Mori's March

Chapter 3

It's Cold here
—•—

Walking to the distant city felt like an eternity to Omisha. The sun's heat beating down onto their back. The blistering red skin on their neck peeled from the shirt rubbing their skin raw like an iron. The cicadas making a clicking sound rung against Omisha's ears. It's been 3 days since Omisha last saw the monsters.

Since leaving, Omisha realized that they had never been outside the village. Also, how did they get there? Omisha had no memories later than their 22nd birthday, that was 2 years ago. They were worried, almost scared and it didn't help with all the weird monsters wandering around looking for them. They just wanted to understand what was going on.

    They kept walking and as it almost reached nightfall again, they had reached it. Omisha reached the city. A smile grew onto their face as the adrenaline shot back into their veins. They ran into the city almost like an excitable child.

They passed the flickering lights hanging over the ' Welcome to Peril!' sign, a large dark shadow passing next to them almost as if it had its own mind. Omisha ran until their legs gave out under them from the fatigue, the hunger, and the dehydration that has been weighing them down. The dirtiness of how they felt made them remember something someone had said briefly, but what was it? Why couldn't they remember it now.

Omisha didn't get to think longer as a middle aged man approached them before lending a hand out.

" Here. I thought you could use some help." The brunette man had said.

Omisha cautiously grabbed his hand before trying to get up.

" My name's Doug, what's yours?"

Omisha thought carefully before deciding it's best to go with a different name.

" My name's Ollie." Omisha quietly told him. Their middle name was their best bet. No one knew their middle name. Omisha stumbled before standing straight up. They offered a quick thank you before shutting up again.

Are you sure about that? They could know anything about you.

What about Marie? She knew your full name.

But Marie never knew their middle name. It'll be fine.

" Nice to meet you Ollie. You don't seem like you belong around here." Doug remarked, looking them up and down. Omisha stayed quiet.

" You're not much of a talker I see." Doug commented.
Omisha offered a quick smile.

" Well that's fine. You seem famished. Do you wanna head to my hot dog stand with me? I'll get you some food. Probably get some water in ya too." the man told them.

" That'd be nice. Thank you." Omisha started following him when he began to walk away; stumbling every few steps. He led them to a small hot dog stand made up of a variety of toppings and a small grill in the back with a container full of weiners. He told them to wait near the front while he walked towards the back. While making them a hot dog, an old man with a brown chipped cane walked towards them, some money in his other hand.

" Hello? Can I get one hot dog dressed in some relish, mustard, ketchup, and hot sauce. Oh I love hot sauce on my hot dogs. You should try it sometime sweetie." He said to Doug and Omisha.

" I'd lov-"

" Go away old man. I don't serve people like you. This stand is closed." Doug aggressively told him.

" That's not a way to speak to your elders young man!" The old man exclaimed.

" You're not my elder." Doug said back.

" He's a fucker. Don't get involved with people like him. I tell you young lady. Never get involved with the likes of him." And as Doug was about to put the toppings on Omisha's hot dog, The old man grabbed it.

" Good luck young lady. I hope you have a nice day." The old man said walking away, taking a bite of the hot dog as he went.

" Stupid old man." Doug grumbled under his breath before shooting a smile to Omisha.  It was silent for the next 5 minutes. Then Doug held out a hot dog to them.

" Here you go Ollie." Doug said, smiling ever so slightly. "Here's some water too. It should help your throat a bit."

" Thank you." Omisha said gratefully before grabbing it and taking a bite.

" That's good." They nodded thoughtfully before asking. " I don't recognize the sauce, what is it?"

" Oh you know. A bit of onion, ketchup, and Temazepam. Nighty night Omisha. Let's hope the bug bites."

Black spots appeared in their vision. Everything began to get blurry. The air against their ears suddenly felt loud. They blinked to try and get rid of the black spots but that seemed to be the wrong decision as they fell to the ground. They looked up in confusion only seeing Doug smirking, standing tall above them. The last thing they heard rang against their ears before sleep over took them.

" Fucking Bitch."

——
Little children's laughs hit their ears. Omisha woke in a deep, hot, sweat, panting. The room was dark as if they hadn't kept the lights on to sleep just a few hours earlier. Blinking a few times, they tried to clear up the fogginess in their eyes and mind. The room cleared ever so slightly. The ground was hard.

Where's our bed?

Soon they adjusted. They weren't home. Omisha gasped at the realization that they were drugged. They weren't near the city or the hot dog stand. This was new. Somewhere they've never been. The air was cold, a tense like a poisonous gas, as if you'd die just by breathing in. The area was still and dark. You could tell no one had touched it in years.

Are you sure about that?

The place was barren of any life. The only things that could tell you someone once was here, was by the small toys scattered along the play area in the corner.

Weird structures hang from the ceiling, the food court felt like a zombie apocalypse had killed everyone. The theater is silent as a mouse. Omisha walked in. They climbed to the projector, finding a tape on the desk. Putting it in, it  began to play.  A soft melody was heard. Children laughing and playing hung up on the screen.

Their smiles are bright and wide. It was nice. It was domestic. They watched for a few more minutes. The air started to feel suffocating. The music started slowing down. It stopped then played again but this time, backwards. Or rather forwards. Ring around the rosy was playing.

The children are singing along, laughing, screaming, crying. Blood dripped from their eyes, flashes of pentagrams and syringes holding some kind of drug flashed before their mind. The kids started dropping. Then the hair on the back of their neck was standing.

RUN!

So they did. They ran, and ran, and ran. They burst through the theater doors and out of the food court. But that's when it came. The building was falling after them as the freaky song kept playing. ' Ring around the rosy!' The building was getting closer, the dust was picking up. ' Pocket full of posies!' The strange structure fell just inches behind them, almost crushing them. 'Ashes, Ashes!' Omisha could smell something burning. They were almost out.

If they could just grab the door handle!

Omisha reached out their hand about to grab on. " We all fall down. Ha ha ha ha!' Children's laughter followed the moment the building fell. Crushing Omisha into small pieces of what they used to be. They felt their bones cracking and pushing out of their skin. They felt their blood spill out of the holes in their body. Omisha felt themselves die. Everything was burning around them. Their vision was turning black. They were about to die. Until they jolted up in a metal chair. 

What the hell?

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Edited~3-?-22~Word Count: 1329