Author's note: I don't normally write in first person, plus this is my first horror/drama story, so it's a serious challenge to implement a well-written, engrossing tale. Thank you for reading. :) Please enjoy.


Animal Crossing New Leaf:

THE NIGHTMARE OF AIKA


CHAPTER 1: The Train

We'd left the train station at 8pm during a light, lazy rain shower.

I always found those to be relaxing, especially when I needed to travel. I could happily flip open my trusty notebook, and let the genius ideas flow. Usually, I was alone. This time, I had a tag-along, and for once, it wasn't Mayor Kosei. Kenshin –the only other human in our small town of Seaside aside from myself and the Mayor—stared out the window.

I sat crosslegged in the seat with my notebook in my lap, and my blue sneakers on the floor. I listened to the rhythmic 'clakkity clak' of the train moving at an even clip through the sheets of pattering rain. Rivulets of water rolled up the glass from wind resistance. It was the perfect night to write a horror story—something I had never attempted before. I clicked open my pen and set to work on my future masterpiece.

It was a dark and stormy night-

"You can't start a story like that," Kenshin stated in a bland tone.

"Huh? Why not? It's a perfectly good mood-set line." I asked. It seemed fine to me.

"Firstly, it begins in a passive voice."

My eye twitched. Go figure this nerd would know that. He reads all the time. I thought my living room was book-loaded, but his is basically a library.

"Secondly, it's plagiarism," He folded his arms. "Ever read a book called 'Paul Clifford?'"

Here we go; unsolicited information straight from the walking encyclopedia. "Never heard of it."

He dug a paperback novel from his red backpack and handed it to me.

The spine was heavily creased from use, and bore rough edges where the paper peeled off in thin slivers. It looked like someone had used it to prop up a table. "Was this a lost item you forgot about?"

"I borrowed it from Chief."

"And you just happened to have this particular book pertaining to what I'm doing on a whim right now."

He shrugged.

I flipped it open to the first page where a black and white profile photo of a floppy-eared dog stared pensively into the distance, and noted the check-out stamp date. This book was way over due from the 1970's from the Barksdale Public Library. I'd never heard of that town before. I frowned at the tiny print barely existing at the bottom. "It says the original printing was in 1830. This is public domain by now." I gave it back. "Why should you care if I use that line?"

He put it away. "It's also a dumb beginning and a trope."

"Your face is a dumb beginning and a trope."

He stared at me, confused and in thought –probably one of the six emotions he'd managed to get back from Dr. Shrunk. "That didn't make sense."

"Throwing your backpack into the seat and calling 'dibbs!' when we got on the train doesn't make sense, either." I stuffed my notebook back in my satchel.

"Neither did that."

I huffed in exasperation. I was already 100% done with this fool since he'd snatched up the window seat before I had a chance to sit down. There were two pigs sleeping on each other taking up the seats in front of us, so that wasn't an option. I was stuck on the isle. I hated the isle.

I glanced to two tabby cats having a quiet conversation at the front of the car, sat back, and sighed. The little girl sitting by the opposite window from me didn't seem to care about us at all. She simply played with her doll, tying and untying the strings of the orange hood on its head. The color didn't match the red of its dress, but both dolly and child had matching crimson mary jane shoes. She kicked her feet idly as she hummed a tune I'd never heard before. It was light and bouncy, like her long, curly auburn hair. The only item to tame them was a blue and white winter hat in the same style as the doll's.

"Aren't you two from the same town?" A black-haired boy sitting behind us wearing a navy blue duster propped his elbows on top of our seats. The brown buckles around his wrists clanked at the motion. "Should you be arguing?"

"We're not arguing," Kenshin said. "She has a tendency to fail to see reason."

I sent him a dagger glare worth more words of spite than could fill a thesaurus.

The pigs woke up in a mess of disoriented snorts, looked out the window, and left to the car ahead of us: the dining car.

Finally, I had my opportunity for a window seat. I slipped my sneakers on and gathered up my things to move, but...

The black-haired boy sniped it first. "I'm Mayor Taki from Leafside. Nice to meet you."

He offered me a handshake in greeting. I frowned, disgruntled, and sat back down. Defeated, I accepted the gesture. "I'm Mel. And this is Kenshin. We're from Seaside."

