A Shiki Story

Sixteenth Skull

Violet  

"This is a story from long ago...around the time when burials were still common. There was this girl from a very wealthy family. She lived in a fashionable western-style house...a very, very large house with dozens of servants. The girl was given lots of love by her parents, and grew up living in great comfort. But one day...her father's friend brought that man to the house..."

"Have a seat," Sunako said as she poured tea for the miserable new Shiki boy and for the both of them. Sipping the hot liquid she savored the Earl Gray Tea. Most Shiki could not eat human food but they could have liquids. Playing human, she read the teenage boy Shiki's face.

"Come to think of it, a long time ago...a very long time ago when burials were common, there was a girl who was suffering like you. One day, she awoke to find herself in a coffin. The girl cried and screamed a lot. Then, someone came and saved her. And then...I attacked this person..." Sunako slipped as she told of her past.

Sipping her tea she stayed silent as she listened to every sound. "...Because I was so hungry. When I returned home, I was soon sent to some unknown town," Sunako said after a sip of her tea. "And I was locked up in a storehouse there. Someone brought me food everyday, So I attacked that person each day."

"The person that brought me food changed one after another. When I think back to it, it's scary, right ? I'm certain that my parents were feeding me in spite of who I was. I came to learn about lot's of things while being inside the storehouse. I came to understand what kind of creature I was as well.

     So I ran away from that place. I victimized several people on my way and returned home. Different people were living in my home. My family had moved away, so I looked for them.  I looked for them for a long, long time.

As I searched, such a long time passed that Mother had surely would have already died. Even so, I kept looking. By the time I noticed, so much time had passed that even my little sister would have died naturally."

"Why did you tell me that story ?" The blond shiki boy asked. She was sure he was expecting some sort of punishment, being called here. Especially since Sunako ordered it. That was why she was here, keeping an eye on things.

   "I don't know... Maybe because I felt that you would understand that girl's feelings," Sunako replied.

Saturday, October 22

That night she savored the breeze and how perfect the night was for her. Looking down from her hill, she saw Megumi skipping cheerfully. With a bellyful of blood the girl was in a good mood.

   She even greeted the new shiki, Mr. Tanaka. She was sure he was the father of those two. The girl who considered Megumi her friend. "How could you ?!"  "You're talking about me sucking your blood ? Do you have any right to blame me ? Since your here, that means you did it too, right ?" Megumi lost her cheerfulness as she answered.

    Feeling a bit hungry herself she left the other Shiki to go find her own food. The Town was pretty silent as all were asleep. When she randomly selected her meal she took only a little before making said meal forget what just happened.

     She then repeated this over and over as she only took small doses. Only enough so that they were just a bit tired. This was the method she preferred and thus she rarely created her own Shiki.

   Her donors would just say they did not sleep or eat enough. They would not let anyone see her bite marks until they were healed and gone.

The next night she saw that foolish new Shiki, Mr. Tanaka. He was crying and seemed to think he could just go home and be welcomed back. "Stupid idiot hasn't even been invited and he still tries to get in," She grumbled as she paused her prowl.

   She had enough blood yesterday and did not have to feed again for a few days. Human food would do for her.

She heard of a dog madly barking and then a woman's voice scolding it. Better keep an eye on the newbie, she sighed. Walking over she made sure to grab the woman's leg and drag her out of the house.

    "Stop your crying," She snapped as she ignored the dog and the ugly woman's yells. "Eat," She ordered the Shiki before he fed from his wife.

Monday, October 24

Another sunny day. She had walked around and heard that this festival was continuing. "Good morning," She greeted Mr. Tanka's daughter. "Cute little dog," She commented before bending down she scratch the dog's ears.

    Weary at first but soon her magic reduced the furball into a puddle of content goo. "Shouldn't you be at school through ?" She questioned. "My Mother is sick," The girl replied. "Oh, I'm sorry. Is she drinking a lot of water ? Eating good food also helps," She added.

Later

Tatsumi seemed pleased with himself. Of all the Jinrou, Tatsumi was the most who reminded her of a Werewolf. 

      Jinrou  are called werewolves by Sunako because in movies a vampire often has a familiar werewolf servant. Werewolves breathe, have a pulse, can walk under sunlight, and can exist on ordinary human food. Their physical abilities are heightened, their 5 senses are many times sharper than humans.

   "I found one of the humans, that boy about to impale one of our newer Shiki," Tatsumi explained. "Oh, Mr. Tanaka's son ? I know the night before he fed from his wife. I had to drag the sobbing woman out and order him to feed," She replied disdainfully over the weak Shiki.

   "After that he did not need any more prodding," She added. "So what did you do with the boy ?" She asked. "He will be food for the Shiki he was going to kill," Tatsumi answered. "Fitting."

    In a way she felt sorry for the boy, when a normal Shiki awoke it could be terrifying for a human. They moved like corpses, the sudden cracking as they move their heads fast. The eyes of a Shiki, the red would scare the kid as a hungry Shiki would eye his food.

"I'm glad I'm a Jinrou, I don't think I'd want to be a typical Shiki. They can't blend in that well and their weaker than us," She commented.