[Starting Author's Note]
I just finished chapter 8 of my newest multi-chaptered fanfic "The Tale of Aeria" and I decided to take a break. It's 10:30PM, July 29th 2012 right now and finished at 1:30 AM, July 30th 2012. Hot damn. It's nightmare hour and I wanted to write a loose horror one-shot while eating what I've been craving this past week: Chocolate. But anyways... I hope I got you guys hanging on the edges of your seats because to be frank. I don't even know if this was scary as I read through it. The only thing that scared me while writing it was the hallway bits. Anyways, onwards! Enjoy.
P.S. I only skimmed through this once and actually only read through it half-way. I am sooo tired. Hot damn. It's almost 2AM and I need to get up early for cheer practice in a couple days. FML. Fuck insomnia. Okay, good night folks!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor the plot (even though I wish I did). The plot belongs to R.L. Stine's "Horror Hour" with short story "Nightmare Inn". Although a lot of similarities, I have definitely changed some parts of the story. Not just re-wording.
[ Ending Author's Note]
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| Soft Incubus |
"N-Neji-nii.. A-are you sure w-we're going in t-the right direction?" Hinata fumbled, swatting the hungry pests that were nibbling on her skin. Neji responded with silence, only pushing more bushes aside up a marshy hill.
"Hinata-sama, we're here at last." Neji pointed to a hill which lay an inn at top. But there was something off as I studied it's exterior. A wooden sign poorly staked into the ground had claimed the inn's name was..Well, simple 'The Inn'. However, someone seemed to have etched '-cubus' over the last 'n'.
"N-Neji-nii, I r-r-really don't think I w-want to go i-in there..." She muttered, slowly walking back from where they came from..If she knew where they came from. Either way, Neji was already way ahead of her "We have no choice Hinata-sama, we didn't come out here for nothing and it's already dawn."
"How can you t-tell? It's completely cloudy, t-there's not a s-speck of sky!" Hinata grumbled, hugging herself to ease her anxiety churning in her stomach. The inn was in poor shape with it's cracked windows, rusting railings and patches of mold alongside all faces of the inn. Were they actually going to staying here for what-looks-like-more-than-a-night?
"I think I'll have nightmares.." Hinata clung onto the sleeves of Neji, forcing him to stop walking closer to this eerie inn. Neji narrowed his eyes and removed her hands, folding her petite hands into a ball with his. "Don't say that. Don't think about it too much. We'll be fine. You'll be fine." Hinata looked from the inn to his eyes and touch of reassurance.
"Ah! There you are! Neji." A young woman stood leaning against the entrance with a grin. She was tall and was built with feminine features. Her chocolate brown hair pulled back into two oriental buns. Neji approached with a cool composure, securing his hand in Hinata's to ensure safety. "It's been a while...Tenten." Tenten? So he's been here before.
"No kidding! And it's true, your cousin sure is a beaut! Hinata? Right?" Tenten grasped Hinata's free hand in hers, shaking it vigorously. What an excitable person... A little bit strange though. A little aggressive too... Hinata bowed her head politely, letting out a soft unsure giggle.
"I apologize, I know how you feel when you're around...meek people. She'll open up to you eventually." Neji reasoned. Tenten let out a hearty laughter, waving her hand lightly. "None taken! I'm just happy you guys finally arrived! It's been..lonely." Tenten averted her eyes from ours with a sad smile. "Eheh, you probably thought this place was a dump, huh? Well, as much as I hate to admit it, it is!" Tenten cackled once more.
"H-how did you become the c-caretaker of this place?" Hinata asked submissively. Tenten sighed, crossing her arms. "Actually, my parents were the ones who took care of this place when I was a child. It was a pretty little place, I actually met Neji here one time he was on a trip with his family! Right Neji? Wasn't this place amazing?" Tenten turned to him with yet another famous grin. Neji nodded.
"But..they died mysteriously one night when they went off into the village." Tenten took our canvas bags and set them in front of the door, "The real owner gave me permission to stay in my hometown not too south from here, he pays me a reasonable salary so I ain't complain'" Tenten set it down on the creaking floors next to the front door, returning to retrieve our last bags.
Hinata tripped over a floorboard that had come loose on her way up the porch. "Careful now, love. I can't guarentee you a stable inn to your dismay..or our dismay. I would have fixed it up but there's only so much a 17 year old girl could do!" Tenten warned. As she pushed her head inside, inviting us in. They walked from a bright grey light into a dark, dreary hall. There were few lights, some dim and some completely burned out. The air felt damp and there had been stains in the rugs. Why was the hall so narrow for gods sake?
"A-are there any slimy creatures or pests around?" Hinata timidly asked, hoping not to offend Tenten whom merely sneered. "That was my first question too!" Neji glared at her, "That didn't really answer our question.."
