Thought of making another horror so here it is. Enjoy.
"Kaoru run!" a voice called from the darkness.
"Wha-? Who's there!?" Kaoru called out as a path was suddenly revealed before her, splattered with blood. A short ways down the hallway she could see where the blood originated, from two very familiar bodies which lay motionless on the floor. Both were girls her age but one had red-orange hair and the other had blond hair. "M-momok-ko? M-miyako!?"
"KAORU! GAHH!" the voice was cut off as Kaoru turned to see Butch in the air, held by a sharp blade which had pierced through his back and out of his chest, before getting tossed to the ground and landing in front of Kaoru.
"Wha- WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!?" Kaoru shouted before the blade struck at her and pierced her chest.
"AAAHHH!" Kaoru cried as she sat up on her bed, panting and sweating at an extreme rate. "Holy mother fucker, what was that?" The sound of her cell phone ringing caught her attention and she quickly picked it up, "Y-yeah, whatisit!?"
"Whoa, you ok Kaoru?" Momoko's voice asked, "You sound out of breath!"
"Huh? Oh, yeah...just...just a nightmare." Kaoru replied as she calmed, "What's up?"
"Don't you remember? You asked me to give you a wakeup call for school since your family is out of the city for a few days." Momoko replied.
"Oh, right..." Kaoru replied, "I'll be there in thirty minutes." Kaoru hung up and swung her legs to the side of her bed before she remembered her dream, "Why would I dream of my best friends being dead? Wait, why was Butch there?" Kaoru got up and began to change for school, but she didn't stop thinking out loud about her dream, "I know we haven't seen him or his brothers in a while, but...wait...just how long has it been? It couldn't have been that long...and WHY do I CARE!?" Shrugging it off, Kaoru made her way out the door and toward school when she spotted Miyako on the other side of the street. "Hey, Miyako!" she called out and waved as Miyako turned to her, waving back and making her way across the street towards Kaoru, looking like her usual happy self...until a short second later she was blindsided by a bus and sent down the street with enough force that the road burn broke her skin and left a skid mark-like trail of blood on the street. Kaoru could only stare in horror at what just occurred, too shocked to scream in horror or run to Miyako's side. It wasn't until she heard a voice, that she reacted.
"Kaoru!" Miyako shouted and Kaoru looked at her with surprise, "Are you ok?"
"B-but, how'd you-!? What did-? Aren't you supposed to be-!?" Kaoru stuttered, looking at the end of the empty street and back at Miyako.
"Kaoru, you're scaring me." Miyako replied, "Are you ok? Do you feel sick?"
"Huh? Oh, no I'm...I'm fine." Kaoru replied while holding her head, "Let's just...get to school." Miyako stared at her for a bit, worried, but nodded and followed her. The walk was silent and very uncomfortable, especially for Kaoru since what she just saw still shocked her to her core. "S-so...what's new?" she asked, trying to break the unnerving silence.
"Oh...umm, oh! Yesterday I found a cute little turtle in the park!" Miyako replied happily.
'Da fuck is a turtle doing in the park?' Kaoru thought to herself.
"Oh! Momoko and I are going to the mall after school, do you want to come?" Miyako asked.
"Uhh...I'll get back to you on that." Kaoru replied, half her mind still back at the morning hallucination, 'Maybe I just haven't had enough sleep.'
"Hey!" a voice called out before they reached the school. Kaoru turned to see Momoko approaching quickly, "You guys study for the test today?"
"Yep." Miyako replied and Kaoru shrugged as she bought a drink in a nearby vending machine, but her drink only managed to be opened before she dropped it on the ground out of shock.
"G-guys...do you see that?" she asked. Momoko and Miyako looked where Kaoru was staring to see three familiar faces headed in their direction.
"Huh...now there's three girls I never thought we'd see again." one of the approaching figures commented.
"Brick, Butch and Boomer." Kaoru replied as she became serious, "What do you guys want?"
"Nothing to do with you." Brick replied, "We just go to school now."
"...Mojo...had you come to school?" Momoko asked unbelievingly.
"No, we got out of there. Couldn't take that monkey's stupidity anymore," Butch replied, however his tone shook a bit, "but in order to lie low we had to get into a foster home for a few days before we were adopted."
"Uhh, so what? We're supposed to believe you're good guys now?" Kaoru replied.
"No, but we're not here to cause some havoc...yet." Brick replied before Boomer elbowed him on his side, "oh, umm actually we were wondering...if you guys...wanted to hang out with us at lunch?"
"...what?" Momoko asked with surprise. Kaoru watched them carefully as they waited for an answer. She noticed that Boomer was looking shyly over at Miyako causing her to blush.
'I can't believe what I'm going to say, but...' she thought to herself, "Sure, why not?"
