Tohru slid her fingers over and down her scalp in the shower of water falling from the water tap. She sighed and allowed her muscles to relax then opened her eyes once she was sure all the soap was gone from her head. She allowed herself to remember the encounter with Ms. Minako several days prior, as she did she felt her heart turn to lead and drop. She still wasn't completely over it. However nothing had happened since. Tohru graciously welcomed the hours upon hours of solid undisturbed sleep.
It was Friday night and she was about to away to the movie theater with Uo and Hana to see God knows what, she still had no idea what Session 9 was or what Lovers Prayer could be about (thought the name suggested something sentimental and romantic). But, she had learned after years of friendship not to expect that from them.
She loved that she was able to get out of the shower without any apparitions of demons assaulting her. She loved to walk down the hallway and to put on pants without feeling like every dark shadow was going to jump her. You'd be surprised at how paranoid and suspicious one could get from only a handful of instances…and how stressful it was to be on edge.
Tohru met Uo and Hana at the train station. The night was cool and relaxing as they made small talk on one of the metal benches by the platform. Despite the recent smooth sailing Tohru has still felt the least bit anxious sitting down at the dark train station. But that fear quickly elapsed and she allowed herself to just forget and enjoy herself.
"AHH! UO that movie was so scary! I can't believe I let you drag me into that! What was up with the ice pick? Or whatever that thing was! He kept stabbing people in the eyes all over the place!" Tohru exclaimed to her friends within the hustle and bustle of the after movie crowd.
Hana lead the way through the hectic crowd and forged them a path towards the open glass doors. As they exited they were struck by a cool blast of air. Apparently it had gotten windy while they'd been viewing.
"Tohru I believe he was using an awl. And, you failed to inquire on the topic of the movie beforehand." She said, then waved her braid over her shoulder.
Uo wrapped her arms about her friends shoulders and lead them away from the entrance way. "On any case kiddo, What the hell did you think it would be about! And how could you not think that movie kicked ass in all four directions." She paused, "I'm still wigged out."
"Wah," Tohru playfully shoved Uo in the side, "You know me, I get scared at everything horror! HE WAS CREEPY!" She squealed, balling up her fists as she did so.
Hana's stomach then took the liberty of voicing what they had all been feeling. "grrhnnlllgrrr!" She looked to the side to avoid Tohru and Uo's stares.
"Ha!" Uo laughed and pointed. "So it seems I'm not the only hungry one. So how bout it? Shall we all go out to eat?" She asked.
Tohru jumped and clapped her hands. "HAI! Lets all go out for rice balls! And tai noodles! And maybe some ice cream!" She said positively beaming at the thought of filling her belly.
'Movies always make me so hungry!' she thought.
"Woah kid chill, we'll just stop by Waggamama's ok?" She said.
'he he!' She did shifty eyes.
"Hopefully Hana won't swallow us whole before we get there."
And so they all walked along the dark sidewalk in the city, mostly in silence, occasionally adding a word in here and there. As they were walking Tohru noticed that the night seemed to be darker than usual.
'I can barley make out the peoples faces!' she noted. She squinted at an incoming group of people. As they passed their faces were blackened by shadow. Their dark hair bled a black over their foreheads. Shadow lead downwards to eyes the colour of pitch and to stark veins of coal.
She felt a creeping shiver travel up her spine as they passed. The feeling made her want to puke. Perhaps it was just due to her hunger. "Why is it so dark out, I can barley make out the peoples faces!" Tohru exclaimed.
"Raccoon masques." Said Hana.
Uo scrunched up her face. "What are you getting at? I can see perfectly fine! Everything's the same as always."
Tohru threw her arms up in the air. "No it's not I'm blind!" She said. She then open her eyes wide at the next group of passers-by.
It was a group of friends it seemed, three girls and two boys, moving together as one mass. Like the others their faces were hidden in shadow. Until…
"Ah!" Tohru gasped. All at once in slow motion their faces contorted into black masses of rage. Their heads snapped around to look at her and her only.
"N-no!" Tohru cried and stepped backwards. They hissed at her in a horrible metallic grating. The man nearest to her opened his mouth wide, impossibly wide, showing her two full sets of slimy grayish fanged teeth, then snapped his jaws shut tight mere inches from her face.
The feeling was back, crawling like acid up her spine. She felt her blood pounding in her ears.
Tohru screamed and jumped back to retreat but, finding her way blocked by Uo, she stumbled, nearly falling over. She quickly righted herself arms waving madly for something to grip onto, and once on her feet shielded herself behind Uo. Her eyes never once left them.
She panted heavily and her eyes darted wildly around for any sign of a repeat offence. Her brain registered that someone was speaking to her, someone had a very tight grip on her shoulders. Tohru blinked a few times.
Uo was speaking to her. "ohru, TOHRU! What the hell? Are you all right? What just happened! Are you listening, talk to me damn it!" Her eyes were boring into hers, searching for answers.
Hana then released her grip on Tohru's shoulders. "Tohru…" She questioned.
Tohru shook her head. "He hissed at me! H-his face was all..." She left off there realizing what she was saying. She didn't want everyone to know what was going on! "it was nothing. I must be all hyped up from the movie." She frowned and looked at Hana, "Sorry for over reacting."
Hana looked skeptical for a few moments, then began to speak. "We shouldn't have taken you to see that movie." Her words sounded false. Her eyes and words were dull and emotionless. "It was too frightening for you."
Uo didn't say anything and they continued on.
But it continued.
Tohru tried her best to ignore the shrieking and hissing of the people that passed her by. Everything was so loud it was ringing in her ears, vibrating sound waves like a tuning fork. Her eyes were wide, her pupils were dilated, her heart was beating so hard it shook her chest. Tohru felt like she was being escorted through hell. All of the contorted faces, all of the black soulless eyes.
This never happened to anyone anywhere. It was scarier than any horror movie she'd been dragged to. When did the demons assault you in public, lightened by streetlamps? When was the whole of Japan possessed by an army of vile demons. Demons with dirty grey teeth, with jaws opened wide in maniacal grins' and snapping?
She couldn't breathe.
Tohru gripped onto her hands friends tightly for safety, afraid that the tide of monsters would come by and sweet her away. Each breath was concentrated and deliberate. Her body was stiff. It was like she was a child again, hiding under her sheets from the supposed monster in her closet. She used to lay frozen for an hour barley breathing, not daring to move a centimeter, so as not to alert the monster of her presence. But there weren't any covers for her to hide under now. And she wasn't hiding from the boogey man.
The trio continued to walk down the street, lightened by street lamps.
Oh sunofabitch. I don't think this is any good. But its long so maybe it will decieve you.