Close your eyes...

Miku could no longer count the days he'd been involved with this horrible ritual... It felt like a lifetime. He knew that he had a life time of nothing but horrible memories that would make any normal person shudder and be grateful that it was only a scary movie that could be turned off. He wished he could turn this nightmare off... That he had normal parents that had wanted to keep him to raise, not to give him away to the first group that would take him. There were other kids... but he was special. It was in his once bright blue eyes, eyes that now knew the truth of what was going to happen...

He was to be sacrificed to a God he didn't even believe in, a God that would continue to punish if he was not tortured and killed in his name... That was what lead him to being drug to this ancient cemetery in the middle of no mans land. Nobody would ever come here, nobody would ever miss him even. If he died... Who was there to care that could tell? Nobody...

So he laid their above some unknown tomb, his eyes were shut and his body motionless. The angel sculpted next to the grave looked as though she were weeping for him, if not for him then for all the death she'd witnessed in all her years of aging and crumbling. His clothing didn't stand out much either, he looked almost one with the statue... unless the wind blow and cause his fluffy blonde hair to move, but who would be out here to find his chained body? To say that he'd lost hope in anything good would have been an understatement...

Kanon was down in New Orleans working on an article for his magazine. He moved to the US awhile back. Chicago was better for him than New York. It had too many things going on now a days. He found it easier to get by in Chicago. Right now though he was working on getting photos of all of the United States' oldest graveyards. He found it fun considering it was for Halloween. Oh if only they knew.

"And this is the oldest one in town?"

"Oldest one in N'orleans. Doubt you'll find one older in all of Lousiana. But be careful young man. Get yourself out of there b'fore midnight. Ghosts ain't just stories in these parts. Bad things happen when you're out af'er dark." Kanon smiled at the woman with only three teeth.

"I'll keep that in mind ma'am. Thank you. Head toward the French Quarter right? But take a left instead of a right?"

"Yep. Now watch yourself."

"I will, thank you." The young looking man left and headed to his assignment. He started taking pictures of the older crypts and mosoleums. Such beauty was to be had in death...if only death were so easy.

"Such beautiful structures wasted on those who can't appreciate it...oh...amazing." Kanon moved and took a picture of a crypt that was particularly entrancing. It was a crypt with a statue of a body chained to it with a weepign angel above it. He was quite happy to find such a beautiful tomb. Then he noticed the chest move and the toes twitch slightly. Oh. God.

"Hello? Are you alright?" Kanon moved toward the crypt and looked down at the person chained to it.

There were footsteps moving closer to him, then he heard the shutter of a camera go off. The noise made him cringe and curl his toes a bit. How sick could they get... Now they wanted pictures of their ritual? The ritual to what they prayed finished them all? His eyebrows furrowed when he heard the gentle voice. He could feel the guy hovering above him, smell his perfume... His broken blue eyes opened to stare up at the man hatefully.

"Why do you even bother?" The confused look on the person's face only served to further anger him, "Don't even pretend to feel remorseful, I know why you're here. You're just making it ten times more disgusting by photographing it. Why not just hurry up and finish the god damn job!? I have nothing! How much worse can it be for me than to die unwanted and unknown!?" His body jerked against the chains that held him, crying out when he failed to do nothing more than bang his head against the hard stone slab. He wasn't sure what made him lash out more so at this person than any other person in the cult... maybe after being left here for two days had finally gave him time to think and truly hate everything there was to life.

"Don't look at me... Don't fucking look at me..." His entire body shook as he tried to hold back his tears, they enjoyed it too much when he cried... But he couldn't stop himself from doing so the more he spoke. "You're disgusting... you and your demented Gods... Wh-what kind of immortal brings peace from someone else's suffering...?" The utter disgust in his trembling voice was thick. He didn't care anymore... He just let the tears roll, he was filled with so much pain... It was hard for him to grasp that he possibly might not have been talking to someone from the cult, but to someone that could possibly save him.

Kanon's eyes showed pity until the man chained told him of what was going on. "No immortal would. Come on..." Kanon looked around and found a shovel nearby. He could see lanterns in the distance. He hit the chains as hard as he could until he finally broke them.

