A demon slayer story

Chapter 2: A series of unfortunate events

Soon after, it was time to head home for the night.My heart was filled with joy from my good deeds.Inaka was fed and hydrated well, then we found her somewhere to stay.We decided on the local widow, Nasu, who happily volunteered to take Inaka in.

Wait, something is...off...
I can't hear the usual chattering that emits from my house.I can't hear Nari and Suske bickering, or mom and dad laughing...What the hell is happening?

I clutch my sleeves, trying to shake off the eerie feeling.It's probably nothing Anza, you're overthinking it...
I felt the mud squelch beneath my boots and my face distorted into a grimace.I hate the sound of mud.It's not so much the feel but the sound is awful.It's the same with moss, looks lovely but sounds heinous.

I get to the gates of the Fumikage house, still feeling off when I can't hear a peep from anyone, the only sound I can hear is the wind.I walk forward, no longer smelling the sweetness of my flowers and instead...metal?

No...not metal...Blood

I rush towards the house, pushing open the door and taking in the sight before me.Nari...I can't decide which piece is her body and which are her limbs...

Saske...he has no head to look for...and finally, mom.She's pinned to the wall, dagger through her torso.

My eyes widen, hands trembling and my knees buckling.What happened...was it the slasher?No...no slasher could have done this...why would they go for a family instead of me, alone in the woods.I rest my head in my hands, letting tears fall from my eyes.Was this an attack on my family specifically?I can only imagine how many other families could be going through this...right at this moment...

I can't even bring myself to say anything, I just let my tears fall.Nari, once such beauty and now...you can't even see her face under the blood that it's soaked in.Suske...poor Suske...not even a head in sight.
Why would someone do this?I wasn't even here to hear their last words...would they have been glad that I'm going to survive?Would they have been angry I wasn't there?I don't know...I can't even ask...

I gain my composure, wiping my eyes.
"Crying will get you nowhere, Anza" the words of my mom echoed through my mind.It was something she'd say every time I'd cry over something that couldn't be fixed.Like when I was younger and I scraped my knee, crying wasn't going to heal me.

I stand up, standing at my door and looking out onto the setting sun.The sunset is breathtaking from Fumikage House.Me and Nari used to force Suske to watch it with us, no matter how much he protested he always watched in awe.

But they're gone, and they're not coming back.No matter how hard it may be i have to accept that.There was nothing I could've done...
Even if I had been here my life would too end, I'm lucky to be standing here, watching the sunset for the last time...

Now that my family had been slaughtered there was no use in sticking around, I had been looking for houses of my own anyway.

Why am I not reacting...my family just died...I haven't even said a word...

Who am I kidding, who am I going to say anything to anyway.There's no one around for a two mile radius.I feel weak, my heartbeat is fast and my hands are shaking.

I walk forwards, making my way out of the gates and into the forest.I can't be there, I can't stay there while they're all over the floor...

I sit against a tree, wiping more tears from my eyes but they just keep falling.

Suddenly, I hear cracking from the trees ahead