First came the sirens then came the smoke that was so thick and rose so high that it could be seen from anywhere in Hokkaido. I knew this because my friend, Nagisa, who lived on the other side of the district, had called me and was witnessing the same thing. The smoke was coming from the military base about 10km away from our house. The whole town panicked fearing that a war was breaking out. We were forbidden from attending school by out parents and told to stay indoors at all times. But no war happened and after a few days, people started to get back to their usual business.
At first it was the pets, then the goats then the cows and soon children began to go disappearing. Men in black suits showed up and took residence in our town. You would only need to look out the window for a minute and you would see one walking outside. It seemed they were some kind of government people because they went to homes asking questions, like they did to ours.
Soon our roads were filled not with children playing and beaten up cars but with military vehicles. Everyone was in unrest and scared to even step outside. It was a ghost town before even many families left for other towns and cities and I was looking forward to move too but my stupid father did not want to leave.
Somehow as if the small number of people and the presence of the military had a desired effect, there was less chaos. The attacks lessened and even some families started to take out their herds to pasture. I thought it was too soon but my father said that we would give a negative impression if we did not follow the others so we too began to get back into the norm.
I was almost ready to forget about the happenings. The men in black were seen less and less around the roads and the military had gone back to the base so I figured everything had been resolved. I did not even know what was going on. I knew that my father knew. He was very quite these days around me than he had been before everything had started. He would look at me and when I think that he was going to say something he would just look down and continue on with what he had been doing like eating or read a paper or watch television.
Then one night I learned everything.
There came another attack that night. It was the first one in a while, and it was at our home, right in my bedroom!
I remember it so vividly as if it only happened yesterday and not two years ago. I remember being shocked awake by a sudden crash and the movement of my bed. At first I thought it was an earthquake! I remember shouting for my father without even knowing what had happened. I was still disoriented just having woken from sleep. It was dark. I heard my father shouting my name from his room down stairs telling me to stay calm and that he would be right up. A moment later I began to hear noises. They sounded like heavy breathing. I turned to the source which was in a corner near the door to my room. It was too dark to see anything but there was an eerily red glow bouncing around the walls.
I found out what the glow was then screamed. Two little dots of blood red light zoomed at me. I knew that they were eyes. My blood bumped furiously in my chest and at the time I truly believed those scenes I saw in movies once where time seemed to stop before a victim's demise.
Where it was so dark before to the point of not even being able to make out the little mirror on my side drawer, I could see like it was mid-day outside my open window in the next instant. It happened so quickly that I never paid as much attention to it at the time. It was instinct.
The red dots turned into eyes – beastly eyes. The thing, whatever it was, had lunged at me. I ducked as soon as I had seen in then wasting no time I ran for the door. I pulled the door open and found myself face to face with the end of the shotgun my father kept. I froze on the spot.
I shouted desperately at him. I was so scared, my body was on edge and I wanted nothing else but the need to get out of the house.
The sound was so deafening I had to put my hands to my ears. My father raised the gun and pointed blindly because unlike me, he couldn't see in the darkness. But to me we might as well have been outside during daytime which is why I was able to see the thing lunge at my father! I shouted out at him in urgency and on instinct he sent a shot off. It hit right on the mark but all that did was make the monster pause. There was not a smidgen of damage and it did not look happy. It lunged and I did the only thing I could think of – I pulled my father out of the way to protect him and then the pain hit me right in the back.
I panted trying to contain the pain shooting out of my back like there was fire on and in my skin!
I braced myself for my impending death! I couldn't believe I was going to be killed by a monster. Monsters weren't real! I thought it was a dream! Yes, I thougt I had dreamed all the things that had happened so far. Our town was still the good old happy place I knew and love. I thought I would wake up and go shopping and I wound find Miss Matsui humming to herself as she baked new cakes. Her shop being closed due to a freak accident of a fire was only part of my dream. Yes, my friend Nagisa would not have moved to Tokyo and I would meet her on the tram to school!
I had began deluding myself like that.
My body reacted to the sound of my name! I raised my head and turned around to see a strange young man standing where the monster should have been. He was tall, with long black hair and a run-down tuxedo. He carried a huge case on his back that anyone not his height would not have been able to hold the same way. It looked very heavy too but he didn't seem that bothered. In fact he was the coolest looking guy I have ever seen.
