[Chapter 9]
The trio were soon submerged in darkness, and held onto each other as the water carried them.
"Is everyone okay?" Simon said.
"I'm fine. I still got my sword."
"I, I'll be, alright." Said Yuri between heavy breaths.
Soon the waters calmed and the trio found themselves holding onto a railing that led onto a small platform lit by an electric light. There was a red door near the light. Simon climbed up and helped the others onto the platform. They all sat down against the wall after Simon pulled them out of the water.
"We're safe, for now. How did you find me?"
Natsuki brushed some wet hair away from her face and looked at Simon.
"After we got separated in the music room, I woke up in this weird living room. It looked like my house but there was something wrong with it. Everything was all old and ruined." Her face tensed up. "Then there was this huge monster. I tried to hide from it and then, well, then this..." Natsuki held up her sword. "...ended up in in my hand! So I made quick work of him." She said with a smile.
"I saw that!" Said Simon.
"You saw? How?"
"When I was- look, I can tell you later. How'd you find me?"
"Well, after I killed the monster, the door leading outside sort of flew off its hinges. I made it out and I found myself in that forest. I turned around and saw that the "house" I was in was just some run-down shack. I kept walking through the woods until I found this, like, big ruin. It looked like it was a mansion or something before but all the upper floors fell down and crashed. There was only some walls and just piles of mountains of bricks left. Then Yuri just pops out the corner and jump out with my sword think she's another monster! Thankfully I recognized her before I did anything stupid."
Yuri coughed and turned to Simon.
"Same thing happened to me. I was stuck in what looked like my bedroom and there was this thing trying to get in. I thought it was the end but then this sword-breaker appeared from thin air and then, well… Then Natsuki found me and we decided to see if we could find anyone else."
"After like, ten minutes of searching we saw you running into that trench and hide in that old log. Then we heard the footsteps."
"I told Natsuki that we should both hide. We stood behind the trees and saw that… Creature lumber in through the woods."
"Then I saw it start sniffing at the log. I knew we had to do something. I told Yuri that I'd distract it while she tries to rescue you. So I grabbed a couple 'a rocks and climbed up a tree." She smiled and folded her arms. "I think it turned out pretty well."
"Not accounting for the guts that spilled on me." Yuri sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm just really… This has taken a toll on me."
Small waves of water soared in from the under end of the tunnel, splashing the trio with drops of water. The sound of roaring rapids soon echoed from the darkness. Simon stood up.
"It's fine, Yuri." He walked over to the red door. "Come on, we can't stay on the ledge."
The girls stood up as Simon fiddled with the handle.
"Did you see any sign of Sayori or Monika?" Asked Natsuki.
Simon remembered what he saw in the woods.
"Yeah, I did. I don't know where Mounika is but Sayori, she's- she's alive, don't worry. Let's just get away from this tunnel and I'll tell you everything."
"Simon." Yuri grabbed his shoulder before he could move. He looked back and saw that both girls had eyes full of fear and concern.
"Is she alright?"
Simon imagined Sayori's hand hanging from the hive of worms.
"She is, don't worry. I'll tell you everything once we get inside."
"You'll tell us everything now!" Natsuki shouted.
Suddenly a large wave erupted from the tunnel and splashed against the wall, drenching Natsuki's right side. Simon opened the door.
"I will! Just get inside!"
The trio entered the small room. Simon searched the wall next to the door for a lightswitch, he found one and flicked it.
Fluorescent lights buzzed above the room. Rows of lockers covered the walls and there were several benches lined up next to them. There was a desk where some papers and an empty mug stood. The room had a clean, but slightly unkept feel to it, like it was only abandoned recently. Simon searched an open locker and found several wetsuits, goggles, and some clean towels. Simon took one and began quickly drying his face.
"Any more?" Natsuki gently pushed Simon out of the way and grabbed a pair of towels. She handed one to Yuri before drying her hair with it.
"Thank goodness." Said Yuri.
The girls sat down next to each other on a bench whilst Simon sat on one opposite them. Simon clasped his hands together and drew a deep breath.
"Right. That thing you saved me from… It has Sayori."
"What!?" Shouted Natsuki. "Where is it keeping her?"
"It has her, Natsuki. Its keeping her trapped in its body."
Natsuki's eyes widened at Simon's statement. Yuri slowly recoiled in shock.
