A Beautiful Mirror Covered in Bloodlust

The Opening: An Auspicious Cat Roams About

-February 7, 2009-

A moment of silence leaves two men questioning the situation they are left in. In the Western district of Okahama, Chief Tensou and Detective Aki Yakushima get caught up in a one-sided argument.

"I-Is th-is rea-lly ho-w....Is this r-really..how it's going to e-end? You don't....Y-ou don't rea-lize the pro-blem here do you?" Tensou says while stuttering and clutching on to his forehead with both end of his palms. His arms are left hanging in front of his head, and his rough fingers seem to look uncontrollably fidgety.

"You know we can't re--"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" The echoing voice of Tensou is ringing throughout the ears of a young detective.

Aki Yakushima, just like his father, is rarely seen around the central part of Okahama. During his early years of childhood, Aki spent his time with the other children in the village. In the more Northwest region of Okahama, he attended a school by the name of Fumiko Academy. His father, Detective Yakushima, was only seen once near that part of Okahama; that was when he decided to enroll his son into a school so that he could learn a few useful things. However, Aki's friends and classmates never really saw his father nor the place in which he lived in. Being raised by a widower, Aki had not really learned anything useful from his father. After his mother had passed away at his tender age of three, Yakushima never really smiled or showed any love towards him. He had learned to be stern and emotionless, showing off any sign of weakness would mean an easy target for the strong.

All of these characteristics made it hard for Aki to understand the point of having the need of friendship and love. Around his classmates he would never really smile. Whenever they decided to play, he instead stayed away and read books. Most of Aki's youth was spent alone when he was outside of school. He knew his father was a detective and that he worked long hours. Sometimes he would never really come home because of his investigations and overwhelming amount of work. Aki knew all that, but there were several precious gems his father had with him and used to cherish before any of the work he used to do; this was the amount of books he had on information that has to do with mentalism, skepticism, and other novels that had to do with a famous detective by the name of Sherlock Holmes. These books were something Aki spent a lot of his youth reading, and therefore he stood out the most amongst the other children at his school. Whenever the teacher's experienced any problem or if something went missing whilst someone happened to be lying, Aki could easily decipher the mystery and determine whether someone was being truthful or not from merely observing body language.

He was rather exceptional, but there was one thing missing in his life: emotional attachments. At the age of ten, in his fifth year at the Fumiko Academy, he ended up being put in a class that would soon change his life. Unbeknownst to the other villagers, Aki and Yakushima were living on the outskirts of the Western district of Okahama, in an area where wild beasts call home. Aki was put through some physical training by his father, this was to strengthen him physically and prepare him mentally during times of scarcity. Class three, section two, is Aki's fifth year classroom. By the time this year of class came around everyone had formed there own circle of friends. Only two people stood out, the mixed blood, James Kiwasawa, and Aki Yakushima, the awkward child. The other classmates of James and Aki never really treated the two with respect or kindness, rather distanced themselves from them. Although the two never felt part of their society as a whole, Aki never really cared to question why, he never felt a need to bond with others as long as he had with him his books. However, something did intrigue him, and it was the sort of optimism James had. No matter how many people spoke ill of James because of the fact that he was half foreign, whether it was to his face or behind his back; he'd always wear a smile. One day during their class break, Aki decided to confront James.

"You over there.....Why is it that you smile? Why is it....that people think highly of themselves and take pride in who they are?" Aki curiously asks James bluntly with no hesitation or emotion. To his interest, he simply wanted to know why James smiled and why exactly people take pride in relationships. He was an individual who lacked the ability to feel any sort of remorse for anyone who went through pain or to feel happy for any sort of accomplishment. To him, the world was simply a place where survival is the only thing that mattered. But for some reason, he couldn't help but wonder as to why James smiled even when he was in a situation where being depressed is to be expected of him; at least based on the knowledge of Aki, he has a collection of information on human behaviour that he had read in a book of his.

James got up from his seat, and turned around to face the pale face of Aki. The expressionless charcoal-black eyes of Aki stared directly at the even wider smile plastered on the face of James. Sea blue eyes, bright blonde hair, and a passionate face of one who lives a life of contentment; these were the qualities Aki witnessed for the first time in his life that stood out in particular for him.

While grasping the end of Aki's shoulder, the light-filled face of James spoke, "Well, no matter how difficult you might think life seems to be, there isn't any point in crying over it if we wake up to a new beginning the very next day." For the first time in Aki's life, some few words of truth and sincerity really shook the very being of his lifeless soul. After that very same day, Aki had decided to live his life to its fullest; he and James started to get along and as time passed on, a bond of true brotherhood and friendship was born in the hearts of these young boys for one another. However, in the year 1999, the day James had left Okahama with his father, left a somewhat feeling of deep regret in the heart of thirteen year old Aki. He was never really able to thank James for changing the stagnant course of his life.

A few years had gone by, and for the sake of James who was someone really dear to him, Aki spent the rest of his teenage years in seclusion. Living in his house, he had studied thoroughly the arts of skepticism and deduction. He grew up to become a detective far better than his father ever could be. He wasn't really upset about the fact that his father had ended up in a mental institution, that was because his father never really cared much about his well-being nor did he ever show any sign of love or concern for his own son. What mattered to Aki more than anything in the world during these last ten years of his life, was to make sure James returned to a village of peace and tranquility. Just as it was all those years ago before James had left.

