When someone dies in the grip of a powerful rage... a curse is born.
The curse gathers in that place of death.
Those who encounter it will be consumed by its fury.
"So…tell me about this house."
Nick sighed as he looked at the house, staring at the plain but abandoned-looking home before him. The wind was making the frail shutters on the house softly flitter, the windows slightly rising up and down as a result. Staring into the dark abyss that laid beyond, it made this faded-paint-colored house look almost like it was breathing in its slumber. There was only one single tree there, rotting, missing most of its limbs, with one enormous, foul, overreaching branch that was positively huge looming over the house, as if it was a gigantic shoe that was threatening to come down and squash a bug.
The house had looked beautiful once upon a time, but now that soft blue paint was long-since faded and peeling. The stone cobbleway path to the front door was missing huge chunks, people had tossed eggs, toilet paper and other things at the house to boot, the remnants stuck to the walls like boogers flicked from a rotten brat on a bedroom wall. Even the wind chimes on the front porch were broken, the crystal chimes shattered by tossed rocks. Instead of making lovely music when the wind blew through them it sounded more like faint "TINK TINKing" as if someone was trying to knock on the window in a desperate attempt to be noticed.
"NOBODY but NOBODY goes in there." Lilo insisted to Nick. Nick Grey was one of her best friends, a dearly beloved young man who'd helped to save her ohana time and time again, with his unique skills that nobody else could match. The hazel-green-eyed, brown-haired young man looked at the young lass, Lilo nervously biting on a lock of long black hair, the Hawaiian girl cringing slightly. "Everyone knows it's not just haunted but home to a curse left on it by Sakurako Samura."
They walked around the house's property, staying on the edge, Nick lifting up the backpack he'd brought with him as Lilo's brown eyes gazed at the decrepit house, and Nick, in turn, gazed gently back at her.
"Nobody believed her when she said she was getting into real Japanese magic but…when more people kept dying when they went inside the house, we decided to just cordon it off. Not even the police who investigated the initial murders of her family survived." Lilo Pelekai confessed. "They all died the very next day the came back. After two years, the town mostly decided NOBODY goes in. NOBODY. It's just too dangerous. It's even claimed some of Stitch's cousins." She added softly, covering her face with one hand, taking in a short, pained breath. "Stitch said he'd tear the darn thing down himself but we were all too afraid. Then…then last week, uncle Jumba said he'd had enough. That he was going to deal with it all scientifically, record everything, analyze the whole house, and if need be, destroy it, but…but…"
Lilo found the words were getting caught in her throat. It was as if something was strangling her, keeping her from getting the words out. "He…we…we found him, he…he'd just made it out the window and-and…and his eyes…he was…they…and out of his MOUTH, there…there was just so much HAIR, so much-"
"HEY." Nick swooped down. He wrapped her in a deep hug, and patted her on the back. "Let it out. It's okay. Let it out." He murmured quietly back as Lilo sobbed into his shoulder and he laid on his knees. The two stood there for what seemed to be a long, long time, the wind softly blowing through their hair before Nick rose up, and adjusted the cap he wore atop his head. It was a nice flat cap, a "Newsie" style or "Paddy" cap with a faint greyish tinge to it, that served to harken back to Nick's Irish and Scottish roots as he took the cap off, turning it thoughtfully over in his hands. He swirled it around on one finger as he approached the property line which had been made clear with police tape.
"…I might not be coming back. So…just…just in case…" Nick bit his lip and then gave Lilo something from around his neck. "Here. I want you to have my cross." He told her as she took the little cross, her fingers rubbing over the small Jesus lying upon it as she hesitantly gazed back up at Nick.
"I could come with you. I'm not afraid…" She began to say.
"I know you're not, but this island needs you a whole lot more than it needs me." Nick said as Lilo fervently shook her head.
"You're a part of our ohana too. And I want even with this house and the curse just as much." She insisted. "I don't care how Sakurako died, HOW she died doesn't excuse what she's done to all of my family! To all these people over the past five STUPID years!" She yelled angrily, as bitter tears began to spring to her eyes.
"I know. It's not fair at all." Nick admitted. "…but I'm not exactly playing fair either." He added. "After all…I'm the type who takes a licking and keeps on kicking."
