Author's Note: Hello! I'm sorry for pausing this story for such a long time. There are still some details I couldn't work out properly, but I won't abandon it. So I hope those of you who read the first chapters still remember how it started. Thanks for reading!

Animal Sounds in a Doomed Place

What a sleepyhead I am ... I open my eyes when I feel someone's presence. I know he's nice, so I don't need to hurry.

"Mi- ..."

He doesn't know what to answer, so he just repeats it. "Mi- ...?" This is amusing.

I say it again, looking at him through drowsy eyes. "Mi- ..."

"Mi-? Ah! Sorry, I'm not a suspicious person!" He makes a hectic gesture to indicate that he's not going to molest me. What a funny guy.

With a big smile, I go "Ni-paaa~" ... And he replies, very shyly.

When I hear the voices of birds and the distant sounds of the village, I awake completely. I'm alone. My back hurts terribly.

As I look around, I see why I had this strange dream. I'm sitting in the small old shack where the bus used to stop when there was a traffic line. I remember what happened ... after running around Hinamizawa while tears ran down my face uncontrollably, I could not find another place to spend the night. Possibly I did not intend to sleep in the shack, but to sit down and think about where I could go. I look at the worn-out walls on which remains of stickers from the Onigafuchi Guardians initiative are still visible. The spirit of Onigafuchi ... is there anything left of these bright days? The bus line connecting Hinamizawa and Okinomiya was frozen a few years ago. When it was still operating, I met a very special person here. But I'm sure he won't come to help me. Especially in this world, where my own mother and my best friend pretend not to know me.

As my sleepiness fades, I remember all the painful experiences I made yesterday. My body aches because I was asleep in an awkward position, so does my heart because I was rejected in such a cruel manner. I can't figure out if it was an act which they planned to punish me. If they really wanted to get back at me in such an evil way - what have I done to deserve it? As far as my mother is concerned, maybe I deserve this because I have been rejecting her in my mind, since I recognized I could not save her from antagonizing Takano and being killed.

But I have never done anything which would justify Satoko's denial. No-one knows better than me how fragile Satoko is. I know that she would have been cut up by Takano years ago, if I had not given the Irie institution everything they wanted. For Satoko's sake I let them drill a hole in my skull, extract cerebrospinal fluid, not to mention all the blood samples that they took from me. Perhaps they did even worse things which my mind refuses to recall. Now the very same girl stands in my bathroom and asks who I am. This is not fair at all ... Satoko, what the hell?

So what does all of this lead to? I remember my mother mentioning the Sonozaki family. There seems to be a quarrel between the Furudes and the Sonozakis. Is it because of Satoko, who is considered a traitor of the village by some narrow-minded old-timers? I must find out about this. But I'm afraid. I can't find Hanyū and I fear that there might be a connection between all these facts. A connection which I don't want to see because it's as simple as horrifying.

I wish I knew what time it is. Are my friends on their way to school yet? Maybe I should go there to ask them some questions. If Satoko sees me at school, she might make a fuss about yesterday. I have to avoid that. Maybe I should ... lurk around the school building until one of my friends comes out?

But what if they don't know me, like Satoko? I guess there's no other choice.

While I walk through Hinamizawa, not in the mood to say hello and smile at anybody, I feel people looking at me behind my back. They wonder why I'm not at school. They wonder why my dress is dirty. They wonder where I'm going. They wonder ... who I am? Their looks pierce me like needles. I feel like walking down a corridor. I notice the walls have eyes. Big, slimy eyes which follow every single movement I make. These eyes can see through my clothes. Their looks penetrate my skin ... until they reach the darkest corners of my mind. And yet ...

... they don't know me at all.

While I'm struggling to get rid of this repulsive feeling, I notice the school is near. I hear the voices of children running towards the building while talking to their friends. Amidst these voices I recognize someone who talks in a determined, confident manner.

"Come on, lessons will start in no time. Hurry up, Tomita-kun and Okamura-kun. You do not want Sensei to get angry with you, do you?"

This is Mion. I recognize her voice at once. She sounds so ... serious. She, the class representative, will enter the classroom after making sure everyone is inside. I know that's her duty, but she has never really observed that rule in the past worlds.

There are some bushes near the school premises, so I crouch down behind them and keep an eye on the playground. Mion stands there. She looks around the schoolyard, to see if any children are still running around. She sees no-one, but she still doesn't follow the other students inside. She remains there in a silent, vigilant position, like a guardian. She looks into the far distance, as if she was waiting for someone. Maybe she's checking out the environment to see if an enemy is approaching. Her face is so stern. Or is she waiting for someone she longs for? I think there's some sadness in her features.

