8. GAUCHE

Gauche (adjective)

Socially graceless.

Chapter 8

(Seiji's P.O.V)

Walking up to the main door, I'm met with Mako her arms folded crossed around her. Eyes watery, she watches us with her camera still placed around her blood smeared neck. Her father glides towards us, a grey thick cardigan wrapping him in warmth. Fiddling with his watch he gives us a pressed smile,

"Are we done here?" He states placing his arm around Mako's sunken shoulders.

"We're gonna be done when we find him." I tell him calmly. I look from him to Mako, wondering if she really doesn't know this spree killer is a ghoul... or is this really just a play between them, but what for?

We walk out the house alive, my chest finally able to breath in at ease. A dog sits in the garden watching us leave the premises, with a gloomy face it looks away uninterested.

"I thought nothing creeps me out after all the shlock we've been through all this time, but that house give me the creeps." My brother says shaking his head. I nod; no windows showing the outside, camera's in every room... high fence...

"Mako seems to have actually run away from there." I tell him, her watery eyes popping in my head like a drawing I just drew.

"I would have run away too, that looks like a prison." He agrees with my thoughts as we glide down the mountain, leaving the creepy house behind us. Maybe...just maybe, the Dot might not be the only bad place in the world after all.

Arriving to our break-in flat we try to think where he could have the preem hidden. "We gotta watch him around the clock, he must visit the kid at some point." My brother says slamming the wood floor.

"Didn't you notice something weird about the siblings earlier?" I ask. He huffs,

"You mean besides their existence?" My brother mocks taking his hat off and rubbing his hair that we never thought we'd live to see clean and shiny ever. Back in the pit, washing our hair had to be one of the difficult journeys as anywhere outside our hideout placed danger to our lives.

"They don't look anything alike, are those really his offspring?" I tell him remembering how one had ginger hair, the other was very tan; Mako and her father pale. Tora looks to the right at the window giving it some thought.

"True... maybe they're all kidnapped just like he kidnapped the kid!" He says voice harsh raising in tone angrily.

After a while, we come to an agreement to watch the old man's movement. Laying down trying to drift to sleep for now, everything I don't wanna remember like memories from the pit pops in my head as if my brain hates me and wants me to suffer.

(Mako P.O.V)

I wasn't reprimanded by father, I wasn't told anything. I couldn't even ask anything in case I triggered father and he would give me a piece of his mind... Laying in bed staring at the ceiling eyes dry. Compared to the other few times my escape has failed, this time I don't shed any tears, I'm passed that. Instead this time, sadness finally giving way to anger. How did Botan get out the house?! How is father connected to those...those ghouls or whatever they may be... can father really have an entanglement with people like them? my heart sank at the thought. Nothing made sense; my head hurts. I sit up there for several moments, too overwhelmed to move. I finally force myself to get up. I need answers or I might loose more brain cells than I already have.

Walking in my night gown, I head to Botan's room, dim lighted lamp in my right hand. I knock on the door...

"Botan!" I hiss at the door. Knocking a few more times... nothing. He's not a heavy sleeper, he's ignoring me? Placing my hand on the door knob, "Mako..." I yelp at the voice behind me. Turning around I'm met with a wide smile,

"Heli... you frightened me." I exhort smiling at our maid. She's been around the house since I remember, she is kind, good at cooking, never crosses the line... but always there, watching.

"It's past two in the morning, you should be in bed." She urges giving my hand which is still placed on the door handle a glance.

"I just want to ask Botan something..." I tell her. She smiles yet again, creases forming beneath her eyes.

"You can do that in the morning, now..." She approaches me placing her arms around me, twirling me away from the door swiftly.

"Why don't you rest up, tomorrow you will have plenty of time to speak to him." She confirms pulling me away. I manage a smile as I'm hauled away.

(Seiji P.O.V)

My brother is panting beside me, blood oozing from his lips. Holding on to my left arm whose giving up on me and left me to battle alone. Wincing at the pain I don't backdown, not that I have a chance anyway.

"Oh puhlease..." A young girl rolls her eyes as I stand up. Botan glances at me eyebrows drawn in disapproval. I launch myself at the hastard bringing him down to the wooden floor, he searches my face as he takes my shoulders in his mitts. I'm flung over in a moment and he's looking down at me. Just ten days ago he was pulpy weak as a pebble... how is he able to push me down?

