I Come From The Dark

Fragments

"--in local news, we have the brutal murder of a tenth-grade student, Chiyo Watanabe, who was found in a ditch yesterday morning. The city police has begun investigation but they have stated in their press conference that they currently don't have any leads as to who might have committed this heinous crime."

Asako was walking down a cemented path. Back home from school, with earphones plugged into her ears and the wires extending to her hoodie pocket. A distant lamppost flickered amidst the setting sun.

"Not to mention, about a week ago, another student named Izumi Minamoto was also found murdered under similar circumstances. The police have not yet linked the cases, but given the irrefutable similarities between the two, it is undeniable that both the murders were committed by exactly the same person,"

Asako continued walking. She lowered the volume of her local news podcast as she approached the main road.

She joined a horde of people who were waiting for the signal to go green. Amidst the people, beside her, she noticed a girl. She was probably her age too. Asako judged her to be broken from inside. Just like her.

The girl seemed to be in a hurry. Her legs were shaking. Her movement was irregular as well. She didn't wait for the green light and took a run in the terribly busy road. Her feet were tender and energetic as she ran--before they were hit by a car. The girl hurled into the air and fell some feet away.

Asako's eyes widened. But the cold look didn't leave her face. A crowd rushed towards the girl, and all cars and bikes came to an immediate halt.

"And now, the real question is, is the town safe with all these horrendous incidents happening around? With a serial killer roaming freely in the streets? Are the children safe? Those little, school-going ones?"

Asako took a breath and crossed the road, far from the madding crowd.

Even as she rested in her house minutes later, she still thought about that girl. The chilling sight of the car diving into the girl didn't leave her.

"Asako, did you buy something? I gave you money, didn't I?" her aunt frightened her out of nowhere.

"Yes," Asako murmured. Her eyes were locked on to the ceiling where a lizard was spying on a tiny moth.

"Good." her aunt smiled. "And how was your day?"

Asako stared at the lizard further.

"Asako?"

Asako didn't say anything. The terrifying sight of the girl was still inside of her. Her brutal, grinded face haunted her. The scars, the pool of blood and that girl's thumping movement. Everything.

"I'm home." the familiar voice that she hated was back.

The aunt got up and rushed to the hall to help her husband take off his boots. She signalled Asako to get him a glass of water. Asako got up. Hesitant.

Her uncle took a deep breath as he received the glass from her. He threw it violently to a wall. It crashed and shattered into millions of shards.

Asako's body shook for a while. But the cold look on her face didn't leave her.

Her aunt wanted to ask why he did so. She didn't have the courage though.

"Someone stole money from my wallet." Her uncle inhaled. "Who was it?"

Asako sighed. She regretted buying herself a sushi from the money that her aunt gave her.

The uncle grabbed Asako's wrist and began beating her in a demented frenzy. Asako remained calm. Even though, she clearly wasn't.