2. Chapter 2: Taken

Chapter 2: Taken

Part A

"What's wrong? Somethin' on my face?"

Teppei was the customer that was sitting before me. Nothing about him had changed. His voice scared me, it always had. Despite those fears, I've always hated him. I hated him for what he did to my Satoko! I hated him for everything that he did to Satoshi-kun!

The last time I saw this man was when he was taken to prison. That's where he should have stayed. He should have rotted in his cell and died a miserable death, but he didn't. He was right in front me. What the hell were the cops doing? Were they mad to release this monster? He didn't spend more than a month in prison! How did he get out? Why would they do such a stupid thing?

My stomach turned into knots. I was staring right at him. These thoughts filled my head. They were so horrible and so evil. They couldn't have been my own. The demon that rested inside me was awakening once more.

I saw his fork and knife on the table near his apish hands. I saw myself taking them into my own hands and stabbing him with them. I saw myself thrusting the fork into his eye sockets and twisting it around until both of his eyes came out. I saw myself carving into his skull with the knife. I wanted to tear his heart out and crush it in my bear hands. I wanted to cut his hands off. I wanted to rip his ears off. I wanted to do so many things to this man. I wanted him to suffer…!

"Hey, lady!" He shouted angrily at me.

"Huh? Oh, sorry!" I waved my hand back and forth. "First day on the job and I've kinda been spacing out a lot today! Ahaha! I'll get your order for you right away!"

I ran into the kitchen. I ran from there into the changing rooms. I collapsed onto the floor. I was on my knees and my hands were gripping the floor. My fists pounded against it. I was gnashing my teeth and my eyes shifted all around. I wasn't myself. It was coming back! It was trying to take me over again!

I sat on the bench next to the storage lockers and breathed deeply. I slapped my face a few times and continued to breathe. I had to stay calm! I had to stay calm! I couldn't let it win! I couldn't let it take control again!

I couldn't stay here anymore. I couldn't do this. I switched into my casual clothes and bolted out of the restaurant. My feet carried me for two blocks. They carried me all the way to my apartment building. I stood near the stairway and gripped the railing tightly.

Houjou Teppei was back. No matter how many times I said that, I couldn't believe it. How was I going to handle this problem? I couldn't do anything by myself, I thought. I stopped questioning why Teppei was out of prison, I just wanted to get him back in there…or to make him go away for good. But I couldn't kill him. I couldn't commit such a heinous act. I forced my darkest desires out of my mind. They wouldn't do me any good. They would undo all the progress I've made in bettering myself. I kept forcing those thoughts out of my head. I had to face this not as a demon, but as Sonozaki Shion.

First of all, I had to tell somebody. I would have to tell Kei-chan. He deserved to know. Mion should know too, maybe she could help me. And finally, I became acquaintances with the new cop, Takuma. I had his business card in my pocket. I could call him and see if he could help me as well, or maybe even Akasaka.

I began to strategize; I wouldn't get anywhere if I just rushed in. My most important objective was to protect Satoko. Now that Teppei was free, I was sure he would return to Hinamizawa and take Satoko back under his "care" at some point. Even if he did come back for her, there had to be some restriction on him set by the police, but I didn't doubt that the man would just take Satoko anyway.

I had to keep this a secret from Satoko. She would lose it if she knew Teppei would be coming back for her. She would be so frightened. I had to protect her, even if I had to lie to her. I would be doing this for her own good.

I should call Kei-chan. School was still in session though, but this news couldn't wait. I would have to go back to Hinamizawa and tell him, along with Mion, Rena, and Rika. We managed to get him arrested with the entire village supporting us; maybe we could do it again! I decided to stop wasting time! I let go of the railing and ran to my bike. I unchained it and rode to Hinamizawa.

It was around lunchtime when I came to the school. I had pedaled as fast as my legs would let me. I must have made a record by how fast I was riding. I fell off of my bike when I tried to get off and I hit the ground hard. I was extremely exhausted, but I had to move on! I picked myself back up and staggered to the main entrance to the school.

I continued to stagger until I reached the teacher's office. I flung the office door open and stood in the threshold. I caught Chie-sensei about to have her usual curry for lunch. I was panting heavily and I was sweating.

"Shion-san?" She was frightened to see me so disheveled. "What happened to you?"

"Never mind me! I have…have…tell…you…"

"Easy!" She rose from her chair and led me to her desk. She sat me down and I caught my breath. She offered me her barley tea, which I chugged down in a few seconds.

"Gyaah!" I swallowed hard and coughed a little because of how fast I drank.

"Now what's wrong?" Chie knelt down and had her hands on my knees.

"It's…Satoko…she's…she's in danger…!"

