Chapter 2

Torment

Severe mental or physical pain, or suffering

The looming Minka stood eerily before them, hidden among the tresses of a drooping Willow tree. Tentacle-like vines strangled the crumbling exterior, rupturing its foundations and piercing through its weakened defenses. The structure was old, dilapidated, and showed no signs of life within its walls. Large timber beams that comprised much of the infrastructure had splintered and warped, leaving it a husk of its former self.

And the silence was deafening.

"Didn't you..." Lucy paused, the light breeze cooling the trail of sweat along her cheek. "Didn't you say it was small?"

Natsu tilted his head. "It looked smaller from a distance."

"R-Right..." She swallowed thickly. The enormity of the place had her quaking in her boots. "These houses always give me the creeps."

His arms lazily stretched behind his neck as he stepped up to the rickety engawa veranda. "This door's seen better days. Probably won't take much to open it."

"Wait! Don't do that!" She sputtered, but he paid no heed. Shoving it hard with his elbow, the door swung sharply and clattered against the inside wall, leaving a plume of dust in its wake.

"See, what did I tell ya? Just needed a little push," he coughed and covered his mouth, fanning dust away from his face. Placing one foot inside, he felt a tug on his wrist, a shaky voice telling him to stop. "What's up?"

Eyes averted to the floor, she huddled into herself, stroking her bare arms as though there were a chill in the air. "I don't think we should go inside, Natsu."

He brushed his hand along the door frame and tapped it with his knuckles. "Seems sturdy enough to me." He turned to catch her shifty gaze dancing between him and the house; her pupils dilated and quivering like a frightened puppy. "Luce," he realised then, as his brows softened into smooth arches, that the integrity of the building was not what was troubling her. "Lucy, we have to complete this mission whether we want to or not, and going in there is our best bet at finding this thing."

She forced herself to peer behind to where the menacing forest delighted in playing tricks with her eyes. "There's something off about this place." Her voice was trembling. "Like the trees have eyes or something." She sighed, her head hanging low from her shoulders. "I know you think I'm being weird, but I really can't shake the feeling that-"

"We're being watched?"

A bolt ran through her like a lightning rod, as though Natsu's words had summoned the very thing she'd been fearing into existence. "You feel it, too?"

His blackened eyes scoped the shadows, an unnerving sensation creeping up his back. "You ain't got nothing to worry about. Even if something is watching, I'll burn it to ash the moment it shows its ugly head," he grinned, ignited his hand and clenched it into a fist. "If it even has a head!"

She hummed, her smile distorted and wrinkled. Unsure if she even had the courage to pull this off, though there seemed to be little choice in the matter. Her fingers stretched taut around her bag strap as if it were her only lifeline.

"Come on, you're tougher than this. And besides, what monster would be dumb enough to mess with us?" He took her hand again, his own knuckles whitening, and pulled her begrudging body past the gaping doorway and into the abyss.

The brightness of Natsu's flame illuminated a very tormented interior. Corners and ceilings were coated with thick drapes of spider webs, and dusty particles swirled in the air like small flies. The dank smell of rotting tatami mats and black mold speckled across the fusuma panels drenched their noses. It was a far cry from their more modern accommodation, reminiscent of a time long since passed.

Carefully treading around the frayed holes in the floor, Lucy noticed old frames hanging crookedly on each section of wall, most too dirty and broken to see the worn pictures underneath. There were a few pieces of antique furniture, some of it covered in dirt-laden sheets, others in a state of disrepair, strewn about the place. It was like something out of a scary novel; one she would be sure to consider writing after this experience.

"Look at all this stuff! Surely no one lives here. Who would want to?" she murmured, dragging her feet behind Natsu.

"No human that's for sure," he mumbled to himself.

"Huh? Did you say something?" She asked, the glimmer of her irises pondering over his stoic side profile.

"No," he said, never once sparing her a glance.

The once springy floor dipped and depressed with each one of Lucy's footsteps, and the high ceilings above seemed to sway and groan under their own toppling weight. This place was the stuff of nightmares, though judging by the few ornaments left dotted around, it had once belonged to someone. It was hard to imagine such a lonely, desolate place could ever have attracted the eyes of those seeking a home.

The sound of rain filtered into her ears; streaks of water trickled down through the openings in the roof and splattered onto the sodden floor. "Thank goodness I wore boots or my feet would be soaked by now," she said, squishing her foot down to release more water from the mats. "You know you'll catch a cold if you let your feet stay wet for too long."

Natsu shrugged. "My body's like a furnace, I don't get sick."

"There's a first time for everything you know. Maybe you should take better care and wear more appropriate shoes."

