Disclaimer: Been a while but I still don't own Corpse Party:)
Chapter 2 – Parable VS Creation
Satoshi could recall reading a certain story when he was younger. A parable from some religion he couldn't place. The names, setting and almost all relevant details were foggy to him by this point in time, but that remained unimportant. The concept of the fable was the thing of interest.
The general who won an impossible war.
Now, ordinarily, such a synopsis would seem generic, and not-too-memorable. And in most cases that'd be correct. However, this was the story of how one man; someone who wasn't a general by rank, lead an army of only one hundred men, to protect their small village from an invasion of a hundred thousand.
A thousand to one odds.
Suddenly, the story seemed more compelling. How could a man with minimal training ever succeed in leading the village to victory with such overwhelming odds?
The short answer? He didn't.
He died. A lot.
In fact, he died precisely three thousand, seven hundred and eighty-two times before he finally accomplished his goals. And no, this wasn't metaphorical death. He didn't survive through sheer willpower until the war was finished. Nothing of the sort. He merely woke up in his bed, the morning of the invasion; that many times over.
A hero that died so many times?
Well, taking the situation into context, one would find it practically impossible to succeed. The odds of winning so minute they weren't even worth discussing. Yet, he did it.
Three-thousand some-odd attempts later.
He was hailed a hero. Someone who managed to come up with the impossible and lived his life of luxury well into the end of his days. He deserved it. For eventually finding a solution to the insurmountable problem that he had to face.
But his last words, painted a rather contrived picture.
'Anyone could have done what I did. Had they been given enough time.'
At the time, due to his bizarre existence remaining a mystery, no one understood his words. But to Satoshi; those with hindsight, they made perfect sense.
'If you keep doing the same thing over and over again; so long as there is a possibility of victory, it will eventually happen. Time is all that is required. You will eventually find the answer to your problem.'
"I can only hope that story is applicable to my circumstances."
Satoshi grumbled to himself as he walked down the newly opened hallway. Gently rubbing his bloodied hand with the other, he absently took in his surroundings.
"The infirmary should be around here somewhere. I think."
Normally he'd avoid said room like the plague, but he could use some of the rubbing alcohol within. He'd died on two separate occasions from infection, and he didn't want to make it a third. A scratch was fine. Full-on impalement, less so.
"Here it is."
The sign rusted with age and blood stared back at him; almost daring him not to enter.
So obviously, he walked right in.
"Yoshie-san? Hello…?"
No answer. Seemed safe enough. Whistling his way over to the cabinet he fished through the empty vials lining the shelf until finally reaching his prize.
"Kind of odd the ghosts haven't disposed of these in all honesty. Seems rather useful to just leave sitting around like this."
Hell, it was also the only way to escape this room's trap. Why even leave these here in the first place?
Suddenly, he heard a click.
Satoshi gave a glance at the door, before sighing and grabbing the box of match sticks sitting inside the burner.
"Can you guys be any more cliché?" he muttered to himself as he burnt the hair off the door. A glance over his shoulder confirmed that Yoshie's spirit was indeed tailing him. Slowly.
Questionably, so.
"Guess not."
Opening the entrance, he left the way he entered, one discarded bottle on the floor, a box of match sticks in his pocket, and one more bottle of rubbing alcohol in his hands.
Satoshi grimaced. "Damn, I really didn't think ahead here. Maybe next time I'll bring a backpack with me, so I have something to carry things in."
"Next time? *giggle* So you remember do you?"
"Oh. It's you."
Satoshi waved nonchalantly.
"Ohayo Saa-chan. How are you today?"
If anything, the ghost girl seemed even more entertained than before.
"You really do remember! You're not scared of me at all!"
The boy shrugged. Of everything in this cursed school, Sachiko scared him more than all of it combined. He just happened to know something. Something that made him realize he was the safest in her presence, ironically.
"Eh, not really." He relented. "I think we both know by now that you're the one thing I don't need to fear. Plus, you were the one who sent that big lug to help me out earlier, I'm sure. You're the only one he listens to, after all."
"Hmmmmmm… who knows~?"
Sachiko's giggles filled the otherwise empty hallway as she stared 'down' at her prey. This human… he interested her. Through a combination of things. His kindness, his determination, and his leadership capabilities, being three of the biggest reasons why. She just adored breaking spirits like that down. Those that, may seem weak at first, but have a hidden strength to them. The weak beyond their delicious screams had little to sate her growing sadism. But someone like him? It was perfection. But there was more. Something 'extra' about him that drew her attention.
