I'm sorry to keep you guys waiting for so long. I know, i know, but i have tons of things im doing right now... But you didn't come for stupid excuses. Anyway... enjoy.
"Soji-kun", whined Nanako, using his full name rather than the usual nickname she had given him. "Please come out of your room." She banged her clenched fist on the wooden door, her voice filling the small void that had surrounded him from the last day. Actually, it would be donning on the 49 hour, just over two days since they had heard the faithful news, Soji almost turning speechless instantly. Although he was the only one amongst his friends to go, the word quickly got out, spreading like wildfire through the small town. At first, the police had tried to sway the people into believe that it was an accident, just a horrible happening that befell a few unlucky travelers. However, the report of murder got out, the fact barely hiding itself. This threw the entire town into an uproar, the event of the previous year still lingering in their minds; at least, the evidence that people had been murdered was still fresh. The exact events weren't remembered at all, the last month that absorbed the world in the fog all but completely apparent in their psyche.
Young Nanako had taken the news the best, barely having known either her aunt or uncle. Of course, she had felt bad about it; her family, the parents of her precious "big bro" had passed away, or rather, were murdered. She, too, cried for a short amount of time, leaving the others for her own sad state. However, that was a little while ago, her over the subtle amount of trauma that occurred.
Dojima was, though, a different story completely. Actually, he took it as bad as Soji, almost worst. Around the children, he wore a thin mask, the paper face falling apart whenever his mind entered a more complex train of thought. Just the fact that he was hiding his true feelings was sobering. Soji, who only came down for the amenities that he needed, saw through the tough act, his face faltering upon the sight. Also, as an astute observation, both children had noticed a few extra bottles of sake flitting around the house, the kitchen overwhelmed with the strong bouquet of exotic alcohols. The past two days were filled with a slurred ranting, the jumbled words falling out of his mouth with gusto. They went into the long hours of the night, Dojima shouting at the invisible demons that stirred around his head, compulsive sobbing coming shortly after. Capricious judgment and actions surrounded him, a few broken paintings and vases scattered around the unkempt floor.
Lastly were Soji's friends. He hadn't spoken to any of them in the past two days, finding sanctuary in his own house rather than in the company of his peers. More so than sad, the collective of teens were surprised, speechless. It was an enigma, a random murder that couldn't be considered anything but that. Yet, it had a certain air around it, perhaps because of the extenuating circumstances that had surrounded the town only a few months past. And because of the situation of the murder, they had all decided to meet up and discuss it; however, because of the funeral, they all had to cancel their appointment. Besides, they could only marginally make progress unless Soji was with them. Still, the rain never tried to cease, only adding to the town's new feeling of distraught.
"Big Bro. Please come out. Dojima is getting ready and we'll be leaving in a few minutes. We can't be late to the funeral."
"…"
"Nanako-chan", yelled a voice from downstairs, one unfamiliar to both her and Soji. It was feminine, a light contrast compared to the gruff voice that Dojima could call his. "Is Soji-san ready to come down?"
"Not yet. Just give him a few more minutes. I don't think that we should have to-"
"We don't have time to let him sit around and cry." That was Dojima, his voice more bitter than the day past. He had a slight swagger in his speech, a drink or two already in his system. "If we stay any longer, we'll miss the service."
"Dojima-kun, don't push him right now. It's not the best time for this. It could lead to something down the road, some trauma or something." It was the detective's partner, Juniko Miyazi, her entanglement to Dojima allowing her to suitably follow the man around wherever he was. But as of late, she was slowly regretting knowing him during the short time after the incident.
"I understand that, but he has to realize that there are other people that have certain feelings about this, too. The world doesn't revolve around him."
"That's so selfish. How can you say that when you just want to put this whole incident behind you?" Dojima turned to her, a cruel frown upon his face.
