Demise Game

31. pinky promise

A scream ripped from your throat as the figure appeared above you, bringing with it a cloyingly sweet, almost fruity smell.  It suffocated you, and you couldn't help but gag as you rolled off to the right.  You were aware of Hanami's screams and Shiki's cursing, hearing splashing water as the two struggled against the hands that were desperate to keep them in place.

        Shiki called out your name as the figure reached out to you with spindly fingers, and you scrambled to a stand, feeling thin razors slice at your left arm.  You barely batted an eye; there was too much adrenaline coursing through you right now, your mind too preoccupied with getting that finger to focus on any pain.

        Lunging for the finger, you hissed as you collided with the ground, the icy water lapping at your body as bones dug into your stomach.  You gripped the severed finger tightly in your hand, stomach lurching at how warm and limp it felt as if it had only been recently severed.

        "I got it!" you called out to them.  You rolled onto your back, just in time for the figure to grab your leg and start to drag you down the river.  You screeched.

        Fuck!!!

        Bone shards scraped uncomfortably across your skin as the spirit attempted to drag you downstream, and you saw a hand reach out to you.  On instinct, you swung your free hand out — the one without the pinky — in a blind attempt to grab it.

        It worked.

        Thanks to Shiki's strength, he was able to haul you up, holding onto you awkwardly with Hanami.  His free hand lashed out at the spirit that clung to your leg, and you watched in morbid fascination as Shiki's sharp nails cut clean through it.  His nails sliced through as if the spirit had the consistency of jelly, and moments later it had melted into some type of black goop, mixing into the clear river water before being carried downstream.  Remnants of black goop clung onto your leg, a viscous and slimy consistency that nearly had you retching again.

        The static had faded, and you slumped completely against the two.

        "What the hell..."  You breathlessly laughed in disbelief that you didn't just get murdered by whatever the hell that was.  It wasn't funny, but you couldn't help but laugh all the same, feeling relieved.

        After they had steadied you and the three of you trudged out of the river, you handed the pinky over to Hanami, who made a disgusted face as she felt it.

        "Ew... why's it warm?"

        Some questions were probably better left unanswered.

        "Does it matter?" Shiki asked, making sure to keep the three of you linked together.  There may not be a spirit anymore, but there was no point in risking it.  "Ya got the pinky.  Means we're free to go."

        Hanami nodded hesitantly, holding tightly onto the severed finger, before speaking out the finishing phrase.

        "I found it."

        The dream had started to fall apart and fizzle around you, and the ground opened up beneath you.  Darkness swallowed the three of you whole.

        For the first time since the games have started...

        You guys had beat Shuuen.

        You awoke to a stinging in your left bicep.  As the three of you woke up, you couldn't help but hiss, looking at the thin scratches on your skin.  Why did you always have to get beat up in dreams?  You did not want to make this a common occurrence.