-- Present Time--

"All you ever go about is that sickly little Kiwasawa brat's family! Can't you see were losing our morale to fight for the cause of the safety of this village!? The Chief would never have let it be this way!" Tensou scolds Aki as he slowly releases his hands grip from the young Detective's shirt.

"Why the hell do you even work with the department!? You're that filthy old good-for-nothing of a man's son! The guy lost his sanity for crying out loud. Can't believe they let him even live anymore! They should end the geezer's misery. Playing with dolls every now and then, pfft... pathetic. Dammit! Why the hell do we gotta keep checking up on him! He's as good as a pile of useless dead bones, he's never gonna come back to his senses."

"Chie-"

"Don't you Chief me! We interviewed every last one of Okahama's villagers and you still haven't found a lead! It's only you and me now, dealing with the investigation as a last order from former Chief Juinichiro. If only things hadn't ended that way a year ago...If only I had come sooner....the Chief.. would have..."

Tensou begins to tear up as he recollects a memory that caused him and everyone in the police department a great and tragic loss: the murder of Chief Juinichiro. At the beginning of this year, 2009, Aki Yakushima registers with the department as a full-fledged detective. A few tests that Aki had taken on the twentieth day of November, since his sudden appearance back in the village after his last known record of being spotted in town which was about ten years ago, qualified him to be the only one worthy of the title as detective. By then, Tensou, the one working directly with Juinichiro, was chosen as the new Chief of Okahama. Although he never really had as much experience as the rest of the officers in the department, he was a hard working officer whom Juinichiro favoured quite a lot. Since the beginning of the year 2009, the disappearances of the villagers increased drastically. This put almost everyone in the department into a complete state of shock. Furthermore, Tensou never really had a plan to stop the disappearances. The officers one after another slowly started leaving their jobs knowing how dangerous it could be for them to remain in office. Tensou, however, was more so then ever determined to prove to the others that the choice they had made to leave was a wrong one. Also, that he would avenge Chief Juinichiro death by fulfilling the last mission him and the Chief were working on: the 'Stench' incident. Ever since then, the only one working with Chief Tensou on the case was Detective Aki.

-Flashback-

--June 7, 2008--

Sweat accumulates on the forehead of Chief Juinichiro. His eyes take a few glances at his surroundings outside the department's building. It was too dark to see anything. He quickly shut the door and went into his office.

"Tensou....I think the killer might be near. Make your way carefully back to your house and make sure the family is safe. I'll check the area.... myself. I think I might need some reinforcements, but for now, I'll head out myself armed and careful." The Chief whispers into a telephone while recording a message sent for Tensou. From a distance, a violent shaking is heard at the rear entrance of the building.

The sweat on Juinichiro's hands start to loosen his grip on the telephone handle and his breathing becomes heavier.

"Listen, Tensou.... Whatever you do don't give up hope on Yakushima. If I don't make it past this night alive, then remember to be more cautious of the killer; I ain't taking a gun with me for no reason. Check up on Yakushima until he is dismissed from medical care. I know they said tha--"

The breaking of glass is heard, and footsteps are moving at a quick pace towards the Chief's office.

"He's here.... he's coming fast. I leave you with this last message, screw the damn doctor's reports on Yakushima; keep checking up on the guy to see if he's recovered..." The phone line cuts, luckily, the message gets sent.

The steps of the mysterious killer goes silent for a brief moment. Juinichiro stealthily sidesteps his way towards the back end of his office. He tucks himself behind his desk and clutches near his neck, a small pistol ready to let loose at any given order.

Something hits the surface of the floor parallel to his desk. His arm shifts to its left and a few shots are fired. He checks to see if he injured the enemy, however, he only sees scattered blood and a few objects dropped near the floor at where he shot. His eyes don't lie about what he sees....A few human fingers lay on the ground with blood dripping from them. As much as he might seem disturbed and scarred by the scene, he realizes that the killer used those fingers as decoy. Before he could turn around, he heard a voice near the entrance of his office, a prickly, stubborn strained voice. "May I come in dear?" Juinichiro turns around as quickly as possible but before he could pull the trigger he hesitates at first sight of the killer. An axe cuts his view into two. Mucus covered liquid gushes forth from his stomach as the smooth surface of the blood-polished metal digs its way through Juinichiro's organs. His fingers are chewed violently off by crimson-frothed bloodied brittle-like teeth. The last clear view his skewered eyes could make any sense out of was, the sight of.....thin frail silver hair.

All of that took place around 2 a.m. in the evening. After receiving that message from the Chief, Tensou was frustrated with himself immensely for not being able to listen to the message until the following morning. He thought that if he could have made it in time, a mutilated Juinichiro would not have been found in office the very next day. One thing was for sure though, upon seeing the dead body of his superior, Tensou's frustration turned into hate; but his fear of the killer grew as well. He was left depressed and anxious for the entire following week. A great deal of his time was spent clearing out the Chief's office and unfortunately signing retirement forms of a collective group of officers. Too many were afraid of the killer, but Tensou expected as much; and for the sake of the village, he hid his fear and replaced it with a burning desire to kill the murderer. Around the time Aki decided to join him on the investigation, his attitude became more brutal then ever. Aki had done some research on Tensou and the department, so he knew quite well about the close relationship Juinichiro and Tensou had formed while in office together; and that ever since Juinichiro passed away, Tensou never remained as gentle-toned and social as he was before.