"You don't even know how I feel about this. You have no room for speaking on this subject." The entire thing was, again, surreal to him, almost as if it was a repeat of another event, of his wife's murder. And that's when it finally connected. His only sister was killed, leaving him with just his daughter and nephew, the only two left with him, barely able to understand how the world had treated them. He felt betrayed by his life, the last five years living hell. Juniko looked at him, tears on the verge of breaking in her cornea. At first, Dojima only continued to give her the same look, but when she turned her back to him, he snapped out of it, turning his back as well. He left the house, the front door sliding with a resounding clack. Outside, the white SUV was started, the low rumble of the engine audible from every room in the house. Juniko slowly looked out at the man in the car, the rain distorting the windshield view. It had a fragmenting outlook, everything slowly running into an amalgamous nothing. She could feel the pain that he was going through.
Upon her arrival, she had read her partner's file, skimming through all the events that he had been through. From the death of his wife to the original betrayal of his other partner, the detective had seen it all. Almost like her-
"Ms…" Nanako walked slowly down the stairs, interrupting the thoughts of the female detective.
"Miyazi, but its okay if you call me Juniko. I know your father pretty well and I guess it would be wise to get to know you too."
"…Okay…" She said it rather as a confirmation to sooth herself; to her, strangers were always the worst, the young girl having the basic fears that one of her age were installed with. The older girl only thought that it was an initial thing. She would come around sooner or later and everything would be all right. "You can go ahead. I'll wait for Big… Soji-kun. He's coming down in a sec."
"Sure." She eyed her with not suspicion but with respect, wryly smiling as she tried to picture herself at that age. But, Nanako just watched the older with a prying eye, almost as if she was wishing the adult away. Taking the hint, Juniko turned and grabbed her coat from the kitchen counter, a few pairs of shoes accompanying them in the corner of the house. The black coat completed her morose look, a funeral gown that stood out compared to the ragged suit that Dojima wore. She left the house, moving into the rain. Nanako turned back to the stairs, the creak of the door signaling Soji's arrival.
The teenager, too, wore a suit, his handed down from a previous owner of the family. It was well kept, completely black and it seamlessly transitioned from the torso to the arms, an expensive suit; you could tell it belonged to a man of discerning taste from looks alone. Yet, he wore it with a slouch, the expensive cloth being clumped into huddled masses that gave the silky wave a messy ruffle. Slowly, the dark shoes clopped down the stairs, his face transfixed on the floor as both eyes were plastered forward. He passed by Nanako, the girl following him with a saddened gaze. Passing the kitchen, he didn't bother with his coat, the rain barely anything that he should concern himself with. A step behind, the young girl shielded her head from the pouring rain, the fat drops pelting her with considerable force. Autonomously, Soji moved into the back of the car, his wet clothes leaving an impressionable mark on the car's seats. The young girl followed suit, her face starting to depress.
"Took your damn time." Dojima's regularly calm voice pierced the quiet sound of the rain flitting on the windshield, a strong remembrance why they didn't enjoy him as an alcoholic. Now, the car stunk of sake and other drinks, a few wide-mouth bottles lying around the kitchen, as well as Soji's memory could serve. Even further, the way he spoke reminded him of his old teacher, the dead Morooka, or King Moron. It was a shuttering thought, so much so that he didn't grace the elder with a response.
"Leave him alone, Dojima-san. This isn't an appropriate time."
"Don't start with me again. I can't under…stand why I decided to invite you along. You're… just hampering everything (hic) I'm doing."
"Can you even hear yourself?" She squinted at him, frowning with a harsh face.
Ignoring that, he continued, "It's like I'm capturing the damn genie in a bottle and your freeing him every time." He didn't even grant her a simple look, his voice speaking off into the dashboard. His heavy breath fogged up the odometer and other dials, his vision playing simple games with him.
