Chapter 10: Council With Sachiko
Disclaimer: I don't own Corpse Party.
A/N: What was that thing that caught Ayumi and Yoshiki? They are alive, don't worry. I don't plan on killing anyone off... yet. So, in this chapter Yoshiki will finally attempt to rid himself of the brainwashing he had on him. And I'm not going to just tell you, you have to read. So, read on! Also, I'd like to say that some scenes get pretty graphic in this chapter. So, you have been warned. Read at your own risk!
Satoshi
Satoshi was exploring the basement of the very old and creepy farm house. Naomi was upstairs, searching the bedrooms. He proposed the theory that any place to hide an important 'family heirloom' would be the basement. So, he was searching through old boxes, not finding anything yet. He eventually looked up to find a door, that was shut. He walked over to the door and attempted to open it. Upon grabbing the doorknob and wiggling it, he found it was locked from the inside. He sighed, shaking his head in confusion. Who locks a door from the inside of a room in a house? He walked around the basement, for something that would help get the door open. He eventually settled on a crowbar, which he found it odd, that it was stashed down in this basement.
He walked back over to the door and started to attempt to force the door open. After the first few fruitless attempts, he tried harder. But there was still no success. He finally dropped the crowbar. "Whoever locked this door, doesn't want anyone to get in." he said. "But that isn't stopping me." He started to attempt to kick the door down. On about the fourth try, he succeeded in doing so. The door didn't exactly fall down, it more or less just broke the lock and it opened on it's own. The room smelled realy bad and Satoshi could of sworn he saw someone staring at him, sitting on the floor in the room. His cowardly instincts were screaming at him to get out of the basement at this moment. He probably should have listened to them. But his curiousity got the best of him. "Is anyone in here?" he called out. If there was anyone in the room, they didn't answer. This sent a chill down his spine.
Next, he did something really stupid. He took out his phone and turned on it's flashlight. He stared into the now illuminated room and wanted to vomit. He was staring at a person, who yes, was sitting on the ground. But, the person had been long dead, with a pair of hedge clippers lodged in the skull. And even worse, the remains were still decomposing. Satoshi stared in utter shock at the remains of this human being and almost dropped his phone. He couldn't help but vomit all over the floor. After recovering, he noticed that his heartbeat monitor on his wrist was going beserk. He shook his head, not knowing how worked up he had gotten. He clicked off his flashlight and made a dash for the stairs. "Naomi!" he shouted. "Where are you?!" He got to the top of the stairs and ran into the living room, or what was left of it. He looked around for her, but didn't find her. He started to run up the stairs and ran right into her. She fell on her back on the staircase and Satoshi fell on his back on the floor. "Satoshi..." she hissed in pain. "Watch where you're going!"
He ignored her and got up, helping her up as well. "I don't care!" he said in a hurried voice, as he realized that Yoshiki's and Ayumi's heart rates were steadily rising. "We have to get out of here!" She looked confused. "Why?" she asked. "I found a dead body in the basement!" he nearly shouted at her, but he kept his voice a bit low. "Well, show me!" she said. He was about to refuse, when they heard screams coming from the otherside of the property. "Oh no, it has to be Yoshiki and Ayumi!" Naomi said. She started running down the stairs and Satoshi followed after her in a hurry. They ran out the door of the abandoned farm house and in the direction of the screams. The kept running until they came to a busted door in the side of a hill. Before Satoshi could step into the area, he felt Naomi take his hand. He looked at her, seeing that she was sporting a combination of three emotions. Fear, compassion and reassurance. "Look, who knows what is down there," Naomi replied. "I just don't to lose anyone else If I don't have to." He nodded. "I understand." he said, squeezing her hand in reassurance.
They both stepped into the storage area, if that's what it was. Satoshi turned his flashlight back on and they started searching for their friends. They only walked a few feet at the most before they heard a voice. "Yoshiki! Please wake up!" Satoshi heard Ayumi's panicked voice. Satoshi signed the light in the direction of her voice and found her. As the light hit her face, Ayumi blocked the direction of the light. "What happened?" Satoshi said, as he let go of Naomi's hand and sat down next to her and Yoshiki. Naomi sat down next to them, as it dawned on Satoshi, that Yoshiki was unconscious, his head in Ayumi's lap. "We were caught by this spirit thing." Ayumi said. "It didn't affect me much, but Yoshiki was knocked unconscious. And he won't wake up!" Satoshi looked at his friend and started to lightly smack his cheeks, but it didn't work.