--March 5, 2009--

Aki and Tensou here about the return of a family member in the village, apparently the person returning home was from amongst the Kiwasawa family, James. Tensou knew quite well that Aki would be interested in meeting his childhood friend, so as a favour for all that the young Detective had patiently put up with he allows him to see to the safety of James. After all, the killer could be ready to pounce at any given moment of time. For a few days now the investigation is called off as Tensou and Aki being the only two representatives of the department left, nothing much can be done at the moment while Aki is gone out to accompany his dear friend. Upon hearing Chief Tensou's order, Aki cracked a smile for the first time in a long while. He remembers that the last time he was ever able to have such a joyous look on his face, were those old times of his he had spent around James as a child.

--March 9, 2009--

A few days go by after the arrival of James. Aki and James are happy to see one another, but being reunited wasn't that big of a deal to the both of them. It was the promise that they had made to themselves that kept both of them from rejoicing at the fact that they could see each other again; the promise to protect and stay with those whom they loved. With the killer around and James being regretfully gone for so long, a sense of determination rather than a feeling of ease and comfort, was needed.

[ Northern District Okahama: The Kiwasawa Residence]

P.O.V (James Kiwasawa)

My eyes seem to blur this very fine Tuesday morning as I make my way out of bed. Ever since I got here in the village of Okahama last Thursday, I swore on my life that I would never leave my dear sister, Reina, ever again. I was surprised to learn of the fact that my mother and grandmother had passed away a few months before I got here, and freaking hell...it had to be from an illness caused from depression. The very thought of that makes my heart ache unbearably. My childhood friend, Aki Yakushima, pulled his way through life as a detective and came to our house to stay for a while. Although I might be happy to have seen him, I feel like I might be missing out on something important that the people here must be hiding from me. Well, for now I guess, I might as well try to get used to the place.

I pull out my phone from my pocket. "Great Lord! I forgotten that I had to tell Alex that I arrived exactly when I came into the airport!" I squeal while my fingers tense at the rush of blood that flows through my quick finger movements. "Nooooo! No wonder I couldn't hear the notifications! My phone is out of battery!" I sigh in disappointment of myself.

For about a week now I hadn't really paid much attention to my phone, it's only at this very moment in time that I ended up using it. After all, I had to make sure I was being useful around here and help Reina with as many chores and responsibilities as possible. Back in England, I had been living in a dorm with a roommate of mine named Alex. Whenever it came time to fulfilling certain assignments I had due, I could always count on him to lend me a reminder...... He's funny as always, comparing one reminder to a warning for an apocalypse. What I mean is, that he treats every thing I procrastinate about like I'm about to die if I don't finish. Well, I'm hoping he's doing okay right now.

I make my way around the back alleys of the house where the gardens of our family had been cultivating for many years now. A breeze of chilly wind takes hold of me as I stand gazing out at the magnificent view of the lively village from uphill here. I really still can't believe the changes that took place in town while I was gone. It's quite hard to believe that the village's population decreased even after all these new buildings had been structured by the village. I turn my face towards the vegetation on the field and slide the sleeves of my Yukata up my arms to begin collecting the harvest. Birds chirping and flowers blooming left and right, one thing is for sure ; I'd give anything to live in such a nature- oriented area. I feel lucky somehow for having such a place to live in.

I hear a free steps approaching me from behind rather quickly.

"James! Thank God, I was worried there for a second." Aki says while almost out of breath.

"Uhh...yeah.... I'm alright", I reply with a smile.

I was right after all, even since last week I recognized the strange atmosphere of the village; I even thought that the way Reina is behaving was out of the ordinary. But, what can I really say about her, having lost almost everyone precious to her while her older brother lived abroad. Too stubborn to even give a call....For some reason, at this very moment, I never felt as regretful as I had been when first arriving here. No matter what the case happens to be, the strange behaviour patterns of Reina seem abnormally out of place, and Aki seems to be hiding something from me.

It tucked my lace-wooden sandals onto the rim of my heels, as I make my way back into the house with a handful of celantro, beet root, cabbage, lettuce and a variety of other vegetables. I then realize something. Our neighbors, the Kagamine family, had much more produce that included not only vegetables, but also fruits. I feel bad that I have been here for almost a week now and that I never really bothered to greet them. Being protective and responsible for Reina's safety and well-being, didn't mean that we had to cut our ties with those around us.

"Aki, wanna come along with me and greet the neighbors?"

Just before Aki could answer, Reina stepped into the vegetable fields and said, "James, go on ahead and leave the food on the kitchen table. I'll handle the cooking." I almost forgot about the fact that we needed to cook so I race back into the house and make my way down to my room. After passing by a few dusty halls, I slide open my room door and throw on a fine pair of track wear. I slide my arms down the end of my room's old book shelf. I lift my fingers from the shelf and find that my fingers are immersed in dust particles. I'll give this place a little scouting and tidy it up within a day or so. Since last week Aki's been sleeping in the same room I am in, but during the day; he awkwardly follows me around wherever I go. To my lack of interest, I didn't care much to be bothered by his presence. But after a routine made its way into the habits of Aki, that is; guarding me and acting like my mentor wherever I go, I soon realize why he might be doing so......I could possibly be in danger......Nah!! This is Okahama we're talking about, a small peaceful village.

