Chapter 8- Blistered Thorns
Late Morning Unknown Day
. .
Current Location: Yarai's Campsite
. .
Too Late to Forgive
Yu's eyes flutter open and the pain shuts his eyes again.
"Ack!" He grips his back and tries to prop himself upright as he becomes aware of the fresh bruises. Batgirl did a number on him and for what, just because is the best guess.
"Ah Yu, you're awake.." He feel a hand sweep across my cheek, it stings so much with the bruises.
"Oh, are you okay there?" The voice of the woman teacher, umm, Kursu-Koro, something.
"Kursu..Kurusu-Sensei, I am sort of good, just healin' up still." Eyes clenched at the abusive pain in his back and raked across his entire torso. Yu gives a thumb's up and a wobbly smile hoping she can be happy with that for now.
.
.
The boy Yu, is ravaged and in pain. Kurusu just sat by him all night with worry. He got hit so hard and half the night he twisted with pain at breathing too heavily. She kept a hand on his cheek just to help him stay asleep. Though Yarai came up to the pair twice in the night to check on the noise Yu was making. Yarai gave her some water and a cloth to put on Yu's head. He's a problem student but at least he was helpful to her and the three others fast asleep. Yarai kept staring at her each time she thanked him for his assistance. His eyes lit up for a moment and then back to that unamused expression.
Kurusu looks again at Yu, bruised and quivering just ever so slightly as he smiles for her sake. So many kids of hers are battered up and hurt, she is too but on the inside. She stuffs the thought away and goes back to worrying about the new boy.
"My goodness, I hadn't realized she had such an 'oomph!' to her kick yesterday.." Kurusu glumly mumbled off but put a hand on Yu's shoulder while she waited for him to properly look at her. She knew he was hurt but not to what extent.
"Sensei, he means she abused him a whole lot more than what we saw then, right Yu?" Yarai's dull remark snaps Yu's attention from pain to annoyance.
Kurusu's hand twitched and her eyes widen at the word, abuse, but she kept a hold on Yu till she heard his side. No child should be hurt, everyone's scared and experiencing trauma at different rates on the island.
She gulped as she recalled the three juniors who held her down on the plane, they too were children but had a terrible reaction to the crash, they wouldn't think to do that to another human being if they had landed safely.
Teachers, like Kurusu, have to guide them right and show forgiveness.
.
.
Finally looking up, though squinting as the sun caught his eyes, just as he glared at Yarai for the dead on assumption. He shouldn't have to say it out loud.
"Look," Kurusu came back to the present and heard Yu, bark back at Yarai. "That's how it looks to ya, well shit scream it out loud for everyone to hear!" Yu spit out to the side and sneered up at the tall blonde.
"..." Yarai gave him an indifferent look back. Then the rest pitched in their thoughts.
"Hahah you got beat by a chick!" Two of the guys piped up on a storm of thoughts to the matter.
"You masochist!" The nose bandage guy hollers with surprise at the newfound nickname I will be hearing quite a bit now.
"No wonder she was so whacked out back there!" The shady eyed guy still wearing his school uniform says this as our eyes meet for far too long.
Itoh, Mikoshiba, and Ono cackled away Yu's defeat and then pondered out loudly on what they thought of the 'bitch-chick' as they proudly agreed on.
"Probably tried getting with her after the crash, am I right?" Ono and Itoh both agree to that statement.
"You fucked her up bad!" Though Ono went on to say that which made Yu's stomach churn in disgust.
"Pfffft, you pussy! Dont'cha know how to be a MAN!" Again the nosestrip guy nudges Mikoshiba to look over at the scene with no remark.
Yu gripped his shoulder and breathed heavier at each line they laughed at and kept them coming, harsher than the last remark.
"It's nearing noon soon. Head out." At that monotone statement, they all shut the fuck up with their bags thrown into their hands. Kurusu sighed and threw a stern finger at each other of them.
"You all must learn some respect and discipline, how else will you become gentlemen of the next generation of sons. On the hike, we'll review each equation that will be used in the college and high school entrance exams." They all drop their jaws, and yet as Yu saw with shock, they groaned and complied with her rather than call her anything like they did about bat girl.
Yarai was keeping her safe, they wouldn't touch her or treat her less than themselves, how weird.
"Yu-kun! Come on now we can't make much ground if you sit there." Kurusu beckoned me over, though my hand had gone numb and my lungs burned still.
The punks just know I don't fight back.
"okaay." I slowly get up and throw a look back at the jungle, just to check once more for her. No sight of that tattered scary girl, no sight but that labyrinth of death.
