Chapter 13: Securing the Body
Disclaimer: I Don't Own Corpse Party
A/N: In this chapter, our four characters will find themselves in the past. They will begin the first step in resurrecting Seiko. But, who says it will be easy? Because most of it will be difficult. I hope you do enjoy this chapter, so anyways, let's get into it!
Naomi
Heavenly Host Elementary School
Several Months Earlier...
Naomi came out of the haze of whites, blacks and grays of whatever she had fallen into with her friends. "Oh my God. What have I done?" Naomi said, half out loud, half to herself. "No, Naomi. Breath, it's ok." She looked around her, as she came to the realization that she had gone back to the night that had started it all. The night of Seiko's death... "Seiko!" she shouted, trying to get the spirit's attention. "We're not alone here." Ayumi replied, as Naomi felt her hand on her shoulder. Naomi nodded, as she turned around to face her friends. Make that friend. "Shinozaki... where's Kishinuma and Mochida?" Naomi asked. Ayumi whirled around, to see that their friends were no where to be seen. "Oh no..." Ayumi whispered, just loud enough for Naomi to hear. "We must have been seperated, Nakashima-San." Naomi turned back around. "No. It's happening again." Naomi sighed, closing her eyes, wanting to cry. "What's happening again?" Ayumi asked. "I feel so alone, just like when Seiko and I had our fight... and right before I-I-I-" Naomi spoke, but she couldn't utter the truth. She couldn't utter what she had done on this night. "Naomi... you didn't kill Seiko. We all told you this numerous times." Ayumi said. "I know, I just can't bear the amount of guilt that I have within me." she said. "I can understand that, but we must get moving if we are to secure Seiko's body! This is all for her, remember?" Ayumi said in response. "Yes!" Naomi said, standing up straighter with a smile. "We must work quickly! There is so much to do! Obtaining the Ritual Items Naho mentioned, Preserving Seiko's Body, Sealing the Gateway!" Ayumi grinned. "That's the spirit!" she said. "Now let's go! We have much work to do!"
Yoshiki
Several Months Earlier...
"Oh God...!" Yoshiki groaned, only seconds before vomiting all over the decayed wooden floor. "I think the Time Spell is worse than going through that portal!" He got up after spitting a little, just to make sure there wasn't any left over vomit. "Uh... well, guys? Where do we start?" he asked. He didn't get an answer. "Guys? Come on this isn't-" he turned around. "-funny." he finished. It was to Yoshiki's horror that he was alone in this room. "God damn it!" Yoshiki said. "Why can't this cursed school let all of us stay together?!" He heaved a sigh. "Without Shinozaki or Mochida, I feel useless." he said. That's because you are useless. Why did you drink and smoke? Why did you agree to help them? You know in the end that you will all fail. Why do you trust Naho? Is it because you think that in the end she'll actually help you? Is it because- "Shut the fuck up!" Yoshiki hissed in agony. "Just shut up!" Sachiko's voice stopped. It just stopped. "I need to get moving. I cannot stay here." he said. That's when he heard a cackling sound. "Unleash the Hammer Man! Maybe he will teach you not to talk back to your God!" he heard Sachiko's voice booming out of no where. Yoshiki turned to the corner of the classroom he had been dropped into, in the direction of all the noise, to see something like a clouds of a "bubbling" black. All of a sudden, the clouds of black exploded outward and standing in their place, was a tall man, carrying a sledge hammer in one hand. "Oh fuck. Not you again." Yoshiki said, as the Hammer Man slowly trudged towards him, maybe taking half a step every second or two.