"But she's in class! What on earth are you talking about?"

"Houjou Teppei's back!" I finally spat it out.

Chie's eyes widened. She got on her feet and backed a few inches away from me. I saw her hands shivering. "Is…that for certain?"

"I saw him with my own eyes! He was at my workplace today! I saw him! I saw him! He's out of jail!"

"But that's impossible! He was hauled off not too long ago! How is he suddenly free?" She didn't mean to raise her voice at me. She was just as scared and angry as I was.

"I don't know! But I can guarantee that he'll probably come back to take her away!"

"I'm going to call the police right now!"

I got on my feet. Before she left her office to see the principal and to borrow his phone, I stopped her. I held her wrist.

"Sensei! I need to tell my friends! They have to know right away!"

"I can call one of them out of the classroom for now. I don't want Satoko-chan to know about this yet!"

My sentiments exactly.

"Can you call Keiichi for me? I'd like to speak with him first!"

Chie told me to wait outside of the school by the front. She said she would summon Kei-chan to speak with me. I peeked around the corner of the main hallway; I saw her open the door to the classroom. She spoke very calmly and sweetly, like she always did. Thank God she did that. She knew as well as I did that Satoko must not suspect anything. That's why she allowed one person to see me. If everybody, excluding Satoko, talked to me, she would get nosy. I wanted everybody to know, but this would have to do for now. I couldn't risk her finding her out!

Kei-chan came to the front. He found me by the side of the entry way. "Shion? You're the visitor Chie-sensei told me about? I thought you went to work!" He gave me a very charming smile. "I'm so flattered you ditched just for me! Hehe!"

"Kei-chan! I need to talk to-"

"Hey, why are you so sweaty? You're a mess!"

"Listen to-"

"You know, you should take a bre-"

"Stop goofing around and listen to me!" I grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall of the school.

He was shaking in my grip. His eyes were locked onto mine. He was scared of me.

"I have something important to tell you! It couldn't wait!"

"Wh-What is it?"

"It's Satoko's uncle! He's in Okinomiya!"

Kei-chan's fear only grew, but mixed with that fear, I could see a fire burning in his eyes. I could see the pyre of his rage kindling inside of him. His fear turned into his anger. I could feel that fury coming out of him. It wrapped around me and it only increased my own anger of the situation.

"He's…back? He's out of jail?"

"Yes! He was a customer in Angel Mort today!"

I let go of him. Kei-chan faced the wall.

"Kei-chan?"

"…Is that true? You're not lying to me?"

"What? Why would I lie to you?" I almost yelled at him.

He punched the wall so hard that I thought I heard the bones in his hand break. "That can't be! That just can't!"

"It's true! I saw him!"

"This can't be right…!" Kei-chan got on his knees and his hand slid down the wall. I could hear him crying. I saw the tears fall from his face and onto the ground. "Dammit! We beat him! We got him thrown in prison! We won! We saved Satoko! But why…why…?"

I knelt down behind him. I held his shoulders gently. I was rubbing them.

"I don't know what's happening either, but this is the truth! I had to tell you right away! We have to figure out what we're going to-"

"That bastard…! I'll kill him…I'll definitely kill him this time…!" He threw my hands off of him. He clenched his fists and his teeth grinded against each other. The sound made my bones shiver.

"Kei-chan…?"

"I'll bash his head in! I'll keep bashing until he doesn't move anymore! That's what I'll do! That's what I'll do!" His voice was breaking and it sounded incredibly dark. He wasn't anything like the boy I saw a few seconds ago!

"Kei-chan!" I shook him. "Calm down! This isn't helping!"

He rubbed his head and breathed deeply. His tears stopped flowing.

"You can't do anything in that state! Didn't you tell me that? Violence isn't going to solve this! You told me that once, Keiichi! You stopped me that time last month! I wanted to murder him but you stopped me! You stopped me from making that horrible mistake! Don't you remember?"

His breathing was returning to a normal pace.

"I understand how you feel, but this isn't going to help me at all! I had trouble, but I managed to calm myself down too!"

Kei-chan wasn't moving.

"You taught me how to do that! You saved me before! Remember?"

Kei-chan looked at me. He turned to fully face me. "Shion…" I didn't hear any emotion in his voice.

I cracked a small smile for him. "Please…let me save you now…" He needed to see me smile. I was fuming mad myself, but I had to be stable for him. I had to show him that I was alright. I had to encourage him to be as collected as I tried to be.

He hid his puffy eyes from me. He was trying to hold back some more tears. "I'm sorry…I shouldn't have gone off like that…"

"It's understandable! I did too!"

