Guns, Bullets & Bones [Tokyo Ghoul]

Ch. 17 ~ Feast

     Dylan couldn't help but feel concerned when yet again, Rio didn't show up for her shift at cats cradle, when he was sure she should've been there. But as Ayako brushed around in the skimpy maid uniform, he tried his best to smile and act calm. He tried to push the thoughts from his head. She was a ghoul, she was strong, she could take care of herself probably better than anyone he knew. He didn't need to worry for her.

     But still, his mind was occupied, and the mini vanilla and lemon-curd cheesecake left a bitter taste in his mouth. He decided he didn't like that either, but maybe he'd try it again some time, when his mind wasn't so flooded with thoughts of where Rio might be.

     When Ayako came over to his table just inside the door after finishing her shift, half of the cheesecake was still resting limply on the plate, but he just pushed it away and stood up, throwing his bag over his shoulder, and smiling weakly at Ayako.

    As they left, the look on her face said she knew what he was thinking, and the rare crease of her forehead where her face pulled into a frown said that she'd been thinking the same things.

      They stepped into the brook as usual, but a cold feeling of dread washed over Dylan, and he fought the urge to shiver. About 1/4 of the way through the brook, both he and Ayako froze when a high pitch scream echoed against the walls, bouncing off the graffiti'd bricks. It was impossible to tell how far away it was, but the girl sounded like she was in agony. Neither Ayako nor Dylan moved.

     "Is... Is there another way around? To main street?" Dylan asked, his hands beginning to get clammy, slowly clenching and unclenching.

     "Yes, but... It's a half-hour detour at the least... You need to be home soon..." Ayako hummed, slowly beginning to walk forward again.

      "Wouldn't you rather be safe than late?" Dylan asked, taking a few steps forwards and trying to tug her shoulder back.

     "It is safe, I promised I'd protect you, right?" Ayako turned and gave a sweet smile, and Dylan's heart pounded in his chest.

      "The last time I was told that, someone died..." Dylan grumbled fearfully, but didn't protest when Ayako slipped her hand into his, and allowed her to pull him along behind herself. He didn't know why he trusted her so much, but he did.

     As they got further and further through the brook, a tangy iron scent smacked Dylan's senses so strongly that he felt he would throw up, and there was no doubt that it was coming from just around the next bend, only a few feet away. He could only imagine what the scent was like for Ayako, but her face remained passive and blank. Dylan wanted to stop and sprint the other way, but Ayako didn't seem scared as she pulled them both around the corner.

      Dylan's stomach lurched when he took in the scene before himself. Four girls from his school, a year or two younger, one laying in a dead, bloody heap. One cowering against the wall, one choking on the ground with the boot of a ghoul driving into her throat, and the other being eaten alive.

     Rio's teeth sunk into the bloody mess of the girls neck and pulled out a large chunk, and Dylan was horrified to watch as she chewed and swallowed, his own stomach rolling in revulsion.

     Before him were not two people. Before him were two savage beasts, feeding on their prize.

      "How could you do this?!" Dylan cried, the words ripping from his throat as his hand ripped from Ayako's. Rio's eyes glanced up and met with Dylan's, the icy blue rings swallowed up by black and red, pale skin smeared with blood. "They were living people! They had a soul, a family, how can you do this so easily!?"

     "I'm not a human and I never was. I don't see why you're expecting me to act like one," Rio hummed, pulling back from the body of the girl as she gave out her last dying breath, raising herself to her feet, showing her hoodie and jeans stained in blood.

     "You're not," Dylan said, his voice dropping low, holding steady and surprisingly calm. Somewhere in the back of his mind he was horrified to realize he was so calm as situations like this were being almost normal by now. His next words came out in a powerful snarl, "You're a monster,"

      "Oh, I'm a monster?" Rio's words were low as she stalked a few steps towards him. "Perhaps you should speak to me more softly, then. Monsters are dangerous, and just now humans are dropping like flies,"

    "Ah, Rio, this one died," The boy with side-swept black hair and usually grey eyes now clouded with red called out, pulling his boot from the other girls throat, the tread from the bottom imprinted in red on her pale neck.

    "That's humans for you," Rio gave a nonchalant shrug, as if she were simply discussing a particularly badly behaved dog who'd done it's business in her yard, "Cut off a limb and it will live, but leave it for five minutes without oxygen and it's done for,"

     Dylan was appalled. Every aspect of him rejected this, rejected what was happening, the way Rio spoke as if humans were objects, or toys. Nothing more than something for the ghouls entertainment.

      "You're sick!" He yelled, his voice tearing form his throat so violently it stung.

     "She's not sick, she's twisted," Ayako chimed, her own face pinched in disgust as she regarded the other two ghouls, resting her hand on Dylan's arm. "Sick makes it sound like there's a cure,"

     "Oh, fuck you," Lane hissed, propelling himself into the air and two kagune's sprung from his back like great blue flames. Midnight blue shards began to rain down and Dylan threw himself to the side to escape the range, and he watched them slam into the pavement where he had just been standing, as they either ricocheted off or shattered into tiny shards upon impact.

     He doesn't wait a second longer, pushing his legs to drive himself away from the scene, arms and legs pumping as he tried to flee the brook with his life in tact.

     "Get him!" Lane roared in outrage, and Dylan felt his heart pounding against his chest, breathing coming in shallow jets.

     A  great force slammed into him from the side and the weight crashed down on top of him, and he landed hard against the concrete, his head colliding with a loud crack. Rio was upon him, face pulled into the most terrifying snarl, black veins criss-crossing her face, blood dripping down her chin, lips pulled tightly in a snarl.

      He kicked and tried to push away but her fingers dug agonisingly deep into his shoulders so that every squirm was like she was poking holes right through him, and he watched in horror as the plumb tentacles of her Kagune sprung free from her back.

      She stared down at the boy, brown locks dishevelled and olive eyes wide and terrified. Normally, the look of fear and despair would've been heaven for a ghoul to see on their prey, but as her Kagune trained on him, poised to slice into him and end his life in a single strike, they froze. She remained perfectly still, staring, watching, waiting for something. She wasn't sure what that something was.

     She doesn't have time to ponder the thought as another weight slams into her side as she rolls across the concrete.

     Ayako regained her balance from where she threw herself at Rio, quite literally dragged Dylan to his feet, laced her hand tightly through his and began running hard.

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