"Wow. Well played." Yoshiki said, beginning to clap. "If he's going that slow, you might as well open the damn door for me." You want him to move faster? Ha ha ha! Brave boy... The Hammer Men let out an angry scream as he slammed his sledge hammer into the floor and began to run towards Yoshiki. Yoshiki had no time to berate Sachiko at the moment, so he ran away from the Hammer Man as he chased after him. Yoshiki had a close call in getting out of the room, as the Hammer Man almost hit him with the hammer, but missed and hit a desk instead, causing it to crumble to the floor. Yoshiki ran out of the classroom and down the hall of the eerie school. "So, what is this?!" Yoshiki asked towards either Sachiko or the Hammer Man, he didn't really know which. "Will you chase me until I repent, until I ask for forgiveness from my sins? Well, I won't! I don't regret a damn thing!" He turned around, just as the Hammer Man was swinging the hammer down at him. Yoshiki grabbed below the hammer part itself, preventing the Hammer Man from lowering it anymore. "Ok. My turn!" Yoshiki said. Despite the giant weighing probably at least twenty pounds more than him, Yoshiki was able to push the man over the edge of a hole in the floor. "Well, I think that took care of him." Yoshiki said in a confident tone, as he heard a thud on the floor below him and as he continued to walk. Oh... You think it would be that easy, do you? No... I think our Hammer Man deserves another chance, don't you? Yoshiki heard a hissing sound from behind him. He turned around to see the the black clouds of smoke and then saw the Hammer Man spawn back in. "God damn it!" Yoshiki said, as he turned back around and ran away, as the Hammer Man chased behind him once more.
Naomi
Several Months Earlier...
"Without Kishinuma or Mochida," Naomi replied. "I just don't know where to start. I don't even know when we are! We could have arrived hours before Seiko died! Or we could have arrived hours after we left this cursed place!" Ayumi shook her head. "Naho wouldn't send us to the wrong time. We just need to hurry up and find Seiko. So we can make sure that this step is completed!" she said. "Without the guidance of Seiko's spirit, I fear that the path ahead is darker than I had previously thought." Naomi said, as she heaved a sigh. "How am I to work when all around me, I hear the voices of the damned and the doomed? No, Naomi. You must be calm. I must remember my mission. Why I am here." She looked back at Ayumi, who had a calm look on her face. "We must hurry and find Seiko. I think the only logical place to look is the Infirmary, as that is where we had our fight. I said horrible things. She wasn't there for me. She was so cheerful when we were trapped in this hell and I can't believe I actually resented her for it." Naomi said. "Then let's go. We must move quickly. We must not stop." Ayumi said. They started walking together through the halls of the school. Ayumi then said something very shocking. "I wish Kishinuma-San were here." she said. Naomi looked at her, but didn't stop walking. "I thought you liked Mochida?" she asked. Ayumi shrugged. "I don't know anymore, Naomi." she said. "I thought I did. But I feel as though Satoshi and I are growing apart. I hate to admit it to him himself, but I feel like Yoshiki has matured. We had a moment this morning when we held hands for a brief amount of time, and I think I actually enjoyed the feeling of holding his hand in mine. I don't know what to think, but I know he is growing on me."
Naomi nodded. They didn't speak anymore, until they came to the closed door of the Infirmary. And then they saw the small pile of vomit not too far away. "I remember now. I threw up after my encounter with the malevolent spirit that attacked me. Seiko and I have already fought and seperated. We must hurry if we are to find her." Naomi said. "Which way did she go?" Ayumi asked. "I think she headed that way." Naomi said, pointing in the opposite direction of where her past self had been sitting. "And whatever you do Naomi, you must not allow your past self to see you." Ayumi said. "Why not?" Naomi asked, raising an eyebrow. "If you allow yourself to be seen by your past self, it could drive your past self to insanity. As, this is a sort of paradox, to see yourself when you travel back through time." Ayumi said. "Ok, I guess that makes sense." Naomi said, as they started walking in the path Seiko had taken. They kept silent as they walked up to the third floor and until they finally came across Seiko, who was sitting on her knees with her back to them. "No!" Ayumi hissed in a quiet voice, as she pulled Naomi with her into the shadows of the hallway. "I know what you are thinking." Ayumi whispered. "You must not make contact with Seiko, you'll mess this whole thing up!" Naomi let out a quiet sigh. "But why?" Naomi asked. "We could just grab Seiko now and not even have to do this stupid ritual!" Ayumi said nothing for a few seconds. "You know what, screw it! Let's grab Seiko now!" They both ran forward and Naomi began to speak. "Seiko, it's me! Naomi! We've come to take you home!" Then, everything froze. Naomi nor Ayumi could move, they were both frozen in place. That's when the heard the cackling of a little girl.
