Facade

Through The Halls

Saito ran through the school. As he ran deeper through the white halls, the less people he would bump into. There was less noise and less of a panicky atmosphere. But he also noticed there was more and more broken things.

There was a smashed wall, he knew the demon did it. But that told him the demon was a student that was bitten. But that's all he could conclude for now. He was too adrenaline rushed to even think properly. His eyes were just peeled for a white haired girl.

In the middle of his running, something pulled him by the hand. Caught by surprise, Saito fell right down. He was now hiding behind a damaged wall. He looked at the person who pulled him down.

Hitomi.

"What are you doing here?!" he yelled angrily and stood up.

He didn't have time for her bullshit. He had to find his sister.

"Just hide, you moron!" Hitomi yelled back, trying to stay as positive as possible.

"I have to find Yui!" Saito screamed back and he started to run back.

Hitomi caught him again.

"She's either dead or outside! Go and save yourself!"

He slapped her hand away and turned around.

"Don't just decide things like that! I'm not even risking her dying!"

Saito was furious, and that was the last thing he told her.

"Fine! Go ahead and die then!" she screamed angrily.

He was taken aback. That's the first time he saw her genuinely angry. She finally dropped the act.

"I shouldn't have even risked my life trying to talk some sense into you!" she turned around roughly and ran away.

He couldn't believe what just happened. She really did risk her life trying to convince him...

Saito snapped himself out of thought and continued to run. No way will he let Yui die, especially if that was going to be their last conversation.

He continued to run deeper and deeper into the school. Finally, he saw a girl laying on the floor. She looked like a third grader. Her brown curly hair was covering her face and her uniform had a little bit of blood on it. He couldn't just leave her here. She was unconscious. But as he rolled her body over, he noticed she had at least half her face eaten off.

His eyes widened and he let go of the body immediately. He backed away, feeling like he was going to puke. He thought this smell was familiar... The smell of a dead body. He felt something going up his throat, but he swallowed it, not allowing himself to waste time.

Saito ran again. He didn't even know demons were capable of that. Now he knew what he actually was. He started remembering those bodies again. His head started to hurt again. Why can't those images just go out? Why won't those lifeless eyes just stop staring at him?

His concentration went low, and he tripped over something. He stood up and looked at what he tripped over.

A green scarf. Yui's scarf.

It had blood on it. His eyes widened and his mind was filled with terror. He had to hurry.

"Oi, kid, get out of the school." He heard a deep voice behind him.

Saito turned around and saw a police officer there. He didn't listen and continued to run.

The police officer just rolled his eyes and took a gun. He just shoot him with it.

Saito fell on the floor, feeling numb. What the hell was this?

"Relax, its just numbing needles." The man spoke nonchalantly.

Why was he so calm? There's a freaking demon there! Just go save Yui! Don't sit around.

"I gotta get you out of here. You're quite a big one though..." the police officer just continued to talk with himself and carried him out quickly.

Saito felt terror. What about Yui? What if she's already dead while he's being carried to safety? He couldn't even move or talk, let alone escape. He felt so useless. He couldn't even help her, even after she helped him so many times.

As they went out, he started feeling his body again. He could slowly walk, but he was still carried to a truck full of people. He was seated there. He looked at all the kids from school. All of them looked terrified. Some were shaking, others were crying.

Saito could feel himself shaking as well. He couldn't stop thinking about Yui. The only thing he could hope now is if they'll bring her to the truck, since there's one more seat left.

"Another one, it's a female." Another police officer said as he opened the truck door.

Saito looked hopefully, but it was another, equally terrified girl. She sat down and stared at the floor, sobbing quietly.

"We're ready to drive." The driver said as the truck started.

They drove them off all the way to the farthest parking lot from school. He got out of the truck, barely keeping himself on his feet. There were thousands of students there with their parents, hugging and crying. A woman dressed in classy clothing was standing on top of a little wall speaking through a microphone.

"There will be another truck of students coming. That is the last of the survivors." The woman yelled, trying to get everyone's attention.

That was Saito's only hope. That's the only place she could be. He knew she didn't die. She just couldn't.

"Saito! Oh, thank goodness!" Satoko came running.

"M...Mom?" he barely whispered out.

She hugged him and cried. He was surprised of her reaction.

"You're safe! Oh, thank you!" she squeezed him tightly.

After a couple of seconds she let him go. She still seems panicked. After all, there was one child missing.

"Is Yui safe?" Satoko asked timidly.

Saito couldn't answer that. He wanted to say yes, but there was always a chance she wasn't. Satoko looked at him with the most hopeful eyes he ever saw. As he opened his mouth to answer her...

"There will not be another truck! I repeat! There will not be another truck!" the woman yelled through the microphone.

Saito just stared at Satoko's eyes. He felt broken. He couldn't cry or anything. He just felt like his world was falling apart, and he couldn't even react to it. Satoko recognized what just happened. Her hopeful eyes turned into those of pure sadness and shock. Her tears started to fall even more as she hugged Saito. The only thing he could do was emotionlessly stare at the floor as he hugged her back.