"Come on. If you're serious then we gotta go. Are you going to trust me or let yourself get killed?" Kanon was serious as he took the teen's hand and started to weave his way out of the cemetary and away from the lights heading their way.

Come on? Now just where was he gonna go exactly with himself being chained to a tomb? Brilliant... Though when he saw the shovel his eyes widened in fear, but the guy started breaking the chains... What?

The man offered his hand and he spoke, he want to help him escape? He saw the torches in the distance and took his hand without a word, letting this stranger lead him away from everything he'd ever known... Soon he found himself sitting in a car and speeding away from what had almost been his death bed... But what now?

They'd driven quite a ways before Miku finally spoke, "What do you intend to do with me?" Miku had no family, money, or anything really... Just his name...

Kanon got him to his car and sped away from New Orleans. He didn't want to be anywhere close to that place. "I'm getting you to safety. I have enough room for you to stay with me. You need shelter some food and water and probably could use a warm bath and soft bed. I can get you all of that. No person should ever have that done to them. Those people are crazy whoever they were...sorry. I'm Kanon. I work for Times magazine. We're doing a Halloween issue of the most haunted places in America and one section is about the oldest graveyards...that was my last one. Lucky I went there." He breathed a sigh of relief and glanced at his passenger.

"Are you going to be alright? I can get a pillow and blanket if you need to passout in back for awhile." He pointed to the backseat of his deep blue Toyota Prius hatchback.

"Need anything? Food? Drink? Paper bag?"

"I'm fine. I've been dealing with that forever, the need to hyperventilate or puke have long passed... I'll be fine. You don't have to keep asking me..." All the questions about his well being made him nervous, he wasn't used to it... Honestly passing out sounded amazing, but he was still scared of letting his guard down... at least if he was awake and something went down he had a better chance of getting away.

"Akiharu Tsukiyama... Or Miku, whichever you prefer." He could at least give him his name...ugh he wanted to sleep... Sighing softly, he leaned his head back and let his eyes slip shut and before he knew it he was gone, sleeping peacefully next to the man who was saving him. Even his dreams didn't plague him... it was a nice change...

Though he admitted when the car stopped it startled him, "W-where are w-we..." Looked like some sort of fancy housing complex...

Kanon kept watching Miku despite being told he was okeh. He drove all night and didn't stop till he was home. The man next to him was...worried.

"My house. Don't worry...you're safe. Promise. If you like I can even give you something to defend yourself with alright? That way you know I won't hurt you or anything. Come on. Mina probably has dinner ready. A warm meal sounds good I bet....she's my housekeeper. Tiny little woman in her 50's." Kanon made sure Miku wasn't scared out of his mind before he led him up to the house. He knew this was a shock to him but he wanted to help the poor soul.

"Mina, I'm home! I've brought a guest with me." The old woman came out to greet Kanon and smiled at the newcomer.

"Hello. You look so small, come. My meals will get some meat on those bones. Kanon, your editor called wanting those pictures. Do you like quall sir? Or would you rather have Duck? I made a bit of both since Kanon doesn't know what he wants half the time. We'll get you all cleaned up and settled for the night. No need to worry. Mina will take good care of you." The elderly woman was just so sweet that there was no way Miku could feel frightened of her...or at least he shouldn't.

"Don't smother him Mina. He's had a rough time..."

"I'm not smothering him Kanon. I'm feeding him."

"No weapons..." Not unless Kanon wanted to wake up and risk finding a suicide. He'd... contemplated it a lot but never did it, for some reason he wanted to live. "You didn't beat me with a shovel... and you risked getting killed by taking me... I have to have some kind of twisted faith in you." Miku rubbed his face tiredly and moved to get out of the car. He followed Kanon into his home and soon found himself being spoken to by an old woman he found was named Mina. Her kindness caused him to back up a bit behind Kanon, that didn't work though. She was still eager to take care of him, "I-I don't... have a preference..."

"Oh my poor dear, you're shaking like a leaf! Come on, lets get you a bath and some new clothes. I'll have some food waiting for you when you're done, okay?" She offered her hand to him and timidly he took it... allowing her to lead him to the bathroom and give him new clothes. "Thank you..." "If you need anything my dear just call, okay?"