I felt embarrassed looking at him so intently so I looked at what he was holding in his hand instead. It was a katana of some sort and he was offering it to me?
I looked at him like he was crazy. He was crazy!
I was forced to swallow my voice when the monster attacked again but the man back-handed it like it was a stuffed poodle thrown at him and he found it a nuisance!
His face finally changed into an expression that was keen of relief and almost a smile. He bowed as he got on one knee.
I simply stared, not believing what I saw and heard.
I turned to look to my father even more confused. I tried to think but I did not know where to begin. With the calm, came the painful reminder when my father began to get up.
I cried out in pain as my back seared and flesh rubbed with flesh!
I panted as I leaned forward to help my father take a better look and hoped that he would not create even more pain.
The stranger, Haji was it? Haji started to approach but once again he was forced to fight off the monster that chose that moment to attack. This time a simple back hand was not sufficient. Haji was knocked off his feet and into the wall. The sword he was holding fell to the floor then skid right next to me. I studied it.
I turned to my father and surrendered when I saw the look! One did not want to mess with Kawamoto George when he had on that face.
Taking the silence as queue, Papa helped me up carefully and I placed my arm around his shoulder for support. He was probably thinking of carrying me and while I found that a very tempting idea, my back was in very bad shape, so a free lift was out of the question.
We slowly descended the stairs to the living room all the while things falling around the house from the vibrations of the fight that went on upstairs. A sudden thought crossed my mind wondering why this Haji was taking so long with the monster! He had looked way stronger than it so why wasn't he killing it yet?
Wait, where did that thought come from?
A picture of the sheathed katana flashed through my mind then and I shook it off! This had nothing to do with me.
As we approached the door, it was opened for us when something crashed through it from the outside. Had I not been hanging onto my father's shoulders with his arm holding mine, I would have been forced to my backside.
The thing was almost identical to the one upstairs. I would have thought it was the exact same one had there not been evidence that the battle upstairs was still taking place with the crushing and stomping and beastly cries. I could also just tell that this thing before us was different from the one upstairs.
We remained very still where we were. The Beast had not recognized us yet, or maybe it was simply ignoring us? It was looking around and sniffling for something and I hoped that it would just go on its merry way and leave us alone. Maybe it would be attracted to the battle upstairs?
But it seemed I had used up all my luck for the day because the Beast turned and stared right at us. To be more specific, it was staring right at me. I could see clearly, a fact that had not sank in with me yet as to how, so I had a clear take on the Beast's features.
I felt my Father stiffen as the Monster began walking towards us, towards me. Its eyes had a weird feeling to them but I did not think of it further! A monster was coming for us and possibly with the intention of devouring us.
The name escaped my lips without my thinking! Next came a loud rumble then a part of the ceiling a bit off to the side, caved in and rubble fell everywhere, creating a cloud of dust.
In an instant – a moment so fast that even I didn't register what actually happened, I found my hand raised and in my palm, the sword!
Something else crushed through the hole created by Haji! In his place it was the monster from before! It had landed right on top of him with it's feet that looked like hands too, locked onto his shoulders.
He said to me, looking desperate which was weird because he almost seemed expressionless.
The monster put more force onto him, crushing him further down into the rubble.
What the hell was he talking about? My blood could kill these things? I didn't remember my blood being that deadly. It looked like any person's! And what was I supposed to do with the damned sword? I had never held a weapon before.
The monster that had Haji pinned spoke! I didn't know they could speak! I turned to the one in front of us. Its mouth split apart and I did not know if it were smiling or just getting ready for a meal. Either way I pushed Papa out of the way and braced for the end with my eyes closed!
The impact sent my senses to the north winds! My back was bleeding into the wall next to the stairs but that pain was nothing to me. There was much worse pain in my shoulders, both of them, where the monster had it's string, long and sharpened nails digging into my flesh, scratching bone, and inessentially pinning me to the wall mid air!
I wanted to cry out but I couldn't find the energy. Then something strange began to happen. I heard the cracking first before I saw it. The monster's flesh on its fingers began to turn a stony color then the cracks started to appear like as its flesh hardened and split apart.
The monster screamed and pulled away like it had touched molten lava. No longer pinned to the wall, I came crashing down and simply lay there. I was losing feeling in my limbs. My vision was beginning to blur and darken. The monster's screams were getting louder and more monstrous but quieter. I realized that my hearing was the one fading!
