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Warning: Implied desecration in the first section.
She wasn't alone on the road for long.
The rescue teams from the outpost had made quick work of their surroundings, expanding the perimeter around the forest as Tatsuhito had requested. Arisa came across a group of them near the abandoned village and, upon identifying herself, was quickly whisked away to the main site of operations. It had originally been set up closer to the forest border but after recent developments had been moved further back, closer to the delta on account of the purported abilities of the yōkai hybrid which had been confirmed to be lurking nearby.
Kushii, the man escorting her, was reticent for most of the way there, but Arisa certainly didn't blame him for it. His ashen countenance was enough of an indication as to the nervous energy he exuded, and though countless questions were at the tip of her tongue, she thought it wise to hold her thoughts for the remainder of their trek through the grounds. Were it not for the pressing circumstances, she might have found herself marveling at the rapidity of the collective response.
Passing one of the makeshift tents that had been set up there, they were nearly cut off by a pair of yōgari who came bolting out from the opening flap. She saw the empty stretcher held between them and slowed her steps.
"How many so far were...?"
Arisa let the words hang. She didn't want to say it.
"At least five on our end when I left." Kushii reached up to mop his brow. "Reckon it's gone up since."
She kept her eyes glued to the entrance of that tent, the familiarity that stirred within her a heavy feeling indeed. Heavy enough to nearly drown out the urgency screaming at the back of her mind, if but for a moment.
"Let me see," she heard herself say.
Kushii's steps suddenly slowed, and she didn't need to look in his direction to sense the subtle shift in his bearings.
He didn't know her but perhaps he knew of her. Of what had happened to her. (She wondered if she could ever fully get away from it.) In the end, maybe that was what finally convinced him.
"...this way."
Arisa followed him to another tent, ducking beneath an overhanging plastic tarp serving as the entrance when he waved her in. The interior was threadbare, containing only the bare bone minimum to maintain its function as a makeshift holding area for the bodies. The air was kept cooler here, cool enough to nip bare skin, though that did little to dispel the pungent scent of death. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the meager light and locked onto the row of occupied tables which crammed the dim, narrow space.