You really think it would be that easy? You really think you could just grab your friend and get out without doing any of the work? No, you can't do that! It wouldn't be fair! I'll let you tamper with your history, but not in this way! Nakashima-San, you have a destiny here! You can't just abandon it! Let's try again, shall we? Naomi opened her eyes, to find that she and Ayumi had been sent a few minutes back in time. Now do it the right way! Naomi and Ayumi walked down the hall to where Seiko was at, and again attempted to talk with her. But again, they were prevented from attempting contact. You didn't learn your lesson! You must try again! You cannot speak to her! You cannot touch her! You must let your past self fulfill her destiny! It's fate! You cannot prevent fate! TRY AGAIN! They were teleported once more back a few minutes. "Nakashima..." Ayumi said, in a grim tone. Naomi looked at her friend. "It appears that Sachiko is attempting to tell us something." Ayumi said. "We cannot change history. At least not this way. We must not continue this cycle of attempting to speak with Seiko and getting sent back here. Who knows how long we've been doing this. We may have done this hundreds of times by now. What matters most is that we break the cycle!" Naomi frowned. "And how do we do that?" she asked, in a confused and angry whisper. "As much as it hurts, we must let Seiko die! I think that's what Sachiko is trying to tell us!" Yes... you must allow her death, it's the only way to escape this... cycle, that your friend mentioned. Now, do it right!
They listened as Seiko sobbed and called out Naomi's name. "Seiko... I'm right here." Naomi said as quiet as she could, reaching out to Seiko. Ayumi grabbed Naomi's wrist and slowly brought it down, looking at her with a frown and shaking her head. No. Ayumi mouthed the word to her. Naomi sighed and nodded once more. They kept listening to Seiko's sobs, until she all of a sudden got up and muttered something about someone calling out to her. She walked off and they slowly followed her, until she walked into the girl's lavatory. A minute or two later, they saw the past version of Naomi slowly walk into the lavatory, as if she were a zombie. And in her hands, they were pretty sure, they could see a rope. "If what I think will happen is about to happen, I get the feeling that you don't want to see how this ends." Ayumi replied. Naomi nodded, agreeing with her. "With or without Naho, I know what must be done. As much as it pains me to say, in order for this plan to work, Seiko has to die." Naomi said in a sad tone, as she got the urge to cry, but didn't. They began to hear Seiko's screams from the lavatory and Naomi could infer that her past self was currently hanging her, while possessed by paranormal forces. Naomi began to sob silently, as Ayumi rubbed her back in an attempt to comfort her. About a minute later, Naomi's past self emerged from the lavatory, her eyes glazed over in pure blackness, inferring that she was still possessed, corrupted or whatever had happened. Naomi herself still didn't understand. "Well, I guess we were right. It wasn't you who had hung Seiko." Ayumi replied. Naomi just nodded, saying nothing. "Well, now all we have to do is wait for a chance to retrieve her body. And find the others." Ayumi said. Why did you kill? What did that poor girl ever do to you? And this is the place where your paths cross even more than any other place. Why did you kill?
Satoshi
Several Months Earlier...
Satoshi had searched for his friends for what had felt like hours. He was lucky enough to find that one of the classrooms, the Science Classroom, was open and he had decided to take a quick breather. He had walked in about ten minutes ago and was just trying to remain in a steady manner, trying not be scared. "I just hope the others are having better luck than I am." he said. He heaved a sigh. "Hard to believe that somewhere in this fractured reality is another Satoshi Mochida." he said. He got up from the wobbly chair he was sitting in and let out a sigh. "I wonder where Yoshiki is. Or if he's dead..." Satoshi shivered as he said this. He's dead. You must be sure of that now. He died while making a foolish attempt to find you and your friends. It's all Nakashima's fault. If it weren't for her, you'd all be home safe and sound. But instead, you are here. In a time in which you do not belong... How odd. I sense this is not the first time you have been stuck in a different timeline. And that it won't be the last... Satoshi sighed. "I have no idea what you refer to child." he said. "But Naomi just wants to have her best friend back. And we all agreed to help her." Satoshi then heard someone running very fast outside the classroom. It scared the living daylights out of him when the door to the Science Classroom opened quickly and then shut again. He heard someone else or something else run past the door, maybe even faster than the person who was in the room with him had ran. Satoshi didn't dare move a muscle, he didn't know who this person was and he wasn't too sure he wanted to know.
