Constant Cravings
By Nami
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(I don't own these characters. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi. It's nice if you've seen Laughing Target, just so that you know who these ppl are, but it isn't necessary.)
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Shiga Yuzuru, his wife of nearly ten years, Satomi, and their seven-year-old daughter Asuka stood on the
train platform, waving to Satomi's mother, who had just visited the family from Tokyo.
"Papa," Asuka said as the family turned back to their car, "when will Grandma and Grandpa Shiga come visit us?"
"Maybe next year, honey." Satomi took her little daughter's hand and smiled down at her. The girl had long black hair with red highlights and wide blue-green eyes. Sometimes, when she wasn't careful while looking at her daughter, Satomi would see Yuzuru's dead cousin and fiancée, Azusa, in her daughter's innocent smile. This was one of those times. She blinked and turned her eyes forward. Azusa is dead. She rationalized to herself. She has been for over a decade. And Asuka does not look like her!
"Satomi," she shook her head and turned her eyes to her husband.
"Yes?"
"You almost walked past the car." He was looking at her curiously. "You okay?"
"Huh? Yeah! I'm fine!" she smiled and pushed the thoughts of Azusa out of her mind as she sang along with the radio on the way home.
--*--
She was running. The ground was rough and scratched at her dirty feet. She was wearing her pink bathrobe, which was tattered and torn in many places. Her breathing was coming hard as she swiped the tears that were falling on her cheeks. Help me!
"Yuzuru-chan is mine!" she could hear the steady footsteps and even breathing as her pursuer followed her through the trees. "He's mine! Nobody will take him from me!" Gnarled, grasping hands caught the hem of her bathrobe. She could feel the claws graze her unprotected calves as she was jerked around. She closed her eyes, hearing the terrible hissing and the smell of decay on the breath as she waited for her death. When it didn't come, she slowly cracked open one eye…
…and looked down into a pair of blue-green eyes, the irises rimmed in red. Fangs protruded from the savagely grinning mouth.
"Nobody will take Yuzuru-chan away!" the voice was inches from her ear. "Not even you…Mama." It was Asuka's voice. Cruel and hissing, but it was Asuka's!
"No!" Satomi started awake with the shouted negation. Yuzuru jumped beside her and pushed himself up onto his elbows.
"Satomi," he said groggily, "what's wrong?"
"A-Azusa was… Azusa…was—Asuka!" she screamed her daughter's name and the girl was there in an instant. Her dark hair was disheveled and her eyes were wide in shock as she stood in the bedroom door, her white sleeping yukatta shining in the moonlight.
"Mama?" she asked, her voice trembling. "What's wrong?" Satomi just stared at her as if she were a stranger.
"Come here, himeko." Yuzuru motioned his daughter to the futon he and Satomi shared and the small girl crawled in to sit between her parents.
"Papa," she whispered, "is Mama okay?"
"Yes, honey." Satomi finally recovered her voice and pulled her little daughter into a trembling embrace. "I just had a bad dream. That's all." Yuzuru looked at his wife warily as he rubbed Asuka's back absently. Something was very wrong in the Shiga family.
--*--
Yuzuru brought it up after Satomi took Asuka to school and the two were cleaning breakfast dishes. Since his family was an old one—and a wealthy one, at that—Yuzuru could afford to be home as often as he liked, considering he worked for the family business.
"Satomi," he said gently after putting the last bowl in the cupboard.
"Hmm?"
"About your dream last night," he began, "you mentioned Azusa."
Satomi bit her lip and concentrated on draining the sink. After a long pause, she said quietly, "I saw her. She was chasing me. She caught me this time, and when I turned around, it was Asuka I was looking at."
"What?"
"I don't know. I don't really understand it…" she trailed off and stared into the distance.
"Satomi?"
"Huh? Oh! Forget it! It was just a dream!" she smiled, but Yuzuru could see that it was forced. He wanted to pursue the subject, but let it drop instead.
--*--
Satomi stood in Asuka's bedroom door and watched the little girl sleep. She had never noticed before just how much her daughter resembled her husband's cousin. Her hair had more red in it and her eyes were blue-green, but in every other way, she was the possessed girl's double. Satomi suppressed a shudder and turned away, closing the door firmly behind her before going to the room she and Yuzuru shared.
--*--
The locks were secured. Good. The monsters wouldn't get her. Satomi would not let them have her daughter! She made sure the newly installed bolts on the girl's bedroom door and window worked before returning to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Yuzuru would be home soon and she would call Asuka inside and they would eat, just like they always did.
Then they would watch TV until it was time for Asuka to go to bed. Then Satomi would secure the locks herself before going to bed. And her baby would be safe.
Satomi smiled to herself as she watched Asuka through the kitchen window. You're safe, baby. She thought. Mama will protect you.
--*--
They were on her. All over her. Tearing at her skin, trying to devour her. Then Yuzuru was there, and he tore them off of her and held her.
It had happened before. But this time, there was a twist. She was in a coffin and she couldn't get out. She could feel them on her and she was powerless to get them off. In the distance, she heard banging and Asuka's voice calling to Yuzuru, telling him to come away. To come to her. Yuzuru was trying to help her and Asuka was pulling him away. She tried calling out, tried telling him to stop and help her. But the Ghosts crawled into her mouth, into her throat.
