Cries of Summer: Angel of Death
Okinomiya, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Saturday, June 18th, 1983...
Located a short distance from the more rustic village of Hinamizawa, the more-modern town of Okinomiya boasted many amenities commonly found in urban Japan that were rare in the countryside.
As a result of its location and size, it also contained the only police station in the surrounding area.
Thus, one looking for a fugitive would be wise to start there.
"Detective Oishi, is it? I must say, I never expected you would spend your breaks here of all places."
"Really? I'd thought an American like you would be used to this kind of establishment, especially if you came here from Tokyo."
Indeed, Angel Mort restaurant, the location of the meeting, was notorious for the…
...peculiar attire of its waitresses.
"Oh, please, Detective. I only work in America. At heart, I'll always be an Englishman."
"Well, Doctor, since you've worked in America, I suppose you've seen your fair share of murders and disappearances, haven't you?"
The Doctor frowned.
"Yes, five years ago. Haddonfield, Illinois. I thought your partner already-"
"I heard him. But I wanted to make sure it was the real deal."
The Doctor stood closer and spoke in a hushed tone.
"Allow me to alleviate your doubts, Detective. My name is Samuel Loomis. I was a psychiatrist at Smith's Grove Sanitarium from 1963 to 1978. On the night of October 31st, 1978, I shot my former patient…"
The Doctor paused, nearly grunting out his next words as if it pained him.
"Michael Audrey Myers…"
Oishi heard the Doctor barely hold back his anger.
"...after he escaped custody and killed four innocent people. I shot him six times, and yet all it did was temporarily knock him out. I should've reloaded and finished him right then and there!"
Loomis paused to check if he had raised his voice a little too loudly.
It was a busy weekend, so no one paid him any mind.
"But the rule of law prevents me from taking such drastic measures. All I could do was let them lock him up in a tighter cage."
Oishi smirked.
"You've proven yourself, Doctor. As much as I appreciate Wild West justice, I'm afraid Hinamizawa can't be saved that easily."
Oishi took a sip of coffee, Loomis did the same.
Typically, they'd settle for tea, but their lines of work demanded otherwise.
"Our series of deaths and murders go back to about a year after you left. It started when an old acquaintance of mine was hacked to pieces by an angry mob."
"You have my condolences, Detective."
"It wasn't shocking, though. He managed construction on a dam that would've flooded Hinamizawa if put into action. Pissed off a lot of zealots."
"Zealots?"
"The villagers worship a Shinto deity called Oyashiro-sama. Obviously, you can't worship a deity when your house is underwater, so anyone who supported the project got a target painted on them."
"I suppose everyone who died or disappeared since then supported the dam project?"
"Correct, Doctor. The locals say they were cursed by Oyashiro-sama. But if you ask me…"
Oishi quietly gestured towards a waitress, who was welcoming some customers at the front door.
"See that waitress? She's Shion Sonozaki. Her grandmother is head of the neighborhood yakuza, and her sister is the presumptive heir."
Loomis sighed.
"I'm afraid gangland killings aren't my jurisdiction, Detective. Now, about that photo I showed you..."
"Yesterday, some poachers died violently in the Onigafuchi Swamp close to the village. Seeing as the Sonozakis are having a meeting this weekend, I highly doubt they're the culprits this time around. There's a chance it could be your friend."
Oishi looked at the photo of a young paramedic.
"He seems happy. What drove a bright fellow like him to insanity?"
"A mental patient hacked his son to death with an ax. He avenged him and fled the country."
Loomis replied sadly.
"I see you and your friend share the same definition of justice. Are you sure you're not American at heart?"
Loomis smiled at Oishi's jibe.
"I'll keep an eye out for your friend. In the meantime, enjoy your trip, Doctor!"
Oishi finished his coffee and exited the premises.
As the Detective left, Loomis noticed that he purposefully avoided the Sonozaki girl as she moved to talk to a coworker.
With a big gulp, he also finished his coffee, paid for it, and walked towards the exit.
"Come back soon!"
Loomis paused, making sure Oishi was out of earshot.
"Sonozaki, was it?"
"Eh? How did you-"
"Do you have relatives in the village nearby?"
"Uh-"
"If possible, I'd like to tour the area. I hear there's a festival tomorrow night."
"But-but-but…"
"I'm an English doctor researching local customs. I'm sure your family won't mind."
He handed her a $100 bill in case she wasn't convinced.
Shion sighed.
"I'll see if I could squeeze you in."
"Good. I hope to see you there."
Loomis turned around and continued his journey.
He paused when he noticed that some youths saw his "transaction" and assumed the worst.
"I was asking for directions, you gutter-minded pigs!"
He roared in fluent Japanese before quickening his pace down the street.
Shion held the dollar bill nervously, pondering the man's intentions.
"Who was that guy? He's clearly Western, but he doesn't seem like a regular tourist! And who pays $100 to go to Hinamizawa?!"
She then realized who he had talked to earlier.
"Wait. Wasn't he talking to Oishi earlier? What is that man up to now?!"
Shion was not the only one who felt uneasy, as Loomis soon felt a familiar sense of dread!
"These murders and disappearances… It's too much like Haddonfield and Crystal Lake. What on Earth are you planning, Roy?"
Outside Hinamizawa, the previous night…
Maintaining a facade of calm, Mifune plotted the demise of his superior as his entourage drove to the meeting.
"These killings and disappearances are drawing too much attention. If our group is to survive, we must cut all ties with Oryo, Akane, Kosei, and their immediate relatives."
"Are you sure, boss? The Sonozakis still have a lot of pull outside of Shishibone. What if their allies hear of our plan?"
"All we have to do is eliminate Akane and Kosei and pin the blame on one of the other families, preferably the Kimiyoshis."
"Who do we pay?"
"Hmm. It'll have to be someone skilled, like a sniper. Maybe a poacher."
"There might be an issue with that, boss. There's this maniac in the swamps killing them en masse-"
CRAAASH!
A runaway ambulance suddenly smashed into the side of Mifune's escort car, overturning it!
Shocked, Mifune watched as his driver left and approached the wrecked vehicles with a drawn revolver!
The driver checked the escort car.
"This isn't good."
Indeed, everyone inside was dead!
He moved behind the ambulance and opened the door!
Mifune, still in his car, watched as the driver disappeared from view.
Grumbling, he grabbed an intimidating-looking Indonesian golok, a gift from a business associate, and got out of the car.
Mifune searched behind the ambulance, where he last saw his driver.
"Takeuchi?"
There, Mifune found his driver, with a neck snapped at an odd angle!
Gasping in shock, he failed to notice the masked man behind him with a shard of glass!
One slit throat later, the masked man made off with his prized weapon.
The man got into the abandoned car and drove towards Hinamizawa…
To be continued…