Chapter 14- Tampering with the Dead

(Woo! One thousand reads! I'm so happy that this happened! Seeing the support for this book and knowing you guys all are enjoying this is absolutely amazing and also helps me keep writing it. Just thank you guys SO much)

"You call that a performance?!" My dad yelled at me as I felt his foot make contact with my cheek, making me fall back against the wooden ground as I put a hand to my cheek and felt pain rush through me as I tried not to cry. "You make me look like a fool in front of the entire town!"

His yells rang through the house as I felt my breath hitched in my throat. I wanted to say something. Anything. Just so he could stop beating me.

I backed away slightly as I watched my father retrieve an empty glass bottle from the counter and raised it above his head in a threatening pose.

I kept backing away while trembling in fear as I felt my back hit against the brick wall behind me. I couldn't escape it... Not this time... I couldn't escape the blow that was to come...

He raised the bottle over his head and hit it against the wooden table instead of my face as I heard the glass shatter. I panted heavily and felt a tear fall down my face in fear. Terrible fear. I was scared of what my father was going to do to me next.

"You make me look like a fool!" He yelled as he grabbed hold of me by my hair and hoisted me up to look at him straight in the eye as more tears fell down my face when looking at my father in the eye. "Tears! Really! You're ten years old and you cry like you're still a baby!"

What else was I supposed to do? My father was pulling my hair and kicking my cheek that I felt swelling up a little bit as I trembled when looking at my father in the eye. What I do wrong this time?

"You're weak! Weak! Weak! Weak!" My father yelled as he slapped his hand across my face as I cried even more. It hurt! It hurt so much! "You hear me you damn bitch! You're an actress! Show some strength! Tears get you no where but down!"

He shoved me to the ground where I laid in a small ball while clutching hold of my legs with my arms and crying into my knees as my dad continued to yell.

"You're stronger than you look! So why don't you show it! You make yourself look vulnerable! You aren't vulnerable! You hear me?! YOU ARE STRONG BUT YET YOU DON'T SHOW IT!"

I cried. I cried and cried my eyes out as I kept laying on the ground unmoving. My cheeks stung with pain and my body felt like some punching bag my dad used when he drank too much.

"I-I... I tried, daddy," I said through tears. I finally said something.

I tried my best on stage. I put on a smile when I was happy. I put on a frown when I was sad. I put on a show for the entire town and yet this is what I got afterwards. Beatings.

"Trying isn't good enough!" My father yelled down at me as he kicked my back. It hurt. It hurt so bad.

Why couldn't my dad just talk to me instead of hitting me? Why couldn't he just tell me what I did wrong instead of leaving me clueless? I could get better if he just told me what it is I did wrong on stage.

"Your sister knows how to woo a crowd and yet you just do what you want, making your sister look stupid!" He yelled at me as I cried some more. Please... don't bring her into this...

I continued to cry. I wanted to let my eyes ball out as my tears felt down my face and onto the ground below. I tried my best. I tried. I really did...

Maybe my dad was right... Maybe I had to be a little bit more like my sister...

"Tch. Pathetic. I expect better from you tomorrow..." My father continued as he pointed a threatening finger down at me. He sighed as he walked away from me, leaving me on the ground with puffy eyes and swollen cheeks. "I'm getting a drink..."

And with that he walked out of the house. To go get drunk again and sleep with other women behind my mom's back. And yet, I kept the secret.

He was pretty hurt from when my sister ran away from home and went missing. I still didn't know where she went as she abandoned me and my other sister with my dad and mom.

A dad that beat me every time I did something wrong during a performance. A mom that didn't care about my well-being at all and focused entirely on my sister and her future. And my sister... Who was the only person I ever loved in my family...

I looked up from the darkness of my knees and looked at the doorway that led to me and my sister's shared room to see a figure stand in the doorway looking down at me. My sister.

When I noticed her, she immediately ran to my side and clutched hold of me in her arms as all I could do was cry into her shoulder.

I couldn't see my sister's face clearly. It was a blur. Probably from my swollen cheek as all I could see was her blonde hair almost identical to my own.

My sister got lucky. She didn't have to worry about beating every time she came home from a performance. I was the one who went through this abuse, not her.

"It's okay... It's okay..." My sister said softly into my shoulder. "He's gone now... He's gone..."

"Why...? What did I do wrong...?" I sobbed into my sister's shoulder as I tried not to scream out for my mom... She wouldn't come anyways...

