My first fanfic for Higurashi ever! This is kind of loosely based on Keiichi's arc in season 1 of the series, but I kind of changed things around and picked up the pace a little bit. x]

Enjoy!

She sauntered slowly toward me, her cat-like eyes piercing my eyes in anticipation. She smiled darkly as she raised her hatchet, preparing to deliver the final blow…

My eyes flew open, and I sat up, breathing hard. "It was… only… a dream…" I looked down at my hands and realized I was holding onto my bed sheets with a death grip. "Pull it together, Maebara." I mumbled, shaking my head, and releasing the sheets.

I got up and went about my usual morning routine. My mom called good-bye to me as I left the house and went on my way to school. I walked in silence, thinking about my dream, kicking a rock as I went.

"Keiichi-kun!" I heard a girl calling me from a distance. I looked up to see the face of the girl who had haunted my dreams. Rena Ryuugu. Her bright eyes sparkled as she smiled and waved at me.

There's no way a girl as innocent and pure as Rena could possibly be involved in anything as grisly and awful that I've heard about Hinamizawa… Right? I mean sure, she acted kind of weird when I asked her about it, but that's normal… It's not like someone would actually want to talk about a grisly murder that happened in the dark past of Hinamizawa. I can understand that…

But why did her eyes seem different to me that day…

"You're late again!" She exclaimed, a smile still plastered on her face.

"You really don't have to wait for me, you know." I responded as I began walking ahead of her.

"You're my friend Keiichi-kun! Of course I wait for you!"

"Well, I wouldn't wait for you. I'd just leave without ya." I smiled slightly, knowing the reaction that was about to come.

Rena's smile faded, and her face turned into a pout of dismay. Just as I predicted.

"Why is Keiichi-kun so mean? So mean?" She asked, her eyes turning glassy.

"I'm just messing with you Rena, of course I'd wait for you." I turned and smiled at her.

"You mean it, Keiichi-kun? You mean it?" Rena asked, looking hopeful.

"Of course!" I turned and kept walking. I glanced sideways at her, to see her cheeks flushed red. Typical Rena. She gets embarrassed by almost everything.

"Hey, what the hell took you guys so long?"

Mion Sonozaki stood, with her arms folded, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Keiichi-kun was late again, late again!" Rena replied as we met up with Mion.

"Humph. You really need to learn something about being punctual." Mion said, grinning slightly.

"Oh, be quiet Mion. I was up late watching TV again." No I wasn't.

"Hmm… Really, Kei-chan."

I didn't like that tone of voice.

"A-Anyway, we should get a move on. Don't want to be late for school." I laughed lightly, trying to brush off my uneasiness.

Mion and Rena followed, chatting as normal. I walked in silence, shaken up by the flash of what I saw in Mion's eyes…

It was the cat-like eyes I'd seen in Rena's.

"You know Kei-chan, it's polite to listen when you're club leader is giving the instructions for today's activity."

I snapped out my daze. "Oh, sorry Mion."

Mion's eyes narrowed at me, and then she continued explaining the rules to some card game I already know how to play. Satoko, apparently, has never heard of this game before.

I continued thinking about the weird stuff that's been happening to me lately. It was beginning to become more and more clear to me that Rena and Mion were hiding something from me.

And that something had to do with the dam lynching.

I sighed and looked to see Rika, turning quickly to look away from me. She had been watching me, and she was looking just long enough for me to see the worry that clouded her eyes.

"You know, I don't think I'm in the mood for club activities today." I said, cutting off Mion's speech and standing abruptly. I turned and grabbed the baseball bat from my locker and turned to leave the classroom.

"Kei-chan!" Mion called.

"… Leave me alone."

And with that, I left.

I walked silently down the dirt path to my house, the baseball bat slung casually on my shoulder. I stopped walking. I felt like every step I took, I was being watched. I ran into the forest lining the path and hid behind a tree.

What could possibly be out here? Why do I feel so uneasy? No one ever usually takes this path, it's deserted!

And then I saw her.

Rena was walking up the path, just a few yards behind where I was. Her eyes glazed over in that cat-like look, and she was holding in her hand… A hatchet!

No… This can't be real… Rena… Why is she walking around in broad daylight with a hatchet!

"What the hell is going on?" I mumbled quietly to myself, looking at the baseball bat. I looked up to keep an eye on Rena… Only to see she was gone. "… What? Where'd she go?"

"Afternoon, Keiichi."

I whirled around the see Rena standing inches away from me. She smirking slightly, a twisted look replaced her usually cheerful eyes.

"What… What do you want?" I demanded angrily, holding up my bat.

"Why is Keiichi-kun, being so cold? So cold?" She asked, her voice omnious. She took slow steps toward me. "You know, you're no different than Satoshi was."

Satoshi. That name pierced me. The boy I've been told I act like on numerous occasions. The boy who slowly fell into paranoia. The boy who transferred away…

… The boy who disappeared.

"I'm nothing like Satoshi." I replied calmly, trying to hide the shake in my voice.

"He used to hear the foot steps… Felt like someone was right behind him at all times… Watching him." She took another step forward. "I would know, as Rena was also once cursed by Oyashiro-sama."

Oyashiro. The God they worshipped here in Hinamizawa. The curse of Oyashiro that supposedly kills someone, and makes someone disappear every year on the eve of the Watanagashi festival… Every year since the dam incident.

"So, Keiichi… I'm the only one you have left… What's it going to be?" The girl who used to be Rena asked, lifting her hatchet up to my neck. "What's… it… going to… be?" She whispered, moving her face just inches in front of mine. I was paralyzed in fear.

She withdrew and began cackling a twisted, dark laugh. This was not the gentle giggle I've heard so many times in the past from Rena. I have no idea who this person before me is, but it is not Rena. I shoved her down and took off running as fast as my legs could carry me.

I ran deeper, and deeper into the forest, darkness swallowing me… It seemed this nightmare was endless.

If only… I could find… Some help. Someone… To help me…

I gasped in pain as I was suddenly struck down to the ground hard. I coughed dirt out of my mouth, and wheezed. I looked up to see my attacker.

Mion and Rena stood before me, smiling wickedly.

"Here's your punishment, Kei-chan." Mion cackled. "For missing the club activities…"

Rena sauntered slowly toward me, her cat-like eyes piercing my eyes in anticipation. She smiled darkly as she raised her hatchet, preparing to deliver the final blow…

I shut my eyes, and prepared for the end.