One Year Later…

Taryn Lowell tapped her index finger as she looked at the script for the webcomic she had just drafted since she had finally taken the chance to look at it again, given all that had happened one year ago.

The retrial of her brother’s murder and the conviction of Alex, he would be doing time for First-Degree Murder, which amounted to seven years because of his age mixed with his disorder that he now seemed to be managing with the proper help of medical staff. Still, it all seemed to be overshadowed by the events in Japan.

When they all had returned home, Stephanie went right to Robert’s mother alongside Taryn, for she also felt the need to tell her when she identified his body—asking how he could have died. To which Taryn responded. “He died trying to warn us, but he also saved me. If it weren’t for your son, I wouldn’t be here.”

It was the truth, albeit watered down, but it was the only thing she was willing to even share with his mother. She didn’t need to know the gruesome details of his death.

They attended Robert’s funeral, which was a rather sombre affair. Stephanie left Robert a diamond pin, placing it on his tie as they all wore the jewelry they received while in Japan. Stephanie had been given a newly made broach from the remaining stones when she visited the store owner with her father. Like the elderly man expected her to return with it heavily damaged. He even placed a diamond in the center, to signify its change.

Taryn glanced at the calendar. The anniversary of Robert’s death was getting close. She had planned to meet up with Stephanie and Rachael to visit him, along with her brother, even though she had been there several times since they were both buried in the same graveyard.

Leaning back in her chair, she let out a breath, to get flowers or not, Robert was never a flowers kind of guy, though he did like Sleiman Beer or Guinness, she couldn’t pick. Stephanie would know better. She thought before hearing the sounds of the front door opening, followed by the dog giving a few short barks before going quiet as the cat merely looked to the door from its resting place on Taryn’s bed. “Hi, Mom,” she called out from her room.

“Hi, sweetie,” her Mom called back. “All quiet?”

She stood, stretching her arms above her head as she walked past a photo on her dresser of her, Rachael, Stephanie, and Daichi dressed for a wedding that happened just seven months ago in the early spring where there was no snow, surprisingly. It was a beautiful day when the wedding happened as her brother’s ID Disk rested by it along with the necklace with the red diamond, as she headed into the hallway where her mother set down some groceries and her bag with her laptop and case files with the help of Bob as Isabella came to assist. “Yeah, no phone calls for once.”

“That’s good, how goes the writing? Beat past your block yet?”

“Pretty much, just waiting to get feedback from Rachael, though we plan to meet up later this week. Since it’s coming up to the first anniversary for Robert, just trying to think of what to get him.” She looked at all of the stuff. “Want my help?”

“No, it’s okay, we’ve got this. But you do have a package. It’s on the dining room table.”

Taryn frowned with a slight tilt of her head. “What kind of package?”

“I’m not sure,” her mother said. “I just know it’s from Japan given the postage stamps and stickers plastered on it. I think it might be from Daichi and his partner. Maybe it’s something about the wedding.”

“It’s not a bomb,” Isabella said plainly.

“Made sure when we went to see your Dad,” Bob added. “It looked to be some kind of gift. Though, for the life of me, I couldn’t tell you what it could be. Had a ton of covering in it, that’s for sure. We just know it’s not a bomb, or drugs, or a bomb disguised as drugs.”

Isabella looked at him with an unimpressed stare. “That was a one-time thing, and well before her uncle brought us here. I honestly doubt someone would be dumb enough to send something like that to the Lowells.”

Bob responded with an arch stare of his own. “Oh yeah? Your tune would be different if you’ve seen some of the hate mail I’ve had to sift through on their accounts. Heck, even our resident gamer-writer still get’s death threats. Or people still trying to set up an interview after what happened last year.” He shook his head. “Why don’t people understand the words “No” or “Not interested” anymore?”

Isabella took some of the things from Bob’s arms and headed towards the kitchen. “Because the media never cared about that, and merely looking for their next story, I’m starting to think I should pay their studios a visit and have a talk with them.”

Taryn’s mother sighed. “Vague threats get nowhere, Isabella, I understand your anger, epically when some from the States tried to get in on it all.” She then looked to Taryn. “I’m just glad they’ve stopped coming to our front door.”

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Same here. Taryn thought. It had been a literal hellscape when coming back from Japan, add to the fact that some jackass decided to leak the names of those who had been found from the Mansion Massacre, as the news so joyfully coined it. Taryn decided for her mental health to stay with her grandfather for a time. Trying to come to terms with what happened, and the overwhelming guilt that still rested in her heart. Even Rachael and Stephanie stayed with her.

