It was a very nice meal and everyone had thanked me, mouths full, for it. I was blushing heavily by the time I finished, my stomach fairly satisfied. I set a plate full of food on the floor for Kuro and stood up. I asked for any dirty dishes and walked into the kitchen, filling the sink with warm, soapy water.

Maybe tonight wasn't that bad, Father Naito seemed to have realized that he wouldn't be able to get me alone and given up. I thanked whatever fates held mine and began washing the dishes. Occasionally, I would have someone walk in, plates in hand, which I would take from them. I would laugh when some of them looked guilty, I didn't mind working alone, I was used to it.

I called to see if there were any more dishes to be washed and when I got an answer, I unplugged the drain and dried my hands. Sam called my name and I reappeared from the kitchen, still carrying the towel.

He looked extremely guilty, "I almost wish you didn't do the dishes, because now I feel bad for asking a favor." I waved him off, asking him what he needed. "Well, the wood stack fell over the other day, and I recalled how it was always your chore to make sure we had enough. I didn't want to disturb what ever you had going on there."

I nodded, "yeah, you have to stack it weird, or else it keeps falling. I can do it, I'll just be a few minutes." I started making my way to the stairs, but I was stopped short.

"I'll come and help you, Rin." I breathed in sharply, my eyes following as he rose from his seat and walked up to me, a cane in his hand. I immediately pushed myself flush against the railing, fear gripping my heart.

"B-but don't you have a sore back, sir? And you ran out of pain meds, remember? I can do it, alone, I'll be okay." My eyes darted passed him and I saw Kuro, his ears back as if he was ready to dart toward us.

"No, no, I barely lift a finger around here the way it is, and you shouldn't be doing all the chores, not if you aren't currently living here. I may slow things up a bit, however," he looked back and Yukio nodded his head, "I'll try not to put you guys too far behind."

"Alright, don't work yourself too hard, Father. Have Rin do most of the heavy lifting if you need."

Suddenly, Kuro jumped over his dish, running up to Father and almost jumping up on him. Quickly, I dashed forward to grab the feline before he could sink his claws into him.

Father immediately took a few steps back, "maybe you should leave your cat up here, he doesn't seem too fond of me."

I looked up to see Yukio walked toward me. He reached out and grabbed Kuro by the back of the neck, his eyes flashing in anger. "What is wrong with you, Kuro?!"

Father took a small step forward and I shied away when his cane thudded against the floor next to me, "maybe he's upset that I've taken Shiro's place." I flinched, wishing he wouldn't have said that. I didn't even like him taking Dad's position, so it'd be obvious that the former Paladin's familiar would be upset as well.

"Kuro," Yukio chided, "that's no reason to attack someone. You're definitely staying up here now." My stomach twisted, I'd be alone with him again, and there was no way out of it. I can never escape, and that fact was horrifying.

"Let's go, Rin, before it gets any colder out." I bit my lip and followed a few feet behind. My head was a jumbled mess and I was at a loss, he couldn't possibly try anything outside. What if someone in the street heard him? That didn't stop me from shaking in my shoes, though.

He held the back door open for me and I quietly thanked him, the smell of peppermint candy engulfed me and I desperately tried to keep myself calm, but with each passing moment, I felt myself slipping.

I walked out to the wood line and started quickly stacking the logs. The monestary was on a small plot of land that had a few dozen trees in the back. It was a great privacy shield when people wanted to hold weddings, or a funeral was taking place. You could almost bet that at least one person would be out here bawling their eyes out.

I felt his presence approach and I moved out of his way, but he didn't seem too interested in being near me. Instead, he hefted a few logs up and watched how I precariously placed my own. The situation was awkward on my part, but he seemed completely at ease, as if we were old friends doing a daily deed.

After a few minutes, I started to shiver, mainly from the chill in the air, but my fear also contributed some. A few logs fell from on top of the stack and I tried to place them back up when I felt his hand go around my throat. My heart dropped and I squeezed my eyes shut, his mouth landing on the bare skin of my neck.

A forlorn whimper escaped and his hand rose to place a single finger to my lips. A shudder went down my spine and I nodded meekly. His fingers dropped, tracing the skin down to my neck before wrapping around my windpipe. The blood pooled in my head, causing a headache and making me feel lightheaded. I immediately struggled against him, afraid that he might actually suffocate me. Instincts kicked in and I shoved away, landing him on his ass.

