Chapter Two: Heavenly Host's Welcome
Nanko came awake in a dark, dark room; it was almost as if ink were splashed in her eyes making her world a inky pitch black vision of darkness. Ever as her eyes adjusted it was still hard to see anything. "What the hell…?" she said to herself as she sat up, running a hand through her bleach blond hair, wincing when she felt a sudden bump.
"Where am I…? What is this place?" Kasumi-kun! She looked left and right, but no matter what all she saw was darkness, she was completely alone in this strange room. Where is everyone? Kasumi-kun… Akane… Wanaka… where are you guys…?
Suddenly she saw a strange blue light glowing from her far right, turning she looked to see three young children giggling to themselves, two girl's and one boy, one girl was missing and eye, the other missing the top part of her head, the boy looked as if he had been repeatedly stabbed in the stomach, and they were looking down at someone. She fixated her eyes on the figure lying on the ground and realized who it was.
Ayame Noriko.
And from the looks of things she showed no signs of waking up any time soon ether.
"Ayame!" Satomi called from a far off place. "Ayame!? Where are you? If you can hear me sweetness answer me! Ayame!"
The three children turned to Nanako's direction holding a wide eyed gaze with no emotional feeling attached. In their hands were three large rusty sewing scissors, caked with blood, and it wasn't Ayame's ether…
The boy opened his mouth as if to speak but instead all that could come out was a strange gurgling sound, followed by large amounts of blood to flow out hitting the old cracked and broken wooden floor.
Fear was the first thing that hit her, but then something inside her told Nanako to help her, to help Ayame get away from those creepy little kids. But then if she helped Ayame and they came across Kasumi then he'd obviously would help her and not Nanako, so what if she had natural blue eyes and chestnut brown hair and a large chest. Nanako was so much better than her!
She shoved the thoughts of helping Ayame away as she glared at her sleeping form. If it wasn't for her then Kasumi would… "Tsk…"
Standing up Nanako was slowly able to get her bearings of sight and began to walk, but not towards Ayame and the kids, no she walked towards the door.
"Do whatever you want to her…" she said. "That bitch is no friend of mine." And then closed the door leaving a still knocked out Ayame in the hands of those creepy spirits in a pitch black room. Or was she alone?
Out of the shadows another person came from the far back of the room, this person was only a child still, ether twelve of eleven years old with blond hair and blue eyes, the boy looked to the kids, unaffected by their deadly stares as he slowly walked over to the knocked out girl.
Instantly the spirits backed off, vanishing in thin air.
"noha faar…"
The boy said nothing as he went down on his knees and brushed the strands of her hair away from her face before cupping her cheek.
"You… never do listen do you…?" he smiled. "Wake up Ayame, your friend is looking for you…"
Ayame's eyes burst open before she instantly sat up, looking completely confused. "What the…? Where is this place?" she looked around seeing nothing but darkness. This room looked strange, nothing like her classroom, where was she?
There were no lights so it was difficult to see, but slowly her eyes adjusted. "This… this isn't my classroom… it looks like a school but… a really old rundown one… just where the hell is this place?"
Standing up she looked around, being careful to not fall through the very large holes in the creaking wooden floor and headed to some of the nearby windows, she tried to open one of them but it was no use, no matter how hard she pulled the window refused to move. It was if it had been sealed shut by some kind of strange force.
"No good… it won't move no matter what I do… damn it…" she looked to the nearest classroom sliding doors. "I should probably leave here and see if I can find anyone from our class… and a way out of here too… that is… where ever here is…" she headed to the door and tried, it wouldn't open. On closer inspection the door itself seemed to be more like a model for decoration, it just wasn't going to open. Avoiding the holes in the floor and the tables and chairs she reached the other door, only she encountered the same problem as she had with the first. "What the hell…!?" she said to herself. "Why won't these doors open? Am I going to be trapped inside this room!?" she banged on the door as hard as she could. "Hello?! Is anyone out there in the hallway? If someone is there please! Answer me!"
No answer was given.
"Damn…" I guess no one really can hear me… Ayame began to look around the classroom again. "There has to be some other way out of this room… I just haven't found it yet." I need to stay calm, I can't panic, if Nii-san where here he'd do the exact same thing, find another way out of a predicament… Nii-san… I wish you were here… giving me some kind of guidance… but it's my fault you're gone… "Whoever wrote that on the chalkboard… must really think I am to blame… even if… it were some cruel joke."
With a deep breathe she looked throughout the classroom and as Ayame did so something about this whole place began to give her chills, she didn't know what it was, but to her, it felt as if she was being watched by many, many eyes. It made her feel unsettled.
She continued until something caught her attention at the front of the classroom, on the far left there seemed to be a large cabinet through the glass she could see books so old and decrepit that they looked like some were about to crumble into dust, others the pages were so yellow she doubted that they could even be opened again.
