The Cries of Haruhi Suzumiya: Kamigoroshi

by Thnikkafan

In the small sleepy town of Hinamizawa, there have been a string of murders connected to the Watanagashi festival. This has piqued the interest of one Haruhi Suzumiya, who has decided to investigate. But, of course, things are more than they seem...

3. Chapter 3: Fall From Grace

The Cries of Haruhi Suzumiya

Chapter 3 - Fall From Grace

The light of the sun doesn't shine on Hinamizawa.

That's because it's cut off from the rest of the world as I know it. There's still a big ball of helium and hydrogen lighting the sky that rises in the east and sets in the west at twenty-four hour intervals. It's just not my sun.

And besides, I like the metaphor.

It makes sense, seeing as Hinamizawa has it's roots founded on the dark cult of Oyashiro-sama (I'm pretty sure that the mattress is a representation of a corpse so as to not scar the little girl slicing it up) and it's full of psychopaths.

Well, it's been filled with at least one more psychopath a few days ago, anyways.

---

"Who do you trust?"

Koizumi had taken me down to a river behind the junkyard to skip rocks. Personally, I can't make a rock cross a body of water worth crap. This was 100% his idea.

"Well, that was out of left field." I said, despite expecting him to break out the philosophy sooner or later.

"I was just thinking about Suzumiya-san."

"Well... first off, what exactly do you mean when you say 'trust'?"

"Trust to be loyal. Trust with your life. Trust not to hurt you or let you fall to the enemy."

"Well, in that case, I trust Asahina-san."

If me and Asahina-san were trapped in a locked room with a gun and an intercom telling us to shoot the other, I'd even let her hold the gun while I tried to break the door down.

"Ah, now, we've reached a point where we differ."

"You don't trust her?"

"Not in the least. She's directly subservient to her superiors. And who knows what agenda they might have? If she was given the order to assassinate you if Suzumiya-san got out of hand, she wouldn't hesitate."

I can't picture Asahina-san blowing me away with a .45, sorry.

"Even so, she has her own agendas. Who's to say if they have our best interests in mind?"

"Your best interests in mind. There's a world of difference."

"And that is?"

"You aren't me."

This seemed to completely stun Koizumi. She stopped skipping rocks and just looked at me.

"You have a very good point. I am not you. I might be able to cause a similar reaction, but it would not be the same."

That makes no sense. And don't try to turn me against the other Brigade members, because we have more than enough on out plate.

He smirked.

"Anyway, continue."

"Well, I trust Nagato."

"More or less than Asahina-san?"

More. Asahina-san might own a beauty that would deserve being stolen from Sparta to Troy, but Nagato would stand by me until I die. And even then, she'd stand by my body until continental drift puts Japan underground.

"You'd trust Nagato-san with your life?"

It worked in the past.

"I see. I trust her more than Asahina-san, but less than others. She's completely bound to the Integrated Data Thought-"

"Now that's a lie."

"Perhaps it is wrong, but if that's the case, it's ignorance, not a lack of honesty. And, even so, what if, say, Suzumiya-san ordered Nagato to kill you?"

"Don't ask that sort of thing."

"But it's a very real possibility. But, anyway, I'm digressing from my point."

He skipped a rock upstream in such a way as to make it curve and land on the same bank he was standing on.

"Well, do you trust me?"

I haven't started.

"Well, why not?"

"Hey, I didn't say if I did or didn't."

"Ah, but you thought it."

"Shut up. You can't read my mind."

As far as I know...

"Don't worry. Telepathy isn't part of the esper power set."

"Good."

"So, why don't you trust me?"

"Why would I? It's that smile, and that obvious act, and the way you act like you know everything."

And, really, if you wanted a list of why I don't trust Koizumi, we'd need .01 font.

He chuckled, obviously expecting that answer.

"And do you trust Suzumiya-san?"

"No."

Koizumi froze again.

"You... you don't?"

"Not lately."

"That... that's strange. I thought you did."

"Did being the key word. Koizumi, I don't know if you've noticed, but she's nuts."

"I, well..."

You were expecting that I'd say that I trusted her, I take it.

"Well, yeah. Yes I was."

He stood back from the river and sighed.

"Hinamizawa has changed everything, hasn't it?"

See, now you're getting into the correct mindset.

There are two memories I will save of Hinamizawa. One of them is Asahina-san's eyes lighting up at the sight of the festival. The other is managing to shake up Koizumi.

"But, yet, she still trusts you."

"Really. How do you know that?"

"I asked."

Ah.

"Even after the quote-unquote treason?" I said.

"Suzumiya-san is nothing if not loyal. I feel that, even if she degenerates into a paranoid wreck, she'd still trust you. Partially because it's very possible that she'd wither and die if she believed otherwise."

"Well, it's one-sided, then."

"Do you believe, to use an extreme example, that she could try to kill you?"

"She stuck a nail through my hand. I don't doubt her of doing anything anymore."

I took off the bandage on my hand and tossed it away.

"Oh?" said Koizumi, noticing. "What are you doing?"

"I'm taking this off. It's itchy and I like being able to have a full range of motion in my hand."

"But what if Suzumiya-san notices?"

"Well, I'll think about it when that happens."

Koizumi shrugged. "Suit yourself."

He grabbed a rock and threw it into the river.

"Well, anyway, paranoia is the reason I brought you here."

Whose paranoia? Mine, yours, or Haruhi's?

"Suzumiya-san's paranoia, to be precise."

Well, spit it out.

"What is paranoia? Tell me, in your own words."

You sound like either a teacher or a psychologist.

"Well," I said, "I'd say it's an irrational fear of persecution."

"An irrational fear of persecution..." said Koizumi, "Well, I personally would have said a mental illness in which a delusional belief is the sole or most prominent feature, typically including persecutory beliefs concerning a perceived threat towards oneself. But I think like your definition more."

You sound like you copied and pasted the description from Wikipedia.

"Anyway, if you are merely paranoid, for example, you believe people are after you. This is false, correct?"

I'd assume so, assuming it's definitely "merely".

"But these people who are after you seem completely real. Right?"

Well, I haven't been afflicted with paranoia, so I wouldn't know. I'd assume so.

"Well, then. If they seem completely real, what if you combine that with the ability to alter reality to fit your perspective?"

"Meaning Haruhi?"

He nodded.

"There is a very real possibility that there are now conspiracies and machinations against Suzumiya-san. Perhaps they are a result of Suzumiya-san's subconscious. Perhaps they existed before we arrived, and they are focusing on Suzumiya-san because of her powers."

I'm confused again.

"Let me put it this way: Suzumiya-san thinks that people are after her and this town has dark secrets. Therefore, people are after her, and this town has dark secrets."

It's blatantly obvious that Hinamizawa was loaded with dark secrets from the-

"-point when she started believing that they were there."

Ah. Wait, this town's probably ancient! She can't retroactively change the past of an entire town and all it's occupants!

Can she?

"It's possible. Scale isn't much of a limit for her, anyway. And besides, that was only my first theory."

I have a feeling that if I said "Well, I don't want to hear the others", he'd ignore me. So I just nodded.

"The second theory is that this town, and all of the pathos present within, is completely legitimate."

I doubt it.

"It's my least plausible theory, I admit. But there are issues that throw off the other two theories, such as the enigma known as Furude-san."

Okay, I can let you get away with that bit of understatement because you weren't there when she was manic-depressive and drunk at the same time, or when she had a fit about me not leaving.

"And my third theory is that this town and all of it's occupants are merely creations of Suzumiya-san. A cast and stage for this story."

If Hinamizawa was a film, it would need to be directed by Takashi Miike while he was drunk and in dire need of his next paycheck.

"These theories have myriads of evidence for each. But none of them take into account Suzumiya-san's... condition."

I can come up several much better ways to say that she's nuts.

"Yes. She still keeps her survival at top priority, and if this was a story, I'm sure she would want to be the last girl left who eventually triumphs."

If I was directing this, she'd be killed off after the black guy but before the nerd.

Hold on a second. Haruhi's depowered. I think I managed to render every one of your theories moot. Actually, it was two out of three, but I digress.

"Well, I have good news, then. I checked. Suzumiya-san is at a full orange. As far as practical concerns go, she's fundamentally the same as she always is."

I wouldn't be the first one to call that "good news."

"But at least it partially restores the status quo. Isn't that at least a bit reassuring?"

I guess you might have a point.

"Anyway, outside forces aren't the only ones that seem to be machinating against you. Betrayal by friends and compatriots is another major aspect."

You mean the SOS Brigade.

"Exactly."

Well, everyone here is either Haruhi's sycophant or smart enough to know that killing her is a dumb idea.

I'm getting the feeling that Koizumi's setting me up for something, either a jaw-dropping line or a similar action.

"But paranoia doesn't require motive, and I don't know if anyone could shrug off the will of Suzumiya-san."

You're saying that she could make us attack her.

"I am. However, I have good reason to believe that she thinks that you won't betray her. You have nothing to worry about."

I zoned out a bit, watching the river flow.

