High School of the Dead + One

「Four Dead」

A little girl sat under the playground's funhouse, curled in the fetal position. Her white hair had recently been hacked off with something closely resembling old, rusted sheers, and now it barely hung to her shoulders. Her big, green eyes looked dull, swollen and red from all the crying. Her red dress, which had once been covered in frills, was now tattered and torn, huge rips along the end revealing too much skin for an eight-year-old.

Unfortunately, her dress wasn't the only thing ripped.

Several deep cuts covered her legs, trailing all the way up to her mid-thigh. They were still bleeding, staining the mulch under her red, and would surely leave scars.

That was her second beating that day, and in a fit of desperation, she had ran out of the house, going as far as her legs would take her. She didn't know how long she had been running before she emerged out of the forest and landed herself at some park. Too many people were around, though, staring at her, pointing, so she hid in the first enclosed place she could find: the playhouse on the edge of the woods.

It was big enough to fit someone a few inches taller than her, so she didn't have to crouch to get in, and there were two pink, plastic chairs near a plastic table covered in mulch, but it was under a window, so she hid beside them, situating herself in the corner. With nothing to do, she had listlessly examined the rest of the little house. A kitchen set sat on her right, complete with a white, plastic mini fridge, a matching plastic stove, and a counter filled with pink, plastic dishes. She could see etches of what was supposed to be a dishtowel, but years of wearing made it flat and faded. On the left, next to a pink, plastic corded phone, a window on the wall to her left showed kids running around, passing the house like it was invisible. No one would find her; she was safe to cry into her knees until she felt like going back.

Hisashi's eyes searched for a place to hide. He couldn't hide in the jungle gym—Takashi had found him when he had hidden there a few rounds ago—and the fountain was too far away to make it in a few seconds, not to mention the looks he'd get if someone found him crouching in the water. Takashi reached 5, and he almost dashed to the jungle gym anyway, but he saw the old playhouse on the outskirts of the woods. He and Takashi had made a deal not to hide in the trees this round—it took way too long to hunt someone down in so much forest—but the house was just on the edge, so he wouldn't be breaking any of the rules. Just as Takashi reached 10, Hisashi bolted over to the faded house. The door was small, almost too small, and Hisashi had to inchworm his way in, flat on his stomach. As soon as he was in, he let out a relieved sigh, but stopped short when he met the eyes of a terrified girl.

His eyes widened as she dug her back against the wall, tears welling in her big eyes.

"Ready or not, here I come!" he heard Takashi yell.

He ignored it, fairly sure he was safe in the house, and made his way over to the girl. He had to duck down from the roof, though, because the stupid thing was just too small for him.

Her breathing hitched, and she could feel the plastic clock on the wall digging into her back, but she didn't care.

Someone had seen her!

Hisashi paused his advanced about a foot away from her. She looked terrified, like he was going to hit her or something. "What's your name?" he asked, going for friendly as he tilted his head. "I haven't seen you in school before."

She didn't answer, avoiding his eyes like he had the plague.

"I'm Hisashi Igou," he tried again. "You?"