Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul.
Mirror
By TCNL
Chapter 14: Sunset
Night came and I was still bothered by the news about CCG this morning.
To distract myself, I decided to go shopping. With enough money that I saved from my earnings at work, I figured I could use a new wardrobe. I'm kind of sick seeing myself with the usual attire of shirt, shorts, a jacket and my sneakers. And I need to change the way I dress, especially that the doves are coming in. The worst situation I would be in is when Amon-san somehow makes a connection basing from our last encounter.
I was wearing the same clothes when he saw me and when we fought.
I sighed. Stop sighing, you're not helping yourself. Oh.
Grabbing my backpack, I went out into the city.
Arriving at the mall, a store immediately caught my eye. I dashed.
"Waa~" I swooned. Oh my god. Custom-designed shirts.Everywhere.
I was about to reach out and grab to inspect a shirt with a print of the Scouting Legion's crest.
But wait. I said I'm going to change my outfit.
Just one. I'll buy just one shirt and then the others will be blouses or something.
After a couple of minutes, I stood outside the store in a daze.
…
Fuck.
I ended up buying four shirts. Four. Shirts. Stupid.
I groaned and bought two dark denim jeans and a stylish jacket to go with them. Hm… At least I changed the style a bit. I think I should go get something to eat. I went to a restaurant Hide, Ken-kun and I used to frequent when we hung out.
What the hell am I doing?
I'm a ghoul. I can't eat there anymore.
Bitterness crept into me. I turned around and went straight to the comfort room. I changed into what I bought. Looking at my reflection, I realized I looked decent. I shrugged and went outside. I froze when I saw a familiar face.
Yamori-san? Shit.
There was also a flamboyant-looking man with him.
"Oh, hello Yamori-san. I'm surprised to see you here", I said. Shit.
"Don't waste my time, girl. Come with us", he said and they started walking. What do I do? Run? Where? The area was crowded. If I run, it would certainly cause a commotion. The police would come in, and soon, the ghoul investigators.
And so, I begrudgingly followed them.
"You've been ignoring my calls, girl", Yamori-san drawled as we entered a less illuminated street.
"I-I've been busy, Yamori-san–"
"Cut the shit! You sent Naki on a false trail to the 4th ward!" I flinched back. Not good. It will be hard to escape from here. I can't exactly fly straight off.
"Why are you making this hard for the both of us? Tell me where Rize is", he said. I remained silent. "Are you trying to protect her? Tch. Don't tell me you're her friend?" No. Even if she was alive, I don't think we will be.
"Oh? Hm, so you're not…"
"Where is the ghoul headquarters here at then? You could at least tell me that", he said. I'll never tell you anything.
"You won't get anything from me Yamori-san. I have my reasons", I said and prepared myself to fight. He just smirked at me.
"I told you… Do not disappoint me", his kagune zoomed past my shoulder as I dodged. I flinched as I heard the concrete wall crack. Gah, my shoulder… This place is too narrow! I retracted my kagune. I'll have to use hand-to-hand combat.
I noticed that Yamori-san's kagune brushed against the wall too. He was a bit distracted.
NOW!
Aiming a kick to his face, I gasped when he blocked it single-handedly. From the corner of my eye, I saw him take his hand out from his pocket. A syringe?
I staggered, landing on the ground. What is this heavy feeling? I don't like it. I tried to strike at him but I looked at my back, a look of terror on my face.
Where's my kagune? I can't move them?
…So that's what it does.
Not good.
RUN!
I turned on my heel and dashed to the main street. But before I could get any further, I felt pain in my abdomen. Looking down, I saw two huge spikes piercing through me. "Ugh…" I coughed out blood.
"You will entertain me, girl", he said.
His hand coming down on my nape and his sadistic smirk was all I saw before there was nothing.
Protect… them…
Everything was burning. I'm not sure if it was my arm, my leg, or what. All I know is, it burns. I don't know how long I have been here, but it feels like it already has been a long time.
CRRK!
"A-aahh..!" I gasped as another nail came off. Tears were streaming down my face.