--Later That Afternoon--

"Hey, Aki, do you mind helping me prepare for lunch?" I ask.

"Not at all", he replies.

"Great....Hey I've been wondering. For the entire time I since I came back to the village, I realized that we never really went down to the other parts of Okahama. I know that used to be the case as well, back when I was young. But I think it's time we take a look around the village and have fun while we're at it! I'll try convincing Reina to come with us. I think it's best if we go later this evening, perhaps we'll have a good night stro-" Before I could finish saying what I wanted to I was interrupted.

"NO! I mean....How about tomorrow morning or when there's at least some light outside in the village."

I turn my face towards a portrait that is hanging next to the dining table right in front of the kitchen. A family portrait of which the face of my mother is scratched out of the photo.

A confused yet somewhat frustrating expression appears on my face......

"I knew you'd object. So, can you tell me what the hell is really going on in this village!? Why are you being so cautious? I haven't really even really looked around the house yet. I only stayed in the room next to Reina's and saw the kitchen and dining room, but I already feel like there's something about this house that isn't what it was like before, all those years ago..... I'm just so confused." I shout in frustration.

I walk past Aki, who is unable to respond to me. We finish the prep for the meal we prepared for dinner. The fresh aura of meat stew disguises the dust-filled filled smell of the house. I remove my apron and thank the maid that works here as well. Her name is Akane, but for some reason she's given the responsibility to take care of all the house work; so I decided to help her out a bit. It's strange enough that my sister rarely speaks to me, at first I thought it was cause of depression. When I had asked Akane to explain to me exactly why Reina never smiles or even shows any sort of emotion at all. Akane really didn't know how to respond to me, and all she'd do instead is have an intensely stressful look in her eyes while being aware of her surroundings. Unfortunately, the best I got out of her was a stuttering, "Tha--nk y-ou ver-y mu--ch si--r." I told her to just call me by my name, but whenever I'd confront her she seemed to talk to me in a way that suggests she had forgotten what I told her. Then within a second or so, she'd apologize as quickly as she could with a baffled expression on her face. Since she always looked stressful, I never really bothered to ask her any more questions, or even speak to her anymore for the matter. I was afraid I might accidentally shock her if I keep up with the random encountered 'Oh, hey Akane! Need any help?'questions.

It's been about two hours now and Aki and I have just been sitting at the dining table silent for the most part since we had that argument, earlier today.

"I wonder of Reina might be coming for dinner any time soon, I'm sure I left her a note on her bedroom door a few hours ago. The food is probably all cold now, oh well. I guess I'll go check on her."

Partly, my reason to leave was because of the awkward silence in the dining room. Aki and I were just staring at each other for so long...to the point where he thought we were having a staring contest. I tried covering my mouth before I burst into laughter. Well, I could count on him to give me a good time. He never really was the type to talk freely around others, except for me that is; and whenever he tried to deduce my thoughts just by staring at me, I realized he never really interpreted correctly.

I make my way passed the candle placed to the left of the exit of the dining room. Now that it's about an hour or so after sunset, the house had a few empty dark halls. The worst part is the fact that I hadn't really had the time to check every room or hallway in the compartment. I saw an old dusty cloth covering something placed on top of the kitchen table next to the cupboards. I quickly check to see what is underneath the cloth and I find at my relief, a small was candle. I quickly jolt open all the drawers of the kitchen counters to see if there were any lighters placed there. Again, to my relief, I find a few hidden under some mitten laying under a few utensils in the drawer right next to the stove.

I quickly lit the candle and made my way down the hallway in which I think Reina's room belongs in. This house, has it always been this spacious and have this many rooms? I ask myself as the rough ends of each wooden tile on the floor makes a loud creaking sound. One that would suggest the opening of a door. It's a bit too quiet..I think to myself. "Reina! Reina!" My voice echoes as I walk past a hallway with about five doors. Wait a minute, I... don't think this is the hallway I remember being in earlier this morning. I begin to sweat vigorously expecting a surprise of some sort to occur at any moment. I wish I had the ability to remain calm in situations like this, it's too bad that I'm not one of those people who easily fend their fear of dark off because of the fact that they disbelieve in ghosts. I'm not saying I believe in ghosts, just that there could be something or someone in here that is waiting for the right moment to frighten a person.

I hear a faint voice in the distance. "I see I see, I live I live. I comb I comb, I want to give. Mom, Mom. Won't you remember me? No, no. Please don't. Please don't. I breathe I breathe, the smell of rotten flees."

Someone...is singing. I hear it coming from one of the rooms up ahead. Before I could make it to the room I thought my sister was in, I hear Aki yelling as he sprints his way here from behind me. "James! Are you okay!?" His voice seems exasperating for some reason. I hold the end of my candle in front of his exhausted face. A figure with dark black hair appears in the distance a few doors down the hallway from behind Aki. I take a better look after rubbing my eyes and see nothing. For a second, I thought it was Akane...but then I realized that Akane had light brown hair.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Is there a problem?" I ask.

