(Author's note: Well, this is the first time I've ever worked with horror. It's my own original idea and honestly, I'm making stuff up as I go along for the most part so I'm glad if you guys like it! I've been feeling sadistic lately and I wanted to write about people dying, so this was born. Enjoy.)

Scare 3

Loneliness is Our Worst Nightmare-Eri and Makoto

Eri sat up slowly, feeling around for something, anything that would show her she was alive. Her hand touched something soft. She heard a loud yelp, then someone else sat up in front of her.

"Producer, I swear if that's your hand…" The voice trailed off. "E-Eri? Eh…w-why are you touching my breast…?!"

"I-I'm so sorry!" Eri gasped, yanking her hand away. "I…I'm alive…"

"Yeah, apparently…"

Eri looked over at the person in front of her, somewhat blinded by the sudden light.

It was Makoto.

Her heart sank. She had been hoping for Ai or Ryo, or even for everyone. But then it occurred to her that she was now stuck with the only person who had managed to battle off their own will and had single-handedly saved seventeen idols and staff members.

Maybe being with Makoto wasn't so bad after all.

Makoto sighed and stood. "Where are the others? Where's Yukiho? Where are we?"

"I…I don't know," Eri admitted, rising to her feet.

Makoto sighed. "Did you see anyone when you woke up?"

"What? I…n-no. Did you?"

"I wasn't even awake until you, you know, groped my breast."

"I-I-I'm so sorry, Makoto-san…!"

Makoto chuckled nervously. "Nah, it's fine," she insisted. "At least you're a girl. Hey Eri—I can call you Eri, right?"

"Of course."

"Good. Eri, I think we're in the main mansion."

Eri blinked. "W-what makes you say that?" she questioned curiously, glancing down at her feet to make sure she still had any after all that running. She did.

"You're cute," Makoto stated bluntly.

"E-eh…?!" Eri blushed.

"Ah, no, sorry…I'm getting off-topic. I was just realizing, you remind me of Yukiho, sort of, and…forget it," Makoto sighed. "Anyway…if you look at the walls, you see there are portraits and pictures. I don't think any other building would have portraits."

Eri forced herself to stop blushing. "That's…a clever observation, Makoto-san," she pointed out. "It must be the master bedroom. Look, there's a bed and a bathroom over there…"

Makoto giggled. "Thanks. You're right about the master bedroom, though…hey, Eri?"

"Y-yes?"

"I'm gonna go wash my hands. Touching that gate—not to mention punching a gargemon—makes me feel…tainted. Evil. It's weird."

"Yes, I understand."

"I'll be right in here," Makoto promised her, heading towards the bathroom. "Stay put. We have to stick together, OK?"

Eri nodded. "O-OK. P-please take care of me," she muttered.

"You're so cute!" Makoto squealed. "Eri, relax. As long as you're with me, you'll be safe. I promise." Slowly, she walked towards Eri and reached a hand out to her, pinky extended. She smiled at the blue-haired girl, a kind, caring smile that put Eri greatly at ease. Eri smiled back and wrapped her pinky around Makoto's.

"Thank you," she said gratefully. "Do you think the others are alright?"

Makoto drew her hand away and walked back towards the bathroom. "I'm sure they're fine. Maybe they wound up in pairs like us," she suggested.

Eri watched her step inside and then went over to the bed. She jumped on and took a seat, but her lounging was interrupted by a loud crunching sound. Curious, the former hikikomori hopped off the bed and pulled the covers off.

Nothing.

Confused, Eri bent to lift off the mattress, but she was stopped by a loud, frightened scream.

Makoto-san…!

"Makoto-san?!" she called fearfully. "A-are you alright?"

Makoto slowly emerged from the bathroom, eyes wide and hands shaking, but she took a deep breath and responded.

"That bathroom…there's no water in there."

"That's all?" Eri sighed, relieved. "Y-you look scared…is everything—"

"Eri, you don't understand." Makoto paused and waited for Eri to face her completely. "It's not water, but something comes out."

Eri was quiet.

"It's blood. Human blood."

