Trying to find the exit out of the tunnels was going slow.
The two women had to be extremely careful not to make much in the way of noise, so as not to be heard by whoever might have been near. And since then, they both had been hearing the long groaning and squeaking, echoing along the tunnel walls.
“That sound is really starting to freak me out,” Rachael muttered softly. “What even is that? It doesn’t sound normal.”
“It’s nothing good,” she admitted to her, then paused when seeing an arrow drawn into the wall before it vanished. “Come on. We’re almost out.”
Only for the sounds to suddenly stop.
Both girls stopped dead in their tracks, straining their ears to try and catch any noise, but heard nothing at all. Taryn glanced at Rachael, a finger resting along her lips to silently tell her friend to remain silent. They stayed where they stood for a long moment before she took Rachael’s hand and continued forwards.
The silence continued as they made their way, with only their footsteps could be faintly heard, Taryn pausing every so often as if to be doubly sure no one was there. And would continue, only after doing this twice, upon the third time, she remained still and slowly turned her head back towards the way they came. Her skin grew paler as tension in her shoulders grew, Rachael quickly turned around as her hand covered her mouth. But saw no one there.
Then, Rachael heard it. The sound had come back, louder than before.
From above.
Taryn’s body grew tense as she looked up first ignoring the dull throb in her neck, and what she saw sent a chill down her spine, as Rachael’s gaze followed. Above them was Ayako, clinging to the cave’s ceiling like a spider, as the creaking came from her, her neck twisting unnaturally to look at the girls.
Quickly reacting, Taryn pushed Rachael away as Ayako dropped, her body twisting like a cat before landing on top of Taryn.
“Taryn!”
“I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” Ayako said, completely ignoring Rachael, who was now franticly looking for something to use to get the woman off her friend.
Ayako’s appearance had changed as her flesh resembled that of a wooden puppet and her eyes now looked like they were made of glass that bore into Taryn. She ignored everything but what was in front of her. All the while, Taryn struggled to try to push the woman off but did little good. Just like before. It seemed that those who became dolls held a great amount of strength.
“He’s been awfully patient with you. Don’t you see it’s a gift? You’re being given a chance to live for an exceedingly long time. It might not look great a first, but you’ll grow accustomed to it, I assure you.”
There was something about her voice that unnerved Taryn. It didn’t sound natural, hell, the way her mouth was shaped, Ayako shouldn’t have been able to form all of the words. It was like the woman’s voice wasn’t even coming from her mouth but her whole being.
“Not everyone wants that!” Taryn snapped in Japanese. “How many people did you take against their will? How many of those people begged to be let go, but you ignored their pleas? And for what? A chance to extend their own life? Just to see if it’s possible. It’s selfish!”
“Whether they want it or not, it becomes out of their control the moment they enter the mansion’s grounds. Many have chosen this freely, while others have not. You should be aware of this from Kitsutsuki-sama, and what he want’s most is you!”
Taryn continued to push, and out of the corner of her eye, saw Rachael slowly pick up a torch from the tunnel’s wall, and knew what her friend planned to do with such a desperate look in her grey eyes.
“I know,” Taryn admitted keeping Ayako’s focus on her as she struggled. “But then you should know what he wishes for after this. Whether I do become what you both are or die in the process. Then you’ll have nothing left.”
Hearing that didn’t seem to bother the woman in the slightest. “I don’t question his reasons; I merely assist in what he wishes. I’ve known him for a long time, longer than anyone else here. And if he wishes to die alongside you, if you should not survive, then so be it. I will be there to lay you both to rest with the highest honours before I rid the world of this. I will burn it all, this mansion, this village, everything. I will wipe our existence off this earth.”
Taryn looked at the woman in confusion. “The village has nothing to do with it.”
Ayako gave what Taryn could only assume was a smile. “That is where you are wrong. It is because of the village that we exist like this, because of what happened long ago, it persists to this day like a disease. It won’t end until it burns to ashes. Including myself.”
The woman was genuinely devoted to Toya; in a weird sense, Taryn found that admirable. “I know what it’s like to have someone stand by you no matter what happens or what you go through.” She gripped the woman’s shoulder, nails digging into her kimono refusing to let go. “But do you really think that this is what Toya wanted from you? That’d he’d want you to die after this is over?”