While trying to catch hold of a few more breaths he says, "I heard Akane scream from the bathroom stalls next to our room. As evil it may seem, I was hoping something like this would occur. I wanted to find out so badly about the secrets everyone had been keeping from me. Nevertheless, I told Aki to wait in this same area we were standing in, and although he tried to come with me my demand remained firm. I ran over towards the kitchen.

"Akane!!" I scream, while now making my way down the opposite end of the hall, near the front entrance of the house. I see her laying on the floor with her ankle out of place. "Are you okay?!" I exclaim as I try lifting her up from her position. She slaps my hand away before I could touch her and looks the other way. "I'm fine. I thought I saw something else, but it was just a cat running out of the house." She whispers faintly, but clear enough for me to hear. At that very moment, I noticed something about her that I never had noticed before. Her wrists and ankles seemed... bruised really badly. I didn't want her to be even more distant from me then she already is, so I decided to not mention the fact that I saw that.

I was in fact curious as to why and how she got those bruises, but right now, I was worried about Reina and wanted to know how a cat got in here in the first place. Before I could ask Akane anything, she quickly patted the dust off of her dress while standing up and scurried away back to doing some other work again. Acting as if nothing had ever happened.

After this little misunderstanding was taken care of I rushed back immediately to where Aki was. To my surprise, he wasn't where I told him to be, probably decided to follow me and lost his way. I still can't believe he found me earlier without any candle or flashlight. Anyhow, I keep walking further down the hall I heard the singing in earlier. Seems like the singing must have ended. It could have stopped due to that earlier commotion Aki had made that Reina must have realized we were near. Now that I think about it, when she was singing, her voice sounded a bit more melancholic.

After I walk past a few rooms, I find two doors at the very end of the of the hall that are slightly open. Perhaps, Reina is in one of them I thought to myself as I make my way into the first door closest to the way I came from.

"Reina, you in here?" I question.

My candle seems to be lighting a room filled with nothing but a mass load of dust hovering everywhere. My throat throbs painfully as I wave my left arm around hoping that my coughing will end as I move the dust from my face. My candle accidentally drops while I'm making way deeper into the room. "For crying out loud! Now I can't even see anything!" I squabble as I move my limbs around hoping I could find a flashlight or lamp of some sort. I hear a noise from behind me right outside the room's door. My feet move out of reflex and I end up stepping on to the switch of a flashlight. Yet again, luck is on my side....or is it really? My heart beat goes out of pace when my eyes catch sight of what is laying on a broken dresser directly in front of me; an old mirror. Shards of glass are scattered in every direction, a rusty rim encases the remains of a mirror. What stands out the most, aside from all these details, is the streak of coagulated blood left plastered on the mirror. The light from the flashlight seemed to be diminishing, despite the fact that the room started to lose its glow; all I could pay attention to was the blood...left on the mirror. I was beginning to wonder if the situation in this house and village...was more dire and dangerous that I would have ever imagined it to be. I quickly stood up, my eyes blink for a quick second. Before I turn my body around towards the entrance of the room, my eye catches sight of a reflection in the mirror. My legs trip and I fall backward in desperation and panic. I see at the entrance, the frail body of a girl.

Her pale skin complimented the dark circles bagged underneath her eyes. Her long silky brown hair covered the front of her beige-coloured yukata. Her sapphire eyes threatened my gawking sea blue ones.

"Reina I was loo-"

"GET OUT NOW! NOW! NOW! NOW!" Her hair swings back and forth as her rage-filled face moves closer to mine. Before I could utter another word, I realized I had no choice but to make a break for it. For the first time since my arrival back in Japan, I saw my sister show emotion. I felt out of shape, and I had no clue as to where Aki is nor as to why Reina had been so angry. The sight of blood on that broken mirror however, was what frightened me the most. What do I make out of these circumstances? There are still a lot of things I feel unaware of.

I make my way past the front entrance of the house proceeding towards my room, but before I had walked passed the entrance of the house; I realized it was slightly open. I decided to take a night stroll. After I checked outside the door and found out that no one was standing at the front of the house; why it was open and who left it open never really mattered much to me. After all, the questions I ended up collecting in my head from what I saw today is overwhelming enough.

I bristle my fingers through my hair back into its position as a gust of wind leaves me looking like I have bed head. I decided to sit outside the house on the front porch. As I make my way over towards the porch I catch eye of a breathtaking view. A glittery sky, filled with innumerable amount of stars, illuminates the village. Living uphill, far from the central part of Okahama, isn't so bad after all. I thought to myself while lounging backwards on the wooden front of the dusty old porch about something that I had forgotten to do earlier. That's right! The Kagamine family! I know that they live right next door, but I told Aki that I'd go with him to visit our neighbors. For now I guess, I can take it easy.

*A soft cry of an animal is heard near the left side of the house*

I turn my head towards the sound of what seemed like a cat. I rise from my seating place and march my way over to the field of vegetables near the left side of the house. Farther uphill from there, the Kagamine family lives. I feel the touch of soft fur lacing around my ankles as I light a spare candle and bring it near my feet. A small creature embraces my leg, its black fur coat emphasizes the nature of its emerald green eyes. No doubt about it, it's a small bombay-type cat. "What brings you out here my young friend?" I playfully ask while stroking the soft fur on its back. For a few seconds, I began to realize that the cat's eyes seemed enticing. I felt as though it's eyes were telling me something. It leaped out of the grasp of my hand and sprinted a few quick steps, forward. It's head's position never lost sight of my face. It's eyes were gazing directly into mine.

