Nine Tales [BL]

1.15

The drive was long and far. Street signs and houses turned into trees and fields. Turning into the long gravel road, the lush trees finally gave way to an old southern style house with a blooming garden and rusty swing set. The driver muttered and asked the policeman beside him to check the address again.

There was no sign indicating this was the place until two women in uniforms and wearing smiles as plastic as their name tags came out to greet them.

A round, woman scurried over to the officer. Her English was broken but after confirming she worked here and this was the place for Renshu, they let her take him while they go greet the man in charge.

The house looked like...a house. It was completely different from Renshu's former abode. Wooden floor, wallpaper of small white flowers, lamps, and vases, easy to break and cut with.

Renshu furrowed his eyebrows, suspicions growing as they headed upstairs. Furniture with sharp edges and stairs with no padding or gates to stop people from going up and down. Renshu slowed his steps but the woman grabbed his cuffed arm at took him to a wooden door. She pulled open the door and quickly pushed him in harshly. Startled, Renshu stumbled in, peering up at the room and froze.

It looked like someone glued mattresses to the floors, walls, and ceiling. No furniture, no windows, the only decoration were large thick chains that seemed to disappear into the padded walls.

Renshu quickly spun towards the door only for it to slam shut in his face.

"Shit!" Renshu rushed to the run, slamming his fist into it. A metallic boom was swallowed up by the padded walls and brought a chill to the fox's spine.

He took a few steps back, staring at the seemingly wooden door, not even a dent or scuffed paint to show his attack.

"What is this? What's going on?" Renshu's heart pounded in his head, surveying the room.

[Warning, gas detected. Be careful, Host.]

Gas?

Renshu looked up, finally noticing the faint hiss in the vents of the upper corners of the room.

Nothing visible was coming out but the fshhhh sound was deafening in Renshu'd over awareness of it. Heart racing, Renshu tried and failed to control his breathing, heavy ragged gulps tearing through his lips.

What is it? What is it? Is it poison gas?

Ramming the door, Renshu slammed into it. Again. And again. Each resounding bang music to his ears. But it was getting harder to see. Renshu's vision swam and his limbs wouldn't listen to him. His running started turned into a slow crawl. The force behind his slams had as much force as a pat on the back.

"Have to...get out," Renshu mumbled, blood rushing through his ears yet Rein Nett's encouraging cheers still crystal clear.

Seconds before Renshu passed out, "Shut up...stu...pid System," fell through his lips. Rein Nett: Σ(･口･)....(';︵;')