Mina left the bathroom and sought out Kanon, "Kanon... Where did you find him? He can't... He can't be much older than eighteen! And to be as withdrawn as he is... Where did you find him? You've helped many a person in my decades of serving you... but none like him. I can see his years of suffering and pain he's gone through. He's having a terrible time placing his faith anywhere..." Mina was an immortal as well, but she was bellow Kanon, happily serving him since her husbands untimely death. She listened to Kanon's story of discovering him and was nearly in tears, she was a very empathetic person, "My heart goes out to him... Well, he'll have people now. I will care for him no complaints, you know how I've always wanted children of my own... Caring for you and others is as close as I get though, I hop you will trust me with him."

Kanon told her where he found him and of his distrust for immortals. "Don't let him know...he's fragile...and don't want him breaking." Mina nodded and went to make dinner. She had a nice feast with quall and rice on the table waiting for the both of them. Kanon came down having talked to his editor.

"I have to take the pictures in tomorrow. If you would like I can leave the ones of you out of the slides I give my editor. After all. It's your pictures." Kanon was taking in a freshly cleaned Miku in some comfy clothes.

"Feeling better?"

Miku took his time and enjoyed the hot water on his sore body, but after getting out and looking at himself he was very disgusted... He was so bruised and cut up... luckily the clothing Mina gave him covered most of them. Sighing he walked out and back down to where Mina had taken him from, and now he was following his nose to the food the woman had promised.

"There you are, dinner is ready, for both of you~" Both? Miku turned and saw Kanon, he jumped a bit but only out of habit. "If... I look that much like a part of the sculpture then go ahead... I don't have any other way to repay you for what you did unless you want something else, so you might as well..." He really wasn't used to having a choice or opinion. Everyone always took what they wanted and left him broken in the dust.

"We... can talk about that later okay dears? For now let's just get some food in you and get everyone settled in for the night..." Mina had a dreadful feeling that the other means of payment he spoke of was to put himself out for Kanon... "Hn... But... to answer your question, yes. I do feel a little better..." But he wasn't sure how long that would last. The cult would come looking for him he knew they would... but he hoped to be able to leave before then... He'd have to tell Kanon.

"I would ne-yes...later. I do think you look like a statue but if I put them in there the people would be able to trace you. Sure this place is protected but no reason to chance that. You're safe here Miku. Always." He gave Miku a comforting smile before digging into his food. It was nice to have another person at the table. Someone who was broken...but could be healed. He would do it. He had to protect and help this teen.

"Do you have any family Miku? Anyone that would be worried that you've been missing?"

Miku nodded in understanding, then followed in Kanon's example and started eating. It felt like forever since he'd eaten properly... The question of family made him frown... "No... My parents gave me to the first willing group to take me. That... just so happened to be the orphanage the the cult runs... Nobody would have missed me even if you had left me there." It must have seemed odd to hear him speak so casually about that... Mina especially couldn't believe it.

"But if there was on orphanage then there were other kids right? Are they going through the same--" "No. The head of the order took special interest in me the moment I arrived. I wasn't really allowed the other kids... But from what I understood they were leading normal lives..." Miku picked at his food a bit before finally pushing his plate away, "Can I go lay down...?" Mina automatically answered yes for Kanon and lead him to his room, when she came back down she sat in the chair next to Kanon, "That is so wrong! For his parents to-- and the "Head" to take "special interest" in him-- No wonder he offered that to you... Poor soul... Kanon we're going to have to be careful. This cult doesn't sound like they're going to give him up easily..."

Kanon felt horrible for the teen but let him go lay down. Mina didn't like it either. He knew they wouldn't give up. "Well they're just going to have to deal with me then. I won't let it happen. They think they're sacrificing to an immortal so they won't be tortured? They have no idea what they're dealing with. I'll protect him. No one is coming near him..." Kanon, too, had taken a special interest in Miku but in a different way. He hadn't protected someone in a long time and he was more than willing to do it. Miku needed time to heal and recover. He was giving that to him.

A few days passed and Miku found himself slowly starting to settle in, he was still jumpy but not nearly as suspicious of them as before. Today he found himself laying in the sun room, soaking up some much needed sun. He was terrified to go outside even though he longed to do so terribly. But it wouldn't be safe and he didn't want to put Kanon out anymore than he probably already was...

