Suribachi's vagabond (english vers)

Chapter 1.2 : Night and nightmares

Toru walked through the alleys of Suribachi without delaying too much, but without showing any urgency either, as it would easily attract attention to her. She took a few detours, never making the location of her apartment clear to anyone. The small apartment she had been renting for only two weeks from an old moneylender in the neighborhood was rather well located for the area. It was situated at the highest point of the crater, which meant it was the least surrounded area in the zone. However, this also meant that prices were highest there, and the owner of the place, who lived in the apartment next to Toru's, would significantly raise the rent in case of late payment. Nobody here could afford to receive their money late, so Toru understood and paid the amount due without complaint... this old woman must rarely accept to accommodate someone as close to her, and a lone young girl shouldn't pose too much of a problem, as cautious as she seemed.

Living alone was primarily what prompted Toru to change locations very often. She never lived in the same place for more than three or four months to avoid being easily tracked.

The alleys grew darker, the atmosphere more dangerous. Toru only arrived at the door of the small apartment when the full moon was already the only source of light in the neighborhood. It had been almost two years since the area had been under the domination of the port mafia, since the dissolution of the GSS and Brebis organizations after the mafia's victory in the Triad War. This domination mainly prevented the emergence of too important criminal organizations in the area, but did not do much for individual criminals as long as their misdeeds did not constitute direct competition or provocation against it. The mafia protected its interests, not the populations under its domination. The streets were therefore no less dangerous for the inhabitants.

Toru finally entered the small apartment. It wasn't luxurious, but it was her home, albeit ephemeral. It consisted of only one room where there was an old bed on the right, the walls were weathered, a damaged sink was anchored in a corner, and a table stood in the middle of the room, with some supplies stored on top... Toru locked the door before turning on the dim light of the ceiling bulb with the switch. The fact that the light was so dim didn't really bother her... it helped avoid drawing attention to her home and made the atmosphere more pleasant, less tiring than if the lighting were strong and blinding, which would be an additional source of headaches... and she gladly did without it. Once the door was properly locked, she first took off her shoes before doing the same with her jacket and shirt, leaving only her tank top and then throwing herself on her back on the bed and looking at the ceiling. She sighed deeply in a tired tone before staying like that for a few minutes before falling asleep...

...

"Mom?"

Toru looked ahead and saw her own mother... she couldn't believe it... She had found herself in her child's body, who had started crying like in one of her memories, after getting hurt from falling. She was there... it had been so long... she comforted her and took care of her, tending to her little injury, crouching in front of her daughter while she stood up. Toru always ended up laughing lightly, happy with the attention she was receiving... but suddenly the house around them burst into flames... screams could be heard and then... under the child's eyes widened with terror, the young mother disappeared into the stifling atmosphere... The child begged her to stay but she disappeared little by little...

"Mom! Please stay! I don't want to see you suffer! I'll protect you!"

Toru begged... but it didn't change anything... the mother eventually disappeared before her eyes... and the flames around them went out, leaving only darkness where the child now remained alone... desperate...

"Mom... come back please..."

She cried silently, alone, in the darkness... There was nothing around her... and suddenly her voice reappeared, standing in front of the little girl who was sitting on the floor, her face nestled in her knees...