"No…I know better. I know I shouldn't say those awful things…or think of doing those things…but…that bastard just infuriates me so much! He's roaming free again after all our hard work!" He was shivering again. "How the hell could the cops let him out?"

"Kei-chan…" I hugged him tight. I rubbed his back and his neck. "I don't know why this is happening either…but it is…and we have to face it…"

"We shouldn't have to though! We won that fight!"

"And we'll win this one!"

Keiichi held me. His head was over my shoulder. "I just don't understand anything…"

"Shhh." I whispered. "It's okay…we'll make him go away again! Think hard! We have Akasaka on our side! He'll do anything for us! He and this new guy at the department, Hanzaemon, he'll help too! Chie will help us, Sis will help too; I bet we can get all of Hinamizawa to help like we did last time! Have some faith, alright? Can you do that for me?"

I felt him nod.

"Kei-chan?" I held his face and looked at him. "Can you do that for me?"

He averted his eyes.

"Hey, c'mon! Look at me!" I spoke softly. I was stroking his cheek very gently. "We'll get through this!"

He finally looked at me. The poor boy. He looked so ashen and defeated even though the battle hadn't begun yet.

"That's not right! Where's my Kei-chan? The real Kei-chan?"

Keiichi turned away for a moment, but then looked back at me. I saw him trying to smile at me. He tried to look confident for me, despite the tears in his eyes.

"There we go! Now that's the boy I know!" I winked at him as I wiped his tears from his eyes. I looked deep into him for a moment.

"W-What?"

"Nothing…it's just…" I smiled at him. "You've really grown up."

"I don't think so…I lost it and threatened to murder that man. The last time when we faced him, I knew better and stopped myself and you from carrying out that deed. This time, I'm back at square one again…I'm tearing up again…I feel so powerless!"

"That's not true!" I held his face with both of my hands. "You've grown! I can tell just by looking at you! You handle yourself much better than you did before! You're stronger than I could ever be! Stop lying to yourself! You know you're a much more mature and stronger person than when you first came to the village!

"You're crying because you care so much about your friends! You worry about them all of the time! That's nothing to be ashamed of! It shows how much of an adult you are! You love them with all of your heart! I'm…actually kinda jealous of you..."

He cocked his head. "You are…?"

I nodded. "Mmm-hmm. Your soul is clean. I saw by looking into your eyes. I wish I was like you…all grown up and strong. My soul is still stained with my fears and insecurities. I…still have a demon within me. You don't have such a thing! For that, I'm so envious of you!"

Kei-chan was smiling now. I felt his hand on my leg. Part of my leg was exposed from my long skirt. When he touched my bare skin, it made me jump a little. I was blushing. He gently ran his fingers across it. He wasn't crying anymore. He looked like his old self!

"Shion doesn't have a demon." He shook his head at me. "She's a kind, loving, beautiful woman. She loves her friends very much, just like I do! How is it that she's a demon when she loves us so much? Demons can't love!"

I was quiet. Part of me believed him. That sweet and understanding voice struck my heart. I was going to cry now. I fought back the tears though. Kei-chan…he thought I wasn't a…he called me loving...

"No way could you be a demon!" He petted my head slowly. "You've grown up as well! You're more mature than when we first met! I really believe that!"

I placed my hands on top of his. It felt so good…the sensation of his hand against my head. I missed that feeling. I loved it so much…I loved it…I didn't want it to stop…

He grinned at me. "You're absolutely right! I'm not going to sit here and cry over this anymore! We'll settle this! I won't let Satoko be hurt by that monster again! He's the real demon! I have to be strong for her! I'm going to fight for her with all of my might!"

"…Yeah…"

"Let's do this! Let's save Satoko one more time!" He held my hand.

I squeezed his hand firmly. I nodded fiercely. I wasn't going to cry anymore either!

"Yeah!"

"Now, what are we going to do about everyone else?" He asked. The fires of anger inside of him turned into determination. He converted his anger into this motivation. He was so full of energy and power. Nothing was going to stop him now

"Well…we musn't let Satoko know about any of this! I'm afraid that she'll lose it if she found out Teppei's back!"

"I think so too! But, Teppei's bound to come back to Hinamizawa at some point. Probably soon I think. He'll come for Satoko! She'll eventually find out then!"

"We should hide her!" I slammed my fist into my palm. "One of us has to take her home and hide her there until we can solve this! I won't risk her being discovered by him!"

Kei-chan thought for a moment. "Teppei knows that Satoko lived with Rika once, so he'd probably look there first. I don't think Rena could do anything because of her father. My parents are gone all week, so I could hide her there, but Mion's house is bigger. Oh yeah! She has that underground chamber Satoko could hide in if worst comes to worst! Her house all sorts of hiding places!"