.
.
.
Past Noon Unknown Day
. .
Current Location: Near Yarai's Campsite
. .
Too Late to Hope
He looks to the jungle, hunched shoulders and the group beckons him over to their side. Yet only two of the whole have an honest intention for him, the rest stalk him as the next prey. They trek off for the oceanfront and food to eat.
I drop out of the tree top and watch him go with them. Pushing at the piss poor firepit and bite at a candy brown eyes never finished eating.
Should I just follow him and his group? The blonde could take care of him, but he watched that small woman far more carefully than the others combined. Brown eyes may get kicked to curb if he keeps acting so scared of them as he did with me. Following them is better for both me and Brown Eyes.
I look at the pit and see little shiny glimmers lodged in the ash. I push it around and see coins, a handful of coins. What a weird thing to have here though it may be good to keep these around as noisy charms. I stuff them away and pick up the group's trail down the jungle's outer edges.
Maybe he'll want me to keep him safe still, maybe not...
.
.
.
Past Noon Unknown Day
. .
Current Location: Cave
. .
Too Late to Change
Away from the ocean, the loss of friends and foul flesh ripping teeth Sengoku's group trail on hoping to find the rest of their classmates and a way home. Rion had managed to stand upright for all of the third mornings since being damaged by the bite.
"Whoa! Look at this place!" As the jungle started to thin and the ocean behind them, a river came into their path. Up a mangled hillside scarred with shredded plants and massive tracks in the dirt, it leads to a meadow of berries and flowers.
Akira and Zanji drop their weapons and rush ahead with excitement at the food and clear river water snaking around the meadow side. Mariya sighs at their stupid grins and inches off to a shaded spot to rest. Mariya observes the cove, it's safe so far but getting trapped in here would be dangerous.
"Really now," Taking his glasses off to clean the smudges off. "To rush off is not in the best interest now." He sets the computer down to start the foot crank but with the sun overhead and dripping sweat coming off his back Mariya just has to sit down and close his eyes.
In the three slow days from the beach, he had to endure walking with everyone's sad silence as he strained himself with toting the computer. Rion was keeping a calm face as she winced after every breath pulled at the holes still healing. He hoped the Ambulocetus did not pass anything through the bite to her body; she had no fever and no confusion shone in her eyes. Still, he patted down his face and booted up the computer to check on the information on the creature in case anything did arise later on.
"Here Maryia-kun." Kanako-san held a cupped leaf of the river's water to Maryia. "You look a little red in the face, try to drink up now." She smiled and held her hands steady beside him, which he was surprised by given she was the clumsiest human he had met. He quickly gulped the water before she dropped the leaf or something worse, he couldn't have his computer be fried now.
"Oh good! I'll get you some more water." She clapped her hands together and started off for the water's edge.
"No, I'm fine Kanako-san. I just need to work now." Maryia reached out his hand to her, fearing the second chances with the water and Kanako looked back at his slightly glaring eyes. She sunk a little at his icy look but knew better than to protest, she knew her flaws and how everyone felt about her 'helping' out.
Maryia sighed as Kanako dropped the leaf into the water and let it drift off, she's the adult and yet she's acting like a child after being scolded. Kanako-san just needs to assist at her own pace and not rush between us. Yes, she is helpful in her basic medical knowledge and organization learned in her career. Yet she has way too much emotion in her actions that make a tremendous flaw in helping.
"Kanako-san, Rion may need new bandages." Maryia points over to Rion dropped down at the water's edge with Akira and Zanji splashing in the water.
"The plants here have a good width and fiber proprieties to use for gauze or rope." Though they would have to skin test each leaf or berry before applying it on Rion's wound, it would give Kanako-san something low stress to work out while they take a break here. The sun had hours to go before dusk but after power napping and scraping at the last of the dried food, everyone needed a morale boost, even Maryia felt a pang of loss for their fellow classmates lost to the water and desperation.
.
.
"Akira my man this is great!" Zanji bellowed out as he crashed back into the river. The cool flow casting out all the horrors behind them but the images still popped up behind his eyes of Yoshimoto.
It really was all too good to be true, he thought he could rekindle his friendship without all the social constructs weighing him down from his friend. Zanji gets Yoshimoto had a shot in life as he studied more and more while Zanji just kept playing around during elementary.
Maybe now Yoshimoto was repenting throwing Maryia overbroad and showing how jealous he was of his intellect. Hell, he figured Yoshimoto and Maryia were neck and neck with each other but goes to show ya that Zanji didn't notice such things in academics.
