Chapter 1: The Connection
Her name was Ai.
She'll send your tormentor straight into the depths of Hell, but everything must have a price.
By pulling the scarlet thread you bind yourself into a covenant with her, and after she fulfills her end of the bargain then comes your part of the deal. You'll never know the light of heaven as you suffer for all eternity, but that's not until after you die.
Death, was something Ai would never know.
Well, she thought she understood once when she, herself, was ferried to Hell, but she'd been there so many times it just didn't seem real.
Her name was Ai, she was the Hell Girl, and she'd remain so for all eternity.
Closing her heart for good, that would be her new strategy. She'd done well to not let anyone in before, but lately there had been slip ups.
Ever since her memories of Sentaro and that horrible night 400 years ago came back she related more and more to the clients that were victims of human cruelty. First was the boy, who she refused to ferry to Hell, and then there was Yuzuki, who'd affected her so much she accepted this fate as eternal Hell Girl.
Nothing would ever challenge, there would be many clients, so there was no more room for error.
"Kitty!"
Still, Ai could easily find herself annoyed at Kikuri's screams. The purple haired girl grabbed the tail of their newest Hell Correspondence.
Kavito, a black long haired cat, hissed and scratched at the girl.
"Kikuri," Ai spoke, "stop."
Kikuri pouted before dropping the cat and running off to start more chaos. The cat, on the other hand, sat up straight to keep eye contact with its mistress as it spoke.
"The girl I've been tailing once again accessed the site," Kavito reported in a voice that almost sounded completely uninterested with his own information, "typed his name in, then backspaced, exit. "
Ren had been near, prepared to restrain Kikuri if she annoyed the mistress any further.
"This is the fourth time this month. Probably already heard rumors about us and doesn't think this guy is worth going to Hell when she dies. Can't blame her."
Kavito shook his head, "Hell isn't a factor in this She is just a ball of unneeded drama. One minute she wants to be best friends with him, the next she wants him dead. Her hate, though temporary, is pretty strong."
Kavito the cat was their scout. It took a lot of hate and anger for someone to pull the scarlet thread, but not to access the website.
Back when the Hell Correspondence advertised in the paper or on a bulletin board there were tricks to make it show to the right person. The internet was a different beast they had yet to tame. As long as it was midnight the site could be accessed by some who had negative vibes. Ai couldn't keep appearing to the wrong people who couldn't take her offer seriously, so Kavito senses the distress, fear, and hate in people.
Odd, since Kavito felt none of these emotions himself.
"Keep an eye on her still," Ai instructed, "hate is an emotion that will eventually outweigh all others."
The cat nodded, "I left out an interesting piece of information. The man she wants to send to Hell… they've never even met. They are internet acquaintances I believe."
Ai didn't really care, but for a moment acknowledged that this didn't happen often. Civilians wanted politicians or celebrities dead, but there was never enough hate in their heart for Ai to accept the job. Other than those occasions the clients had always physically met their tormentors.
"We don't really need to be concerned with our mark unless she goes forward with her wish," Ai spoke before going to see how her Grandma was doing, "make sure she isn't wasting our time when she finally does enter the name."
Kavito nodded all of a sudden disappearing to do his job. Kikuri just pouted, Ai never let her play on the computer, the cat was gone, and there wasn't any strangers around to torment.
My name is Brooke, and I'd me a guy on the Internet, we had such a close connection, a connection I'd never felt before.
We both roleplayed, played a few video games, so we became friends. Like most men do he asked for my picture. I'm not ugly, but I'm not a perfect ten, I mean I spend most of my time gaming or surfing the web, what would one to expect? So I'd gone on to Facebook, stole one of my friend's pictures and gave it to him just to shut him up.
That's when the trouble began.
Well it wasn't really trouble in the beginning.
"You should call me sometime," he'd text me, "I'd love to hear your voice."
I'd smile as I'd sit in bed and just text all night, "I think my voice is gross you know, so how about not?"
"Awww you suck Brooke."