"And she still has her survival in mind. However, she could probably care less - at first - if another member of the SOS Brigade dies. And the rest of us aren't exempt from her guiles."

I could almost hear him smirking.

"And who better to be killed first than the one she trusts the most?"

I should have seen it coming.

I quickly turned, and grabbed Koizumi's arm, which was less than a decimeter from my head.

The bastard was going to beat my brains in with a rock.

"Well, I see that-"

I cut Koizumi-temee off by taking a page from Haruhi's book and nailing him with a knee to the crotch. He fell limp.

"Ow... well, I should have expected that. Of course, I am still rational enough to be aware of the consequences, both pseudocosmological and physical, of your death. I'm not that stupid."

"Then why the hell did you try to kill me?"

"I was showing that even fellow brigade members, myself included, cannot be trusted."

I'm way ahead of you!

"If you trusted me any more, I would have knocked you out."

"If I trusted you any less, I would have beaten your head in and tossed you in the river."

Koizumi-temee smirked. Okay, the smirking's bugging me now. Cut it out.

At this point, Nagato decided to walk on stage. Nagato, as nice of a favor as it would be, don't kick his ass. Haruhi would notice.

"We are going to eat soon."

And she turned and walked away. I let Koizumi-temee down. For being kneed in the groin, he seemed to be recovering surprisingly quickly.

"So, have you learned not to trust your fellow members of the SOS Brigade?"

"I've learned not to trust you, that's for sure."

He got up, chuckling.

"Well, it's a start."

He kept chuckling all the way back to the junkyard.

Haruhi, Nagato, and Asahina-san had laid a tablecloth on the roof of the bus. Me and Koizumi sat down with them.

"So, what are we eating?"

The leftovers that we were eating since we got here have ran out, and (because Asahina-san was, and I apologize for using this term in regards to her, a bit naive in not realizing that the blue and green parts in the bread are not for flavoring) the sandwiches were out of the question.

"Well," said Haruhi, "our inevitable starvation has been held off for at least another day. In addition to sandwiches - don't worry, I cut out most of the mold -"

It looks like you cut out the rest of it as well.

"- we have -"

She revealed a bento box.

"-ohagi!"

Ohagi? Where did you find this? Did you knock someone down and rob them of dinner?

"What? No, don't be stupid. We're not at that point yet." said Haruhi.

"Ryuugu-san gave it to us." said Asahina-san.

"Yeah. You know, I wonder if it's poisoned or sabotaged in any way."

"She was going to give it to Keiichi-san, so I'd assume it's okay."

"Yeah, I guess you have a point. And, if there is, there's a whole new layer of this mystery exposed!"

She opened the box. There were five balls of ohagi, labeled "A" through "E".

"That's barely any..." said Haruhi. "Oh well, we each get one, then. Alphabetical order. Dig in."

I ate my ohagi (which was "E" - which doesn't say much for how Haruhi thinks of me). It's pretty good.

"Oh, yesterday, I swung by one of the local police stations to look at backstories. Turns out you're completely right about Satoko. And, it turns out, the abusive uncle returned a few days ago, then, well, something happened to him the night before the festival. It's got the police completely baffled!"

"Well, that's new news." said Koizumi. "What happened?"

I do believe it's called "Nagato Yuki". Quite powerful.

"Classified information, they said." said Haruhi. "That's complete crap! Who keeps all of their information classified, anyway?"

Asahina-san's face slowly started to match the color of her hair.

"I tried to look up the Sonozaki twins, and all the information on them is classified, too!"

"That is quite unfortunate, Suzumiya-san."

"You got that right. Well, I have more theories, too, based on stuff I learned the day of the festival."

"Well, care to enlighten us?" said Koizumi.

"Well, I was talking with Takano and Tomitake. According to Takano, the citizens of this town have demon blood. Something about the ritual being to placate the demons or something."

The "demon blood" was accompanied by air-quotes.

"But personally, I think she was just telling horror stories. Although I did get it confirmed that the ceremony used to be cannibalistic."

"Did they eat the entrails?" I asked.

"Yeah, I think so."

Called it.

"But it's doubtful. Like I said, we need to be wary of bias. The only thing I can really trust from Takano-san is those notes."

But, really, with things like the "Hammer of Oyashiro-sama", you're buying that?

"Well, okay, that note might be a little bit, well, odd, but the other notes are legit."

"Isn't that the one with the bleeding maggots? That's stupid, is-"

Haruhi slammed her fist down on the "table". She was drifting into another psychopathic phase.

"It's... it's fine. There's, well, other things in there that are accurate."

"Is something wrong?" asked Asahina-san.

"No. Now, just... just eat."

I saw Koizumi and Asahina-san trade concerned glances to each other.

"You know, Suzumiya-san," said Koizumi, "I personally would have expected you to have jumped on the tales of demon blood and dark rituals. This is completely out of character for you."

"Well, you can blame the tasing, I guess. It really fu-"

Nagato suddenly went into a heavy coughing fit. Hold on, Nagato doesn't really do anything like cough, sneeze, gag, etc. That's not normal. Judging by Koizumi's look, he's confused as well.

"Is something wrong, Yuki-chan?" said Haruhi.

"I am fine."

Nagato swallowed (that made a sound like she was trying to swallow an entire egg), stood up and walked off.

"Well, that's somewhat concerning..." said Koizumi.

Haruhi nodded.

I looked in my ohagi to see if there was any impurities. I didn't see any.

"Hey, Kyon."

"Yes?"

She had a look that usually would accompany the pressing of a random button to see what it did.

"Your hand..."

Oh, that's not good. Okay, let's just think of something, and hope she loses interest...

"What about it?"

"Let me see it."

She grabbed it and yanked it up to her face for inspection.

"How could it..."

"Could you put my hand down?"

"Where's the hole?"

"I, well... I'm going to go check on Nagato, okay?"

And exit me, stage right.

Koizumi shot me a concerned look as I headed off to... wherever Nagato was.

After a few minutes of searching, I had found Nagato standing on a ridge east of the junkyard like she was waiting for some divine hand to grab her and whisk her away. It overlooked the whole town, and the view was, to put it lightly, breathtaking. You could see everywhere, from the school to the shrine.

"Hey."

"..."

"So, um, what was up with earlier? That wasn't really normal."

"..."

"Are you okay?"

"...anomaly."

"Hmm?"

"Anomaly was present in the rice ball."

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "anomaly"...

"There was an object concealed inside the rice ball, revealed upon consumption. It was placed with the intent to cause harm."

Harm?

"I am unharmed. The object was synthesized into carbon products and consumed. All blood flow has clotted."

"Well, what was it?"

"Allow me to desynthesize..."

A faint silver glow emitted from Nagato's mouth. She coughed again, reached into her mouth, and pulled out... a needle.

"No way!"

"Way."

"And that was in your food?"

"It was."

"And you just... well, ate it?"

"It was synthesized into carbohydrate products and digested."

"That's what I meant." Assuming I didn't misremember Biology.

"Then yes."

Why the hell is there a needle in your food anyway? Wasn't she going to give it to Keiichi? Would she really try to hurt her friend like that?

"Possible. The truth of the statement is also in question."

But the way I've seen it, the bond between the group is at an atomic level. Having the teenagers of Hinamizawa trying to kill each other is a bit strange.

"The presence of the anomaly could also have been caused by the machinations of Suzumiya-san."

But she wouldn't-if she did do that, she would have put it in my food, not yours.

"It was a random event."

"So, everything's fine?"

"Yes."

That's good. I started heading back to camp.

"Who do you trust?"

Great, now she's asking about it. I stopped and looked at her. She seemed to have a... I guess maybe "concerned" or "pained" would fit as a description of her look.

"Well, I trust you. And I trust Asahina-san. The other two have tried to kill me."

"I would advise refreshing that list. Nobody is to be trusted. Errant behavior is present in... in all individuals here."

Okay, could someone tell the developer that this playtester thinks there are too many cryptic warnings in this game?

Asahina-san walked up to the ridge, looking like she had been forced to watch a cockfight against her will. I noticed, in the distance, I could - and had been - hearing something that also happened to sound like a cockfight.

"Um, I think that Suzumiya-san is a bit... well..."

"Well what?"

"Well, Koizumi-san tried to cover for you by saying that Suzumiya-san might have, um, been imagining things. She, uh, really didn't take it well. At all."

I could hear Haruhi shout "I hit him! I hit him!", which did a decrescendo into something between shrieking and whimpering.

Asahina-san walked back to the camp. Nagato started walking as well.

"Nagato?"

She stopped.

"Can you..."

Okay, this is a really stupid idea. But I'm getting the sense that Haruhi is fond of reapplication to marks that fade away.

"Can you... re-open the hole that Haruhi made?"

"The one three days ago?"

"Yeah."

"Are you sure?"

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't have asked."

"Would you like to save your game?"

Well, that never hurts-wait, what did she just say?

"It was a joke."

Oh. Actually, that's almost funny.

"Regardless, storing a point in time to be re-accessed later would require abilities impossible in this space. It is outside of my jurisdiction."