Looking down at the floor she saw scratch marks in the wood as if it had been moved as if to hide something. Moving to the right side she pushed the object back in its original place and saw that there was a door.
I knew that another way out would be somewhere! She thought before noticing something was written on the door, she gasped and moved away from it, what had been written there, was done so in someone's blood. It seemed to drip down the wood slightly, as if it had just been painted there by some sick individual.
"What..?! Is that… is that blood? Oh god…"
On the door it read as followed:
D O N ' . . . ! !
. . . ! ! !
WHAT?! "But this is my only way out… I have to go in there… shouldn't I…?" she thought about it for a long moment, but then determined that this truly was the only way out of here, since none of the doors seemed willing to give her any other choice of leaving, this door truly was her only way out.
"I… I can do this!" she said to herself before opening the door and heading into the dark room. It was even darker then the classroom that she was in, and it took her another moment to get used to it. "Maybe… there's a switch for the light in here, it's so dark that I can't see a thing…" she felt on the nearest wall to her left, in the far corner of the room she felt what seemed to be like a switch for a light, turning it on, a bright light came flickering on, causing Ayame to wince from the sudden change of darkness to light. "Finally!" she turned around to see if this room had a possible way to exit and froze.
What lay before her in this other room were the three skeletal remains of what looked to be high school students. There blue uniforms covered in blood, what looked to be two female students, they seemed to be holding each other closely in fear as if afraid of what was to come, the third seemed to be slouching forwards head hung low dried blood drenched his uniform shirt, the walls and floor were all covered in it.
"YAAAH!" Ayame screamed before nearly falling to the floor. "What… what is all this…? Are… are those real bodies over there…?! Oh my god!" even in her state of panic she noticed something being held by the lone corpse. Swallowing the lump in her dry throat Ayame inched over to the body, in its skeletal hand lay a key. Taking the key it read: Infirmary.
She then glanced to the name of the student.
Makuto Daisuke Misato Municipal Brotherhood High class 2-4, he seemed to have been dealt with major hemorrhaging caused by some sharp implement of some kind.
"A…ki…ra…" a disembodied voice echoed in and around the room, for a moment Ayame thought she was hearing things. She then glanced to the two female bodies and saw their nametags. Yuki Mochida Misato Municipal Brotherhood High class 2-4 and Haruko Mochida Misato Municipal Brotherhood High class 2-6, it seemed that they were both sisters in the same school and that the one named Haruko tried to protect her sister from an unknown assailant, yet both died by the same object as the first.
"A…ki…ra…"
"Sis…ter… n… no… run… …leave… me…"
Ayame stood when she heard more disembodied voices, it almost sounded like it was coming from the bodies themselves. But that was impossible the dead couldn't talk!
Still… other than seeing such a horrible sight like this, this place made her feel concerned.
Quickly taking the key in hand Ayame left the room through another door near the other end of the room, once outside in the hallway she fell to her hands and knees and let out a deep gasping breath.
"Ugh… that was horrible… those poor students… even though I never met them before I can't help be feel sorry for them to be trapped in such a place dyeing like that… … … …Nii-san…" she looked to the key in her hand. "I should probably go to the infirmary… but I need to fine Satomi and Minami too… I hope they're okay… wherever this place is…"
Getting up she started to wander through the halls, she stopped when she saw that there was a huge hole in the floor hallway. "Hmm… you know… I could probably jump across that. It doesn't look that far, and if I get a good run I can do a really far long jump."
Checking to make sure that the gap wasn't that far, Ayame did a small jog backwards and then did a full on run and leapt across the hole landing on the other side. "Yes!" she said to herself. "I totally nailed that one! If Satomi was here she'd probably make some kind or remark about being able to see my panties and what color they were." She paused, and her smile fell. "Funny… I never thought I'd actually miss something like that out of all things…"
Getting up she continued her walk, stopping every so often at the sight of another dead body from some other school that she didn't know of, and cringing. She couldn't stand the sight of such things, the only thing Ayame felt grateful for was that they were all in skeletal form; if she saw any bodies with any kind of hinting flesh on their bones she'd have a sudden relapse of her past and faint dead away.
Even after ten years it still happened to her, thankfully Satomi was always with her, to catch her when Ayame would faint. For so many years to pass and to still deal with such a trauma, Ayame wondered if she would ever get over it.
She continued onward thankful that she didn't see any of her school uniform on the bodies of the few remaining dead as she walked. Some of the halls were cut off due to there being large holes in the floor and that they were too great for her to jump across. So she would have to cut through a classroom.
It was while walking through one of the classrooms did she spot what looked to be notice stapled to the wall.
-Heavenly Host Elementary- Notice to all faculty and Students-
Ayame took a step back; did she read that right…?