He could tell that the mysterious person was breathing heavy and rapidly. So, this person must have been running for a while... The person finally spoke after a few seconds. "Ok. I think I actually lost him." he said. And Satoshi recognized the person's voice. "Yoshiki?" Satoshi called out into the darkness. "Is that you?" He heard the person turn around. "Satoshi?" the person asked, as a light came on. The light shined over to him as the person walked over to him. The person's face came into view, revealing that it was indeed Yoshiki. "Oh, thank goodness you're safe man!" Yoshiki said, as he hugged Satoshi, which it surprised him, since Yoshiki wasn't really a hugger. After they pulled away, Satoshi was the first to speak. "Are the girls with you? And who were you running from?" Yoshiki let out a sigh. "No, man. I haven't seen heads or tails of the girls. I woke up in a room by myself, right before vomiting. Again. As for all the running? The big guy with the hammer responsible for my rib injury was chasing me for about ten minutes before I got here." he said. "What about you? I assume you haven't seen them either?" Yoshiki asked. Satoshi nodded. "I've been looking around forever and you were the first person I found here." Satoshi said. Yoshiki sighed. "Well, I suppose it's a start. I hate to break this up, but we should get moving and try to find the girls. And there is no way in hell we're splitting up. I haven't come this far to be alone again." he said.
"Let's get the fuck out of here. And find the girls." Satoshi said. They both walked out of the room and stated walking down the hall. "We should check the third floor. I have a strong feeling that they are up there." Yoshiki said, as they walked. Satoshi nodded. "You said you'll try to win Ayumi over with a song. May I ask what song?" he asked. Yoshiki nodded in return. "It's a song called 'My Girl' written by a American band called the Temptations. I was lent a copy of the song from Kisagari's choral director." he said. Satoshi just got a thought. "Could I practice with you? So we're ready for the talent show coming up?" he asked. "It'd be my pleasure." Yoshiki said. They were silent again for a few more minutes, until an earth shattering thunderclap broke the silence, followed by Sachiko's demonic voice. "The Hammer Man will peel the flesh of your bones!" her voice echoed, as Satoshi heard a hissing behind him. They both turned around to see clouds of black smoke, and it eventually exploded outward, spawning a gigantic man with a sledge hammer into the realm. "Run like hell! That's him!" Yoshiki said, before turning back around and running, with Satoshi not too far behind him.
Ayumi
Several Months Earlier...
Ayumi and Naomi had been waiting for ten minutes. Eventually, they saw the past version of Naomi walk into the girl's lavatory. And then they heard her cries of dispair and sadness, as she would come to the revelation that her best friend had been hung. Eventually, Naomi walked out of the lavatory, her eyes red from crying and walked off out of their sight. "Now's our chance!" Naomi said, springing forward. "Let's go-" Ayumi grabbed the anxious girl's hand. "No! We must wait for the others. Do you really think that you and I alone will be able to carry Shinohara's body? Let alone get it down from that noose?" Naomi sighed, before moving back beside her. "Ok, we'll wait." she agreed. About ten minutes more had passed, as they were pacing the third floor, looking for their friends. They stopped at the stairwell, where they could her voices and slamming noises from the floor beneath them. "You need to run faster, Satoshi!" Ayumi immediately recognized Yoshiki's panicked voice. "I'm sorry, Yoshiki! I don't work out that often!" Satoshi's voice called from below. "You shouldn't have to! You should be able to run away from a threat regardless of working out!" Yoshiki shouted. Seconds later, Ayumi and Naomi heard their rapid foot steps coming up the stairs. Yoshiki was first to come onto the floor, followed by Satoshi, who tripped over a wire of some kind. He flew a foot or two into the floor and landed not to far from his friends. Ayumi watched in utter fascination and horror as these sharp wire looking things started to cross over each other and under each other at an astonishing speed, coming from the inside of the door frame.
