Mari adjusted the hat on her head to block out the sun from above. She checked over her shoulder, making sure that all of her cargo was still in place. "Okay…deep breath…" She inhaled deeply, then exhaled. "I have to be calm. Being too loud will startle my prey…"

She stepped lightly through the trees. There were several pests in the area that she would have to get rid of-there's one now! She slid the rifle off her back as quietly as she could, not wanting to alert the squirrel rustling amongst the leaves. It was larger than most squirrels she had seen before, with shiny red fur; perhaps that was why she needed to get rid of it. She lifted her rifle, lining it up with the squirrel's head, planning to end the creature's life quickly and painlessly. 3…2…1… Mari pulled the trigger. The squirrel's body jerked with the impact and it collapsed, lifeless.

Mari sighed, glad that the animal died without struggle. She considered her next move; the gunshot would have certainly alerted any other creatures in the area to her presence.

…but it looked like she didn't need to move anywhere else yet. Movement caught her eye; a small animal scampering across the forest floor. The tanuki stopped next to the squirrel, resting a paw on the squirrel's body. Then it cried, a noise somewhere between a shriek and a wail. The tanuki chattered wildly as it whipped its head back and forth to look around the trees. Mari leaned out from her hiding spot behind a tree and fired.

The tanuki squealed with pain and fright. Mari cursed under her breath. Her error was causing more pain for the poor creature as it dragged a now wounded back leg through the leaves in its attempt to flee. Mari stepped out from behind the tree, taking better aim at the limping animal. She fired, knowing this time her aim was true. The tanuki cried one final time before it fell. It no longer moved.

Mari shifted her rifle to one hand and took out her notebook. She checked off two of the items listed on the purple pages, quickly looking over the rest of the list to see which creature she should go after next. "There is the issue in the mikan farms…but also an alley pest…" Mari sighed again, closing her notebook. "I guess I'll make my way over to the farm, but I'll get rid of the alley one if I come across it."

She coaxed the dog over with the treat of a peeled mikan. She wasn't warm to the idea of getting rid of a "pet" animal, but it was constantly causing disturbances with the amount of mikan it consumed. Still, she didn't want to give it a bloody death. And thus, Mari had created a different idea: injecting the fruit the dog loved with a fast-acting poison. "Come here, I'll give this to you."

The dog barked and trotted towards her, more quickly than before. It took the whole fruit from her hands, tearing it apart and gulping it down in a few bites. Mari stood over the dog, keeping an eye on the animal as she waited for the poison to take effect. It was too bad she had to get rid of the creature; its beautiful orange coat could have made it a wonderful companion.

It looked like the poison was starting to work. The dog whimpered, looking Mari straight in the eye, and pawed at its own throat. It barked once, then twice, spitting out specks of blood. It whimpered again, as its legs stopped supporting it. The dog fell, and with one final whine, it was dead. Another item checked off of her list.

As she walked back to the docks from the mikan farms, she encountered the cat. It was a sleek cat, not at all what she expected from an animal that lived in the city. Yet this was the one, with a brilliant and long red coat. It hadn't noticed her yet, and she preferred to keep it that way. Cats were skittish creatures, after all.

She followed the cat until she was alone with the animal. If she were completely honest, she wanted to avoid killing at a shrine, a place of good. But she must; this particular cat was troublesome enough to warrant her hunt. She still had not alerted the cat of her presence. Drawing a knife from her belt, Mari grabbed the cat from behind. It opened its mouth, attempting to yowl. She couldn't have people looking in to see what she was doing; she threw the animal down onto the asphalt, knocking the breath out of it. She raised her knife, completely ignoring the mewling cries of the cat, and brought her weapon down.

Mari followed the two animals on her family's motor boat. The dolphin spent more time underwater, only popping up to see if the boat was still following. On the other side, the seal swam steadily at the water's surface. She had built up trust with these two marine animals for a while now. It's sad they had to be eliminated like the rest of the trouble animals.

She stopped the motor boat, noting that the two were still on opposite sides of the boat. Mari walked over to the side closest to the dolphin, dragging a fishing net. The dolphin squeaked at her, playfully turning a tight circle in the water. Mari stared down at the dolphin, almost regretting having to kill it. But it was her duty now, getting rid of problem animals. She threw the net overboard, entangling the dolphin. It struggled in the netting, making clicking noises as it desperately sought a way out of the net. She walked away, ignoring the panicked dolphin trapped in the weighted net.

The seal barked at her as she looked down at it. Mari lifted the spear from her shoulder, listening but not comprehending the seal's cries. She heaved the spear with all of her strength; both weapon and animal vanishing beneath the surface. The ocean turned red with the seal's blood. There. Two more things checked off of her list. Two more to go.

She walked down the street, trying to figure out where the remaining two animals would be hiding. Mari knew the rabbit would probably be indoors somewhere, but she didn't know where. The bat, on the other hand, could be anywhere in town.

Mari had almost reached the high school when the animal crashed into her. The bat screeched and beat her about the head with its wings. She grunted, grabbing the mammal and throwing it to the ground. "This makes things easier. Now I don't have to find you." She checked around to make sure no one was around. She considered her weapon choices, which were limited now that she had thrown them aside after each use. She took out a switchblade and held down the bat with her knee as she flicked the knife part open. "This won't hurt that much." She reassured the frightened bat as it continued to struggle and cry beneath her.

Mari walked back home, half-expecting to get attacked by the rabbit in the same way the bat did. It would definitely make it easier on her if her target came out. She spotted the rabbit at her front path from a distance. "Hey." She said, pleased that the black-furred rabbit was waiting under a light. "Making things easier for me?"

The rabbit did not react. Mari walked closer, not afraid of the little animal. It still did not move, which unsettled Mari a tiny bit. "How come you're not moving?" Mari stood over the rabbit and nudged it gently with her shoe. The rabbit flopped over, revealing a puddle of its own blood. It was already dead. "…why did you…" Mari shook her head, walking past the body and into her house. She checked the last item off of her list and let the notebook fall to the ground. All done, all gone.

Mari stood in front of the mirror. She laughed to herself as she raised a gun to her head. "I thought I got all of them but I guess not…" She pulled the trigger. The last thing she saw was the fox in the mirror.


Happy Halloween!