She went back and read the remaining part of the message.
Due to the recent kidnappings, caution is highly recommended during all daily activities. In each instance, the victim was taken quickly and unexpectedly, so please remain alert and aware at all times. –Principal Takamine Yanahihori.
"I heard about this… a few years ago… this school it was demolished and in its place a school called… Kisaragi Academy was built over it I think… yeah, Mom didn't want me to go there; she told me about the supposed happenings and thought it would be a bad omen for me or even Alice to attend that school. I took her word for it, but never really thought about it. Perhaps this is what she meant…?"
As she left that classroom and wandered down the hallway, the realization of what she had just read and her surroundings slowly came to her.
I can't believe it… she thought to herself. This is really Heavenly Host Elementary… but… how can that be…? Her train of thought was cut short when she saw what looked to be a little girl in a red dress walking into one of the classrooms. "Huh…? Was that a kid I just saw?" she walked over to the open door of a classroom that the kid went into. "What's a kid doing in a place like this? It's no good for someone so young to see something so violent… I should know better than anyone…"
Going into the classroom she saw small desks and chairs for children, but not the girl in the red dress. "That's strange where did she go…?" she walked further into the room. "I could have sworn that I saw her go in here." She was about to head further into the classroom when she stopped seeing a very large gap cutting across the room; it was so large that even Ayame knew that there would be no chance in hell of her making it across. "The girl is not here… but I see something shining at the other end of the room, I should probably head there."
She went out of the classroom and quickly went to the other side only to see that whatever was shining was now at the other end of the room.
"What the…? It moved… maybe if I had someone with me we could get… whatever that thing is…" leaving the classroom once more she glanced to the key that she still had with her. "The infirmary… that's probably my best bet right now."
Leaving the classroom she stopped and paused. But that was strange, where did the kid go? I know I saw someone go into that classroom; could my mind just be playing tricks on me?
Continuing onward Ayame tried to see if she could find the infirmary but to no prevail, it must not have been on this floor, there was a set of stairs that led down, so she took those knowing that there was nowhere else to go but downwards.
She stopped when she saw more remains of another student.
"Just how many bodies are in this place…? Ugh… I can't take stuff like this… not at all… I just hope that I can go home soon with Satomi and the others…"
"You… there…"
Ayame froze and looked back to the corpse of a male high school student. Did she just here it talk?
A blue flame then revealed itself to her, causing Ayame to yelp in shock and move backwards. "Wha…? Who are you?"
"I… was brought here against my will… just like you… confined in this eternal damnation…"
Ayame frowned. "You mean… confined as in no way out…?"
"Sadly yes… there is no exit. This school exists in a reality all on its own, cut off from the world that you or I used to know."
"Why is this happening?" Ayame asked. "Why have I been brought here?"
The spirit paused for a moment. "They brought you here, they're constantly bringing new victims into this school… all the time… never stopping, sinless innocents one after another. This is a cursed, multidimensional nexus… multiple planes of existence all piled on top of one another… created by a powerful, vengeful spirits. "Closed Space" or perhaps "Closed Spaces"… you… and we as well… are all the unlucky victims of this curse."
"Closed… …spaces…?"
"Yes, you… and from what I can tell, two other people exist in this dimensional space… but I am also sensing some others… about eight more people that came around the same time as you did."
"Really!?" Ayame gasped. "So does that mean I can find my other classmates?" I hope they're okay… I really do…
"They are definitely within this school… but… you won't be able to meet them…"
"What?" her happiness soon turned to dread. "What do you mean? You just said that they were in this school."
"I did… but besides you… and the two others… there is no one else here that is of living origin… the others are in the many different spaces of the nexus compared to the one that you occupy. If you wish to see them, you must find other means of meeting them through the other spaces, or bring them to the space that you are in. but even then escape is impossible, but you'll at least be able to die together…"
Ayame couldn't say anything, too shocked by the spirits words she fell to her knees, staring at the wooden ground with wide blue eyes. Looking to the ghost she asked. "You… you said that I and the others were brought here by vengeful spirits… do you know who they are? And you said that there were at least two other people here besides me, could they be from my school by chance…?"
"Possibly… one in particular seems determined to find you…"
That must be Satomi! Oh my god she's here with me!
"But the other… seems to want to do nothing but harm you… I suggest that when you see that person, avoid that one. That person may just be you're downfall."
"What do you mean…?"
"Do whatever you can… to find a way out of here." The spirit said changing subjects. "Don't end up… …like us… I wish of you… the best of luck…"
The spirit then vanished, leaving her alone with skeletal remains.
Letting out a few deep shaky breaths Ayame slowly stood up, the information that she had just been told was a lot, confusing, but a lot, she did understand most of it, but what bothered her was this person that wanted to do harm. In a place like this, it could be anyone or anything… the only people that Ayame could truly trust was her friends; maybe she could leave some kind of message on a wall or on a desk, that way her friends and other classmates would know how to find her.
