Realms: "Kakurenbo? Sukima Onna- ASH

Chapter 15: Defence At Court

Satsuki and Tatsuya stayed at the ward until visiting hours were over at 8:00pm, they tried, so hard, to make a positive conversation between them and the middle child. Of course nothing came out, Rei couldn't speak a single word, like she left her voice in an unknown vault number. Strange thing was, Rei was always distracted, looking outside the window over and over again, staring into the distance, observing the tape, listening, not to us, something else. Satsuki was far too busy going ahead with talking and trying to make a successful colloquy but failed each time. Rei forgot Tatsuya was sitting right next to her on the left, watching her every move through the corner of his eye. He observed her every move, how her pupils were focused on the distant object from afar through the window, each piece of red tape staining the walls, and her ears listening to a tapping sound, a tapping sound as if the next door patient were to be pattering on the wall. Tatsuya heard and saw all of it. But the sound Rei was listening to, why didn't Satsuki hear it? And how did Tatsuya listen to it when children have a higher chance of listening better to things of a higher frequency? Quite simple really, those who know, seen and fear the monster can hear and see everything she is doing. Sukima Onna needs to be discovered before known. A few minutes after her siblings left the room, one of the nurses came into Ward No.3-13, to check on Rei. She did this to all the patients on floor three. When she got there all she saw was a small girl sitting on the bed in silence staring down, and walls covered in red tape. The nurse went in and sat on the bed next to the patient. "Is there something wrong? Please tell me, maybe we can help" No answer, just a small look from the corner of her eye, than back down. "Honey we can't help you if you won't say" the nurse reminded. Rei got out the notebook and pointed at the last phrase she wrote to tell the sympathetic lady that she couldn't talk, then wrote. I don't know... I just can't describe what I can see to another person. She gave the paper to the nurse for her to read. The nurse seemed shocked, she had never had a case of a patient struggling due to things they can't describe of the cursed sight. It just made the nurses job harder. Only solution for this was to get a therapist to review this troublesome situation and the patient. Of course, Rei had doubts that the kindly nurse won't be able to help with her ongoing problem. "I'm sorry, but I can't help with this, as what you are going through is beyond my capabilities. I'll let the doctors know and let's see what they can do to help. There may not be much as this is more of a mentality hitch. So, this may require some psychological answers and therapy to get you through. Have a good rest." the nurse tried to smile. She left the room and continued to check on the other patients of floor three. That night, Rei couldn't sleep, not because of Sukima Onna and other sounds and sights, but due to the fact she wasn't in her own bed anymore. It just felt so strange for her to even be staying a single day and night in the hospital. Many new faces, but more terrors. She didn't agree to this. She doesn't want to see a therapist. No one agreed to these problems. Morning came and it was just Karin left in the room. She looked around to see if Kaiyo was nearby, his pencil case, notebook and other stuff are gone too. That's when Karin realized, it's already Monday – a school day. Which is equal to seeing a life size barbie doll there too, how luck has turned. Well Karin couldn't just skip school due to her eye or make up excuses every time to avoid Akane. Karin got up from her bed, and went out to eat breakfast, and see if Kaiyo was there. Her breakfast was already made, just the usual order, Kaiyo's already being finished. She ate her breakfast alone, as the rest of her family was getting ready. It seemed like she swallowed more air than food since she woke up so late. By the time she was finished both her food and getting ready for school, Kaiyo had already left the house. Rushed, she ran out with all her stuff in her bag untidy and hair in a complete mess, as she was already running out of time. Just three more minutes to go before the bell rings, but she was still running on the oval to get to the gate. This is what happens when she oversleeps on a weekday. Happens a lot really, more than you expect, but not every day. She ran her way down the corridors, past other students to get her way early. But when Karin got there, all the gossip girls had been whispering, something odd, and something about Akabane Rei. "Did you hear?" one of the girls snickered. "About what." glared Karin. The girls laughed their heads off, surprised that Rei's best friend didn't hear. "That Akabane got a concussion and had to get driven to the hospital by ambulance!" Akane cried. They continued laughing like it was a complete joke, while a small group of students Rei would defend a lot came in front of Akane and her followers in an act of defence before the sound of a snap could be heard. "Why are you acting like it's such a great thing that someone had to be taken to Accident and Emergency due to a clash to the head!" the small girl with glasses yelled. "How could you say that?!" hollered the tall underweight boy. "Akabane-san has done a lot for us, and we didn't even get a chance to pay her back for all she has done for us!" "How could you be so heartless?" a familiar voice stood up. "Oh wait, now I know, you don't have anyone to come to your defence at court now don't you? So overconfident of yourself 'ey? But I know deep down, in your tiny pathetic heart, you have no sympathy for others, but you want someone honest to care for you" smiled Taro. "You have no empathy for others because you are jealous, specifically someone who got hospitalized recently. So instead of feeling for them you decide to have the nerve to mock them when something serious and dangerous could have happened. How selfish and pathetic are you? No wonder you're so lonely. No wonder you persecute us, you were jealous" he smirked. "People are only friends with you because they don't want to get hurt and no one else is there to stand up for them, so the shift to the opposing side on court at your guard. They're not really your friends, only there to keep themselves from getting bullied. What's it like being Queen Bee now, hmm?" "Try being us for a change, Mijikai-san (the short girl with glasses) here being harassed for her height, Kanashi-san (the tall underweight boy) being hurt deeply because you didn't like the way he looked, overheard from one of your ludicrous gossips." Taro glared down. "Yuzuriha-san picked