"The guy's a freak, no doubt about it."
"Okumura? He's nuts! A demon!"
"Once in grammar school, a friend and I were joking around in the bathroom, and BOOM! Out of nowhere Okumura goes nuts and beats the heck out of us!"
"In all my years, I have never heard a single good thing about that young man!"
"Rin Okumura? There's nothing much to say about that boy. He worked for me once, but he was too rowdy and violent – so I fired him."
"I feel awfully sorry for those priests who have to put up with him – and Yukio! To have him as a brother – goodness!"
"I tried my best as his grammar school teacher– and I hate to say it for Father Fujimoto's sake, he was a great man – but honestly, the boy's a waste. He either skipped school or got into fights…none of us could control his violent tendencies! He could never hold down job either – yes, a complete waste."
These were few of the many answers Arisu received while asking around the Monastery. It was easy for her to investigate without the priests noticing because she did so while handing out breakfast to the people. A task that she oh so selflessly volunteered for.
Realizing she had absolutely no way out, the girl slept over the monastery the previous night. Now, it was 9:30 in the morning, and the building was filled with casual chatter and golden sunlight. It would've been peaceful, if one didn't remember that he or she was doomed, surrounded by a broken town of death and screams.
The fellow citizens she questioned all seemed to share the same opinion of Rin Okumura.
He was violent.
A reject.
A thug.
A monster.
In other words, he was practically everything Arisu thought he was – a danger to her brother. The girl set a bowl of rice (food was beginning to run low) down on a little girl's lap, her chores finally complete. She sat down and noticed the two parents beside the child – a woman with brown hair and a man with an oversized nose. The two agreed to share one bowl.
"Sweetie?" The woman asked.
"Aren't you going to eat?"
"Ah… no, I already ate…"
It was a lie. Not that she felt guilty or anything…. Arisu just didn't come to eat. She came to get information about Okumura….
It had nothing to do with the people….
Or the shortage of food….
Sitting there, with that family, reminded the girl of Aidyn and his safety. Her muscles became stiff with worry. An entire night by himself…. Would he be all right? Suddenly, Arisu got an idea. She would sneak into an empty room and attempt to call Aidyn on her cellphone.
The couple and child didn't see the girl get up and slink away. Easing through the mass of people and tiptoeing over mattresses.
"Ah…excuse me…."
"Coming zrough…."
"Move it baldy!"
After a few more tiptoeing and insults, she finally reached the perfect place. It was a bedroom. Arisu wondered why this area wouldn't be used, but she quickly discarded it – calling her brother was more important. She didn't even bother to observe the room closely.
Pulling out her gray phone, Arisu leaned tightly against a wall and dialed the boy's number.
Come on…. Come on….
A timid voice in French answered.
"H – hello?"
"AID – "
Arisu instantly shushed herself… she needed to be quiet.
"Aidyn! 'Ow are you?"
"Ah! Sister!" He sounded excited.
"I – I miss you…"
"Aww… I'm sorry baby…. I am going to be back veiry soon. Did you eat? Isaac is not giving you a 'ard time right?"
"O – oh… Isaac's m – mad…..v – veiry mad."
"Hmph. I knew 'e would be – is 'e bozering you?"
"N – no… 'e's ignoring me. T – too busy looking for you."
"Ah I see… Well do not worry. Anyway, did you eat?...Aidyn?…..Aidyn?…..Aidyn?"
No response.
She lost service.
Sh*t!
This place, this monastery… truly was a bubble, isolated, enclosed by the virus. What if she never got home? What if she died in this place with a crowd of strangers? How would it happen? Starvation? Or would the sickness leak in? Arisu could see Aidyn now… alone, afraid, curled up in his room….
Placing the phone back in her pockets, Arisu mindlessly scanned the floor. Her eyes froze at one spot…. The very reason why no one was here… The spot was brown, no, more like an old rusted color…. a color that used to be a cherry red.
It was a blood spatter…. or at least the stain it left behind….
For some twisted reason, Arisu imagined a body lying there in that area…. The corpse had streams of blood curling down it's eyes, ears, and mouth. Something horrible happened to that person… something KILLED him…
And although she did not know what he looked like…. the girl imagined that person being Father Fujimoto.
Arisu was frozen, she couldn't think, couldn't breathe.
A man died here.
A man was murdered here….
Was it Rin...?
Out of nowhere, a collision of loud voices erupted from down the hallway.
"Sir – sir! You must calm down!" The cry came from one of the priests.
"HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO F*CKING CALM DOWN?...! MY SON! MY SON!"
Arisu ripped herself from the blood spot and eased down the hallway. When the girl reached the room of people and mattresses, she saw a ragged middle-aged man near the outside door. His clothes were ripped and his eyes were bloodshot. Fuzz was right in front of the man; she could tell by the way his shoulders hunched that the situation was serious.
"Please… settle down – "
"THEY TOOK HIM! THEY TOOK MY SON!"
"SIR – "
The man hiccupped and agonized to the priest.
"T – they t – took my s – son…. We t – tried to get here but those sons-of-b*tches came and dragged him a – away. THEY SAID THEY COULD USE HIM! THEY SAID IF HE WAS LUCKY HE WOULDN'T DROWN LIKE THE REST US!"
Arisu didn't notice the little girl, the one she gave food to before, crying in her mother's arms. Instead, the words 'taken' and 'drown' filled the girl's mind and consciousness. This man's son was stolen from him… taken… She'd seen this before… she'd seen this… Somewhere beyond the walls of her mind Arisu had seen this happen before.
Taken. Taken. Taken. DROWNED.
The girl was running from something.
And wished oh so dearly that mother was there to protect her.
They were coming…. coming….
Coming to take her away…. though she couldn't remember why.
The forest dirt crunched against her little black shoes.
Branches ensnared and ripped at her lace dress….
She needed to hide.
She didn't want them to find her.
There! A pond!
The little girl jumped inside, forgetting her inability to swim.
AND – there it was –
The corpse –
The filthy rotted thing that stared at the girl with unblinking eyes –
'Did you put me here?'
'Do you know who put me here?'
'You cannot escape them… all shall drown someday…'
The hand.
Grabbed her.
Pushed her under.
Made her suffer.
'Enough. You've had your fun. Now take the girl.'
'Yes… Dollmaker…."
The man struck Fuzz with his fist and screamed.
"AREN'T YOU PRIESTS?...! YOU'RE SUPPOST TO PROTECT US FROM EVIL!"
"PROTECT MY SON! PROTECT MY SON! PROTECT MY SON, YOU GODDAMN- "
High-hair and the Round One pinned the screaming man to the ground. With all their effort, they dragged the man into another room. Everyone else either stared dumbfounded or averted their eyes – Arisu, however, couldn't pull hers away.
At the moment, she felt like something was happening.
She was beginning to remember.