"Oh here Rion-chan." Hearing Kanako-san's docile voice turns the sad thoughts to a faded echo, he catches her reaching around Rion's body and damn that is a shot right there.
Pressed against Rion's exhausted figure, Kanako-san's own breasts sit squished between her own self and Rion's side with so much jiggle between both girls he gets stuck watching them wrestle with the bandages across and around her body. He clenches a fit with a single tear streaking his face.
Damn, he was lucky to meet Akira's group.
Cold water crashes onto his face and sends him under the water. Rion's eyes fiery and her hands dripping wet pull out of the water then.
.
.
"Hey Zanji if you got time to be gawking then help out with investigating this place out you pervert!" She shouts and is out of breath, the pain surges and Oomori-san goes back to loosen the wrapping, now blood-crusted and stained dark red. Akira caught her eye and she whipped her face away, Akira was definitely looking at her funny too.
No way was he not taking the chance to leer at her and Ohmori-san, ugh, boys are so single-minded. Yet the moment she thought of Akira gawking at her so intensely she blushed up to her ears in embarrassment.
Akira what do you see of me when you look me over?
Akira always with that camera and every glimpse she could get from it had her full body, not just her breast or legs downwards or just her smiling after a volleyball win or fantastic dismount. Always a full shot no matter what was being filmed and it made her blush at him scanning her entirely in a video.
She shakes her head and forces herself to stop thinking about it so much. Geez, he is a guy, what of it, he's going to do that with any girl out there much less her own self. A pervert like him isn't special or admiring her greatly, just no way. Just no way her childhood friend would stare just only at her.
"Rion-chan, please keep still." Ohmori nervously laughed as the bandages kept getting tangled as Rion shook and inched away from the boy's sight.
Ohmori put a hand to her cheek and sighed at Rion's embarrassment, she's just so in love and yet so bashful. Reminds her of how she was with her senpai Towa-san.
"So-sorry Ohmori-san." Rion lifted her face back up and sat still for Oomori to finish her work, the wounds ached and still made her feel so shocked to have a bit wound in her back. She had a dozen tumbles and false starts in gymnastics but never something as serious as a penetrating injury.
This place is terrifying, horrible to everyone who lost their lives to the monsters, and yet it is putting Rion so close to Akira now.
.
.
Akira pulled off his jacket, wringing it out as Rion turned away from his gaze. He hung his head as she gave him the cold shoulder. It's not like he was really staring at her till Zanji was cheering out loud at the girls. Geez, the guy needed to be a little more subtle if he wanted to sneak a peek at the girl on girl action.
Still, he just wanted to get a look at Rion to see how she was doing. She walked and kept pace with everyone after the beach but hadn't said anything to him or anyone else. After begging for her to come back after the drowning he couldn't help watching out for her every move, creepy as that sounded in his head but he didn't want to see that sight ever again. The blue lips and limp hands of Rion were still haunting his dreams.
"That can't ever happen again.." Akira whispered to himself as he pulled back his shoes and got a slap on the back from Zanji. He coughed out the last of the water and smiled at him.
"Yo, Akira let's try to fish some dinner or something. Maryia, get over here! Men gotta get some food for the group." Zanji's the first to give up fishing, Sengoku ends up catching some clams though they have some spitfire in being forced open.
.
.
.
Late Afternoon Unknown Day
. .
Current Location: Hillside Jungle
. .
Too Late to Hurt
Yu stared ahead, as Yarai walked pass dead things and scattered bits of a human girl.
"How awful." Kurusu-sensei covers her mouth and sends a small prayer to the torn apart body. Yu blinks and catches himself becoming accustomed to the horrible sight set out with the body mangled about them.
Bat girl didn't have arms like these, her's are long and covered in tattered wrappings. Still, Yu has to look at her remains to be sure of that. The girl was deranged more likely or just suffering after the crash. She would get herself killed by a number of things on the ground one day.
"Yu-kun, are you okay?" Kurusu's sweaty hand touches his pale forehead. Maybe he would die before the batgirl.
"I'm fine Sensei." He pushes her hand off and continues to pass the blood soaked ground after Yarai. He didn't want to walk next to the other guys, they are all slow and loud. They'll die first before Sensei.
"Yu-kun, it is okay if you need a break." She jogs up to him and takes a hold of his shoulder. Her eyes are soft and untouched by pain or fear still.
