm sorry. Your call cannot be connected as dialed. Please hang up and try again. I'm sorry, your call-" Kara opened her eyes. She sat up, rubbing her lower back. Her body felt stiff. She brought her a hand to her temple. he rhythm had stopped; it was nothing but a slow humming now. But what about Spiritworld?

She looked around. When she had collapsed, she had knocked a memo pad and matching pen to the floor. Kara reached for the pad and pen and began to write.

"I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place."

Tearing the page from the pad, she stood up, and placed the pen on the counter. The tinkling of keys sounded in the kitchen door.

"Tish's home!" Kara whispered, brushing herself off and fixing her hair. The door opened. Kara stepped forward uneasily, resting a hand on the counter to steady herself. Tish stepped in teh doorway, juggling two grocery bags.

"Kara, honey!" Tish exclaimed. "I thought you had practice today." She kicked the door closed with her foot, and slid the grocery bags onto the counter. Kara stared. Tish was actually sober. She blinked.

"Practice?" Kara scratched her head. It was Friday. Oh... darnit. "I blew it off today, mom." Tish paused.

"That's unlike you, sweetie." She began pulling the groceries out of the brown paper bags and set them on the counter. Spaghetti noodles. Tomato sauce. Garlic bread. An assortment of spices. Red wine. Tish looked up, concerned.

"Is something wrong?"

Kara was silent. Thinking. She couldn't possibly explain everything to Tish. She knew her step-mom would freak out, and go on some apologetic, guilty rant. And then there was Spiritworld. A dream, right? Kara stuck the piece of paper in her jean pocket.

"Nothing's wrong, mom. I just... wanted to spend some quality time with you." Tish laughed, the sound ringing through the quiet house.

"Now that's a load of crap! What's up? Did Michelle try to set you up again?" There was a knock at the front door. Tish continued to laugh and started toward the entrance. "Remember that time when she set you up with Sammy?" She opened the door. "Well, speak of the devil." A tall boy with brown hair waved in greeting.

"I can assure you I'm not the devil." He smiled. "The devil wouldn't have such great taste in food!"

Kara smiled at her "adopted" big brother. Michelle had originally planned for the two to become a couple, but eventually gave up after seeing how the two bickered all the time. Kara smirked, remembering Sam's comment and went to the door. "Are you saying that you love my cooking, Sam?" He made a face and stuck out his tongue.

"I don't think you'd survive if you had to eat your own cooking all the time, Kara." Sam and Tish laughed, and she invited him in. Kara fumed, and reaching high, smacked Sam in the back of the head.

"All you do is eat other people's food, and stay at their houses, you freeloader!"

"Ouch, that hurt," Sam pouted, and then laughed, playfully punching Kara in the arm.

"Why don't you two go watch tv," Tish said with a smile. "I've got dinner taken care of." Sam grinned.

"Sounds great to me!" He grabbed Kara by the shoulders and steered her into the living room. Tish walked back to the counter, mentally thanking God or whoever was listening for Kara's good friends. She knew that she wasn't the best mother and-

"That's weird," She said, forgetting her thoughts and eyeing the phone.

"...connected as dialed. Please hang up and try again. I'm sorry-" Tish placed the phone back in its base.

------

Kara was having a mental battle. No... a war. She and Sam had plunked themselves down on the sofa and turned on a tv program, one of Sam's favorites. Every few minutes he'd chuckle, when his mouth wasn't watering from the yummy smells coming from the kitchen.

Kara didn't notice, though. She sat there, arms folded behind her head, blankly staring at the television set. What the heck had happened that afternoon? Had she fainted? She wasn't feeling sick. Frowning, she wondered if a brain tumor could cause hallucinations.

Was everything just a hallucination? A weird dream brought on by too little sleep, and too much stress? And what of Kami? Her frown grew deeper. Why wasn't Kami talking to her now?

"Kami!" Kara shouted in her head. She waited. Silence. This was insane! She was insane. Even if it was real, how could Kami just dump her back into the real world without another word? Kara's hand traveled to the slip of paper in her pocket. She could try to go back to Spiritworld tonight. She sighed. What was she talking about? It was all just a stupid-

"Hey, missy," Sam said, hitting the mute button on the remote. Kara smiled silently at the fond nickname. "What's on your mind?" Sam asked, glancing at the girl beside him. "I couldn't pay you to be this quiet." Kara paused, and looked away. Sam waited, knowing she would open up if she needed to.

"How do you know if you are crazy?" Kara gazed out the living room window, her face away from the chuckling Sam. He quieted, realizing that she was serious. He looked out of the window as well. Night had fallen on the small city, and the cloudy sky blacked out any stars.

"I think that people who are truly crazy have no idea that they are." His eyes searched Kara's face. "Why? Thinking of checking into the asylum?" He offered a smile. Kara turned to look at him, ignoring the question.

"So if I'm wondering about being crazy, then I really must be sane?" Sam's brow furrowed.

"What the hell is going on, Kara? Is it Tish? Did something happen?" Kara bit her bottom lip.

"I had a really weird dream, Sam." She slid two fingers into her pocket and pulled out the folded paper. "Someone in my dream gave me these words." She handed the paper to Sam. His eyes skimmed over the page, and then he scratched his head.

"Looks like a Bible verse to me, missy." He read it over again. "I can't be sure though; I'm not exactly an expert on that subject." Tish's head peeped into the living room for a few seconds.

"Dinner's ready, guys." Sam stood up.

"Well," he said, handing the paper back to Kara. "I really think you have nothing to worry about. It was just a dream, right?" Kara nodded, not wanting to mention the fainting part. Sam headed toward the kitchen.

"Let's eat, missy, He called over his shoulder, smiling. "Food'll make everything better!" Kara returned the smile. She balled up the slip of paper and dropped it in the trash can. Food will make everything better? She laughed.

"I know you think so, Sam.”