And with that, he walked across the property line, up the steps of the front door. It slammed shut with a faint THWUK noise that echoed through the air, the only sound that lingered, for not a cricket was chirping. Not one bird calling. Not so much as a single fly buzzing about. Nothing but the silence, occasionally broken by TINK-TINK's from that broken windchime, filled the air.
Inside the house it smelled like wet leaves and rotten wood. Nick grunted in irritation as he made his way to the obvious first stop…up the steps to Sakurako's bedroom. He sighed as he rounded the hallway corner, going past photos of Japanese Americans, all seemingly happy photos of a family of four and a little cat that the youngest, a baby boy, was holding onto. The bedroom was astoundingly intact all things considered, most of the furniture wasn't yet rotted away, the paint wasn't too badly peeled, and it even smelled a little nicer.
There. That was why, Nick realized. A bunch of cute flavor-scented pens laid on a desk not too far off from a box that had been left open. Bubble gum, cotton candy, watermelon, cherry, blue raspberry, all the usual fun flavors left by a diary that Nick opened up. The first page had rather scratchy writing, it was clear that it belonged to Sakurako based off the name on the opposite page, and also clear she started writing when she was young.
"It's pretty but I don't like it here. I miss my old house. I miss my old school." Nick read as the wind slightly picked up outside and he heard THUMP THUMP noises ringing out as the house creaked and groaned. He kept reading, eyes scrolling over the page. "Well, that girl is nice at least. Her name's Lilo. She's in the same grade I am. She stood up for me when that stupid girl in glasses tripped me at the luau school-"
The wind picked up, it got harsher, more loud, and THRAA-SCHROOOM. The house lightly shook. Dust flew down from the ceiling as a chunk of roof fell down and THWAMH! Nick cringed. He gripped his head, taking his cap off. Son of a bitch, he was actually bleeding from that. Ugh.
"Nice…almost ruined my cap." He muttered. Good thing none of the blood got on his cap's insides. He picked up a nearby pillow, shaking dust off and wiping his head blood off, ignoring the throbbing pain in his skull as he resumed reading. "Mom says it's good I'm making friends already. She told me she misses home too. We all do. Dad just won't be open about it. But I can tell he misses it. I saw him crying in his room last night. He was talking about how he remembered how grandma and grandpa smelled when he pulled them in for a hug. I remember it well. It was like cherry blossoms. I miss them most of all. It'll be the first Christmas we're not spending with them since they died last year. Taro just sits in his room. He won't talk to me."
Nick stopped reading and he fought back tears. He'd lost all of his own grandparents too, his most beloved, his grandma, his dad's mom, having died only a few years back. The agony of losing someone who doted on and adored you didn't really go "away". It faded a bit with time and with love…but this was the double edged sword of grief. Grief was love persevering. But it persevering…meant it stuck with you. All the love.
And all the pain.
The next page, was quite the surprise. "Lilo introduced me to her "dog". He's way cooler than the cat we got, but little Sana has a cuter face. My little bro Taro was REALLY happy to get a pet cat. He thought she was a guy until he really checked underneath! Dad thought that was hilarious. We found him and his family in our garden with their mommy. She was too tired to keep us from playing with her kitties. They were SOOOO cute!" Big hearts and smiley faces drawn next to these words, and an ASTOUNDINGLY good picture of a black cat with a white "moustache" of sorts underneath his nose. Clearly Sakurako had artistic talent.
In fact, you could see the faint remnants of artwork lingering around the room. Little figures made in school, fire-blasted clay figurines of cats, the occasional family group shot, and once in a while, a happy little smiling flower in a pot with its tongue sticking out going "Blaaaah" in a slightly teasing, silly fashion. Nick was impressed by this as he picked up one of the flowers, smiling softly. Poor kid probably could have been a great artist if she'd had more time…
He kept reading after he put the pot down, looking through the pages. It appeared as though the other kids at the school thought her getting into ancient Japanese rituals and magic was scary, except for Lilo and her other friend at school, the red-haired, friendly girl named Victoria. Victoria had suggested they all dress up together as the "Hocus Pocus" witches for Halloween and Sakurako sounded REALLY excited in the next entry. "Mom and Dad are so happy. They can't believe I've made two good friends here. And best of all, dad's costume looks great. I can't believe HE made a good costume but it's amazing. He said it's left over from when he used to work in the theater at Japan, in stuff like Kabuki. He made ALL the costumes! It was awesome. Can't wait for tonight."