Yoshiki
Yoshiki woke up in a white, foggy room. He groaned, hearing voices. He was shocked, when he learned he was hearing his voice. And he wasn't talking. "What the hell?" he said, his voice echoing. "Where am I?" He got up and looked around. He didn't see any exits. In fact, all he would see was a white fog. He couldn't see anything past that. "You are in your mind." a female voice said. He turned to see Ayumi standing next to him. "Is this some kind of joke?" he said. "Am I dead?" Ayumi shook her head. "You should consider this a dream." Ayumi said. "In the real world, you are passed out." He shook his head, utterly confused. "Real world? Mind? Passed out?" he asked. "I want out!" He walked into the mist or fog, for just a few seconds, before being forced back the way he came. More like, launched back the way he came.
He landed on his back, surprised from the sudden trauma. Ayumi walked over to Yoshiki. "Don't you ever, try that again." she said, sticking out her hand to help him up. Yoshiki grimaced and smacked her hand away, getting up himself. "Seriously." he said. "Where the hell are we?" She sighed. "You. You are in a mental state while unconscious. Think of it as a dream of sorts." Yoshiki sighed in confusion. "Ok. If I'm in my 'brain' right now, than how can you be here?" he asked. "I'm not really Ayumi. I'm your mental image of her." He sighed. "Do you come with subtitles?" he asked. She smacked her forehead. "I'm the way you see Ayumi in the real world." He nodded. "Oh." he said, even though he still didn't really get it. "Why am I here?" Yoshiki asked. "Let yourself answer that question." she said. "What? I don't understand." he replied. Before she answered, he heard his voice say something. Objective: Terminate Brainwashing. "What the hell?" he asked. "Who said that?" Ayumi looked at him. "Your thoughts did." she said. He raised his eyebrows in utter confusion. "What?" he asked. "I didn't say, or think anything! I'm right here!" Ayumi smacked herself once again. "No, no, no." she said. "You're not understanding. You're here, but you're also not here."
"What the hell are you saying?!" he said. "I don't understand the shit you're saying here!" Ayumi slapped herself for the third time. "Ok, since you are obviously high-" she started, but he interrupted. "I haven't done drugs since the first incident." he said. "Ok, then you are obviously drunk, so-" He sighed. "I haven't drank liquor since the incident either." he said. "Ok, then you're brain dead!" she said. "Do you remember being hit by that malovelant spirit thing hit you?" He yawned. "Yeah. So what?" She continued talking. "So, you passed out!" she said. "And when you did, you were put into a dream-like state in your own mind!" He sighed in frusteration. "That literally makes no sense." he said. "It doesn't have to!" she said. "You're in here for a purpose!" He grumbled in anger. "And what is that purpose?" he asked. "Did you not hear what your thoughts said?" she asked, in an angry tone. "Yeah. I heard." he said. "I was just so confused, I didn't listen." She sighed in anger and frusteration. "Tell him again!" she called out.
Objective: Terminate Brainwashing. "Look, I just don't understand." he said. "I not doing this." He started to walk away. He didn't make it very far, before Ayumi grabbed his hand. "What the-" he started to say something, but stopped when he realized she was holding his hand. He looked back at her, with a look of confusion on his face. "You can't leave." she said, simply. "Well, I didn't sign up for this." he said, pulling out of her grip. "I'm not telling you again." Ayumi replied. "You can't escape unless you do what you are asked." Yoshiki sighed. "Ok." he said. "Just tell me what to do." Ayumi finally looked pleased. "We already told you. You have to terminate the brainwashing that was placed on you!" Yoshiki let out a frusterated sigh. "And how the hell am I supposed to do that?!" he asked. "I realize that you don't understand." she said. "Do you remember when I told you that I am your mental image of Ayumi?" He nodded. "What about it?" he asked. "That's why I was chosen to guide you." she said. "Guide me?" he asked. "What do you mean?" Ayumi rolled her eyes. "You are such a dimwit, you know that?" she asked. "Guide you. To guide you through your mind."
Yoshiki started to laugh. "Guide me through my mind? How?" he asked. "How would you be able to guide me? No one but me would know my mind!" Ayumi sighed. "Look, after Sachiko brainwashed you, she never wanted this exact scenario to happen." she said. "So, she did a few changes to your mind." Yoshiki just laughed. "Yeah? Like what?" he asked. "She generated lots of traps and one or two puzzles in your here, so you truly don't know you're mind." she replied. "Sachiko can do that?" he asked. "Hello!" she said. "She's a demon! She can do anything!" Yoshiki sighed. "I guess that makes sense." he said. "But, how do I terminate the brainwashing, as you said?" Ayumi started to laugh. "I find your stupidity to be soooo cute!" she said, laughing. "But anyway, that's what I'm here for! I'm your guide!" He sighed, in a bit of frusteration.