I could barely hear my father's voice. I wanted to talk to him. I wanted to tell him not to worry. I was only taking a small nap. Yes, I was only sleeping. I would wake up and everything would be alright again. This will all be a dream.
Then I saw stars and my body felt the heat of the sun like I was thrown right into the giant star itself!
My eyes snapped open and I was greeted with a pair of closed eyes! I stared not understanding what I was seeing. Then it hit me!
I shut my eyes and screamed to the top my lungs and I pushed the person off of me as hard as I could.
I spluttered and wiped at my mouth. I tasted a sharp metallic fluid on my tongue which reminded me of blood. I thought of this because I had gotten gum bleeds before and my saliva had tasted the same!
When I opened my eyes I was alone and the wall ahead of me was crumbling to the floor. A closer look showed that Haji was stuck in it in a very comical way. He had been the one kissing me so why the hell was he all the way…OMG, did I do that? And why didn't I feel any pain?
I reached to my back where there should be a huge wound but instead I felt smooth skin. It was as if the cut hadn't happened in the first place. I didn't even feel it anymore which confused me a big deal. It was like I had an idea but just kept under the surface.
The sound of a gunshot caught my attention and I whipped around to find my father struggling to reload his gun. The monster was right in front of him and it seemed to taunt him.
I didn't even think. I just started running at the monster.
In mid-run the sword appeared in front of me and I snatched it out of the air as easily as if I had done before. Haji calling my name had gotten the attention of the monster which started turning around in my direction but it was too slow.
Without knowing what I was doing I un-sheathed the sword, threw the casing to the side and jumped! The monster looked up at me with eyes wide. It looked to me as if it was moving in slow motion. I took a hold of the sword with both my hands and brought it down and right through the monster's neck!
It let out a pained roar and thrashed to get me off of it but I held on. I wasn't going to let go until it fell, dead!
I heard Haji and my mind went back to the monster that had pinned me as it wailed and its skin shattered while I fought to stay attacked to the monster's back.
A vision that might have been a memory flashed through my mind. I did what I saw as I pressed one of my hands on the blade and winced a bit at the sting as blood flowed from the wound and down the shiny metal. I pulled the sword out and pushing away with my legs from the monster, I made a simple swipe at its neck.
Its head hit the ground at the same time my feet did. It went rolling for a couple of seconds before the cracking sounds started and its skin turned grey. The monster soon was a headless statue and I stared with wonder and a little bit of fear.
I dropped the sword and stared at my hands as if they would give me the answers I was looking for. The cut on my hand was already healed.
I looked at the young woman sitting on the bed before me.
We were in my apartment that David had gotten for me. Yukirin-san was sitting across from me with a cup of tea in her hands. She was listening as I told her of how I found out about….my condition.
It was good that she was no longer in denial. Now she was only curious and looked less disturbed by all of this. I wish I could have her enthusiasm.
Her brow furrows and she opens her mouth to say something but then closes it again. She plays with the cup in her hand looking embarrassed for some reason.
I ask her in amusement. She looks at me then away then back again.
She was just so cute sometimes!
She looked around as if searching for something.
She had another one of her awkward silences. It was strange. Haji was taking longer than usual.
She looks at me blankly like what I have just said was in moon-speak or something.
She looked terrified. She was probably thinking back to the attack.
I might have raised my voiced way more than necessary. She cringes back in her seat.
She looks troubled and I know this is very hard for her. Yukirin-san is a kind person and cares deeply for the other members but I don't want her to get hurt. She is the first person I have told about this. It has been driving me crazy not being able to talk about it with anyone. I left home without talking to Nagisa-chan, not even telling her goodbye. She was of course very angry when we talked again after she passed the auditions for Team 8. She spoke her mind and we haven't talked since then. I miss her.
Of course it had to be her!
Something heavy settled in my stomach at those words. I ignored it.
Yukirin-san yelped at the sudden appearance of Haji. I too was surprised the first few days with him but I got used to it. More like I couldn't be taken surprise by him anymore. I felt when he was close – a feeling that I am not even sure when it had started.
He presented a dirtied phone in his good hand to Yukirin-san.
Haji must have gone back and picked it up.
She said to Haji with a bit of hesitation. Haji of course did not reply to her. He has yet to speak a word to Yukirin-san. The two just stare at one another.