"Satomi…" he was calling to her. "Satomi… ake…p…please! Asuka… what…you…?!"
Satomi felt herself being shaken. Her eyes flew open and she rolled hysterically before focusing on Yuzuru. She nearly sobbed in relief. Then she heard why Yuzuru was trying to wake her so frantically. Asuka was pounding on her bedroom door, sobbing for Yuzuru and Satomi to help her.
"Asuka!" Satomi jumped to her feet and rushed to the door, nearly sobbing. They had gotten her. Despite all of Satomi's precautions, the damned Ghosts got to Asuka. Oh, gods! She cried out silently as she fumbled with the bolt. Don't let us be too late. Gods! She got the door unlocked and flung it open.
And came face to face with Azusa. The dead girl was grinning at her in sickening triumph, her Ghosts all around her, on the walls and floor. Satomi, blinded by rage at seeing her old nemesis, lunged at her throat with a feral scream. Strange, she didn't remember Azusa being so thin. Shouldn't her throat be larger?
--
"Satomi!" Yuzuru had rushed into the room on his wife's heels. He almost stopped when she lunged at Asuka, clawing at the girl's throat, but his daughter's anguished cry had pulled him forward. He pulled at his wife's shoulders until she turned and looked at him. He froze when he saw her eyes.
They were red.
--
She won't win! I won't lose to her! He's mine! MINE!
I have to… feed… to kill. For them. They give me the power to keep him. I owe them. I'll give her to them…!
Satomi woke from a fitful sleep with a start and looked around her frantically. She relaxed when she saw the plain white walls of her room. She was lying in her own comfortable bed, pristine white sheets tangled around her legs. Oh dear, that wouldn't do. She untangled herself and straightened her sheets and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Satomi," a voice came from the door, "you have a visitor." Satomi turned and smiled.
--
I hate this. I hate visiting her like this. It's been nearly twenty years now. Papa died two years ago. He said he didn't want to live when she was… like this.
He told me the whole story. About his cousin whom the Ghosts had possessed and how they had fought her and killed her. Azusa was her name. He showed me pictures. She was very beautiful. Mama said once that I looked a bit like her.
I walk into the room, the same way I have for the past two years, every weekend. She's sitting on her bed, smiling at me. Her hair, more white than red now, is a mess of tangles. Some days she lets me comb it for her. I smile at her.
"Good morning, Mama-san." I say, smiling. That's what I call her, "mama-san". And she calls me "musume-chan". She says that we can play at being mother and daughter because she doesn't have any family. The first time she said that to me, I wanted to scream and rave. I nearly cried aloud: I am your daughter! Look at me, Mama! Remember me! But the doctors say that won't do anything.
"Musume-chan!" her smile brightens. She used to be very beautiful, before the madness made her thin and drawn. "I knew you would come!"
"Of course, Mama-san." I move and sit beside her. "May I comb your hair out for you?"
"Oh yes, please!" she hands me her brush and comb from the small table beside her bed. I love to brush her hair. It's longer now than she used to keep it, it's nearly to the middle of her back now. I comb it and braid it for her. Then we sing. We always sing together. The lullaby she used to sing to me when I was a child. Before all of this happened.
"Asuka…" she whispers. I start at the sound of my name.
"Mama… san?"
"I'm sorry, dear. I always loved that name. Asuka." She smiles. "I wanted to name my first daughter that. But I Yuzuru-kun and I never had any children…"
"I'm sorry to hear that." I whisper. I don't really trust my voice right now. Gods, it hurts to see her this way.
"I like your dress." She says, looking at the simple, blue dress I'm wearing. "You have such pretty clothes."
"Thank you." I say, smiling again.
"You're so pretty."
"I bought something for you, Mama-san." I say, and I stand up. I went shopping with a nurse so that I could be sure that what I bought her would be allowed by the hospital. I move to the chair where I left my jacket and purse and pick up the box I bought for her.
As she opens the box, she looks like my little son on his birthday. She always like the color pink, so I bought her three things: a pink bathrobe, a pink nightgown, and a plain pink dress without any pockets. She giggles and holds the dress up. It's a light summer dress made of light cotton.
"May I change now?" she asks excitedly. I laugh.
"If you want. I'll help you with the buttons." She smiles gratefully and pulls her pajamas off. After the dress is buttoned, she spins to model it. "You look beautiful, Mama-san. I have one like it at home. Mine is green, though."
"Wear it next time you come! Then we'll match!" she's so like a little girl. I nod and stand up.
"I have to go now, Mama-san. I need to pick up some groceries before I go home. But I'll come back next week and stay longer, okay?" I hug her and move towards the door.
"Bring ribbons next time!" she cries excitedly. "We'll braid our hair!"
"Yes, Mama-san." I smile again and leave.
"Asuka-san!" I turn to see the nurse I shop with running towards me. She's carrying a small note. "Your husband is on the phone." I smile and nod. I follow the nurse to the nurse's station and pick up the phone.
"Daisuke-kun? Is something wrong?"
"It- It's Yuuto. He's been in an accident."
"Accident? Oh my god, is he okay?"
"He's covered in blood, but he doesn't have a scratch on him. There was another boy with him. They went into the forest near the house. The other boy hasn't been found." I don't say anything. I know what's happened. I can tell. "Asuka?"
"I- I-" It's back. The Craving is back.
.:.the end.:.