"You did nothing wrong. It's fine," She said as I felt her lay a kiss on my head and unwrapped her arms from me and tried wiping my tears away as I tried to see her face clearly. But, her face was a blur as I couldn't see the features of her face... A little odd...

"Am I... Am I weak...?" I asked softly, remembering why my dad was beating me.

"No! You're the strongest person I know!" My sister said to me in a confident voice. "You are stronger than daddy and mommy... You're even stronger than me!"

Stronger than my sister... That was hard to believe. My sister was able to get away from beatings because she was strong and showed courage.

"Some day, me and you can prove our parents wrong..."

Those words rang through my head.

Someday... I would be strong like my sister and get past these beatings and show courage. No matter what it takes.

Even if... I had to do something to somebody...

The old memory was fading away by a sound pounding against the back of my head.

I opened my eyes to see myself staring down at the floor of my dorm room back at Hope's Peak.

I felt sweat trickle down my head from the terrible memory that happened over six years ago. When I was fragile and soft and gentle. But, I got through that and became a star. My sister helped me through that.

I sat up in my bed as I rubbed my eyes as I tried to hold onto the picture of my sister inside my mind. That was odd... I couldn't seem to get a clear vision of her face. It was blurred out as everything else around me seemed perfectly clear. I tried to remember her name... But nothing came to mind as well. Nothing seemed to help as I think heard a sudden pounding sound come from my door.

I looked towards the doorway with a furrowed brow as I waited for a second and then heard the pounding of the wood against someone's hand continue.

I rolled my eyes and moved out of bed as I felt my hair drop down my face and down my shoulders. I didn't have time to put my hair back up as the pounding continued.

"Alright. Alright... I'm coming..." I sighed as I walked to the door and put my hand on the handle.

I was too tired to worry about who was on the other side of the door. I just woke up from a bad nightmare and I didn't have the time to worry about it the person on the other side of this door was my awaited death.

My thoughts were too foggy to worry if the person on the other side was holding a knife or a gun... I didn't really care as I just wanted to go back to sleep and avoid any more of those terrible memories.

I opened the door and looked out shocked to see Byakuya stand at the doorway looking down at me wide awake. Was it morning?

I looked behind me quickly to check the time. No, it was still around two in the morning as I looked back at Byakuya confused. What could he possibly want in the middle of the night?

"Togami... It's the middle of the fucking night," I moaned as I rubbed my eyes and fixed my vision on Byakuya. He looked serious... More serious than usual... Did something happen...?

"So? Anyways..." Byakuya started as he then held his arm up and clutched in his hand was an extension cord I recognized from the library's lamp. "Care to make this game a little more fun?"

I looked up at him in confusion as he smiled softly and I couldn't help but feel suspicious. What did he do...?

"What'd you mean?" I asked nervously.

"Follow me," Byakuya said and I nodded slowly.

I felt myself get nervous as Byakuya led me upstairs and into the locker room connected to the pool's room. I never been in the locker room myself but my suspicions grew as Byakuya walked to the girl's locker room door and looked back at me.

"Do you want in?" I asked as I pulled out my digital notebook. Apparently only the girl's handbooks could get them into the girl's locker room while the boys were the same for them.

Byakuya nodded and I rolled my eyes. I was too tired to deal with him at the moment to wonder why he needed in as I swiped my handbook on the scanner and opened the door and looked inside.

No.... No... No... This couldn't be happening... Why...?! Not her!!!!

I tried to stay calm as I looked down at the ground of the girl's locker room to see Chihiro's body laying against the ground as her eyes were closed and her head was crunched in to show a bloody mess on top of her head.

I didn't want to believe it... Chihiro... She was really...

I tried to hold back my tears from falling out of my eyes as I tried to stay. Don't cry. Not in front of Byakuya... It would only make things worse...

Byakuya was what I would call my friend, but I didn't know if he would call me the same thing. I couldn't break down in a crying mess when my friend got murdered... But why Chihiro...?

"Oh my god!" I said in a small whimper while covering my mouth with my hands. I felt my body tremble at the sight of the dead body but I stayed put. I was stronger than that...

"So? Care to help me?" Byakuya asked as a small smirk appeared on his face.

I looked over at Byakuya with tears filling my eyes. "D-Did you....?"

"No, I promise. I just want to make this killing game a bit interesting," Byakuya said while looking down at me and I looked back at Chihiro's body.