"WHAT!?" Momoko screeched.
"Uhh...cool, see you guys at lunch I guess..." Butch replied, confused.
"Why did you agree?" Momoko asked once the boys left.
"Why don't you ask Miyako?" Kaoru replied, "You owe me Miyako." she added with a smile as Miyako blushed harder, "Come on, we're going to be la-" Kaoru was cut off as the moment she looked at the school she saw Miyako and Boomer, hung from the balcony side-by-side and Momoko being shoved off the roof. Kaoru fell back out of horror, staring with wide eyes as she began to hyperventilate until a hand landed on her shoulder, causing her to quickly turn her head to see the owner.
"Kaoru?" Miyako asked worried.
"You- I saw- and him-! And Momo-!?" Kaoru stuttered.
"Kaoru? Y-you're doing it again." Miyako replied fearfully.
"Again?" Momoko asked, "What does she mean with 'again'?"
"N-nothing!" Kaoru replied as she began to walk away, "I...I won't be at the first class."
"Wha-? Kaoru!" Momoko called out, but Kaoru was already gone.
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Kaoru was on the roof of the school, holding her head as if it would help keep her sanity, "It wasn't real. It wasn't real. It wasn't real!" she repeated as her eye began to water, "Why? Why do I keep seeing them like this?"
"Hey." a voice called out and caused Kaoru to look up, "You alright?"
"Yes...and I don't need your help Butch!" Kaoru snapped, but Butch didn't look phased by her anger.
"...you see them...don't you?" he asked, catching Kaoru's attention.
"Y-you know?" she asked, "H-how? I mean...why would you know?"
"Because...I saw it too." Butch replied and Kaoru's eyes shot wide open.
"What?" she asked.
"The way you see them...it's ruthless isn't it?" he asked, "Seeing the people you care most about, dead or killed right in front of you. If you see them that way, then you're only at the first stage. It starts with a dream of a hallway, covered in the blood of at least two of the people you care most about, then you see someone unexpected die right in front of your eyes. When you awake, that's the beginning of the first stage...the hallucinations of those people dying."
"Kaoru!" Momoko called out before Kaoru could respond.
"How'd she know I was up here?" Kaoru though out loud.
"Kaoru don't look!" Butch warned, but it was too late as Kaoru saw Momoko running towards them.
"What are you talking about?" she asked, "It's just Momo-" Kaoru never finished her sentence as she watched in horror as Momoko was grabbed from behind by Brick, who pulled out a knife from his pocket and slit her throat, letting her drop to the ground as her blood pooled around her. Kaoru screamed in anger and charged at Brick, but he disappeared before she could reach him. "BRICK YOU FUCKEN SON OF A BITCH!" she screamed before falling to her knees as tears fell from her eyes, "WHY DID YOU KILL HER!?"
"Kaoru!" Butch called out as he approached her, but she ignored him as she realized that she had landed in Momoko's blood, "You! You had something to do with this! Didn't you!?" she shouted as she pointed at butch and he knelt next to her, grabbing her shoulders.
"Kaoru! It isn't real!" he shouted, trying to calm her down.
"HOW IS THIS NOT REAL!?" Kaoru shouted as she showed Butch the blood on her hands, only to find that her hands were clean. She frantically looked around for Momoko's body, but it was nowhere in sight, "Wha-? Where's Momoko!?"
"Kaoru, listen to me!" Butch said as he shook her once to her attention, "It's not real! This...this sickness, or whatever it is, it messes with your brain. It makes you go insane and it's only going to get worse if you don't fight it!"
"How?" Kaoru asked, leaning against Butch and trying to stop her tears as he held her close to comfort her, "Y-you...you said that you saw this too."
"Yes." Butch replied, "Didn't you ever wonder why we disappeared? I left thinking that my brothers were dead. That Mojo had killed them. Did you notice that he hasn't attacked?" Butch let the thought sink in before Kaoru looked up in realization and he continued, "I-...I killed him...I killed him thinking that he killed my brothers. All because of whatever sickness is affecting you. I left the city to find somewhere else to be, I knew the police would be after me for real, but my brothers found me. They told me that the way I killed him was so brutal, the police thought it was a lab accident, but I still refused to come back. I didn't know if this sickness could be spread and I didn't want to risk it. No one should have to suffer from this."
"How...how did you get past this?" Kaoru asked.
"In the dream, the unexpected person you saw die right before you is...well, what you could call your beacon of hope." Butch replied, "They hold some importance to you, strong enough that they could help you through this." Butch noticed that Kaoru was blushing, "Are you having another hallucination?"
"Uhh...no its just...are they the only ones that can help you?" Kaoru asked.