I watch Yukirin-san stand up and leave the room to go call her mother. Little did she know that we could hear her as clearly as if she were shouting right in our ears! I guess the fact that we are vampires hasn't sunk in yet. I choose to give her privacy and tune out her voice then turn to Haji. I extend my hand and he gives me what I needed – a bag of pig blood.
What a bad lie but really, people would choose to believe the explainable over the alternative.
I raise the bag and raise it to my mouth. I bare my fans and bite down into the warm bag. It sickens me – the feeling I always get from such an inhumane action. I wish I did not have to do it but I need the blood to be strong enough to fight those things. I learned that the hard way the first few months I refused to drink it. I knew I needed blood but I drew the line at drinking people's blood. Haji said that animal blood would only give me the fraction of strength I would get from human blood but I was strong enough with just pig blood. The thought of drinking from a person makes me sick. How different is that from cannibalism?
Yukirin knew something was up and that Sayaya knew what. The girls were backstage changing into the final costumes for the day. Yukirin could hear the crowd changing her name as it was her Birthday. The show was about to end and yet Yukirin hadn't spoken to Sayaya ever since the performance had started. Not only that but she had looked tense, a first for the girl that was always energetic during performances. When they had gotten breaks Sayaya had disappeared somewhere and she had an inkling where she had gone off to.
Yukirin snapped back to her surroundings at Mocchi's command.
"Hey birthday girl, you look distracted! What's up?
Yukirin let her fingers relax into the hand that took a hold of hers. She knew who it was without even looking. Only one person was that physical with her and even without the touching, the voice was so familiar to her it might as well be imprinted into her brain.
Mayuyu takes a step to stand facing Yukirin. She locks their other hands together and looks into Yukirin's eyes. They are so close that Yukirin can almost see her exhaled air condense on Mayuyu's forehead.
Yukirin looked at Mayuyu – a person that was everything to her, her best friend, her family, her rival and much more, with blank eyes. She really did not have any idea what the girl was going on about.
Mayuyu stared right back in a no nonsense way.
Yukirin blushed when the words finally sank in.
Mocchi shouted at the two trouble makers! Yukirin stopped trying to hit Mayuyu and then noticed that the group had already walked onto the stage. The two followed suite onto the darkened and behind the curtain. Yukirin felt great. She felt better than she had the whole day and almost forgot about what had transpired the day before. She really was glad to have Mayuyu as her friend.
The curtains part way and the lights came on as the music started and the girls performed the encores. Yukirin kept stealing glances in Sayaya's direction whenever she could and every time she did, Yukirin got more worried.
Sayaya hadn't smiled at any time she had caught her face. She was also glaring into the audience and Yukirin tried to find exactly where she was looking but it seemed random. She would definitely need to talk to the girl after the stage.
Then came the time for cake and letter-reading. Sayaya had helped bring out the cake and Yukirin was glad that at least she was smiling then when their eyes met. She really couldn't still believe it, especially seeing the girl like that.
She couldn't believe that Sayaya was a vampire.
She had gotten two letters, which were read by Juri. The first one was from Riorin, the girl that probably was the grestest fan of Yukirin among the members. She was a bit on the weird side always speaking her mind in regards to Yukirin. The letter reminded her that she hadn't talked to the girl in a while and especially after the recent happenings, she felt there was a need to talk to her. Not just Riorin, she needed to talk with the other girls as well. Maybe she should organize a group dinner?
The other letter was from Kitarie. Despite being from different generations Kitarie and her had a relationship similar to that of the same gens. The same could be said about Miichan and Sashiko. And now that she and Kitarie had both been made members of NGT48, they were getting even closer than they had been before.
Everything proceeded as per normal. Yukirin was asked to give a short speech to the members and the fans then what she would want to accomplish in the coming year. The members sang one last song then bowed to the audience to thank them for their attendance. It was when the girls waved as they left the stage that the veil was lifted and Yukirin found herself in the hell that she had thought only a dream.
A sharp scream cut through the theatre demanding the attention of everyone. Yukirin's heart started drumming out of her chest as she whipped around to look in the direction of the source. Before she saw what she was looking for, another scream followed suite, this one much closer. This time Yukirin caught the source and she wished she hadn't seen it! At first it looked like two people were embracing but then the one hovering over the other lifted their head and Yukirin saw their face! It was the same nightmare from the night before!