"Says the girl who wears next to nothing." His gaze shifted to the low cut top she'd graced him with that day, her ample chest spilling from their confines.

"Hey! Stop ogling, you pervert!" The heat of her blush only intensified with his growing smirk, her hands covering what little dignity she had left. "Don't look at me like that!"

"Like what?" He laughed.

"Gah! You know what!" She yelled and stormed up the corridor, barging past him like an angry bull to a red flag.

In her haste, she'd stomped out of range of the fire meant to be lighting her way. She stilled and glanced down at her fingers to find only a faint outline of her milky skin was still visible.

Her heart began to rattle like a rickety train, and her skin tingled with adrenaline. She'd wandered too far. She could hear things now, and see things in the swirling darkness. The groans of the house seemed louder, with the howling wind outside blowing drafts of humid air through her body.

Then there was that feeling; that constant, dreaded feeling that something was watching her. It was probably just her imagination, or so she told herself. She was a writer after all. This whole ordeal would've been easier had she not read so many horror novels, one's that started out just like this. Two people alone in an abandoned house in the woods, being hunted by some monster. It all seemed too convenient to be real.

A warm, orange glow began to flicker in her periferol, steadily drawing closer. "Lucy? Where'd you run off to?" Natsu's voice echoed down the corridor, and she swivelled on her tiptoes to catch pink hair and a golden flame heading straight for her. She sighed in relief, a small reprieve from her mental paralysis and took a few steps towards him.

"I'm over here, Natsu!" She almost felt like running, her legs carrying her on autopilot until something long, cold and pointed briefly coiled around her leg, almost tripping her over.

All colour drained from her cheeks; her blood ran cold as a sharp, shrill wail poured from her lips. Jumping behind the approaching dragon slayer, she clung to his body like shield, hiding her face in his scarf.

"Ow! Will you stop pulling on me!?" Natsu grimaced, tugging his jacket back into place. "Why did you scream like that?"

"There..." she gulped, "there was something on my leg. Didn't you see it?"

"I see a lot of things," he remarked, glancing at her from above his shoulder, "probably a ghost..."

His haphazard tone did nothing but fuel her fear. "Be serious, Natsu, something just grabbed me."

"A ghost of a snake then," he sniggered but quickly silenced himself. "Lighten up, Luce, you know there's no such thing!"

"Yeah...that's what you say." She shivered and ran her fingers down her arm, goose pimples dotting her skin. "I wouldn't have to worry about rats or ghosts if we'd just taken the other job. But no, here we are in the middle of who knows where-"

"Hold up!" He stalled, raising his arm to stop her from talking. "Do you smell that?" he asked, his nostrils flaring like a feral beast.

"Rot, mold, roaches... take your pick," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"No...something else." He clenched his fists, head swivelling from side to side to gauge where it was coming from. "This way!" He darted off in a random direction, pulling her along whether she wanted to go or not.

"Slow down, Natsu! I can't see where I'm going!" She whined, as they trailed the long corridor.

Halting outside one of the many closed off rooms, Natsu clutched his nose and gagged, the smell so pungent he could taste it. It was a familiar scent. The buzzing in his gut told him so. Gathering his resolve, he pushed the sliding door open and peeped inside.

"What is it, Natsu?" She nudged him, peering over his shoulder.

'No! Don't look!' Is what he wanted to say; is what he tried to yell at her but he simply hadn't reacted quick enough before two bulging brown eyes glanced past him.

Without warning, bile spewed from deep within her belly like a waterfall, splattering onto the floor in front of them. Retching violently, she held a hand over her mouth, gasping, desperate for uncontaminated air to fill her lungs.

"Lucy," his words had failed him.

They both gawped, eyes unblinking at the bloodied heap of maggot infested bodies before them. The buzzing of flies reverberated through their minds, overwhelming their senses. Red. All they could see was red. With the stench of rancid flesh stinging their eyes.

Lucy stumbled forward, feet moving on their own. "Luce, stop. Don't go any closer!"

Tears burned her cheeks as she fought the tremble in her legs. "I-It's them, isn't it?" she whispered, "the missing girls from the village."

It was obvious. Looking past the blood and dismembered limbs, she could see the patches of long, matted hair.

"Yes."

"Then...we were too late," she whimpered, hand stalling the cries from bursting out. "We couldn't save them."

Strong arms caught her before her knees hit the ground and turned her towards him. He held her tight, fingers turning white as he glared at the bundled corpses. A fire ignited in the pit of his stomach, the sound of Lucy's sniffles the only thing to keep him from raging. He slid the door shut, finally separating them from the horror on the other side.