Mion's house would be a perfect choice to hide. But I didn't think she could take care of Satoko all by herself, even with all her maids and housekeepers. Satoko would feel more comfortable and less suspicious if she had someone else around her at all times as well. What if…yeah, yeah that would work!

"Kei-chan! I know!" I held his shoulders again. "Have Sis take you and Satoko into her home!"

I saw his face blush. "A-Are you serious?"

"Yeah! Satoko needs somebody to be with her at all times just in case, and who better than you! You and Sis can look out for her together! Satoko will be so blinded by the fact that she can hang out with you every day! This way she won't suspect anything!"

He snapped back into focus. "I-I'll see what I can do! If that doesn't work, I can always take her home with me!"

We grabbed each other's hands and looked at one another right in the eye.

"Let's do it!"

Part B

I left the school after I spoke with Kei-chan. He said he would handle the rest. He said he would tell Rena, Mion, and Rika the news when school ended, when Satoko was out of earshot. This just might work! It had to! I wasn't going to let Satoko suffer again! I would do this for her and for Satoshi-kun! I would protect her with my life!

I rode my bike along one of the back roads of Hinamizawa. I needed to get some fresh air in my system to fully ease my troubles. Nobody would blame me for being on edge, but I had to stay cool. Kei-chan taught me to be collected, to not do anything brash. That boy really did grow up, whether he accepted it or not.

Normally, he would run in head first and never give anything any thought. He would make matters worse for himself and for everybody else. Now, he was strategizing and keeping his head leveled. I was impressed by him and I envied him. I wish I could have been fortunate like he was, to be born without a demon lurking inside. He was our key. Keiichi was the key to holding us together! He stopped me from killing Teppei last month, he helped us stop Takano, and he was always the guy we would rely on. I trusted him with my life. I knew he would come through in a pinch. No wonder why Sis and I fell for him.

I returned to Okinomiya. I was so tired from running around all day. I ascended the stairs to my apartment. I entered my home and fell face first onto my bed. I held onto my pillow. I pressed it into my body and snuggled against it. I closed my eyes for a little while.

Kasai wasn't here yet. He was probably off running errands for the family, or maybe he was enjoying himself. I really wanted him to be around. I really could have used him. I wanted someone to be with me right then and there, to keep my spirits up. I was strong when I faced Kei-chan, but my worries were coming back to me.

I wondered if Chie got a hold of the police. Just to gain some peace of mind, I decided to call them myself. I pulled out the business card Takuma gave me. I looked at the number and dialed it. I sat there on my bed, clutching my pillow. I must have sat there for five minutes; the tone seemed to last forever. I was getting more and more irritated by that sound.

_"Okinomiya Precinct?" _Somebody finally picked up.

"Um…may I please speak to Detective Hanzaemon Takuma? It's urgent!"

_"That would be me! Hehe!" _Takuma sounded very giddy. _"May I ask who's calling?"_

"It's Sonozaki Shion! We met in the store remember?"

"_Oh, Shion-chan! I'm so lucky to be hearing from you so soon! Hehehe! So what can I do for you today, Shion-chan? You said there was some urgent thing you wanted to talk about?"_

"Yes! Please listen closely…"

I told him the entire story. I told him about Teppei's history with Satoshi-kun and Satoko, along with the events of last month when he was arrested. I brought up the story how the whole village helped put him behind bars. I even went so far as to say all of Hinamizawa would be ready to stop Teppei again, even though the village had no idea of what was happening. Since Mion probably knew by now, she would tell Onibaba and the village leader. Even though Onibaba was away on business, Mion still had to check in with her every now and then. Either way, Hinamizawa would be ready for anything when the time came.

_"So," _Takuma said seriously. _"This guy abused those poor kids, huh? That sonuva bitch…"_

"He's an awful man! He gets pleasure from hurting them! He's just a bully! He went to prison, remember I said? Now he's out again! I don't understand how that's possible! We all saw him getting carried off to jail!"

I heard clicking and clacking coming from Takuma's end. He was on his computer.

_"Hmm…I'm looking at the prisoner records here_,"he said with a grunt. _"Houjou Teppei was pardoned and let go about a week ago!"_

I squeezed the phone tightly. "Th-That can't be right! How could he be let go? That makes no sense at all! Everybody knows how much of a scumbag he is!"

_"Apparently not the guy who released him! I'm looking at the release form right now! No way did this guy complete his time! He was to be locked up for at least five months, yet he was let out a month after his arrest with no restrictions or anything! It's a full pardon!"_

"That's bullshit!" I slammed my fist on my nightstand. "Who the hell authorized that?" Something emerged from the back of my brain. "What if somebody purposely got this guy out? What if he paid somebody to set him free?"