"Geez Sensei I'm fine I didn't do sports or nothin' but I can keep up better than them." Yu points back thinking the guys were still trudging up the hillside but his thumb jabs into Ono.
"What'cha say Masochistic!" Gripped by the jacket Yu is tugged down to face Ono's exhausted grimy face and the other two just as tired looking.
"Damn it." Forced over to be yelled at the shorter guy both Itoh and Mikoshiba throw more stupid words around to pump up Ono.
"You guys, we are all tired but please calm down!" Sensei tries to cool the three off but she's drowned out of the yelling and hollering.
This day is horrible, I joined the idiots and left a mental case. Yarai is just a loner who can throw a punch and Sensei is just a weak adult. I can't keep going like this, I can't keep letting people bully me over and over. This is just school, the meek are stepped on and the assholes are the rulers. I could have just stayed on the ground and let this douchebag walked off and found some other way to survive. Could have just gone after the girl and beat her up for the snacks.
Could, could, could...
"Yo!" Sweat rolls down my nose and I blink. My back aches and I have a ringing in my ears. I'm on the ground and Yarai staring me down with a hand. I look at my feet and see Sensei sternly lecturing the guys all grumbling and kicking at the grass.
There is a pain in my head and I touch my scalp as Yarai pulls me up. It's all bloody and there is a bump forming.
I had a panic attack.
The guys look at me with revenge. Yarai pats me off and Kurusu turns to me with a smile.
"Oh thank goodness, you just started shaking and mumbling." She touches my cheek and I taste watery blood on my tongue. My lips are bleeding. The guys snicker and push off the ground. No doubt they'll mock me if I follow after this.
"Are you dehydrated?" She tousles my hair a little, it is all oily and dust covered by now.
I shake my head and lick my bloody lips.
"Come on." Yarai calls out waiting for Sensei to follow after him, she still has her hand on me, shaking a little.
"Well come one everyone." She stands with a puff to her chest and marches off to Yarai. I close my eyes and enjoy the sun beaming down on me.
Nothing is going to go well for me, I keep getting a choice to keep going. There is a lot of time before dark but I just want to lay back and calm down.
"Nothing worse can happen." I whisper to myself and follow them.
.
.
.
Dusk Unknown Day
. .
Current Location: Upon the Ground
. .
Too Late to Care
I touch the dirt and crusted blood lying about the bits of human remains. All old by now, the scavengers will come pick at this now. Flies zoom past the decay and all around it hatching their eggs from bloating skin chunks and maggots push further into the whole ear canal hoping for wet food.
I look over to the insects flying frenzy and over to a half dugout arm wearing a bracelet all bright with cute heart designs.
Something Satomi would have liked. Something she could have giggled and hug me for getting her a present.
A present is a very nice idea. I pull off the bracelet and it snaps apart.
Worth a try to have something pretty. Just for a while than rotten flesh to squish at when the animals and monster die by my hands.
Something blinds me.
I kick at the dirt, hitting at something wedged between tree roots. Pieces of intestine draping the broken vines and bark all over the ground I find something.
A sleek box, a box with a handle, like what Slithers kept by their chairs. All heavy and filled with shiny stuff but this one is bent and red stained.
I bash at it. It clicks open with a spring. Bags and tubes come out of it, but it's not a lot of what I had seen with the Slithers boxes.
Pointed needles jabbed with tubes in them and weird airbags attached alongside. I know of the gauze and the little-labeled bottles but it's all in letters to small printed and bold to understand. I stuff it in my bag still, hoping it is good stuff, just like the coins and now I got something to wrap up the brains from the bird.
Maybe it's drugs like the stuff that drops people to the ground with a single hit or what makes the men rage out with new found strength. Drugs would be nice, it would put me to sleep and see Satomi a while.
"You dropped it where?" Rustling grass and birds taking to flight bring the voices into my head. There is someone near, not Brown eyes' voice or that blonde guy with the little woman. Gruff and lower than I know of yet.
I climb a tree just as the voice draws closer and see a group of guys proceed into the blood pit.
All dead on their feet and mud covered. They look around quickly with heated breath, all their heads on a swivel to keep a lookout.
Brightly colored one of the men with dried mud caked in his beard and tattered pants dropped to the ground in front of the opened shiny box.
"I found it!" He grabs at the pieces I tossed about and shuts its close before raises it up with tears streaming down his face. Another guy close behind with shaggy hair and a gray coat steps up to him.
"Good job Junichi." The kneeling man tenses as the words are spoken. Then he gets up and they continue through the gore leftovers back into the jungle.