"Calling me by my real name? How informal of you I don't even know your real name AxeMan."
"That's because my name isn't as pretty as yours. You doing anything?"
"Nope just sitting in bed texting until I fall asleep, you?"
"I know let's play the question game, you ask something, then I'll ask you something."
Part of me knew he only had an interest in me, because the illusion I put up was what most nerdy guys like AxeMan dreamed of. A really attractive girl who liked video games and roleplaying games. Knowing that I was a liar, perhaps I should have put up a wall to stop myself from getting hurt right then and there, but instead I played this little game.
The question game was a fun little activity to keep me occupied when I was bored, I didn't really find out much interesting information about him, but he wanted to know a lot about me. I think I was a selfish creature, because what drew me to him was his interest in me. He'd gone from asking me about my favorite anime and food to my future plans and if we'd ever meet in real life.
"If I'm too shy to ever talk to you on the phone there is no way in Hell I could ever have a meeting," I'd text while making lunch.
"Ah come on Brooke. I know let me call, you don't answer, and I'll leave a voicemail."
I sighed before typing back, "Fine, but I'm not answering."
"Didn't expect you to."
While I carried on with my usual routine my phone rang, ring tone being the Final Fantasy VIII boss theme I might add, and like promised I didn't answer. I quickly listened to the voicemail though where I heard his cheery voice talking about how my voice sounds beautiful and that he appreciates me and would love to meet me.
Perhaps there would have been a good time to put the wall up, but nope I was a selfish idiot, and wound up picturing a future with him. Sure we were internet friends, but we had a strong connection. I felt it. To top it off he only lived 2 hours away from me, it'd be a long distance relationship, but a strong one, and maybe when we got closer I could find work where he lived and we could have a life together.
I'd lied, but our connection that I felt was probably strong enough that it didn't matter. After all, I'd seen pictures of this so called Axeman, he wasn't the best looker himself. He had a beard that looked as though was never groomed, he was overweight, and from what she'd heard was a grower not a shower. Could someone like that really judge me too much for my lie?
I got on Facebook, and went over to Allison's profile. Allison was the girl I stole pictures from to give to random Internet strangers. I chose her because if I were taller, skinner, managed my hair better, and had a pretty smile we'd look almost similar. This was who Axeman thought I was, but if he was falling for me like he said he was, shouldn't he be able to look past this? He'd only seen one photo after all, he couldn't have been thinking about Allison's image every time we talked.
I sighed as I answered and asked a few more questions for the question game. Recently he'd asked if I'd ever go out camping with him. Every time, though, I answered or flirted with him I felt a guilty pang in my stomach about my lie. I was setting him up for disappointment, and clearly I couldn't stop myself from leading him on him, so maybe it was best to come out with the truth.
"I've been lying to you," I texted him one night.
"Been lying how?"
"If I told you… you'd never talk to me again and I want to stay friends."
"I'd never do that Brooke. Our friendship means too much. I don't care what it is."
"You mean it?"
"Yes."
"Well that pic I sent you. I send that pic to everyone, that isn't really me?"
"Oh, well that's okay. I lie to friends all the time I guess and it's understandable."
"Phew. I feel so much better."
"So will I ever get to see a real pic of you?"
I could have flirted, I could have said no, or held off until I looked like Allison, but no. I believed so badly that we had this connection that appearance didn't matter I sent him a random picture of me from my phone.
"So we're still friends everything is the same?"
"Yes of course."
It never was though. Here I was, like a puppy dog with a crush, and he was over me. He wasn't attractive, but yet he denied me because I wasn't the perfect 10 I showed him a picture of? I kept telling myself it wasn't true. I tried to keep everything the same, but it just couldn't be the same again. We'd play the question game, and all his questions seemed to be dull he really had no interest.
It was a crush I had on him, but also I'm kind of obsessed with the past sometimes. Instead of working on just having a good future I always think about the good times in the past and would do anything to relieve them, I wanted that positive attention on me back so bad, and the fact that everything was different now was just killing me. When he had a crush on me he'd always text and ask me what I was doing. Trying to get any attention from him I'd randomly text him, and though he was always being nice I clearly caught him on a bad day, because his answer was:
"idgaf"
"I don't give a fuck," I'd repeat to myself.