"Ok. Would it kill you to start guiding me, please? I want the hell out!" She dropped her smile. "Ok, ok, ok!" she said, grimacing. "Stop being such a sour kraut!" He was starting to get angry. "We're not in Germany, we are in Japan!" he said. "Actually, we are in your mind." she said. "I don't care!" he shouted at her. "All I want is out!" She sighed. "Ok." she said. "You can start by going west and looking for a door, that will take you towards the area you need to be in." He sighed. "Thank you!" he said, heading in that direction. As he headed in that direction, he began to see a door, as black as night. "I am going to guide you, through your depressing mind," Ayumi said, stepping up next to him. "into what we call your 'Inner Sanctum". Sachiko will be waiting for you there." Yoshiki gripped the door handle, to find it surprisingly cold. And cold as ice. "What do you mean, she will be waiting for me there?" he asked. "She has been expecting you. She is waiting for the right time, to permantly purge you. To make your mind hers." she said. "So, to kill me?" he asked. She nodded. "Can... I die in here?" he asked. She shrugged. "You'll just have to find out." she replied. "Well, that's reassuring." he said. She giggled as he opened the door.
As he opened the door, the blinding light from the room he was in penetrated the darkness of the room ahead. And with it, it revealed a dark, dreary and gloomy hallway that could be found in Heavenly Host Elementary School. "What the hell?" he asked. "Why am I in Heavenly Host, Shinozaki?" he asked. "You aren't in Heavenly Host, idiot." she said. "Your mind is just so depressing, that it took the shape of Heavenly Host." He nodded. "I guess it makes sense." he said. "But it's still as creepy as fuck." He continued to move forward, with the glowing image of Ayumi lighting the way. "Now be careful, I'm sensing a trap ahead." she said. He just rolled his eyes. "Whatever. It's my mind. I'll do whatever the hell I want, when I want!" he said, laughing and running a bit forward. "Kishinuma!" she called. "Wait!" But it was too late. He stepped on a floor board, which in turn, launched in towards the ceiling. He felt his head make contact with the ceiling first, followed by his back next. He could feel his spinal column begin to rupture, as he also felt it twist and turn. He fell back onto the floor and he felt it snap in two. He let out a gasp. "How the hell am I still alive?!" he said. He then felt himself start to gargle on his own blood, before he passed out.
...
"What the hell?!" Yoshiki said, sitting up. "I'm alive!" He was no longer gargling blood and his spinal column felt fine. "I would advise you listen from now on." a voice said. He looked up, to see Ayumi standing there, with her arms crossed. She then reached out, offering her hand to help him up. Instead, he smacked it out of the way. He got up himself and for the first time, noticed he was back in the big, foggy, white room. "If I were you, I'd be nicer to the girl you are in love with." she replied. His heart threatened to stop, as what she said hit him like a ton of bricks. "What did you just say?" he asked, after recovering from the shock. "Look, we are in your mind. And when we are in your mind, nothing is secret." she said. "Fair enough." he said. "Um... If you know about that, do you feel the same way?" She shrugged. "As I said before, I'm not the real Ayumi Shinozaki. I'm your mental image of her. So, I wouldn't know." He nodded, not completely understanding. "Oh, right. Well, does she feel the same way?" he said. She smacked her forehead. "Look, let's just focus at the task at hand." she said. "Um, ok..." he said, proceeding to the door to the west. "And this time, be more careful." she said. You may have restarted, but I have no idea if you have an infinite amount of chances."
"I'll try to keep that in mind." he said. "No. Do keep it in mind." she said. He walked up to the door and pulled it open. He walked a few feet forward, until she grabbed his shoulder. "Ok, the first trap is directly in front of you." she said. "Go around it, not in over it." He nodded and did what he was told. After he had walked over the trap, he came across a purple, glowing object. After squinting, he noticed it was a blade. "What is that?" he asked, pointing at it. "It's the Blade of the Damned." Ayumi replied. "Pick it up." He looked at her, with a confused look. "Before you ask why, it can't harm sentient beings. It can only harm the undead." she replied. "Ok, then." he said, grabbing it from the ground. "Now what?" he asked. "Continue down the hallway." she said, gesturing forward. He continued to walk, while attempting to cut himself with the Blade. But she was right. Whenever it came into contact with his skin, it just passed through without doing really anything. "Stop, wait." Ayumi said. "I'm sensing something." He stopped and looked ahead at the ground, walls and ceiling. "I don't see-" he started to say something, but was interrupted from a shriek down at the other end of the hall. "What the hell is it?" he asked. Before she could answer, he saw a pair of red, glowing eyes at the other end of the hall. They gradually got closer and closer, really quickly. "Get ready to stab it!" she urged. As usual, it was too late. Before he could even react, a spirit made contact with him, making him explode. Literally explode.
