Harharhar... The continuation of the brutal fic...Enjoy.XD



-THE END-

The monitor showed those two words in a large, crimson red font. There’s blood oozing out from the letters adding some kind of a dramatic effect to the finish. The background was dark and gloomy. The two majestic golden seats in the middle contrasts the eerie atmosphere, one will feel just by looking at the sight. That is, if you will remove the skeleton of a man on the left throne-like seat, and the body of a girl on the right, whose face was all messed up by the claw-like gashes, drawing her precious blood out of her lifeless body.

The girl who saw all of this was left agape for a couple of minutes. She couldn’t believe what she saw. Fear, excitement and a faint sign of anger was written all over her face.

“EHHH?!?! That was it? I’m already dead!?!” The girl, with her eyes wide open, looked closely at the monitor of her computer. She can still hear the spine-chilling music playing on the background but the girl’s body on the seat was not moving. The blood was still dripping out from those two words in the middle of the monitor.

“That was creepy… Way too creeeepy… But still… It’s so COOL!!!” The girl immediately stood up and ran to the table where her cell phone was. Her fingers have a life of their own and immediately dialled a number as soon as she laid hands on her phone. She didn’t mind if it’s already eleven in the evening because she knew that the person whom she was calling right now was still awake and studying for their examinations tomorrow. She waited for the other line and it took quite a while before the other party answered.

“OH MY GOSH!!! The game you lend me was really, REALLY COOL and SCARY!!! I couldn’t stop screaming and I’m jumping up and down on my seat while playing it!!!”

“Sayu…” The girl from the other line let out a sigh. She knew her friend wouldn’t even listen to her based on Sayumi’s state right now.

“And you know what? The game play’s kinda cool! Japanese technology is really the best! I’m glad that I’m a citizen of Japan and that I’m able to enjoy all these latest technological advancement in gaming…”

“Sayu!”

“Its technology’s really great! You can’t enter the game if you didn’t read the prayer… although the title’s The Song…”

“SAYUMI!!!!” The other party shouted with exasperation to the rambling girl. Sayu seemed surprise at the raising of the voice of her friend.

“Eh? What is it Kon-Kon?” Sayumi said in her sweetest voice ever.

“Look Sayu, I’m studying right now for our exam tomorrow that’s why I let you play it first. I don’t want to be disturbed right now in this crucial moment of my life.”

“But you’re really smart… I think you can top our exam even without studying. You should slack off even for once in your whole life!”

“You knew me since childhood right? I’m somewhat an obsessive-compulsive person. It’s in my nature and you can’t do anything about my study habits. Anyways, back to the topic. Can’t you find someone else to rant about it? And besides, you know that I don’t like spoilers, both movies and games. And I don’t look at gaming magazines for advice or cheats. I’ll discover it own my own”

“Fine! I’ll find someone who would listen to me but don’t compare me with you. What’s wrong with looking at the magazines for cheats?” Sayu retaliated. She said it with a somewhat hurt tone but in reality, she was not offended on what her friend said. She just wanted Kon-Kon to feel sorry for saying that but knowing her for almost 11 years of her life, she knew that Konno Asami wouldn’t fall for her scheme. They knew each other for a long time now, but they were not the best of friends.

“I’m just saying that you should enjoy playing the game! Explore and have fun! Feel the ”

“Blah blah blah… Say what you want to say but I’ll still look for cheats in the magazines and internet… I don’t want to spend my precious time looking for it.”

“Ok, suit yourself. I’m going back to my study now. And you too should prepare for our exam” It was always like this: Konno was the one who was always reminding Sayumi to study. Though the latter didn’t have failing grades, her grades were not enough to be proud also. Sayumi was contented and happy with it.

“I trust my stock knowledge… I don’t have to study anymore.” There was complete silence on the other line until Sayumi decided to break it. “I was just joking! I already read some notes when Ai-chan and Reina was playing the game earlier. I invited them here so we can study as a group… and to play this game also. I’m going to join them later after I’ve talked to SOMEONE else.”

“Now I regret teaching you to play on-line games. You’re getting too lazy when it comes to studying. You should have sticked to playing Tetris all your life.”

“Ow, don’t regret the greatest thing you have ever taught me.”

“Fine, shut up. I’m going to study now, good luck with your study group, Ja!”

“Thanks, Ja ne!” Sayu clicked the end button and put her cell phone back on the table. She stood up to get her charger on the cabinet and connected it on her phone. She scanned her phone’s phonebook to look for the number of her sempai. When she saw it, she got the receiver of their landline and dialled the number. She didn’t have to wait for a long time. The other party answered after three rings.

“Moshi-moshi… Dare…”

“Yocchan!!! Konbanwa!” Sayumi squealed with delight right after she heard her sempai’s voice on the line.

“Sayumi? Wow, you sounded happy right now that you didn’t even let me finish my greeting… What’s up?” Hitomi Yoshizawa and Sayumi met on a gaming convention last year and they immediately became friends, due to their love for games. Sayumi was glad to see her when she passed the examination months ago. Whenever Kon-Kon can’t come to play with Sayu, she would call her sempai Hitomi, which was a sophomore student in that school, and play until late in the evening.

“You know what, Kon-Kon lend me a new game! It’s called “The Maiden’s Curse” and it’s very SCARY!!! Somewhat like Resident Evil or Silent Hill.”

“Really, is it newly released? I’ve never heard that game before… Where did Asami get that game?” Just like Sayumi, Hitomi always read the latest news about games on the internet. She was a member of a certain forum that provides information and cheats on different games. She invited Sayumi to join the forum too and they would often stay up late for a chat or conference with the other gamers.

“A game developer sent it too her to pilot test it.”

“Sugoi! She must be really good. But I’ve never seen her play. You never bring her with you to the shop.”

