1: NNIN

"So," she started awkwardly, "what do you want to eat for dinner," she peered over the open fridge door.

"It doesn't matter sweetie anything you want to eat it alright with me," he grabbed his tools off of the counter "just call me when dinner's ready," he walked over to her and quickly kissed her forehead. "I have a feeling that I'll finally be able to fix that old junker pretty soon."

"Just don't over do yourself Dad, I don't want you getting sick again," she sighed and looked back into the fridge deciding what to make.

In the back of her mind she heard the back door close and his footsteps crunching on the gravel as he walked towards the shed.

"Make the chicken."

Reaching for the chicken and green beans she placed it on the counter. It didn't take long for her to season and cook the chicken to an almost perfection. The snaps of the green beans echoed through the empty house. Two snaps in a row a pause followed by two more snaps and repeated again.

"Hurry the hell up."

Her hands paused for a second before she shook her head and continued to snap the ends off and throw them in the trash next to her. When the water came to a boil she put the green beans in the water cooking next to the chicken. In the distance she could her the sputtering of the engine, she shook her head and flipped the chicken over. Wiping her hands on the dishrag she walked out to the shed where she knew her father would be working.

"Dad," she called out, she walked around the one thing taking up the most room in the shed.

"Down here," she heard his voice call out, crouching down she saw him under the car. "I think it's almost fixed, I just need to fix the radiator hose and it should be all good to go."

"Well as much as I know you love your cars it time to come in it's time to eat, the food is ready."

"Alright, alright I'm coming," he still out from under the car "mind giving your old man a hand," he held his hand.

"Dad your knuckles are bleeding," she said as she grabbed his hand and quickly pulled him up. "Wash your hands when we get inside and I'll bandage them up okay."

He couldn't help but chuckle, the resemblance between his daughter and her mother was uncanny in both looks and personality.

"So kiddo what's on today's menu," he threw his arms around her shoulder.

"Eww don't put your arm around me when your knuckles are still bleeding," she shrugged off his arm. "Besides we have to bandage your hand before we even think of eating, these could get infected," she opened the door and grabbed the first aid kit.

Cleaning and disinfecting his wounds wasn't a difficult task considering that she's done this enough to last a whole life time. As always dinner was a silent ritual, just the clinks of silverware on the dishes and the chewing of food.

"I'm going to go back out to fix the hose, call me when it's around ten, okay?"

"Sure," she called out as she rinsed the dishes and began to lather up the sponge with soap.

"Why does he even bother, such a waste of time."

Putting the clean and dry dishes away she made her way to the living room and picked up her notebook.

"Don't ignore me, you stupid girl."

Once again she flipped through her notebook trying to find where she began to write her homework. Once again she could hear the sputtering of the engine but this time the engine roared to life. She couldn't help but smile when she heard the loud 'yes' that came from outside.

"Why is it so dark, why don't you turn on the light."

She rolled over to her head trying to find a comfortable position, the only thing she could hear was the crickets chirping in the background and the ticking of the clock on the wall.

"Do you hear that?"

A loud creak rang through the dead silent, puzzled by the sound she stood up. She knew full well that her father was dead to the world at this time. Opening her door she turned on the hallway light, there was nothing going up or down the hallway. Shuffling on the carpet she continued forward, another loud creak rang through the house but this time it came from the living room. Letting out a frustrated sigh she made her way to the living room and flicked on the light once again.

"Stupid girl it's in the kitchen."

All of a sudden the crashing of a pot rang through the silent night and next scurrying footsteps. Panic filled her body as her fight or flight instincts geared towards flight but instead of taking a step back she took a step forward. Hesitantly she walked towards the kitchen but once the lights were on there was nothing there, figuring it was just her mind getting the best of her she turned the lights off.

"It's still here, don't go back you stupid girl."

With slow steps she made her way to her father's room, the door creaked opened as she peered in, he laid there soundlessly sleeping. Smiling she closed the door, with her footsteps echoing in the otherwise quiet house she made her way back to her room and climbed back into bed and closed her eyes trying to fall asleep.

"What the hell are you doing trying to fall back asleep?! There still here you stupid, insolent girl."

She tried turning onto side trying to get comfortable when a hair raising, spine chilling scream rang throughout the house. Quickly sitting up she looked around the room to make sure her sleep deprived brain wasn't playing tricks on her but when another shrill cry rang through the air panic struck her body. Scrambling to her feet she ran down the hallway towards her father's room but a tall and dark figure standing in the middle of the hallway cause her to skid to a screeching halt. It stood less than ten feet from her, slowly it tilted its head to the left than in slowly tilted its head to the right in such a chilling manner than goosebumps raised on her arm.