"That's a horrible comparison. I honestly can't let you drive this intoxicated. Get out, Dojima." She didn't give him an honorific, the gravity of her concern well beyond the capable thoughts of the drunk. He looked over at her, a mixture of anger and confusion easy to read. She stepped out of the car and moved to his side, opening the door with incredible force. Pulling him out with inconceivable speed, she snapped into the driver's position, Dojima shuffling over to the other side and discomfited, sitting down with a flushed face. It was so alacritous he hadn't any time to react. In just a minute, she keyed the ignition, adjusted the mirror and backed out of the small driveway, speed off well above the speed limit.
Not a soul lingered around the city, the lifeless cars piling along the sidewalks that marched along the darkened buildings. Only Junes remained open in the distance, its brilliant colors shining throughout the washed skies. It light radiated enough to light the entire town, a depressive sign of life, yet it was the only happiness any of them could see. Nanako hummed along in spite of the mood, making Juniko smiling gently. Dojima, having longed off watching the passing road signs, snored loudly, his head unconsciously resting against the hard surface that housed the seat-belt. Soji also looked out the window, his wet hair plastered against his forehead. It gently cooled him, a warmth flowing over his entire body.
He pressed the cool head against the cooler window, an icy chill running down his spine. Staring off into space, he barely noticed as the small corner gas station passed by, the birthplace of the entire incident fading away as other thoughts perforated his mind. His world was shrinking upon him, enclosing him in the claustrophobic space known as fate. And all his thoughts coincided with each other, some contradicting and others agree.
"You always wanted to stay in Inaba", said one of the metaphoric creatures that waited above his shoulder, the demon and angel watching. However, he wished for peace, for only his own thoughts to conclude. "This is beyond the perfect excuse. This is another excuse to get together your friends and search, as you had before."
"But your parents are dead! Doesn't that mean anything?" Although it was a horrible thought to disagree with, it was true. To tell the truth, he and his parents were far from a loving family, closely resembling the dysfunctional and fractured families that those horrid sit-coms often focused on. Both could hardly stand each other, with the adults calling Soji nothing more than a burden. Hell, the only reason he had come to Inaba in the first place was so his parents wouldn't have to bother with the expense of his living with them. Easily, they had the money but they didn't have the ability to care. After realizing that they had inadvertently done something that was a good choice on their behalf, he had decided that he would want to stay away from them. This was exactly what he had wanted, with his parents disappearing like he always was recently dreaming. But death… The strained, harsh relationship was never missed; however, he understood how cruel that death was, how they had been forced into something that they could never back out of. His wish, at first, was more laughable, if only a selfish form of escapism that he would wrap himself around. What he had built everything, could have been ruined within seconds, yet with his parents gone, he would never have to worry about his life, or his relationships, falling to nothing. Again, he understood the selfishness of it, but it was human nature, or so he told himself.
Even the rest of the town felt the same way, yet not to the distinct level that he had constructed himself. They had grown attached to the city-boy, his helpful nature and bright personality a welcome change to the bored and lazy country town. All in all, he felt worse earlier in the week, when he was waiting, in trepidation, for his parents. "Does that make me a horrible person", he asked himself. "To wish such things?"
"Big Bro." Nanako called at him from his side, looking at him with a face of concern.
"Hmm…?" It was the first time within the last day that he had spoken, although it was barely anything that could count as a word. Still, anything was better than the silence that overcame him, his voice almost unfamiliar to everyone in the car including himself.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah." It was obvious he wasn't okay. But it would be more than uncalled for to yell at the young girl. None of them knew about the things that he was thinking about, the semblance of psychosis and insanity that threatened to overcome his very being. Yet, he wore the perfect mask, barely trying to keep himself afloat as he moved along at a torpid pace. Nothing around him seemed alive, the world frozen in time until he finally understood himself and the situation. And, being the first time within days, he finally cried, turning away from Nanako so he stared off at himself in the reflective sheen in the mirror. The car moved into a congested area, a few other vehicles moving along into the parking areas that surrounded the large cemetery. A mausoleum sat on the horizon, a few fires burning in the pyre-sticks that were held to the walls. It gave an eerie aura that seemed to overwhelm the air around the grassy knoll. Many people were lined up around the gates, all dressed in blacks and whites. Two caskets sat in the rain, the varnished wood loosing its luster to the dank rain that never seemed to let up. Neither was open, but that was to be expected. They hadn't the shade nor were the bodies in a respectable condition to be viewed.