"Just accept the offer..." Thin red veins drawn from his lips tint his cheeks as he speaks to me; a blue earring with red spots dangle against his pallor grey skin. I push myself up trying to get out of his grasp but he pushes me back down forcefully. I could swear on my dead body that he wasn't able to slap a shlocking dog just a few days ago. What is with this sudden immense strength!

"You don't have a choice!" He barks in my face, desperate. Coming in, barging in here and forcing us to do as they say... these hastards won't leave us any pride to scrap with! I will never work under them! The air is knocked out of me as he throws a punch in my face, his bony knuckles adding the pricking ache. They ganged up on us, four ghouls against two hugals... speak about an unfair fight.

"Just get it over with will you!? We need to go!" One of them shrieks from behind me, and that was the call for another punch.

"Fine." I let out. Botan lets out a breath closing his eyes for a split second, loosening his mitts from my shirt.

"What!?" My brother manages to shout... Botan releases me getting up. The gang begins to leave the flat. Fighting for air I manage to sit up with much groans.

"We'll send messages when needed." Botan says pulling a phone from his jacket; pushing hair out of his face. Squatting down he places it next to me on the floor. I look up at him, face empty of veins now.

"Looking forward to working with you." His mouth curls up into a smile. He stands up and leaves us closing the flat door behind him. With my brother's groans and my twisted left arm I sit there, in the empty room wondering why he smiled like that... a warm reassuring smile.

(Mako P.O.V)

I stroke Waffle's golden fur coat watching her tail wiggle in happiness. I smile itching behind her ear,

"She's upset you left her and run away." I glance behind me. Botan stands on the wet green grass, hands in his pocket,

"She wasn't very happy when I tried to take her last time." Waffle barked like crazy when I tried to sneak her out with me one time as I tried to fling her over the door rails; of course that ended miserably. I stand up taking a good look at him,

"How where you allowed outside?" I find myself confronting him. He looks up at me as if not expecting me to ask him about it, I'm not comfortable with confrontations but this is something I really can't hold back.

"Yesterday? It doesn't seem you left the same way I did?" I push with my statement crossing my hands around me.

"I'm not a hooligan to jump over the fence." He spits pointing at the fence behind me, the same spot I jumped from the other night.

"How did you find me?" I ask a different question. He walks over, glancing at me as he bends down and strokes at Waffle.

"I didn't find you, you were simply there." He says in a low tone. I grab onto his shoulder,

"It wasn't your first time out yesterday was it?" I ask him our eyes glued on each other. He glances behind him at the house for a second then back at me. I smile letting my hand slide. Guess father doesn't approve of me knowing about it. At first, it was normal for us to get in trouble with father. He always knew who filled the pool with soap, who hit the other without being there. We thought he just simply knew everything; not that we're being watched around the clock. And if we do anything he's against, he would find out no matter what and punish us.

I walk over to the sliding kitchen doors, slipping inside the house. Heading straight to father's office my hands into fists ready to have an argument, learn what is really going on. Where this sudden courage and resolve came from, I have no idea.

"Come in." Father calls out after my first knock on the door. I walk in swallowing as I shut the door close. Standing there for a second I take a deep breath twirling around facing him. I'm not staying in this house, I'm leaving one way or the other.

"Father..." I begin. He looks up at me smiling,

"Mako, my lamb. I was just about to call for you." He goes on fiddling with files on his desk arranging them. I open my mouth to say what's on my mind but he cuts me off,

"I'm having an open conference talk after tomorrow, would you like to attend?" He asks giving me a quick glance then looking back at his folders,

"Ou...outside?" I ask him unsure of what he's offering. He nods lips pressed in a smile.

"Open conference happens in the open." He presses nonchalantly as if he said the common thing ever. I want to ask what is going on, is this a joke? After nineteen years of confinement and the firm rejection of us going outside... he asks me if I want to go out?

"Guards everywhere so no plans of sneaking away." He warns glancing up at me who's frozen in place.

"Is Botan going?" I manage to ask. He nods eyebrows rising as if it's the obvious. I turn around to leave,

"You didn't answer." He prods like a statement, not a question.

"Like I'll miss a chance to go out." I press looking back at him trying to keep a straight confident face.

I think of going and asking my brother Botan of what's this all of a sudden, how are we going out in public after all this time. But I'm sure he won't answer me fearing father's judgment.

