The Rake

By:Ichigi111Kurosaki

It all started in the summer. The summer of 2003, One Incident. The catalyst. The beginning of the end, for me, my family, of everything. In the north, up past my grandfather's cottage in North Dakota, these, Creatures were sighted. A strange Humanoid being ignited local media before a blackout occurred ending all streams and broadcasts. Little to no information was left of the thing. Online account posted about the creature were gone. Hidden from the public.

Stories of the creature started popping up around the media. A creature of unknown origin. Tensions ran high in the adolescents, adults brushed it off as lies and 'The cries for attention' made by teens. Published accounts were removed and are no longer found on record, The memories slowly began to fade and people began to forget about the creature. That was our mistake.

Those that remember searched for anything they could find out about the creature. By 2006 dozens of documents had been collected. Some dated from the 12th century to the present day and spanning four continents. All similar in describing the story. In late 2006 Those few who sought the creature disappeared. Their bodies were never found, the documents were burned, only small excerpts were left.

(A Suicide Note, 1964)

As I prepare to take my life, I feel it necessary to assuage any guilt or pain I have introduced through this act. It is not the fault of anyone other than him. For once I awoke and felt his presence and once I awoke and saw his form. Once again, I awoke and heard his voice and looked into his eyes. I cannot sleep without fear of what I might next awake to experience. I cannot ever wake. Goodbye.

Found in the same wooden box were two empty envelopes addressed to William and Rose, and one loose personal letter with no envelope.

'Dearest Linnie, I have prayed for you. He spoke your name.'

(A Journal Entry translated from Spanish, 1880)

I have experienced the greatest terror. I have experienced the greatest terror. I have experienced the greatest terror. I see his eyes when I close mine. They are hollow. Black. They saw me and pierced me. His wet hand. I will not sleep. I hear his voice.

(A Mariner's Log, 1691)

He came to me in my sleep. From the foot of my bed I felt a sensation. He took everything. We must return to England. We shall not return here again at the request of the Rake.

(Ichigo's Story 1987)

It began in the fall of 1987, My family and i were camping in a small forest clearing next to the family cabin on lake Erie. The day started off like any other with my family. My brothers complained of aches, my mother cooked my father chased down my sisters. It was calm, Happy. We enjoyed the day with games and swimming. But there was this feeling my brothers and i had. A feeling that made my skin CRAWL! It felt like we were being watched.

When bedtime came i slept beside my twins, just as i had always, it was my safe place. But it would be proven wrong. I woke in the middle of the night to a hand grasping my wrist. It burned. I looked to my side, My brother lay there, blood pooling beneath him, his mouth agape, skin pale and eyes closed. On his other side lay my other brother, Blankly staring up at the ceiling, with dark black marks around his neck.

Something shifted above me and i turned. To look. A Thin pale creature contorted before me with dark empty eye sockets, blood dripping from its mangled jaws, its hand raised high, nails shattered into sharp splinters dripping with blood. It swung, and i screamed. I screamed as loud as i could. It worked and the lights flicked on around him. The creature was gone in a flash, replaced by shouts and alarmed calls. That night faded away into a blur as he and his brothers were rushed to the hospital.

A year later, my mother was killed in her sleep. My father was working late, my brothers at their friends and my sisters with the sitter. I found here in her room, That THING crouched at the window, blood trailing to the bed. It turned and looked at me. Stared and stepped closer. It spoke to my mind, rough and cold. 'Rakkkkkkkke i am' It hissed. 'Huuunnnnttted you arrrrre' It cackled and threw itself at me. I ran. Down the stairs and out the door. It crashed behind me in clumsy broken movements.

I gasped and panted and it chased me. NO, It hunted me. I tripped, and In only a moment it was upon me tearing at my chest, my arms. Ripping them apart. I took the only chance i could to live. I twisted from its grasp and rolled down the side of a hill into the darkness was a welcome friend. It was the first time in a long while i hadn't dreamt. I found out later on in the hospital that i had washed up on the shore across the lake eight miles away. I was very lucky to have lived. My mother hadn't been so lucky.

She had died on that bed, hours after i had run. Died in my father's arms. I was missing for days. When i was found, the media swarmed, but still i didn't say a word. Not to the press, or to the cops. They wouldn't have believed me. We moved after that. To Karakura, an odd town with odd people. I grew there, into a teenager. Made friends but still wouldn't talk about that night with anyone.

It had been twelve years since the first attack from the creature. It became a faded old dream in my head. It hadn't returned for me. I started to believe it had all been made up to hide the truth in my head. I continued on with my life.

Shiro and Kon had begun to grow apart as most siblings do when they become teenagers, it was something i have grown used to, they still helped around the clinic with my father, my sisters were polar opposites, Karin had grown to be cold and rough, and Yuzu had become warm and kind. They were close, like my brothers and i had been. It was normal. Happy. Somewhere deep down i knew it couldn't last. But i wanted to enjoy it while i could.

"Ichigo!" A redhead called out from a table far off in the lunchroom. "Renji!" Ichigo called back flinging his arms out wide with a slight lean. Ichigo was lifted up into the air suddenly and carried quickly to the table. "Grimmjow! Don't!" Ichigo laughed and Renji grinned at them. "Oi! Get at room!" Kon shouted across the room at them. Grimmjow turned and winked at the ginger before scritching at Ichigo's sides. Ichigo burst out laughing with cackles. "Guy!" They were interrupted by Keigo, He rushed up waving a newspaper around.