I can't talk to her now, even though she's alone. Everybody must be waiting for her in the classroom. However, Mion's eyes are still focused on something distant. She seems to be lost in thought. That's not really like her. I'm not sure, but for a moment I thought her lips were moving, as if she was talking to someone who isn't there. At last she turns around reluctantly and walks towards the school building in a hurry.

From my experience in this school, I know Mion and Keiichi doze off sometimes while listening. That's because they can't stop reading exciting mangas or watch too much TV, so they don't sleep enough. Whenever Keiichi is very drowsy and starts drooling, Chie-sensei wakes him and tells him to "get outside and wash your face". Same goes for Mion. It's very amusing to watch them. Maybe it happens today and I can talk to one of them. I know I have to wait, though. And this Mion seems different. I'm not sure if she will really fall asleep during lessons. I wish I was in that classroom now, smiling at them from time to time, looking forward to the club activity ... I feel so depressed.

About twenty minutes later my knees start to hurt, so I sit down behind the bush. Fortunately there's some space in between the bushes, so I can take a comfortable position. I feel like lying down. Just for a second ...

... What? I open my eyes and find myself in an awkward position. The ground is dry, so I did not get muddy, but if I could, I would certainly take a bath now. I did not expect to fall asleep when I laid down in this inappropriate place. It seems that resting in that shack did not fulfill its purpose. I feel very strange when I rise slowly. It's not a pleasant feeling. When I look up, I understand why. I'm being watched. Someone is looking straightly at me with a cheeky grin on her face. And I'm sure she noticed me when I watched her earlier this morning.

"Come on, stand up. Why are you hiding in the shrubberies? You'll dirty your clothes."

"Mi-. You're right, it's just ... I'm so shy, you know." When I get up, my arms and legs hurt a bit. While Mion smiles at me, amused by my silly behaviour, I try to look cute and innocent though I feel really embarrassed.

"Being shy and sleepy at the same time can be dangerous," Mion tells me. "What if the school gardener had come to remove these bushes with a motor saw? I wonder what would be left of you now."

"I'm not sure but I think if you gave it to Chie-sensei, she would certainly add some rice and a curry sauce, nipaa~" We laugh at our oni-like imagination.

"So ... did we meet before?" Mion asks me straightly.

I fall silent and darkness covers my mind. She does not know me as well. When mom and Satoko asked who I was, I tried to convince myself that they were joking or trying to punish me. But it seems I have to face a painful truth now. In this Hinamizawa, for some crazy reason, people don't recognize me. And my situation is even worse. I don't know where I can turn to since Satoko lives in my place and my parents are alive. If I show up there again, my mother might call the police. I don't want to imagine what would happen then. They would take me away from Hinamizawa and put me into an orphanage or something like that. I know I can't live somewhere else and the villagers would be in extreme danger, because it's me who keeps their disease under control.

What about Mion? Should I ask her if I can stay with her? I know she's open-minded and her house is very large, but unfortunately she's also very loyal to her grandmother who hates outsiders. And I must think of myself as an outsider now.

"Hey, what is it? Why the long face?" Mion is still smiling, waiting for me to respond. Damn, I must come up with an answer. Think ...! My brain feels like a dead lump, unable to create anything. I must ask her about the others, so ...

"Mi-. I think I met your friends in Okinomiya. That's where I live. They told me about you. You must be the class representative, Sonozaki Mion-san, right?" I force myself to use the honorific though I can't remember addressing her like this at any time.

"I can't deny that, hahaha." Mion grins self-confidently. "I don't think there's another impressive person like Uncle Mion around here." She sticks out her chest. "What's your name, then?"

"I'm sorry, I did not introduce myself yet ... I'm Rika, nice to meet you." I can't come up with a last name.

"I'm also pleased to meet you, Rika-chan. How do you like Hinamizawa?"

"Oh, it's rural ... but charming." This answer is so boring. I don't want to chit-chat with Mion, so I get to the point.

"How are your friends, Mion-san? They're very funny ... what about Satoko-chan? I heard she ... lives near the Furude shrine?"

"You're right." Mion seems not very comfortable with this subject, though. "She lost her parents three years ago." Right. So my mother is not really Satoko's mother. Of course she isn't. I feel some kind of relief though it means Satoko's in the same poor situation again.

"That's so sad," I reply.

"Yeah. They died in an accident. And Furude-san agreed to become her legal guardian." I'm amazed. Now I understand what went on at the shrine.

"I didn't know that! Satoko-chan must be very close to Furude-san, I guess?"

"She really is. She even calls her 'mom' sometimes ... that's the problem, though."

"The problem? What do you mean?" I try to look into her eyes to make her tell the truth. But Mion seems not to like this conversation. She tries to avoid my stare as if she's searching for a way out of this talk.