It took a heavy step forward as she took a step back until she was pressed against the table. It's warm breath blew across her face making her turn her face to the side, her hands desperately searched for anything on the table that she could defend herself with. When she grabbed on to what she assumed was a pair of scissors her father's scream echoed in her head once more.

"Stupid girl now is not the time to be freezing, stab the bastard, STAB IT!"

A scream rang out once more but this time it wasn't her father, instead it was it. As it fell to the floor she saw that the scissor was buried in it's eye and blood was quickly gushing out, jumping over it she ran to her father's bedroom and quickly opened the door. A warm thick liquid run down her face, slowly she brought her index finger to her face she wiped her face and looked at her finger. The longer she looked down at her finger the more her hand started to tremble, the crimson liquid ran down her finger to the back of her hand and then down to her arm. With tall gangly limbs it stopped its movements and turned its attention to her, similar to the one in the hallway it tilted its head to the left and than to the right but this time in a more curious matter. When she looked back to her father her hands flew to her mouth.

He laid there, the white sheets slowly turning crimson with each passing second, his eyes fully open but devoid of life along with her mouth since was stitched closed in a crude and reckless manner. With a sudden pressure from her back and long arms criss crossing over her chest her vision blurred out from the edges.

"Sorry but this time I'm taking over."

With her vision now hazy a muffled scream echoed in her head once more. The arms wrapped around her tightened its hold until she found it difficult to breath.

Eventually we all have to wake up and face our reality. We have to explain how everything works, what it could be that lives inside of us. The world crumbles down so helpless but they continue, you continue, we continue to laugh and grin. I stand in a world imagined by another, I don't want to hurt you so please remember me as I used to be.

"What do you remember about last night?" he asked looking over at her disheveled appearance.

"It was like any other night, I made dinner as he went out to fix the car and when dinner was ready he came in and ate," she stopped for a breath. "After we finished eating he went out again to fix the car while I cleaned up," she took a look around the room.

"Do you need a moment," he asked her as he noticed her trembling figure.

"I'm fine," she wiped the tears that were threatening to brim over, "uh after that he went to bed like any other night, but I had trouble trying to fall asleep so I just tossed and turned for hours. I remember the floorboards creaking so I got up to check because I know that he's dead to the world in the middle of the night, the hallways were empty and then I heard something in the living room." She took a sip of the water that was in front of her before she continued, "after that I thought I would go check on him, just in case."

"HA look how that turned out."

"But, I didn't think that anything was there so I closed the door but soon after that I heard his screams."

"To think this all could have been avoided, ha, such a pity."

"I didn't know what to do," she looked down at her own hands.

They were covered in blood that had already dried on her skin, her hands started to shake the longer she stared at her hands. It was just a reminder of what she had down only a few hours prior to now.

"This blood shall forever stain your hands, no matter where you run."

She hugged her arms closer to her in a desperate attempt to keep some self composer, however he noticed her sudden change in demeanor.

"Are you alright," he asked.

"Oh god make that guy just shut up, he's so annoying don't you think?"

She gritted her teeth as her grip on her arms tightened to the point where her arms turned red.

"No use of crying over spilt milk, is there? What's done is done, he's never gonna come back so you might as well face the facts."

"Shut up," she lowly said under her breath.

"Excuse me," he asked confused at her sudden change of demeanor.

"It's all your fault yet you still sit here and cry, jeez what the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Just shut up," she yelled covering her ears with her dyed red hands "shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, SHUT UP."

Quickly he rose off his chair as she continued to scream, but he wasn't afraid because he knew that she wasn't screaming at him but screaming at herself.

"Their blood shall be on your hands, you can never run from that fact."

Quickly backing into a corner, she slide down the wall as the voices continued to endlessly whisper the words that she didn't want to hear over and over again. For years they only slowly spoke soft whispers that were easy to ignore but now they all came at once, slowly consuming her whole until hands contaminate all that is her.

_____________________________________________________________

Sometimes the truth is the most powerful thing but it can also be deadly. Events pass as times passes and only time can heal all wounds. The scars are something that will never go away but with my open heart I open my arms for more. For I am the embracer and am the one that is never embraced.

  Yours truly ,

_Yamada_