Chapter 7: Finally Reunited
"You… DAMN BASTARD!" The anatomical model was thrown against the dirt walls, letting out a grunt. His eyes opened again, the creature towering over him.
"I assign you one job, and you screw it up! I gave you power that outwits those loser of human beings, and yet your so easily thrown down by one of them!" The creature roared at him, anger rising as each word passed his tongue.
"It won't happen again… I'll keep my guard up-"
"YOU SHOULD'VE KEPT YOUR GUARD UP THE WHOLE TIME!" The creature screeched, going face-to-face with the model. The model didn't flinch, he stayed motionless. Oh, how he wanted to strangle the life out of this creature. Nevertheless, this thing was much more powerful than he ever would be.
"Do you really want to return to what you were before?" The creature reached forward, pressing a hand to the model's chest. An intense pain grew throughout the model's body, and he clenched his teeth. He wouldn't give into the pain; but it was becoming unbearable.
"N-No!" The model hissed, and the creature withdrew him hand. He let out a relieved sigh.
"Then do what I have assigned you, Yuuya. Do not fail me or I will kill you," The creature bared his teeth, his breath was hot.
"You can't kill a spirit. We're already dead," Yuuya retorted, and the creature cackled.
"Why do you think the spiritual force is growing weaker?" The creature asked, and Yuuya's eyes widened. He kept his mouth shut, however. He didn't want to trigger the creature any further; his very soul was on the line.
"Now, get back to your post. Do not torture your victims, Yuuya… Slice their throats open and get it over with," The creature replied as Yuuya walked out of the dissection room. He would not fail this thing. He couldn't.
When the anatomical model was gone, a sudden spark of blue lit in the corner of the room. A spirit child appeared from the light, the bloody pair of sowing scissors in her hand.
"Ahh, welcome back, dear Sachiko. How are our guests?" The creature turned to the little girl, and her emotionless face turned sinister.
"It won't be much longer before the infant dies from starvation," She replied, and he smiled.
"Good… good. I knew the child wouldn't live long without his mother's milk. That woman carrying him… keep her away from the rest of the family. She mustn't ruin our plans of action," The creature spoke, and the girl smiled.
"It's my pleasure…" She grinned before disappearing again. The creature's head rose, his tar shining in the dim light of the room. It wouldn't be long now…
On the second floor…
Koji's cries were growing weaker. Yuka was noticing too, his loud wails no longer echoing off the walls.
He was starting to starve, and she couldn't do anything to help him. There was no food or water. He needed his mother so badly now; if she couldn't find her sister-in-law quickly, she would be holding her little nephew to his death.
As she walked down the hallways, another strike of lightning lit the walls, and an unexpected gust of wind blew through the halls. She grew alert, and turned to the source of the breeze. She wished she hadn't done such things.
Standing before her was a little girl in a red dress, her black hair covering her face. Yuka could just make out a creepy grin under the girl's bangs.
Snip, Snip
The scissors in the girl's hand started opening and closing, the sound of metal scraping against each other bouncing off the walls.
"No… N-No! Stay away!" Yuka screamed out, backing away slowly, her hold on Koji growing tighter.
"Ehehehe! Like I'm going to leave you alone!" The girl cackled, stepping closer. Yuka stayed silent.
"You should know why I'm here… that child in your arms is on the brink of death!" The girl giggled, and Yuka's heart dropped.
"N-No… You're wrong! He isn't going to die!" Yuka yelled back, and the girl only giggled.
"Your words won't convince me otherwise," She tilted her head, still drawing closer. Yuka was defenseless. She could try to run, but she had remembered this child spirit. This child had tried to kill her in their previous visit. This little girl was the source of her fear, in which she had lost her trust with many.
"I'll just let you join him!" The girl shot forward, scissors ready to strike. Yuka wanted to dodge, but she was frozen in fear. Her legs wouldn't move.
Just as the tip of the scissors was about to jab in Yuka's arm, a force appeared between the two, just fast enough to protect the older girl from harm. Sachiko's eyes widened at the sudden intrusion, her scissors lodging into the force's chest.
Before the both of them, a teenage girl, dressed in a school uniform and double-bun hair, panted as the scissors lodged in her chest. There was no wound though. The teenager reached up and pulled the blades out from her torso, glaring down Sachiko. She threw the scissors back, Sachiko caught with it. She landed back onto the floor, and she growled for being thrown down.
