A/N: I do not own these characters or the story's world. This fan fiction is based off of the original work of the series creator Maybe. This story references many characters and events from the Tasogare Otome x Amnesia manga.
A lone girl lays restlessly upon her, futon unable to sleep as the moonlight beams in through her window revealing the emptiness of the room. Her love for her dwelling is nonexistent due to her arriving at the residence two weeks ago, after hearing of her parents' death. The sound of footsteps outside of the room causes her eyes to focus intently on the door.
"Kirie, are you asleep?"
The child removes the sheets from her mouth before answering the woman's question.
"I can't sleep, Grandmother. I'm still not used to staying here."
Her grandmother releases an audible chuckle into the room before shutting the door.
"You're only six so I guess it can't be helped," she says making her way to her granddaughter's location.
Sitting with her legs crossed above the child on the futon, her hand pats her lap, signaling for the child to rest her head there. Kirie quickly obliges, and the soft touch of her grandmother's fingers sliding through her black locks begets a smile of contentment. She momentarily slips into a void of happiness before she is brought back to reality by an unknown object colliding with her face. She glances upwards to see stream of tears inching down her grandmother's wrinkled cheeks.
"Why are you crying?"
Her grandmother hastily tries to regain her composure as her hand wipes the tears from her eyes. The aforementioned question in the air lingers while her relative shifts her eyesight elsewhere. Fighting to draw a smile onto her face, she rubs the child's head with a sense of playfulness before finally answering her question.
"It's because I'm happy."
Kirie's worries dissipate almost instantly as the woman's words enter into her ears. A childish grin crosses her face again, and she throws her grandmother's recent show of emotion to the wayside.
I guess she must always be happy.
Kirie steps through the threshold of her home, and notices that there are no shoes at the entrance of the hallway.
I guess grandmother is away.
The door produces a rhythmic sound before the collision between it and the wall echoes through the confined space. Kirie's feet touch the hardened floor as she separates herself from her shoes, before entering the hallway.
"I'm home!"
Exiting from the hall, two distinct crashes reverberate throughout the living area. The teenager lay sprawled on the floor, staring upwards at the dull ceiling while her school bag rests next to her by the table. Her mind desperately tries to clear the jumbled math lessons from today's lecture from itself, wanting to become as blank as the ceiling above. Breaking her eyesight from the roof, her eyes find themselves locked onto a particular book placed on the underside of the table. Reaching for the object, she takes hold and stares at the cover.
A photo album?
Kirie repositions herself vertically before placing the album on the table. She opens the book, letting the covers slam against the wood before taking her fingers and flipping through the pages. The album's pages hold images ranging from single shots of her grandmother, Kirie's parents, her grandmother with other children, and images of Seikyou Academy. As Kirie nears the final pages of the album, a certain photo catches grasps at her hand. It's a simple image of two girls smiling in front of the school building. Her eyes fixate on the two women before she flips back through the beginning of the pictures, noticing that in every single photo but this specific one, her grandmother's smile seems to be different, as though it's somehow forced. Returning to the picture in question, the writing at the bottom of the photo draws her attention.
Yuuko and me in front of the school.
Kirie's eyes examine the female's features. Jealousy hits her in the face as she notices her endowed chest, long, black hair, towering stature, and friendly smile. Besides those features, she notices that her face is incredibly similar to her grandmother's and herself. Removing the photo from the book, she stares at it almost as if she is obsessed with this mystery person.
Who is this Yuuko girl?
Kirie's head jets upwards as suddenly she hears the house door open and close. Someone's footsteps echo through the hall before their body appears from within the narrow hallway. Her alert-state drops as her grandmother comes into the room, bearing a tired smile.
"Good evening, Grandmother Yukariko."
The elderly woman walks over to her granddaughter and places her hand on top of the girl's head.
"Good evening, Kirie. What are you doing?"
"I was resting when I found this photo album. The pictures are great, but I'm curious about this photo," she says, moving the image of her obsession upwards.
The smile on her guardian's face immediately disintegrates as she sees the photo. The mood within the room feels as though they'd just been teleported to a cemetery at night. The elderly female's eyes darts away from the picture and with a low voice answers the girl's question.
"That's my older sister Yuuko and I."
Kirie's expression quickly turns depressed as she hears for the first time in fourteen years that Yukariko has a sibling. Taking the image from her grandmother's hand, she places the photograph on the table before shifting her focus back to her grandmother. Her turned-head hides the pained expression on her face as liquid leaves her eyes. Kirie can perceive the sound of her heart ripping in two upon seeing her grandmother lose her composure in front of her, but she just has to keep digging.
"Where is she now?"
"She died when she was fifteen," she instantly answers.
