LOST TIME MEMORY Vol. 1

Chapter 6.1

They were standing by the entrance to the carousel when they noticed the panicked silhouette of Kido, sprinting toward them. She was struggling to catch her breath and speak at the same time.

"Shintaro... I need you... to come with me. It's your sister," she had to force the words out, and even mumbled, "I need to jog more..."

"What? Where is she?" Shintaro hoped nothing more could possibly happen after yesterday's incredulous series of events.

"Just come with me." She led the way in a jog, and Shintaro followed along with Mary.

It was a short distance to travel due to the grand scale of the place she'd led them to. What lay in front of them was a grand, old mansion. It was dark grey, with barely any windows, and the ones in sight were barricaded shut. The location really stuck out in the park as the only one that emanated death and lifelessness, though obviously artificially set up. In short, it was a haunted house.

"She's in there?" Shintaro asked, his voice betraying a tinge of anxiousness.

"Yeah. Kano said to come and get you. He should be waiting inside."

"He didn't say what happened?"

Kido gave him a curious look. "No? He just said to come and get you, that it had something to do with your sister."

Shintaro looked in intervals between the panting Kido and the run-down attraction. It really didn't seem like it was that big a deal, and he still had to check on them. While standing by the entrance, the closed, creaky doors suddenly flung wide open, and a woman screamed at them, her face covered by her long, black hair. Kido shrieked in surprise, and Shintaro let out a stoic "Woah." The woman walked right past them. Maybe on her way to get a burger.

Shintaro took a moment to catch his breath. "So um... You're coming with, right?"

"Huh?" Kido looked at him with a dense, sort of hazed look on her face.

Mary was right behind, shaking in her little shoes, holding on to Kido for dear life. She looked at her with anticipation.

"I-I guess I will...?" said Kido. Mary looked absolutely devastated.

Shintaro gulped down and walked fast, once inside. Everything the attraction had to offer in terms of entertainment was in jump-scares or things that would creep you out. People were hiding in corners with excessive paint all over their bodies. The hallways got darker the farther they went in, and the staff with their masks, costumes, and dark makeup inched closer and closer to their vicinity. All to terrify the crap out of them. Each staff member, or robotic prop, varied in their approach. A man ran from behind them with a fake chainsaw, his loud, echoing footsteps alone was startling. Another smaller man patiently waited in a corner to shriek at them. And then there was one in a full-body costume that just sat still, awkwardly staring at them. Maybe he'd just missed his timing. It happens, Shintaro thought. Although he did get startled from time to time, it was less the staff and the props that scared him and more the people walking behind him. Kido in particular.

"Nonononono... I don't like this. I don't like this at all... This isn't real, this isn't real, this isn't real..." She was mumbling to herself while clutching Shintaro's sleeve and hiding behind him.

Kido's hoodie was all the way up, covering her forehead, and tightened around her face. Unfortunately for her, though, her eyes could still barely peek through. And she had to see, in order to walk.

"You know... Err... Kido... You're not really helping with the situation from behind-

"GYAH!?" Kido yelled out and crouched down.

"Woah!?" Shintaro jumped and had his hands up. "STOP THAT!"

"Sorry..." Yet the apology had come from a guy in front of them, covered from head to toe in what looked like wrinkly, old toilet paper. A very poor attempt at a mummy.

"N-No, not you, sir." They silently passed the guy with Kido still refusing to even look at him. "Kido... Not to be mean, but... why is it that you're handling this even worse than Mary?"

"She's passed out," Kido said, curtly.

"Huh?" He looked behind her. She really was. Her eyes were peacefully closed and her body was limp as Kido carried her on a piggyback ride. "Wha..."

"...She passed out as soon as the mummy guy screamed. I'm surprised she lasted this long," she said and adjusted Mary's body on her back. "And um... please stop making fun of me."

"Oh... I'm sorry. Hope Mary's okay."

"She'll be okay. Let's just get this over with." Kido then stood up as if whatever panicked actions she'd taken before never happened. Like the passed-out, Mary was a plushie that gave her a newfound strength.

"Yeah, let's."

"...You lead the way, though," she said. There were certain limits to her newfound strength.

"Right. Well, we're pretty much at the finish line, I think. There shouldn't be anything else."

As soon as the words left Shintaro's mouth, the lights went completely dark, and he could no longer see Kido, though it didn't stop her from frantically yelling after him. He couldn't see anything except for a single creature glowing in the dark. It was one of the animal mascots from before- a giant panda. It just stood there, a few steps in front of him. He found it kind of eerie. And then, as it moved toward him, the surrounding, colorful area around it started coming into view as if being illuminated by its presence. Like a radioactive substance. Something was dripping. Shintaro peeked down and noticed a black and white liquid forming a small puddle. More and more liquid ran into the puddle from above, from the panda's now distorted face. It was melting. And the space around it was spiraling, forming a rainbowy vortex that was warping the panda's stomach. As it got closer and closer, Shintaro could hear its faint breath getting heavier and heavier. He took a frightened step back, a creeping fear slowly making its way up to his spine. And along with the fear, and unease that was turning into unbearable anxiety. He didn't know why, but the senses that moved him felt familiar. His breathing got heavier. And then, as soon as it stood directly in front of him, it grabbed the corners of its own head and tore it straight off. A face came into plain view, and it let out a feeble roar:

"RAH!" And though her face was covered in blood-red paint, her bright orange hair jumped up with her in her scare.

"...Momo? What..." Shintaro caught his breath. "What are you doing?"

"And me!" said a muffled voice from inside the costume. Must've been her idea.

A thud sounded from behind him. It was Kido, down on the floor, completely blacked out.

"KIDO!?" Momo and Shintaro simultaneously yelled out.

"Oh shit!" Another voice came from some corner, and out came Kano. He rushed over to them. "She's so gonna kill me." He looked over to Shintaro and said, "So... I err... Can I explain later?"

Shintaro tried to control his heartbeat. He really didn't know why he was so nervous.

"Sure," he mumbled.

"Are you okay?" Kano asked. "I went too far. I'm sorry. Didn't mean for it to affect you like that," he said with a genuinely concerned look.

"Oh," Shintaro said. "So it was you."