"How dare you-" Sachiko was cut off when the spirit turned and grabbed one of Yuka's arms, a white light enveloping the older girl. Both disappeared, and Sachiko narrowed her eyes.
"So… we have traitors among us…" She spoke, grabbing the discarded scissors next to her and rising…
Yuka couldn't speak when the spirit suddenly touched her. A burning sensation through her whole body before she completely blacked out.
When her eyes fluttered open, she was still holding Koji, much to her relief. However, the infant seemed weak, his cries having turned into soft whimpers.
"Koji, please hold on a bit longer! It won't be long!" She knew the child couldn't speak; she was only talking to assure herself. She looked around, noticing she was in another hallway. However, one of the rooms to her right had lights on inside. She blinked.
Suddenly, a blue light appeared before her. The same spirit from before appeared, her eyes downcast as she gazed at Yuka. Yuka stood, clearly a few inches taller than the spirit. She noticed a deep bruise around the ghost's neck.
"Thank you," She spoke. The spirit stayed silent. Instead, she pointed to the room next to them. Yuka blinked, and glanced at the door that was closed. Koji started to cry again, yet they were weak. He was letting out one more desperate cry, which only made Yuka's heart shatter.
Inside the infirmary…
Naomi's eyes opened slowly when faint, almost familiar wails hit the air. At first, she thought she was just imagining it, thinking the school was playing tricks on her.
However, when the cries didn't cease, she knew she wasn't imagining it. Her eyes widened, her motherly instincts kicking in. She rose from her spot on the bed, her husband just starting to wake up.
"N-Naomi…? What's wrong?" He asked groggily, and she turned to him, her brows furrowed.
"I hear Koji… I-I can hear his cries," She muttered, and he blinked. She didn't give him enough time to get off the bed; she quickly limped over to the doors, wasting no time to open one of them.
Yuka about jumped out of her skin when the doors opened. The spirit disappeared into the air quickly, not wanting to be seen. Yuka stepped back a bit, preparing for another ghost to attack her, her hold on Koji tight again.
"Y-Yuka… Koji!" The voice she heard caused her eyes to fly open, and she swore her heart skipped a beat. The very person she had been searching for stood before her, her sister-in-law. The older woman limped over and embraced her. Yuka quickly gave her the infant, the child desperately in need of milk.
"Go, take care of him quickly. He needs his mother-"
"Yuka?" Another voice spoke out, and her breath hitched. She peered past her sister-in-law's shoulder, only to see her brother standing in the doorway. She ran over to the older male, embracing him tightly. He wasn't expecting it, but laughed, wrapping his arms around her.
"I'm so glad your okay," She murmured, and he smiled.
"Yeah, me too… did you… find Koji?" He asked, watching his wife slip back in and walk past the blinds.
"Yeah… He wasn't that far from me when I woke up… Why are we back here again?" She asked, glancing at her brother. He let out a sigh.
"I don't know, Yuka… But I'm glad all of us are together again. I was starting to get worried about Koji…" He trailed off. He hadn't even thought of his sister getting involved with this… again. She had gone through so much already; she didn't need to suffer it a second time. She didn't seem injured though, so that was at least a relief.
A few minutes had passed since the group had reunited. Yuka sat on a chair next to the other two children's beds. She had been told about how an anatomical model had attacked her niece; that was the one thing she didn't want to run into since they had returned to this god-forsaken place. The man responsible for her personality change was that very figure, and she didn't know how sinister he would be since last time.
Naomi was busy nursing the young infant, the baby being responsive this time as he suckled. The mother knew the child was suffering malnutrition, even if he would be fed. It had been too long since his last feeding, and his tiny body started to shut down. Any longer, and it would have been too late.
"Will he be okay, Naomi?" Yuka asked, and the older woman smiled sadly.
"He'll start regaining his strength, but due to the fact that were in a place with very little supplies… He won't make a complete comeback until we get out of here," She murmured, adjusting the child against her.
"He isn't hurt at all… is he? I found him lying on the floor in the hallway when I woke up," Yuka inquired.
"No… but there's a chance he'll get sick," She muttered, lightly rubbing the child's back.
"Oh…" Yuka looked away.
"Yuka, don't beat yourself over it. We're lucky enough that you found him when you did," Satoshi spoke up, noticing his sister's mood.
"Yeah…" She murmured. Satoshi sighed softly.
At the doorway of the infirmary, the spirit from before peered in. She smiled sadly.
"I have protected your family, my dear Naomi… I hope we can see each other soon,"
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