"She's alive, like I said. I saw her. But the creature is keeping her inside its body. All those worms holding it together, like a living hive..."
Natsuki slammed the door of an adjacent locker with her fist.
"We've got to find her, now!"
As she pulled her arm back the locker door opened and long, thin object fell from it and landed on the floor with a clang. The trio looked down at the black shotgun laying on the floor.
After a few seconds Simon bent over and carefully pulled the shotgun off the floor. He set it on his lap and examined it.
"Remington eight-seventy… Tactical."
Simon then lifted his head up and looked at the open locker. He stood up, walked over to it and started rummaging through its contents. Natsuki and Yuri watched Simon in silence as he slung an ammo bag around his shoulder and loaded his shotgun with shells.
"This isn't a sewage worker's office."
Simon looked around the shelves of the locker trying to find anything else that he could use. But there wasn't anything else but a lab coat and some pens. His concentration was broken by the sound of a locker opening behind him.
"Aw, sweet!"
Simon turned around to see Natsuki standing next to an open locker with a silver snub-nosed revolver in her hand.
"Nats, be careful with that thing."
Natsuki look at him with annoyance.
"I'm not stupid, Simon. I can-"
"Nats. That thing is gonna put a bullet in your foot and then smack you in the face and break your nose if you're not careful."
Natsuki stared in surprise at Simon's sudden sternness.
"I know you want to get on with it, I know you want to save your friends. I want to as well. But neither of you are going to be firing anything until I can at least teach you how to- Yuri?"
Yuri was peering into the window of a door in the corner of the room.
"I think you should see this."
Simon walked over to her and looked out the window next to her. Natsuki followed but was too short to see past their heads.
Simon couldn't believe what he saw. He pushed through the door and entered the hall. The dim lights only gave hints at what he saw but after Yuri located a light switch that caused a generator to roar and the lamps overhead to awake was it made clear.
There was a long counter at their left side. From far across, a dozen rows of humanoid targets were lined up. On the other side of the wall where empty racks where other firearms must have stood. A row of metal lockers stood by the door they entered. There was a pile of ammunition crates stacked up in the corner of the room next to a set of metal double doors. The trio realized that they stood in a firing range.
Natsuki looked over at Simon, who was still staring in astonishment at what they had found.
"So, uh, training starts now?"
Simon continued looking about the room.
"Why- What- Why is all this here?"
"Maybe this is an army bunker." Yuri replied.
Simon looked over at the targets, then back at Natsuki.
"Right then. I'm no expert but I can teach you the basics. For now just keep your finger off the trigger, point it down and wait here while I look around and find something for you, Yuri."
Simon walked over the row of lockers. Yuri looked nervous.
"Uh, Simon. I'm not really comfortable with… Guns."
Simon turned around to look at her while he opened a locker.
"Well, now's the time to get comfortable." he turned back to the locker and started rummaging through it. "Don't worry, I was nervous when I began. But you'll get used to it"
Simon then lifted a large duffel bag from out the locker and bent down to place it on the floor. Zipping it open, he pulled out a long sleek rifle with a light-coloured wooden body. He held the weapon in both hands and inspected it.
"An S.K.S., and ammo to boot." Simon looked back at Yuri. "I think this will suit you."
Yuri's eyes grew wide at the sight of the rifle. He walked over to the range with it, and placed it down at his side. He then walked over to Natsuki, who had been watching him.
"Right, I'm gonna teach you first, then I move onto you." He said while looking at Yuri. "It'll be just some quick basics, then we head out. Nats, come with me."
Simon walked over to the counter and gestured for Natsuki to stand next to him. When she was with him, Simon turned to a small console on the counter, and pressed a large red button. A noise was heard overhead as one of the targets was pulled closer to them, it stopped about fifteen feet in front of them. Simon then told her to take aim. She held out the gun in front of her, with her arms awkwardly bent. Simon gently adjusted her arms to a straighter position, Natsuki blushed slightly as Simon held her wrists.
"Fire."
What followed was an impromptu but efficient lesson in marksmanship. Simon taught the girls how to take aim, to reload, to have trigger discipline, to hold their breath when firing.
He taught Natsuki that her snub-nose revolver was meant to take targets at short range, and that she should aim for the centre of mass. After a few missed shots the small girl steadied her arm and managed to hit the target in the centre of the chest, a wide smile on her face as she noted her achievement.