...
After "respawning" in the main chamber, Yoshiki made the same journey, avoiding the trap and claiming the Blade of the Damned. "Ok, now get ready. As it is going to super sprint towards you." Ayumi said. He nodded, not getting ready whatsover. He heard the shriek and saw the red, demonic, glowing eyes at the end of the hall. He could barely see it "super sprinting" towards him. "Why aren't you getting ready?!" she hissed. He ignored her, a wide grin growing on his face. As soon as it got close enough, he moved to the right, pushing Ayumi out of the way. He then stabbed the malevolent spirit in the back. It let out a earth shattering shriek, as it exploded into a fiery inferno around them. "And, how do you like it?" Yoshiki asked. "Don't get cocky." she said. He laughed. "Whatever." he said. He continued walking forward slowly, so she could keep up. "Look out, there's a trap up ahead." Ayumi said. He walked cautiously, looking for a switch or anything that could trigger it. Without warning, he saw a circular saw blade, speeding towards his face. He quickly crouched and just in time, as the saw blade took a bit of hair off his head.
He quickly got back up and ran forward, as saw blades flew past him, all around him. "What in the fuck?!" he said, as he continued to run. "I told you Sachiko would attempt any ways possible to purge you!" Ayumi said. "Well no shit!" he replied in return. He continued running, as another saw blade flew past his arm, cutting through his jacket and white shirt. "Ack!" he groaned, as he held his upper arm as he ran. He brought his hand back to see that there was some blood. Some very little blood, but blood nonetheless. "Don't worry!" Ayumi said, as she ran by his side. "As long as you are not mortally wounded, your mind won't restart this thing." He laughed in confusion, anger and reassurance all in one emotion. "Oh, well that's reassuring!" he said, continuing to run. He made it to the end of the hallway and made a left turn, as it was the only way to go, narrowly missing getting his head taken off. After he caught his breath, he stood up straighter. "What the hell?!" he hissed at Ayumi. "This isn't fair!" She smacked him across the cheek. "Fair? Of course it isn't!" she said. "Sachiko doesn't believe in fair!" He grimaced. "Well, obviously not." he said.
"Ok, ok." Ayumi replied. "Look. We can't stand around all day. We have to get you out of here, so you can get back to the real world." He sighed. "Ok. What's next?" Ayumi stood there for a few seconds. "I'm sensing one of Sachiko's puzzles ahead." she said. "Good luck." He looked at her, a little bit angry and confused. "There's a puzzle and you say: 'Good luck.'? Is that all?" he asked. "What am I supposed to say?" she asked. "Well, good point, I guess." he said. "But still, what the hell?!" He sighed and walked forward a few feet, until a old looking table came into view. And of course, there was a skull on the table. "Again, good luck." Ayumi said, stepping up to him. He sighed. "Let's get this over with." he said. As soon as he finished saying that, three oversized mugs appeared, levitating over the table. All three lowered, one of them hiding the skull. "Oh, I see where this is going." he said. A paranormal force of some kind started to move the mugs, slow at first, then faster and faster. After about six or seven seconds, they stopped moving. He tried to move forward, to attempt to guess which mug was hiding the skull, but found that he could not move.
Just then, glowing, blood red letters started to form above the table. They said: First Warning. Guess verbally or be rejected. It is your choice. "Um," Yoshiki replied, biting his lip. "I guess I'll go with the middle mug." The mug started to rise, slowly revealing the lower half of a skull. "Yes!" he said. "Um, Yoshiki?" she asked. "I knew I was awesome, but to guess without even paying attention? Hell yeah!" he said, laughing. "Um, Yoshiki?" she said. "I'm practically an expert!" he said, continuing to ignore her. "Um, Yoshiki?!" she shouted. He looked at her. "Perhaps, you should hold off on celebrating." she said. "Why?" he asked, turning back to the table. He saw not one, but three skulls on the table. And two of them were beginning to fade away. Knowing his luck, one of the fading skulls was the one he picked. They both faded, leaving only one skull, on the right. "Oh, nice one Sachiko!" he muttered, as he felt a trap door open beneath his feet.