_"It's a possibility. Ugh! This is a load of garbage!" _Takuma sighed. He was getting angry. _"Now that he's free with no limitations, he can basically come and go as he pleases! I think you're right. Somebody's crooked here!"_

"What about Satoko? He can't see her! Everybody knows that he was abusive to her! Nobody is going to let him near her! Knowing that he's abusive, why would anybody in Hinamizawa or Okinomiya set him free? Who's sick enough to do that?"

Takuma was quiet.

"Takuma?"

_"…This is crazy, isn't? For all the stuff that guy did, he should die. But yet, he can't die because that's against the law. But…what if…"_

"What is it, Takuma?"

"_What if…he was demoned away…?"_

My eyes twitched. "What did you just say?"

_"That would solve everything wouldn't it? What if a demon appeared and took him away? What if he went away forever? Never to be seen again."_

"Wha…?"

His voice sounded very cold. Did he even know what he was saying?

_"People were demoned away years ago weren't they? I know, I researched it…so why? Why can they do that now…?"_

My stomach began to churn. My head started to hurt too.

_"He should be demoned away….he should be…that would make everything better…"_

His words were so hurtful. I could hear contempt in his ice cold voice. I could feel anguish behind those words. Demon…that's he was saying! I wished he'd stop saying that! It was killing me!

_"Why won't a demon take him away? Why won't a demon take him away? Why won't a-"_

I smacked the phone down on its cradle. I didn't want to hear another word. I felt so cold. My brain stopped functioning and my blood turned to ice. I could see my veins popping out of my skin. I felt them bulge. Were they trying to make the blood flow again? What was wrong with me?

_"Why won't a demon take him away?"_ something said behind me.

I sharply looked behind me. There was nothing.

I heard breathing and footsteps. Each breath was slow but very loud. Each footstep got louder with each passing moment. Something had found me. It was approaching me.

I faced the direction where I heard the footsteps. "Who's there?"

_"Have you truly forgotten me…Shion?"_

It materialized in front of me. It appeared humanoid. It wore long white robes with a hood that covered its head. It stood at least eight feet tall and it loomed over me. A black miasma emanated from it. It was so toxic. I was coughing and gasping for air.

_"You remember me, don't you?"_ It said calmly but darkly.

"…Demon…! That's all you are…!" My voice cracked in fear.

_"I am your strength. I am your greatest ally. Why are you afraid of me?"_

"I…I'm…I'm not afraid…!"

_"Liar."_

The miasma wrapped around my neck. It lifted me up to see the veiled face of the monster that stood over me. We were at eye level. Its face was covered by that hood, but I shut my eyes so I wouldn't have to see anything. I was gagging.

_"Why do you lie to your closest friend?"_

"You…You're no friend of mine…!"

_"I've helped you so many times. I've been with you a thousand times in a thousand lifetimes. You've always listened to my words and embraced me when you needed me. I know that you need me now more than ever."_

I clawed at the mist that choked me. I clawed and clawed but I couldn't break free.

_"Why won't you embrace me again? You know that you need me."_

"I don't need you for anything! I don't need you!"

_"You created me. All of your obsessions and hypocrisies and paranoia gave birth to me. We are pieces of a greater whole. Why do you try to cast me aside?"_

"No…no…!"

"_You've always used my strength. Use me again. Let me…let us kill that man. Let us 'demon' him away…!"_

I still had my eyes closed. I shivered and coughed hard. I felt its cold tongue stroke my cheek.

_"The police couldn't even stop him. They set him free. They're responsible for this. He can hurt the ones you love. That man is a cockroach, he never knows when to lie down and die. But I can make that happen. We can make that happen. Nobody has to know. Let us kill him…!"_

"I don't…I don't want to kill him…"

_"Why not? He tortured Satoko and Satoshi, didn't he? Come, little Shion…why are you protecting him?"_

"I'm not protecting him…it's not right…even a man like him…he shouldn't die…!"

I heard a small laugh come from it.

_"You grew a conscience? Where in the world did you acquire a silly little thing like that?"_

I wanted that man to die, I wanted him to die so much…but no human should kill another. I would be as bad as Teppei if I resorted to such violence. It wasn't my choice to make. Kei-chan wouldn't want me to think like that! I couldn't think like that! I had to be strong! I had to resist!

_"It _**is**_ your choice to make, Shion. One word and we can make him go away."_

"Get out of my head…!"

The figure pulled back its hood. Anybody would say its face was like a tengu mask, but this was its real face. Its basilisk eyes stared me down. The wicked smile was smeared across its lips, the smile I never wanted to remember.