"Come along. We'll learn about the secrets. Come along. Don't you want to know? What had happened while you were gone."

I couldn't believe my ears, the cat spoke. The movements of its lips were in synch perfectly with the deep voice of a middle-aged male. At first, in shock, I looked around to see if there was someone there. But then, the cat spoke once more, "Look at me. Follow me. To know the truth, you must believe in me. The village thinks they know, but I've been here long enough to prove them otherwise."

"What do you mean by that? And why should I follow you?"

It's eyes grew wider while it sat in a crotch-like position. "Might I remind you of what you saw a week ago young boy? The....tombs I mean."

"What tom-"

"The ones belonging to your mother and grandmother. You really haven't realized have you? Do you really think it was some kind of coincidence that both your mother and grandmother passed away around the same time? And only a few months before your arrival?" The cat asks in a taunting manner while licking the end of its paws.

"Child, I've been here longer than you were born. Can you not smell the blood this village has been engulfed in?" The cat asks in a stern manner.

"Blo-od?" I ask, surprised. That's right, I stare directly into the cat's eyes who has also noticed the reason as to why I was left unaware....Ever since I came here, I realized that something in particular stood out the most; it was the distinct scent of lemon roaming about in the atmosphere. The house and fields, were completely tarnished in it.

"Listen carefully, boy. Those tombs you visited a few days ago did not have the bodies of the expected deceased. In other words, the bodies that lay underneath the ground near the trees farther up North this hill; are not the bodies of your family.

Before I could utter another word, my eyes had swollen up with tears. I touch my face and see the droplets fall on to the muddy ground. "Why...am I crying? What do you mean by that exactly?! Tell me!" I insisted.

Not even crickets dared to make a sound at that fateful moment in time, the mischievous cat showed James something he would never have anticipated to be.

"Follow me, I will show you. The truth is, she's been here this whole time. Your mother, I mean."

The cat scampered its way around the side of the house, and I followed. We rushed our way past a fields of grain and lettuce. Before I knew it, we were standing face to face near a small land of trees present behind the gardens of the house. The cat sat directly on top of a steep hill of dirt.

"Dig, right here. Dig." The cat ernestly demands.

I realize that the smell of lemons grew stronger, and that it was coming from the dirt. Before I could ask why I should have to dig up a grave, his perspicacious eyes had already seemed to be carefully observing my actions.

"Don't you want to know who is buried under here? And what physical state this person's body has been left in?"

I thought to myself the consequences of digging up the remnants of a person's body, but I knew that I wanted to find out more about the truth. The cat raised its right paw, pointing his arm towards my left. A rusty old shovel was semi-covered in dirt. I took hold of the shovel and penetrated the surface of the dirt. After a few meters deep into the ground, my nose seemed to have gotten more sensitive to the smell of lemon. I finally hit a figure of some sort, I quickly uncovered it. A body not so much as rotten as it was mangled. A crescent-shaped necklace is on the neck of this woman, the same one my mother used to wear. I choked in disgust at the sight of her figure.

"You see, boy. Her body...is not where you thought it was. Listen carefully now, to learn more about the situation of this village, pay your respects to the old man's house; the man by the name of Hiroko Kagamine. But...to learn more about what no one knows, the secrets of the tragedy that took place here; remember to learn about the history of your family."

My family? What about it? And how is it tied to all of these confusing facts. But wait.....who put mother's body here? And how did this cat know? Before I could ask any of these questions, all of my surroundings, the trees, the sky, the gardens, the house, and lastly, the cat; they all disappeared.

While gasping for air I grab hold of my neck, I lift my body from its laying position. It's already the next morning. Was I.... dreaming? I take a look at where I am by observing my surroundings. I am in my room and so is Aki. He seems to have stayed up all night resting against the shoulder of my bed by the looks of it. I slowly rise from where I am sitting and make sure not to disturb the deep state of sleep Aki looks like he is in, but none the less, he woke up at sound of my movements.

I feel a bit hazed, and my forehead is warm.

"James! How are you feeling?!" He asks impatiently.

"I feel a bit dizzy but what happened last nigh-"

"I found you collapsed on the front porch, you had a high fever. So, I decided to carry you in myself, and lay you on your bed."

I seemed a bit confused, but still, I thanked him. What bothered me a bit though, was the whole conversation I had with the cat. Well, there could be no real possible explanation but the fact that I was dreaming....But then, the place where I had dug up a grave, does it really have a body there?....

I was curious enough to want to check it later this evening when no one was awake. I still had many questions as well, and I thought it was time Aki explained to me what exactly he was protecting me from.

"Aki....I think you should tell me what you've been keeping a secret from me. If you consider us to be friends you shouldn't have to burden yourself with all the responsibility. I just want to be able to help, you can't expect me to live here and not find out about the troubles this village is going through.

Aki stood up immediately, and although his face was filled with remorse he lowered his head in shame. As if to say, he could not tell me yet, but that he will soon enough. Soon after, Aki had left to prepare some food, I insisted on helping but he wanted to show his gratitude for allowing him to live with us for a while. In the meantime, Reina had been sitting in her room, combing her hair and singing to herself.