She grasped the point where the nail was driven through. I felt a mild pain right in that area, sort of like if I bit my own tongue. She lifted her fingers to reveal the hole. It even seemed to have been healing over the past three days.

"There."

She walked back to camp. I followed.

Haruhi was huddled in the fetal position on the roof of the bus. Koizumi was standing over her. The look he gave me could give even Haruhi shame if it wasn't attached to his pretty face.

"Haruhi, are you-"

She struck out like a cobra and grabbed my arm.

"Where is the-oh... it's... it's right there."

She fell limp. I could see that her eyes were... well, it looked partially like they were bloodshot and partially like they were actually bleeding.

"Yes. You don't have to worry."

"I... Oh, Kyon, I think I might be going insane... I remember putting the hole in and it was gone and now it's... ugh..."

She grabbed my arm again. This time, it was more needy, like a desperate child.

"Kyon... don't leave me. Promise?"

"I promise. But we will leave Hinamizawa, right?"

"Yeah."

"When?"

"At... at the end of the month."

"That long?"

"We still have a mission, after all."

She crawled like a slug into the interior of the bus.

"Are you turning in early, Suzumiya-san?" said Koizumi.

"Yeah, yeah. Try to keep it down, okay?"

"I'll do my best."

I got off the bus. I decided to go Haruhi-watching. She shambled over to the corner, picked up the nail that went through my hand, and...

...okay, never mind Haruhi-watching. Ick.

"Kyon, you should probably stop watching."

Ah, Asahina-san. Such refreshing words from an equally refreshing soul.

"Um, can I speak to you?"

Go right ahead.

"In private?"

"Yeah, sure."

We walked. Asahina-san stopped at the ridge that me and Nagato were talking at. The sun was setting, and a wondrous breeze blew up from the valley below. Maybe Izumi Konata has a point (and yes, I've seen it. Haruhi made me). If there were places to trigger flags for dating sims, this would be a main scene.

"So, what do you want to talk to me about?" I said.

"Well, ummm..."

"Let me guess. You want to ask me who I trust?"

"No, but, now that you mention it, I would like to know if you trust Nagato-san."

"Of course. I'd definitely trust her to save my life."

"But what if she couldn't? What if... what if she was the one trying to kill you?"

"Why would she?"

"I don't know. But, if she did, well... you remember what happened with you and Asakura-san, right?"

Well, that mental image is going to haunt my dreams. Thanks. Wait, assuming you mean what I think, how do you know that?

"It's classified."

But Nagato isn't Asakura. She has no motive whatsoever.

"But, well... she's been acting really strange lately. Really harsh and scary."

I won't deny that. But don't worry. She's smart enough to know that killing me is off-limits.

"I wasn't really thinking about you..."

Such a fearful, solemn face on such a sweet figure. I really hate to acknowledge the fact, but if anyone was to die, it would be this angel on Earth standing before me.

Nagato, I hope you know that killing Asahina-san would bring all the forces of Heaven, Hell, the cosmos, Hinamizawa, and Haruhi down on your head.

"Is that all?" I asked.

"Well... I have another question."

"Go ahead."

"Well, I think I've heard people say that it's much better to regret something you did, rather than regret something you didn't do. What do you think about that?"

I really haven't heard people say that. Wait, I've heard one person say that, and she tried to kill me. What do you mean?

"Well, there's a theory that, if Suzumiya-san dies, the powers could be transferred to another individual."

Have you been hanging around Koizumi in your spare time?

"A little bit. Well, there's still the barrier around this place. If you assume it's not gone - meaning the outside world, that is - and if you assume that Suzumiya-san can freely exit if she wanted to... but she doesn't."

But others would?

"Yes."

As strange and suicidal as the concept would be, you sound like you want to kill Haruhi.

"Well..."

Wait... you aren't.

"I... well... it'd certainly be better than waiting here, wouldn't it? She's really unstable, and with the rest of the town..."

That is... frankly, no.

"Why not? I don't like the plan, but... there aren't really any more options besides killing Suzumiya-san, is there. I mean, there could be only one death, instead of, say, four. Or five. Or any number of the locals."

Never, in all of my life, would I have expected the phrase "killing Suzumiya-san", especially in that context, to come out of Asahina-san's beautiful, tiny mouth.

Look... I hate to say this, but you're crazy. She's Suzumiya Haruhi! One, you'd have to kill her, pull it off, and then avoid all of the legal repercussions. Two, you're assuming that the energies from Haruhi would end up in someone else, probably me (and if they do, I would be happy to get out of here, so you have at least one point). Three, then you'd have to deal with others who would be very able to kick your ass, most likely Nagato, who would rather have Haruhi be living. And if you do pull this off, you would have to explain it to your boss, not to mention just about everyone else. Is it worth it?

"I..."

Asahina didn't respond. She walked back to camp, leaving me on this vista with my back to the setting sun.

Nagato giving cryptic warnings. Asahina-san wanting to (I still can't believe that she said this) kill Haruhi. Koizumi trying to kill me.

What the hell is happening here?

When I went to sleep, I had a nightmare. I don't remember my dreams (and no, nighttime jaunts with Haruhi do not count in any way, shape, or form.), so I can't tell you what I saw. All I remember is the sound of Asahina-san screaming. The end of the month can't come soon enough.

---

I was awakened the day after by being shaken awake by a fervent Suzumiya Haruhi.

"Kyon! Kyon!"

Look, tell me what you're so distraught about and I'll help you.

"Mikuru-chan's gone!"

Now, that filled me with enough energy to rival Latin America's yearly exports of coffee.

"She's what?" I said.

"Gone! Disappeared without a trace! All her stuff is here, too!"

I sprang up. How could Asahina-san go missing? I know that Haruhi would never wish for her to go. Unless... no, that's a dumb idea.

"God, it's totally Oyashiro-sama's curse! Takano-san said that someone dies and someone disappears every festival!"

But you said yourself that that was all horror stories.

"That was in the past! Now, come on!"

Haruhi burst out of the bus. Koizumi appears to have been worked almost to a point of exhaustion.

"Okay, scan the perimeter. Koizumi, you can take a break now."

Koizumi seemed immensely relieved at this. He pulled out a bottle of water and started drinking.

"Where'd Yuki run off to? I really need her help!"

She pulled out a cell phone.

"I'm going to call her."

"Don't bother." I said. "There's no-"

Suddenly, to my surprise (and, judging by her raised eyebrow and his absolutely amazing spit take, to Haruhi's and Koizumi's as well.), Haruhi's phone rang. She raised the phone to her ear in the way most people would lift a live grenade.

"Hello? M-Mikuru-chan! There you are! We're scared half to death over here! Where are you? What? I don't care if your mom is on her deathbed! That's no excuse!"

Okay, if Asahina-san has a mother, she's not born yet. Hell, it'd probably be a while before her great-great-grandmother is even born. Actually, it'd be better to assign the number of "greats" to n and leave it at that. Anyway, something's up.

"Wait, that probably is an excuse! Who's captured you? Are they with you right now?"

"Look, can I speak with her?" I said.

"Yeah, I guess so."

Haruhi tossed me the phone.

"Asahina-san?"

"No, I'm not being- oh. Hello."

That... that's not right. Something in her voice is triggering every single flag that something is utterly wrong.

"A... Asahina-san?"

"Do not worry. I am fine." Her voice was slowly but steadily lowering in pitch, which is disturbing to so many extents that can't really be covered in text. "I am not talking with Suzumiya-san anymore. This is correct?"

"Um, yes?"

"Very well. This transmission is now... unnecessary."

Boooop. Boooop. Boooop. Boooop.

That... was definitely creepy as hell. That last "unnecessary" didn't even sound like Asahina-san. It sounded almost alien.

"Kyon-kun? Are you okay? You look like someone died on the other end." said Haruhi.

"Yeah, I'm fine. She hung up."

"Well, that's interesting. Now, what were you saying?"

"...never mind."

I gave Haruhi her phone back.

"You know, I had no idea we had service here."

Neither did I.

"I, uh, well... I gotta go." said Haruhi. "I have to tend to my 'womanly needs'."

What could you ever mean by... um, if that's what I think it means, then why did you go to Hinamizawa now? It's not the most, to be frank, period-friendly place.

"Look, it's biological. I can't schedule my menstrual cycle around these trips, and I can't schedule the festival so that I can go during the best time."

Fine, just don't let me imagine the concept of you... oh, damn it.

She walked off toward the river.

Koizumi was somewhat frantically trying to make a call. To no avail.

And now, Nagato enters the scene. This is also the first time I've seen her wearing something other than her school uniform (a carmine blouse and a black skirt) since we arrived.

"Nagato, I think something is wrong." I said.

"Suzumiya-san has received a phone call from Asahina-san despite it being impossible in this space."

Well, that's rather specific, despite just walking in.

"It is possible to cause radio-frequency energy to be formed from a point-"

She held out her arm.

"-causing the formation of radio waves on a specific frequency."

Koizumi's phone promptly rang, which startled him enough to have him jump.

"This can be received and perceived by electronic systems as an incoming call."

But it wasn't a signal. It was an entire call. With Asahina-san (despite not being Asahina-san at all) talking and everything.