"Where are you guys headed?" Taki removed a box of crackers from his own backpack and started munching casually. Talking to complete strangers seemed like normal behavior to him.

"We're on to way to pick up supplies," I answered. "We're out of tarantula antidote."

Taki's face lit up with shock. "Already? They just started coming out. What happened?"

Kenshin narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "Our Reset Center mole stockpiled it under the excuse that tarantulas make their dens under ground, and so does he."

"Yeah. We've had a ton of them show up lately, so he called 'safety measures' on us."

Taki offered us the box of crackers. "Didn't your mayor tell him that wasn't allowed?"

I took the offered food.

"He tried," Kenshin gestured lightly, "but arguing with our Resetti is like going an entire day without catching a sea bass. It's impossible. So, he gave up, and sent us to get more."

"The last three towns were out of antidote," I added around a mouth full of crackers.

Our new guest took the snack box back once we'd each taken a handful, and folded the top, sticking it in his bag. "My town is low on supplies, too. Same as you, we've had a surge of tarantulas, and no one knows why."

An excited, high pitched gasp exploded from the little girl next to us as she leaned over the arm rest of her seat. "You guys, too? They're all over my town! I hate spiders! They're skittering everywhere, all gross and leggy, and I can't walk outside without thinking I'll run into one! I've been bitten three times already!"

I looked around in case anyone else wanted to join in on the once private conversation, but we four humans, and the two cats were the only ones in this car. I was about to ask the cats if anything unusual was going on in their homes when they gave us sly looks, followed by smiles, and left to the car behind us. "Wow, rude," I muttered.

"They're cats," Kenshin shrugged. "That's just the way they are."

"So," Taki leaned forward. "I guess you heard about the only supply left."

I nodded. "A deer in the last town told us it was in a place called Hana Valley."

"I'm going there, too," The little girl scrambled over to plop herself in the seat in front of me. The fabric of her fluffy, purple and white lolita-style dress rustled with her movement. She shifted to sit on her knees -her small frame allowed her that luxury. "I heard Hana Valley is really beautiful, filled with all kinds of fruit trees, and rare insects, and thousands and thousands of hybrid flowers!" She brushed her fingers through her hair happily at her own paradise imaginings. "My villagers would love some hybrids if I can bring some back. Mayors are cool like that to other mayors."

My eyes widened at this tiny girl dressed in candy colors. "You're a mayor? You have to be 9 years old."

"I'm 10," she defended. "And I've lived here for 3 years."

"Wow," I blinked. "I'd have never guessed."

"I'm Mayor Cecelia from the town of Sugarpine," she proclaimed proudly.

"Sugarpine?" I pictured the entire place to be coordinated the same as her outfit; loud, mismatched, and dripping in colors. I met a sheep in a friend's town who looked like that once. Pietro was an amusing kick in the clown pants.

She grinned. "I love pine trees, and I like sugar."

"I think that's the name of an actual tree."

"I know," she grinned.

"It's a good name," Kenshin chimed in. "I'm Kenshin and this is Mel. We're from Seaside."

"How old are you?" She blurted out in a buoyant tone. "You look like grown-ups."

"I'm 18. She's 17."

Taki stretched. "I'm 17, too. It's a good club to be in."

"And we're all mayors!" She assumed, holding her doll in a victory pose like it was a golden tournament trophy.

"We're not." Kenshin corrected.

"You guys aren't mayors?" She laughed loudly, holding her stomach as she rolled back into Taki's side. This little girl had no sense of personal space. "Good luck bidding for the antidote if other towns are having the same problem we are."

"Our Mayor sent us, because he's the only one who's caught a tarantula, and been bitten by one before," I explained. "He, Chief, and Freya are going to try to catch one while we're gone. He even said Marshal wanted to help."

"Marshal?" Kenshin looked concerned. "That can't possibly end well."

By the look in his eyes, we both easily imagined that white squirrel screaming up the nearest perfect cherry tree and throwing cherries at it like bombs while crying bloody murder for help.

The sudden noise of a thunderclap in the low clouds made me jump. Their timpani percussion filled the train car and mingled with the clatter of the thick metal wheels against the old track.

