Slam Dunk does not belong to me. If I were a billionaire, I would buy it from Mr. Takehiko Inoue…….
Chapter 7: Grief
Sendoh stretched and yawned. The dark bags that hung under his swollen eyes indicated that he had not slept well last night. He glanced about at the sleeping forms that lay sprawled exhausted around him. Huddled at one corner of the room, Fujima and Kogure, already awake were talking in hushed tones. Glad to see some people awake, he carefully made his way among the sleeping forms to the two of them.
"Ohayo," he greeted them quietly. They looked up from their conversation and nodded, acknowledging his presence.
"Ohayo."
"Let's go downstairs for something to eat," suggested Sendoh. "I'm starving, and besides we need energy if we're going more grave hunting today."
"Not funny," said Fujima sourly. Both he and Kogure got up and headed quietly out of the room, following Sendoh. They walked down the stairs cautiously looking about nervously. Why do I even have to be careful? This is my own home. Shit, that thing is really freaking us out, thought Sendoh. The sooner we get rid of that thing the better.
"Hey!" exclaimed Kogure suddenly, his voice hinted a faint note surprise. "Why is the front door open? I remember shutting it last night after coming back!"
Those words struck Sendoh's heart with a deathly chill. Suddenly, a terrible fear overrode him. His fearful expression must have shown on his face, because Fujima started staring out through the open door, thinking. "Could it be – that thing?" he asked uncertainly.
"Let's hope not," answered Sendoh grimly. They stepped outside the house and stared around but found nothing.
"Maybe you did forget to lock the door last night after all, Kogure," said Fujima hopefully.
"I did! I remember doing it! How could I forget with that thing on the loose?" came the protesting reply.
"What's that?" cried Sendoh suddenly, pointing to a dark shape lying near a small clump of bushes in the lawn. All three of them froze. But even from where he stood, Kogure could already recognize the muffin shaped hairstyle.
"No, no," cried Kogure in horror and shock leaning against a wall for support. "Please Kami-sama, no."
The form was a very dead Miyagi, sprawled lifelessly on the grass in a strange angle. His eyes were frozen open in and expression of utter shock and terror, and his face was rigid with fear. There was a trickle of blood oozing slowly out of the corners of his lips and more blood trickling out from his nose. His hands were balled into fists and his fingernails were filthy with dirt. Sendoh could imagine the moments before Miyagi's death, with Miyagi screaming in mindless terror, his fists scrunched up and pounding on the ground and scraping at the dirt in panic. He shuddered at the terrible image.
"Miyagi," Kogure's voice came in a barely audible whisper. His face was rigid with shock at the sight of his own team member and friend lying dead before his eyes. He was too shocked that he did not notice the tears slowly slipping out of the corners of his grieving eyes.
Then suddenly, they heard footsteps and spun around. It was Mitsui, Yoshiko and the rest of them. "Hey, you guys are up early!" greeted Mitsui. Then he froze.
Rukawa's eyes widened in shock. Kiyota stopped short. Jin and Maki just stared, petrified. Yoshiko gasped. "M-miyagi?" cried Mitsui. "What's he doing lying there?"
It was a plain, stupid question, but they all could not believe what their eyes saw. Then reality struck all of them cruelly. Ayako was the first person to react.
"RYOTA!"
* * *
Grave hunting for that day was obviously the last thing in everyone's minds. They were just too shocked. They had taken Miyagi's body to the hospital, where, so far, the doctors could not even determine the cause of his death. Mitsui who was staring out of the window suddenly leaned back and felt sick. What kind of evil creature was this? What kind of evil life had this hateful soul led when it was alive? Mitsui sighed deeply in his thinking. He had lost a friend. That devilish creature had killed his friend. Suddenly, a burning rage coursed through him clearing all his confusion and fears for the moment. I will find you and sent you back to the hell where you belong, he silently swore at the thing.
Nearby, Ayako was sobbing uncontrollably. Kogure and Yoshiko were trying their very best to console here. She really did love Miyagi, I guess, thought Yoshiko to herself. So I'm comforting her here. But the problem is, who's going to comfort me?
Everyone in the room shuddered and felt uneasy. They could feel something evil watching them, laughing at their sorrows, feasting on their grief. They could feel the waves of freezing malice it emanated. All of them, though they were not really a small number, felt most vulnerable. With this vulnerable feeling, came another raging emotion; hatred. They began to hate this thing that watched them, laughed at them, and slowly devoured their minds.
Tbc.
The next chapter will be more interesting. Do review!