"Well ..." She hesitates. "Her parents weren't very popular in Hinamizawa." I know that only too well. "Some people think Furude-san shouldn't have taken care of Satoko-chan because the priest and his wife should represent the village," Mion continues. It seems she's ashamed of her own family's resentment.

"I see. So why did the Furudes become her guardians though the village didn't want them to?"

"They don't need to follow these opinions, and ... listen, I don't know why I tell you this, but please keep it to yourself, will you?" I nod silently. Mion starts to speak lowly. "Furude-san, the priest's wife ... someone told me she can't have any children of her own."

I don't understand this. What does she mean? Something emerges from the darkness. Suddenly I feel it ... the icy hand takes hold of me. "I don't exist." Without a sound, my lips form the words, making Mion frown. "I'm not a part of this world." The thought makes me shiver.

"Rika-chan ... what's the matter? You seem to feel down. Did you just say something?"

"Tell me, Mion, ..." I can't suppress my adult voice. "... what do YOU think of Satoko?"

"What? She's one of my dear friends. Didn't she tell you about our club and all?"

I fall silent. What I just thought about Satoko - I can't allow it to control me.

"Anyway," Mion goes on. "I think the Furudes made themselves a bit unpopular too." I look up to her without an expression. "But ..." A smile appears on her face. "... I'm obliged to them because they saved my friend Satoko."

Satoko was saved ... by my parents. That's right! "They must be very brave people." Did I just say this? It's been a long time since I thought positive about mum and dad. And now - I even said it aloud.

"Yeah, I guess you can look at it that way." Mion nods. But I think that's her way to express that she has a different view. I feel the chilling grip disappear. Something has happened which I have always hoped for. Reliable adults who care for Satoko and look after her. Whoever it is ...

"The Furudes had to compromise, though," she adds. "Satoko-chan lives in a small house on the shrine premises. People would really badmouth them if they let Satoko-chan live with them in heir own house."

"Mion," I reply. "I'm glad Satoko has found a guardian. She's far too young to take care of herself." Mion grins. "You're right again. She needs a good telling-off when her traps put someone into danger." So that habit has not changed. I smirk back to her. "And ... what about the older girl ... Rena-san?"

Silence.

I don't like this change of mood. She looks into the distance like she did when I watched her from the bushes. "Mion-san? How is she? The funny one who's always looking for something cute ..."

Mion turns her face back to me. I feel as if I had been looking at the clear blue sky and suddenly saw a dark cloud appearing out of nowhere. "I knew you would ask ... yet somehow I hoped you wouldn't," she says monotonously. A new fear rises inside of me. One moment ago, I put on my first true smile in this world ...

"We don't talk about Ryūgū-san anymore." Mion's voice is full of bitterness. "It just makes everyone sad. Besides, she's not with us anymore. So we can't do anything, can we?"

"But - why? What in the world happened?" I'm bewildered. Her words almost sound as if Rena was dead. I don't want to imagine something like that. So I stare at Mion, waiting for an explanation.

Her face turns angry. "Don't tell me you don't watch the news or listen to the radio. I hate to go through it over and over. What would you ..." She lowers her voice. "What would you do if you heard that one of your friends killed two people?"

Ah, it's just that, I think. Of course I can't say that to Mion. Rena killed Rina and Teppei, two scoundrels who were going to ruin Rena and her father's lives. I experienced this several times and I never shed any tears for the two of them. Especially Teppei. But this Mion seems to care a lot, though in previous worlds she thought mostly about hiding the bodies. But this is also the first time the media reported about the crime.

"Do you know where she has gone to?" I ask Mion who seems to brood over Rena's deeds helplessly. "No," she replies. "After the police had discovered the bodies, they looked for her, but couldn't find any trace. She had disappeared. Some called it onikakushi. They're such ignorants." Mion's features are distorted by anger.

"I can't imagine Rena killing somebody." I felt like I had to say something. Of course it won't make Mion feel better. And I didn't even say the truth. I've seen Rena with vicious eyes, a cleaver in her hand, being very serious when threatening her classmates ...

"Tie them up carefully," I hear Rena say in my memory. "If I see anyone with loose bonds, I'll kill that person immediately." Rena can be dangerous indeed. I wonder what she's doing now. I'm afraid she might be running, shaking with fear and considering everybody her enemy. Maybe she's even clawing at her own throat. I try to chase this thought away because it frightens me to imagine Rena lying in a pool of her own blood, her nails broken and her veins torn.

I mostly remember seeing love and happiness in Rena's eyes. She was always looking for something cute. I happened to be the object of her desire many times. I can't count Rena's surprise attacks when she clutched me like a plush toy, almost strangling me in her innocent frenzy. But ... I would rather be strangled because of love than live in a world where everybody just respects me because they're afraid of Oyashiro-sama. Maybe I should start a treasure hunt for Rena. She would love me to death - and set me free. Then I could leave this world, where Hanyū is not with me and I'm a stranger to everyone.

