Chapter five, yay! Again, gracias to all my reviewers, you don't know how happy I get when I receive a review. w Thanks for your time!
Pikkarikku - Thanks for the review! I won't make you crazy, I promise.
Disclaimer: I don't own Fatal Frame or its characters, but I DO own Yaminaga Hiroshi and Kyomaru Mai.
Five: A Moment's Rest
Itsuki looked up at his new acquaintance in surprise.
"Devil?"
Hiroshi sat down next to Itsuki and twirled his soccer ball on his index finger a bit before he spoke.
"That's what they say. If you start hearing voices in your head, it's got to be some kind of demon. Not necessarily the Devil, but your own personal demon. Something your past has inflicted upon you".
Ha paused, then smiled ruefully
"Sorry to bother you with all this abomination. I guess I got carried away".
"Wait", Itsuki said. "Please go on, I think you can help me".
Hiroshi stood up, and thought for a moment.
"Meet me after school at this address".
He hurriedly scrawled down something on a piece of paper and handed it to Itsuki before running off. The albino carefully read what had been scribed before placing the paper in his own pocket.
"You actually think you can do something about me. Well, you're dead wrong kid…"He chose to ignore it.
That afternoon…Itsuki adjusted the strap of his backpack as he went to the designated rendezvous. It was a perfect place for a serious meeting. There was no one around, and the silence suited his mood.
I wonder where Yaminaga-kun is…Hiroshi's last name popped into the albino's mind. Yaminaga. Yami meaning 'darkness' and naga meaning 'serpent'. It had a certain negative connotation to it, but he was almost sure he could trust this stranger. At the moment, he needed all the help he could get. He felt bad about lying to Mio, but he needed to do this on his own.
He said exactly five o' clock. But why is he late? Maybe he forgot…"Oi, Tachibana-kun!"
Itsuki turned to see Hiroshi approaching him. But he noticed Hiroshi was not alone. Behind him was an attractive brunette with a slender build and brilliant blue eyes. Hiroshi indicated a shady spot under a tree, and the three of them sat there.
"Tachibana-kun, this is my friend, Kyomaru Mai", Hiroshi said. "Mai, this is the new student, Tachibana Itsuki".
"Yoroshiku", Mai smiled at Itsuki.
Itsuki smiled back, enchanted by her startling azure eyes. Hiroshi cleared his throat.
"I brought Mai along since she knows a lot about these things. It happened to her father once".
"Hiro was saying something about you hearing voices in your head", Mai turned to Itsuki. "What kind of voices are they?"
"Voice, actually", Itsuki corrected. "It's only one voice that seems oddly familiar. But I can't seem to register it into my mind. It's like a long-forgotten memory or something along the lines of that".
"Perhaps it has something to do with your past", Hiroshi suggested. "I won't pry into that anymore".
"I'll tell you", Itsuki suddenly said. "I'll tell you everything".
He barely knew these people, but something in him said that he could trust them.
"But you probably won't believe me…"
"Try me", Hiroshi said. "I've heard a lot of things that haven't succeeded in making me fall off my rocker yet".
"I'm not supposed to be here right now", Itsuki began. "I was actually living in the 1800's and not in the present. You see, I was a child born into a cursed village. The twin birthrate there was high, perhaps due to what fate had planned for the village. All God's Village was – "
"Wait, I've heard of that place", Mai's eyes shone. "Isn't that where they were going to build a dam? A geological surveyor went missing there. A few days later, his girlfriend went to look for him. But neither of them returned. Now, please go on, Itsuki-kun. I'm interested".
"All God's Village was built upon the Hellish Abyss", Itsuki went on. "And the Abyss was discovered to be a cause of death for the village if it was not appeased. The only way to appease it is to perform the Crimson Sacrifice. In that ritual, the older twin kills the younger one by strangulation. After that, the body of the dead twin will be tossed into the Abyss. If a crimson butterfly appears, the ritual is a success. If none, then it is a failure and they will have to find a new set of twins".
"What happens if there are no twins to perform the ritual?" Hiroshi asked.
"The Ceremony Master uses a Kusabi", Itsuki explained. "A Kusabi is an outsider. He will be subjected to the Cutting Ritual and must be thrown into the Abyss alive. If he does not survive the Cutting Ritual, he will be a failed Kusabi".
"Interesting", Hiroshi noted. "Back to the subject. How did you get here?"
"I don't understand it much myself", Itsuki admitted. "You see, I tried to commit suicide by hanging myself in my old life. I blamed myself since I failed in the ritual and also failed in helping my friends escape. But I woke up in this time because I was revived by the paramedics. I assume that the storehouse I was trapped in was suspended in time while the rest of the village rotted away. That's why I'm alive".
"You know, I wouldn't have believed you at first, Tachibana", Hiroshi said. "But there is a lot of evidence supporting your story. I've read about the Repentance. You know about that, right?"
"Yes", Itsuki confirmed. "It's what destroyed the village".
"Thanks for telling us your story, Itsuki", Mai said. "I promise I'll do what I can to help you drive out that demon that is causing you such a hard time".
"Count me in", Hiroshi grinned.
But it faded as soon as it came.
"You talked about guilt", he said. "Perhaps the guilt you feel is causing this".
"You're probably right", Itsuki looked down. "But guilt is not that easy to get rid of. I'm sure you know what I mean".
Both Hiroshi and Mai nodded. Guilt was one of the hardest vices to get rid of, especially when you blame everything on yourself. Only a humble person can harbor that much guilt in his or her heart.
"Itsuki, is it a male or female voice?" Mai continued to interrogate the albino.
"Male", Itsuki answered. "Raspy and cold, but vaguely familiar. I may have heard it before but I can't remember where".
Mai thought for a moment. Then she looked up.
"I'll read more on this and tell you what I find out. Itsuki, if anything happens, tell me".
"Hai", Itsuki smiled. "Arigato, Kyomaru-san".
"Please, call me Mai", Mai smiled as she stood up. "I'll see you tomorrow, guys. I have things to do".
"Anou, what year are you in, Mai-chan?" Itsuki asked.
"Same as yours", Mai winked at him. "Ja ne".
Hiroshi chuckled as Mai dashed off.
"I'll tell you the truth", he said. "She's my cousin, that's why she's a lot younger than I am. Her parents are rather strict, so she
has to be home on or before six. I wish she'd come live with me, but uncle won't hear of it. He and auntie want Mai to be their perfect little girl. But she yearns for freedom, and only I can give it to her. Maybe when I graduate and get a job…"
He shook his head, and then smiled ruefully.
"Forgive me, Tachibana. It's just rare that I find someone to talk to about this".
"It's all right", Itsuki grinned. "I don't mind. You actually remind me of my twin brother Mutsuki".
"Really?" Hiroshi asked, smiling. "Then I'll try my best to be a brother to both you and Mai. Well, I have to go myself. Soccer practice. See you tomorrow, Tachibana".
Itsuki waved to his new friend. He felt a lot better now.
Later…
"How was your first day, Itsuki?" Shizu asked.
"It went well, thank you", Itsuki smiled. "I made some new friends".
"That's wonderful", Shizu smiled. "I'm glad you're liking school".
Mio was a little quiet. Itsuki didn't meet up with her at dismissal time, and he seemed as happy as a lark for some unknown reason. He was even humming as he was doing the dishes.
I won't let that voice bother me…for now, at least.