Did Byakuya do it...? Was he lying to me and he was the one that killed Chihiro? My friend? No... He wouldn't do it... But, maybe he would... Maybe I didn't know him quite as well as I thought.

I tried to not cry when looking down at Chihiro's body. She was my close friend. We grew so close and now she was dead because of some idiot coward... Another idiot coward... Byakuya could've been that coward... And I was being totally oblivious towards it.

"Can you move the metal poles to the back of the room?" Byakuya asked as he walked over to Chihiro's body.

I stood still for a moment. Was he seriously asking me to help him with his possible murder? I didn't want to believe Byakuya did it as I did what he said, being the stupid idiot I was and moved the metal poles to the back of the room while talking, "Why exactly are we doing this? And who killed her?"

"Oh, I know. But, to make this fun, I'm not telling you," Byakuya said as he picked up Chihiro's body and I looked away from him so I didn't have to face looking at my dead friend. Cry later. Work now.

"Why won't you tell me?! We're tampering with a dead body! All I can assume is that you killed her!" I said to Byakuya as he walked over to the metal poles and pulled out the extension cord still in his hand as he directed me to help hold the body up as he tied the extension cord to one of Chihiro's wrist and I tried to avoid looking at Chihiro's hanging body.

"I would've killed you, not Fujisaki. Why? Well, you don't ever shut up," Byakuya explained as he tied the cord to her wrist. "At least Fukawa can shut up. Be of some use and tie the other wire to her wrist."

I rolled my eyes and grabbed Chihiro's other wrist and tied it in a knot around her arm as I tried to avoid looking at her still. Again, I told myself to cry later...

"Well, don't ask me for help with tampering with the dead! Why did you come to me when you won't even tell me what the hell we're doing," I argued with Byakuya after tying the cord to Chihiro's wrist and looked over at Byakuya as he examined our work.

I then watched as Byakuya moved towards Chihiro and dipped his finger onto Chihiro's bloody face and used the blood now staining his hand to write something on the wall.

"It's quite amusing to get someone to help you and then don't even tell them why."

"Jerk..." I said through gritted teeth as I looked at what Byakuya could be possibly writing against the wall. His fingers moved against the brick surface as he wrote some sort of message I couldn't get a clear view of. "What are you writing anyways?"

"You can read," Byakuya sighed as he finished the note and moved out of the way for me to read the words written in Chihiro's blood.

"Blood Bath Fever?" I asked with a furrowed brow as I read the words against the wall. What did that mean?

"I guess I can explain a bit," Byakuya said as he then handed me a thin file he kept tucked away in his jacket and I looked down at it in confusion.

"What's this?" I asked as I opened the file and looked inside.

I wished I haven't opened it though... As soon as I gazed inside I wanted to close it immediately and act like I didn't see a single thing. Photos covered the pages with words written next to them as my attention was driven to the photos. Two pictures were inside the file of two men dead with scissors stabbed into their wrist as blood stained the walls behind them as a message was written in blood on the wall. The same one Byakuya wrote. Blood Bath Fever.

"A confiscated file on the serial killer named Genocide Sho," Byakuya explained as I continued to look inside and read some of the information regarding this serial killer. "This particular serial killer is part of our little group here in Hope's Peak." My eyes widened as I continued to look down at the pages. This serial killer is in our group?! Who?! "I want to make this more interesting."

"Do you know who it is?" I asked while continuing to look down at the information held in my hand.

"Yes."

"Can you tell me?"

Byakuya then walked up to me put his bloody hand under my chin, making me look up from the file and up at him as he smirked slightly. "No."

I looked down at his hand on my chin and felt that small knot in my stomach tighten when Byakuya touched me. I immediately reacted by shoves his arm off of me to stop my stomach from feeling more weird. "Don't touch me, please."

"Alright. Let's go," Byakuya said in a sigh as he started to walk towards the girl's locker room door.

"Where now?" I asked as I followed him to the door as he put his hand on the doorknob before turning to me.

"Isn't it obvious? We have to leave. I'm walking you back to your dorm," He answer.

"I can walk myself," I sighed and rolled my eyes softly.

"I know, I just don't want you to go tell someone what we did, or that won't make it any fun, now, will it?" Byakuya asked me as he put his hand off the doorknob and looked at me with his arms crossed softly.

This was supposed to be fun?! It was more sickening than fun if anything!