"I think I have to go now," Mion tells me while I get lost in thought. I look up to her face. "Will you be all right?" She asks me with a worried voice. "Never mind about me," I say, trying to smile at her. "I just hope nothing bad happened to Rena." Mion doesn't respond to my wish. "Well, good luck to you then. Bye, Rika-chan." She turns around and walks back to the classroom. I'm sure Chie-sensei will give her another scolding, but Mion doesn't care - that's for sure. I watch her ponytail shaking as she walks away in her long red skirt. If only Mion would remember who I am.

When she has disappeared, I force myself to think of something very urgent. I need a place to sleep and to think about what I should do. At least for one night or two. So I try to browse the information I got so far. My parents ... Satoko ... Rena ... Mion ... I haven't seen Keiichi so far. One of his encouraging speeches would really help me in this sad world. Anyway, I think I overlooked something. Something about Satoko and Rena ... just a second. Satoko lives at the shrine. And Rena ... killed Rina and Teppei. What does that mean?

The next moment, I finally know. Satoko's parents' house must be empty now because neither Satoko nor Teppei lives there. I hate that place because it is connected to the horrible abuse Satoko had to suffer from her aunt and uncle. But I can't be picky. My body is dirty and my clothes need a good washing, too. I should sneak inside the house and avoid thinking about what happened there. The next moment, I'm on my way, walking through Hinamizawa under the sarcastic sunbeams, which sink into my flesh like knives while everybody else just enjoys their gentle touch.

I remember some doomed worlds where I went this path, just to find out how hopeless it is to see Satoko in Teppei's hands. Her fragility made me cry when I saw her outside the house, carrying luxury stuff for him in bags which were much too heavy for her. I should be happy that she lives with good people now. So why can't I be happy, even a little bit? Not even when I think about myself, but also when I try to cheer up imagining Satoko being safe - and maybe even happy, on top of that.

Oh, Satoko's house must be just around the corner now. I'm going to walk on without care, pushing aside all the thoughts about this place. That will be the only way to enter it. There it is. The front of the house seems to stare at me in malevolent curiosity, wondering whether I'll make it or not. I clench my teeth and walk up to the front door.

It's open.

Inside there's a strange smell. Like some kind of heavy perfume, overlying the mean odour of sweat. The place looks messy. I see many things scattered over the floor. Of course they were here and abused the house, before Rena killed them. They must have been not only occupying the house but also looking for any valuables. Haunted by a strong feeling of disgust, I climb the stairs up to the first floor. Although my steps become slower and slower. It feels like something is holding on to my legs. It doesn't want me to go up there. What ... is trying to make me stop and run away instead of entering the first floor?

No, there isn't anything, really ... It's just myself. I sense something which is even more disgusting than the smell. It's a sound. And it's not a sound like the clattering of an open window or the noise of an empty bottle rolling across the floor. What makes this sound is alive. It sounds like animals ... they make a sticky sound and I start to feel sick in my stomach while listening to it. I push myself forward against the wall of my own fear, so I finally reach the first floor. The horrible sound draws nearer while I walk across the corridor.

Thud. My foot hits a heavy object which has been lying on the floor. I don't care what it is. The unexpected noise makes the gross animal-like sound fade and stop. Then I hear some ... steps. There is someone else in this house. I freeze completely, though I should rather run away. Something appears in front of me. It takes a while until my brain processes the picture of the person ...

"Hey! What do you think you're doing in here, little brat?" She's naked. Her skin looks all sweaty. I can only stare at her body in horror.

"What do you think you're looking at?" Her voice sounds sarcastic. I answer the question silently, just to myself. It's the tattoo. It's the star-shaped tattoo on her hip, on which her left hand is resting as if she wanted to point at it. I don't need to look at her face to know who this animal-like woman is.

"Ritsuko! What's the bloody matter, I'm not done with you yet!" The nasty voice, which I know too well, fills the corridor and echoes in my head. Fear takes hold of me and at the same time, the scene makes me want to vomit all over the floor. Finally, the imagination of Teppei rushing out of the room and coming after me fills me with such terror that my legs take control of me. I stagger down the stairs and run for it. Just run. Out of this evil place, until I don't see it or sense it anymore. Every time my feet hit the ground, I hope the impact helps me to get the images and sounds out of my brain.

When I stop and gasp for breath, my feet hurt and I nearly black out. I look around and see I ran nearly all the way back to school. When my brain calms down, a thought appears. Teppei, Rina - they're alive ... they're alive! They're still here, defiling Satoko's and Satoshi's home. Why the hell ... did Mion tell me Rena killed them?