"My inn, my rules. Who said it has to matter whether we answer questions or not?" She burst into laughter. This woman was really strange! It almost seemed as if she forgot what humor really was. But then again, she was a lonely woman.
"I was stoked to hear you guys were coming up! I even tidied up your room for you. New curtains and all that good stuff! Didn't bother to clean up elsewhere, didn't really have the motivation. Hope you guys don't mind." Stopping in front of room 11C, she shoved the key into the lock and creaked the door open.
"Because this inn is place practically in the middle of nowhere, I bought some stationary and ink pens from the town! Free of charge!" She cooed.
The room was clean despite it's shanty flooring and peeling wallpaper. It was kind of pretty, in an old-vintage kind of look. Except, it was tiny. There were two single beds lines along the walls with end tables next to it, topped with a simple lamp. Next to the lamps lay Tenten's gift to us.
"If you need anything, just holler at me down at back." She laced her fingers on the dirty brass door knob and whispered to Neji "Maybe we can go into town later. I'll show you around." With that, she left and hummed a simple tune down the hall.
As soon as she skipped around the corner, Hinata immediately closed the door as quietly as possible. "N-Neji, I really don't think we should be here. This place..I-It doesn't feel right. This wh-whole thing is a b-b-bad idea. Reaaaally bad! W-we h-have to go.. R-Right now!" Hinata rammed herself into his chest, pounding her fists lightly.
"Hinata.. Stop. Tenten had offered me a trip down memory lane into town. I'll just leave in a couple hours." Neji held Hinata in his arms, petting her head to soothe her fears. "We'll leave when we wake tomorrow." Hinata pulled from him in frustration, she plopped herself on her bed as it creaked beneath her.
"We have to leave now." Hinata stared into his eyes gravely. "Look Hinata, I know I have to look after you but can I please have some time to spend for myself too? Have you ever, for a thought, considered me? How I feel having to spend my life making you happy? Just please.." Neji struck me with fierce eyes, rage stirring up in them. Hinata hugged her knees and looked away from him.
The Hyuuga's took a break from their bickering, Neji heading for the door. "You're not leaving me here alone.." Hinata finally mustered up to say..Except Neji was already out the door.
"N-Neji?" Hinata placed her foot down gently as she peeked out of the door. No one. She was alone, vulnerable to the things that may lurk in the dark.
The steps groaned under Hinata's steps as she timidly made her way down the narrow, dim halls. She felt a draft, an eerie feeling kicking in. All she could think about was how she coming here was a mistake. Something told her she had set foot in the wrong territory yet something in the dark was calling out to her.
As she cleared her mind, the smell of faint ash filled the room. As she hummed a soft tune to herself, she made her way to an intersection, splitting two halls. She squinted her eyes as she tried to peer through the darkness for any unseen objects. But it was hopeless. Each hall beared the blackest of black shadows.
Hmm? Hinata turned her head quickly. She swore she heard a sound. But what was it? Was it an animal? It had sound like a pigeon... Perhaps a crow. Yes, Tenten came off as odd. She must have kept a crow to keep her sane.
She turned her head back, deciding to go back to her room. But.. Which way was the way back? She had past too many identical doors and similar halls that it had confused her. She heard the sound again. It was definitely closer this time. Shaken, the hairs on the back of her neck prickled up.
Startled and without thinking, she rushed down one of the halls. Surely it had to reach a dead end! All she wanted to do was get away from the chilling sounds. But the hall seemed endless! She frequently looked back and felt safe. A soft orange glow followed by soft grunts and groans emmited from just around a corner. I guess it wasn't a dead end after all. Who was it? Tenten? Neji? By the sounds, she was unsure if she wanted to stumble across them.. Whatever they were doing.
Even so, they surely had to bring me back to my room, right?
She heard another grunt followed by a stomp that shook the ground, the floor creaking. Hinata hestitated a step. "N-Neji-niisan? Tenten? I-It's me... H-Hyuuga Hinata.."
No reply.
She peeked over the corner to see a bright light seeping from under the second door at the end of the hall. An uninvited jolt went down her spine. "Tenten?" She carelessly pressed her ears against the pale beige door, stripped of it's color.
No response.
Pure silence filled the room.
Centimeters before lacing her hands around the knob a sharply deep voice roared from within.
"LEAVE."
I thought I was alone.
"GO..AWAY! LEAVE!" He roared once more as I trembled beneath my feet, pressing my back to the walls adjacent to it.
"LEAVE. NOW. JUST GO." A harsh pound through the wall sent me to scoot further away. Hinata stared at the door in terror and puzzled. "W-who a-are you? W-what are y-you doing h-here?" She asked in her shy-like self. Carefully, she picked herself up. Approaching with minimal steps to the door, the door had swung viciously open to reveal a man gaping at her with emerald rimmed eyes.