Ayako didn’t even hesitate in her answer. “Yes, I told him myself that I would follow him to the end.” Her grip tightened on Taryn’s arm. “I will do anything for him. And that means if I must dislocate your limbs to stop you from running so that you can be put through the process, then so be it. I hold no regrets!”
Taryn winced. She could feel the woman’s grip tighten even more along her shoulder. “I see,” she said softly, her gaze shifting to behind Ayako to see Rachael holding up the torch like a baseball bat. “Then I’m sorry for what comes next…”
Ayako then realized that Taryn was looking at something, her head turning right when Rachael brought down the torch into Ayako’s face, knocking the woman off her.
The woman let out a piercing scream, wooden hands covering her face as Taryn then pulled Rachael to her, dropping the torch as she did so. “What have you done!?” Ayako demanded in a wail as she reached for Rachael, only to be unable to do anything when Taryn put herself in front of her friend shielding her friend. And to Taryn’s shock, the woman drew away.
There was nothing either girl could do or say as they watched in horror as Ayako’s body contorted in ways no human could do naturally as she writhed on the ground, unable to stop the now all-consuming fire that engulfed her body.
“No! No! Not like this! I’m not like him! I don’t have what it takes to survive this as he would! I don’t have a spare!” she cried in desperation, she fell to the ground, her joints creaking and crackling along with the flames that ate away at her body like a log inside a fireplace. “This isn’t how things were supposed to end… I was… so close… to making your dream… a reality… Kitsutsuki-sama… please for…give…me…”
Slowly the two girls stood when all fell silent, now looking at the charred human-like remains of the woman Ayako.
When there were no more voices to be heard Taryn quickly caught Rachael before she fell to the ground, her breathing ragged as her whole body shook, tears threatened to fall from her eyes as her mouth hung open but no sounds came out.
“I… I killed her…” she finally managed. “I… I couldn’t think of anything else. She wasn’t going to let go… I… I… I just wanted her to let go of you… I didn’t think she’d…”
Taryn silently embraced her friend, hugging her tight as Rachael cried. When she finally settled, her trembling slowed, Rachael looked to Taryn and asked in a shaken voice.
“Are they all like this?”
“I don’t know,” she answered truthfully. “I know Toya is different, but then, he’s the one who did all this. So there might be others who are like him.”
“Like him?” Rachael repeated as her grip on Taryn’s hand tightened. “Sato mentioned that Toya was a monster, do you mean Toya’s like them too?”
Taryn didn’t want to frighten her friend any further than she already was, but this was something she needed to know.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
“He’s the doll that attacked me,” the look of horror filled Rachale’s face as Taryn looked at Ayako’s charred remains. “I bet this is the more common variety that comes from turning people into what he is. Whatever that really entails.”
Rachael stared at her friend as she finally stopped trembling, normally her anxiety would continue but something made it stop when seeing the amount of guilt in Taryn’s eyes brought about a looming question. “Do you have any idea what she meant by a spare?”
“Not a one.” They both heard the faint sound of scratching coming from right next to them, turning to look at a nearby wall, they could see Kanji being scratched into the rock, saying they were close to the exit.
Straight ahead. Then it disappeared.
Gripping Rachael’s hand, Taryn turned away from Ayako’s remains. “Come on. We’re close to the exit now.”
Rachael followed in silence, glancing at her free hand, seeing it faintly shake as she took a slow breath. She was terrified, but she didn’t have the luxury to act on it. And what she learned weighed heavily on Rachael’s shoulders. This all came about because of some wish?
It sounded insane. It was insane.
To do something like this for however long, Rachael couldn’t wrap her head around it. Her grey eyes glanced back to Taryn’s back, then to their interlocked hands as they went. Taryn’s didn’t tremble, while Rachael’s did. Her grip on Taryn’s hand tightened, and Taryn merely gave her a faint reassuring smile, as if to silently say that things would be okay.
Just like when they were at the hospital.
But her eyes were different then, though Taryn didn’t physically show it, her blue eyes now held a type of sadness. Something that Rachael was unsure of. Was she sad that this happened, that her friends were hurt, or was she sad for those that should be seen as an enemy?
Rachael couldn’t bring herself to ask.
“Let’s pick up the pace,” Taryn said softly. “We don’t know when others are going to show up, and I’d like for us to be above ground before that happens.”
