Chapter 11: The Plot
It's been three weeks since the murder. Every time I look at Tohru or Kyo, I think of Haru, and how horrible he looked, lying on the ground… Shigure called an ambulance, but by the time they got him to the hospital, he had already died. I can barely stand to live anymore. Haru was the only one I could trust, the only thing I had to live for. I thought that I could trust Tohru, but I was wrong. My life went from bad to unlivable.
So when Shigure told me that I was to go to the main house, I felt like the world must be coming to an end. This was like a horrible nightmare. Not only did he tell me that I was going to the main house, but he told me that I might not be back for a long time.
"Why do I have to go?" I asked him.
"I honestly don't know," he said, "Hatori did not mention why you were going to the main house, nor why you wouldn't be back. He did say, however, that once you got there, that you would have a choice about whether you would stay or not."
"Then why don't I just not go?"
"Well, Hatori also said that if you listen to what he has to say, then maybe you'd stay out of your own free will."
"I highly doubt that," I said, but for some reason, I decided to go.
As Shigure's car pulls in front of the main house, it brings back lots of memories. Good memories of Haru, but terrifying memories of Akito. We enter the gates, and I shudder as I walk past the outside entrance to the "special room". As we pass down the long, internal hallway, on the way to Hatori's office, I remember when I traveled this very path to Haru's room. I look at his door, which is open, and realize that all of his belongings have been emptied out, leaving only bare walls and floor. I want to cry; that room is exactly how I feel- emptied out.
We reach Hatori's office. It surprises me when Shigure opens the door and motions for me to step in, but does not enter himself.
"Aren't you staying?" I ask.
"No, Hatori has asked to speak to you alone," He says, "goodbye, Yuki," he speaks in a light, happy tone, but somehow it's not very believable. He steps through the door, closing it behind him.
I look ahead, and there is Hatori, sitting in a big armchair, facing the opposite wall.
"Hello, Yuki," He says. "I haven't spoken with you in a while," I decide to get right to the point.
"What do you want to speak to me about?"
"I will tell you momentarily. But first I have to explain something." I nod. "Do you know what Schizophrenia is?" he says, turning his armchair around so that he was facing me.
"Somewhat," I say, wondering what that has to do with anything, "Isn't it when someone thinks that everyone is out to get them, or aliens are taking over their bodies or something?"
"Exactly," replies Hatori. Schizophrenia is a disease of the brain that causes its victims to suffer severe cases of paranoia, or the victim may become delusional."
"But what, I ask, does this have to do with anything?"
"If you be patient, I will explain it all," Hatori says, sounding slightly annoyed. "You are also very aware that the head of the family is extremely ill, right?"
"Right," I say, not sure where he was going with his story.
"Well, not only is he physically ill, but we have fairly recently discovered that Akito is ill mentally as well."
"Well, we all already knew that," I say, with a sharp edge to my voice. Hatori glares at me.
"Yuki, Akito has been diagnosed with a severe case of Schizophrenia," I am a little surprised when I hear this, but not too shocked.
"So… you brought me here just to tell me more about Akito's problems?" I say, still not understanding.
"No, I came here to ask you something, if you will just listen,"
"Okay, I'll be quiet," I sigh.
"Now, all of Akito's life, he's been very sick. So sick that all his capabilities can enable him to do is non-strenuous activities, for instance reading, and more importantly, video games." I raise one eyebrow, extremely confused about where he was going with this.
"I know this all sounds perfectly ordinary and expected, but there is one very peculiar thing about this- the signs of Paranoia began to surface around the same time as Akito began to play these simulated games," he continues, "so, I decided to try an experiment, so that I could discover if these two seemingly unrelated things could somehow be connected. Before, no one has known how Schizophrenia was caused, but I believe that I may be on the verge of a scientific breakthrough." I nod again, urging him to continue.
"You already know that I am a doctor, but you don't know that I am also a scientist," he explains, "and, for about three weeks, I have been doing an experiment. I have been working with a class of small children, in which all day, they play different video games. They are not aware that these games are actually tests. They are all different kinds of games, from the old simple ping-pong games, to racing games, to quest games. Sure enough, I discovered symptoms of unusual violence and paranoia beginning to surface after about one week. I also discovered that there were two factors that seemed to be most effective: extremely fast and frantic motion, and loud, fast-paced music that raises the speed of heartbeat. I have now found a game that contains both of these factors: the popular arcade game, Dance Dance Revolution."
"Dance Dance Revolution?" I ask, bewilderedly, "You mean that game that everyone is playing at school?"
"Yes. Exactly. I looked through all of the games that Akito had been playing at the time that his Schizophrenia was discovered, and sure enough, Dance Dance Revolution was one of them. In fact, his mother informed me that that was the game that he played most often; it was his only form of exercise, and it increased his heart rate, which could help to extend Akito's life span."
"I guess that makes sense," I say.
"Anyway, this is where my story begins to involve you," Hatori says, "I am about to conduct another study, but instead of using small children, this time, I will use people around the age that Akito was when he began to show his symptoms, and also the age when he started playing Dance Dance Revolution. This age is around sixteen,"
"Sixteen," I wonder aloud, "That's my age!"
"Yes, and it's also the age of the other two teenaged members in your home."
"Tohru and Kyo…" I snarl bitterly.
"Right again. Now, Yuki, I do know what happened between the two of them and Hatsuharu," My heart sinks at the thought of Haru, "you must have some very hard feelings about that," he says sympathetically.
"You're right," I agree.
"Now, this may not sound like something I would say, but… would you like a chance for revenge?"
"Revenge?"
"Yes. You see, all three of you are at the right age to participate in the study. All I would have to do is use you three. I promise you that Tohru and Kyo will suffer, as much or even more than you did. Of course, you would not be a formal part of the study, but rather a moderator, who would check in with me, and tell me what's been happening. I will have a visual monitor as well, but it will be helpful to hear about things first-hand."
"So… this study… how does it work, exactly?"
"It's quite simple. The three of you are locked in a room, with nothing but a Dance Dance Revolution machine. The only thing you will have is the clothes on your back. Tohru and Kyo will not receive food and water unless they show signs of paranoia and/or violence, but you will have food whenever you desire it, because you are the moderator."
"You are twisted," I say, not believing my ears.
"I suppose I am," says Hatori, "but this study is for the good of science, nothing more."
"So, hypothetically, if I were to agree to this study, when would we start?"
"Oh, as soon as possible. Tonight, even."
"What will happen tonight?"
"Don't worry. I'll take care of everything. I warn you though, if you back out of this before we're through, there could be consequences…"
"I don't care. I'll do it."
"Alright, then… the next time I see you, you will have fulfilled your revenge. Oh, one more thing- just so that the study is not fixed, all of the other Sohmas, and of course, Tohru Honda, will simply believe that I have erased your memory here, nothing more. Now, I'm afraid that I will have to knock you out in order to begin the study… I apologize for any inconvenience…" he opens up one of his drawers and pulls out a syringe. He sterilizes it with alcohol, and the last thing I remember is Hatori telling me, "This won't hurt a bit…"