Collapsing to the ground, her heart drummed so wildly she feared it might give out. "I feel so sick, Natsu, I want to go home." Her words struck him. The depression of her voice, the gauntness of her cheeks, it was too much for her to bear.

Smoothing his pants, he squatted down in front of her, thumb and finger lifting her chin. "Soon, Luce. But first we gotta make sure no one else suffers like this."

Tears dribbled down her face, bottom lip quivering as she bit back a sob. The bigger, more pressing matter was what had done this? She knew there was no turning back now, they had to find it one way or another. Her head hesitantly nodded, sniffling back the snot racing out of her nose.

Reaching out his hand, he helped her stagger to her feet, propping her against the wall. "Thanks, I'm okay now."

He sighed, planting himself against the opposite wall. His senses were in overdrive, overwhelming his thoughts.

It seemed so obvious; the evidence was staring him in the tapping and creaking of the walls and ceilings, too loud and deliberate to be made by pests. A stench so putrid, like that of rotten eggs, intensified the deeper they ventured. And the bodies in the next room, torn to shreds and dumped in a heap to rot. A sign of foul play, or maybe a warning, rather than a ravenous beast looking for its next kill.

As a dragon slayer, Natsu relied on his senses. His ability to know what was coming before seeing it had always given him the advantage. It was becoming all the more apparent they weren't just dealing with some run of the mill animal running amok in the neighbouring village. No... whatever this thing was, its actions were calculated, conscientious, as if it knew they would come looking. So where was it?

"Natsu? You with me?" Her brown eyes glistened with tear drops unwilling to fall. She stared at him with furrowed brows as though there was something wrong with his face. "Natsu? Hello!?"

"Hmm?" He looked up, his eyes connecting with hers for only a brief second before darting off down the hall.

"Are you even listening to me?" She waved her hand to get his attention but his stare was impenetrable. "Natsu, please, you're scaring me."

He blinked and exhaled a deep breath, shifting his gaze back to her. The intensity in his eyes faded to that of his usual lax expression. "Are you alright?"

"No," she lamented, "I'm not alright. In what world would I be alright?"

"We're being stalked."

She whimpered, the air being forced from her lungs. "What!"

The sight of his black eyes was all the confirmation she needed. Her frigid soul made a swift exit, as if the vacuum of space had sucked it right out of her body. She dared not move, dared not even breathe. Just what the heck was stalking them? And why was she only hearing about this now? Natsu had some explaining to do.

"Where?" She whispered, her hands clamming together.

But he didn't answer. The slight tilt of his head indicated that maybe even he didn't know.

"Okay, then what?"

"I don't know. I can see just as much as you can."

Lucy knew that wasn't entirely true. She'd been running on pure instinct. He, on the other hand, was much more in tuned to their environment. He knew something - felt something. Why else would he be so on edge?

"Show me your leg," he said, edging the fire close to her skin.

"What? No. You'll see up my skirt!"

Ignoring her, he bent down, catching a long scratch spreading over her calf. At first glance, it looked like any ordinary mark, but the scent emanating from it twisted his guts in ways he'd never experienced. That smell... it was now coming from Lucy, too.

"It's here." He gathered himself into a fighting stance and prepared for this thing to show itself. Stepping forward, he was sure he could hear something in the distance.

Lucy quavered behind him, reaching for her golden keys. So focused on Natsu's movements, she failed to scope out her own surroundings; once again, something cold and sharp snaked up her leg.

She gasped before her feet were taken from under her, smacking the hard ground.

"Lucy, no!" he shouted, his eyes widening in horror when her hands grasped and unravelled his scarf as she tumbled to the floor. He bolted to catch up to her body being dragged away, reaching out his hand toward her. "LUCY!"

No matter how hard she struggled, the grip on her leg only tightened and the faster she slithered from her teammate. "Natsu!" She cried, her hands still reaching for him even as his silhouette slowly faded, his voice growing quieter.

Her head grew heavier as it slammed against the wet floor, and despite her efforts, her eyes slowly began to close. There was magic in the air, a spell she could not break free from. Surrendering to the darkness, a whisper of despair fluttered into her ear.

"Sleep."

Little side note - 'Minka' is the term used for a traditional style Japanese house. Think Yuno's house in Future Diary or houses depicted in Demon slayer (if you've watched those anime's).

'Fusuma' are rectangular sliding doors commonly seen in these types of buildings to separate rooms.

'Engawa' veranda is a wooden veranda/walkway that extends around one or more sides of the house. Kind of like a balcony but on ground level. Quite typical of traditional Japanese houses.

Just in case you didn't know.

Hope you enjoyed!