With a nod, Rachael silently followed, both falling back into moving quickly while keeping silent in case others were to come around for the sound began to return. It had the moment they came across a small door, as the hall diverged into another. Using her compact, Taryn checked both ways to make sure the coast was clear. There were no signs of anyone else from either direction. And there were no sounds like before either.
They quickly crouched through the small door, quietly closing it behind them, and were then greeted with stairs going upwards. Ensuring that the door behind them was locked since there was a latch for it.
The two then headed up the stairs before finally reaching the top. Upon opening the door, they were greeted with a tucked-away corner of the mansion’s hallway and fresh air.
After the initial check to see if anyone else was around and found themselves in the clear was when Rachael collapsed on the ground with a breath of relief as Taryn leaned on a nearby wall, clearly not willing to relax just yet.
“We’re outside!” Rachael breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh thank god we’re outside!” her gaze went to Taryn’s foot which was still partly raised. “Will your ankle be okay?”
Taryn looked at it before putting it down, only to wince; when dealing with Sato, she hadn’t felt a thing. It was odd. Was that even normal? “I’ll be fine as long as I don’t put too much weight on it.” She tells Rachael. “It’s not the worst I’ve had.”
Rachael didn’t respond to that as she stood up. “Well, if you need help, you can always lean on me for support. Besides, you don’t weigh that much anyway.”
“Ha-ha.” She said in a deadpan tone. “Funny.” Before a frown formed along her brow.
“What is it?”
She raised her hand, causing her friend to go silent. “Do you hear that?”
“No,” she said with a long moment. “I don’t hear anything.”
“Exactly, where is everyone?”
It was just like all those other times when they walked about the mansion’s grounds, only now giving a much more sinister vibe.
Rachael swallowed hard. “Then let’s head down to the village and see how to get the hell out of this nightmare.” She paused to look at her own feet. “After we get proper shoes.”
Without a word, Taryn removed the shoes that Rachael had given her. Taryn waited as Rachael put on her shoes, no longer caring about the edict of being in this place. The sooner they got out the better. Still, they had to be cautious.
Even then, the words of Toya continued to play out in the back of her mind.
Don’t think of it. Taryn chided herself once more. You’re almost out of this place, away from all of it. Don’t think about what he said.
“Do you think that once you leave this place, this country, all is done? That you will see me no more? I finally have you in my grasp, and I refuse to concede. I will have you, Taryn. Even if it means I must go through your family to do it! Nothing will stop me, not now, not ever…”
Stop. Taryn forced his words to the back of her mind. Don’t, don’t dwell on it. He’s lying he’s… fuck. She thought as she mentally pushed herself to walk forwards. To head over to the main front entrance only to stop when hearing soft-spoken voices in Japanese only to see a familiar face brought her and Rachael by complete surprise.
“Stephanie?” Rachael said in surprise, and not only Stephanie, but the detective was here with her. They looked okay even though they dealt with those of the mansion, given how exhausted they both looked.
But before Rachael had the chance to express any feeling of joy or relief at seeing them both alive, Taryn rushed forward, grabbing Stephanie by the collar of the other woman’s white blouse and snarled. “Why did you come back here?” Stephanie winced, but Taryn pressed on. “I told you to stay away. I told you not to come back for your own safety. And you ignored it! Even after all that’s happened, and who we’ve lost…” tears began to blur her vision as her left hand shook as her voice hitched, she was angry, yet Stephanie felt that there was a tint of relief as well. “The hell is wrong with you?”
Stephanie closed her eyes; aware she deserved the tongue-lashing from Taryn and everyone else here. “I know, but I… I just couldn’t leave you guys here. I couldn’t just think of myself. Not after all that’s happened. I’m sorry.”
“You idiot.” Taryn snapped with tears rolling down her cheeks as Stephanie drew her in for a hug as she could feel Taryn gripping her back tightly in response. As if the sheer force would tear at her shirt, refusing to let go.
“Yeah, I am,” Stephanie said softly, then opened one of her arms for Rachael, who quickly joined them, hugging them both. “I’m just glad that the both of you are alive…”
After that moment, the two women pulled away to look Stephanie over. Her clothes looked to be smudged with dirt before their eyes felt to a part of her blouse that had signs of blood, to which Stephanie responded.
“Oh that,” she said with a nervous smile. “I was shot.”