Kenshin didn't even blink. "It's just a storm. We get them at home all the time."

"Yeah, well, at home, I'm either in my own house, curled up on the couch in front of the t.v., or at the Roost." I loved storms, but would sometimes still get spooked. I pulled it back together. "Besides, you're not afraid of anything."

"Really?" Taki's interest peaked. "Nothing at all?"

He shook his head. It was just a matter of fact.

"Oo," he grinned. "That means you haven't—"

Cecelia elbowed him hard in the side. Taki caught on and clammed up. We three knew Kenshin had to discover his emotions on his own, and who unlocked them, just like we did. Even I didn't have all of my emotions back yet, because my joke book wasn't complete, I'd already figured out that somehow Dr. Shrunk gave them back. I'm getting close, though. Only about seven to go. I knew for a fact that he hadn't put Dr. Shrunk's jokes and his emotion recovery together yet, regardless of how smart he was. Though I couldn't figure out why, after three months, Kenshin hadn't gained more of them back. I know we're supposed to take our time, but did he not want to?

I looked past the boys to the inky black beyond the windows just in time to catch a bright flash of periwinkle lightning. It's skeletal fingers lit up the sky. For that split second, I saw the ocean far below us, and a town in the distance. We were crossing a trestle to another island. The town's dim, pin points of orange light filtering through the trees did not send a welcoming vibe.

I hoped it wasn't Hana Valley.

The train entered the murky brume of the new island. Tall, old trees arched over the tracks, plunging us into an organic tunnel of darkness.

Suddenly, the train screeched to a halt with such force that it loosened luggage from the overhead compartment racks, and sent us careening into one another. Sparks shot out from the wheels as metal ground against metal. The lights flickered.

"Ooww," Cecelia whined, holding her head. She'd been thrown forward, but Taki caught her as he was tossed from his seat.

I had slammed into Kenshin, who groaned in pain from being pinned against the window. We all climbed back to our seats.

"Is everyone all right?" Kenshin spoke up first.

"Yeah," I cringed from pain in my shoulder. "Glad I wasn't in the window seat after all. You ok?"

He nodded. "My spleen will heal."

"You broke my fall."

"Glad I could help."

The threatening rumble of thunder blew open the sky overhead as the train car filled with the sound of the torrential downpour. Silver darts needled the windows. I couldn't help but imagine them trying to break through.

Taki rubbed at his back. "We're in one piece, so I don't think we derailed." He picked up his crunched backpack. "Awe man, Cecelia, you landed on my box of crackers."

"It hurt!" she shot back. "And that's 'Mayor' Cecelia." She pouted. She'd worked too hard to be denied the right of that title.

At that moment, the cheerful notification tone chimed happily through the car –a complete opposite of the opposing atmosphere of the outside and inside world. The conductor's steady voice came across the loud speaker in Animaleese. "We apologize for the sudden stop. The tracks are blocked by downed trees at the tunnel entrance, and will take some time to remove. Any large animals willing to help, please report to the front car for instructions. All Humans, please remain inside the train for your own safety."

"Our own safety?" I repeated quietly, my curiosity piqued. I'd never been told an area was unsafe—aside from being careful about the jellyfish in the ocean, of course.

The conductor continued. "If you've sustained injuries, please report to the rear car for medical assistance. A docent will be moving from car to car looking for anyone in need of help. We'll be underway as soon as possible. Please remain calm. We are offering free snacks in the dining car. Thank you for your patience."

Our little space swelled with the din of the thunderstorm.

Taki planted both hands against the cool glass to get a better look outside. A lightning flash soon provided that with a sonic boom in accompaniment. He scooted back. "Oh man... I hope we're not where I think we are."

"It's that town we saw from the trestle right?" I pushed my hair out of my eyes. "Have you been here before?"

"No," he took on the same serious mien as Kenshin often wore, "but I just remembered something one of the bunnies in the town of Mibu told me when I asked about Hana Valley –before you got on the train. They said in order to get there, we needed to pass by..." his words caught in his throat, and he swallowed past the lump that had formed to block them, "...Aika Village.

A tiny squeak of fear escaped Cecelia. She clutched her doll closely.