She was just glad that they finally stopped when her Dad intervened by telling all news outlets during a live broadcast that if anyone one of them, freelance or not, harassed his daughter or others who survived (he refused to give names) then he would get them arrested. Not only for trespassing but also repeated harassment and defamation if spreading lies to their news coeloms.

The way he looked on TV as though he was just barely containing his anger scared the shit out of a lot of people. Even the newscasters were put in their place. Her father rarely became angry, but when he did, it was best to stand down or run because what would come next could mean someone dead. Not literally, of course.

Heck, a few were wanting her Dad to become the next Premier of the country or even President of the United States.

“Sure, you don’t need help?” Taryn asked.

“It’s okay, sweetie,” her mother said. “You just do your thing, and I’ll call you when dinner’s ready.”

“Okay, but give me a shout if you change your mind.” she then came down the stairs and headed to the dining room where the package in question waited. It was surprisingly large in a rectangular shape and was about the length of her arm from shoulder to fingertips. It didn’t seem like something Daichi would send. In their last talk, he did say that he would send a care package to her and both Rachael and Stephanie.

But that wouldn’t arrive until at least mid-October. The postage showed that it was from Japan just like her Mom said, but there was just so much it was impossible to find the sender.

“You sure it’s from Daichi?” she asked.

“Who else would it be from?” her mother called back.

“An admirer?” Bob joked lightly, before adding. “What? It might be.”

That brought Taryn to pause. As she now looked at the package with a faint frown of skepticism. Suddenly she couldn’t help but feel that something might be off with this.

Daichi would have told her if he intended to send something like this.

Unease began to rest on her chest as she removed the packaging. When it was done, her whole body went still. What was in all that brown ordinary wrapping paper and cardboard was a box. A box shaped like that of a Japanese coffin, there was even a small double door where it could open up to look inside.

She could smell something like incense, the box was probably made of incense cedarwood, but that was but a mere forethought as she stared down the box in question. Unable to move as the feeling of dread began to bloom in her chest. But it couldn’t last forever.

She saw an envelope resting on top. It was plain, almost to the point of unassuming.

Opening it, she looked inside to see a note, which was written by hand and done so not in English but in Japanese:

To a dear and trusted friend.

After all that we have been through together and the great pains

we’ve overcome on this anniversary of such an auspicious day.

May you be well and in good health.

With all of my love to you.

It wasn’t signed.

Questions loomed over her like a dark cloud as her gaze flicked back to the box now lying in wait. The note and the envelope fluttered to the floor, escaping her grasp as she now remained focused on the box.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she moved closer, and with shaken hands, Taryn lifted the lid off and looked inside. And what she saw made her want to scream. Made her wish that it was a bomb, for what lay within was far worse than any explosive.

It was a doll.

A ball-jointed doll.

That looked exactly like her.

With hair was styled with butterfly hairpins as it was dressed in a type of kimono, a Ko-Furisode but without the Hakuma, the type of pants worn over the kimono. It was the same kimono she wore when at the festival with the others and Toya. Only miniaturized into doll form. It even looked hand sewn, the embroidery, the details. All of it.

Why? It was the first thing to come to her mind as a feeling of dread overlapped and overtook the unease, partly unsure what it could mean but also dreading to find out. Her breathing came out laboured as she looked at the doll.

There were no pictures of her wearing this kimono. The three decided not to post anything of those events, to keep the photos to themselves, not wishing to share such a painful reminder. So, the only ones who’d know about the exact details were there at the festival that day.

Her stomach turned as she carefully took the doll from its box. It looked like her, all the way down to the detailing of her eyes. It had the same earrings it even had a mini ID Disk with her brother’s initials, but to top it all off, it even had the same scar that rested along her forehead when she pushed back the bangs.

That feeling of dread increased.

Her gaze then fell to the doll’s left hand. The little finger had a red string tied and connected to something in the box—hidden by what looked to have been a false bottom. Her heart was hammering loudly in her ears as she slowly placed the doll down on the table her fingers followed the thin red thread and were able to pry open the false bottom and see what it was that waited.

And what she saw made her heart drop into her stomach. Her throat had gone dry and her whole body shook.

No. That was all that came to Taryn’s mind. No. No. No. No. No.

Her very shaken hands reached into the box and pulled out a broken katana. The same katana that Taryn had used on Toya.

She killed him with it.

It couldn’t have been. It shouldn’t have…

He was dead. He should have been dead.

Yet the weight of the broken blade which held the faint traces of blood said otherwise.

Those thoughts permeated her mind since she had come home, but was finally able to put it to rest, at least somewhat, and came flooding back to the forefront.

It didn’t work. He wasn’t dead. He was alive.

Toya was alive.

He was coming for her.

Just like he promised…

TO BE CONTINUED…