by E. Mendell
~ Two ~
Hiro froze, his eyes wide as he stared at his laptop. Soul’s last words still hung in the air above him. “It was you who killed them.” He stared at Soul who tightly shut her eyes, breathing harder than before.
“Me?” Hiro whispered, unable to speak any louder.
Soul nodded.
“How?” Hiro was afraid. He had no recollection of killing anyone in the neighborhood.
“It was a long time ago, so I don’t remember very well,” whispered Soul. “They were going out for a drive. I guess they thought I was asleep and so left me home on my own. My father often went to the city for business trips and my mother sometimes accompanied him, leaving me alone at home. They were gone for a long time, much longer than usual. I was starting to get worried so I left the house and ran to look for them.”
“When you were only thirteen?” Hiro asked. “Incredible.”
Soul wasn’t sure if he was amazed or thought she was stupid. She decided not to worry about it as she continued. “I ran all the way to the city,” she continued. “Obviously I was having trouble breathing by that time and my heart was beginning to act up, but I could see where my parents must have been, because it was late, and dark, and there was a huge cloud of black smoke that was illuminated in a red-orange glow. I knew it was a fire. I could hear sirens and see people running in the direction of the chaos to find out what was happening. I followed the crowds. Since I was so small I managed to slide through the crowds all the way to the front of the destruction.
“The streets had been blown open and I saw many people were dead. Some were running for their lives. Multiple vehicles were on fire and there were even a few police cars that were tipped and burning. As I stood there one blew up. I screamed and covered my ears. The other people around me moved away. I stood alone before the flames. As I looked across the fiery mess I saw my parents. Their car was by the fire and overturned. My heart almost stopped when I saw both of them were still inside. I knew they had been stuck in the accident against their will. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time. I could see they were dead and it cut through my racing heart. I didn’t know what to do. But then… I spotted you.”
Hiro lifted his head, looking at Soul who had tears slowly falling from her eyes. She gazed at the ground with a puzzled expression.
“Out of the fire you appeared,” she whispered. “Walking over the flaming vehicles with your golden eyes reflecting the firelight. You stopped beside my parent’s car, pulling them out and laying them in the street. You didn’t bother to acknowledge anyone else. All you did was go to every vehicle, pulling out every person that you could, whether they were alive or not. After that you simply walked away, even though your back was on fire, it didn’t faze you. I was about to pass out so that’s the last thing I remember. After you disappeared I fell to the ground and woke up in the hospital. I was an orphan, and at first I blamed you for everything. There’s no way anything except you could have caused that mess of destruction.” Soul gazed at the ground with tears in her eyes. “I don’t blame you anymore, even though I’m more than positive that the fire and explosions were your fault,” she whispered.
Hiro watched the wall with a hollow expression. “I don’t remember that,” he said slowly. “That was five years ago?” He placed his hand to his chin, trying to remember when there had been a huge fire in the city. No matter how hard he thought about it he couldn’t remember. “Are you sure it was five years ago?” He asked, looking towards Soul.
Soul nodded. “It must be,” she replied. “There’s no way I’m mistaken. If it was earlier then that would mean I’m older than I think.”
Hiro wracked his brain, trying to figure out what Soul was talking about. “Are you sure it was me?” He asked.
“When you saved me in the parking garage you wore that metal visor,” said Soul. “At the fire where my parents died you wore the visor and it covered your eyes, but it slid open as you moved forward.” Soul acted as if the whole moment was permanently printed in her memory. She passed her hand over her hair. “How old are you, Hiro?”
Hiro glanced at Soul sideways. “Ageless,” he replied.
Soul giggled at his response. “No, really,” she said. “How old are you?”
“I don’t know how old I am anymore,” said Hiro. “The problem is I stopped keeping track.”
“How long ago?”
“After I was taken by the scientists.” Hiro’s tone of voice threatened for the conversation to end, but Soul was still curious. She knew many stories about Hiro and now was a perfect chance to learn more about him.
“What about your family?” She asked.
Hiro glared at her so Soul thought of a different question. “Did you really rescue fifty people from a sinking ship?” Soul asked this since it was one of the legendary tales of the man with golden eyes that her mother had told her.
Shrugging, Hiro looked at his laptop. “The ocean nearby has always been dangerous,” he said quietly. “Many people have had shipwrecks and needed saving.”
“But you saved them by yourself,” said Soul.
Hiro heaved a sigh. “I was on the ship coming here from across the ocean,” he explained. “The ship hit a reef and when the captain tried to break away the hull sprung a leak and the crew couldn’t patch it in time. The ship was then caught in a current and drifting so the crew was in a panic. I merely took control of the situation.” He stopped, frowning darkly.
“How did you take control of the situation?” Soul asked.
Hiro passed a hand over his face. “I dove into the water and pushed the ship over the reef and onto the dry land on the other side,” he said, though he spoke under his breath and sounded gloomy. “The captain wasn’t happy because the bottom of the ship was ruined. The ship wouldn’t sail again until expensive repairs could be made.”
Soul shook her head. “That can’t be possible,” she said. “No one can push a huge ship over a coral reef!”
Hiro looked at her bluntly. “I’m not exactly normal, now am I?” He inquired.
Soul admitted that he had a point, but the story still sounded phony. “What about that Enimito guy?” She asked.
A heartless laugh was Hiro’s reply. “If I ever tell you about that, it’ll be on my death bed,” he said darkly.
“So I can stay here until one of us dies?” Soul brightened up and Hiro slapped his palm to his forehead.
“No,” he said, looking at her sourly. “You’re apparently old enough to take care of yourself. Not to mention your heart condition may not allow you to-” He cut off at once, taking in a sharp breath when he saw Soul cringe at his words. She knew what he had been about to say. Hiro swallowed hard, but then looked down at his laptop. He suddenly sighed and snapped the laptop shut. “Let’s go for a walk,” he said, setting aside the laptop and standing.
“Why?” Soul asked, looking up at him.
Hiro looked down at her. “It’s healthy and we are going to make a stop at the store for you.” Hiro crossed the room, picking up a wallet from the corner of the floor and sticking it in the pocket of his jeans. “You need bed supplies of your own, new clothes, and I’ll also get a fridge so we can start buying food for you.” He looked over his shoulder at Soul, examining her and then frowned. “Clothes first,” he murmured under his breath.
Soul looked down at the pajamas she wore. “I have a night gown also,” she said, looking at Hiro.
“Is it the same nightgown you were wearing when I first saw you all those years ago?”
Soul frowned. “Well, yeah,” she said.
“I rest my case.” Hiro turned away, taking off his jacket and tossing it aside. He didn’t notice how Soul blushed and looked away. She could see his whole abdomen was wrapped in bandages. At his back she could see long scars that were white like paper. At the base of the scars and top of the bandages Soul had seen metal plates screwed into his back. She didn’t want to stare at him since it was rude, but his muscles were perfectly toned
. He had many bruises and scars. Soul watched him as he picked up a jean jacket from the floor, shook it out, and pulled it on. He then took a long jacket from the ground and turned, tossing it to Soul who didn’t react in time. The jacket hit her face. She pulled it off, examining it with a blank look.
“Put it on,” said Hiro when she continued looking at it in confusion. “Walking around in pajamas isn’t exactly proper.”
Soul looked at him, but then pulled on the jacket. It was dark green and navy blue on the inside. Soul buttoned it up and then got to her feet, looking down at it.
“Well, you look a little closer to your age,” said Hiro as he examined her. He turned and went to the door. “Come on. Let’s get this over with.”
“Yes, sir,” said Soul, hurrying after Hiro as he went outside.