Then a little drawing of LOADS of candy, and three girls sticking out of the pile, beaming in delight with the words "LARGE HAUL" over the top-
A distinct meowing noise. Wait. The cat. Could…could the cat be alive? Nick picked the military-grade flashlight out of his backpack, along with, just in case, his small black canister of mace. NOBODY liked being sprayed in the eyes, no matter what you were. He inched out of the bedroom, holding his breath, hearing the soft meowing coming towards a bedroom not far from the stairs.
"Hello?" He softly called out, pushing the door open while slightly reeling back. It'd be a dumb idea to stand right in front of a door when you opened it up in a haunted house! Taking a deep breath he peered in about half a minute later, and looked around. Nothing but an empty room, save for a small bed with a toy box nearby and a clothing bureau. There was, at least, a broken piggy bank lying by the bureau, and a single window, but the window was broken and cracked.
Nick approached the window and peered out. Wow, you could see all of Kokaua Town from here! It looked so beautiful, a soft little gem on the most dazzling, garden-like island of all Hawaii. He felt a smile come to his face before he noticed something laid under the bed…another diary? No, a boy's journal that was facedown, lying on it's face and-
Caked blood on it. Nick gulped as he put the flashlight slightly down and plucked it up. "Daddy's mad. He said he thinks mom did something wrong. Something about the mailman. He said he found pictures? I can hear him yelling a bunch downs-"
Then it ended. Nick cringed, an idea beginning to form as to what might have happened in the house as he put the journal on the bed, and bent down to pick the flashlight up. But when he turned around to leave the room…
A kid. A ghostly, pale-skinned, white-as-a-sheet young Japanese American lad stood there with short black hair and pale black eyes. He stared at Nick, the eyes blinking slowly…unnaturally so. As if they were curtains slowly coming down on a theater stage…then he took off, bolting quickly out of the room and into the hallway.
"Hey! Wait, please, don't run! Can I just talk to you?" Nick called out. "Uh…"
He raced out, following the boy, who stood there, looking up at him, slightly crouched down. His head was bowed and he was curled up in on himself. "Uh…Yahho?(Heya, kid!)" Nick spoke in Japanese. "Hajimemashite.(Nice to meet you.) I'm Nick. Nick Grey. Genki datta? (How are you?)" He asked, knowing at least a FEW Japanese phrases. Mostly a couple greetings, some swears, and the classic "thank you for the meal"."
The small ghost child remained curled up. Nick kept the flashlight on him as he put the mace away. "Here, look? See? I'm putting it away. Not gonna hurt you. Can we talk, Taro? You ARE Taro, right?" He asked.
Taro rose up. And he screeched like a cat. A horrific, piercing, yowling wail that sounded like a cat being tossed off a bridge and into the water. Nick slightly reeled back…feeling somebody grab his shoulder. He whipped around…
There she was. Sakurako. Her hair had gotten unnaturally long and she was wearing a very flimsy white dress, tattered and ripped and torn. Blood had splattered over the neck region, coughed up from after she'd been horrifically poisoned by her father, yet even that hadn't been enough to kill her. To finish the job it was obvious her father had locked her up somewhere in the house because her fingernails were bloody stubs, evidence that she'd tried to claw her way free from someplace tight, and she'd been in there a while if her emaciated, skeletal limbs and gaunt face were anything to go by.
Nick gasped, instinctively reeling back, realizing he was pinwheeling, and right by the stairs-
He remembered nothing more.