Ayumi turned to look to see Satoshi still on the floor, panting, as well as Yoshiki stood not too far away, bent over with his hands on his knees, also panting. "What were you guys running from anyway?" Naomi asked. Satoshi pointed towards the stairwell, as he whimpered. "H-h-him!" he said in a shaky, fear filled voice. They all looked towards the stairwell, as a giant man carrying a sledge hammer came running up the stairs and into the sea of sharp, moving wires. As soon as he came into contact with them, he exploded. Literally. Clouds of blood went all over the place. On the walls, the ceiling, the floor, the stairs. Thankfully, no one was drenched in it. It appears the one you call "Satoshi" has been spared by a miracle. How very lucky you must be. Then again... ...this isn't the first time that this has happened... Naomi was the first to speak. "Did e-everyone h-hear that?" she asked, in a fearful tone. "Yeah, and what does Sachiko mean by 'this isn't the first time that this has happened'?" Yoshiki asked. "Forget about that." Ayumi said. "Come here!" Ayumi ran over and buried herself into Yoshiki's chest. "Thank goodness you're both safe!" she said, although it was barely understandable. "Uh, Shinozaki?" Yoshiki asked. "Why are you hugging me?" Ayumi pulled away after a few more seconds. "I'm just so happy to see you alive! And you, Mochida!" she said. Before anyone could respond, it was as if they were frozen in place. "Wha-!" Yoshiki let out a surprised grunt. "What's happening?!" It wasn't long until they each saw bits of white, black and gray in their vision. And it was even shorter, until their vision went black.
Naomi
Several Months Earlier...
For some odd reason, when they all came to, they found themselves away from the stairwell, in the shadows of the darker part of the hall. And they could do nothing but watch and listen from the shadows to the past versions of Satoshi and Naomi speak to each other, with Seiko's body on the sidelines. Hmm, Naho must have advanced time further, so we wouldn't have to wait so long... Naomi thought to herself, as she listened. "We had a fight just before we parted ways." the past version of Naomi said in a glum voice. "I was the one in the wrong... but I was too stubborn to admit it." Naomi moved a little closer to Satoshi. "And the next time I saw her... Seiko... was already dead..." Naomi said. "It might have even been my fault. I said some pretty mean things to her..." The past version looked as if she were about to cry and the present version of Naomi had to fight just not to cry. "And I can't even apologize anymore..." The past version of Satoshi had a look of determination on his face. "Naomi... it's all right. It's not your fault." he said, in a confident tone, as Naomi began to cry. "You do realize that... you also... tried to hang yourself, right?" Naomi had a confused look on her face. "I... did? That's... not possible..." she said, as she closed her eyes, as if racking her brain to remember. "But there is... a stinging pain... around my entire neck... Did I really? Satoshi just stared at her. "So... you don't remember..." he said. Naomi just had a look of shock and fear on her face.
"I'm sure it was the same for Shinohara. I don't think she knew what she was doing." Satoshi said. Wrong. I hung her. While I was possessed. Naomi mentally reminded herself of the horrible truth. "No matter how upset she was... she would never..." Satoshi continued to speak. "She wasn't the type to give up... on anything... much less kill herself over it..." Naomi looked like she was thinking. "You... You're right. She wouldn't do that!" she said. If Seiko were here, she'd agree... "Actually... there was this spirit who came to talk to me... A girl about the same age as us..." Naomi replied. "She said that anyone who's been touched by the curse of this school will have their mind taken over... and go crazy..." Satoshi dropped his confident look and it was replaced by a more calm look. "Their mind... taken over?" he asked. After a brief amount of silence, Satoshi spoke again. "It sounds like we need to hurry up and find the others, then get out of here." he said. Naomi looked calm again. "Yeah... That brings up something else, though. That girl spirit also said that this school was it's own version of closed space..." she said, before a glum look came over her. "And that Seiko and I were the only living beings present." She smiled before looking up at him. "So how did you get here, Satoshi?" she asked.
