Bleached Halloween
1. Trick or Treat or Threat?
All was calm in the Kurosaki household. The whole house was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The upstairs sink was dripping, a sound near deafening in the silent home.
Outside, the veil of night swept over the town of Karakura, covering it in a darkened blanket. Thick black clouds billowed through the air, briefly parting to allow the full moon to peak through them and shine light down upon the street.
Unfortunately the tranquil peace had to be disrupted on this fateful night.
A piercing scream echoed throughout the Kurosaki home and Ichigo shot up from his bed. The scream came again. It was undoubtedly human, though it was high pitched and feminine, like a child...
Ichigo reached for the baseball bat by his bedside and slid up to the door. He pressed his body against it and slowly pushed the door open. The hall outside was dark but he could see his father sneaking out of his room and going down the stairs.
Ichigo waited, assuming his father could take care of whatever was wrong.
But then he heard a deep male cry. An agonised wail from his father. A wet sloshing sound like someone walking through mud became audible and the wall beside the landing became splattered in a fresh coat of human paint.
Ichigo's eyes narrowed and he found himself unable to pry his eyes away from the stairs. A loud, repetitive thud came from there and Ichigo knew all too well what it was. His father's corpse had just rolled down the stairs.
Ichigo tightened his grip on the baseball bat and glared at the figure that rose form the darkness. Although veiled in shadow, Ichigo could make out flickering eyes and a venomous smile. The killer was tall, very tall. His body was as thick as a tree and he barely fit in the hallway. His hair brushed against the ceiling as he stalked the empty corridor in search of his next victim. A wicked carving knife was held in one of his large, leathery-skinned hands.
Ichigo sank into the wall and slid down onto the floor, making himself as inconspicuous as possible. The monstrous shadow drifted past his room as gracefully as a summer breeze, a movement unnatural for such a large person.
The door to his little sister's room opened. Cruel laughter and screams soon followed. Ichigo clenched the baseball bat so hard it was cracking under the pressure. He took a deep breath and made to charge out into the hall and beat the intruder to a bloody pulp.
His shirt got snagged on something and he retreated back inside his room. He spun around to see what had caught his sleeve and realised it was a slender hand, reaching from inside his cupboard. The door slid open and a head popped out.
Rukia was absolutely terrified. She didn't want to be left alone, but she also knew Ichigo would be charging to his death if he ran out there. She shuddered as a loud thud came from the other room. She gazed pleadingly at Ichigo and he crawled over to the cupboard. He got in with her and they huddled together in the tiny confined space, listening to the sounds of their heartbeats and the thunderous footsteps of the intruder.
They could hear the door to the bedroom creaking open. A lone pounding stomp followed and the floor squealed like a slaughtered pig.
Rukia nestled her head against Ichigo's chest. She clung to him tighter now and tried to suppress the fearful whimpers that escaped her quivering lips.
Another heavy footstep came, this time moving closer to the cupboard. Harsh breathing became audible, though there was a trace of maniacal laughter lying under the unnerving wheezing sounds.
Ichigo and Rukia held each other closer. Ichigo still held the baseball bat and his muscles were tensing. Adrenaline was surging through him. He would wait until the freak opened the cupboard door and then bam! He'd break his face and save Rukia. It was a simple plan, but hopefully effective.
The maniac took a hold of the handle, his large hands wrapping around the little wooden ornament. The whole door was pressed inwards and it creaked loudly.
Rukia cowered behind Ichigo who held the bat against his chest in a futile attempt to stop his hands from shaking.
The door opened just a crack. Traces of light spilled in like water through a burst dam. The stench of death suddenly arrived. It was overpowering. It was like the smell of a slaughterhouse.
Misty breath flitted through the gap and long bony fingers curled around the inside of the door. Ichigo braced himself. The door refused to budge for a second but then the psychopath tore the whole door from its hinges and hurled it towards the window.
Ichigo roared as he jumped out of the mutilated cupboard. He raised the bat high and brought it down with all his strength...
...Only to hit air. The bat soared through empty space and slammed into the floor. Ichigo felt waves of pain rising through his arms as they were jarred by the impact. He staggered backwards and stared up into the mentally depraved eyes of death itself.
He wanted to scream, or fight, or run. His body was not allowing any of it however. Ichigo remained fixed in place, paralysed with fear.
The killer picked him up by the throat and hurled him into the wall. He hit hard and landed awkwardly. He ended up in a heap facing the cupboard.
The killer leaned forward into the cupboard and ragged Rukia out, ignoring her frantic kicking and screaming.
Ichigo could only watch on in horror as she was silenced with brutal force. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened. This had to be a nightmare. It just had to be!
Ichigo writhed about on the floor. He was desperate to escape the clutches of the evil killer who was now soaked from head to toe in the blood of Rukia and his little sisters. His scarred face creased up into a smile and he laughed mockingly at the broken young man before him.
"There is no escape, boy."
Ichigo whimpered like a pup during a thunderstorm. His skin paled and all colour drained from his face. His skin grew prickly and all the hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end. He had never been so afraid in his life. He had never known such terror existed.
This is it...I'm gonna die! I'm really going to die! I don't want to die! I don't want to die!
The killer raised his knife high into the air and grinned from ear to ear, revealing jaws lined with sharp fangs.
"Happy Halloween!"