_"Kill him…kill him…kill him…kill him…kill him…shed his blood…make him suffer…make him pay…"_

I shot my eyes open and looked at my demon. I gritted my teeth so hard and I screamed so loud.

"I abandoned you a long time ago! I told you to never come back to me! Leave me alone! Stop haunting me! Keiichi told me to be strong! That's what I'm going to do! I won't let you take me again! Leave me and don't come back!"

I felt something in my hand. I lifted it high into the air. I saw the curved black blade. I thrust it into my demon's eye. I repeatedly stabbed him, cursing as loud as I could. With the last strike, it fled back into the shadows from whence it came. I fell to the floor and took long breaths. It had sucked most of the life out of me.

I sat against my bed and examined the blade in my hands. It disintegrated into dust and the dust vanished into the air. It was over! I did it! I actually did it! I had beaten the demon! I forced it away!

I smiled hideously at my victory. I chuckled. I calmed myself down a few minutes later. My victory was very sweet, but it was very short lived. I had defeated the demon that plagued me, I would never see him again, but my other enemy still remained. I couldn't do anything now. I did my part for the day. It was Kei-chan and Mion's turn now.

My weary body crawled under the covers of my bed that night. Sis had called Kasai and he now knew. He rushed back to the apartment when his errands were done. He decided to spend the night to watch over me. He stayed in my guest room in case I needed him. I was so tired. I needed my rest. I wanted see Kei-chan and the others the next day, but I wouldn't do them any good if I didn't rest. I finally closed my eyes.

During the midpoint of my slumber, I found myself in a dark forest. There was no clear path for me. All that was before me was grass and trees. I felt as if I had abandoned my true path, the road back to my home. I felt that I was on a journey, trying to go somewhere, but I got caught up in this dark wood. It was raining down upon me hard. The rain pounded against my body. I was shivering. I didn't even have an umbrella.

My body felt so heavy. I wanted to fall to the ground and rest, but I couldn't let myself do that. I didn't know why. I fell on my knees several times, but I always picked myself back up. I looked ahead of me. There was an endless sea of trees. I was lost.

I knew I was venturing on through this forest, but I couldn't recall how I first entered the wood. I just knew I was on that journey and that I ended up here. I had to find a way out.

There was heavy panting coming from behind me. I glanced over my shoulder and I saw him! I saw the monster from my dreams! That horrible black figure! It was running towards me! It was pulling its fist back! It was going to kill me!

I tried to run, but I kept stumbling over my own feet. The monster yanked me over to him. I scraped his face with my nails. He grunted. He threw his fist at me. I collapsed to the cold, wet ground. Blood shot from my lip and I had this awful bruise on my shoulder where he grabbed me. He climbed on top of me and kept on punching me.

He hit my stomach, my face, and my neck. I cried in agony and tried to shove him off of me, but he was too heavy. He was laughing at me! His hands grabbed my neck. He was crushing my windpipe! I was going to die!

"No…no…NOOO!"

My hand traveled behind my back to one of my skirt pockets. I took my stun gun. I set it to the highest voltage and stabbed him in his stomach. The monster shrieked and I kicked him so hard off of me. I rolled over on to my hands and knees. I glanced over at my enemy. He was struggling to get up. The voltage didn't kill him.

I looked near my hand. There was a strong and sturdy piece of timber that called out to me. I took it into my hand. I peered back at my enemy. No…not this time. I wasn't going to let you do anything to me!

My feet stumbled over to him. I stood above him. I rose up the timber in my hand. He looked up at me. He was afraid! He was afraid of me!

I swung it down on his leg. I heard it crack. I kept hitting that leg until I didn't hear any more bones breaking.

"What's wrong?" I shouted. "Can't laugh anymore?"

I hit his other leg. I kept swinging the timber down on him. Each time was stronger than the last.

"Serves you right!"

I hit his arm.

"Die!"

I smashed his shoulders.

"Die!"

I bashed his head.

"Die!"

I broke the timber in two. The end I held now had a sharp end to it. I climbed on top of the monster and viciously stabbed him multiple times in chest, his head, and his waist.

"Die…die…die…HURRY UP AND DIE!"

I didn't hear anymore grunts or cries. He wasn't twitching anymore. He was dead.

I threw my broken weapon aside and looked around me. There was a body of water next to me. It was red as blood and there was a small tree sticking out of it. Perfect, I said to myself. They can have you now!

I dragged the body of the monster to the edge of the forest, which overlooked the small body of water. I kicked the corpse down the small hill. He splashed into the water and floated toward the tree. After a few minutes, I saw black claws emerging from the water. They slashed, tore, and yanked the body down into the water with them. Their hunger and thirst would now be satisfied.