…
…
…
…groaning, Nick cringed as he managed to tug himself up, panting a bit. He looked down at his ruined, bloody hat, taking it off. "…damn it." He mumbled, struggling to his feet. His knees felt like they were on fire as he managed to somehow get to the kitchen, sitting down in a faded chair. He cringed as he looked at what laid around the table…caked blood, chunks of thrown-up food…the murders of Sakurako and her family had obviously happened here. Rat poison that had been slightly opened laid on top of the fridge, BARELY covered up by some pots and pans, and the bowls of what had been the food they'd eaten laid there too. Some kind of meat and rice dish, by the remnants of it…
Nick took in deep breaths as he felt the air in the house get colder and colder with every passing minute. He gazed at the window to the kitchen, quietly looking at faint blood spots, following the trail from the window to the basement. He peered down inside, cringing. The steps were broken, he couldn't go that way…not that he wanted to. Based on the heft of the bloody steps and the handprints on the walls, Dr. Jumba Jookiba had gone down there and been badly injured before somehow managing to climb up the steps, trying to get to freedom out the window…only to fail.
And he clearly hadn't been the only one, other hand prints of long-faded blood lingered on the walls, dimly lit up by a singular, somehow-still-working light fixture. What Nick noticed though wasn't the faint iron-y smell but…but a worse stench coming from the fridge. Did he dare peek inside? He had a really horrid feeling he wouldn't find rotten FOOD inside.
Finally mustering his courage he rose up and checked the nearby refrigerator, opening it up and-
Almost slamming it shut right there. Oh GOD. OH MY GOD. So that was where they'd been. Disgusting. DISGUSTING. Chunks of hair were still matted on the fridge walls and everything. Nick tried to resist the urge to vomit as he quickly closed the door, hearing a disgusting rattling sound filling the air. It sounded like somebody was trying to hack up a rock that was stuck in their mouth, but the rock was halfway stuck. Not enough to get out, but enough to let some air in and out so that unnatural sound filled the air…
Nick pulled out his mace, and shook it slightly as he made his way back up the stairs…or at least, tried to. When he began to ascend the steps, he saw HER at the top. "Sakurako…" His eyes gazed at hers, at the red-lined, bulging THINGS that were practically popping out of their sockets. "It's okay, I'm trying to help you here, to help you and your family move on and rest in peace-"
He had NEVER seen so much pure, raw hatred and cruelty in a young lass's face as hers. Her scream was at such a high pitch it was almost enough to break glass, she launched herself at him, trying to claw and tear at his flesh as he gasped and cringed, that thick black hair filling his vision. He was choking…she smelled like…like milk? Why did she smell like milk? Everything was going dark, her skeletal fingers digging into his chest, the hair digging into his eye sockets, trying to TUG-
A dark, empty silence for what seemed like hours…but what was probably only a few moments. Nick awoke with a start, lying in Sakurako's house on the floor. He clutched at his head, screaming, yelling, his throat parched and his head feeling like it was on fire. "AAAAAH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" He gripped his throat, taking in deep breaths as he struggled to his feet, trying to regain his footing, to calm himself down. He'd tried to be nice. He'd really tried.
No more Mr. Nice Guy. He reached into his pocket, turning back to those stairs. He took the steps two at a time, getting back to her bedroom. Picking up his backpack, he began to go through it, getting out the other big item he'd brought…beer. Heavy alcohol. The strongest Russian vodka he could get hold of, to boot. Easily unscrewing it, he hummed a bit as he took a small swig, coughing and spluttering.
"BLAAAAUGH. Yeccch. Who drinks this swill?" He muttered. "Not nearly sweet enough." He muttered as he held it up in the air. "Sakurako, sweetie…here's to you." He remarked…before he began to pour it over the floor. SPLOOOOOOOOOSH. He hummed nonchalantly as he tossed it across the floor, the walls, and then began to keep pouring it as he exited the room, coating the whole top floor's hallways and floors!
Now, naturally… Sakurako was getting angry at this. He could hear her snarling, creaking, rasping snarl as he looked down the steps. She was on all fours, and she was skittering up the steps, racing towards him with the intent of killing him painfully. Why in the hell was he not dead?
What she hadn't reckoned on was the mace. He whipped it out and PSSSSSSSSSSSH. He sprayed hard as she let out a horrific shriek and reeled back. Howling, she flopped backwards, falling down the stairs as she clutched at her eyes. Those weren't the empty, soulless sockets of her brother, they had been relatively untouched in death, but now…now it felt like her face was on fire. Shrieking and screeching, she writhed upon the floor before she rose up, looking about as the distinct smell of fire was wafting in the air.