Thunder and lightning perforated the basic air around them, shaking the fragile, hollowed grounds that they all stood on. The light flashed before their faces giving them different views on each other, black and white impressions holding over them all. Soji held one of the coffins that were led into the area, slowly helping them lower it into the burial grounds. The second came soon after, his mother, with the shaky Dojima helping with this one. The teen looked around the area, his friends gathered around the fringe of the large groups that sporadically moved in for a look, backing out as another tried to take their place. All six of them had secluded themselves, with Teddie staring off with an interesting look on his face. It was the first time he had ever experienced something like this, his mind confused on how to comprehend what he should be totally doing. Sparsely, they shared a few words between each other, not bothering to turn to one another to voice concern. Their lips moved with an incredible haste, a subtle whisper that barely fell on the deaf ears that surrounded the speaker.
"Poor Soji-san. He looks horrible."
"I know, but you can't really blame him. Still, we should probably do something for him, after all this rain clears up."
"Good luck", interrupted Naoto, finally wearing something that reflected her feminine side. It was a delicate dress, splats of white and black adorning the intricate patterns that were embroidered over the front and back. It looked good on her, almost as if it was a different person, the cute girl dropping her persona for the slight moment in time. "I heard that this rain is going to last throughout the week. It's odd, really."
"Then we'll do something in the rain. I don't really care about the weather. We've been use to this forever now."
"True. But do you think he'll be into it?"
"He'll probably cheer up sooner or later."
"Don't pressure him into, guys. If he wants to be left alone, then just leave him alone, okay?" Chie bit her lower lip, watching with an intense stare. Soji gave a quick glance over at her, both eyes locking for a small moment. Time seemed to freeze.
"How've you been", his eyes read, almost as if they were subliminally speaking.
"Don't worry about me, please. We're more worried about you; it's just depressing to watch you stumble through this."
"Am I really that pathetic?"
"I'm not saying that at all. I'm saying that we're worried about you. Especially me…"
"Chie, thanks. But-"
"No, don't say it. If you want more alone-time, don't worry. I won't bother you about it anymore."
"Thanks, but it's for a different reason." He never finished the statement, time resuming as a shovel was thrust into his chest. Soji turned around, a bland look on his face. All the men started to shovel the dirt into the grave, it filling up with incredible haste. Within minutes, both coffins were completely immersed in the overwhelming dirt.
"So, are you telling me that you don't want Soji-san to hang around with us", asked Yosuke, resuming the conversation.
"Yes, of course that's what I'm saying. Can we not fight today?"
"So, it's my entire fault?"
"Yosuke-kun, just drop it", whispered Yukiko, her arms crossed but with a saddened face. All of them were sad, but more for Soji. He faded out of sight, all the people in the crowd meshing into a giant wave of black. Yosuke and Teddie turned around, slowly walking away from the area. One by one, the rest of them filed out, leaving on Chie standing, her head hanging down towards the ground. But, a small red line started outlining itself beneath her, the dark sanguine color of blood heavily standing amongst all the shades of gray. Her hand tensed up, the nails digging into her palm. Without knowing it, just the sight of the blood seemed to anger her, making her own boil.
And a voice entered her skull, deep and dank. "It was I and I alone that caused this. It was me who wished for this to happen, for me to be stuck in such a situation. This is their blood, and my hands are stained with my parent's blood." The voice itself was almost eerily familiar to her, but it sounded distorted to her.
"What", she called to it, a headache slowly filtering into her head, a grainy noise reverberating throughout the area. She rubbed her temple, her touch instantly scalding. The voice only cackled at her, laughing as a few people passed by. They gave her a confused look, the girl entranced towards the dirt.