Yuri was, as always, reluctant. Simon set the target far away as he wanted to teach her how to use a long range weapon. The rifle was viably shaking in her arms as she looked down the sight. Simon had to tell her to calm down. With a look of defeat on her face, she put the rifle down.
"I can't do it. I'm sorry."
Simon was about to say something when Natsuki walked up to her friend.
"Yuri." She said with a stern face. "We're doing this for our friends."
She put her hand on Yuri's shoulder.
"Think about Sayori. Think about Monkia."
Yuri looked at Natsuki with wide eyes. She then took a deep breath and lifted her rifle. With a focused stare she took aim.
The sound of the gunshot echoed through the room as Yuri hit the target square in the head as both Simon and Natsuki looked on in amazement. Yuri's eyes also widen in shock at what she just did. She turned to her two friends with a little smile on her face and said:
"I'm beginning to see the appeal of this."
A few more practice rounds and Simon then taught her how to use the rifle as a melee weapon. After attaching her dagger to the bayonet holder, he began teaching her how to spear and block opponents with it. After a final rummage of the room, Simon found a holster for Natsuki, as well as bags for all three of them to keep their ammunition in.
Simon took one last look at the girls. One would think that the sight of teenage schoolgirls with brightly coloured hair wielding firearms would be quite a surreal scene, but to Simon it gave him hope. He finally had allies he could fight alongside with. He wasn't alone anymore.
The trio stood before the double doors.
"Ready?" He asked, shotgun in hand.
Natsuki gripped her pistol.
"You bet."
The heavy doors made a loud creaking sound as Simon pushed them open, revealing a dimly lit corridor.
The weak lights overhead shone down on a concrete corridor. There was the sound of water dripping that echoed throughout the darkness. In the weak light a sign painted on the wall labelled "EXIT A" with an arrow pointing left was visible. Simon pointed to the sign.
"Let's make our way to the surface. If we're going to fight that monster it's better we do it in an open space."
The trio began walking down the dark corridor, their footsteps echoing through the hall.
"Would it really though?" Asked Yuri. "Wouldn't it be better if we found a way to lure it and trap it somewhere? That way it wouldn't have anywhere to hide."
"It's looking for us, and it'll try to do the same to us, but as a group, we can spread out and attack it from multiple sides and-"
Simon was cut short when a figure suddenly leaped from dark doorway, screaming as it did so. Before anyone could react, it jumped on top of Natsuki and brought her down to the floor. Yuri shrinkingly lifted her bayonet above the creature's back and Simon was just about to kick the creature off her when four deafening gunshots where heard, each followed by a bullet bursting out of the creature's back.
The figure went limp, and Natsuki pushed the creature off her. Simon and Yuri helped her back up. They all looked at the corpse of the creature. It was a sickly, emaciated humanoid being, its bones visible against its pale skin, which appeared to be peeling off and revealing red muscle in some areas. The head was bald save for some spaced strands of silver hair. The features of the face were sunken and skull-like, with the eyes small and deteriorated and the compete lack of a nose. The strangest feature of all was the severed tube coming out the creature's abdomen, which was a moist red colour in contrast to the being's dry grey skin. It reminded Simon of the being he confronted inside the mansion. He worried if he would see any other similar faces.
Natsuki, straightening her hair, gave the two a stubborn look.
"Let's stay focused, alright."
Simon, embarrassed, readied his shotgun and began walking with the group again. He wasn't used to having company on his journeys, but whilst a slip-up like that was not unexpected, there was no excuse for it. If he was distracted again it could be deadly.
Eventually they came across a pair of large double doors with small windows that showed nothing but blackness. The sign above said "elevator". Simon hurried over to the panel on the side and started hitting the button repeatedly, but to no avail.
"Uh, Simon." Yuri tapped his shoulder and pointed to a plastered sign on the door.
"Out of order. Please use fire exit in mess hall." There was an arrow pointing to the right next to the text. There was another pair of double doors with dim light coming from the small windows.
"I knew it wouldn't be that simple."
The trio approached the double doors and Simon pushed them away. A large hall with many metal tables and benches stood before them. The room was dimly lit by the array of fluorescent lights that emitted a strong buzz throughout the room. Some lights were rapidly flickering in the dark corners of the hall. On one side, a wide counter with transparent panels was sectioned off by some tether barriers. A yellow light form behind the counter showed the space of the kitchen therein.