I watch them still, the group dragging their feet and the odd pace that shaggy hair man keeps up with a taller man holding a young girl in hand.
"Maybe worth following" I mumble to myself and swing my feet from the tree a little while. The sun's about to set and I have to get back to Yu's path.
.
.
.
Dusk Unknown Day
. .
Current Location: Cliffside
. .
Too Late to Feel
I spark the flame, gaining more licks from the fire, the deer-like creature is going to cook faster now.
Again Yarai had walked off. Left us to chase after him but to have us all out of breath and presented a meal and a safe spot to camp out the night. Against a river bank and the jungle to our backs, we had a grass bed tonight. The three punks kept bringing vertigo, fainting and all kinds of stupid illogical things about my attack earlier. It doesn't work that way, I had a moment paralyzed in my thoughts drowning till I could focus out of it with the pain of falling.
These jerks, these guys just won't quit till Yarai or Sensei drags their attention away.
"Again, no anemia is not my condition you asshole." I snap at the latest guess by Itoh. He keeps sprouting words not thinking how it works at all.
"Chill dude, you should just say you chickened out, come on already." Itoh whacks the ground at that remark to me, god he is an insufferable dick.
"We start to the valley after dawn tomorrow." Yarai apathetically announces as he steps off his makeshift leaf pile of a bed.
Silence follows after that.
"What are you all looking forward?" I prop a hand to look up at Yarai already walking off somewhere.
He shrugs.
"The oceanfront." He continues off to the tree line.
"But of course the rest of the students too, Yarai-kun." Sensei pipes up quickly as Yarai goes lumbering into the trees. She looks off to his back a moment with a growing fear and admiration.
I tear off a strand hanging off my remaining left sleeve.
"Sensei were you a teacher of his for some time now?" She already nods her head before the words finish coming out.
"Why yes! He and quite a few others students on this flight are in class 4. I'm a math teacher." She proudly tells me, with her arms pressed close to her chest. Something shines off her arms. Metal coil pieces. Like something shaved it off, maybe plane wreckage then.
"Look at that Sensei." I extend my hand out towards her and before she smiles again I see her lips press tight into a grimace.
"Hmm Yu-kun?" The darken expression gone now is replaced with curiosity and guarded motions as she turns her arm. A hair length coil dangles off her sleeve.
"How odd, metal?" She pulls it, but let it go abruptly.
"Ow." Already the finger is to her lips with that grimace expression again.
"Are you alright? Did that.." I let my words fade as I look for the shiny coil now fallen to the dirt and two blood drops covering it.
Is that metal, but how could that be here? I brush over the rocky ground for a twig or something else for that matter.
"That must be a small piece of scrap metal from the plane." Sensei murmurs as she lets her injured finger move from her lips. A smear of it colors her lips a ruby red.
With the twig in hand, I gingerly scoop it up. Tinged a rusty brown and silver twinkling between the droplets. I look to Kurusu-san as I think about the plane's crash again. This is way too small to be from the plane and way too far away from the wreckage. What else is there to have a near fiber length metal?
"Yu-kun?" She adjusts her glasses, amazing they aren't busted yet but I hope nothing ever does occur to them.
I lift the twig to her sight as the metal shines in the swaying in the faint breeze. For a while we ponder over it yet nothing makes sense for the origin of the metal and so we drop it back to the ground to rejoin the idiotic trio still eating the poorly cooked meat.
Yarai is nowhere to be seen. Sensei tries to appear not anxious by this fact as the guys kept horsing around with her about the uses of math equations.
They finally stopped bothering me but Itoh keeps glaring at me with a twitchy smirk each time.
.
.
.
Nightfall Unknown Day
. .
Current Location: Moonlit Skies
. .
Too Late to Regret
I watch and stalk with fixation.
I have Yu's path to follow. Yet these tattered and exhausted men fuel a curiosity in me to see where they go and what they know. They groan out for relief but march on as a crowd out of the depths of trees and growing sounds of wildlife.
The night has brought flickering shadows in the dense forest. Though the party kept moving onwards to the sounds of a river banking the outer end of the treelined jungle. The shoreline lay pebbled and patchy with roots bursting free between broken boulders scattered about the withered grass plots where the group drops in a relief.
I peer a little bit lower from the creaking branches covering me from the view of a few men still scanning the open space with trembling hollow eyes. It is safe, mostly enclosed with any sound being echoed off the rocky path to the riverside, but the river bubbles more than an empty body of water should in the night.
