• I remember walking out of the girl’s dorm, down the stairs and out the back door to the garden. I was 15 years old at the time. It was a full moon. Its light flooded the garden but stopped at the trees. I walked over to the tiger cage. Six and Nine were sleeping peacefully at the edge. I sat beside them, only the bars separating us. They had the good life. A loving home, good food daily, tender loving care all around. I remember hearing mom saying that it was going to be cold that night but when I was sat out there I felt neither the cold or the warmth.
    A bird in the trees beyond began singing a song. Nine opened his eyes, clearly his sleep was disturbed. He looked around and when he saw me he got up and sat next to me.
    “Hey sweetie, did the bird wake you up?”
    He could tell what I was saying and in his own way he replied. I put my hand through the cold metal bars and stroked is soft fur. He tilted his head back so I could reach under his ear. I knew I wasn’t meant to be doing that. Aunty Masa was always telling me that they could strike at anytime. I could feel that they wouldn’t, not to me anyway.
    The sound of a branch snapping sharply scared Nine and I quickly pulled my hand back through the cage. I looked around for a sign of someone but nothing met my eye. I returned my attention to the beautiful tiger. He had gone back to his sleeping place and was settling down again.
    Again a branch snapped and leaves breaking under foot. The sounds were coming from the forest behind the cage. I kept my eyes peeled. I was readying myself for who ever was coming. First I heard them; heavy breathing showing that they had just been running. Then I saw the ginger head of hair. I remember letting out a sigh. It was only Kyo. He walked out of the trees and stopped when he saw me.
    “Sora, what are you doing out here at this time?”
    I could tell he was angry. I only knew he was because normally I never see him like this. Instantly I knew something was wrong.
    “I couldn’t sleep.”
    “Go back to bed.”
    “What’s wrong Kyo?”
    “Nothing, why would anything be wrong?”
    “Because you’re mad and you’ve just been running.”
    “I’M NOT MAD!”
    “Yeah, course your not.”
    “I hate that sarcasm of yours, just like your mother.”
    “I try my best.”
    I smiled at him, hoping that he would calm down and let me stay outside. He pushed his hair back out of his face and came and sat next to me.
    “What’s happened Kyo?”
    “Nothing, really.”
    “Come on, you know you can tell me.”
    “Can I? You’re 15 years old, you wouldn’t understand.”
    “I’m going to take that as an insult.”
    “Go ahead. It’s true though.”
    We sat in silence for the best part of an hour. During that time Six woke and Kyo played with him through the bars.
    “Masa will freak if she found you doing that.”
    Kyo laughed slightly, “She would, and she would if she saw you doing it to.”
    Damn, he knew.
    “That guy isn’t here. I thought he would be.”
    Kyo froze.
    “What guy?”
    I can’t see his face but I can tell he’s desperately trying to act natural.
    “You know who I mean. The guy who’s been turning up here every night for the past 4 weeks.”
    “Again I ask what guy?”
    “Kyo, stop pretending you don’t know. You’ve seen him too!”
    He turned to look at me.
    “Sora, I have no idea what you are talking about.”
    I could tell he was lying. I could tell that some how he’d stopped the guy from turning that night. It was then, as that thought was in my mind, that I saw the blood on Kyo’s hands. I it was any other situation then that then I wouldn’t have questioned him.
    “What did you do to him?”
    “DO TO WHO?!”
    At that point we were both on our feet.
    “Now you can’t deny it. You know full well who I’m talking about. What did you do to him?”
    I put so much force into that question it knocked Kyo back slightly.
    “I..I didn’t mean to.”
    I can see him trembling.
    “He, he shouldn’t have been here. I told him to never come here again. He didn’t listen. I had to…”
    He didn’t finish his sentence. He collapsed to the floor in tears.

    I remember years ago when I was around 5 years old a strange boy crept into the girls dorm. He walked past my bed and went strait for Rimu. I was too scared to sit up. I didn’t recognise him. He pushed back Rimu’s hair and kissed her on her forehead. I knew that he was bad. As quietly as I could at 5 years old got out of bed and ran strait to my uncle & aunts room. I ran up to their bed.
    “Uncle Kyo, Uncle Kyo!”
    “What? What is it Sora? You know better then to wake me.”
    “Someone is in our room.”
    “Who?”
    “I don’t know, he’s touching Rimu.”
    At that Kyo sprang out of bed and ran to my room. I followed him. The strange boy had Rimu in his arms. All the other kids were still asleep. When the boy’s eyes met Kyo’s I saw fear flow through every part of his body.
    “Give me her now!” Kyo said fiercely.
    “No. You need to pay for what you put my sister through.”
    “Give me Rimu now.”
    The boy’s weight buckled and he fell. Kyo caught Rimu and the boy was trying to use his inhaler. Kyo took it from him and the boy couldn’t breath.
    “Go, now!”

    A few years later when it was the triplets 10th birthday Rimu disappeared. Everyone was looking for her. No-one knew where she was or who she was with. Kyo seemed to be fuming but trying to control himself in front of everyone else. He went into the library and I followed him.
    “What do you want Sora? I’m busy.”
    “I was just thinking, maybe Rimu is with that boy.”
    Kyo came over to me and shook my shoulders.
    “What boy?”
    “The one that was in our room those years ago.”
    Something came over Kyo and he got up and left.
    He came home with Rimu at midnight. When everyone asked where he found her he said he found her wondering around a park. I knew different, I could tell because of the way he looked at me. It was his way of saying thank-you.

    Kyo had stopped crying and was looking into nothing.
    “Have you killed him?”
    “…no.”
    “Then what?”
    “Go look for yourself.”
    I got up from where were sat and entered the forest. I kept walking strait forward. I could smell the blood droplets. I don’t know how I managed to but I did. I finally found the clearing I had been sent to. A pool of blood stained the nature. No guy.
    “KYO!” I screamed from the top of my lungs.
    A few moments later Kyo came.
    “He’s not here Kyo.”
    Kyo roared. It shook my bones. My mom always told me that Kyo reminded her of a lion and now I know why.

    Now I’m sitting with Rimu in my arms, looking at the dead body a few yards away, with Kyo looking terrified. I’m now 18 and Rimu 19. The body was that of Morio Ichikawa. For the first time in my life I don’t know what to do. I always thought Morio was just the strange guy who stalked Rimu. Kyo had spend all his daughter’s life protecting her and our family from the strange family of the girl who kidnapped Kyo all those years ago. Morio was her sister. He had begun with the idea of kidnapping Rimu to scare Kyo and get payback. He then fell in love with Rimu and she fell in love with him. Kyo, having no idea just stumbled in on them in the dorm. I had been close by. Kyo had torn him apart, literally.

    ********. :/