"Guys, there's been a monster sighted in town!" He said laying the paper down showing them the article. The article had a picture of the creature. Ichigo's face blanked immediately as he stared at the image. He stepped away with a shiver, covered his mouth and ran. He ran to the bathrooms and vomited into one of the mens toilets.

"Ichigo, man, i didn't know you to have a weak stomach, that thing was ugly but, are you alright?" Grimmjow asked from behind him. Ichigo jumped slightly and gasped.

"I'll be alright, go make sure Kegio doesn't cause local panic" Ichigo laughed. Grimmjow chuckled and left. In his place came an empty space.

If that monster was back then Ichigo was sure that everything would take a turn for the worse. Ichigo hadn't realised he had been in there for a long while until Shiro had come in and found him, pale as death just breathing over the toilet.

"Get up, we're going home, Kon's in the car." He snapped.

"It's back Shiro." Ichigo said with a shaky breath. "It's back." Ichigo whimpered and covered his mouth. He vomited again.

"Oh God, DAD!" Ichigo sobbed and stood quickly. He swayed on his feet and Shiro caught him by the elbow.

"Let's get you home so da can take a lookit ya." Shiro stated pulling Ichigo closer and leading him out of the school.

He pushed Ichigo into the car and Lay him down in the backseat. Ichigo groaned and curled in on himself and let out a shaky breath. "Woah, what's wrong with him?" Kon asked gesturing to the back.

"He's really blabbing about something coming back." Shiro snorts. He drives slowly back home with Ichigo moaning in the back they pulled in Shiro hit Kon's arm. "Help me get him inside."

They maneuvered him out of the car and into the house, they brought him to the living room and sat him down on the couch. Yuzu came over and frowned. Karin took one look at him and shouted. "Oi! Goat-Face! Ichigo's Sick!" Before returning to her book.

"Oh my darling boy! How have you fallen Ill!" Isshin spun into the room and stopped before Ichigo's legs.

"I'm not sick." Ichigo whispered.

"What'd ya say?" Shiro asked.

"I'm not sick, i'm disgusted and angry. It's back!" Ichigo growled out and sobbed. Everyone in the room froze. "Whats back?" Yuzu asked looking around curiously. "That monster, It" Ichigo paused and bit his lip.

"It killed mom!" He sobbed and curled inon himself. Pressing his head to his knees he shook. He sobbed. "It's there It's always there!" Ichigo cried out and covered his head. "It- No, HE, is there, always there. It hurt you!" Ichigo said lifting his head to look at Shiro and Kon. "He hurt me!, He KILL MOM!" Ichigo shouted. "Now he's back. To finish the job!" He breathed in a shaky breath. His face was turned towards Isshin. "Ichigo, What happened?" He asked his voice low and soft. Ichigo looked up into his father's eyes.

When we were camping, I woke up, and something was touching my wrist. It Burned. I looked around to see if anyone else felt it and i saw Shiro, Just laying there and Kon beside him. They had been hurt and i hadn't heard anything. I noticed something on my other side of me." Ichigo said, his eyes never breaking from Isshin's. "It was staring at me. Distorted and broken, it didn't have any eyes and it's jaw had the inner bone showing with the bone ground into points. It was thin, Its skin almost transparent. But covered in blood. It was holding my wrist. Pulling me." Ichigo said his voice a whisper.

"It wanted to take me. But i screamed. It leapt at me. Then you and mom came and it ran off. I thought of it as a nightmare, until that night." Ichigo said gulping and blinking away tears.

"I was in my room almost asleep when i felt something in the air change. I went to see if mom was awake and there it was. That, THING, Just sitting at the window. Mom was on the bed, she looked asleep. But there was blood on the floor and under the monster. It turned and looked me in the eye." Ichigo shivered and his eyes glazed slightly.

"It spoke to me." Ichigo gulped and gasped. "It called itself the 'Rake'. It told me i was going to be hunted. I moved and it leapt at me. I ran, as fast as i could to get away from it but." Ichigo stopped and blinked. There it was, a small glimpse in his head, a memory. " I tripped, and it was on me, it hurt so much. I rolled away down to the river. It followed me. It drug me away. It burned." Ichigo said eyes still glazed slightly.

"It hurt me, i know that, but there were more wounds that i can't remember." Ichigo said . He was lost in thought for quite a time before he was broken back to reality by Isshin.

He blinked and inhaled slightly. Isshin looked ready to cry. Ichigo sniffed and launched at his father. Tears streaming down his face. "I don't want to remember, any of it. It hurts" Ichigo cried into his father's shoulder. Isshin held onto Ichigo tightly and rocked back and forth slowly. Shiro came up beside them and kneeled into a hug, Kon following Yuzu and Karin creating a family hug of tears.

"I can't hide it anymore." Ichigo gasped through tears. "I don't want to be afraid anymore." He sniffed.

"You won't be alone, not for this, not anymore." Shiro whispered followed by hushed agreements.