Later, Katsu was told he had been insensible for more than a week.  Later, he found out how he hadn't said anything, not one single word for all that time he couldn't remember.  Later, they informed him of how he had been like a vegetable, a large doll, something that needed to be physically prompted to continue existing.

Later, later, later.

Now wasn't later, and Katsu didn't know any of that.  He didn't know anything much at all, really – just blood and bits of finely-chopped meat.  He'd never get the smell of blood out of his nostrils, though he did not, of course, know that.  He didn't even know it was the smell of blood.  Didn't know it was anything.  It just was.  Like the stuff they put in his mouth, like the thing that pressed against his back, like "they" themselves.

They weren't something, weren't anything.  They weren't even nothing.  They just were.

There was only one thing that wasn't, really.  Only one thing that was different.  It was a pity he had no idea what that was.

Tomorrow, he'd wake up, they said.  Tomorrow, or the next day.  Day after next at the latest.  But by tomorrow, he should be just fine.  Katsu heard them, but he didn't hear; nerves transmitting but nothing receiving, empty, empty knowledge in an information graveyard.  There was nothing wrong with his ears, or his eyes, or his nose, or his body, and everything wrong with his mind.

Tomorrow, they said – but when you don't even have today, tomorrow is an awfully long way away.  One might even remind themselves of that old, old adage: Tomorrow never comes.  One might – if one only had a self to remind.

***************************************

Yargh.  It's late and I'm tired, but this is done, so it might as well go up.  I know it's short, so back off.  I had an extremely long book report I just did, and it made me cranky.  Piffle on you.  (and yes, I did just say "piffle")

Kuroiyousei: Well … it was less of a slap and more of a friendly punch, really … ;).  And you know I'm going to continue, though not with the dismembering and gore … quality writing is negotiable, however.

Lychee2: Poor Katsu indeed … *pats*  there, there.  You're not alone in your hatred.

Sunrise & Sunset: ... I don't know if I should say "thanks", or "keep the bloodthirsty one away from me."  So how's about I do both, eh?  And hopefully I will be getting the chapters back onto some sort of reasonable schedule.  Knock on wood.

blah: you want me to change the review back?  Sorry, no can do.  I was actually wondering if this might not be too much for just an R rating (and, therefore, ff.net).  And uh … yeah LotR is going to have less gore … it was only rated PG-13.  And I still don't see why I should change my rating because a PG-13 movie has less gore.  About the trouble you'd get in … how often do your parents look at what you're reading on the internet?  The ratings in ff.net are hard to notice if you're just glancing at the page, which is usually the most people do when they see someone else reading something on the Net.