He didn't care anymore…
I'd been surfing the web that night trying to get my mind off of it all, and then I noticed it was midnight.
The Hell Correspondence.
Back in junior high kids talked about a website that could only be accessed at midnight, once you accessed it you could enter the name of someone you hated, and that person would die and go to Hell. I hadn't thought much of it until now, it couldn't be real, and no one talked about it much anymore so was it even still around.
I had my doubts, but I wasn't very shocked when the website appeared. Quickly I entered his name into the box, erasing it once, because I wrote Axeman instead of his real name. Once the name was correct I hovered over the enter button for a while before shaking my head. It was probably just a dumb goof site, and really maybe he was just having a bad day and I was annoying him. Thinking such horrible things wouldn't patch up this friendship.
The website still stayed in my mind though, especially when I tried accessing it an hour later and I kept getting an error.
I tried to stop myself for texting him for a couple of a days, thinking maybe I'd get over this crush and he could have a break from me. We talked normal again after that, but still the same dull conversations that showed he had no interest.
I'd accessed the website a few more times angry about this, but just couldn't do it.
Last time I accessed it was because he was on a blog writing about how he was depressed with no one to talk to. I texted him offering help, he said he was okay, and then he was on Twitter expressing his feelings and talking about his problems with another mutual friend.
I still couldn't do it.
This whole time I, the future client, was being watched by the Hell Correspondence without my knowledge.
"These kids are glued to the computer and their phones," Hone Onne complained to the cat she'd supervise once in a while.
Kavito nodded in agreement watching the client as his eyes turned red, "Because of it though… even though these two have never met the emotions are strong. She has so much hate and anger in her heart… she'll access the site for real this time."
Hone sighed, "Kids these days. Doesn't she know there are people with worse problems out there? This is no big deal, besides if she loves him so much to get angry over this rejection, could she send him to Hell?"
"Hmm? I believe she uses the word crush, same as infatuation, nothing real, nothing comparable to hate and revenge."
Kavito had always been an animal, never human, so he always processed the human emotions they witnessed almost as a mathematical problem. Hate was the one way ticket to Hell for someone, opposite of Hate is love, and because everything else going on in the client's head wasn't love he saw no issue.
"There she goes," Kavito then said when midnight struck.
I couldn't take it anymore, this was my fifth time visiting the site of the Hell Correspondence. Now he barely answered my texts, saying he was busy, but yet he had time to be on his blog talking to all the other gamer girls. Probably because they were a bit prettier than me, it was stupid though since they were all under age.
"Let's do this. Fuck him," I told myself as I finally hit enter once I typed in his name.
It was so quick, I didn't have time to scream when I saw a strange black, and red eyed cat jump on the keyboard in front of me. The next thing I knew my eyes were assaulted with sunshine. I was somewhere else.
Another pair of red eyes were staring at me, and this time it wasn't the cat. The almost ruby like eyes belonged to a young girl with long black hair who wore a school girl outfit.
It took my brain a bit. This wasn't a fanfic, this wasn't a video game, this was her. It was Hell Girl.
"You've never met him but you truly hate him?" The Hell Girl's voice was one of the most eerie things I've ever heard, it took me a while to find my voice.
"Hate what he does, hate his actions, I just want things to be the way they were."
Ai shook her head. Maybe she didn't hate him, but it didn't matter. Kavito said this woman's emotions were strong enough so even if she only hated his "actions" more than likely she'd be ferrying this "Axeman" to Hell soon.
"Hone," Ai called to a woman who appeared in a kimono.
I didn't see this woman for very long as she transformed into a little straw doll and fell into Ai's hand. Ai then tried handing it to me. I didn't take it yet, what kind of weird voodoo was this?
"Just so you know," the Hell Girl started when she saw my hesitance, "if you're planning on using this doll as a threat to get someone to like you they'll most likely not believe you."