"I do not know. The call served to placate Suzumiya-san, at the very least."

I'm getting the feeling that I'm getting a low roll on a Bluff check, except for that I have no idea if it's even possible for Nagato to lie. Especially to me.

"Well, do you know what happened to Asahina-san?"

"...no."

She sat down, pulled out a book (some sort of satirical fantasy by some British guy), and started reading.

"Well, do you have any ideas on what happened?" I said.

"An extremely large number of possibilities could have occurred."

Such as?

"One with a high rate of probability is her having been abducted by the locals."

I pictured Asahina-san, chained up in a dank cellar with a knife and having a knife dug into her abdomen. Goddamnit, Nagato, don't give me nightmares!

"I must say, that is an interesting theory." said Koizumi.

"It is only highly probable. It is not what I personally believe."

And that is?

"Predictions state that the probability of her death neared 1 as the amount of time in Hinamizawa increased. Her death would have caused machinations and events to not occur in the future. The lack of these events has altered the timeframe into one in which Asahina-san does not exist."

"That... that makes no sense." I said. "Now, half of the time, the things you say don't make sense anyway, but that's just... well, it's stupid. If Asahina-san didn't do what she did, or will do, we wouldn't be here. Hell, if it wasn't for her, you might not even exist."

"...perhaps. But what has happened has happened. Regardless, we are here, and Asahina-san is not."

She set her book down and stood up.

"Do not mention any of this to Suzumiya-san. This situation is now not an issue."

Not an issue? Not an issue? It's an enormous issue! Even ignoring the fact that she's Asahina-san, she's a member of the SOS Brigade! She's a core facet of all of our lives. And you expect us to drop the issue?

"For now. Let all perceptions remain-"

That was cut off by a bloodcurdling scream from the river area.

I decided to dodge Koizumi making the situation even worse and went to see what the hell that was.

I found Haruhi in a semi-secluded spot in the bushes near the river.

"D-don't look at me!"

I then noticed that Haruhi was wearing a somewhat short skirt and no panties. I looked away, because a view of Haruhi's nethers, especially when bleeding, is near the bottom of the list of things I'd like to see.

"What's wrong?" I said.

"I... oh, god, don't get any closer. I'm not okay."

You don't even remotely sound like you're okay.

"I... the notes were right."

I noticed that Haruhi's bloody, used tampon had been tossed a good distance away into the grass.

"What do you mean by 'right'?"

"The... the bleeding maggots... the book said they were a hallucination... right?"

I didn't actually read the- oh my god.

"Teeming" and "infested" are not adjectives that I would use to describe a used tampon. But that thing was stuffed like a maggot-filled croquette.

"That... that's not a hallucination..."

"It-it's not? But people... they don't bleed maggots! They can't bleed maggots!"

I looked at Haruhi, who had managed to slip on a pair of panties in the meantime. The scene was better fitting for Inferno than a rural Japanese town.

The area around her was stained with maggot-laden blood. Maggots which were very much still alive and crawling around. Did I mention that some of these maggots are trying to get back into her panties and the region beyond? I... god, Freud can go to hell. Actually, I think Kafka can go to hell, too.

We interrupt this story to allow your narrator the opportunity to run to the river and vomit.

After that, I went and sat down by a shaking, very frightened Haruhi.

"You know... I... I sort of feel clean now."

Clean? You bled maggots. That's not clean in my book.

"But... they're out of me now."

"And they're trying to get back in."

She jumped up and started brushing the maggots off of her legs. I stopped her before she started pulling them out of her interior with her fingers.

"So, when did this start?"

"Well, the bleeding started a while ago. But the maggots started the day before the festival."

"Well, I think we should take you to a doctor, then."

"But the doctor..."

She trailed off, ran a finger across her neck (which also has maggots in it, crawling under her skin).

"Tomorrow. Okay?"

I nodded. She half-fell onto me, half-hugged me. I must say, having the high-and-mighty Suzumiya Haruhi reduced to a nearly childlike state, clinging to me for dear life, it's creepy.

"I... I think I might be cursed. I need to find a way to stop this. And I'm not going to go until it is."

"Why? I say we leave and never look back." After we tie up any loose ends involving the redhead of our group, of course.

"B-but Takano-san said that if you leave Hinamizawa, bad things happen... oh... oh no..."

"What?"

"I think I might have Oyashiro-sama's curse."

"What? No. From what I've heard, the curse is where one person dies and one person vanishes. And from what I've seen, you aren't either."

"Well, she mentioned... never mind. Don't tell anyone else about this, okay?"

Part of me wishes you didn't tell me. Although the other part thinks that it's a very good idea for you to tell someone. Keeping this a secret would only end badly.

She let me go and started washing the blood off her with a bottle of water.

"Why is this happening to me?"

"I don't know." I lied. "Just pretend it's not happening and maybe it'd go away."

"What kind of crap is that?"

I would reassure her at this point, but if I told her the logistics of why maggots in the bloodstream wouldn't work (Really, they'd starve unless they were actively eating you - which would kill you. They would also be unable to fit in the bloodstream and if they could, they'd still die and the bodies would cause clots. There's a whole load of problems present with the concept), but I was concerned that that would more likely than not cause her to realize that and have a stroke.

"It's the only idea I have."

I shrugged.

"Well... this is our little secret, okay?" said Haruhi. "Don't tell anyone. Not even the other members of the SOS Brigade."

"Why not?" Hell, Koizumi's probably eavesdropping on us right now.

"Because... this isn't something people should know. And besides, I'm sure that Koizumi and Nagato are hiding secrets about me."

I won't comment, but I will say that if you think they're hiding malicious secrets against you, don't.

"Well, could you go? I need to wipe up."

Quite gladly.

I headed back up to camp. I didn't even bother telling Koizumi what happened down there. It was pretty obvious from his expression that he had been eavesdropping.

Now, you might be wondering how Hinamizawa will be able to top getting Haruhi to bleed maggots in such a Freudian way. Personally, I was wondering the same thing.

Here. I'll show you.

---

It's evening now. Today is really going downhill. It started with Asahina-san disappearing the night before. Nagato said it's because she was erased by her future death causing a paradox, but the paradox caused by that makes me think that that's not right. What's more, Nagato wants us to completely drop the matter, which is suspicious as hell. But Haruhi thinks (as far as I know) that she went home to care for a dying mother, but I don't know if that's true.

That brings us to the next event of the day: Haruhi bleeding maggots. And yes, that includes in her period, too (and before you ask, yes, I'm dodging around saying any real term for feminine genitalia, and no, I'm going to keep it up). It turns out that Haruhi has been bleeding them for the past three or four days. How I didn't notice this, I don't know.

Now, I'm going to the store to pick up bread (for sandwiches), a few other things, and some needle and thread. Haruhi wanted me to get some razor blades, but I said it was too suspicious. Now that I think about it, considering that she was bleeding maggots out of a certain spot, I think that maybe the needle and thread isn't a good idea, either.

I parked my bike near a small shop, entered, grabbed a loaf of bread and a local newspaper, paid for it, and... the shopkeeper turned it down.

"I can't accept this."

"What? Why not?"

"I'm not allowed to accept fake money."

Fake money-oh, son of a... having it turn out I've been duped: another thing to add to the wonderful time we've been having in Hinamizawa.

"Fine, here." I said.

I took the note and gave him another one. The shopkeeper, an old balding man, laughed.

"That one's fake, too."

"You have got to be kidding me..."

I took the note and checked all the security measures. Crosshatching's good. Watermark's there. I'm pretty sure I can pick up a bit of that text you need blacklights to see.

"Looks real to me."

"It looks real to me, too. It's very convincing. But it's still fake."

"Look, just tell me how it's fake and we can reach an agreement."

"The date."

I looked at the date. Seems okay to me.

"Yes. But it's completely wrong. It's a future date."

"It said it was made in 1994."

"Exactly."

"I don't know if I was even born when this note was made."

He raised an eyebrow, then laughed.

"Well, either you're think I'm senile or you're some sort of time-traveler. The date on this note is ten years in the future, at least."

Ten years in the future? Seriously, is this town stuck in...

Oh no.

"Well, what's the year, then?" It's more likely me than the other people here.

"The year? 1983."

Oh no.

No no no no no...

I looked at the newspaper I bought for conformation.

It's not helping.

I am twenty-seven years in the past.

Son of a bitch.

I have to tell Nagato. And Koizumi, I guess.

I dropped everything and burst out the door.

"Hey, you forgot your money!"

No time! I don't care, either. Future money, as has been demonstrated, is worthless.

I got on the bike, and started pedaling. And thinking.

Dear god, I'm way in the past. Well, not too far, but still. Computers (as I know them) aren't around. Cell phones aren't around (that explains a lot). I'm not even around. That's a bit hard to comprehend.

Hold on. How did we end up so far in the past? Isn't there a three-years ago limit? Is that not including Haruhi?

Yes, Haruhi. Haruhi and that damn bus and her damn powers and her damn ideas. Only she can maroon us in the past in a town like Hinamizawa.

