Survival Game, Book 1: The Fool

Act Four: Chapter Twenty-Three

   One night, several years ago, a girl and her mother were walking home. It was very dull looking day, one where the clouds were black and the ground was soggy with heavy rain. The girl could barely keep a grip on the umbrella held in her small hands. She paused to readjust her grip and zip up her raincoat all the way to her chin. That was when she heard the noise, a frail whimpering sound coming from the edge of the sidewalk that caught her attention. She walked up to the source of the noise, only to find a tiny puppy with rain-matted golden fur. There was another liquid covering its fur, deep crimson in color, but she could see any cuts on it.
    "Mr. Puppy?" The girl called out, knelting over the tiny creature and offering it her umbrella. The puppy gave a low whine in reply. "Are you okay?" She knew this puppy was far from okay, but the fact she wasn't saddened by it bothered her. It was clearly a terrible situation and normal kids her age would cry over it. This girl didn't cry though. She wasn't happy by the poor puppy, but she wasn't sad either. All she could do was watch, hoping the puppy would die soon so it wouldn't suffer any longer. "I'm sorry this happened to you, Mr. Puppy. You're a cute doggie." She wanted to apologize for the cruel fate and for not feeling remorse, as well. Her classmates would always talk about how cute puppies were and she knew they were considered "good" by everyone. That was the first time she'd noticed that something was wrong with her, that she wasn't "normal." And that was also the first time when she questioned how fragile life was. Why did this poor puppy, no older than 3 months, get to die so cruelly while a "bad" person lived 80 years or more? She never could understand that. Even when the next time came where she questioned life, on a night where the moon was a blood red color, she still couldn't understand. And maybe she never will...
    Yuriko opened her eyes to a bright light flashing onto her face. Am I alive...? She wondered before her mind could process her surroundings. Of course I am. Or I wouldn't have been able to dream... She figured, though she was never sure whether she was living or slowly dying. The last time she dreamt, it was an image of the trainwreck, or what she imagined it'd be like. Now, it was the puppy she'd watched die back when she was in her first year of elementary school. For a brief second, she remembered the night of the blood moon again. That was the night she'd accidentally killed her first victim, and the night she realized there was some hope in her quest. She didn't mean to kill the man, and as she recalled it, she was surprised that she couldn't even remember his name. He was an old classmate of hers who asked to meet up at his house. He'd always been a kind boy and an excellent student, so she trusted him. Then he'd turned bad when the two of them were alone, and she was forced to struggle against him and when he fell, he hit his head over the edge of an end table. There was a lot of blood that night, so much that the moon gave off a red light that enveloped the room.
    She remembered looking at the blood that covered her clothes and his body, and the wooden flooring underneath them was covered in a huge puddle of blood. Her heart was pounding fiercely that night, though not out of fear or panic. This feeling was something one would describe as ecstasy. That was the proper word for it. The pounding heart, the fast breathing, the craving for more... how could anyone refer to it as anything but ecstasy? That was her true motive for the men she killed under the guise of a prostitute. She wanted to feel something again. It became an experiment for her, one that'd help her understand. After all, if she could feel excitement like that, surely she could feel other emotions too? Then she could show her parents that she was truly normal, and not just going by their definition anymore. And it may have worked too, if that Grandmaster hadn't interfered.
    "You're awake." The man with the gruff voice entered her room. "I'm glad. You've been unconscious for a few days. How are you feeling?" He asked. He was carrying a tray of food as he always did each visit. For once, she actually felt a pang of hunger in her stomach this time, and she took the tray when it was handed to her. It was a rather simple meal of grilled fish, rice, pickled vegetables, and miso soup, but she didn't really have any preference when it came to what she ate. She sometimes would pretend she did, basing it off of food magazines and what famous people recommended, but it was an act to adjust better in school. The magazine method was what guided her in pretending to be normal, since her family never acknowledged her asking. It helped her make lots of friends, however. There was a time when she had a main theme with her false preferences that she'd go with, even when alone. At cafes with her friends, she'd order a parfait or a blueberry cheesecake, while her and her friends chatted about school or clubs or a very young idol that they all liked named Piko Kageyama. Yuriko did remember her name at least, as she was in the news recently after joining a new idol group, though significantly less famous.
    "How are you feeling?" The man repeated, snapping her out of her thoughts. "The effects should be wearing off some. The infirmary nurse came and checked on you while you were unconscious. He did a lot to help you, but you should give yourself credit for not giving in." It sounded like a compliment to her and when she looked at him, his eyes were gleaming like a proud parent's would. I must've done good then. She guessed, hoping the thought would make her happy. Though it failed to give her the same feeling as the sight of blood did, she knew it was a good thing that she pleased the man who spent so much time with her.
    "You'll still need a few days of rest, but once you're healed up, you'll be fine. Kimura-san has began looking for other recruitments for her program and suggested that even after you get your powers, you wait for the rest to catch up. The drug almost killed you, so it's a wise suggestion. You're not in any condition to start training once your powers are activated. By the time the others are recruited, you'll be in better shape and can start training when they do." The man explained, giving a stern tone like Yuriko's mother once had. He must've thought she'd defy him and protest the suggestion. However, she stayed sat up in bed, holding a pair of chopsticks while picking at a piece of grilled salmon from the tray in her lap. The man quickly realized she wouldn't protest, and a speck of disappointment gleamed in his eyes. "Anyway, I'll be taking my leave for now. I'll return later and check on you." He turned away, giving a last nod.
    "Thank you, Mister... May I ask for your name?" Yuriko asked, using the formalities she would use when addressing seniors. The man seemed to approve of this, though he noticed it was fake right away, but he still turned back to her. "My name is Tatsuya Orimoto." He introduced himself. "I am your mentor and I shall guide you in achieving your desires."