"How is the doll a threat?"
I finally took it.
"If you really wish to send your tormentor to Hell pull the scarlet thread around the doll's neck. By pulling the string you are signing a contract with me. I will send your tormentor to Hell, but in exchange Hell will claim you as well, but that's not until after you die."
"When I die I go to Hell?"
I knew that, everyone talked about the legend of Hell Girl. I'd never met this guy in real life, was it worth it? It was just the Internet after all, data, pixels, here we were talking about my soul.
The cat appeared next to Ai, the one that looked similar to her.
"Normally if someone has doubts they should just give the doll back," Kavito yawned, "but you'll just change your mind again so you might as well hold on to it. The Internet is what started this, remember, even over these data and pixels you felt a "Connection" you consider that real right? Then your feelings are real."
Was the cat able to read minds? He had a point, and I was beating myself up about this. If I pulled the string over something frivolous I'd think of myself as an idiot, what about him? Was he crime free in this? No, he was a shallow judgmental bottom feeder who couldn't see past looks. It was one thing if he was model status, but no, she'd accepted him and never thought about his looks, so why did she get the same treatment in return.
"Pull the string when you're ready," Ai told her before Kavito jumped on her head.
That radiant light that had shined upon me while I talked to Hell Girl, it was gone, and I was laying on the floor in my dorm apartment amongst the dirty clothes. Next to me, however, was the strange voodoo doll, scarlet thread still attached. I'd think about it, but I was mostly thinking about myself. I wouldn't die for a long time and most likely I'd probably go to Hell anyways for whatever, but was it worth going to Hell?
I didn't think about his welfare, clearly he'd deserve it.
Part of me wanted to badly text him, "Hey what if I sent you to Hell?"
But… then I'd probably do what Hell Girl predicted I would do and threaten him. I wouldn't want anyone to like me because I had leverage over them. I wanted it for real, not fake, and since I couldn't have that back I had to just deal, but I couldn't. Something in the core of my heart just couldn't recover.
"Why do you suck so much?" I texted to him the next day when I knew he'd be at work and bored, so usually he'd answer.
"What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean. We were hitting it off just a while ago, and then suddenly you have no time for me, but yet time for all of our other friends."
"You're over exaggerating."
"Is it because I'm ugly, do you think I'm fat?"
"Did I ever say that?"
"You implied it by being a total jerk after you saw my picture. Whatever happened to you appreciating me and wanting to meet you in real life?"
"If that's what you think. Whatever your drama queen trouble is today Brooke it's not my problem."
Not his problem. He did this. He made her feel this way, he made her suffer. Not his problem. My finger found its way to the scarlet thread. I'd suffer for all eternity, but the anger I felt at this moment blurred out all reasoning.
"Good-bye."
"One less drama bitch to text me while I'm at work? How nice of you."
Axeman, the overweight man with a beard who only had time to lead on and flirt with girls who were either too young for him or out of his league, happily closed out of his text message. Finally maybe she'd get the clue and leave him alone. He'd seen her real picture, he just couldn't imagine being with that. He deserved better.
Though he knew he wouldn't be free. She'd text again. She never got the clue.
"What does that stupid bitch want now?" he asked reaching for his phone to text her to shut the fuck up, when he felt white hot pain sear his flesh the phone had erupted in flames and was burning on his desk.
"My iPhone," he said mouth wide open, "H-how."
"Isn't it funny," an old bald man appeared in the office of his work place, "you used that phone of yours to send messages of love to a girl who believed your every word, and then rejected her when she didn't meet your standards. This melting piece of waste is just wires and plastic and yet you used it to hurt someone."
"This is a joke right?" the man asked almost with a laugh, or it had to be a dream. No way his precious smart phone would just burst into flames, "that bitch Brooke is just an obsessed weirdo. She isn't my type she needs to get the message and leave me alone."
"Funny."
