Akushi

Chapter Seventeen

If Mion is here, then there is no doubt that Rena was in danger. It was one thing for Satoko to come, but Mion?

I could only sit in the tub in complete shock and silence. What was I supposed to say? THere was no doubt that Mion would lash out at me for letting things go out of hand.

"Hurry up!" Mion said when I didn't respond. "I'm getting a head start."

A head start? "Wait, Mion!" It was too late. I knew it was too late, because I could hear the sound of her running off to do whatever she had planned.

And what exactly would that be? Was she just going to go and slap sense into Rena? Nothing would work on that girl. Nothing. Rena is too stubborn and doesn't stop until she is content.

"Keiichi?"

"Huh?" I blinked in confusion when I heard yet another voice. A soft, gentle voice.

"Keiichi, you're our last hope." Why, Rika-chan? She came all the way to tell me something that I couldn't do.

I knew now that if I waited any longer, Satoko would be the last to come kick down the door and demand I get a grip. So, I got out of the tub and immediately dried off with the towel before getting my clothes on.

It was quiet as I did so, and I wondered if Rika-Chan had already stepped away from the door. I still felt sick and lightheaded, but something about hearing all my friends' voices made me feel a little more content.

I quietly shifted toward the bathroom door, and opened it slowly. The hall was very dark, and the first thing that lit it up was the bathroom's light, which shined at Rika-Chan's face.

She was standing there watching me patiently, and quietly. She seemed serious, but calm. She was always so calm.

"What can I do?" I asked, skipping the questioning of why she and the others were here. "I tried everything. I talked to her. I tried to protect her. How am I supposed to help?"

"Akushi." That was her immediate response, and I could once again hear the dead man's name echo in my ears. It felt as if Rena had gotten everyone, even the rest of my friends, controlled by this crazy event.

I felt the agonizing panic returning, and I hesitantly placed my hands on my head and slowly went down to my knees as I began to shout out in fear. "No! No! Not Akushi!"

Akushi. His name. Akushi. AKushi. "No, stop it! Just make it go away!" Tears poured out of my eyes as I whimpered to myself. I felt so scared and trapped.

Everything around me disappeared, like I had gone to a lonely place and I could no longer see or hear anything around me.

Until a soft, familiar hand gently patted my head. I realized that Rika-Chan was still there, and I could practically feel her go to her knees to comfort me.

"You can, Keiichi-Kun," she said softly and sincerely. "If anyone can do it, you can."

"I already tried," I said through tears. "He doesn't wanna leave."

"Keiichi, it was the priest that tried to exercise the doll. It didn't work, because he doesn't know Rena. But you do. You know Rena. Tell me Keiichi, what do you know about Rena?"

What do I know about Rena? I slowly peered over at my friend, who's violet eyes were bouncing with emotion. She was just as worried as I was.

"Rena is my friend," I replied. "She cares about everyone. She is a nice person." There was no doubt Rena was a good person, and if that were the case, then what about her could Akushi possibly despise?

It made me wonder what exactly happened between. "Why hadn't she told me the truth?" I asked.

"Mii?"

I let out a big sigh as Rika-Chan waited for a more clear question.

"She won't tell me why she's afraid of Akushi and why he hates her."

There was a slight pause before Rika-Chan replied. "You don't remember? Rena told you the night you found out the truth. She told Mion that over the phone."

My eyes widened as I felt very stunned at what my friend just said. Rena told me? What was Rika-Chan talking about?"

Did Rena really tell me everything? If she did, how come I don't remember? She told me the same night I learned Akushi's name. The night before the doll didn't get destroyed.

Was that why I forgot? Because I was so horrified by the event. Could something so terrifying take away my memory?

"She told you, Keiichi," Rika said. "She was barely three years old when it happened."

I heard myself gasp in shock, when I suddenly remembered, with the help of Rika-Chan's words. Rena did tell me.

"I found him in the forest," Rena had said to me as I was getting ready for bed that night. "It looked like he was searching for something in the stream."

That stream was so important. That stream in the forest. The last time I tried to find out what it was, I felt like I was going to die.

"He wasn't searching," Rena had continued to tell me. "He was hiding something. And when he heard me and turned to see me, I saw the blood all over his shirt. It wasn't his blood."

I slowly stood, as Rika-Chan followed, waiting for what I needed to do next.

"He told me to not tell anyone that he killed his niece," Rena had told me. "He killed his niece after she didn't like any of the toys he made. I didn't see her in the water, so I wasn't sure what he was hiding."

Rika-Chan didn't question me as I ran out the door.I knew she was following me behind, but there was no time for me to explain everything that I remembered.

"I was scared of him," Rena had said, "so I didn't tell anyone. But when the others found her body, Akushi got scared, so he drank himself to death. I don't think he meant to die. He was just scared. He didn't wanna get caught."

As far as I could tell from this trip, nobody else seemed to know what Akushi did. Nobody knew it was him who murdered the little girl. With him being gone, there was nothing left to convince them that it was true.

Except for one thing. Whatever it was that Akushi had hid in the water. It was the least I could do to force myself into the forest, ignoring all the dark energy that I felt as I got closer to the spot.

Akushi. Akushi. "No, stay away!" the voice screamed. I didn't run away this time. I kept forward, and jumped for the stream, right where I remember last seeing him.

I was so light headed that I felt like I was going to faint again. My illness was still here, and so was Akushi. And so was Rena.

I could see her slowly making her way over with a can of gasoline in her hands. Was she going to destroy the forest? THat wouldn't work! She would only feel worse, and Akushi would only continue to chase her memories.

"Rena, wait!" That came from Mion, who was now behind the red-head, trying to get her from proceeding with her plan.

Rena turned to her, and as Mion stalled for me, I searched the water until I felt something hard. I froze as I remember my hand getting cut the last time. I slowly pulled out a dull knife. The knife that Akushi used to kill his niece.

"I need to stop him," I heard Rena say before she turned back around and froze again when she saw me.

"No you don't!" I exclaimed at my friend as I stood with the blade in my hands. I then stared at the ancient trees. I could feel him all around me, and I could almost see him facing me in anger.

"Akushi, you will not continue to taunt Rena anymore!" I shouted. "And you won't be haunting the locals here anymore! You are too afraid of people finding out the truth because you won't want your legacy to die.

"You won't be remembered as the kind toy maker anymore. You will be known as the murderer who no longer deserves to be here. I won't let you hurt my friend any longer. Leave Rena alone, and go away!"

The next thing I remember was a loud roar surrounding the forest. Akushi was screaming in agony, like he was in pain. After that, I temporarily lost my hearing.

I still felt sick, and I still felt dizzy. However, I didn't feel Akushi. Not anymore. And I could tell that Mion, nor did Rena see or feel the evil spirit that roamed here all these years.