On the far side of the room, almost completely hidden by darkness, a green light could be seen above yet another pair of double doors, the windows beaming with a bright light.
The trio made their way past several tables. The sound of paper cups and plastic wrappers crunching under their feet. Simon heard something slither behind a table to his side.
"Get ready." He said, readying his shotgun. "We aren't alone."
Yuri nervously tightened her grip on her rifle whilst Natsuki began looking about the hall for signs of activity.
Suddenly a long black serpentine creature leaped across a table on the far side of the hall to the trio's right. Natsuki took aim as the creature slithered across the other table and came closer towards them. Natsuki took one shot with her pistol, it missed the creature and hit the table as its long body curled moved faster towards her. She took another shot, she missed again as the creature leaped across the table about to pounce on her. The being was stopped mid-flight as Simon's shotgun roared a hail of metal pellets and the creature's body was ripped open and fell to the floor. Foul yellow fluids poured out of the creature's carcass and pooled onto the tiled floor, releasing a pungent odour.
"You alright?" Simon said with concern and light panic.
"Yeah, thanks." Natsuki drew heavy breaths, then looked at Yuri.
"Why didn't you shoot it?!"
Yuri looked shocked.
"What?"
"You had the "long-range weapon", why didn't you shoot it while it was on the far side?!"
"I couldn't get a good aim on it! It was moving too quickly!"
Natsuki relaxed her shoulders and sighed.
"Fine, I just- Sorry. Let's keep going."
"Okay. let's."
Both girls then looked at Simon, who had a perplexed and somewhat annoyed look on his face.
Natsuki gave an embarrassed look. Yuri looked away with her rifle by her side.
"Sorry about that." Said Natsuki in a suppressed tone.
"Yeah."
Simon looked down, a bit embarrassed himself, and gave a quick sigh.
"Just promise that you'll leave the arguments for the time-"
Simon's eyes suddenly grew wide and looked down at himself. He suddenly screamed in aim and bent down clutching his shoulder.
"Simon!" Both girls said simultaneously.
Simon quickly stood up. The left side of his hoodie over his armpit had been completely drenched in blood. He dropped his shotgun and quickly lifted his hoodie up to his stomach.
The tail of a large, thick, worm-like creature with red oily skin could be seen wiggling from under his hoodie. Simon grabbed the tail with both hands and pulled, grunting in pain as he did so. The creature suddenly dropped from under Simon's hoodie and slithered out of his grip, Simon clutched his wound as he dropped to his knees. Simon looked up and saw that the creature was quickly slithering towards the girls.
Natsuki took aim with her pistol and pulled the trigger. Several clicking sounds could be heard. Realizing what was about to happen, Simon reached for his shotgun, trying to ignore the searing pain as lifted it to his shoulder. By then the creature was only a few feet away from the girls.
Yuri screamed as she rammed her bayonet into ground. The creature's body was pierced right down the to the floor. Yuri then stepped on the creature's head where it's circular mouth was and quickly pulled the blade out. With a fierce scream, she stabbed the creature a dozen times before it stopped wriggling under her foot. Panting, she withdrew the blade from the creature's body, and quickly ran towards Simon with Natsuki in tow.
Simon lifted himself up.
"Are you going to be alright?" Natsuki asked, helping him up.
Simon sucked the air through his teeth.
"I'll be fine. It only got the skin, nothing seri-"
Simon suddenly remembered where he saw those worms before. He looked at Natsuki.
"Reload, now!"
He then looked to Yuri as Natsuki reached into her bag for bullets.
"You cover her at the back, I'll take the front."
A light rumbling could be felt throughout the room. Natsuki breathed deeply as she carefully placed the bullets in each chamber. Both Simon and Yuri placed themselves around her with their weapons readied.
Simon the light from the exit door windows become slowly covered by an unseen mass. Yuri saw something similar on her end, but the red and black pulsating bodies of the creatures pressing against the glass were visible to her.
The rumbling grew louder, and the sound of pipes breaking and moaning was heard from all sides of the room. Natsuki's gun made a 'clack' sound as she closed the chamber.
"I'm ready."
Suddenly the sounds of metal bending and pipes bursting was heard about the room. Half of all the lights in the hall burst and covered the far side of the room in darkness.
The sound of worms slithering was all that could be heard.