Axeman jumped when a huge eyeball appeared on the wall that spoke, "Did you have a welcome message to flirt with her and build her hopes up just to crush them? You seem entitled and it's okay for her to suffer while you are free to use that phone of yours to hurt whoever."
"Who cares about her? She is just a crazy bitch."
"A crazy bitch who just texts you because she doesn't want to accept that she's been rejected by someone she felt really cared about her," a kimono clothed woman was also in the office, "this sits well with you?"
"If she is obsessing with me that's her problem. Not like someone like her will find anyone anyway?"
"Because you're such a catch?" Hone asked, "sorry but I don't think you are entitled to judge anyone's looks."
"I have plenty of friends don't come in here harassing me because some ugly bitch accept that I'm not into her."
Hone frowned, "Hear that miss?"
The kimono clothed woman stepped out of the way, and behind her was the most beautiful girl Axeman had ever seen. The crimson eyes of the Hell Girl was the first thing he noticed, and then the black kimono she wore. The images on her kimono were moving, it looked like koi fish in a pond swimming around.
"Oh pitiful shadow cloaked in the darkness," Ai spoke to him her eyes getting wider, "looking down on others and causing suffering."
"What are you saying?" the so called Axeman didn't understand.
"Thy souls drown in sinful karma, tell me Axeman, want to try dying this once?"
He couldn't answer, the koi fish he'd watch swim around peacefully were coming towards him. It was peaceful, the fish wanted to play with him. They were inviting him to their pond. Pond with water and mist.
He was laying in a boat, he quickly sat up to see his dark surroundings. In the sky there was a bright light, it was lovely, but there was something depressing about it. It was in the shape of the cross and it had an aura around it that told him this might be the last time he'd ever see the light.
"Where… where am I?"
The girl with the scarlet eyes was with him once again, she was steering the boat that was moving away from the light.
"This is revenge… I am to ferry you to Hell."
"Hell? Over some stupid clueless bitch and GAH-"
Out of the river, what he thought was innocent koi fish were small mermaids, but ugly at that. Most of them only had a few teeth as well as facial hair.
"You thought that girl was ugly," one of the mermaids joke, "we'll show you ugly… we will have all eternity together, but I think it will work. We have a connection."
Ai just steered the boat as she ignored the scream from the man as the mermaid like creatures clawed him pulling out his organs.
The rest of the Hell Correspondence watched from the shore.
"I don't know how to feel about this case," Hone said to Ren, "at first I felt bad for this guy. He was going to get sent to Hell by a woman he'd never even met, but then we met him. What a jerk. Does he deserve that?"
"Didn't we have a case like this last week that was similar?" Ren asked, "a woman got led on by some guy, turned out he was married and he treated it like affair, she sent him to Hell. You didn't question that one. These two talked as much as any real couple would I say it's the same thing."
"Buttons and screens," Wanyudo smoked his usual cigarette, "that's all it is. Doesn't sound very real to me. Virtual reality."
"Your such an old man," Ren laughed, "remember when you told Ai the Internet was a stupid way to accept requests because it was just a fad."
"Internet or no internet," the cat walked off ready to watch another potential client, "human hate never changes."
They spoke about it as a closed case, but for me, it'd never be over. I regretted what I did. All those feelings … it felt so much better when I finally pulled the string, but… I watched my cell phone, even if most of his kindness had been fake it felt weird that I'd never hear from him again. It was all over.
Well not really.
Every night when I'd take a shower I saw it there, a big black seal forever on my body that reminded me that when I died I'd go to Hell. All over a guy I'd never met.
"Brooke," Ai was saying my name somewhere as a candle that represented my soul was added to her collection, "we exacted your revenge."
(End of Chapter)
AN: That there was my very first crack at a Hell Girl fanfic. Hell Girl has become one of my favorite animes and I'd been developing this idea for a while. As you've probably noticed by now I've set up this fanfic like a season of Hell Girl almost. I have my own plot that will effect Ai, but the first chapter I figured should be classic Hell Girl to set the mood.
Please review and tell me what you think. I'm really interested. This is my first time writing a fic in a while.
