The Demons of Tokyo

Chapter 4

Things were difficult around the house when I got back. Every time I wanted to reach into the kitchen cupboards for something, my stomach would hurt which would make me wince. Then my mother would ask what was wrong and I'd have to make up some excuse. I mostly just told her that I pulled a muscle in my stomach but I knew that eventually, that excuse would get old and she'd think that's strange. After that, I'm not really sure what I'd tell her.

When I went back to school on Monday, everything seemed normal, except that Michiko was talking about a murder that happened near her house.

She kept asking me about it since it happened in the alleyway that we walk down to get to my house. She was worried that I had been hurt, but I had assured her that I was fine. I knew who killed that demon.

"Don't walk down there alone any more, okay?" she'd remind me every once in a while. I nodded because I didn't want to walk down there any more either. I wasn't going to risk being demon chow any time soon.

Also, I couldn't help feeling uncomfortable lately since Toshiaki had told me that he'd been keeping an eye on me. I kept feeling like I was being watched and I wasn't sure whether it was just paranoia or whether I was actually being watched. I was starting to wish I hadn't asked how he knew where I was that day.

Michiko walked me home after school, reminding me once again, that I couldn't walk down that alley. I don't know why she was so strung up about it. I did keep telling her that I wasn't going to walk down there any more whether I was with somebody or not.

When I got home, I was exhausted and apparently I didn't just feel it.

"Shizuko?" my mother asked as I came in from school, dumping my bag on the floor and heading into the kitchen. "Are you okay, honey? You look tired. Do you feel okay?"

I nodded. "We were studying a lot today, that's all."

My mother nodded as she reached into the cupboard and got a glass.

"You didn't walk down that alley again, did you?" she asked and I sighed. "I don't want you to walk down there any more. You're lucky you didn't get hurt since you often walk down there."

"No, I didn't," I said flatly. Why would I? I wasn't going to risk it again.

The corners of my lips turned up slightly as I tried to suppress a smile. If my mother knew that I had really gotten hurt that night, she probably wouldn't be so pleased. But I wasn't going to tell her that.

"Good," she said. She handed me the glass that she'd taken and filled with water. "Have something to drink. It might perk you up a little."

"Thanks," I said, taking a sip and letting the cool water slide down my throat.

As I drank the water, I pondered and was trying to decide the best, least worrying way to ask my mother about the red eyed demons. It was weird to think that demons really existed; I'd never really believed in that kind of thing.

"Are you sure you're okay, honey?" my mother asked and I looked up from my drink, realising that she had a worried expression on her face while she was watching me.

I fiddled with the sleeve of my jumper, pulling it up over my hands and picking at a loose thread. Now was probably the best time to ask her about the demons.

"Sorry," I told her apologetically, looking up at her. "I was just lost in thought that's all. I was just thinking about that new trend that was going around."

My mother smiled. "Which one?"

"Well there are a lot of people wearing red contacts," I told her. My eyes watched her face intently, waiting to see if her expression had changed in the slightest.