"Thank you." She said to the spirits remains. "For telling me all of that, and I wish, that if this were to truly end… that you and the many other spirits in this place were finally able to have some sort of peace." After saying that Ayame continued her way down the stairs.
"Thank… you… thank you so much…"
Walking down the rest of the way she saw what looked to be a faint blue glow.
Near the end of one of the halls she paused when she saw another glowing blue spirit, and it gave her a word of warning. "If you should die here… you'll experience the pain you felt at the moment of your death for all eternity. Heaven's completely cut off, no paradise, no nirvana. Just eternal pain and misery…" the spirit let out a pain filled moan. "Ghaaa… why… did I have to die like that out of all things…? Uhhhh… ….ughaaaa… those kids why did those kids do this to me…? my body… nothing left… shig-nii…" and then vanished.
To feel the pain of death for all eternity, that was something Ayame did not want to go through she turned the corner and gasped, freezing in place she saw what looked to be a pummelled mass of gore, blood and flesh smashed all up against the walls as if whoever hit this wall was going at inhuman speed. It was like whatever threw the person to this wall really wanted them to die.
Ayame turned away as she felt the sudden urge to vomit, she gagged, trying to keep it all down, throwing up wasn't going to help her at all in this situation no matter how much she wanted too. In the corner where she stood Ayame saw a student name tag. It read as followed.
Mayu Suzumoto class 2-9 Kisaragi Academy.
She continued to shake; she didn't know if she could continue after seeing that on the wall it reminded her too much of her past, too much of what she had gone through.
Nii-san… Nii-san… I wish you were here… here to keep me from freaking out like this… it's been so long I should be over it by now…! So why can't I…?
"Ayame…"
"Huh?" she turned too looked down the hall avoiding the splatter along the wall. "Did… did someone call me?"
"Ayame…" the voice came again. "You'll be okay… you'll be fine, have more confidence in yourself you can do it…"
Ayame didn't say anything but forced herself to continue down the hallway ignoring what she saw behind her. "That's…!" she moved faster to the door. "That's the infirmary!"
She rushed over to the door and used the key that she had found on the door; it unlocked and opened before going inside.
"Thank god…" she said with a deep breath then paused. "…But… now what do I do…?" she walked further into the room, and suddenly felt very strange, like something was watching her, she saw what looked to be a type a diary, she thought it'd be best to leave it alone, but it seemed to be like a model that was glued to the table.
"I'm here but… I really don't have a clue as to where to go."
The infirmary door suddenly opened up and a student came rushing in. "Ayame!"
She turned and saw Satomi looking totally shocked but filled with untold relief. "Satomi!" Satomi ran to her so fast and pulled her into a very tight hug.
"Thank god! Thank god! Thank god!" she started to cry. "Ayameeee~!" she hugged her tighter. "I'm so glad you're okay Ayame… When I woke up I didn't see you at all… and there were all these bodies… I thought for a second you might be dead… or worse you'd be all by yourself having to deal with all of this stuff."
"But I'm not a lone now." Ayame said softly as she hugged her friend back. "You found me, and I'm okay… a bit shaken but okay…"
Satomi pulled away a bit, only to place both of her hands on Ayame's face, her eyes filled with concern. "You look really pale… are you sure you're going to be okay?"
"Yeah, I'm sure it'll take some time but, I think I'll get over my whole issue over fainting from seeing gore… but that might not be a good thing."
Her friend was quite for a long moment. "Well, if you ever do faint, know with pride that I'll always be there to catch you. Besides though you may not look like it, you're extremely light."
"Didn't you once say that the most of my weight went to my breasts?"
Satomi smiled. "Haha! That I did, and you're also the best long jumper in the whole school, there were some areas that I couldn't go too because of a big hole in the floor."
"Well now that we've found each other, do you want to see if we can find a way out of this creepy place?"
"Definitely, and maybe we can find the others too."
Ayame's smile fell slightly. "…About that. While looking for an exit there's something really important that I need to tell you about this school."
"You mean Heavenly Host Elementary?"
Ayame looked at her friend in surprise. "You already know about that?"
Satomi's brown eyes went downcast to the floor as a sad expression came to her face. "Yeah… I saw a flyer on the wall, but this place was demolished a long time ago so how the hell can we even be here to begin with…?"
"That's what I need to talk to you about, but come on, let's leave this room; something about this room in particular… it bothers me."
"Okay." She took Ayame's hand and they left the infirmary.
As the two girl's left the room something else began to form, a looming dark shadow with a blood red aura merely standing in the middle of the room as a slightly smaller shadow seemed to separate itself from the much more menacing one and disappear going off all on its own to wherever it wished.
"More…"