The atmosphere within the room darkens more as the two women purposely avoid contact with one-another. Kirie's curiosity, though only paining her grandmother, propels her forwards in gathering information from her guardian.
"How did she die?"
The woman doesn't answer here, but soon Kirie hears muffled words come from her mouth.
"She was so stupid."
Kirie stands up after seeing the woman's' shuddering shoulders. She takes a cautious step forward with the intent of soothing her grandmother's pain. She outstretches her arm, but before her appendage makes contact, Yukariko's body lurches forward, evading her touch.
"I'm sorry, but let's drop this subject," she says, walking away and not looking into the girl's eyes again.
When she's gone, Kirie focuses on the picture once more, examining the smile the two girls are wearing before closing the photo album and taking possession of the photo.
I've never seen grandmother look happy as she is in that picture. This Yuuko person's death obviously caused her a lot of pain.
The classroom door flies open as students bolt out of their confinement. Laughter and tears fly everywhere as the school day draws to a close amongst the children at the academy. Kirie grabs her bag and removes herself from her seat. Following suit, she leaves the room and enters the rushing sea of students. Her brain is slowly coming down on the excessive amount of information that was drilled into her head earlier that day, blocking out the sounds of chatter around her.
I can't wait to be done with this class.
The multitude of students begins to thin out as they all make their way to the entrance of the school. Kirie is suddenly ripped back into reality, however, when a girl slams into her, dropping her books on the ground. The girl's face turns bright red as she gives her a worried look, bowing to her in shame.
"I'm so sorry."
Squatting down, the attacker grabs each of her books, attempting to dodge the feet of other students. Tired of seeing the female's desperate attempts, Kirie squats down and assists the girl in retrieving her books. After gathering the last one, they both stand and look at each other. The clumsy student bows her hand at Kirie once again.
"Thanks for helping me get my things."
"No problem."
Kirie watches the young woman run off in the other direction before disappearing amongst the crowd of students littering the corridor. Mentally patting herself on the shoulder for her good-deed, she turns to continue her journey towards the entrance when her body halts. Several yards down the hall, she sees a girl with long, black hair, and seductive, pink lips sitting on a window-sill and gazing happily at the numerous students crossing her path. She looks surprisingly similar to...
No, my eyes must be playing tricks on me. Yuuko's dead and there's no way ghosts are real.
Continuing her journey towards the exit, however, she could feel something nag at her. Pulling the picture into her mind's eye, she stares at it while simultaneously paying attention to her surroundings. An eerie feeling creeps over Kirie at the uncanny resemblance between the woman in photograph and the girl near her.
I'm sure it's just a figment of my imagination.
Thoughts of her guardian's saddened face cross her mind as she passes the dead girl. Kirie's eyes avoid making contact with her in hopes of not drawing attention to herself. As she progresses a few windows ahead, she parks her body onto the window seat and attempts to deal tremors beginning to occur within her.
Why is this annoying me so much? What should I do? I know, I can prove to myself that it's not her. I'll just wait until she's by herself and have a nice conversation. That way, if I offend her, it won't be so awkward.
Kirie's eyes discretely scan the area of the hallway, taking in Yuuko's non-responsive reactions to the children. While she looks at her relative's movements, doubt climbs up the young woman's back and into her mind to wreak havoc on her fear of the supernatural.
What if that really is Yuuko? Is she really the person that drags you into the old school building to be killed? What do I do if she sees me following her?
As the crowds of children thin and noises begin to dissipate within the hallway, Kirie sees the ghost get up and begin walking in the direction away from the entrance. She imitates her and begins to tail her into the deeper parts of the building, fear lingering in the back of her mind.
What the hell am I doing?
The sun's rays have turned a dark orange, presenting the halls with a supernatural feel as the colors blend with the different shades and styles of the structures. The longer she follows the girl, the more she notices that the parts of the building are beginning to look more archaic and frail. Her mind continues to nag her to end her pursuit, but curiosity has her body on auto pilot. She comes to a hallway that forks off into three different directions. Checking down each corridor, she is unable to find a trace of her target, and this causes her to release a sigh.
Good going, Kirie. You lost her.
Turning around, she heads back towards her original destination. Retracing her footsteps along the way, she navigates the familiar corridors like the back of her hand. The setting sun begins to cast shadows that make the hairs on her body stand on end. She dawns a mask of joy as she finds herself almost to the main hall.
Home free!
Kirie turns the corner, but as quickly as she places the mask on, it is ripped right back off again. Upon seeming the shadowy figure looming over her, her blood freezes and her eyes begin to tear up in fright. Her body trembles uncontrollably as she stares upwards at the endowed chest of a female, hair dancing like snakes, red-eyes darker than blood. Her skin is peeling, her clothes are tattered, and the disgusting smell of blood hangs in the air.