Around the time where the rosy yet orange colour of the sun let its appeal glow over the quiet village of Okahama, I had realized it was almost past sunset.... I was preparing myself mentally for what is to come by staying in a deep state of concentration in my room. After what took place yesterday, between me and Reina, I decided to keep my distance from her until I figure out the situation at hand. Maybe the cat talking to me was in fact a dream, but I still couldn't help but think about what it said. Especially, the fact that there is an area behind our field of vegetables that could possibly be hiding the dead body of my mother, Alice Johanna.

Aki, for once, isn't following me. I wonder where he is at the moment. For now at least, I think it's time I make my way towards the fields. It's about two hours past midnight, I close the gaping hole bordered next to a box of old pictures my family had taken when I was living in Japan all those years ago. Unfortunately, I am not sure how this happened exactly, but I found a hole in the wall of my room. The one directly under the curtains of my window. The place is still a little dusty, but so far I was able to manage. I quickly unfold the curtains hanging on opposite ends of the window. I shut the lock on my bedroom door from the outside by fiddling with the lock using a pin as thin as a hair. I wear a lace tailored yukata darker than then the standard shade of black. I clip on to my heels a thin sheet of foam, this was to make it easy for me to cross over the wooden floor of the house without making a single sound. I wore a procedural mask, to help me combat with the overwhelming smell of lemon, and just in case, rotten flesh as well.

The house was in a state of complete silence, even the slightest movement of my body could possibly give off waves of sound; if not for my precautions. Within a few minutes or so, I was able to make it outside the house without anyone noticing me. As I make my way towards the far end of the field, I recall the first few days after I landed in Tokyo's famous airport, Nijima Airport. I was given a letter by my sister about the whereabouts of both mom and grandmother's graves. They were told to have been buried a few miles up North of Okahama. I navigated myself, somehow. Near the peak of the cliff, where the blossoming leaves of Sakura trees were scattered about; I saw, engraved into two tombstones, the names of my mother and grandmother. I paid my respects, and although learning of their death seemed painful to me, I thought it would be much more hurtful for someone who had been living with these two people all their life: Reina.

However, when I made my way down towards our house on that day of my flight, rather than feeling empathy for my sorry sight of a teary state; she seemed rather stoic. I never questioned her as to why she behaved in a way that shows how little care she has for others. But, one thing was for certain, the feeling of joy, happiness and excitement, no longer exists in the secluded soul of my sister.

The night is still young and I make my way past a stream of mildewy water. My hands push their way through the stock of wheat holding nearly ripe grains of rice. My sandals are left imprinted in the wet soil where recently harvested lettuce were taken from. I finally approach the patch of land behind the field of vegetables. There it was, to my shock. Just as I had seen last night in my dream, a steep hill of dirt with a rusty old shovel placed next to it that is barely visible. I was a little tensed at the fact that all of this had been true. No! Snap out of it! I told myself....I don't really know what's inside the grave, yet. There is that phrase, "Curiosity kills the cat," but more importantly, it means that I might not be able to turn a blind eye to this situation if I dig up this grave. This could likely mean, my life will be in danger if I expose myself to the truth. The idea of learning about the truth is not what frightened me, it was the thought of not knowing who would do such a thing, that really put my endeavor to the test. My limbs felt heavy and exhausted, but I was determined to continue digging. After plowing through the dirt a few more times, I saw it. The same figure of my mother that I had seen in my dream. Moreso than being distressed, I felt determined. The killer is going to pay for what he has done, I swore to myself.

A few droplets of water fall from the dark sky. I had not really noticed but the sky was filled with clouds as far as my eye could see. I decided to cover up the grave as quickly as possible, and head back inside. Right as I was about to finish covering the dirt with a last few touches here and there to make it look like how it was before I got here; thunder had started shrieking from above my head. At first glance, my heart skipped a beat, thinking the lightning was going to strike me. By the time I had finished covering the grave, I realized that my clothes had been completely drenched in rain. The tides of wind were turning violently. Rain was pouring at an angle, lashing each object that crossed its path. My eyes could barely see the distance of the house from this far. I forced my way against the force of the rain, but it was no use, I only kept getting pushed farther and farther from my destination. I see a dim glow of light coming from a farm that looks like it's stationed right next to the Kagamine family's house. "Time to drop by," I struggle to articulate as a cup full of water seeps into my mouth. My clothes feel a lot more dense and heavy, just before a flash of lightening could blind the already narrow span of my vision, I see an arm reach out and grab me. An old man, who's firm grip of a hand hauls me into a tall black building. I spit the remaining water from my mouth as my back arches and arms latch onto the cusps of my knees.

"Th-thank you! Thank you!" I tell the old man as I inhale and exhale wholeheartedly. Streams of water pour out of my clothes as I rest myself on top of a stack of hay.

The bulky tall figure of a hunched man turned around to face me.

"Are you all right, boy? Staying out this late, aye? The youth these days. Careful out there. I'm sure you know why, though. We can wait here till the rain stops pouring." He kindly says while placing his lantern next to a saddle of a horse that is resting on a stack of hay next to mine.

"Wait, I forget to ask. What's your name, sir?"

"Hiroko Kagami-... Kagamine!" He struggles to answer while choking continually.

"Are you all right, sir?!"

