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Like a prey animal. To be seen by predators is one's greatest fear. It marks death, the cycle of life continues with your blood and flesh lovingly in their stomachs.
Some prey animals avoid this by mimicking their predators, they become bigger than they are, look different from what they are, they become less than prey knowing well all they are and ever will be, is prey.
That's how Rei feels on this plain Thursday night, in her own home no less.
Fear is also a predator, and the body its prey. Fear is also a man who knows her, and is always at her aid. Fear is a man who thinks he's a beast. Fear is a man named Madara Mikejima, and much like any other night besides this one in the Sakuma family manor, He welcomes himself into her room. He's her ghost at this point, and Rei is dead.
Rei does not respond, she is idle, lying neatly in her bed, like corpses do in their coffins. Like prey do when they sense predators. She can hear every small sound in her spacious room. She hears 1) the antique clock outside ticking, the fact it still ticks amazes her, the damn thing is far older than she is (or she would ever be) 2) the footsteps of her younger brother downstairs, wonder what he's up to, and 3) the creeks of the floorboard as a beast with dark brown hair and viridian eyes approaches.
She can feel him looming over her. Rei has her eyes closed shut.
Horribly so, she had just got done crying her poor little heart out, tears still staining her face.
Horribly so, her face is exposed, she didn't bother to hide it.
Horribly so, Madara can see it- see Her.
And, she can feel him getting closer and closer.
And closer, she's doing her best to pretend she's asleep.
And closer, she's very good at pretending, she's lived her life being all her masks and more.
And closer, she wonders if Madara knows she's awake.
…
And closer.
…
And closer.
…
She feels the contact of what she knows is skin- lips to be exact. Soft warm lips that kiss her forehead. In the wind that had found its way into the room from the window He had come from whispers, "Sweet dreams, Rei."
The warmth is gone before she knows it. The floorboards creak once again and trails off, ending with the sound of a door opening and closing with a click.
Rei opens her eyes. She slowly gets up, worn out from useless instinctual tension, like prey animals do, like prey animals who pretend to be predators do. She looks to her side, her bedside table has something that was never there before.
A tin box of tea, rose and chamomile fusion to be exact. The tin box has a sticky note haphazardly pasted on it.
Crudely written, it says-
Get well soon, I know besides tomatoes you enjoy roses so I got you this tea
-Madara
Rei could only wonder. If he and she were not monsters, were not beasts and were not prey and were not predators, could they bloom together? Maybe like flowers. Or like humans.
She liked the thought of that.