(Botan P.O.V)

Mako pulls at her sleeves her eyes darting at the crowd, "Are we going to stand up there!?" She hisses pointing at the stage. I smile,

"You said you want to go out, meet people. Have fun." I list nodding towards the crowd of reporters and their big cameras. Her mouth drops open,

"Father will stand behind that white stand, and we'll be behind him as he recites his speech." I explain to her as we wait for father's presence to go up. She shakes her head,

"No way, I might faint... I don't want to go up there!" She tells me pointing at the stage. I shrug pouting. She grabs my right arm,

"I'll go back to the car." She runs on trying to convince me,

"Trying to run away?" I falsely accuse her lifting my eyebrow in question even though I know that's not the case. She shakes her head, and before she has the chance to say something else we're deafened by the camera snaps as the place goes in a ruckus while father glides to the stage.

"Let's go." I order pulling Mako forward.

"No no no!" She hisses trying to stop me. As we step on the stage she puts a stop to her fight and straightens up tensely. Standing behind father she glances at me nervously as the camera lights shine on her face.

"Thanks everyone for being here, as the chancellor ..." Father begins his speech of empty promises and fake feelings. Just tend days ago my life has flipped because of him, everything I've known then means nothing now. Everything he spoke, was a lie. Everything he speaks now is a lie. After a while Mako speaks, pulling at her yellow sweater.

"What does he mean?" She asks her voice low satiric; gawking ahead at father. I look up at him, I wasn't listening.

"Huh?" I offer so she can elaborate.

"He said we're rebuilding the separators, is he speaking about the separators?" She presses eyes wide.

"If he said so." I shrug, anything I tell her will just confuse her. After the talk is done we bow faking our smiles and we stride away from the stage. We head to the conference hall into the building,

"I expected this to be fun, all I got is stomach pain." Mako complains behind me as we enter the conference hall. I tense up as I spot spencer in the distance, wearing his...suit. Who wears suits nowadays for such a conference? He spots us and soon walks towards us. I grit my teeth at his presence.

"Botan, good to see you." He beams. If I could manage a vomit now I would let it out on his face. Mako takes a seat beside me and stares up at us standing beside her. I manage a nod,

"Who's this?" I let out a deep loud breath letting him know how uncomfortable I am as he asks glancing at Mako.

"Mako." I introduce her as short and as little information as I can. He lets his hand out to her and she gives me a nervous glance. She sneakily pulls her sweater over her hand and gives his hand a tap with a pressed smile as he introduces himself. He keeps his hand there for a while and takes it back confused at her behaviour; letting out a nervous laugh looking offended. I see Lora come towards us and I just want to magically remove myself from the room.

"Oh, this is my cousin Lora." Spencer introduces her to Mako who manages a crocked smile and nervous glances at me.

"Hey Botan! Still pale, you should go out more often." Lora fires at me, hair half long and the other short smirking putting her hand on her hip. Mako narrows her eyes at me as she places a hand into the other,

"Spencer right? you must be happy you're the reason a lot of people have smiles on their faces." She says he face straight out emotionless. Spencer looks from her to us crooking his head confused with a shaky unsure smile,

"Wait... they're not smiling...they're laughing at your funny suit." She fires at him in a calm tone. His mouth drops open as he gasps for air pressing his right hand on his chest dramatically.

"I have never been so insulted!" He bellows. I look around hoping father and the others in the room are too busy to hear this. Mako nods giving him an obvious up and down scan,

"You don't listen much, do you?" She adds waving her hand around her ear mockingly. She's over doing it but I can't stop her as it's the truth.

"You're emotionally disturbed, just like him!" Lora spits pointing at me.

"I'm emotionally stable just like this table." Mako slams her hand on the table. I catch her eyes as she looks at me drawing a smile. I shake my head lightly to let her know she should stop. They do look stupid but they have a backup behind them. Lora opens her mouth to speak but she's cut off by Mako pushing her chair standing up,

"Let's go." She says standing to her feet facing Lora who's looking down at her short figure.

"Emm...out of my way, you sorry excuse of intolerable dry fries." She adds with courage I have never witnessed before.

"Mako." She freezes at father's call. Turning around she looks from him to everyone else who's gone quite all together; the courage she had seconds ago dissolve into fear and shyness.

"Come greet Lady Emily." He calls out motioning at the women in a pencil black skirt. Mako takes a few seconds to stabilizes herself. She walks over to father and everyone begins to speak again filling the room with noise.

"That's the girl we were told about?" Spencer mocks in a nasty shrill laugh escaping his lips,

"Didn't see you speaking up a second ago." I prod wanting him to disappear from here. He smirks,

"I can take her down in one blow." Lora snickers,

"Try, and you'll be blown out of existence." I fire my hand forming into a fist ready to do just as I warned.