"No, it's mostly the thought that helps you, the thought of seeing them again. The very thought that if you could overcome this, you will be able to spend more time with them. If they're with you, it could help speed up the process." Butch explained, "How you overcome this, is up you. What can convince you that you have the power, or the help, that you could avoid these incidents?"
"But, I HAVE the power to avoid this!" Kaoru replied.
"I've looked deeply into this. This sickness affects people like us, people who have the power to avoid harm to those we care about, but deep inside, we have doubts." Butch replied, "What is it that you fear will make it impossible for you to protect the others?"
"I...I don't know." Kaoru replied, "I guess...the return of HIM."
"Kaoru, you guys stopped him." Butch replied, "He's not coming back anytime soon, and if he does, we've got your back."
"You?" She asked, "...why?"
"Well, Boomer's kinda got a crush on your friend Miyako." Butch replied.
"Oh...can I ask you something?" Kaoru asked.
"Sure." he replied.
"...who was your beacon?" Kaoru asked after a few seconds.
"What?" Butch asked.
"Who was...the unexpected person...that is...important to you?" she asked and Butch blushed.
"Well...it was...you." he replied.
"M-me? You wanted to stay alive to see me again...why?" Kaoru asked.
"Well...you could say that we have a lot in common." Butch replied, "We love sports, video games, and fighting. I guess you could also say you're kind of...cute- oof!" Kaoru cut him off with a punch to the gut.
"Don't call me cute...but...thanks...I guess." she replied and Butch laughed.
"So, who was your beacon?" he asked.
"Uhh...well...it was..." Kaoru thought for something to save her.
"Was it...me?" Butch asked almost knowingly.
"Don't get it the wrong way, I just couldn't live without a worthy opponent." Kaoru replied, flinching at her response.
"I...I get it." Butch replied with a hint of sadness in his voice.
"There you guys are." a voice commented. Kaoru and Butch looked behind them to see Momoko and Brick running up to them, "We've been looking for you for about an hour already."
"It takes an hour to end up at the roof?" Butch asked.
"Uhh...well...we had to make a stop...somewhere." Brick replied with a wink at Momoko, who was blushing.
Kaoru leaned in towards her, "Meaning...?" she asked.
"Well...you see...we were-"
"You made out with him didn't you?" Kaoru asked.
"It was like heaven." Momoko replied, "He even tasted like candy."
"...how did you even come to that?" Kaoru asked.
"That's my secret." Momoko replied, "So, you ran to get some alone time with Butch didn't you?"
'Butch!' Kaoru thought to herself as she turned to see Butch talking to his brother with his head down, both their backs to them, 'I guess...it wouldn't be too bad to give him a chance...he IS helping me with these hallucinations.' "Hey Butch."
"Yeah?" Butch replied as he and Brick turned to look at the girls.
"You were...uh..." 'Come on, think!' she thought to herself, "asking me about watching a movie?"
"He was!?" Momoko squealed as a small smile appeared on Butch's face.
"Uhh...yeah, that's right...tonight?" Butch replied. 'Hmm...maybe with the others too, might make things less intimidating, "With the others." he added, "I was going to get my brothers to ask your friends."
"So a triple date!?" Momoko asked, "We'd love to!"
"Cool, how about we meet up here at six?" Brick asked.
"Sure, we just need to tell the two love birds downstairs." Kaoru replied.
"We'll tell them at lunch, for now...we should go back to class with a good excuse." Butch replied causing all of them to laugh.
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After managing to convince the teacher that Kaoru wasn't feeling well as the reason to their tardiness, all of them managed to get back into class and were sitting in their seats, watching the clock and waiting for it to mark noon. Kaoru was halfway in her head as she watched the clock, 'Hmm...he said this would get worse if I didn't fight it...I don't want to know what the second stage is either. More importantly, do I really feel something for Butch? Especially now that he practically confessed to me? ...I...I think I just might...it would explain why he was the unexpected person in my dream...and we do have a lot in common.' A smile began to make its way onto her face, 'Great, now I'm all giddy...but I guess it's for the best reason...I've fallen for Butch.'
"Kaoru!" Miyako whispered, managing to finally get her attention.
"Huh? What is it?" Kaoru whispered back.
"Nothing." Miyako replied in a normal pitch and tone before smiling, pulling out a knife from her desk, and slitting her own throat.
"MIYAKO!" Kaoru cried out as she stumbled off her chair. Miyako slumped onto her desk, painting it with her blood and with her smile still on her face. "Miyako! Miyako! WHY?"
"Kaoru!" Momoko shouted, causing Kaoru to look around, noticing that everyone was staring at her in confusion, then back to Miyako's desk only to find that Miyako was ok...scared shitless, but ok none the less.
"Kaoru, just calm down and take a deep breath." their teacher instructed. Kaoru began to hyperventilate again, gripping her head as if it were falling apart.
