[genkai] - THICKER THAN WATER
Title: Thicker Than Water
Author: lanerose
Word Count: 539
Rating: PG14
Character(s): Hisoka
"Thicker Than Water"
On an otherwise unremarkable summer day, Hisoka first tasted blood.
"Don't wander off," his mother told him as he followed her out into the yard. She was balancing two wicker laundry baskets, one on her hip and one on her head. She set the one from her hip, the dark colors, on the ground, and turned to him, bending forward to put her head on level with his. "Mother will be cross if she has to come looking for you."
Hisoka nodded his head, and laughed. His mother seemed to decide that meant that he would obey her, because she started hanging the sheets. He watched her as she worked, attaching the clothes pins while she sang tunelessly under her breath.
A small red shape flew by her, a brilliant stain against the snow white sheets.
Hisoka liked red. He liked butterflies, too.
Small wonder, then, that Hisoka got to his feet as the red butterfly floated past the sheets, and the edge of the yard. No surprise that he followed it as it slipped beyond the trees and into the woods. Natural, that he chased it as it headed deeper and deeper into the forest. Red things liked red things. At least, Hisoka had always thought so, and the butterflies seemed to agree. The deeper he went into the forest, the more of them there seemed to be. First one, then two, then lots, filling the air and dancing around each other. They all headed to the same place, and when they got there, Hisoka understood.
After all, red things liked red things.
Whatever it was, it smelled strange. The butterflies didn't mind. Like a cloud, they drifted over and settled around the motionless form. Hisoka, too, crept forward. The butterflies passed back and forth over it, brushing against it. Hisoka reached out.
Warm.
He drew his hand back in surprise. The red came with him, a stain on his fingers like berry juice.
Hisoka liked berry juice.
He put his fingers to his lips and licked at them. The warm liquid coated his tongue and throat like a thick stew as it slipped down into his belly. He finished what was on his hand.
Then, he reached out for more.
By the time his village's searches found him, Hisoka had figured most of it out. Red came from inside animals. All he had to do was open them, and he could have more. But the little ones were quick, and didn't have a lot of red, and the big ones Hisoka's mother had always said were dangerous. He needed to be faster. He needed to be more dangerous. Then it would all be his.
The last piece came to him a few days later. His mother was making dinner one night, slicing him a tomato with a big knife that went thwick thwick thwick as she cut into it.
"Ah!" she cried suddenly, dropping the knife to the floor and pressing her right hand over her left. Hisoka caught a bright glimmer between her fingers as she hurried to the sink, and saw the spatters of red on the floor. He picked up the knife and ran his tongue cautiously along it.
Hisoka smiled.
Author: lanerose
Word Count: 539
Rating: PG14
Character(s): Hisoka
"Thicker Than Water"
On an otherwise unremarkable summer day, Hisoka first tasted blood.
"Don't wander off," his mother told him as he followed her out into the yard. She was balancing two wicker laundry baskets, one on her hip and one on her head. She set the one from her hip, the dark colors, on the ground, and turned to him, bending forward to put her head on level with his. "Mother will be cross if she has to come looking for you."
Hisoka nodded his head, and laughed. His mother seemed to decide that meant that he would obey her, because she started hanging the sheets. He watched her as she worked, attaching the clothes pins while she sang tunelessly under her breath.
A small red shape flew by her, a brilliant stain against the snow white sheets.
Hisoka liked red. He liked butterflies, too.
Small wonder, then, that Hisoka got to his feet as the red butterfly floated past the sheets, and the edge of the yard. No surprise that he followed it as it slipped beyond the trees and into the woods. Natural, that he chased it as it headed deeper and deeper into the forest. Red things liked red things. At least, Hisoka had always thought so, and the butterflies seemed to agree. The deeper he went into the forest, the more of them there seemed to be. First one, then two, then lots, filling the air and dancing around each other. They all headed to the same place, and when they got there, Hisoka understood.
After all, red things liked red things.
Whatever it was, it smelled strange. The butterflies didn't mind. Like a cloud, they drifted over and settled around the motionless form. Hisoka, too, crept forward. The butterflies passed back and forth over it, brushing against it. Hisoka reached out.
Warm.
He drew his hand back in surprise. The red came with him, a stain on his fingers like berry juice.
Hisoka liked berry juice.
He put his fingers to his lips and licked at them. The warm liquid coated his tongue and throat like a thick stew as it slipped down into his belly. He finished what was on his hand.
Then, he reached out for more.
By the time his village's searches found him, Hisoka had figured most of it out. Red came from inside animals. All he had to do was open them, and he could have more. But the little ones were quick, and didn't have a lot of red, and the big ones Hisoka's mother had always said were dangerous. He needed to be faster. He needed to be more dangerous. Then it would all be his.
The last piece came to him a few days later. His mother was making dinner one night, slicing him a tomato with a big knife that went thwick thwick thwick as she cut into it.
"Ah!" she cried suddenly, dropping the knife to the floor and pressing her right hand over her left. Hisoka caught a bright glimmer between her fingers as she hurried to the sink, and saw the spatters of red on the floor. He picked up the knife and ran his tongue cautiously along it.
Hisoka smiled.