Both women slowly at the other woman’s face, utterly aghast before Daichi added in. “She’s not joking, a man pulled out a revolver, took us both by surprise.”
“Are you serious!” Rachael panicked as Taryn wiped the remaining tears from her face with the sleeve of her baseball tee. “But-but if that’s true, how are you even alive?”
Stephanie then held up a mostly destroyed brooch to the two of them in her right hand. A few stones remained from what looked to be a flower arrangement, and the ones that remained were cracked or broken while the metal that held it all together looked somewhat twisted from the impact of force.
“I was given this brooch by the people at that jewelry store who gave you both the ring and necklace. It took the hit. Although it hurts to move a bit, I’m surprised. If I didn’t put it on, I probably would have died.”
Taryn was oddly silent as she just stared at the partly deformed brooch.
“I know it’ll sound crazy.” Stephanie continued. “But the woman told me her father who owns the shop was adamant in me having it. Saying that it would protect me from harm since it was my birthstone or something like that. At least that’s what his daughter said. Honestly, I should just count myself lucky that I wasn’t hit anywhere else.”
“What about the man who shot you?” Rachael asked. “What happened to him?”
Stephanie looked behind herself; the two followed her gaze and saw one man now tied up alone, completely unconscious. “He ran off into the forest after the Detective shot him. Which I still find strange. He shouldn’t have been able to get up so fast after I used my stun baton on him. It was like neither attack fazed him in the least. This whole thing is just making me think that I might be crazy.”
Rachael frowned. “Why would you say that?”
This seemed to snap Stephanie out of whatever thought she was lost in. “Oh, no, it’s nothing. My mind’s a bit jumbled after all that’s happened.” No way in hell they’d believe me if I told them I saw Robert before the other guy pulled out a gun.
Rachael looked to Taryn, who now looked at Rachael’s hand, to the ring that she hadn’t removed, as Taryn’s expression was rather hard to read. But before she had the chance to ask what was on her friend’s mind, the Detective spoke.
“As good as it is to see you both alive and relatively unharmed, we should save the conversation until after we leave the village.”
“We were just going to get something for Taryn’s feet,” Rachael said, indicating to Taryn’s bare feet in question. “Of course, had there been more people, we wouldn’t attempt it, we would have just tried to leave.”
“Then let’s hurry,” Daichi grunted and grasped his side. “The sooner we leave this place, the better.”
When the four of them made quick work getting to the front while making sure no one else was around as Taryn quickly grabbed her black steel-toed boots to put them on. Only to see out of the corner of her eye a standing mirror, and within it, was Robert.
Go, he signed to her through the mirror. Get out of here and don’t come back. When she didn’t move, he smiled and added. It’s okay. Protect yourselves.
Taryn grit her teeth, hands clenched tightly into fits. She wanted to shout that none of this was okay. But couldn’t bring herself to do so with others around. Others whom she cared about and kept picturing what would happen if Toya got his hands on them.
Shit.
Rachael frowned when she hadn’t moved from where she stood, her back facing them. “Taryn?” she was standing still, looking deep into the mansion’s depths. Did she see something again? Rachael thought. “Taryn, what is it?”
Taryn merely responded by letting out a slow, tired breath. As though she had concluded to some kind of thought that had been weighing heavily on her mind.
Pushing her bangs away from her forehead briefly as she continued to stare into the mansion’s dimly lit depths, what she was thinking, wasn’t smart. Not by a long shot. But it kept coming to the forefront again and again without relenting.
A choice, that’s what it came down to.
A choice had to be made.
A choice to leave and never look back with the overwhelmingly strong possibility of Toya coming after them at an undetermined amount of time or to face him here and now.
No, it wasn’t a possibility; it was a promise. Toya promised that he would, and Taryn had little doubt he’d go back against it once his mind was made up.
“You need to go,” Taryn said finally as her mind continued to war with itself as she faced the three of them. “Go and head to the village, get out of here.”
“What?” Rachael said with shocked confusion. “Taryn, what are you talking about? We’re outside of the mansion now, we’re so close to escaping. What do you even mean by—” her words cut short when seeing the look in her friend’s eyes, how focused the two blues of her eyes had become. A familiar determination she had only seen once in their friendship. One that clearly meant she had made her resolve for something unspoken.
“I’m going to stop Toya.”