More importantly, how the hell are we supposed to get back? Haruhi is clueless, Nagato's depowered (and while I use that term loosely, this is probably exactly what she can't do), and the resident time traveler's MIA.

It's actually pretty dark out now. Eh. As long as I stay on the path, I'll be fine.

You know, I would have liked a normal mystery at this point. None of this time travel or bleeding maggots or any other crap. Just a death, a killer, and a mystery. I'm going to blaspheme here a bit, but if that happened, I might not even (besides loads of grief) mind Asahina-san dying. Actually, that'd be impossible, come to think of it. Eh, I'd settle for Koizumi dying.

I know I've said this a lot lately, but I hate Hinamizawa. No, that's wrong. I hate everything about Hinamizawa.

And then, something appeared out of nowhere and changed the story again.

This time, it was a person (giving further credibility to the theory that Hinamizawa is full of ninjas).

Note: Hitting someone with your bike sounds nothing like "zubaaaaan". It's more of a "clunk".

I managed to hit the person mainly with my torso. That meant I knocked the person over and landed (somehow) almost on top of them, while my bike landed off in the bushes.

Ow... that's really painful. Why does my chest feel like someone poured iodine in it?

I looked down.

There was a massive gash, stretching from above my navel to my chest.

And cue the pain.

Gahhhhhh... this really hurts. This makes the nail in the hand feel like a stubbed toe. Lucky for you, the events that follow are too interesting for me to stop the narration.

Okay, who did I just hit and how could I have been nearly disemboweled by doing so?

The other person rose, and there was a point that answered my question.

The point of a billhook.

Ryuugu Rena was standing above me, a distant smile on her face, and holding a billhook (that managed to glint just right in the light of the setting sun) stained with blood.

My blood.

Yeah, assuming I don't become either a bloody smear or hopelessly insane in Hinamizawa, I'm never going to sleep again.

"Are... are you okay?" I asked.

She didn't respond. Her eyes seemed to have glassed over. It was like she was sleepwalking. Or possessed. Seriously, you, of all people, should react if a guy plows into you

She picked up her hat, dusted it off, put it on, and slowly walked off.

And I'm lying her in the dirt with a gash in my torso caused by hitting someone with a bike.

What the hell just happened?

More importantly, how will I explain this to Haruhi?

I got my bike out of the bushes, and walked back to camp.

I found Haruhi, Koizumi, and Nagato playing cards. Until they saw me, of course.

"Kyon!" shouted Haruhi, sprinting up to me, "there you are! Oh my god! What happened!"

"I crashed my bike. Can I get a bandage or something?"

"Of course."

Koizumi went and grabbed a first aid kit. Haruhi picked me up and set me on the bus.

"I have the first aid kit, Suzumiya-san, but there's no bandages in it." said Koizumi.

"Oh, I know where I put those. Be right back!"

She ran off. Koizumi started to try to strip me.

"Stop what you're doing right now or I'll stick a nail in your eyes." I said.

He stopped, and I finished what he was trying to do. Taking the shirt off made it hurt even more.

"So, you got that from a bike crash?" he asked, amused and suspicious all at once.

"I know that it looks bad, but I'm dead serious. If someone from this town cut me open, I'd definitely tell someone."

If it'd help bring... higher powers, shall we say, down on Hinamizawa, I'd do it.

"Well, that may be so, and I believe you, but I don't think that Suzumiya-san does."

Nagato kneeled in front of me and stuck her hands right into the gash. This feels really, really uncomfortable, not to mention it hurts like hell.

"Disinfecting."

She ran her hands up and down the wound. It felt like someone was pouring in rubbing alcohol. I screamed in pain.

"I am now reducing the neural feedback of your pain receptors to thirty percent."

The pain seemed to die down to what indeed seemed to be thirty percent of what it was. Even for the pain I got from merely falling off a bike.

"It was a full-body neutralization."

Certainly feels like it.

"I have something to tell you all." I said.

"..."

"We're in-"

Haruhi returned with a roll of bandages.

"I'm sorry that these are all the way over there. My neck just started bleeding even worse today."

True to her word, there were even more bandages on her neck.

She shoved Nagato out of the way and started bandaging me up.

"You know, Kyon, you actually look pretty decent without a shirt. I should have gotten you out of it more often. But with the giant gash and the scar that will form, I guess that's no go."

Just shut up and put these on.

"So, what happened? You look like you were attacked. Who got you?"

Look, I wasn't attacked, okay? I already said it was a bike crash.

She stopped for a second and shot me a look.

"You crashed your bike."

That's what I said.

She scowled and went back to bandaging.

"You can be honest with me, Kyon. I really don't appreciate it when you lie to me."

"I am being honest."

"But really, look at that! It's too clean to be a tree. What, did you buck yourself over a knife or something?"

Actually, I will point out that barbed wire would cause something like this if you got rubbed on it.

If I went and told her up front that I got cut on Rena's cleaver... billhook... thing, then she'd first tear into me for "lying", then go out and kill Rena.

I heard someone enter the compound and... speak of the devil.

It was Rena, standing on a hill of junk.

Holding a billhook stained with my blood.

You could see the lever in Haruhi's head click.

"YOU WHORE!"

Haruhi ran up to her and grabbed her by the collar.

"You attacked Kyon, didn't you?"

Rena didn't respond. All she was doing was looking at Haruhi and smiling. In fact, I can't tell from here, but she may be chuckling. Did you get a lobotomy in the past three days?

"Answer me!"

"Suzumiya-san!" said Koizumi, "Don't jump to conclusions!"

"Shut up, Koizumi, I know what I'm doing!"

Um, that might be true, but it's still wrong.

"The patterns present in the acid structures in organic cells coating the hooked instrument mostly match those recently archived during sanitation." said Nagato.

...wha?

Nagato looked at me.

"The blood on the billhook is yours."

"I knew it!" said Haruhi. "You attacked him! Admit it."

Okay, it's obvious that Rena's not going to do anything (seriously, you have a billhook! Use it!). I have to act. I don't care what happens.

I got up and ran forward to shove Haruhi off...

...and was pulled back. Goddamnit, Koizumi, you don't need to in... wait, you're not even up here. And Nagato's down there...

What the hell just pulled me?

"Admit it!"

Haruhi threw Rena down from the hill of junk she was standing on, then leapt down on her. Fortunately, having all 43-45 kg of Suzumiya Haruhi landing squarely on her torso was enough to snap Rena out of her trance.

"Wha...?"

"Why? Why did you attack him!"

"I-I..."

She tried to grab her billhook to defend herself (finally!). Haruhi noticed and responded by stomping on her hand. And twisting.

"I-I-I didn't do anything!"

"That's a lie!"

Haruhi grabbed Rena by the shoulders and slammed her into the ground.

"I-I'm sorry! I'm really sorry..."

"That's a lie too!"

She slammed her again. The three of us not being murderers or murdered could only watch.

"I... I'm sorry... I'm really sorry..."

"Shut up!"

Haruhi slammed her again.

"And you!"

Slam.

"Aren't!"

Slam.

"Sorry!"

And she slammed Rena down. I then noticed the blood pooling under her and something sticking up through her dress.

Rena weakly turned her head toward me. She smiled weakly.

"I... I'm very... sorry..."

And a last bit of blood bubbled out of her mouth before her eyes went dead again and her head slumped.

And just like that, Ryuugu Rena was dead.

Pardon my language, but the only applicable term I can think of is "holy shit".

Haruhi slowly, slowly ran down from a adrenaline-powered bloodlust to a daze.

"She... she..."

And here, I assume, is where she falls to her knees and says "My god, what have I done."

"She... she attacked Kyon..."

Or the flimsy self-justification. That works too.

"You... Suzumiya-san, you just..."

You broke Koizumi. I think that's a signal that you hit a new low.

"I know. I..."

She got off of Rena.

"Strip her down and dispose of the body. I'm gonna go lie down."

She entered the bus.

And I could hear her... is she crying? If so, then to hear Haruhi cry is a sound that can chill cayenne pepper.

And so it begins.

No. It began a while ago.

Here's where it all goes downhill.

---

"So, we are trapped back in time?"

Once again, me and Koizumi are hauling the limp figure of a teenage girl. Only this time, instead of dragging Haruhi's unconscious ass down a dusty country road, we are carrying Rena's bloody, battered, and very, very dead body into the woods.

"Apparently, this is 1983."

"Hmm... this is interesting, especially in light of a newfound discovery by Nagato."

And that is?

"We've managed to find some hard evidence that we are in a metaphorical bubble."

Well, what's this evidence?

"If I tried to describe it to you, it would take hours upon hours just to explain the baseline mechanics. And you still wouldn't get it."

"Try me."

As of now, I completely regret saying that. I stopped him about the point where he said "variable molecular spin".

"Well, I did give you fair warning." said Koizumi.

"Yeah, thanks a lot. Anyway, I assume this "bubble" is impenetrable?" I said.

"Most likely. The only plausible entity that could get us out of here will not turn it's attention here for another, oh, twenty-four years or so. Same for any other allies we have. With one exception."