They have trapped themselves to be picked off by another kind of creature lurking in the depths. Even a stray member of theirs knows this fact as they seethe to darkness.
"They're going to get me killed lying ashore like that." The venomous voice stands just below me now, harsh breathing and mutterance of violent ends spew out as the person paces the rocky ground. Glints of reflective light twinkling as the voice paces back and forth with more violent words. From over the riverside, another tall figure starts to make its way over to the bitter voice.
"Watanabe I hope you perish soon or I'll-" The voice cuts off as the crackling path alerts the voice to the figure drawing near.
"Nishikiori?" A booming voice calls out to the voice, and I pull back the leaves cloaking my sight.
"What Watanabe, can't even take a brief moment for myself now, everyone is exhausted." The voice edged with venom is a lanky man staring the taller man with growing annoyance at surprising him in the dark.
Then the taller man is the one he wants dead soon. The one his so desperately wants to rip apart without regard to consequence, but why do all those other hateful acts to everyone else if Watanabe is who he spites above all else here.
The booming voice, Watatanabe just sighs and shakes his head.
"We have talked about the system, you know at least two together by now." The violent man, Nishikiori, just shrugs off the concerned words for an annoyed grunt.
"Please Nishikiori, everyone is together to survive and leave this place." Watanabe raises his wide arms in hope of a peaceful response from Nishikiori but he just walks past him back to the riverside. Watatanabe just follows him back with one last plea to his back.
"I get we traveled much further today but just don't die. We have lost and fought too much already." He falters in his steps as Nishikiori turns back with uncaring eyes.
"Let's go back now, Leader." Nishikiori slowly turns back and keeps walking without a care. Watatanabe just hangs his head as the other leaves him to the darkness.
"Watch out for him.." He jumps at my voice but with branches pulled back, he just hears me warn him.
"Who's.." He frantically looks high into the trees to down at the dagger edged rocks, but nothing replies to his alarm. I move away into the crook of the tree and say again as the twisting in my guts tightens at Nishikiori's words.
He is just like them, just like the brutal hands I got to have around my neck so much.
Maybe just like me if I didn't cower at remembering.
"Watch him, Watatanabe." He stares out to the moonlit skies with squinted eyes. He nods and walks away with stumbling steps. If only this repented the darkness away all would be holy creatures.
.
.
.
Nightfall Unknown Day
. .
Current Location: Open Field
. .
Too Late to Pray
Kouhei is shit as fuck terrified.
After another splash of the cold water to drench his face, he just feels like he is on fire.
The pilot's silent screaming face comes into his mind each time he falls asleep.
Screaming even louder are his friends in the dream who see what he has done. Everyone would be so horrified at what he is capable of really.
"Akira, help me."Kouhei sobs out to the waters, his face ripples into nothing.
"You are the strong one.." Kouhei drops his head, blinking away the tear swelling as he remembers Akira. The shortie who practices so hard to get an open spot on the court and yells over any cheering crowd to lift the team's spirit. Akira is braver than Kouhei, even though the world just sees it as being rash but he has no fear or hesitation to act. Even helping Kouhei out when they first met. The cold winter and a new elementary school yet again for Kouhei, but Akira was there for him right from the start.
Akira can actually do something to help everyone get through this.
Kouhei stifles his frustrated cries into his arms, Akira was probably dead, Kouhei couldn't just be hopeful for the possibility his friend could be alive still, and yet he pleads to god or devil for Akira's aid.
helpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpme
I am just trying to hide it still. How long can I hide the truth, somebody had to see it right?!
Kouhei shivers and wipes the sweat trickling down his nape. He needs his friends here more than ever before, how is life to go forward now that he has buried any normal future from happening.
This island is going to take everything from Kouhei.
Bit by bit.
Just gotta keep hiding the truth, smile and pretend still.
.
.
.
Darkness & Unknown
. .
Current Location: Moonlit Skies
. .
Too Late to See
. .
From the crumbling riverside, I trekked further into the forest again, a little shaken by that Nishikiori person's words. There is relief in moving forward back to Yu and the blond hair's group. I don't know if I will catch up by morning or the next day but the oceanfront is the best direction for now.
The forest is quiet and cold as the salted breeze picks up again. I see bright eyes wiggle away from my feet and up tree trunks. Hisses and far off lights catch my sight as the forest gives away for a field. Little creatures huddle away from me, protecting bundles of twigs and peeping eyes. The lights are swaying in the breeze and then all at once disappeared into the night.