He snarled out an insult and I sputtered for breath, my vision becoming clear once again. I knew I'd added fuel to the fire and it didn't take long for him to punish me for disrespecting him. Searing pain erupted from my spine and I cried out, arching my back. With watering eyes, I looked over to see him wielding his cane, poising it as if to strike me again. Thankfully, the Kurikara had taken most of brunt, but his weapon still hit a good portion of me. I pleaded with him, giving the usual promises. That I wouldn't tell anyone if he'd just left me alone, that I'd be quiet if he wouldn't hurt me.

He didn't answer, instead, he dropped his cane and grabbed ahold of my shirt collar. A sob broke free when he started dragging me further into the woods and away from the light of backyard.

He tossed me, face forward, toward a tree trunk. I barely caught hold of the bark, thankfully, or else my face would've been the first thing to impact. His hands were rough as they yanked down my trousers, not even waiting before invading me. My fingers dug into the tree and I sobbed, helpless pleas falling on deaf ears.

Tired of my begging, he reached around me and grasped the bottom of my button-up, his fingers grazing across the only thing he never touched. He brought my shirt up, as if to take it off me, but instead, he instructed me to bite down on it. My tears stained the fabric as I followed his orders, my heart pounding frantically with terror.

Way too soon, he was behind me, pushing extremely hard and moving rapidly. My chest and upper stomach were pressed against the bark and I could feel the friction starting to rub away the skin. The inside of my body was jarred and stabbed at, and the food in my stomach was threatening to make a reappearance.

He was getting close, and I hated how I knew that, but I also was grateful that it was nearly over. Obviously, he knew he was being timed, so drawing out my torture wasn't an option. Yet, this violent behavior was much worse than it had ever been. He rarely left marks on me, but I knew, I just did, that'd I'd be hiding some pretty nasty bruises and wounds.

He grunted and I mentally begged things to be over. However, a sudden noise caught both of our attentions. The screech of the screen door opened and Bon's voice echoed off the tree. "Rin? Sensei-err your brother is curious if you're almost done."

Rough fingers pinched my side and I flinched, dropping my shirt from my mouth. "Uh, yeah." I tried to sound as confident as possible, "we'll be inside in a few minutes." There was a moment of silence before the screen slammed shut. I had desperately wanted to call out for help, but the fear for the man behind me was overwhelming and I hadn't found the courage.

Sadly, the interruption had set him back a bit, which only meant more hell for me. He didn't bother shoving the shirt back in my mouth, instead, he raked his nails up my thighs, taking enjoyment from my pained whimpers. He pulled me toward him and his dirty mouth left saliva against my neck, his fingers pressing into my abdomen.

I cried out in pain and he moaned in release, shoving me off of him. My body shook against the ground and the only thing I could think about was how much I hated my life. Thoughts of ending it all crossed my mind and I was beginning to heavily consider it, realizing that life would never get better for someone like me.

He shuffled to straighten his clothes and his shoe nudged my spine, right where his cane had landed. He didn't seem to need that cane now and I dully wondered if his health problems were all a ruse. "Get up, you need to fix the logs." He left me on the ground, his footsteps growing distant and I heard the door open and then close.

Drying my tears, I sat up, the adrenaline in my veins was keeping the pain at bay, but I knew that I'd have to move quick or else it'd wear off. I pulled my pants up and brushed the dirt off my elbows and knees. It was the best I could do with such little time, and I moved to fix the wood stack.

A few minutes later, I walked back inside, spotting everyone by the door again. I kept my head hung slightly so the shadows would cover my eyes, I couldn't have Yukio seeing the sadness in them. Kuro spotted me and wiggled from said brother's arms.

"Rin! Oh my god! He hurt you again, didn't he?!" He jumped onto my shoulder and got close enough to see under my bangs. "That bastard! I should've fought harder to get away from Yukio, I could've helped you!" His voice grew despondent, "will you ever tell anyone about this?"

I just shook my head and rejoined the others. They were so caught up in saying farewell's that they didn't catch my sullen behavior. Thankfully, Father Naito had already said goodbye to everyone, so I didn't have to repeat what happened last time.

"Thank you guys so much for eating dinner with us, you're always welcome to come back, whether it be for mass or to spend some time with us. We appreciate the company, nonetheless." Sam was as lively as ever, but when his eyes passed over me, he seemed to falter. It seemed as if he was going to mention something else, but he remained silent.

"It was our pleasure, Sam. Thanks again." Yukio shook his hand and the young man seemed to shake out of his daze, a smile on his face. "Well, let's go guys, maybe we can get back in time for some of you to still go out with friends." Some kids appeared to enjoy that idea, so our group left the building.

Yukio whistled when we got into the van, oblivious to my flinch as I sat down. "Time to go back to the academy."