:: Fatal Frame 111: The Tormented ::
Mahora Academy Edition
By ZazieMiyazaki
Characters by Ken Akamatsu
Original Story from Tecmo / Project Zero
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:: Hour Zero ::
(Daydream) The Calling
I remember that night all too well . . . It's all my fault isn't it?
Kazumi Asakura kept her hand on the steering-wheel of her car. She looked ahead of the road and stared at the sharp turns. It was raining hard and those sharp turns didn't make the driving any easier. She sighed and mumbled at the driving conditions, then felt a light touch on her shoulder. On the passenger seat was Sayo Aizaka, Kazumi's special someone. Kazumi deeply loved Sayo, as Sayo loved Kazumi the same. The silky haired Sayo was silent throughout the car ride, most likely to have fallen sleepy on the way back. Kazumi smiled at Sayo, appreciating the comfort she gave her.
"Still a long drive home, huh?"
"Mhmm, if only it wasn't raining so hard, we would've gotten home a lot sooner."
"Sayo, could you hand me the files? I'd like to take a look at them real quick."
Sayo reluctantly reached for the manila folder and peeked inside it. Sayo began to have a bad feeling about handing it over to her pony-tailed lover. Kazumi waited patiently and focused on the road.
"Kazumi, should you really look at the papers as you drive?"
"It'll only be a second, Sayo. You worry too much."
Sayo still didn't want to hand the papers to Kazumi, as much as she loved her. Kazumi insisted with a nod. Sayo tried thinking of other suggestions when Kazumi simply slipped it out of Sayo's hand. Slowing down the vehicle just a bit and keeping one hand on the wheel, Kazumi opened and took out the papers to glimpse at. Sayo grew a bit more insecure at Kazumi as she looked at the papers. Sayo kept an eye on the road as well, frequently looking back at Kazumi as well.
"Kazumi please, the road."
Sayo said worrying and almost panicking. Kazumi continued to read, only occasionally looking at the road. The rain was pouring harder; the front window was becoming much more distorted despite how fast the windshield wipers went. The road became a winding death trap waiting to trigger itself at the right moment.
"Kazumi, please pay attention to the road, it's really dangerous out."
"I'll only be a second. Everything will be fine"
"Even if you say that, I –"
Just then they heard a car horn go off and Kazumi found herself driving on the wrong side of the road. A truck was heading their way and its breaks screeched but showed no sign of slowing down.
"Shit, hold on!"
Kazumi took the wheel and sharply turned it off the side of the road to avoid the truck. But their troubles had only begun when the car went out of control and turned over several times, hitting several trees and fences. The girls screamed until the car came to a sudden stop. The rain poured through the broken windows, the two of the girls still inside. Kazumi had gotten out soon after and held her left arm close, feeling that it was injured. She looked around for Sayo, who she had thought gotten out of the car by now. Kazumi grew more worried when she began to call out for her, but with no reply. She headed around the car and to the passenger side to find Sayo, lying on the ground. Kazumi's face grew pale as she knelt down to her lover's side. Next to her was the manila envelope, soaking itself in the rain. Placing a hand over Sayo's wrist, Kazumi checked for her pulse hoping what might've happened didn't. But luck was not on her side . . . Sayo was dead.
"No . . . n-no . . . "
Kazumi began to cry the instant she discovered her beloved Sayo was no longer alive. Words could not describe her great grief. She began to hit herself, knowing that had she only listened to Sayo, none of this would have happened. The rain, cold, and dark atmosphere only made that feeling more intense. It was all too perfect for breaking down even the most care-free and happy of people. Kazumi suddenly began to hear a voice calling out for her. With the blink of an eye, Kazumi found herself in daylight, inside an old abandoned mansion. Sunlight was shining through the holes in the ceiling, lighting up the room and giving it an almost comforting atmosphere. As she stood in the room, Kazumi was holding her camera when she remembered she was investigating the very mansion she was in for a report.
"You were spacing out again, Kazumi-san. You sure you're alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't let it concern you."
With a nod, Chisame Hasegawa, Kazumi's assistant and room mate, began to look around the foyer part of the old wooden building. Kazumi shot several more photos with her Polaroid for the paper she works with. Looking at the photos, she found one in particular that caught her attention. The photo pictured a lonely hallway; standing by the corner was an image of someone there. Kazumi looked up from the photo to the actual site. The person was still there, standing silently and almost lifeless. Kazumi could've sworn there was no one there to begin with. The person in question however, was someone Kazumi held dear.
". . . S-Sayo, is that really you?"
A bright light flashed through her mind. Kazumi began to see darkness shrouding the mansion. Eerie voices and sounds relayed through the strange distorted reality. Screams and shouts of people were heard; Kazumi was lost and confused in the spiraling portal of horror. When the madness stopped, Kazumi found herself back to her reality. She gasped for air and looked around.
"W-what just happened? First I see Sayo and . . . Sayo!"
Kazumi turned her attention to the same empty hallway. Sayo was gone. Kazumi stood silent for a bit and looked at the photos. Sayo was no longer in the hallway picture. Chisame headed back to Kazumi, tapping her shoulder.
"Hey, it's almost time that we head back. You ready to go? I've already got the rest of the camera equipment in the car."
"Oh okay, let's head on back. I got the photos we needed."
That night, as Kazumi lay in her bed, thinking about that tragic night. Eventually she fell asleep, only to have fallen into what might've been the nightmare that would haunt her for the rest of her life. Awakening to find herself in front of a tall, looming mansion, Kazumi felt as though what she's experiencing is a dream unlike any she ever had. It was snowing outside and many ceremonial lanterns were lit, leading the way towards the manor's front doors. The building looked old, but still fairly stable. Kazumi wondered what might be in such a large place. To her right, she found an alter packed with tombstones and lit candles.
"A funeral home, maybe? But why would I even be here?"
A sound caught her attention. It was the sound of someone opening a door. Kazumi turned, seeing the late Sayo silently fade through the door. The door had never moved, but the sound of it closing continued.
"Sayo, where are you going?"
Kazumi passed through the double doors, as set off to finding and meeting Sayo once more. There she was deeper inside the manor, but still she was outside on some sort of patio. There was another set of double doors and both ways leading to it were hallways on each side of the rectangular yard. In front of the double doors was Sayo, who again, walked right through the doors. Kazumi walked over to the doors, walking by the hallways to get to it. As she did, a child spirit appeared at the hallway entrance and bowed. On the other side of the walk way, there was another spirit who did the same. This frightened Kazumi only but a little bit and kept walking. Once she reached the large double doors, Kazumi set her hands on the door handles and slowly opened the door. She heard soft voices, like children's voices. They sang a slow rather subduing song.
Sleep priestess, lie in sleep . . . Sleep priestess, lie in sleep . . .
Then, a bright light flashed through the door and Kazumi again found herself awake in her bed. Taking a few moments to catch her breath, she heard her bedroom door open.
"Kazumi-san, you were restless again."
It was only Chisame. The girl in glasses asked Kazumi if she was alright, concerned about her behavior as she slept. Kazumi simply smiled lightly.
"Ah, don't worry about it much. I was just having a bad dream, that's all."
"Must have been some dream if you were rolling around a lot. Anyway, I got breakfast ready so come on down already."
Kazumi sat up and hugged her legs close to her when Chisame left the room. She looked at her hands and wondered.
"That place . . . it felt so real. But why was Sayo there? Could she be . . . calling me?"
Kazumi sat on her bed and stared outside the window. She pulled the curtains back and looked at the soft, gray sky. The rain poured lightly all around the neighborhood. Its soft atmosphere, however, wasn't enough to rid the disturbing dream.
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