"Will you navigate through your own fog towards the truth…? Without the help of others, without the care of others?" To her, it felt rhetorical, almost as if it were kidding in the question. The entire events of the previous year wouldn't have been solved without the help of others; she just frowned, the headache growing in ferocity.
"…"
"No answer. I can't blame you, not after all the trust you have placed in both your friends and fellow comrades. Ha. But, be weary. I will be back, and you will start to feel my influence." The blood sunk into the ground, with a direct view falling on Soji, who only turned away and started to head for Dojima's SUV.
"Soji-kun…"
The rest of the day went by without anything noteworthy, the rain only getting worse as night slowly approached them. Once home, all of them went their separate ways, Juniko moving slowly as the taxi she called slowly made its way towards the Dojima's house. The lights shone through the curtained windows, a sharp honking signaling her leave. She left without anyone noticing, both Nanako and Dojima occupied with themselves in their rooms. All were trying to catch some sleep, Soji the only person awake in the house. He kept his television on, the weather channel slowly droning what he already knew. Rather, it was to make sure that the Midnight Hour wasn't back, the static that accompanied the dead channels reassuring him that it was nothing of note; moreover, the white noise continued, but started to grow in decibel, the loud scratching filling the air with a horrid sound. He closed his eyes and focused away from the television. Suddenly, the sound died, the pitter-patter of rain filling the space. As his eyes touched the screen, it resumed, all of space seeming to drip to the floor as if a fresco was melting in the sun. Even his body seemed to fall to the floor, an inaudible bang moving through unconscious house.
"You."
"Me", he asked, the T.V. gaining an ego and personality, taking a specific form that resembled a silhouette. Fog shrouded around him, taking up the same situation that he had been thrown into more than a year ago. The floor was fractured, small cubes moving along in a broken path that spiraled off into oblivion. Ghosts appeared around him, the shapes and faces somewhat familiar, yet he had never seen them before. Hypnotically, a deep baritone summoned him down the path.
"Come. Or are you afraid of what happened to your parents, afraid what will eventually happen to you and your loved ones?" Just hearing the words caused his body to compulsively pitch forward.
"And you know the truth yourself", he quipped, an odd level of confidence welling within him.
"Never before have we had someone to challenge the fates, to spin the wheel as you have. Ah, now I see." The images of Izanami appeared before him, smiling with a ridged look. "You have been here before, when it was once owned by one of the Goddesses of the world. And what you have changed…"
"So, you know me?"
"More and less then you could imagine." It made little sense, a mirror appearing slowly as Soji continued to walk forward. Only his reflection appeared in the mirror, his hand rising up to touch his "other's" hand. Everything was identical, except for the colors. While his hair was silver, the mirror's reflection was black, the outfit a gentle white. And in the corner, another black haired figure watched his hair draping down before his blue eyes. As soon as he smiled, the mirror shattered. Before disappearing into nothing, he mouthed the word "persona". Thantos faded away, taking the place of the boy, only a few years older than himself. All that remained was a deep throated laughing.
For the remainder of the evening, similar thoughts bothered the others. A thin veiled mist, not fully developed into a fog, filtered over the town, hanging high up on the overhanging ceilings that watched over the lonely streets. Shadows seemed to wander in the distance, a light breeze gusting random bursts of wind down the lone alleyways. Naoto was the only person up, looking out into the looming darkness, the sleepy city gleaming in brilliance. There was a slight presence behind her, a fuzzy sense that caused her eyes to wander backwards. Her dull .38 sat on the desk that watched the window. Two rounds sat in the rotary chamber; however, it was much to out of reach. Instead, she softly turned around. Nothing, no one, was there.
"Show yourself", she called, looking around the small room. It was located in one of the residential quarters that the police district owned. Gray and notwithstanding bland, it was a perfect place to house a few offices on a stint or some kind of stake out. Out of the way yet well taken care of; they even used it as a training ground for novice officers. The chair at the desk faltered and caused her to dive over as a reflex. Again, nothing stood were the sound came from. But, a crimson rain drop fell outside, a seemingly small leak in the ceiling dropping the same substance.