"Don't worry about it. This stuff happens with a seventy five year old man."

I realized that in my dream, the name the cat mentioned was his. He was part of the Kagamine family.

"I'm your neighbor, I came back to Japan only a few days ago."

"Ahh, now I remember that face of yours. You look just like that brat who left ten years ago." He chuckles.

"I do, however, apologize for the loss of your mother, grandmother, and father, kid. Who knew they'd be gone before an old geezer like me."

"You mentioned earlier that would know why I would have to be careful around these hours, can you please explain why?" I requested.

Hiroko slammed shut the entry to the farm. He didn't want a whole lot of rain to end up soaking the hay stacks that were preserved for the horses. He quietly dwadled his way towards the stack of hay resting next to me. In a sluggish manner, he brought his legs down. His pain staking expression came forth because of the burning feeling tingling down the spine of his hunched back.

"Listen, boy. I realized you were gone for quite a while now. However, remember not to ask too much of what could possibly scar you for the remaining years of your life. The village from up here, looks normal. But a lot of the villagers had been worried for almost four years now. You might've thought the population had decreased because of the villagers leaving town. Does that really seem like a possibility though? For us farmers and townspeople, do we really know a different way of life beyond the borders of this village?"

By now, I began to be a bit more suspicious of Okahama at large. Something definitely went on over here in this village, since the time I left all those years ago. The howling sounds of wind encaged the farm, every few minutes the striking of lightning would be heard. Not only that, but, the rain came down in large amounts; almost like that of land pockets of water that are filled to the height of five to six inches. The farm started to shake a little, but in the inside, all the boars and horses remained safe and quiet.

"Mr. Hir...Hiroko, I'm not sure if I underst--"

His face drew near to mine, I could see the worriesome look in his eyes. His tone became a bit more deeper, and he made sure his voice was a lot more quiet.

"Listen son, you should know that I own plenty of farmhouses up here. However, I couldn't take the responsibility of looking after all the animals in every single farm. The truth is, that there has been word going on about something called the 'Stench'. For a few years now, that is. A few events took place in the past that made the mere assumptions into facts. The killer behind the 'Stench' left a few messages for the villagers and rumour has it, that the previous Chief in town had been killed by the one behind the 'Stench'. The smell of blood that reeked havoc amongst this village had only gotten worse. I'm surprised that you've never smelt the filthy smell being out here for a few days now. Please don't take this as offense, but because the 'Stench' had started near the farmhouses up here, I had some suspicion on a family member of yours. That's why I was surprised to hear that she had died."

At this point, I could but only try my hardest to process all this information. What family member could he be talking about? Could it be mother? Or grandma? I wasn't really sure who but I remembered distinctly that the reason why I couldn't smell anything was because of the lemons. And I was surprised to learn of the actual dead body of my mother being hidden a few metres behind our vegetable gardens. Suddenly, I almost felt on edge.....If my mother's body was buried there, then who's graves did I go visit.

"Boy, listen to me. The one behind the 'Stench' had been taking the villagers as victims, and that's why the village's population decreased so much. Everytime someone is missing, the next day an even stronger smell of blood comes from the source of this 'Stench'. A few years back I had been known as the farmer of this village. I use to love to take care of all the animals in every single farm. The work became more difficult for me, so farmhouses were built. So that, if I spent a night working late in one of the farm's, I could rest for the night near the farm. However, these were the few months before the 'Stench' had started. During those few months I was confronted by someone from your family. She told me to take responsibility of all the farm animals on all farmhouses, this was a surprise to me because that's something I already had been doing. But only later did I find out about the rotten smell of blood to have been lurking about these farmhouses. And so I knew that the entire village we're aware of the fact that I was responsible for these farmhouses. So, being the first on the suspect list shook me a little. But I was safe up here, I know how ironic that sounds. If I left my animals and went down to the village I would surely have been executed, but seeing as how they fear the 'Stench' to the point where they would not come near them, I realized that I was safe to remain up here. One thing was getting on my nerves though, if people from the village we're dying and both your family are the closest to this 'Stench', than why weren't we the first victims..... That's when my suspicion of your family grew, surprisingly enough, even though I don't visit all of the farms I hear voices of boar coming from the farmhouses located where the 'Stench' is coming from. How did they survive, was my question? What did they eat to live? I didn't have the courage to go near those farms and give those poor creatures any food. That's when I realized that.... they might be being fed with something else.... Perhaps the rotten carcass' of the missing dead. I couldn't bare to think about it. All I knew was that I had to stay near my house and closest farm. "

My question was, who was he talking about exactly? The family member of mine who asked him to look after all the farms, I mean. And who exactly did he suspect? A violent wind shook the entrance of the farm.

"Who exactly did you suspect from my family?" I asked.

"It was your--" The entrance of the farm had been moving about, it looked as though someone was desperately trying to open it.

"Get back." Hiroko whispers, as he covers me under a few stacks of hay.

He opens the door to see a flimsy figure barely holding on to its stance. Blood was rushing down it's thigh, and a deep cut is left in its waist. This figure, rather, this man, had his fingers squeeze the end of his shirt as he nearly falls. I looked closer through the stacks of hay as I was laying under. Immediately I jumped from my position, rushing towards this person.

"AKI! What happened to you?!"

..TO BE CONTINUED..