She could hear the shrieking of a cat at such a high pitched that you'd think only DOGS could hear. Sakurako looked around, trying to find by scent where that intruder was…
Then it became clear he hadn't really gone anywhere at all, SOMEBODY was on top of her. He was literally sitting on her, his entire, over 200-pound body keeping her held there as she yelled and shrieked in fury. Her hair was twisting and writhing, but he kept himself firmly stuck upon her, both hands grabbing her neck as if she was a horse and he was gripping her mane. The roar of the flames was filling the air as she yelled and shrieked in denial and rage. The audacity! The AUDACITY of this stupid young idiot to think they could stop her and her grudge!
She yelled and shrieked and writhed around, it was getting hotter and hotter. The young man STILL wouldn't let go of her neck. It reminded her of her father when he'd realized she wasn't dying, she hadn't eaten enough of that poisoned meal he'd fed her when he'd finally lost his mind upon learning of his wife's infidelity. He'd forcibly dragged her to the refrigerator and locked it, and she'd been too weak to get out, he'd had that damn chair blocking the door and it was so HOT…so HOT, SO-
Darkness. Absolute darkness surrounded her on all sides as she looked about. For a moment there was nothing but the endless expanse of black, but then at last, that young man manifested. He quietly walked in front of her, standing there, arms folded across his chest, almost looking blurry, as if she was seeing an afterimage of him.
"…you did a very bad thing, Sakurako." He told her.
She was about to advance on him but she found she was rooted to the spot. Why did she feel so…unnaturally cold? And…and somehow…small? As if the person in front of her was ten times her size?
That was when she focused. Something was off about him. It wasn't an afterimage of him, no, there were…other people behind him. Coming into focus the more she stared. A four-eyed, big, fat, purplish-bodied alien scientist who was quietly cracking his knuckles. A young man with red hair who was holding aloft the skateboard he'd carried with him when he'd gone onto the property on a dare. An older woman who'd accidentally lost her knitting yarn ball, having it roll onto the house's grounds and several of her "kitties". A rather square-jawed, heroic-looking alien experiment who'd tried his darndest to destroy the house when he'd seen several would-be pranksters being stuck inside, their cries for help shrieking out of the windows going unanswered until he'd barreled forth to rescue them! More and more and more people, all coming into view…and gazing at Sakurako with pure…rage.
"Did you think you were the only one with a grudge here?" Nick asked softly, as they all began to advance, enclosing on her in a gigantic ring. "Worst of all you brought your poor brother in on this too." He added. "Taro wants a little word with you too, Sakurako…" he softly murmured as Sakurako turned, seeing a small hand grab her arm, looking into furious, baleful eyes. Her brother was gazing at her with pure revulsion, one hand clutching a small, starved-to-death cat in his hands as he scowled. Sakurako tried to open her mouth to say something…anything…
But words had long since left her. Most of what had made her Sakurako had left her. Only that grudge had remained. And now she was paying for it, as the ring grew closer and closer, and they began to pile onto her, and all she could do was scream and shriek, sounds that were becoming quickly, horrifically muffled as they began to tear…
…
…
…
…Lilo looked at what remained of the house. Nobody would ever step on that land again. It was char-broiled, a pile of ashes. Nothing remained to indicate what had laid there, nothing but a marker that read "DANGER: RADIOACTIVE AREA, DO NOT APPROACH".
A lie, of course. But necessary. There was no other way to keep the average person from this spot until they found a more permanent solution. She gripped one arm as the wind softly wafted through her black hair, blowing it past her ears, in the direction of what had been the Samura home. She sniffled softly, wishing she'd said more…done more. Why hadn't he come back?
She thought he could come back from anything. She just didn't understand.
Hanging her head, Lilo turned around before hearing the sound of a cat letting out a faint "meow". She turned…her hands flying to her mouth.
The small cat softly purred, its eyes closed as it was gently scratched over the head, Nick holding it in his arms. He mournfully stared back at Lilo, a smile on his face, small…but sad. He was there, and yet…not. Ethereal and transparent, more like a mirage than a real person.
Grudges were not the only thing that lasted forever. What kept the others there was theirs against Sakurako Samura for what she'd done.
What kept Nick there…was his love for this island he'd once called home, and the girl he'd loved.
And NO grudge would ever be stronger than grief.