"Kaoru, please!" Miyako asked, on the verge of crying as she got on her knees in front of her, "Tell us what's wrong!" Kaoru didn't respond, rather she sat on the cold floor, trying to comprehend why she saw that.
'C-could this be stage two!?' she asked herself mentally, 'Watching your loved ones commit suicide!?' Kaoru looked up only to realize that she was not in the classroom, but rather the nurse's office and Butch was sleeping in a chair next to her. "Wh-what happened?" she asked herself and waking Butch.
"You ok?" he asked, "You spaced out and had to be carried here."
"I-I...I saw Miyako commit suicide." she replied shakily.
"You know it wasn't real." Butch replied as he sat next to her on the side of the bed.
"How can I get through this?" she asked, "I'm starting to have a hard time telling what's real and what I'm imagining!" Kaoru felt Butch wrap his arms around her.
"Don't worry." he replied, "I don't care how long it takes, I'll stay by your side until your better."
"B-butch...thank you." Kaoru replied as she leaned on his chest, taking in the comfort he was fully offering to her, 'He really does feel that way...just like me.' she thought before she fell over. Kaoru quickly sat up and examined her surroundings, noticing a doctor with a clipboard across a table in front of her, a security guard at a door, a nurse helping her up, and she herself had a restraint jacket. "Wha-? What's going on!?"
The doctor sighed, "And we were making such good progress too Kaoru."
"What are you talking about!?" Kaoru asked, "Where's Butch!? Where are Momoko and Miyako!? Brick and Boomer!?" The guard at the door neared Kaoru.
The doctor sighed again as he signaled the guard to stand down, "We'll just have to try again. Kaoru...Miyako and Boomer are watching this from a one way window right now, Brick and Momoko died in a volcano fight against HIM (they took Him down with them), and...*sigh* this is always the tough part...you killed Butch." Kaoru's eyes shot wide open.
"N-NO! THAT'S NOT TRUE!" she shouted.
"I'm afraid it is." the doctor replied.
"NO! NO I DIDN'T!" Kaoru shouted, "I FELL IN LOVE WITH HIM! I WOULD NEVER KILL HIM! I WANTED TO BE WITH HIM! I MET HIM THIS MORNING WITH HIS BROTHERS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN WHO KNOWS HOW LONG!"
"Kaoru, you've been in this facility for three years now." the doctor replied, "Butch is dead. You killed him by accident during a fight with Mojo Jojo (Who is serving a life sentence). He had taken Butch as a meat shield against one of your attacks after getting you riled up. You didn't do it on purpose."
"NO! TH-THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Kaoru shouted as tears streamed down her cheeks, "IT CAN'T BE TRUE! I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!"
The doctor sighed once more before calling over the nurse and whispering something to her, then she quickly made her way out the door before the doctor turned back to Kaoru, "We came close this time, so I am asking your friends to make more frequent visits, and maybe we'll finally be able to release you in six months. Have a nice day Kaoru. Security, you may escort her back to her room."
"Where are you going!?" Kaoru asked, struggling against the guard as he dragged her away, "Let me out of this! Butch, help! BUTCH!"
"Doctor, will she really have to be in here another six months?" Miyako asked as the doctor entered the observation room.
"I'm afraid so." the doctor replied, "She's gone back to square one, but she may be able to finally make a full- umm...well...a recovery by the end of the year. I find it interesting that when she falls back, she always acts out events that lead to her next belief of what is true. Last time was a powerful alien invasion, and this time it was a psychological sickness." he made his way past them, but not far enough unfortunately, as he added in a whisper, "fascinating."
"I hate to see her liked this." Miyako said as she cried into Boomers chest while he hugged her close.
"I know you do, but soon she'll be able to move on." Boomer replied as the sound of Kaoru's protest began to fade into the back of the facility.
"No no no no no! Butch isn't dead." Kaoru said to herself before looking at her wall, her expression turning into a neutral one then one of confusion, "What was I thinking about again? *gasp* No way! Momoko, is that Butch, Brick and Boomer? I thought they were gone for good. ...I don't believe that they just gave up."
"Hey, she's doing it again." a guard called out to a nearby nurse.
"I'll get the doctor." she sighed.
Kaoru stood in the middle of the room, a sly smile making its way onto her face, "So what you're saying Butch, is that you want to go out with me? I'd...have to think about it. ...Yes!" Kaoru suddenly started looking around the room, frantically searching for something. "Wh-where am I? Butch? Butch where are you!? BUTCH!?"
Miyako could hear the cries of her friend as she looked back from outside the gate. She couldn't hold back her tears at the lettering at the top of the gate naming the building she and Boomer had just left, "Megaville Behavioral and Mental Corrections Facility".