What is this darkness? It feels like I'm floating. I feel so numb.

Wait, the numbness is starting to fade.

Oh my god, it burns! It burns so badly. It feels like my back is on fire. Please god, let it stop, please just let it stop.

…

It's going numb again, everything is going numb again. And black. It's so cold and dark right now. But… anything is better than that burning sensation.

It was noon of the next day. Routinely Kanda would visit Allen in his room to see how he was doing. Overall the site never changed. Allen would lie still on the middle of the bed, his white hair gracefully blowing because of the breeze. From the front it just seemed like he was sleeping. As if he didn't have a care in the world. But when Kanda rolled him over to medicate his back, the horror was shown.

While the smaller cuts had for the most part scabbed over, the larger gashes would still bleed on occasion. The nastiest of all the gashes was one about 6 inches long from Allen's right shoulder blade to the middle of his back.

In his days, Kanda had seen a lot of wounds. It came with being in a war. He had seen arm's chopped off, legs blown head, and heads removed. But the sight of Allen's back was enough to make him gag every time he saw it. He was glad Allen was unconscious, because then he didn't have to feel as Kanda cut off the damaged skin and bandaged his back.

"God damnit Moyashi, what did he do to you?" Kanda whispered to himself. "I don't understand how some fat bastard was able to pick his arm up high enough to whip you like that. And that wife of his! Well I guess she's lucky someone was willing to take her."

As Kanda was closing the door to Allen's room he heard a knock at the door. "Now who in their right mind would come bothering me today? Don't they know I have a sick 'wife' to take care of?"

Kanda temporarily ignored the knocking in order to put the wraps and now blood tinted warm water in the kitchen. Then he made his way over. And on the other side of the door was the man Kanda was least please to see. The Mayor.

"Kanda my good man!" The Mayor exclaimed. "We missed you at breakfast this morning. Tell me son, what kept you from coming? Certainly you enjoyed the food last night?"

"The food was fine," Kanda replied coldly. "It was the after dinner show that I was not overly fond of. And given that I am a fair and kind husband that should be expected."

"Kanda, the women in this town know their place, and that is partially due to zero tolerance policy regarding negative comments to their husbands. They should be thanking us every day for making sure they didn't become some lowly street whore. It is their honour to serve us our meals, and do our laundry, and take care of the children. They have no real worries."

"You truly believe your wife is of no better purpose than to babysit and cook for you? If that's the case why not just hire a maid."

"Because Kanda, between you and me, the sex is amazing. Whenever I want it, wherever I want, however I want it. It's beautiful. Besides, only young girls clean, and younger girls than that babysit. And I mustn't ruin them for their future husbands," the Mayor said all this with a perverted smile across his face. Kanda was beginning to feel dirty even talking to the man and was already looking forward to when this mission would be done and he could finally escape this mad town.

"Yes, one must be considerate of another man's property," Kanda said. If there was ever a time he was grateful for his ability to hide all emotions it was now.

"Although to be fair, every once in a while me and a few of the guys spice it up if you know what I mean."

"No," Kanda said. "I haven't the foggiest idea what you're talking about."

"I mean," the Mayor explained. "Sometimes if we feel like we're in a rut and we want to spice it up, we switch wives for the night. Let me tell you this son, if you like screamers, look no farther than Hector's wife. The only thing better than hearing her scream is hearing it muffled by a gag."

"Are you trying to tell me that the men in this town not only treat their wives like some all in one cooking, fucking, and breeding machine, but you also trade them when you're bored?"

"Yes, what's wrong with that?" The Mayor asked.

"I've got a better question, what's right about that! They are people too you know, they have minds of their own, thoughts of their own. They have a soul. This is a real person you're talking about, not a tool you lend out."

"Kanda I'm not too sure where this temperament of yours is coming from, but frankly I have had enough. I will let it go this time seeing as this is all still so new to you and that the outside world has brainwashed you. But let me be clear if you continue this it will be your WIFE who suffers."

With that said the Mayor turned on his heel and left Kanda's porch. Kanda just stood their shocked. He didn't understand how someone could have so much hatred towards women. Kanda had two sisters and a loving and caring mother before the massacre. The idea of any of them being treated the way the women in the town were treated made his blood boil.

In an effort to calm himself, Kanda changed into a loose pair of pants and decided he would meditate for the next few hours. Aside from the odd check up on Allen, Kanda spent the remainder of the day cross legged on the living room floor.

What is this light? I don't like it. Last time it hurt me.

Ahh!

What is wrong with my back? Why does it hurt so much? It's not nearly as bad as before. Last time it felt like my back was on fire. Now it only feels stiff and rigid.

I still feel weightless though, and I can't remember what happened before this to make me feel so… odd. I don't like it though. I feel like there's someone who I'm supposed to be helping right now. Being apart from them, it feels wrong. Not knowing who it is makes me feel… empty.

Was it Lavi…?

Or Linalee…?

No, it's someone else. Who though? Who could it be…?

It couldn't be… not… anyone but…

Kanda?

It was day two of Allen's recovery. His back had healed immensely overnight. The site of it no longer made Kanda want to gag, and the bandages were coming off cleaner instead of showing signs of infection and bleeding like they were the day before.

Again, as Kanda was in the kitchen he heard a knocking at the door. He could already picture the Mayor saying that Allen needed to wake up right now because some other man wanted freshly baked cookies. So with a snarl on his face, he strode over to the door and opened it and barked out an angry "What?"

Which caused the poor woman standing there to tremble and duck her head.

"Who are you?" Kanda demanded.

"My name is Janet," the woman said in fear.

"Well Janet, why are you here? If the Mayor sent you I can save you the trouble of talking and just slam the door in your face."

"No, I came here on my own accord. My husband doesn't even know I'm here. If it's alright with you, may we step inside to talk? The risk of me being caught is very high and very bad."

"Fine." Kanda moved aside and let the small woman into the house before shutting the door with a loud slam, causing her to jump.

"So," Kanda said as he walked over to his chair to sit down. "What brings you to my humble home?"

"I wanted to apologize," Janet said.

"Whatever for?" Kanda was bothered by the woman, but he couldn't let himself be anything less than polite to ensure he was able to stay in the town for the remainder of his mission.

"It's my fault your wife was punished yesterday sir. We were discussing our husbands and in the middle of our conversation I mentioned how my husband mistakenly ruined a load of laundry, to which Allison responded that she didn't even let you near hers."

"That's what all of this was about? Her not letting me do my own laundry?"

"I'm afraid so sir."

"Are you serious? All this time everyone made it seem like she had basically betrayed me and everything I stood for, and now you're telling me that it was because she cleans clothes?"

"Yes sir."

"Well thank you Mrs. … I'm sorry I never caught your last name."

"Oberman, Janet Oberman."

"Yes, well thank you Mrs. Oberman. I assure you I am not angry with you, and I respect that you had the decency to come and tell me exactly what my wife's crime was. You may leave."

"Thank you Mr. Walker. Have a good day." Janet hurried out of the house, in fear that Kanda would change his mind and decide to yell some more. One thing was clear, he was not happy with the way the town was run.

"I swear to god," Kanda mumbled. "There are more and more idiots running arounf with power every single day. And as far as this town goes, no one will object the Mayor because they're terrified of something happening to their wives. If there was ever a time to pick up drinking it would be right now."

On the morning of the third day, Allen's eyes opened for the first time since the lashings.

Yeah I'm not actually dead. And yes I have been reading all the reviews you guys have sent me. I don't know why it's taken me this long to update, but I don't intend for it to take this long again.

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