Haruhi, I'm assuming?

"Yes. I assume that, if Suzumiya-san really, truly wants to leave, we can leave."

And what, exactly, makes you think that she'd really, truly want to leave? I can think of at least seven different reasons why she wouldn't want to leave, mostly involving what happened over the course of today.

"I... I don't know."

He dropped Rena's body.

"I really do hope that, among your many reasons why she wouldn't want to leave, there's at least one reason why she would."

And if there isn't a reason? Do you have a plan for that?

"None whatsoever."

He smiled. His smile looked like plastic. Well, it always has, but now it looks like partly-melted vinyl.

"There's one other thing." I said.

"Hmm?"

"I tried to stop Haruhi from killing her. But when I moved forward, something caught me."

"Well, I can assure you that it wasn't me."

"I noticed. But it... it was like some cosmic hand was holding me back from interfering."

"As if some force was... making sure... Suzumiya-san acted as she wanted... oh no."

Koizumi shuddered.

"Such a local, powerful effect..."

Koizumi was silent for a good while, then nodded to Nagato.

"What do you expect me to do?" said Nagato.

"I-what?"

Koizumi was completely caught off guard. Well, at least Cerebus Syndrome hasn't completely set in yet.

"I, regretfully, am not familiar with the disposal of dead bodies."

"Well, uh... can you remake the body if necessary?"

"Perhaps. Perhaps not."

"Well, um... make a hole. About six meters deep."

I could feel the ground under me shift. I just had enough time to move as what I'd estimate as a very large hunk of dirt rose into the air.

"Well, do you know any funeral rites?" asked Koizumi.

"I don't."

But if I did, I'd definitely perform them. Being tossed into a pit is not what Rena deserves. If it wasn't suicidal (and probably fatal to our one way out), I'd run the body however far it is to Rena's house and have them give it a proper funeral. The only reason why I haven't grabbed her billhook and killed Haruhi already is because I'm assuming the loop will at least give Rena another chance.

But, seeing as we have a body to bury, me and Koizumi pushed the body into the pit.

I hope that your next try ends better, Ryuugu Rena.

"I would have asked you to disintegrate the corpse, Nagato-san, but if Suzumiya-san needs to find it, it can't hurt to have it on hand."

Nagato dropped the earth. It fell with a massive, resonating thud. Subtle. She walked off.

"You know, us being in the past makes a lot of sense" said Koizumi. "It explains the lack of cell phone service, as well as a few other anachronisms that I've noticed."

He sat down on Rena's "grave".

"I have another theory. Feel like hearing it?"

Not especially, but sure.

"I will warn you ahead of time; it's somewhat alarming. It might disturb you."

If it's more of your rambling, it can't be that bad.

"Now, I'm sure that you remember when we were dragging Suzumiya-san's body back to camp the day after we arrived, right?"

I do.

"Do you remember what I was saying about Suzumiya-san and closed space?"

Something involving the end of the world. Standard discussion fare between the two of us.

"Actually, it was more about closed space - and the end of the world by association - has made a distinct lack of an appearance. It still hasn't made an appearance. Right?"

I don't know. I can't sense these things.

"Well, what if closed space has been forming all along?"

Are you meaning-

"Yes. What if Hinamizawa is the only point in the entire remaining universe that still exists?"

Oh... oh my...

The way I see it, there are two sorts of horror: the primal, slasher-flick kind and the nihilistic, crush-your-soul kind. Hinamizawa is the former.

This? Very much the latter.

I couldn't quite focus on standing and I fell.

"See. I warned you that you might be disturbed."

Okay, read your damn script and say "Nah, just joking, that's not what I believe at all" like you always do.

"I will acknowledge that it's just a theory, but that's all. For once, I'm being honest with you."

I managed to pull myself up.

"So, we're stuck here in Hinamizawa permanently, even if Haruhi manages to have an out-of-left-field change of heart?" I said.

"Well, I was overexaggerating slightly when I said it was only Hinamizawa that was spared. And as far as I know, Nagato is working to see if she can restore it. But, honestly, I have no idea. I assume the only way out of here, short of waiting for twenty years, is death."

There has to be some way out of here. There always is.

"You could

"Any ideas?"

I thought for a good, long while.

"We ask the locals."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Something's in Hinamizawa. It's making this barrier. It's powering the cycle of resurrection that this town's stuck in. It's stronger than Haruhi."

"Now, that's been disproven, but-"

"You've said yourself that there's a local entity more powerful than her. I'm presuming that this power is Oyashiro-sama."

"That's an interesting idea. But assuming that Oyashiro-sama is an actual entity and not merely a religious figurehead, and that it has this power, how do you plan on contacting it?"

"Well, there's this figure that Haruhi's been hearing and that Nagato has seen. I'm pretty sure that they're one and the same."

"And, if I recall correctly, it was stated to be a little girl. And you sound like you are saying that that figure is Oyashiro-sama."

Well, when you put it that way, it sounds silly.

"And Nagato-san can't hear this entity. And it wouldn't be plausible to have Suzumiya-san be used like that without her finding out about herself."

"Well, what do we have to lose?"

"Eh?"

"We're trapped. End of the line. Who cares if she knows reality is her plaything? Hell, come to think of it, it'd get us out of here faster."

"I, uh, well... I don't really know if she would appreciate us hiding such a large secret from her. The way I'd see it, as she is, she'd get really, really pissed."

Oh.

"Well, there's another idea I have." I said.

"What?"

"Well, if you want to talk to a god, if you can't get to him or her directly, go through the oracle. Of, if you don't have one, a priest."

"Meaning Furude-san, I assume."

"Yes."

"Perhaps."

He stood up.

"I would, however, advise against dealing with the locals directly unless they come to us."

Okay. Let's head back to camp. We probably will need to clean up the mess Haruhi left.

Which is exactly how this insane, insane day ended: me and Koizumi washing blood off of some metal junk.

---

That night, after not moving at all after we buried Rena (and she was wearing Rena's clothes - the whole situation was actually damn scary), Haruhi had disappeared during the night. For a few seconds, I thought that she might have vanished like Asahina-san had. But at least Haruhi has the decency to leave a note.

"I apologize for what happened yesterday. I'm going to check out some background medical information on Rena. BBL."

How early is it? I don't carry a watch and my phone's long dead, and I know I woke up late, but it's uncharacteristic for Haruhi to be up this early.

Wait, screw that. Any past knowledge of Haruhi's behavior, personality, or character can be safely flung out of the window.

In the meantime, I decided to play Go with Koizumi. For once, he didn't speak at all. And he wasn't half as good as he usually is. He's faltering; a slight hint of solace in this dark time.

A car pulled up to the junkyard. Most usually don't.

A man got out. I think it's the large man that I saw earlier when I was biking to Rika's house the day before the festival.

And, speaking of Rika, look who's sitting in the back seat of his car. Is that her father? No, I'm pretty sure her dad's dead. Who is this guy?

"Good morning!" said the man.

I expected Koizumi to rise and greet this man, but he didn't. I decided to stand and wave in his stead.

"It's interesting what you did with the junkyard, I must say. A little bit more and you can fortify an army in here."

Not my idea.

"Is Suzumiya Haruhi-san present?"

"No, she isn't. She's out at the moment."

This guy... I don't like him. I don't like his accent. He just feels... off.

"Well, that's unfortunate. Is the individual known as "Kyon" present?"

"Pleased to meet you." I said.

"I must say, that's an interesting nickname. Anyway, I'm Detective Ooishi."

Detective?

Oh, crap.

"Anyway, I'd like to ask you and another member of your brigade a couple of questions."

"Well, who do you want to question?"

"A Nagato Yuki-san."

Why would he want to talk to Nagato? She hasn't done anything, with an exception. As far as I know, you'd have no reason to question her.

Nagato stood up and walked to my side.

"Ah. Well, come with me to the car, then. It's air conditioned, at least."

Me and Nagato got in the car. It's not a patrol car or anything; just an average car. I was sitting in the middle. Rika was in full-blown innocent-little girl mode.

"I've heard quite a few things about the 'SOS Brigade'." said Ooishi. "Some of them are a bit more fanciful than others. Is it true that you're a band of time travelers?"

Well, to be technical, the true time traveler of the party has gone missing.

Ooishi laughed.

"I'm only joking. I'm pretty sure that's not true, regardless. Anyway, I have many questions, so I'll start small."

He passed back a photograph.

"Do you recognize this man?"

"Tomitake Jirou." said Nagato. So it is.

"So you've met him." said Ooishi.

"We have." I said. "Once. The day we got here. We ran into him and Takano on the way into town."

"And when did you get here?"

Let's see... there's yesterday's hubbub, the day before that, a rest day, the festival, then I got nailed, then the stop by the clinic, then the game/tasing, so... eight days? Son of a bitch, that's way too long to be spending in Hinamizawa.

"Did you see them any time after then?" said Ooishi.

"I ran into Takano two days later at the clinic, but other than that, I haven't seen them."

"I see. Well, Tomitake-san was found dead on the night of the festival on the road out of town. I assume you've heard about this."