"That's not right", Yamori-san frowned and came back with a tool. Why did I..?
Is this the price of power?
Lifting my head a little, I saw that two wrench-like tools were steadied at my ring and pinky finger. It clamped down. My eyes hurt from crying. "Nngh… please… no…"
CRRSHK! "AAHH!"
"There we go. I'd have to make you count if you stopped singing, girl." I vaguely saw that he put down the other tool.
Clamp, rip."Where is Rize?"
"I DON'T KNOW!"
Clamp, rip. "Where is the ghoul headquarters?"
"I'LL NEVER TELL YOU!"
Clamp, rip.
I don't regret anything… Never! I'll never tell them anything–
Clamp, rip.
It hurts.
Clamp, rip. The chains shackled on my wrists and leg clanged loudly as I struggled.
Please stop.
Clamp, rip. I have to get away. I have to…
It hurts…
Clamp, rip.
Ah, they're all gone.
"We're getting delayed because of you, girl. I'll give you a last chance. Tell us, and I'll let you go. We could find some use for you", he said. That caught my attention.
Let me go? Really? He will?
Shut up! No one is going anywhere! I'll stay… I'll stay if it means I'll keep my friends safe.
"I'll be back in a few minutes", he grunted and left the room.
"Haha… Hahaha… He thinks I'll fall for that…" I laughed at his stupidity. I glanced at my digits and saw they were all dripping with blood. I pressed them lightly on the chair's handle.
"Nngh!" Fuck, wrong move. It still hurts like hell. You are in hell.
I know. I squiggled on the chair to see if I can somehow loosen something. I don't know. Why am I even trying to get away?
"One, two… three? Right. Four then… fiiive", I whispered, counting the white tiles in a spiral direction from my chair. There's so many of them! Isn't it just wonderful? I looked up. An asterisk of red connected beams served as the sky. Did the sky bleed too?
Huh? What was I doing here?
SLAM!
Who's that?
"So, are you going to tell me now, girl?" Tell him what?
Tell him about Ken-kun. About Anteiku. So you can get out of hell. Enough of hell.
"No… NO!"
"As I said before, do not disappoint me." He started off with my left foot, this time he went beyond my nail.
"AAHH!" What have I done?
Yamori-san has been gone for… I don't know for how long he's been gone. But I'm not getting fed forcefully and my fingers ripped off, which is great. I suppose Yamori-san was considerate enough to feed me nice ghoul meat.
That was only once though. I haven't eaten in a while.
Oh and don't forget, it's been a while since he dug around your abdomen!
That too. What else did he do?
That thing with the spiral metal thing. Oh yes, he drilled through my hands and feet too. I want to kill him for that. Trying to make me into Jesus isn't my thing.
I heard the door creak open.
Oh lookie. It's Yamori-saan~
"Ayato is here. It'll be no problem to locate the headquarters now", he said. Oh no. They mustn't… Not Ken-kun…You'll pay if you hurt him…
"If you're happy and you know it, suck my d–" Why won't he let me finish?
CRRSHK! You're not usually this crude.
"You've lost it, girl. That's too bad."
"I've lost some things, Yamori-saan~ But not me. Teehee, you're never gonna geeet me", I said with a tune.
What? It made talking more fun.
CRRSK! "Aagh!" That feeling never changed. When did I start feeling that, hm? Probably a century now already.
Argh, what is this? Why is it wet?
I looked at my lap, there were dark blotches dripping from above. You're crying. I wonder why. I wonder too. Crying is a sign of weakness, yeah? Stop crying you worthless scum.
Aw, Yamori-san left.
I'm all alone again…
I don't want to be alone.
Oh. I'm still here. Today, people in red took me from that room.
That was okay, though. That room was getting boring anyways.
"Ugh..." I groaned when I tried to move. My ass hurts.
What the hell is wrong with you?
It hurts! From sitting down, you idiot! Oh. Right.
"Need to… escape…" I strained against the shackles. I winced as the metal rubbed against my legs and wrists.
