Growth and Malady

11 - Rui

I tugged on Douma's sleeve to get his attention. He turned to me with a kind smile, setting down the cooking utensils he had been holding.

"Something wrong, Rui?"

I shook my head. "Hinoto invited me to go camping with him and his sister and friend."

"Sounds fun!" He paused. "Where does he plan on going?"

My gaze shifted to the floor. "That's the problem, they're going ho- I mean- Mount Natagumo."

Why is that place still 'home' to me?

Flashes of dark forests and blood red webs filled my eyes.

No- stop!

I blinked a few times and looked back up at Douma. He was obviously thinking, his brow furrowed a tiny bit. Akaza peered around the corner, regarding the scene with confusion.

"What's going on here?" He asked.

"My friend invited me on a trip to Mount Natagumo, and I was asking Douma if I could go."

The dark haired man hesitated before clearing his throat and speaking. "Do you, um, are you comfortable with going back there?"

I nodded. "It doesn't bother me." A flat out lie.

"Then I guess it's alright. We know you can take care of yourself, right, Douma?" Akaza elbowed the taller in the side.

"Yes but-" Douma protested, but his eyes caught mine, and I put on a smile and a pleading face. "Oh all right."

He immediately found my arms wrapping around his torso in a tight hug. "Thanks, Douma." I looked up. "Thanks, Akaza."

Douma returned my hug, mumbling something about loving me and knowing I'm not a child, but that I'm still his son and he could worry about me.

...

Later that night, my head began to fill with whispers.

At first, I couldn't distinguish them from the white noise of the house and the world outside, but soon, I heard something talking about a mountain. Of course I didn't think much of it, but when it got louder, it sounded like someone was whispering right into my ear. That's when I began to freak out a little bit. Not only was it extremely unsettling, but the voices knew me. They referred to me as Spider demon, Spider, little boy, coward, one even called me by my name.

I sat up slowly, standing on my toes to look out the window. No one was there, so it couldn't be a prank. A shriek made me trip over my feet, the guttural scream quickly dissolving into laughter. A piercing, high pitched cackle that I could have sworn I recognized.

What is happening?!

"Rui."

I know that voice.

"Mother?" My voice came out no louder than a mouse's squeak. Not my human mother, of course. My demon one. The one who controlled puppets, lived on my mountain, the one I turned- the one I was responsible for.

"Why were you so bent on making us all a perfect family?"

"I- I don't know. I didn't know that families could be imperfect, and perfect at the same time."

"So do you mean we all died for nothing?"

Mother's voice separated into the voices of all my spider family members.

"No! No, I'm so sorry, I should have protected you, I should have accepted that I was the strongest of us."

"Sorry won't bring us back," my younger sister hissed. "Not to mention how much you made us hurt."