How blank of a slate he was. Despite the aforementioned characteristics, Sachiko realized he was about as bland a person could be. Likeable, but bland. She hated people like that. Not embracing their innermost desires and thoughts, going along in life without ever accomplishing something wholly them.
She wanted to snuff him out.
Then she realized something. She has seen, and ended, the lives of many a person. She had seen at one point or another, people that have embodied one, or even most of the qualities that Satoshi had. Bravery, or stupidity. Great leadership, or a lack thereof. And kindness, or those who lost it. However, she never met someone who had all of that without a discernable personality to them.
She no longer wanted to snuff him out.
Instead, she decided to use him as a test. What would happen to a human if they experienced never-ending pain while never knowing the 'freedom' of death? Would they keep hope? Or lose it. She wanted to see what a blank slate; one who had yet to truly figure themselves out would do in a situation like this.
He had performed, admirably.
"I think you're my favorite victim, Satoshi! *giggles*"
The brunette deadpanned.
"I really don't know how to take that, to be honest."
Cue more giggling.
"So, I guess you realize the parameters of everything involved, then?" Sachiko asked, rhetorically. "I mean, we haven't had a talk like this in a while."
She stopped speaking to laugh a little harder. Satoshi stared at her for a few seconds blankly.
"Yeah, I do. I have to beat you at your own game and get everyone out before any of them die." He sighed. "The only "advantage" I have in this, is that I doubt you would actually hurt me. After my first escape you never went after me personally. I can only assume that your little "experiment" of yours would be viewed as pointless if you just ended me yourself every time."
Sachiko smiled happily.
"Yes, yes! You understand me so well, Satoshi." Her expression suddenly shifted. "However, it's not only that. I just enjoy watching you squirm to the finish line. To get so close, only to fail all the same. It puts a smile on my face-!"
"Did you get that from a movie trailer?"
The girl blinked. "Eh?"
"Nevermind."
Sachiko cocked her head to the side in honest confusion. Satoshi had to admit she looked rather adorable. Then he remembered who he was thinking about and purged that thought from his mind. Evil. Cute, but you know. Evil cute.
"I see… okay then!"
The spirit continued staring at her 'guinea pig' for a few seconds longer. Then she stepped back, with a nod.
"You're more determined this time, aren't you?" Her smile grew unnaturally. "I'm going to enjoy breaking that spirit of yours~!"
Then she vanished.
Satoshi let out a breath he was unaware he had been holding. His still-injured hand throbbing from his ignorance, he grit his teeth and headed to an empty classroom. He needed a bit to fix himself up and even out his breathing.
Sachiko still scared the shit out of him.
A Short While Later:
Satoshi was currently sitting at a random desk in a classroom he couldn't remember the title of. To be fair, he was unable to think of anything concrete at the current moment, given the shooting pains running up his arm from his hand.
"God this bites."
Pure rubbing alcohol was never intended to be a disinfectant. It was meant to be mixed with other ingredients in order to create a concoction to either clean surfaces or alleviate germs from the body. Unfortunately for Satoshi, he had no other options at the current moment.
"This can't be good for my body." It wasn't. "But leaving this high and dry to the world seems even worse somehow."
Taking a nearby pair of bloodied scissors, he neatly cut out a makeshift bandage for his wounds using the sleeve of his dress-shirt. Throwing the rest of the alcohol onto it to try and lessen the grime from the blades, he slowly wrapped it around his hand.
"Haa…" he moaned in comfort. "That's a lot better."
In reality, it still hurt like a bitch. But it was a hell of a lot better than leaving it with no protection at all.
He stood up. "Alright. No sense in lazing around here, then. I may as well have another look around."
That did bring up an issue though. If Ayumi and Yoshiki don't start bringing the spirits to rest, the school would never break down enough for him to get back to them.
"But they can't do that if they're always chasing after me…"
He had yet to run into the other little girl, Tokiko, yet. There was only a matter of time until she showed up. Eventually, it had to happen.
But that begs the question…
"Does that mean I'll have to be the one to appease them?"
Be proactive and do all the work himself?
Satoshi sighed.
What a pain.