"Now that you mention it... there is a different feeling in the air now than there was before..." he said. Naomi watched as she saw the eyes of the past Satoshi grow wider than she thought physically possible. "We've been compromised..." Naomi whispered into Ayumi's ear. "Shh. Just be quiet. Pretend that we're not really here." she whispered back. To their relief, Satoshi finally spoke. "Come to think of it, I was also approached by the spirit of a high school girl..." he said. "Shortly afterward, I lost consciousness, and woke up not far from here. I wonder who she was?" Naomi looked frightened. "I'm not sure. But... it sounds like you somehow made the leap from one closed space to another..." she said. Naomi let out a grunt, as if she were about to cry. "What is it?" Satoshi asked. "It's nothing. Um, Satoshi..." she said. "I think I heard Yuka's voice on the second floor earlier..." Satoshi looked surprised. "You did?! The two of us got seperated when I lost consciousness..." he said. "She can't be by herself in a place like this... She'll never make it! Last I saw her, she was heading out onto the walkway between the two wings..." Satoshi paced around a little. He went to the doorway of the stairwell. "Come on Naomi, this way!" he said. "O-Okay." Naomi said, before looking at Seiko's body. Satoshi walked back over to the two and kneeled. "Shinohara... I'm sorry. I wish I could take you with us... but it doesn't seem like that's possible anymore." he said. "Please, forgive me." Satoshi said. Naomi began to cry again. "Seiko..." she sobbed. After a few more seconds, they went throught the door way and down the stairs.
Once they were sure that they were gone, they all emerged from the shadows. "Everyone, quick!" Ayumi said. "Grab the body! Yoshiki, Satoshi grab Seiko's arms! Naomi and I will grab her legs!" Naomi and Ayumi grabbed Seiko's legs, as Yoshiki and Satoshi put Seikos arm's around their necks and used their shoulders and necks to support Seiko's upper back. "On three, everyone lift her off the ground!" Naomi said. "One, two, three! They all lifted at the same time, however found that Shinohara's body was heavier than they could have possibly imagined. They all failed and went back down, luckly not hurting Seiko's body. You have failed. You must realize it by now. You and your friends will never amount to anything. I would love to see you attempt to revive your friend time and time again, but it's about time. It's time to end your torment and put you out of your misery. There were multiple loud claps of thunder that shook the entire building. "Come forth, my Hammer Man! Come forth and end them all! Kill them all! They have tried for long enough and I am fed up with their feeble attempts! End them!" Sachiko's voice boomed throughout the halls. Their was a hissing sound and what sounded like an explosion not too far away. And that's when they heard him. They heard the giant man sprinting through the halls. "Pick her up! We don't have time anymore! Pick her up with all of your might, now!" Ayumi shouted. They could hear the Hammer Man round the corner as they succeeded in lifting Seiko up off the ground. "Now move! Move as fast as you can!" Ayumi screamed. They started to move, but stopped. They didn't have to move. They all started to see flashs of black, white and gray, before everything went black.
A/N: I hate to cut it short here. But, I did hope you enjoyed the chapter! And yes, I know it was a long one. You may be wondering if they survived? Well, I can assure you that they are safe in their own time period, with Seiko's body. And Ayumi was right. There is no way that they could have grabbed Seiko and brought her back that way. It was an infinite cycle, it would keep cycling back until they made the right choice. The part that Sachiko left out, or I left out I guess, is that if they attempted to leave like that, Naho wouldn't call them back. They were supposed to be in and out, secure the "package". But, if they had done it that way, just grabbed Seiko right than and there, in my opinion, the past version of Naomi would have been possessed and would have hunted Seiko. And she would have died anyway, as she didn't have her Sachiko Paper Doll Scrap. I will explain this in the following chapters. So, again, I hope you did enjoy this. Please favorite the story as it really helps me and you, as you will most likely never miss a new chapter from this story. Want to give me your input? Drop me a review, that's always nice too! So, until the next chapter, have a good day!