Again, Hinata repeated her question, a little less afraid. He stumbled backwards, falling on his bottom. "My..My name..?" He slowly turned his eyes to the window, a moon barely peeking over the night clouds. "..Gaara." He replied, shooting a glare at me then sat hunched over against his bed "Please. Leave. Now. And never turn back, do you hear?"
"I-I don't u-understand... W-why should I? N-Neji-niisan would panic if I did." Hinata crossed her arms over each other, holding her shoulders with each opposite hand "No matter how much I want to leave..." She mumbled.
Gaara swept his hand carelessly through his greasy red, shaggy hair. "Heed to my warning. You're wasting time. You need to leave this place before tomorrow night." He lifted his head, emerald eyes barely peeking at Hinata's moon-like eyes. He looked like he was in pain. It was pitiful, this man needed help.
"Y-You still never a-answered my question." Hinata stubbornly reminded. He chucked shamelessly. "You..I'll tell you why!" His face jerked up with a crazed look.
"Have you ever encountered a beast? Have you encountered someone who grows accustomed to nature? With canine teeth, hunting for flesh and stripping humans down to their bones for fun?" He roared into laughter, licking his lips with a long, long, tongue. "At this rate.. I can't stop myself from the moment you go back to your petty little room of yours. I'm saving your ass right now yet you dare toss aside my warning. GO. LEAVE NOW." His eyes pierced into my soul, a flash of gold glazed over his irises. I thought the whites of his eyes had turned black. Blinking, they returned back to white within a matter of nanoseconds.
Hinata felt the cold sweat drip from her forehead, her throat tightening as his eyes had burned into her. He chuckled, "You don't believe me..huh.." He raised his hands and pretended to tear something in the tense air.
"I could tear you to shreds. Think of it like that. It's hard to stop, you can't stop until the full moon is over with." He smiled with sorrow. A long sad sigh skipped away from his mouth then pushed Hinata out of the room. She tumbled to the ground.
"Just go. Never come back at this point." He paused, waiting for Hinata to snap back to reality, her head still hung low. "10' o clock sharp is when I'm at my limit. If you don't leave.. I will come for you." He slammed the door shut, locking the door. The darkness filling in every corner once more.
Hinata laughed hopelessly, tears streaming down her cheeks like waterfalls. "N-not a problem... I-I'll be g-gone by m-m-morning a-anyways." A firm "Good" was the last thing she heard that night as she found rushed to her room, breathing heavily. Alas, she had found it as she slammed the door behind her, breaking down into soft weeps which quickly turned to sobs. Sinking to the floor against the door. Neji hadn't come back that night.
Morning sprung and there was no color in the room. Neji wasn't with me when I woke as well. A small note with handwriting lay at the foot of my bed. Neji was out in the front helping Tenten fix up the porch and they were staying for another night. Hinata dashed out from her room to the front, looking at Neji. "NII-SAN. Wha..What is this" Hinata's heart dropped.
"Oh..Hinata-sama, you're awake. We need to talk." Neji politely excused himself from Tenten who was cutting brand new wooden boards. He quietly made his way to the side of the inn from Tenten. "Look, this inn is a wreck and this girl can't do much on her own to fix this place up. Don't worry, we'll just be here for another night."
Anger boiled inside Hinata. She slapped him across the face, leaving a rash red mark. "NO! NO, NO, NO! Nii-san! No.. We can't! You p-promised!" She protested. Unmoved, Neji looked at her, cupping her face in his hands. "We're staying. That's final."
"But we c-can't!" She protested once more, this time, breaking into tears. Getting irritated, he shook her slightly. "Why not! I can't just leave Tenten in the middle of fixing her porch! She'll injure herself if she does!" Hinata strained away from his grip.
"T-There's a man here...Hidden in the shadows."
Neji stared at Hinata bewildered. "W-what? Hinata-sama, did you have nightmares?" Hinata looked at him, a bit upset and hurt. Did he think she was mentally sick? "Nii-san, I'm serious... He's going to become a.. a.. beast when the moon peaks! We have to leave now." She barked.
Neji sighed as he placed the back of his hand ontop of Hinata's, checking for fever. "..Show me. Show me where he's hiding." Hinata stood there stunned. What was I to do? What if he disappeared? "F-f-fine. I-I.. I will.." She passed by Tenten, leading Neji into the dimly lit halls. She was really back here.
Her legs trembled each step as she guided the way through the winding and twisting halls. "H-Here." She pointed at the end of the hall. She hesitently reached for the door knob and gave it a quick twist. She scrambled for the light switch. The light flickered bright and dimmed low.
A broken desk scattered the floor, a bare mattress flipped and torn through in the corner. No one was here. He was gone. Was it really all in her head? It was as if there was no trace of a living being in here.