"Naoto-chan! Go to bed", shouted the officer who was staying in the room adjacent, the warden for the previous week. She didn't offer a reply, grabbing her gun and slapping it into the holster that was tethered around her waist. The overhead lights turned off, leaving her with the slight dripping of what she considered rain. For the rest of the night, she turned to watch the red liquid form distinct characters.
Chie woke up with the same pounding headache she had ended the day, sleep barely remedying any of her pains. The sun was actually out, a few dark clouds watching over the valley town from a safe distance. Wiping the dried strand of hair out of her face, she turned over and faced the small digital alarm clock, the rouge characters reading 7:07. For a Saturday morning, it was early. It only took her a second to throw back the covers and get out of bed, lazily donning a light emerald pair of pajamas, the matching shirt missing. Instead, she chose lemon chiffon colored one, most of her clothes still in the dryer. Her room was on the first floor, only feet from the kitchen and living room. Within steps, she took her usual seat at the small bar that faced the kitchen, her father already gone for the month.
Her family was composed of serious workers, both having invested much time and energy in both of their jobs. Yet, they had time for her as well, spending many hours as a child in the warm embrace of both parents. Now, she was fine if they were gone and out of her hair, as it gave her more time to have the house to herself, not that she did much when they were gone.
It took another few minutes to fully wake up, the blurry image of the fridge coming in to focus. She also noticed that the heater was on, odd considering it a moderate spring day. The thermostat read a lovely 68 degrees, well over warm enough to leave the heater off. Coffee was sitting out, still warm, but she wrinkled her nose at it. She neither liked the taste nor smell of the drink. Ignoring it, the short-haired girl snatched a few pieces of cold bacon out of the refrigerator and threw it into the microwave for a few seconds, the meat sizzling while she stood around, filling a cup with pulp-free orange juice.
The house phone started ringing erratically, the noise offsetting her headache even further. She moved over to it, looking at the caller ID. Although unfamiliar, she grabbed the receiver. "Hello?"
"Excuse me, but is Chie-chan there?" It was clearly Naoto, her voice somewhat shrill, unusual for a woman of her composure.
"You're speaking to her."
"Oh, I apologize. You sound a little different on the phone. More like your mother."
"So I've heard. Anyway, what's up?" She squeezed the phone between her head and shoulders, moving to the microwave to grab the fried bacon. Accidently overcooking it, they were hard and dry. After taking a bit, she frowned in disgust and threw the strips down the disposable sink.
"Are you free today? I have something that I think you should see."
"Yeah, I'm not doing anything." She took a swig of the orange juice, the pulp leaving fragments in her mouth. "What about everyone else", she asked, trying to pick the small orange fragments out with her tongue.
"We'll get to them in a bit. I think you should see this first, before the others do. I can't really make heads or tails of what I'm seeing." There was a faint shuffling in the background followed by footsteps.
"What is it?"
"It's a message but…"
"But what?"
"But written in blood." And that was all she said to make her remember what she had seen the previous day, the ingrained message that floated up from the ground in the cemetery. Considering what it had said to her as well. "Chie? You still there?"
She shook her head and wiped her face again. "Yeah, I am. I'll be over there in a couple of minutes, okay?"
"Oh, wait. Do you know where I'm at?"
"Is it in that place by the police office downtown? That one hostel type building with the plain front?"
"No. But, it's like that one. We're a little farther out, more by the highway but down one the alleyways. It's off of Tokiha and 7th, across from one of the parks. You'll be able to tell once you're near it."
"All right. I'll be there in a bit."
"Thanks. I'll see you, then."
"Yeah", as she casually hung up the phone. She quickly moved up to the shower, grabbing a fresh towel from one of the clean piles in the laundry room. After her shower, she would instantly head out towards Naoto's place. With that, it was the start to a new day, quite the inscrutable start.
Ch. 2... That's about it. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review. -AMP
