Cries of Summer: Prologue
Disclaimer: The following is a work of fanfiction. Higurashi: When They Cry is the property of Ryukishi07 and 07th Expansion. Friday the 13th is currently in legal limbo between Sean S. Cunningham and Victor Miller. Please support the official releases.
A/N: The following work contains scenes of gory violence befitting the source franchises. Spoilers for certain installments are regrettably present. Reader discretion is advised.
"Mommy! Help me! Help!"
"You should've been watching him!"
"Die! Die! Die!"
"Hey, asshole! Up here!"
"Why won't you die?!"
Jason Voorhees opened his eyes.
One would not expect a being such as him to have nightmares, but he did.
He noticed that once more, he was surrounded by the waters of Crystal Lake.
"Wait…"
The realization sunk in.
"Is it just me, or is the water murkier than usual?"
The revenant pondered.
He looked down and saw no chains restraining him.
Cautiously, he swiftly swam to the surface.
It was ironic, really, that he drowned as a child.
Jason broke through the surface of the water, breathing shallowly through his hockey mask.
"A swamp?! What happened to the lake?!"
He looked around, desperately searching for a familiar landmark!
"No! No! No! I'm not in Crystal Lake! I'm not with Mother!"
Off in the distance, a gunshot rang out!
"Hunters. No matter. I'll deal with them, then try to find my way back!"
He moved to the shore.
If any human cast their eyes upon him now, they would be terrified at the sight of a masked, hulking corpse dressed in hunter's attire emerging from the swamp!
But there weren't any, at least for now.
Jason reached for his trusted machete in case of any threats.
To his dismay, it had disappeared!
Frustrated, he looked around for a decent substitute.
He saw a disused syringe carelessly discarded in the mud!
"It's a first. They'll probably have better machetes lying around."
Jason picked up the syringe and continued towards the sound of the gunshot.
Elsewhere…
"Gunshots?!"
"Easy, rookie. Probably just some poachers."
"We'll take it from here. 16 out."
Amakusa Juuza exhaled.
"Hey, rookie, you alright?"
"I'm fine. Can you please stop calling me 'rookie?'"
"Yeah, well, until you act like Golgo 13, I'm going to refrain from calling you Hibari 13. Except on comms, of course."
Amakusa chuckled.
"In that case, I'll call you 'the Dirty Dozen!'"
Hibari 12 shrugged.
"Seems fair. I actually liked-"
"AAAAAUUUUGGH!"
A chilling scream echoed across the comms!
"Hibari 16, this is 12! What the hell's happening?!"
"It's 15! 16's dead! It killed him!"
"What?!"
"The hunter! He lured us in with the hunter! They're all de-"
SHUUNK!
Amakusa and Hibari 12 froze at the unmistakable sound of steel piercing flesh.
As the pair listened, deep breaths could be heard, as if the killer were taunting them!
BZZT!
Just like that, the comms faded into static.
"Hibari 12 to all units! Hibari 15 and 16 are down! We have a hostile in the Onigafuchi Swamp! I repeat, Hibari 15 and 16 are down!"
"Understood, 12! All available units to the swamp!"
12 looked at Amakusa.
"Grab the stuff, Golgo. We're going hunting!"
Smirking, Amakusa handed an MP5 to 12 and loaded his shotgun.
A while later…
Amakusa and 12 arrived at the last known location of 15 and 16.
They were reinforced by the rest of the Hibari Squad, which moved together for safety.
Nothing could prepare the soldiers for the scene of the crime.
The poacher whose gunshots were heard now laid dead with an arrow through his temple.
Hibari 16 had his foot encased in a buried bear trap, exposing his leg bones.
His suffering was short, though, as another arrow impaled his skull through his left eye.
Hibari 15 was found a short distance away, impaled to a tree with the poacher's missing rifle.
Amakusa retched and threw up behind a bush.
"What sick bastard did this?!"
12 turned solemn.
"Whoever he is, he's heading towards Hinamizawa. Right on time for Watanagashi, too."
"You're shitting me."
"This place is already cursed as it is, rookie. I'll bet Oyashiro-sama's gonna be pleased with all the sacrifices this nut's gonna bring."
Amakusa sighed.
"Why do l get the feeling you've just tempted fate?"
"Fate's a cruel mistress, rookie. Just like my ex."
Amakusa laughed at that.
12 did have a weird way of defusing tension.
"You'll get it one day, 13. There's bound to be one who'll fall head-over-heels for you!"
"Yeah, like that'll happen. The only way I'll ever meet a girl is on guard duty!"
"That can be arranged."
Amakusa and 12 turned to face and salute their commanding officer, Okonogi.
"Sir!"
"Ootori 8 and 9 found another poacher closer to the swamp. Syringe to the temple. Killer took off with his knife, bow, and dumped most of the arrows from the quiver. All points indicate he's walking towards the village."
"Do you think he has the Syndrome, sir?" asked Amakusa.
"Considering the state of Hibari 15, it's likely. But, then again, the fact that he's using traps and ambushes suggests he's still lucid for now."
"Should we activate the Banken, sir?" asked 12.
"That's up to the Major to decide. For now, we notify the Okonomiya PD and move our patrols closer to the residential areas. Now, get back to work! Clean up and get moving!"
"Yes, sir!"
Outskirts of Hinamizawa…
"They spoke in a different language. I'm definitely far from home."
Jason thought as he gazed at the village downhill from his hiding spot.
"But I know a town when I see one. They'll know me soon enough."
To be Continued...