I struggled.
Is this my punishment? I swear I'd never eat again…
Sobbing, I could only stare ahead.
I wonder how the others are doing. And Ken-kun too. It's his birthday soon. I wonder, did I already miss it? I was hoping to spend Christmas with him too…
Wait.
Aogiri is after him.
I struggled until I could feel the chains dig on the muscles beneath my skin.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Drip goes the red drop from my lip. Drip goes the red drops from my hands…
Feet, aaand everywhere in this pit~
I bit my lip too hard. Yamori-san just left the room. He wasn't satisfied when he didn't hear me sing with passion. What can I say? This is getting old.
So he decided to drill my hands and feet again. He must have noticed how much I hated that because he kept doing it after I refused to scream.
I got a new friend though.
My eyes hurt too. And my throat burns every time I talk. You got no one to talk to.
"Well… I'm talking to you… aren't I?" I rasped. Your throat is very sore.
"I've b-been screaming… too much, I know", I replied. Silence fell.
"Hey. I'm hungry, Mr. Centipede. Feed me." My stomach growled on cue. I felt him move somewhere in my head. There aren't any food here. Gotta find someone first.
That sucks. I was hoping I could eat Yamori-san. Don't like human meat? Nope.
But I said I'd never eat again.
Everything was blank. How long have I been here? I tilted my head and looked down on my hands, particularly my nails. They're quite fashionable if you ask me.
The color of my blood. So pretty.
Since when did black become the color of blood? Look closely, you idiot! It has a tinge of red in it. That's how it looks when it's dried.
…Dried blood? I still have nails, don't I? Yeah, yeah.
I felt myself being grabbed by the collar and dragged.
"Gah…" I protested as I felt the floor scrape against my kneecaps. A river trailed behind me.
That's not a river. My hair or blood. Or both. I was bleeding somewhere? I didn't notice.
Light flooded my eyes and I kept my head down, trying to adjust my eyes.
Ohh. Black and white. How nostalgic.
I was dropped on the floor. Wait.
I'm free. I'm not… chained! But the shackles aren't tied to the chair. But I'm still restrained. I don't like it.
I DON'T LIKE IT! I CAN'T MOVE ALL MY LIMBS. I CAN'T…
With all the effort I could muster, I got on my knees. My arms trembled so much that they gave away. "Ugh…" Not now.
Just a little bit more. I could move.
I looked up and saw two figures not far from me. Dead. That's too bad. I want to eat. They can do. No, no. We should get out of here first. We're not chained anymore. There's something holding us back!
I was lifted up again.
Thud.
I heard murmurs around me. I wonder, what's going on? Everything seems so far.
Mi-chan…
"Mr. Centipede, that sounds familiar… Who's that?" I forced myself to look up.
"Waah, y-your hair is like mine! Like… like s-snow", I said. Feeling my arms shake again, I shifted myself into a sitting position. "H-hey Mr. Centipede, do you know this guy?" I asked, hoping that he won't be ignoring me again.
There was silence.
"DON'T IGNORE ME!" I screamed. He's not being fair. "Get out if you're gonna be like that!" I tilted my head to the side quickly.
Splat.
"Tch. You've been keeping that there? You broke too easy, girl. But you've been here longer than this guy", a voice said. Turning my head to the direction where heard it, I saw a tall and brute-looking man. "Y-you…" I thought we weren't done for today.
"You're not gonna fill my bucket today? I-I mean, I'm not complaining. I'm just really hungry. And… and please don't take my pinky. It's weird watching it grow back…" I murmured and rocked myself back and forth.
"I said I'd protect them, I did. I didn't tell you anything did I?"
"We didn't need you for information anymore, girl", he said. Oh. Then why was I in that room again? I looked down at the hands on my lap.
The man turned to the one on the chair. Why's he looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face? I blinked as he disappeared for a second.
SSHLK!
Uh oh. Looks like a fight is breaking out.
To be continued…
Author's note: Oh my. Review, follow, or favorite if you like.