on for being the 2nd fastest in the school. Me for being the nerd and quiet boy, plus other things I refuse to say. Now finally Akabane Rei, simply picked on for standing up for others. Yes, I heard all of them did you really think I was going to stay quiet for years? It's always the quiet one who screams bloody murder now is it? Oh what's this? Don't like the taste of your own medicine? Too bad it will be shoved down your throat one way or another" Taro threatened. Akane was shocked at this sudden dispute against her. She couldn't believe such lowly people could disobey her, standing there shocked as Mijikai, Kanashi, Shuyona, and Yuzuriha came to Rei's side of the court. Akane scoffed and went into class with all the other students when she felt a tight grip on her shoulder, squeezing it hard. Turing her head around, Karin came by to whisper. "Have a taste of your own medicine. Oh and don't worry, I will race Machi, and see you crumble to your feet begging for forgiveness." Karin and the others overtook Miss Popular and Rich, leaving the enemy question what she just saw and heard. Others coming to a saviour's defence, the quiet boy finally speak out what the fury in his blood contained, and a poor, stupid, half-blind, little girl stare into her chained soul and tell her fate. Well, what can I say? Akane deserved it all, but she wouldn't understand either way. Back at Ward No.3-13, Rei overslept, only to wake up seeing two people sitting by her bed. One is a Therapist and the other a scribe. "So Miss Akabane," the therapist introduced. "I'm Mr. Fuyona, a therapist from Hokkaido, right next to me is Mrs Yokoso, she will take note of everything you say- well, write since you can't speak." Yokoso waved from behind her clipboard. Rei found it quite strange the way Fuyona was talking, it seemed louder than the average person talking in a normal voice, and he was doing it quite slow, like she was having trouble processing his words into her brain. As if she lost part of her hearing as well. It was incredibly annoying. Rei sighed, as she pulled out the notebook and gave a small but quick head tilt to indicate, that she wanted the first question or statement to answer. "Alright then, do remember that this session is a time where we can talk about things that make us uncomfortable, and that it would be better to say now than later. Last night when a nurse came in to check on your room and she asked you what was wrong, why did you respond with the phrase of 'I don't know... I just can't describe what I can see to another person' Why's that?" he queried. Rei gave out an impatient sigh of annoyance, hearing that they decided to start her morning with a disturbing question. As she was about to write her answer, a voice came running through Rei's ears, telling her not to write. Of course, fearing the later outcome of angering the spirit, she didn't write the truth, just a false telling to give to Fuyona. Why do I have to tell someone I just met? Was what she wrote. To the therapist, it was clear as dawn that Rei didn't want to write about what she sees, and is clearly 'uncomfortable' talking about. She would describe him as stubborn and annoying to be honest. "Yokoso, mark refusal to talk on strike one" he whispered, thinking she would not hear, Of course, Fuyona underestimating her capabilities, Rei heard everything. "Alright then, since you refuse to tell me, when was this all starting?" Once again, Rei scribbled on the piece of paper, 'Thursday' for a truthful answer this time. Rei wasn't the smartest computer in the lab, nor the sharpest tool in the shed, but she still has a few little cards up her sleeve, her main strength would be persuasive and reasoning at court judgement. The therapist believed it and told the scribe to mark recently on strike two. This conversation would go on and on, right up until the ninth strike of the clock, where they ended up circling right back to the first question: "-'I don't know... I just can't describe what I can see to another person' Why's that?" still putting up a wall, Rei refused to write, turning her head to the side to look through the window. Clearly there was no luck for anyone to get Rei to tell what she has seen, so they gave up and went to give the results to the receptionist, before she could hand it over to the doctors. The receptionist did not go into full detail when reading it, moreover copying it down onto the computer to print out for the doctors to read. No care, no reaction, just doing her job. It took some time to copy down everything, but as it got to the last two words, one of the doctors came by to see how it was going. "Any luck?" the doctor asked. "It's at the printer, my job is not to get seriously involved in these situations." the receptionist confirmed. The doctor went over to the printer on the far left from the receptionist, and proceeded to get the finalized document. The man read it, seeing how the therapist finally put in the last few paragraphs: It is clear that Miss Akabane will not speak about her deeper opinions on uncomfortable situations. The first being what she 'could not describe in words' and her parents sudden death. Apparently, she sees things/creatures that are unexplainable in words (which is why she cannot tell), or that she is afraid of her delusions. Therefore, she has been diagnosed with Schizophrenia, the illness of the combination of hallucinations, delusions, extremely discorded thinking and behaviour, and the lack to interpret reality normally, nor see the world without monsters in her mind. Her parents strange death has resulted with Miss Akabane having Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Having being only 8 years of age when they died. She really was not keen on talking about it, and she has not been able to let it all go, nor move on.
I have to admit, as much as I despise Japanese Literature, the only thing that I would enjoy is sending poems to Akane to piss her off so much the way she does a death glare at me is not even intimidating. I mean, the only non-athletic thing Taro could beat me in, is a death glare competition, and he would completely crush Akane with he glared at her for one second, like this morning really. But then I would always end up paying the consequences, it was worth a shot. Really I'm just waiting for it to be Recess, so I can either talk with some of my friends, or see Akane complain, it's like a great movie actually.The lesson was incredibly boring, no one gave a single piece of attention. But really, I was surprised Mijikai-san and Kanashi-san finally spoke up against their bully for Rei, it was really kind of them. But t be honest, I was more surprised with Taro's VERY sudden retort against the ill-mannered peacock. That gave shivers down my spine...