So I was right after all…
The two stare at each other for several moments before the entity shows its razor, sharp fangs to the girl. Her heart rate increases exponentially as the figure begins to move its arm towards her. Tears begin to fall down Kirie's face while the figure gets closer. Just before the being touches her, it disappears. Kirie's deer-like stance persists for a few moments more before she rockets towards the schools entrance, not daring to turn back.
Kirie and her grandmother sit quietly at the table, eating their dinner, before her grandmother breaks the silence.
"How was your day?"
Kirie tries not to let the image of Yuuko's ghastly form ruin her moment with her guardian, but find that it's easier said than done.
Should I tell her I that I saw Yuuko?
She looks up at her stoic face as she places the chopsticks to her mouth.
"It was alright," she says, giving the woman a fake smile as she fights off the minor tremors occurring from her fear.
The time goes by yet again before anyone decides to speak. With Yuuko still lingering on Kirie's mind, her curiosity increases, causing her to deliver the next question.
"Forgive me for asking, but how was Yuuko's personality?"
Her grandmother stops eating and stares down at her plate for a moment.
"She was calm, logical to a fault, and cared about people too much."
The image of Yuuko in the picture and Yuuko at the school enter her head, forcing her next question to leave her mouth quickly.
"Do I remind you of her," she asks, causing the mood in the room to drop significantly.
Her grandmother nods her head.
"Enough so that I could say you were sisters."
Kirie lies on her futon, holding up the picture she took from her grandmother's photo album. The site of her grandmother's face next to Yuuko's opens the gate for sadness to creep its way into her heart. While she looks at Yuuko's smiling face, she can't stop herself from visualizing the girl's dead skin, disheveled hair, and that nauseating smell.
That isn't the person that grandmother grew up with. That is a disgusting being bent on causing people pain and suffering.
Kirie lowers the picture onto the top of her futon and stares blankly at the ceiling.
Why does such a grotesque thing have to have a face like mine? Why do we have to be a part of the same family?
She turns onto her side and looks out at the moon that fills the sky. Taking another glance at the picture, she can feel her heart begin to harden as she remembers her grandmother's words.
She was so stupid.
The photo lands on the side of her futon as she releases it from her grip. Turning away from the light of the moon, she closes her eyes and readies herself for another day of school.
If only my grandmother wouldn't have had you as a sister. She could be happy right now.
A number of days have passed since Kirie had her situation with Yuuko's ghost roaming the halls. The children at the academy still act the same, no missing people or paranormal mishaps plaguing the school. As the bell rings, the children swarm the halls once again, with no regard for each other's safety. Like usual, Kirie is the last person to leave the room, attempting to avoid being trampled by the other students wanting to get home. As she swims through the sea of people, the smile of a blonde young man catches her attention as he passes her.
"You're ridiculous, Yuuko."
The mention of the girl's name forces Kirie's head to spin around and follow the boy's trailing voice. She can spot the top of his blonde hair amongst his short frame, and standing next to him she sees a girl with scruffy hair and a darkened skin complexion.
Is that monster after that boy?
Kirie reverses direction and follow the two through the various corridors of the school, ultimately ending up on the rooftop. The two make their way to the railing overlooking the edge of the building, and Kirie positions herself behind the water tower, away from their sight. Kirie's eyes look on at the duo as they hug, talk, and reminisce about the events of the day. Yuuko hangs all over the boy like a lost-puppy finding a master after many days. The words that exit the thing's mouth makes Kirie's stomach turn.
"I should be getting home," the boy says with a hint of worry in his voice.
Yuuko corners the young man against the rail and presses her peeling skin against his face.
"What's wrong with us being alone? Do you not like me anymore, Teiichi?"
Teiichi blushes, as he can now stare down the young woman's uniform, revealing her decaying breasts to him.
"That's not it. Everyone else is gone home…"
"It's more romantic this way, right? Being alone… under the colors of the evening sun..."
A thud emits from the rooftop as Yuuko causes the young blonde to fall over, with her on top of him.
How shameless is this thing I'm looking at?
"I know. You're thinking about sex, aren't you? It's okay if you are."
Grabbing her neckerchief, she unravels it, letting it fall on the boy's chest. Teiichi face brightens as her breasts become more exposed to him.
"W-will you p-please not undress on top of me?"
"It's okay if it's for you. I'll show you ever inch of me."
Kirie moves her sight from the two and hides near the area housing the door to the inside of the building. Kirie's heart is on fire after seeing the performance between the boy and the abomination.
This creature is despicable. It has no respect for itself and only lusts after men. What would grandmother do if she saw this eye-sore?
Turning back to the couple, she shakes her head as Yuuko gives the boy a kiss on the cheek.
I need to deal with that thing before she takes his soul.
TO BE CONTINUED...
