DouShino (continued,, it may go down again tho lol)

17

I keep running, I don't stop, I don't look back, I can't afford to do that because if I do, I'm scared I will run back to Douma. My legs ache, but I keep on running as fast as my legs would allow it,

I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have stopped running if it wasn't for a fallen tree that tripped me over, I fall face flat on the ground and my face gets greeted with decaying leaves and grainy mud. I almost gag as I clean my soiled face,

"Just great." I mutter to myself,

My hands get dirty in the process and I have no other choice than to brush it on my uniform. I sigh loudly, looking up at a small clearing above my head and I notice the sun had almost already rose from the horizon, damn, have I been running that long? I shrug and continue trudging through the forest and I notice it's getting thicker and denser, I'm heading in it,

I decide to sit down because, truthfully my legs are actually starting to hurt like hell now that I think of it. Suddenly my stomach growls and I groan, I look around trying to find any sign of any living thing, and there seems to be none, and there isn't even any of those edible berries,

I reluctantly rise from the ground continuing my little runaway. Well, even if I wanted to go back to Douma now, I had already travelled a great distance, and I don't even know how long to the nearest sign of human life, yeah, I don't even know where I am. I think of Douma, I really did hurt his feelings this time, I've never seen him... Sad? or Angry, a feeling of guilt pounds on my head but I push it away before I start having a mental breakdown and regretting the choices I've made.

-

I think I've walked and ran a great distance by now, it feels like ten miles. But with a lot of experience with travelling great distances to hunt down demons in the past, I'm almost sure I have just barely made three miles. The sun is at it's highest, and I yawn, starting to feel sleepy, I've messed up my sleep patterns, but I can't sleep here,

I climb a tree that looks pretty tall, and I almost fell back down if it wasn't for the branch that caught me by my uniform I'd be dead. I finally get to the top and the warmth of the sun shines on my face and I squint from the sudden brightness. I look around hoping to get an idea of where I might be, in the distance I see smoke and I almost fall off the tree at the thought of having found another human,

But before I climbed back down I decided to doze off on the tree top, because who knows how long before I get to those people?

-

I wake at the sudden force projected on my back, I gasp for air as my eyes snap open, my vision is blurry and I look around confused, I'm back on the ground... Oh I fell down from the tree, I look up at the height I fell from, I painfully sit up and I cough up some blood in my hands, isn't this great? I grunt as I get on my two legs using my sword as a clutch, my right leg feels like it's been dislocated, and I almost scream when I apply force on it, 

I grit my teeth as I slowly and painfully limp through the forest. The forest slowly gets brighter and soon enough I see a clearing, I small grin gets to my lips, as I try to walk to pick up my pace, towards the small cottage I see in the distance, my breaths are now ragged and my sleep and energy deprived body starts to give in, my vision starts getting blurry and I struggle to keep on walking. I see people... two people, what are they doing? I stretch out my hand and try to call for help but all that comes out are droplets of blood, those people can't hear me, they aren't coming. My eyes roll back and I feel my whole body collapse on the ground.

-

"She's still asleep?"

"Yeah, I think it's been two days already."

"What a poor girl."

I hear two hushed voices and I slowly drift into consciousness, a piercing, sharp pain throbs in my head and I wince. I open my eyes and look around, beside me are an elderly couple, who both look at me astonished,

"Thank you." I say and I cough at the dryness in my throat,

"Dear, how are you feeling?" The woman passes me a cup of water,

"I'm good." I lie, sipping the water,

"Is that so, your leg is still bandaged and those nasty bruises on your back have still barely finished healing." the old man speaks,

"Thank you, but I'm okay." I smile at the two gratefully,

They both look at me concerned but don't say more, and I just smile at them, like an idiot. I observe my surroundings carefully. It's just a small wooden cottage, everything is literally in one big room, and it looks very welcoming. I look up, the woman, is cooking something, in a stove at the corner of the cottage and the old man is carving some wooden thing, which I think looks like a katana. I break the soothing silence with my raspy and cracked voice,

"Um, excuse me, where am I exactly?"

The both simultaneously turn to look at me,

"Oh." the woman looks distant and glances at the man who just shrugs,

"We moved out here a few decades ago to get away from people, so, I'm not sure." the man says apologetically,

I blink at them and almost want to laugh. So they are a couple who don't have children and built a cottage out in the wilderness, and on top of that they don't even know where they are,

"Okay... But do you know which way to the closest village?" I ask, getting up slowly from the bed,

The woman doesn't bother to answer so the man speaks up,

"Ah, I think it's headed north, just keep walking and you may see a pretty old dust path, I think you should follow it," he stops and frowns, looking at the ground, "I think the name was Ishiki something, I don't remember." he scratches his head,

"Thank you so much." I bow politely and the both just look at me warmly,

"It's no big deal, it's been a long time since we last saw another human." the woman laughs,

"Thank you either way. I better get going." I bow again, slightly lower,

"But you just woke up, is you leg okay?" she looks at me worried,

I look down at my still bandaged leg, ah, I almost forgot it was still bandaged, I reach down to untie it but the woman hurries over and sits me back down,

"There, there, let me do that for you." she sits on the floor,

She slowly unties the bandages and I soon see my leg, it is still slightly bruised with a few scratches but it seems to be okay. I move my ankle and knee, and it seems to be fine which relieves me,

"Your knee was dislocated but we managed to pop it back in place, good thing my herbs did a good job." she sighs looking at my knee,

"Thank you very much," I thank her "Do you think, I can leave now?" I ask,

She looks at me disapprovingly for a moment, but her eyes soften understanding,

"You seem to be in a hurry, but I can't stop you." she smiles, "Take these herbs, rub it on your knee and back it should help you heal faster." she pulls out a small paper bag,

She puts it in my hands and squeezes them tightly before letting me go and getting up. Just then my stomach growls loud enough for even her husband to hear it and I laugh embarrassed,

"You should eat something before you go." the man says gently, clearly he overheard the conversation, 

I nod.

-

After, washing the bowl I used, I grabbed my sword. The couple looked at the sword confused but didn't ask which I was grateful for. I bowed politely wishing them goodbye and a safe life before heading north.

-

A/N

Oh yea, the village I mentioned and will be mentioning is totally made up, and I literally don't even know which city or prefecture Shinobu is in or the whole Demon slayer is in so like I'm trying to avoid location as a whole lmao, but if y'all know at least which city they are in please tell me. 

Tysm for Reading DouShino! <3