"I wouldn't tell anyone because it would pin the murder on me!" I argued as I thought about how everyone would react if they found out I helped Byakuya in his little act. Could I even tell anyone about this? Sakura? Aoi? Even Makoto?

"Well, lets just say... I have a fondness if you," Byakuya said as he looked towards me. His next words were spoken softly. "I just want to make sure you're okay, I guess."

I smiled softly at these words as I looked down at the ground to hide my blush and my face heating up. He did care about me...

"Okay then..." I said softly, trying to forget Byakuya's words. "Do we just leave the body for someone to find it then?"

Byakuya nodded softly.

"You're a sick person..." I said in a sigh as I walked passed Byakuya and walked out of the room with Byakuya following me out.

We walked out of the locker room and into the hallway as we continued talking.

"Who killed her anyways? And why were you breaking the night time rule?" I asked Byakuya as we walked down the hall.

"It was never a rule to me, more of a suggestion. And, I don't think you would believe me if I told you who the killer was," Byakuya replied as we continued walking.

"Try me."

"Okay, I'll tell you, yet, during the trial, you have to lead the group towards the killer. Not tell them," Byakuya explained to me as I nodded, understanding. I just wanted to know who killed my close friend. "Owada."

I widened my eyes in shock. Really?! Mondo killed Chihiro?! Well it kind of made sense... But still!!! Was it because of his secret or embarrassing memory...? Or was it for another reason...

"Really?! He didn't see you?" I asked Byakuya shocked. Surely if Byakuya was able to see Mondo commit a murder, he would have to see him too.

"The moron was blind as a bat. He walked right passed me," Byakuya explained.

"Well... Is there really any other reason you came to me for help during this?" I asked Byakuya as we started to walk down the stairs and to the first floor.

I was genuinely curious to know why Byakuya chose me of everyone to help him for this. Was it because I was a good actor? Because I was his only friend? Or to cause me pain when seeing my friend's body?

"You seem like someone I can trust. But that does not mean we are friends, just accomplices," Byakuya answered as he looked away from me.

"You just don't like to admit you made a friend in this prison," I said with a small smirk as we walked past the main hall.

"Maybe, but I don't see you as one just yet," Byakuya replied and I smiled softly. He definitely doesn't like admitting to have friends. But, I definitely saw him as a friend myself.

"Fine. But I believe some other people are more willing to help you out during this... Like Fukawa," I explained as I remembered how the girl stalked Byakuya on a daily basis.

"You'll see why I chose you during the class trial," Byakuya explained to me as I bit my lip. Great, I had to wait until tomorrow to hear his answer... "So, be patient."

"I'm not that patient with this kind of stuff, but fine!" I said to him as we entered the hallway of dorms and I located my room. "My room's right here, so good night, don't wake me up in the middle of the night to rearrange a body again."

"No promises," Byakuya said with a small smirk and my face heated up.

"Jerk... But, Togami..."

"Hm?"

I felt my heart beat a little faster when looking at him. Was this my chance to tell him? Could I really tell him now? My secret wouldn't be revealed since someone was just murdered but I felt like I had to tell him sooner or later.

I looked up at him and saw a tiny spot of blood on his cheek and I walked up to him and wiped it off. "You're not that bad..."

And after that, I smiled softly and walked into my room and shut the door behind me quickly before I could say anything else.

After I closed the door, I hit my body against the wooden door and fell to the floor below as I rested my head against the door and took out the small paper from my bag and looked at it.

My motive.

It was still written in dark ink as the words could be easily read. Why him? Why now? And now somebody was dead, somebody close to my heart was now dead and Byakuya could possibly have been the one to do it. He could've just said Mondo's name to throw me off the tracks.

I tried to keep my tears in for mourning Chihiro's death as I remembered my distant memory I had just a few minutes ago.

"You're strong..." I whispered to myself as I gripped the paper tight in my hand. "Don't cry over someone's death... It was going to come sooner or later... Save them for tomorrow... Or never..."

I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly to calm myself as I stood up with shaking hands as I still clutched hold of my motive in my hand.

Be strong... For Chihiro...

I looked down at the paper in my hand as I walked towards the trash can and threw the paper into it. Crumbling it up and tossing it into the bin as I fell onto my bed and clutched hold of my pillow tightly.

Forget about Byakuya... He couldn't love me... It was him for gosh sake... But I couldn't forget about him... Because I loved him... I closed my eyes and stayed calm as to control my emotion. Byakuya had to wait. I just had to avenge my dead friend...

Just... Stay strong...