Blue eyes stared out the windows, then for reasons unknown to him he started tearing up and crying silently. He made no motions that showed he was upset, the tears were just simply rolling down his cheeks and shining in the sunlight. He was glad Mina was busy and Kanon wasn't home yet. He hoped that they would clear up before either had a chance to noticed. He didn't know what was wrong, so he wouldn't be able to exactly answer the typical, 'What's wrong?' question... Oh shit Kanon! And he looked right at him too... He knew he must have seen him jump when their eyes met, which meant he probably saw the tears too... He shook his head and ruffled his hair to try and seem more... calm, maybe trick Kanon into thinking he hadn't seen anything...

Kanon was gone now so he quickly stood and started to try and wipe away the tears and make a quick dash to his room. Which failed... He ran right into Kanon and started to fall backwards. Arms wrapped around him and pulled him tight against his chest... Miku felt so small against his care taker... but what surprised him most was that he was clinging to him as well... He'd never, ever done that. It probably would have been a lashing if he had... That thought made him panic and try and jerk away from him, "No, no no, please, let me go!" Panic attacks were somewhat common to him, but he was usually better at containing them. Then again this week hadn't been normal for him at all.

Kanon was headed home and looked up to see Miku...with something glistening on his cheek. Crap. He's crying. The immortal headed up the stairs and nearly ran into Miku. It took about three seconds and he was screaming to get away.

"Shh...shh...It's okeh. Miku calm down...I'm here. Shh...you're alright." Kanon held Miku until he stopped struggling. He picked him up and carried him back to his room. The man set him in the chair in the room before finally getting down on knee in front of him.

"Hey...what's wrong? Another bad dream?" He moved and wiped the tears away, looking into Miku's eyes with concern. He was worried that Miku wasn't going to get over what happened.

Kanon held him tightly despite his weak attempts to get away from him, eventually his nerves settled and he was back to clinging to Kanon's shirt. He hid his face against his chest, still crying silently. Not a peep of protest escaped him as Kanon scooped him up and took him to his room. Were this the cult, normally an action like that would only serve to terrify him more. He could just picture himself being laid back on a bed and raped or beaten... But Kanon never did that, he never would either... It was just convincing his brain of this notion... Seventeen years of abuse was a hard thing to walk away from though.

"I... I don't know... I just can't escape it. Everywhere I go, anything I do, they're there..." And he figured they always would be, until it drove him crazy or he was dead. Which ever came first... "I feel... like such a burden to you and Mina. With all my mood swings and panic attacks... I hate it, but every time I think I might be okay I-- something sets me off. Then I'm back their with them and reliving everything they did and then I panic and... well you saw." There were no more bad dreams, just his memories. In fact he'd been dreamless since the night Kanon saved him. But he'd been blaming his dreams, just so they knew he wasn't dwelling over everything that had happened to him, he didn't want to be scolded by them. Kanon knew now though...

Miku leaned his head back against the wall, "I wasn't even sleeping, I was just sun bathing... I shouldn't have even freaked out. Maybe I belong in a loony bin..." He ran a hand through his hair, he didn't want to be like this... Something had to break.

Kanon frowned at Miku. He couldn't help but move and pull Miku into his lap on the floor. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry. I know it's not something you can easily get over. But...maybe I can help. Just know that you are never a burden on us okeh? Not ever. We like having you around...it makes this house less lonely. Come here." Kanon moved his hand to Miku's temple and kissed the other one. It was a healing touch that he'd learned while in Africa about 50 years back. It was a very nice thing to know how to do. It would hopefully put his guest more at ease and make him more comfortable.

"There...feel better?" Kanon smiled at Miku, looking to make sure it worked.

Miku grew slightly anxious as Kanon pulled him to the floor and to his lap, the entire time he listened to Kanon speak he was calming himself. Kanon wasn't there to hurt him, he wanted him to feel better. Though he did freeze up a bit when the other moved in to kiss his temple, he thought for sure he would panic... But was surprised to find himself calming down further. His body and mind were relaxing and he almost felt what he assumed would be normal.