Neji sent sparks through her body as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "One night won't kill you." Hinata stared into his eyes, lost. Oh, but you wouldn't know...
Hinata all afternoon helping with the porch in the front entryway. With time to kill, they traveled around town eating fancy pastries and classic teas that were long forgotten. As they head back home, it had seemed the little group had run out of things to talk about.
"So... I heard about your little nightmare." Tenten started up, hoping not to hit a sensitive spot on poor Hinata's heart. "If there was anything here going on, I would know. Trust me!"
Hinata didn't know how to respond. How could she, after all? She shuddered under the heaviness of the conversation. "I-I can see you don't want to talk about it.. My bad." Tenten looked over her shoulder with concern.
This time, the night was clear and the moon was bright and yellow. It scared her. It was almost time. 9:30 to be exact. The moon had begun to pale as it swung low against a navy-purple sky. She was alone, and didn't enjoy it one bit.
"Neji-nii? Where have you g-gone..?" She said aloud. Yes, Neji was supposed to be here with her. But she suspected he was with Tenten doing whatever they're doing. Perhaps reliving their childhood.
The paling moonshine swept over her eyes as she closed them. A familiar cough rung through her ears. Thud...Thud...Thud... They were getting closer. Were they footsteps? They were just barely outside her door.. She heard a quick bolt down the hall and her body told her to chase after it. And so she did. Gaara...
She came across Gaara unlocking the doors and screamed his named, asking what he was doing. He jerked his head up, the whites of his eyes turned black and his emerald eyes fading into the color of the yellow moon. They were wild eyes. His hair shaggy and long, his breath was heavy and his chest kept pumping up and down dramatically. Bristles had started to grow all over his skin.
With a ballistic cry, he lunged at Hinata's shoulders and held her against the walls. "I..I..I WARNED YOU. IT'S TIME. I WARNED YOU. I WARNED YOU AND YOU DISOBEYED ME!" He roared as his face begun to bulge and twist. His eyes narrowed and pulled out a long animal-like snout. Gobs of saliva pouring over his lips.
Hinata scanned over his transformation in horror, his jagged teeth making her tremble uncontrollably. She struggled to release from his grasp. Her heart pounded by the second. Just a dream.. Just a dream...
Gaara threw her aside, letting his food make a dash for it. Testing his stealth, he ran for her, pouncing. He carefully brought his lower teeth to her throat to sink in her blood. With a cry of terror, she pulled free, elbowing his snout from her.
Dazed and dizzy, she staggered her few steps then began to run. Just run. At the end of the hall she saw the back of Tenten. Relieved, she called for her help but she immediately froze. Tenten's face peeked into the right and her eyes looked at Hinata up and down with lust, licking her lips. Her feminine features soon matching Gaara's with her thick chocolate fur sprouting from her face to her hands. Her ferocious snarl sent Hinata trying to make a run for the other direction but she was trapped. Gaara was ready to pounce her too.
Screaming in horror, Hinata staggered into the wall. Only the sounds of snarling filled the room. Just where the hell was Neji? Sobbing, she heart a barks and rips through the walls. Gaara and Tenten were fighting! Both claiming Hinata was theirs.. Theirs to eat. Gaara raked his claws into Tenten's cheeks, cutting deep as ruby liquids painted the floor. She howled as she slashed at him as well, bright-red liquids bubbling from their faces.
Hinata saw an oppurtunity as she took a deep breath. Run Hinata. Run and don't look back. Just keep on running! As she ran slammed herself into her room, locking the doors, the animal roars echoed. She slipped under her bed, praying that she would just wake up. Her body trempled and clamped her hands over her ears. Then, shut her eyes she did.
Hinata... Gaara's voice returned.
"Hinata? Hinata?"
Hinata's eyes shot wide open. She turned her head to see the sun lurk from the window. Tenten's eyes gleamed as she plastered a smile over her face. "Good! You're awake and alive! Man, you had some nightmare. It must have been really bad.. Even you gave me a fright. Your screams belong in a horror movie. I mean, you wouldn't stop screaming! Poor Neji was so worried!" Hinata looked down to see Neji sleeping, holding her hand. Tenten turned her head towards Neji, smiling softly. Hinata's eyes widened. "Tenten...What is that?"
"Hmm?" Tenten looked over at Hinata curiously. She pointed at her cheek. Gently, Tenten stroked her cheek, her eyes gaping. "W-what? H-How..." Four lines had cut into Tenten's cheek with little drops of dried blood seeping. Thin cuts, but did do damage. Tenten chuckled. "I-It must have been a cat!"
Hinata turned her head. "Y-Yes... It had to be..."
Somehow, somewhere she felt Gaara was still out there. And maybe it's time she listened. Once we leave... We shall never come back because..
Some things are meant to stay in the dark.
Fin.