Another scream broke out then another and soon there was panic everywhere. It was hard to see with all the people in the audience in chaos running and screaming for their lives but Yukirin saw them! The monsters were among the people, picking them off like they were in an all you can buffet. Her heart went into overdrive and she started to back pedal. She had to get the hell out of there. Something blocked her foot and Yukirin nearly tripped but caught herself in time. She looked down and there sat the youngest member of the team Seina.
The girl looked up at Yukirin as if in a daze, not understanding what she was seeing. Yukirin took her hand and pulled her up to her feet. She turned her around and pushed her from the back towards the stage exit.
Seina did as she was told and disappeared behind the door curtains. Yukirin turned around to see if anyone was still there but was met with a panicked face of Shonobu-san.
The strongly built Manager stopped mid-speech when something wet hit her on the forehead. The splashes hit Yukirin's face too. They looked up at the same time and what they saw made them scream! There above Shinobu-san, on squatting on the pole that held the stage lights and leering down at them was one of the monsters. Yukirin took a step back as a reaction. That was not a very good idea for the monster turned its full attention to her then leapt for her!
Yukirin took another step back and raised her hands in front of her face in an attempt to protect herself! She screamed when her hand burned and the force of the hit sent her flying backwards to crash against and through the double doors hidden within the backstage wall.
Upon hearing that voice Yukirin opened her eyes and found a wet face staring back at her worriedly.
Yukirin tried to get to her feet wit the help of Mayuyu.
The swinging doors that Yukirin had come crushing through were forced open as something came flying through once again. Yukirin used her body to push the two of them out of the way and narrowly dodged being squished. They ended up in a pile and Yukirin landed on her gushing arm. She cursed loudly as she fought the spinning. The pain was too much.
Yukirin rotated her head from Mayuyu's chest to see! What she found was not what she had expected to find. It wasn't Sayaya that had come crushing through the mirrored doors. That was the monster that was moving. Something else was happening to it though. It was as if it was turning into stone. Before it standing over its body was a blood-drenched Sayaya. She held that sword from last night in her hands but this time something was different about her when she turned to them at the mention of her name.
Her eyes were glowing blood red!
She ran came over the two and knelt close to them. Yukirin watched her and realized that her eyes hard returned to normal. She winced when her arm was moved as a result of Sayaya taking it in her hand to take a closer look.
Sayaya looked at the wound with a troubled expression on her face. She looked at war with herself and Yukirin debated whether to ask what was up or not. Sayaya did not let her for then next thing she did was rip off a piece of her t-shirt that she had on under her signature red hydro wear.
Mayuyu narrowed her eyes at Sayaya when she got ignored.
Yukirin intervened before Mayuyu could get off what she was about to say.
Mayuyu groaned but helped Yukirin up when Sayaya was done with her attempt at first aid.
Yukirin swallowed, not wishing to finish the question. Sayaya thankfully understood what she had wanted to ask.
Mayuyu eyed the strange younger girl.
Yukirin gave Sayaya one last look.
They both turned at the same time for different direction.
The two of them were deathly quite as they made their way out of the building. Yukirin's blood was rushing through her veins and she could hear her heart beat and feel it in her brain from the terror that got a hold of her once again. Tears poured out of her eyes and were it not for the emergency of the situation she would have thrown up.
It was the same scene from the night before! Bodies and blood were scattered along the floor as the two tried to navigate their way through the madness. Yukirin turned to look at the girl next to her and was surprised by the restraint Mayuyu had. In her case Yukirin had seen this before and even then she still felt sick enough to just fall over her herself and pass out and yet Mayuyu thought she looked disturbed, she wasn't freaking out like any other person would. Yukirin tied to stifle her tears as they walked through death and towards the barricade outside.
As soon as the two stepped out men with red crosses were all over them. They separated the two and took them to two different ambulances all the while shouting things that meant nothing to Yukirin. Her vision started to swim yet again and soon everything faded to nothing.
THERE IS GOING TO BE MORE CHAPETERS THAN TWO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
um, sorry about that but this my dear BlackGeki is awesome!!!
Really want to see how this carries on and ends!!!!
This is a surprise. I have never seen you comment at this time before!
I'm not sure how Miion would fit in this unless I changed her a lot so no promises on that.
Also anyone that thinks of getting with Yukirin has to face Mayuyu at some point. Even though I wasn't going for a triangle or anything like that here.