"What was... What did you do?" Miku looked up at Kanon curiously, no one had ever gotten him calmed as fast as Kanon...

"It's an African healing touch. One hand on a temple and your lips on the other. Then you take all the calm energy you have and transfer it from your heart to your hand and lips. Right to the temples, and to the nurological center of your body. Then that energy replaces the one that was there before. It can be used with any kind of emotion though it is only supposed to be used for healing...did it help?" Kanon was happy to see that it was working. He smiled at Miku and rubbed his back.

"It took a long time to master but I'm glad I could. It helped you...and I'm thankful for that...you're...you're too good of a person to be weighed down by those men. A bright soul that is burdened...I want to help you. But only if you let me."

Miku was still confused... but it worked. Though things like that seemed to be like what the cult talked about, what with their 'gods' taking away their pains and all... But he liked this way, it didn't involve him being hurt.

"It helped... I don't think I've ever felt this relieved ever... Thank you Kanon." Kanon was something else... Almost like a guardian angel, but something more. He couldn't explain it... Though he couldn't explain the splitting head-ache he felt coming either. He felt a sharp pain in the back of his skull and gasped, his hand pressing over it to try and help the pain. His body leaned against Kanon's as he felt his consciousness slipping away from him...

Mina walked in just as he did, "Something very dark just came through here... Is everything alright?"

Kanon looked at Miku worried that he'd done something but then saw Mina. "How dark?"

"Like our kind of dark Kanon...is Miku alright?" She moved to him and found Miku looking in a lot of pain.

"Rub his temples...I have an immortal to deal with." Getting up he kissed Miku's head before going out into the hall and following the shadow.

"You can't have him. He's mine. You aren't taking him."

"Oh yesss...I am." The shadow formed into a man sort of like Kanon. But that only made him take a stand.

"No...no you aren't. You are not allowed to enter a protected building unless it is on All Hallow's Eve with a blood moon, which happens to be this year...but if I take him to bed before that then he is mine and you will relenquish every piece of him and never come after anyone in this house again. Understood?"

"That's 15 days away...good luck Kanon. Miku will be mine once more." The shadow disappeared and with it Miku's headache. Kanon had to somehow get Miku in his bed before Halloween or he was going to lose him. Crap...this wasn't going to be easy.

While he was passed out... he had possibly the worst dream he could imagine. He was in Kanon's home, but so were the cult. They had already killed Mina and had Kanon tied up and ready to torture. All he could do was stand helplessly and watch no matter what he tried. A dark shadowy form of Kanon appeared next to him, wrapping his dark arms around him, "Don't you see? This is what will happen to them if you stay, it you get close... The cult knows where you are, and will be coming for you soon. Don't resist us Haru... Let our Night Mother take you back... If you wan them to live you need to run, run away before All Hallow's Eve and they shall be spared. I can put an end to you pain, a permanent end, not just a quick fix... Wouldn't you like that Haru?"

Miku was muttering in his sleep, it concerned Mina, "Kanon... What are we gonna do?" The teen whimpered and moved to grip Mina's hands, "End... put an end... to it all... forever..." He continued to mutter softly, nightmares of what the cult would do to them flooding his mind...

"Well...this isn't going to be easy." Kanon moved and picked Miku up, laying him in bed.

"I made a deal...one I don't know if I'll be able to keep. Miku will have to give himself willingly." Mina looked down at the blond in the bed.

"You mean...Kanon I don't see how. Miku isn't going to be that open that soon..."

"I know...but I have to try. Miku? Miku...are you alright?" He checked the man over and tried to hear what he said. It was too low for Kanon's ears to catch. He didn't like this. Miku deserved better...he just hoped he could do that for him.

Miku's eyes opened and locked with Kanon's, "He wants to end it all..." The god that the cult worshiped and wished to sacrifice him to... wanted to end his pain. And it seemed he would be saving Kanon and Mina in the long run too... If they were going to be killed by him staying there then he had to leave. He couldn't risk that. They were good people, people he didn't want to see getting wrapped up with his problems. Maybe... maybe sometime late in the night, he would sneak away.

"Guess that African healing touch backfired... I'm sorry Kanon..."