"Actually, I haven't."

Although I did hear screaming that night, come to think of it.

"Really? It only happened just up the road. Anyway, his death was a suicide by the looks of it, so I won't need to question you any further on it."

We passed the picture back.

"Now, you two know of Takano-san, correct?"

I nodded.

"Well, presumably, she is also dead."

Presumably?

"Well, it's interesting. We've found her corpse burned to a crisp inside a barrel in the mountains a good distance from Hinamizawa. Thing is, eyewitness reports say that she attended the festival around the same time as the time of death. Pretty strange, isn't it?"

I've seen far stranger.

"Perhaps that is Oyashiro-sama's curse. But I suppose that the SOS Brigade doesn't really believe in curses, do you?"

"Not especially."

"Between you and me, Kyon, I don't really believe in it, either, but the deaths don't really lie."

He pulled out a cigarette and lit it. I would comment on how it's bad to smoke in the presence of a small child, but I've seen her get drunk. She obviously doesn't care. Speaking of Rika, why is she here?

"Oh, she saw me, asked me where I was going, and wanted to tag along." said Ooishi.

"Nipaa~"

"Now, here's the matter that I wanted to discuss with you two. Do you recognize the man in this photograph?"

He handed me a photograph of a burly blonde man and a somewhat smutty-looking pink-haired girl. The man was ringing a bell, but the name escaped me. I handed the photograph to Nagato.

"Hojo Teppei."

Oh, of course. The guy that got his ass kicked (or maybe it was broken) by Nagato. How could I forget that? I assume that's what Ooishi wants to talk to Nagato about.

"Have you met this man before?" asked Ooishi.

"Once." said Nagato.

"I see. Well, I heard a pretty interesting story about something that happened between you and him, Nagato-san. I hope you can elaborate for me."

"You will have to explain. I am not aware of any actions of mine involving this man that would interest law enforcement."

"Well, we had a report that you and him got into a fight the day before the festival. Although, heh, judging by the report, it wasn't what I'd call a fight."

"And who reported this 'fight'?"

"This person wishes to remain anonymous."

Good for them. Although, if you want my input on this situation, I'm pretty sure the reportee is sitting next to me in a green sundress. Nagato's head pivoted to her left like a tank turret and fixed her gaze on Rika.

"Don't worry, it wasn't me, sir." said Rika.

Nagato looked back at Ooishi with an identical level of movement.

"Anyway, according to the eyewitness, you had thrown him into the wall and managed to hold him there."

"That is impossible. Being able to throw a man of his weight with enough force to lodge him into a wall would require a muscle density that is unfeasible for my mass."

Ooishi looked back at us, confused.

"I think she means that she isn't strong enough, sir." said Rika.

"Ah. Well, then, the eyewitness then said you did... something to his hip."

"I did not."

"Interesting. I'll get to that point later."

He looked at me.

"Now, the witness apparently caught you being held at knifepoint before Nagato appeared on the scene. Looks like he got you pretty well."

"What, these? It's from a bike crash." Honest.

"Never would have guessed. Well, regardless, did he hold you at knifepoint?"

"No, he didn't."

That's... sorta the truth. He didn't really press the knife at me. Right? And why are you asking these questions?

"Do you know what happened to Hojo Teppei?"

"We do not."

"Well, we're not too sure what happened either. From what we gathered, he went home and took a bath. We came in approximately two hours later to find him boiled alive in his bath."

"Mii?"

For the first time, Rika had a layer of interest over the layer of childlike innocence.

"Boiled alive, sir?"

"Yup." said Ooishi. "The bathwater was at least 110°Celsius. Either someone messed with the plumbing to get the water that hot or added hot water to the tub from an outside source."

Or, there's a third option...

"It was not me." said Nagato, as an aside. If she even said it.

"Now, we conducted an autopsy on him. The cause of death was indeed the bath. However, the joint in his hip was completely shattered, which explains how he couldn't escape. And that has Dr. Irie completely stumped. It looks like it exploded from the inside. Didn't even break the skin."

"Are you implicating me?" said Nagato.

"It would match up with the eyewitness evidence."

"The skin was unbroken. That would require a blunt instrument. Seeing as you only mentioned the hip, I will assume that there was no bruising. Therefore, a blunt instrument is not an option. You seem to be implicating that I used an alternate method."

"I never said that I-"

"You, or rather, your eyewitness, is saying that I threw Hojo Teppei into a wall, pinned him there, and shattered his hip in a method that would leave trained medical officials stumped. You seem to be implying that I have supernatural powers."

"Well, I have to admit, the physical evidence seems to be implying something along those lines."

"That is highly illogical."

Oh, wow, did she just say what I think she did? If Taniguchi is not cosmic dust or something along those lines, I owe him money now.

"Telekinesis and similar actions are impossible. I'm sure that jurors feel the same way as I do."

I think that's Nagato's analogue to a threat.

Ooishi picked up on it, and grabbed Nagato tightly by the shoulder.

"Listen, girl, I've heard-"

"Do not touch me."

Nagato grabbed Ooishi's arm, and extended her arm with all the vigor and force of a hydraulic lift. And the rather large detective buckled and twisted under it. I could hear a tiny something in his arm crackle.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow... look, I've heard so much about you. That you're some sort of 'demon-girl'. Don't even think of trying anything."

There's that phrase again. If you asked me, if Nagato was a demon or some other spirit, there's only one option, and that'd probably melt under the summer heat.

Nagato let go. I could see her eyebrows furrow a millimeter.

"Um, sir?" said Rika, "do you know who killed Teppei-san?"

"Actually," said Ooishi, "we do. It was his adopted niece, Hojo Satoko-san."

"W-what? That can't be true!"

"She freely admitted to doing so. She's already at the station for questioning."

"Satoko... Satoko could not do this to him."

Yeah, there goes the cutesy facade.

"Look, she admitted to doing so. If it turns out that she's wrong, she will be released."

"She... she is wrong..."

Rika fell into a dark brooding.

"Well, let's move on, then." said Ooishi. "We also have found a body about a half of a kilometer away from the junkyard. The estimated time of death was near midnight on the day after the festival. She was sliced open from her crotch to her neck."

"Who was it?" I asked.

"We don't know. The person was decapitated."

I was going to ask if they did blood tests, but I'm not sure if they had those in 1983.

"However, if we had to go by the body type alone, we'd say that it's a teenage girl, about your age, maybe a bit older."

"Do you-"

For a second, I could almost think that that description and that date matched up just right with... something. Or someone. But all I can remember now is a sensation like someone was pressing their fingernail into the back of my brain, and then, there was a sort of a void.

"Hmm?" said Ooishi.

"Nevermind. I forgot what I was going to say. Is that all?"

"Well, I'd say so. Now, Nagato-san, I'd like you to stay and come with me. There's people at the police station that would like to ask you a few questions."

"Very well."

Me and Rika started to climb out of the car.

"Oh!" said Ooishi, "How could I have forgotten this? Ryuugu Rena vanished last night."

And there it is. The big one.

"Do you know what happened to her? I heard she comes by the junkyard often."

"Well, I hit her with my bike last night, but she didn't come around here."

"I see. Well, let me know if you find any more information on her. The whole village is pretty much in anarchy looking for her. Well, it was nice meeting with you."

Phew. That was extremely close to ending up badly. And by which, I mean with the death of a policeman.

Me and Rika got out of the car. Ooishi drove off, Nagato in tow.

Rika still looked like she was on the verge of either a scream, a bout of maniacal laughter, or cracking.

"You... you were lying... you know what happened to Rena. Don't you... sir?"

No trace of the cute voice whatsoever.

"Hey, look, to be fair, I tried to stop Haruhi, but-"

"You couldn't. And she killed Rena, didn't she?"

"...yeah. But-but look what Rena did to me."

I peeled back my jacket to completely reveal the bandages. She looked indifferent.

"You crashed your bike."

"Into- wait, how do you know that?"

"I saw it happen."

"...you're stalking me, aren't you. You probably watched Rena die, and you're just taunting me."

"No. Just because you're new and stupid and interesting doesn't mean you're the only group that needs watching."

"Look, I'm sorry about your friends. I mean, I'd be angry, too, if I found out that one of them's dead, and the other one's a-"

"SATOKO DIDN'T KILL HIM!"

I was wondering when you would scream. Just let me have a second while this deafness goes away.

"In all the times that her uncle has returned, she hasn't done anything to fight back. She's... she's too... too pathetic, to do so."

"But she admitted-"

"She's wrong. Her uncle... he demented her. She's sick, but he kept her from getting medicine. It has happened in the past, and it's happening now."

"What's going on?" said Koizumi. I'll bet he came running because of the scream.

"Oh, apparently, Satoko's uncle got boiled alive." I said.

"Boiled alive? That does sound like an awful way to die."

"It is. And-"

"-Satoko apparently killed him? I heard."

I think that everyone in Hinamizawa heard that. Hell, we should check the windows of the bus to make sure that Haruhi won't be sleeping on glass tonight.

"I wonder what motive she could have had?"

"She had no motive, because she didn't do it." said Rika.