Kenshin and I both stared at them, confused by their reactions. They looked like they were about to be attacked by zombies. "What's Aika Village?" Kenshin asked plainly.

"What's Aika Village?" her jaw dropped and her green eyes widened in disbelief. "You don't know about Aika Village?" Cecelia wedged herself between us, practically sitting on his lap. "How do you not know about Aika? Where have you been? Under a rock? How long have you lived in your town?!"

"Eight months," I answered.

"Three months," Kenshin said.

"And no one's mentioned this at all?" Taki matched the little mayor's shock.

Kenshin shook his head.

"Well, this one time when I was working at the cafe," I interjected, "I heard one of our former cranky villagers say something about Mayor Kosei burying pitfalls around Monty's house. Freya had said, 'Pitfalls are just a nuisance prank. He isn't anywhere near bad enough to be sent to Aika. Do not joke about that.' The cranky villager just looked at me and went back to his coffee. It was weird."

Cecelia moved to sit next to Taki so she could be the bearer of knowledge to us newbs. She husked her voice to be as creepy as possible. "Aika Village is where Animals send Humans to disappear."

Taki snatched her doll away and stood on the seat, holding it out of reach.

"Hey!" She cried out.

"Disappear?" I watched him climb over the seat, keeping the doll out of reach of the grabby hands of the whining girl.

Taki continued playing keep-away to her insistent demands of 'Give it back! Mayor Taki! I hate you forever!' "Aika Village is where they send the worst of our kind. People who have done horrible things to other humans and animals, like torture, painful pranks, and even bloodshed, are exiled there." He held the doll like a victim in both hands above his head. "People who are too dangerous to be helped by any other Sanctuary Towns are brought there to rot in isolation from the rest of us, and left to exist in darkness."

She threw her fist into his gut with a mighty 'hiyah!'

He coughed, dropping the doll. "Ok, ok, I give." He let her finally snare her prize to hug it tightly, and retook his seat.

"Meanie." She slugged him in the arm for added revenge, stuck her tongue out at him, and sat between the two of us again, like we could protect her and her doll. "It's supposed to be a Sanctuary Town that fixes humans. Those give me a bad feeling, but they're usually ok to stop in."

Taki folded his arms. "Aika Village was the first Sanctuary Town ever built. It's also the worst one. No one knows what happened there to earn it that title."

"Sometimes people can come back from a Sanctuary Town," Cecelia continued, "but no one has ever come back from Aika Village. If you're brought there, you're there forever."

I swallowed hard around my racing heart. "F-forever?"

Her face lit up in a mischievous grin, forcing me to lean back slightly. "For-ever."

"Come on, Cecelia, you're scaring her," he chuckled.

"Mayor Cecelia," She corrected him.

"I-I'm not scared," I defended, but all three saw through my false bravado.

He continued, taking on a serious tone to show he wasn't exaggerating or fooling around. "She's right, though. According to all the stories, trains don't stop there unless they're dropping off a human. And that human," Taki held the three of us in the steel of his dark blue gaze, "can never leave."

I wiped the condensation off the glass with the sleeve of my blue shirt. Lightning exposed the harsh silhouette of an old train station slightly behind us. It held a cracked, weathered sign bearing characters in a language I couldn't read. "That's why they want us to stay inside," I muttered.

Kenshin moved to the other seat and cleared his own area of the window to see. He peered into the darkness until the lightning could aid him, then slowly returned his attention to his companions. He may not be able to feel fear, but he could recognize a dangerous situation when he was in one, and that sign was in a language he could read. "You said trains don't stop there...but I think we just did."


TBC


NOTES: Kenshin and Mel from Seaside are based on Yu and Mel are from my ACNL town of Junes (headed by Mayor Yosuke. -yes, I'm a P4 fan. It holds a special meaning for me. :) One of my friends has Inaba, the other has the Amagi Inn, and I have Junes.)

Cecelia and Taki are original characters. The towns of "Sugarpine," "Leafside," "Seaside," and "Hana Valley" are generic names I picked at random. Any similarities to existing towns and characters are purely coincidental.

I hope you're enjoying it so far. Please R&R and continue with the adventure. I promise you, this story gets pretty grim. :) Thank you very much. :D