"What is that.." I whisper and grab for a fallen branch, my bat is only so durable before it'll break under another massive beast's skull. My arms are aching from all the force needed to take any of these predators down. I need to more strength before I get Yu back, or he'll just die under my care. Yarai it seems has the will to fight, but can I still fight for anyone?
The salted breeze stops and the remnants of fire fill the air, fish and burnt plant odors reek so much.
Across the field, a dying tree stands with massive shriveled branches as if it's an old man's hand reaching for the fading stars.
Past the old man tree, the forest starts up again, though footprints are sprinkled about the grass and sand. I touch the widest pair of imprints.
Sand is the unusual thing for a forest or field to have, sand is for oceans only, as far as I know. In all the pairs of imprints, it seems more than 10 people came through here repeatedly.
One light comes back from the forest, though this one is nearly upon me. A shadowy figure's glinted eye turn to the old man tree as more footsteps come closer.
Shit.
I lay flat on grass and grip the broken branch tighter, no way out of their sight if the person comes pass the darken forest's edge.
I hold still and listen.
The breeze hasn't come back but the smells of cooking and burning are stronger as I got closer to the forest again. There is definitely more than just that glinted eyed figure in there. Footstep quietly steps further away from me and the light is snuffed out.
I sag into the dirt and rise to my knees before another sound creeps into the forest.
"What are they up to?" A panting voice and a loud gulp sounded out a little loudly in the quiet forest. I freeze in my position, it's a very annoyed sounding voice but not a girl's voice really, a boy maybe.
It huffs and steps away after the glinted eyed figure. I stand and wait for the sounds to subside.
I toe over the low hanging vines and creep after the two people.
It might be good to see where the rest of the people are, Yu or that Yarai could be there, but it could be others who survived the plane. I keep the branch close to my side as I go forward into bushes and hear water again.
The river from before must connect around here, no wonder the clustered footprints.
Just pass the darkest wooded area the moon beams down on a vibrant area of exotic plants and sandy patches forming winding paths further into the forest and the riverside. Growing in bunches still little bulbs of greenery and tall trees reaching high into the lightening sky. Dawn is coming, my eyes blur a moment as I yawn, sleep keeps alluding me, but my body is starting to crash.
I peer down at the ground, all around the amazing greenery shining with the moon there is discarded fire pits, a half made wooden shelter and cocooned sheets tied to trees, people are here but not asleep.
Now in wondering silence, I hear movement, water and frantic sounds. I turn away from the forgotten campsite and towards it now, maybe the figures are people from here, but why are they up at this hour roaming about.
Closer the water gurgling sounds and footprints cluster together in a line as I passed more overgrown plants and broken logs. I look ahead past the bushes and trees blocking me and a small girl with twintails hiding behind a tree. She looks further ahead at something in fear with her hands clasped against her face.
"Please stop.." A struggling voice agonizes, the twintail girl steps backward from the tree and her hair shakes back and forth.
"Just Shut'dya!" A gruff voice commands, and a series of slaps resounds. I climb upwards to see pass the overgrown leaves as the small girl sinks to the ground still looking towards the voices.
Why the sounds of thrashing and gagging cut out just now and the little girl slowly gets back up as muffed gasps shock her into running back to the camp.
I climb further up the tree gripping at any protruding branches for leverage and finally gaze out to the river just up ahead.
Hell on Earth.
Beyond the unknown and silent jungle is just monsters. Monster of flesh and beating hearts are in a spotlight beneath me.
A group of muttering men circled around a single body tattered and legs spread too wide to not of dislocated by now. A women's body with dark short hair lay among the monsters. They speak in hush but frighten tones, as a wide man steps towards the body, there is blood dripping off his arms and his head gleams with sweat.
He picks up the woman and the head dangles lifeless, I pull back into the cover of night as the begin walk away with the body. Fading the steps disappear from my hearing but I see the red puddles soaking the dirt and pooling into the water.
".." I can't say anything as my throat and body shake as I tremble getting out of the tree.
There's only the moon to see by as I walk over to the blood. The ground is torn up with prints, deep dragging marks curve out from the water, she was dragged out of it.
They must have waited till she was washing up to get her alone. There are droplets of blood and dirt caked up with vomit all over the river bank. I press a hand to the darkened pool of blood, I feel at the tips of my finger bits of flesh and sharp white piece stick to me.
Teeth.
The person's teeth got smashed, pulverized till only bits remained.
I hurl acid onto the sight, again and again till my stomach can't force anything else up.
A warm breath slides over my throat and I swing my weapon at the air.