That beast finally left me. He was taken away by the demons under the water. I could hear gnawing and grinding of bones. They feasted upon the monster under the water, but I could hear everything perfectly. It was music to my ears.

I backed away from the edge of the forest. I backed into a tree. I looked at my body. It was covered in the black liquid that sprayed from the monster. It was on my lips, my shirt, my legs, and my hands. I licked my lips.

"…Delicious…"

I licked my fingers. I kept licking them until the black substance was gone.

"…So…delicious…ha…ha…ha…ha…ha…ha…ha…hahahaha….hahahahahahaha…nyahahahaha… NYAHAHAHAHA!" I threw my head up into the air as the rain beat down upon me. "I DID IT! I KILLED IT! IT'S ALL DONE! IT'S FINISHED!"

I screamed as loud as I could. I scratched at my head furiously. I was happy! I was so joyful! I was in sweet ecstasy! I didn't want this to end!

The morning sun shone down on my face. I cracked my eyes open. I sat up in my bed and wiped the corners of my eyes. I yawned loudly. What a nightmare, I said to myself.

I saw Kasai in the kitchen. He was wearing that pink apron again. I could smell the breakfast he was cooking for me. I left my bed and groggily made my way to the table. I yawned one more time.

"Shion-san," Kasai said with a smile, "just in time! I'm making you something special!"

I didn't hear him at first. I stretched my arms out. They ached for some reason, along with my shoulder. I think I slept on them the wrong way.

"You sleep the wrong way, Shion-san?"

"Very perceptive, Kasai!" I rubbed my muscles. "I think I did! My legs, my arms, and my stomach kind of hurt!"

"Hmm, that would make sense. Did you have a nightmare last night? I thought I heard you tossing and turning. I'm sorry you're not feeling well! I'll get you some painkillers when I go out today. We've run out of medicine so we have to stock up again."

"Good, I could really use some! Ahaha!"

I was thinking about how Satoko was. I hope Kei-chan was able to keep her at his house or at Mion's. Better than just sitting there and wondering, I would just call him up. It was an hour before school started. I'm sure Kei-chan was getting ready for the day. He could spare a few minutes just to talk!

While I waiting for my breakfast, I went to my phone. I dialed Kei-chan's home number. The dial tone kept ringing in my ear. He didn't pick up at all. He must be at Mion's house. I decided to call her next.

I dialed her number and waited. After a few seconds, I hear a click on the other end.

_"Sonozaki?"_

"Sis! How goes everything?"

_"Shion! I was just about to call you!"_ Mion snickered. _"I heard everything from Kei-chan yesterday…"_

It was terrible news about Teppei's return, but Mion sounded very cheerful. I wonder what that was about.

_"…and about yours and his plan. I had Kei-chan and Satoko move in with me!"_

"You did? Was it any problem at all?"

_"Nope! I'm in charge of the house while Baacha's gone, so nobody minds at all! The maids and cooks are very friendly to them! I think Satoko is extremely happy here! She's been smiling since last night!" _Mion laughed heartily.

"Did she ask any questions? You know, about the living arrangement?"

_"She was suspicious at first, but Rika worked some kind of magic over here! Rika wanted her to be with us! So she's been with Kei-chan and I ever since! This was a good idea you guys had; in case that scumbag comes to the village, we'll hide Satoko somewhere on the property and kick that oaf's ass right out! The village leader knows and he gathering some men of his to speak to the courts!_

"_Akasaka heard from a friend of his that Teppei's release was a sham! He's filing the paperwork with Kimiyoshi! It'll all be over soon! Teppei's gonna regret the day he tried to pull anything over Sonozaki Mion! Ahahaha!"_

Mion sounded so happy and victorious. It made me laugh too. I was happy that this plan was working out. Sis could be with Kei-chan while they protected Satoko from Teppei. I hoped Satoko wouldn't get too comfortable with this. As soon as Teppei wasn't a threat anymore, Satoko would have to go back to her normal life.

_"She doesn't even know a thing about him!"_

"Good! I'd like to keep it that way!" I sighed in relief. "Sis…thanks for doing this for me. I really owe you one!"

_"Think nothing of it! We're sisters, aren't we? Hehe! Anyway, the three of us are going to spend the day in the mountains!"_

"Wait, you're ditching school?"