...
After respawning at the main chamber and being scolded about paying more attention, Yoshiki began the journey all over again. He narrowly missed getting his spine broken again and right now, was getting a hair cut. "This is a bunch of bullshit!" he said, as one of the saw blades cut through his hair. He finally made it through the "saw field" and was standing in front of the table. He paid more attention this time and picked the left one. And he actually got it. After he succeeded, the table disappeared and he was able to proceed. He continued walking and came across a door. "What's in there?" he asked. "It's the main hub of your brain." Ayumi replied. "Uh, y-you're on your o-own." He turned to look at her. "What?" he asked. "Why?" She looked kind of sad. "I-its the main up. None of your mental images are aloud to see the outside world." she said. "See the outside world? What do you mean?" he asked. "In that room, is where your brain processes everything. Tastes, sights, your hearing, smells and the sensations of touch. The sight one, of course, has like a small window, to allow anyone or anything in there to see outside into the real world." she said. "And, I'm not allowed in there." He nodded. "Wait." he said, confused. "If you aren't allowed in there, how do you know that I'm in love with the real Ayumi?"
"As I said before, your 'secrets' aren't secret in here." she said. "Each and everyday, those secrets pass through all the 'hallways' in here, to the storage area. And we all see them." He narrowed his eyes. "Prove it." he said. "I'd be glad to." she said. "You are in love with the real Ayumi, you are a talented guitar player, that time in sixth grade when you wet the bed and-" He stopped her there. "Ok, that's enough!" he said, emberassed from the last part. "I believe you." She nodded. "Well, go on. Claim your redemption." she said. "If you die somehow, I'll be waiting back at the start." she said, beginning to walk back down the dark hallway. "What if I succeed?" he called. "That's for you to know and for me not to know." she said, her voice echoing as she disappeared from sight. He turned back to look at the door. He took a deep breath, as he gripped the handle. "Alright." he said. "Moment of truth." He opened the door and walked in. Standing in the middle of the room, with her back to him, was the red-dressed devil herself, Sachiko. "Hello, Kishinuma." she hissed, not turning around. "Would you like to watch your friends' pathetic attempts to wake you?"
He looked at the small window that Ayumi had mentioned, to find that it was black. But he could still hear his friend's voices, calling out to him to wake up. They also sounded like they were panicking. "No." he said, stepping up behind her. "I want you to get the hell out of my head." She laughed. "No, no, no. No, no. I actually like it here." she said. He sighed in anger and frusteration. "We both know you don't belong here. Go back to your putrid asylum." She giggled once more, before turning to him, greeting him with cold, demonic smile. "Alright then," she said, snapping her fingers. "Let's get this over with." After a second or two, half a dozen of ghouls or something appeared, three on each side of her. "Kill him." she commanded. "No." he said. "This is between you and me." he said. "Besides, wouldn't you like it to kill me yourself?" She giggled. "I suppose you're right." she said, as the ghouls disappeared. He tightened his hand on something behind his back. "Come on." he said. "Come kill me. Do what you want." She let out a howl of demonic laughter, as she sprinted towards him. He closed his eyes. Time to die. He smiled, as his grip tightened. He heard her stop, about to take the killing strike. He felt blood spray on his jacket.
He opened his eyes, grinning. He looked down, to see the Blade of the Damned embedded into her stomach. He looked back at Sachiko, her eyes full of shock. "B-but that's i-i-impossible! Y-you can't-" He withdrew the Blade, causing her to collapse onto the floor. He bent down next to her, stabbing the Blade into the floor. "Y-you don't u-understand!" Sachiko said. "I-I w-was supposed t-to win! N-not y-y-you! M-me!" Yoshiki just smiled, as he put her hands on her neck. "Get used to it, bitch." he said, bending over, so his mouth was over her ears. "This is my mind. Not yours. I win. I fucking win!" And with that, he snapped her neck. He stood up, as he watched her figure slowly dissepate. He felt pained and he looked down at his hands, to see them slowly starting to disintigrate as well. He just stood there, as his whole body started to fade away. Just before he was gone, he heard his thoughts 'speaking'. Objective achieved. Bring him out.
A/N: I'd like to apologize for not updating for soooooo long! But then again, Christmas Day, you guys got three chapters. So, I feel like this was due. I hoped you like the whole part with Yoshiki in his own mind. I thought it'd be a cool and creative thing to do. I can't tell you what's next. But I can at least promise the next chapter in less than a month. Until next time!