No one is there just as always.
"...I'm sorry." I wipe my face and scoop the water for a cold drink but I miss my lips and it washes the blood into the river. The water turns dark and murky as it disperses the blood. I scoop it up pressing it to my lips and drink.
I see bright red drops pool into my cupped hands, oh.
I hurt my hands again, punctures from the branch, but it mixes so well into the dark blood dripping onto my knees. I need to bathe again.
I let it splash into the water, it's just my blood now, that woman's blood is gone now.
I'll remember her for a little while more than the monsters. Maybe her soul will be set free into the water, but her body..
I look into the forest, the dense flora masking where the group wandering away with the woman's body.
I grab myself a thin rock and branch to follow them.
.
.
The sun is coming.
My body is aching but my grip on the branch tears open my wound.
Monsters should die, what did that woman deserve to die by monsters in this place.
Still, a trace here and there on leaves keeps me following for the group. By now I have reached the old man tree again and no sight of anyone but that girl huddled up against the tree with hurried hands drawing away. I lower into a crouch and observe.
She is sniffling and moving a pencil over the pad of paper as her eyes dart about for any sound, rustling leaves catch her attention as the wide face man come forth just then.
Her eyes widen but he doesn't see her quite yet. I raise my arm and off the branch went, striking the bush beside him and that relaxed face turns violent.
I bolt into the trees hoping the girl scrambles away and I hear the man pound the ground after me.
Streaks of sunlight awaken the forest, the dense maze is now for all to see, every tree or patch of dirt is marked with slashes and broken stumps.
Creatures come here.
I pick up my pace as stars dance in my vision and my head throbs.
I squint as the sun glares at me, I made it out of the forest and I keep going till I fall over vines and wet moss layering the ground.
A cave stands before and I crawl ahead into it.
I press myself to the ground, the freezing stone floor greets my sweating body and I close my eyes. My body goes sluggish upon the stone, but crying fills the cave.
I didn't feel the tears before but here I am exhausted and furious I ran instead of attacking the man. Her soul won't rest but the little girl needed a way out.
Hopefully, it helped.
My vision wobbles and life fades to black.
.
.
.
Mid-Morning Unknown Day
. .
Current Location: Cave
. .
New Arrivals
Rion was up and smiling though she didn't want to try the berries, saying they kind of stink, but more for everybody else than. Mariya nagged about testing the food before giving it to everybody but they were hungry and the Arsinoitherium seemed to gobble it up like candy. Mariya gave up once Sengoku started grabbing armfuls of it and accepted a handful. Mariya sat with the group but kept fiddling with his computer for any error in how the Arsinoitherium acted. Irritated by the inaccurate information indicating it was like a Hippo in both aggression and flesh eating. Akira waved him off not too concerned given it was happily grazing the fields for plants and more of the berries.
Sengoku goes back to shoveling the berries into his mouth and sighs at the bursting flavors. Juicy, bitter and soft to his teeth as he breathes in the smell of steaming clams smothering the enclosed space. This could be heaven, after all the things to happen to the group.
.
.
"Hey Kanako-chan wanna try catching some fish with me?" Zanji's smug look appears as he tries hitting on Ohmori-san again. Though she didn't catch the ulterior motive to his suggestion, she was still a little rattled by the Arsinoitherium coming up from the river. Thankful Sengoku stood by her even with the risk of getting hurt by its charge.
"Sure, we can try that." She cracked open a clam and listened to him go on about how fast he could grab at a fish, his gesturing and confident voice steered her mind away from the scary events still reeling in her head. The lingering fear of Towa-senpai's whereabouts.
She realized she would be alone with Zanji, given no one else replied to the fishing request. She ponders a little but concludes that Zanji was still a good boy, even if he would be suggestive and lifted both the girls' skirts the first time they met.
He has to understand there is a line between being just a little pervy and deviant...right?
She closes her eyes, she wasn't accustomed to men, boys or anyone not from her classes or flight attendant training. Still, this group was helping her fluttering heart overcome all kinds of situations. Oh, this will be a story to tell Towa once she sees her again when help comes.
If help comes.
.
.
.
Twilight Unknown Day
. .
Current Location: Cliffside
. .
Too Late to...
Just darkness could be seen and dirt could be felt smeared upon Yu's face.
A grip holding him down as heavy breathing covers his nape.
Goddam it.
Crimsons blossoms upon the ground, splattering to the walls and then in a spray there is red as the strikes from both sides make contact with bone.
Next up: Chapter 9- Poisoned Fools