_"Ahaha! Yep! Chie-sensei was worried about Satoko's presence at the school. Teppei knows where the school is and she was afraid he may come and pick her up when he comes to the village. I told her that Kei-chan and I would look after Satoko, so she exempted us from class! Rena and Rika are going to give us our missed work so we can study from home! This way, we can be up to date on our studies…buuuuut, I don't think I'll have time for homework since I have to keep a certain friend of mine safe. Hehehehe!"_

That didn't sound anything like the Chie I knew. She always wanted you in school, accept for dire circumstances. This was the direst, so I guess she responded in the most radical way. I'd have to thank her somehow for what she was doing for Satoko. I owed her as well.

"You're so lucky, Sis!" I laughed.

I heard Mion speaking to somebody on the other side of the call.

_"Hey, Shion! Satoko wants to say hello! I'm putting her on!"_

I heard the phone being swapped.

_"Nee-nee! This is awesome!" _Satoko yelled into the phone. _"Keiichi-san and Mion-san are going all out! I had a huge dinner last night and we stayed up all night playing some of Mion-san's imported games! Keiichi-san had to play a few punishment games though! Oh ho ho ho ho! You should have seen him! He had to wear the most girly outfit ever!"_

"I'm happy for you, Satoko!" I said joyfully. I was so relieved that she was alright. "But poor Kei-chan, ahaha!"

_"But something's been bugging me…how come I'm living with Mion-san? What are you up to?"_

"Oh, don't worry about that! Your Nee-nee is doing something special for you! Just hang out with Sis and Kei-chan until I'm done with my job, okay? Think you do that?"

_"I don't know…games, no school, and humiliating Keiichi-san all day long? I think I can put up with that! Oh ho ho ho ho!"_ I could imagine Satoko's big smile on the other end. This made things much easier, knowing she was alright. To hear her laugh and to think of her smile really made me feel at peace. _"I gotta go! We're going to go exploring any minute now! I'll call you later, okay? And finish that job or whatever soon! I can't wait to find out what you're doing! I can't wait for you to be with us too! We can humiliate Keiichi-san together!"_

"I'll get it done as soon as I can! You take care now…"

She hung up the phone. I placed mine back on the cradle and lounged in my chair at the table. I had such a huge goofy smile on my face. My troubles were over! Shame on me for worrying! Kei-chan and Sis had it all under control! If Teppei showed his face, Akasaka and Kimiyoshi would throw him right back into the pit he crawled out from! It was over before it could even begin!

I knew it was way too early, but I wanted to thank Chie, Rena, and Rika for all that they were doing. I wanted to go and see them!

"Kasai!" I stood up and raised my finger into the air. "We're going to Hinamizawa right now! There are a few people I want to talk to!"

"Right now?" he asked. I could hear his stomach growling. He had a whole gourmet breakfast waiting for us. He looked at me with a pitiful face. "Can we eat first though?"

After we ate, Kasai fired up the car and we drove off to Hinamizawa. I sat next to him and I kept humming a cheerful little tune. I stretched my arms out again. My whole body was so stiff from my slumber. My muscles still ached. Good thing there was a clinic in the village. I would have to talk to Irie about getting some painkillers for my sore muscles.

Not only did my arms and legs hurt, but my face, mainly my cheeks, hurt. I think I was smiling too hard when I heard Satoko's happy voice. I also thought my legs hurt from how hard I rode to Hinamizawa the last day. My pains didn't matter though. I was so thankful that Satoko had no idea about Teppei. I wouldn't know what she would do if she found out. I was afraid to imagine what would happen to her if the truth came out. She would go crazy and she may have hurt herself or someone else. If we could keep this quiet, and get rid of Teppei for good, then it would be as if nothing had ever happened! It would be like he never came back!

I had my closed for a little while. I was basking in an early victory. I felt Kasai suddenly stop the car. I opened my eyes to see what was going on. We were on the main road that led straight into the village, but there were a group of people that Kasai was looking at. Some of the people wore white shirts and others wore blue outfits. I think these were police officers.

"What's going on here?" Kasai asked.

"I have no idea!" I looked at where the officers were. They were near the forest. This was the forest that was right next to the Onigafuchi swamp. What the hell was happening?

An officer came up to the driver's side of our vehicle. "You people need to move along! This is an investigation! We can't have people blocking the road!"

"What's happening, officer?" Kasai questioned.

"We got a call late last night. Apparently there was a scuffle between two people. Somebody claimed to see these two people fighting. The caller said that one of the persons was beaten to death and then dumped in the Onigafuchi swamp. We haven't found the body yet."

What did he say? There was a fight during the night? Somebody was beaten to death? The body was dumped in the Onigafuchi swamp…but hadn't been recovered yet? What…in the world…? No…no that's not right…there was no way…!

My dream…where I killed the monster and threw him into a pool of water...did that…actually happen?