I think you're going into denial.

"Hmmm..." said Koizumi, "Retribution, maybe? Has Satoko's uncle ever done any thing similar to that?"

"Not in this timeline. The only time something like that happened is... but she wouldn't... unless..."

And then, from the pit of her dark, hidden brooding emerged a dark, shiny grin.

"She... she remembered..."

And Rika burst into a fit of mania-filled, jubilant, and very creepy laughter.

"She remembered! She remembers! That's never happened, but it's happening now! Ahahahahaha!"

She hugged me, hugged Koizumi, and then ran off, still laughing.

Now, it's me and Koizumi's turns to blink and be confused.

"So, what was that about?" said Koizumi.

"Oh, he was asking about what happened to some guy. I don't think you know who it is."

"Perhaps. Did he say anything that could help us find Asahina-san?"

"I don't think so. You still think she could be out there?"

"I don't personally follow what Nagato-san says. It can't hurt to be sure."

While I think trying to find a sign of Asahina-san is a good idea, and very honorable of you (a trait I thought you lacked), going against Nagato is unwise. In fact, the only thing that's keeping me from ripping apart Hinamizawa looking for her is that the most powerful member of the party would object, and she's not really slow to act these days.

"...well, okay. I'm going to go and see the doctor."

"Why?"

I don't know if it'd be good or bad if it turned out that Koizumi was secretly violently ill.

"I..."

He sighed, seemingly tired of being so damn perfect.

"I'm trying to make things better."

And he walked off.

So, here's a recap. Haruhi is a murderer and insane, which is probably bad for the universe or what's left of it. Nagato's become some sort of fantastic liar/superpseudohonorable extremist. Asahina-san's gone. Koizumi's fraying. And me?

I'm stuck in Hinamizawa, in 1983, with everything I know and care for gone or cut off.

Fuck.

---

As of right now, I am the only person in the camp. This status hasn't changed for an hour, give or take. Nagato Yuki is at the police station being questioned (I hope that's all that's going on there), Koizumi Itsuki has gone to the doctor (does he know that Takano's dead?) to do something that I doubt is purely medicinal, and Suzumiya Haruhi has mysteriously disappeared, although at least she left a note.

I spent the time telling people that come around that Rena hasn't been seen here and listening to the higurashi. You know what? I now officially hate them. Higurashi and cicadas in general are now so firmly ingrained with Hinamizawa in my head, if I ever get back home, I'm going to shut my windows at night and squish every cicada I see.

My solace was interrupted when a person of some note came in.

It was Keiichi.

Rena's best friend.

Crap.

"Hey."

He seemed tense, as if he was hiding something from me.

"Look, Rena's not here, if that's what you're asking."

"Well, it's not really that."

Then what the heck is it?

"Did you see her last night?"

"Well, I guess you could say I ran into her."

He clenched. Wait, that came out wrong.

"Thing is..." said Keiichi, "I saw her that night. She said she was heading to the junkyard. To talk to Haruhi or whatever her name is."

Well, was she acting like she had her soul drained?

"That's not important! Do you know what happened to her after you 'ran into her'?" His air quotes were so thick, they could be peeled out of his statement and used as slugs.

"Look, I don't know, she didn't come here."

"You're lying to me!"

"No, I am not."

"Something's off about you. You and the SOS Brigade."

"Actually, I am the most normal individual around."

Around the rest of the Brigade, but I digress.

Keiichi was really tense now. He looks like he's going to erupt any second.

"Shut up! What happened to Rena?"

"I don't-"

"That's a lie!"

That was when Maebara Keiichi revealed exactly what he was hiding from me.

By swinging it right at my head.

I barely managed to dodge the golf club. It shattered the window of the bus behind me.

"Woah, hey, wait a second! What the hell? Watch where you swing that thing!"

Why do I always say such stupid and cliche things whenever someone's trying to kill me?

He kept swinging, and I barely managed to dodge the second and third swings. I grabbed the first thing that was in reach to defend my self.

"Th-that's Rena's!"

That just so happens to be the billhook. Goddamnit, why couldn't it be a 2x4 or a hammer or a piece of junk or anything? Why that?

Keiichi charged again, but I held the billhook up to block his blows. I hooked the head of the driver with the point of the billhook. I never thought that one of those talks through gritted teeth where the hero and his foe are clashing weapons, but I think that's what's going on here.

"You killed Rena, didn't you!"

"No, I didn't! I tried to stop Haruhi, but I couldn't actually-"

"Shut up! Shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up!"

There was a look in his eyes. I looked into his purple eyes and saw the same entity that tore Satoko apart and murdered Rena staring back at me.

That, unfortunately, distracted me long enough for him to step on my foot. That's not in any show I've seen. That got me to drop the billhook.

"Okay, at least give me a good reason for why you're killing me, then!"

"Shut up!"

I read a quote online about how "evil men gloat", while "a good man will kill you with hardly a word". Evidently, that didn't take into account a man in complete bestial rage.

He smashed the golf club into my leg. Thank Nagato for the pain nullification, but I still went down.

"You don't know how much you deserve this." said Keiichi.

Yeah, you're completely right.

Keiichi has reached the point where his rage is starting to spill over into his other emotions, mainly sadness. He was crying as he whacked me in the head. And kept hitting me. Okay, I'm bleeding really, really, badly now. And I think my skull is broken. But I feel totally conscious. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Hell, I think this might be the end of me.

Keiichi raised the club, ready to finish turning my head into salsa, and-

"Stop."

Keiichi looked away for a second. And then, there was a sound of shifting garbage and no Keiichi.

There was only Nagato.

Okay, I know that sooner or later, Nagato's not going to show up. And that will be very bad. But for now, she's like clockwork. I'm not complaining.

"Y-you! Demon-girl!" screamed Keiichi.

He charged at Nagato and swung right into her head. She didn't even flinch. He kept swinging.

"Die, you monster!" screamed Keiichi, still whacking away, "You don't belong in this world!"

Must... resist... reference...

With one last blow, Keiichi bent the club back upon Nagato's skull.

"Leave."

She looked like she merely had her hair ruffled. Keiichi promptly went flying backwards.

"Commencing termination internal script."

Keiichi responded by getting back up, hitting the bends out of the golf club, and charging at Nagato. He's nothing if not persistent, I'll give him that.

"What's going on?"

Haruhi had arrived. Her presence had caught Nagato off-guard. Well, actually, it was more of that she had to go into bookworm-mode. And that doesn't include being invincible. Keiichi hit her and Nagato went down.

"Yuki!"

And Haruhi... ran over to the bus and grabbed her makeshift crossbow.

Okay, really, what the hell. You go insane when someone walks into camp over a failed bit of logic, but you don't when some bastard's beating Nagato with a golf club?

"Drop the club or I'll shoot you!" shouted Haruhi

"You're the one that killed Rena!"

Okay, if it wasn't obvious that he has Haruhi's sickness (which I am going to dub "Hinamizawa Syndrome", because this whole town's nuts), I'd say he's just picking names out of a hat.

Keiichi stopped hitting Nagato and charged at Haruhi. Haruhi panicked and fired. Huh, apparently it can fire after all.

The pencil-and-razorblade arrow seemed to just barely scrape the side of his face. Damn, he deserves something much, much worse than a graze.

"GYYAAAH!"

Keiichi dropped the club and grabbed his face. I could see blood and... some sort of fluid oozing from between his fingers. Okay, I don't quite know if he deserved that.

I got up and started hobbling towards Nagato.

"Okay, fine, I admit it! But it was completely justified! She attacked Kyon!"

No! Bike crash! That's what happened! Really!

Keiichi seemed to be recovering really quickly from an impromptu ranged recreation of Un Chein Andalou. He picked up the billhook instead of his club.

As I got closer to Nagato, he lashed at me, catching the bandages and giving my chest gash a new buddy to cause me agony with. That finally pushed Haruhi to the psychotic point.

"You bastard! I'm so goddamn sick and tired of dealing with all these psychotic freaks!"

I would make several rather snarky hypocrisy-based comments right about now, but I'm getting a bit woozy and I probably should keep my mouth shut.

"I wish you would just... just...

He raised the billhook above my head, ready for the finisher.

"...just DIE!"

Okay, there's been a lot of moments that change everything, but this moment blows all of them out of the water.

Because right then, Keiichi's head exploded like a grenade went off in his face. Plumes of blood and fragments of brain and skull flew out like sparks from a bottle rocket. One of the plumes caught Koizumi (great arrival timing, by the way) right on the face.

Haruhi had asked him to die, and he died. I'd call that perfect cause and effect.

I was completely stunned by this. Nagato looked as surprised as I felt, and Koizumi even more so.

Haruhi looked the most shocked of all.

Slowly, her gape turned into a weak smile, and her stunned silence into a light chuckle. Then she fell to her knees and burst into the best and scariest evil, maniacal, psychotic laughter I have ever heard in my life.

"Ahehehahahahehahaha! Oyashiro-sama smiles upon me this day! Hahahahehahahahaha!"

The laughter of Suzumiya Haruhi echoed into the forming night.