Eri drew in a quick gasp. "What in the world…?"

Makoto shook her head and crossed to the bed. "I'm just glad it didn't get all over my hands," she admitted, about to hop onto the bed.

"No!" Eri shouted. Makoto froze and stepped away. Eri reached over and grabbed the bottom of the mattress. "Please, help me lift this."

"Why?"

"I went to sit on the bed earlier, but I heard something crack…I thought I might have sat on something but there was nothing under the covers. I'd like to try the mattress."

"Well, if it'll make you feel better, I'll help," Makoto told her, taking hold of the bottom of the mattress. "Ready, and…lift!"

Together, the two girls lifted the mattress from the bed-frame and began searching for their mystery object. It only took moments for them to spot the bones.

Eri instantly released the mattress and scrambled away with a cry. Makoto stared at the collection of bones for a second longer, then she dropped the mattress too. It fell back onto the bed, causing another cracking sound. Makoto shook her head again.

"Human blood in the sinks, human skeleton under the mattress…"

"H-human organs in the pillow," Eri whimpered, pointing. Makoto followed her finger and let out a small gasp.

Apparently, their jostling of the mattress had caused some of the contents of the pillow on the bed to come loose, revealing a long tendril of what was probably some kind of intestine.

"What kind of a mansion is this?" Makoto snapped. "That's it, we're getting out of here…"

"Wait!" Eri begged. "I…I hear something…"

Of course you do.

Eri yelped. "W-who said that…?!"

You never should have come here, Mizutani Eri. You or your friends.

You're going to die.

Just…like…

Me.

"Come out here!" Eri ordered. "W-whoever you are, come out here! W-who are you?!"

"Eri, what's going on?" Makoto asked worriedly. "Come on. Let's go."

"No!" Eri cried. "I…I want to see who's talking to me! I want to see them!"

But you've already seen me, the voice echoed. That horrible, tainted, hideous voice. It sounded sick. Nasally. Gravelly. And somehow, it sounded like a teenaged boy.

I've never seen you in my life! Eri countered in her mind.

You just did. My bones. My blood. My organs. You've seen me.

Eri felt sick. Sometime, someplace, someone had died in this room.

And they were talking to Eri.

I hadn't died, oh, no, the voice complained.

I was murdered.

"Leave me alone!" Eri yelled, covering her ears with her hands. Who was this person? Why were they talking to her? Why couldn't Makoto hear them? And what did they want?

That's cruel. Can't you just mourn me a little?

"Go…g-go away, please!"

But I like talking to you. It's funny when you scream. Hey, why don't you come over here and play with me? Come on.

"No…no!"

We'll talk forever. We can have conversations just like this. My rib bones are pointed enough to stab yourself. Why don't you join me?

"GO AWAY!"

I'm lonely, Mizutani Eri.

"NO! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Eri felt two strong arms scoop her from the ground as she lay curled up on the floor, her hands over her ears to try and block that voice, that sweet yet horrible voice. It never worked, though. It felt like the murdered boy was speaking to her in her own brain.

She hated it.

She opened her eyes to find herself cradled in Makoto's arms. Makoto was running now, running away from that room, down the hallway, into some place where they would be safe. Eri let out a loud sob and flung her arms around Makoto's neck.

"Can you still hear him?" Makoto asked.

"No," Eri whimpered. "That…I can't…"

"Are you alright?"

"No. No, I-I'm not alright…"

Makoto stopped running for a second. "What happened?"

"Makoto-san, a young boy was murdered in that room. Those were his bones. His blood. I…he was talking to me, trying to get me to kill myself to be with him. And the worst part was…" Eri trailed off. Her words stuck in her throat.

"Was…?" Makoto prompted.

"…I wanted to," Eri finished. "I wanted to keep him company. Something inside me was breaking for him. I wanted to be with him."

Makoto frowned. "Well, we're going to go somewhere safe now, OK? You just relax. I'll take care of you," she promised. She started walking again, still carrying Eri in her arms. Eri let herself fall limp. Just before they got completely out of earshot of the boy's voice, Eri heard him again…

There is nowhere safe.