Foxfire: Veil of the Nine Phantoms

5: The Nine-Tailed Fox V - Game of Survival

September 10 - Melanie

What have I gotten myself into?

I ran through corridor after corridor in this hellish metalscape until I was far enough from the oni to rest for a moment. My vision was limited; the only source of light I had was the dim light of my phone. I wanted to stop, to rest my beating heart and take a moment to breathe, but I had to keep going, or else the oni would catch up soon. I took a slow breath to calm myself, then set forward to find a way to escape.

The abandoned building I was trapped inside was cavernous. There was no colour here, save for the vibrant reds, yellows, and greens of the walls and walls of graffiti. It was claustrophobic, yet at the same time wide open, being completely empty except for the oni, me, and the bugs crawling around. The ceiling had a network of exposed pipes. Everything was in a state of decay, and covered with what must have been decades of grime.

I went through a rusty metal door, taking care to open it as quietly as possible to avoid alerting the oni, and found a tight stairwell. With my flashlight, I went to the edge of the railing and peered up and down. Stairs led to darkness below, and stairs led to more darkness above. I didn't know which way would lead to my salvation.

I heard a deep thud behind me. The footsteps were distant, but they echoed throughout the walls. The oni was getting closer. I had to make a decision. Silently, I made my way up the stairs. The stair treads were covered in black soot that dirtied my shoes. There were bottles and cans strewn about the stairwell, which I had to avoid lest I made more sound. Spiders ran away as I stepped near them. The oni's footsteps were becoming quieter. Relieved to hear the oni moving farther away, I relaxed my breathing only slightly. Eventually the only sounds I heard were my deep breaths and the noise of water dripping from the ceiling. The plop of water falling into a puddle marked every passing second like a ticking clock - in hindsight I had to applaud Hoshiko for adding these environmental details, but at that time I wasn't in the state of mind to think about such trivial matters when I felt like I was in a life or death situation.

At the top of the stairwell I opened a door to a large hall. There were teddy bears and broken dolls scattered everywhere, and I had to tiptoe around the mangled bodies of children's toys. I hated the sight of those beady little doll eyes staring at me as if they could see through my soul. These shadows played with my mind. I was so afraid, I couldn't help imagining that horrifying oni leaping from the shadows to pounce on me.

In the middle of the hall was a dirty old toilet. From the claw marks on it, I assumed the oni ripped the toilet out of the washroom. Why? I had no idea. From my very brief time with the monster, it didn't seem capable of higher thought, just animalistic instinct.

In a room to my left, I saw piles of decaying furniture and clothing, like the discarded inventory of a thrift store. To my right, I saw another room, this time filled from floor to ceiling with mattresses that had fallen into disrepair; their once white covers had turned a dirty brown.

I passed by a room with an awful smell. My face scrunched up in disgust, and I covered my nose and mouth. When I looked inside I saw mounds of poop - a whole mountain of it. In the corner, I saw the yellow stains of urine.

Fucking hell, this must be the oni's shitting room.

At the end of the hall was a metal door with a window. There was a hint of light streaming inside from the small opening. It must have led outside. I smiled. That was my escape route.

I tried to push the door open, but it didn't budge. I shoved harder, and the door creaked. The oni roared. I didn't know if it heard me or if it was just reminding me of its presence. I looked outside the window and realized that I would be on the roof. If I went out the door and the oni followed me, I would be trapped on the roof with the monster. I would have to choose between getting eaten by the oni or jumping to my demise. I didn't want to make that choice. I had to find an easier way to escape.