“She always declines my invitation. She said she has to study blah blah… You know, she was like that ever since she entered high school. But one thing’s for sure. She’s the best gamer that I’ve ever seen in my entire life! She could kill almost every opponent in Counter Strike without using cross hair. She could shot you in the head even if you’re far.” Sayumi remembered the old days where she and Kon-Kon would always go to an internet café to play online Counter Strike. There were many boys who would watch Kon-Kon kill lots of other players and would praise her for her greatness in playing the game.

“I would like to play with her even for just one time…” Hitomi said dreamily. She’s really a friendly person and will start to act like a little child if found out that you both share the same interests and hobbies.

“I’ll try to invite her tomorrow after our test. I’ll tell her we have to celebrate for finishing our exams.”
“Thanks! I’m looking forward to meet your friend. I’ll try to bring Maki too, although, I know she would just watch us first. She will formulate a strategy first before she would play that game.” Hitomi went to the kitchen and poured herself a nice, hot cup of coffee. She can hear her cordless phone making soft beeps signalling her that her battery wouldn’t last longer. “Hey, my battery’s gonna die any minute now.”

“Ok! See you tomorrow! I’ll bring the game with me because I’ll return it to Kon-Kon. I’ll let you see it before I give it to her. Oyasumi!”

“Gee, thanks! Oyasumi” Hitomi clicked the end button and enjoyed her cup of coffee while reading a game magazine on her couch.

Sayumi put the receiver down and leaned on the couch. She immediately stood up when she remembered that she didn’t turn off her computer. She took one last look at her bloody character, seated at the chair.

“My character’s face was destroyed! That was the cutest character I’ve designed so far… And it’s ruined by that hooded monster!”

She let out a soft sigh, turned the computer off and pulled out the plug. She got her flashlight, turned the lights off and went upstairs. Midway from the stairs, she felt that something walked behind her. She immediately turned back and focused her flashlight on the figure standing near the dining table. She squinted her eyes and saw that only the tree from the outside was making that shadow behind the curtain in the dining area.

“I guess the game’s getting into my head. Too much horror for one day.”

Sayumi continued to walk upwards towards her room. Her parents went back to Osaka to take care of her sick grand mother and watch over their business there. They will return two days from now so Sayumi has the freedom to invite her friends over.

“Hey! I saw your characters!!! You were killed brutally in there!” Sayumi locked her door and proceeded to sit on the left side of her bed. Reina was laying on the bed, face-flat while Ai was massaging her back.

“Yeah, that was pretty nasty … I wonder where Kon-Kon got that game…. Move a little farther on the left and press harder… You really call that a massage? My little brother’s better than you!”

“Well, if you have any complaints, then I’ll stop now!” Ai stood up and went to the study table and read some notes.

“That’s bad! You’re breaking our agreement!” Reina got up and pulled Ai back to the bed. Sayu decided to stay quiet at first while the two pushed and pulled back at each other.

“Will the two of you stop that! What agreement are you talking about?” Sayumi hit the two with a pillow on their heads to stop.

“We had an agreement that whosoever dies first in the game, will be acting as a servant of the winner for two days.” Reina related. They were ‘almost’ killed at the same time. Reina just happened to run at the back of Ai that’s why the finishing blow was first delivered to Ai before Reina.

“Yeah, that’s right… BUT SHE CHEATED!!! She hid behind my back! Of course, technically I will be the first one to die.” Ai said angrily. She grabbed the pillow from Sayumi’s hand and hit Reina. Reina immediately went to Sayumi’s bed and took hold of another pillow. Sayumi grinned and winked at them. She took another pillow from her side and launched at Ai. Ai alternately hit Sayumi and Reina while Reina joined forces with Sayumi to hit Ai.

“Oi! That’s not fair!!! Ouch!! I’m going to get the two of you!!!” Ai took Sayu’s pillow with her left hand and launched a double attack, simultaneously hitting both girls using both of her hands. The pillow fight ended with a tickle fight. It was Sayu who initiated it since her “weapon” has been taken away from her.

“YAMETTE!!!! We…. Hahaha… STOP!! We need to…HAHAHAHAHA.... STUDY!!!” Reina was the most ticklish among them that’s why she’s begging the two to stop tickling her. Sayumi and Ai stopped and laid their backs on the bed. The three of them were exhausted, mentally and physically. They were up at 6 in the morning and took their tests in Math and Science. They had a program in the afternoon which somewhat lasted until 7 in the evening. They ate their diner and Sayu went upstairs to rest a little and to read a little bit while the two, who were so excited to try the new game, went to play it right after eating their diner. When their characters were killed in the game by that person wearing a hood, they called Sayumi to play it and they went upstairs for their turn to study a little bit for their test in History the next day.

“Yeah, come to think about it, that’s the main reason, why we’re staying here… of course, playing the game is included. Ai remembered. She stood up and went to the table. She took their books and notes and put it on the floor, gesturing the two to follow her. The three studied their notes and after a while, they engaged in a question and answer strategy for them to know whether they understood what they have read. They decided to call it a day when the clock read fifteen minutes past midnight. Apparently, Sayumi’s bed was large enough for them to sleep on. They took a shower first. Reina was wearing a casual black and red striped shirt and a white short.

“Wow, that’s the color of a devil!” Ai joked. She emerged from the bathroom, wearing a bathrobe and a towel on top of her head. She kneeled in front of her bag near the cabinet and took out a dark red, sleeveless blouse and a light green jogging pants.

“Oh, really? I think that this color combination’s really cool. This is Shohoku’s color in Slam Dunk unlike your taste of color combination… You look like you’re already promoting Christmas with that. Are you a walking Christmas tree?” Reina laughed hard at her own comment. Ai got her towel on her head and threw it at Reina.

“Hey! This is way better than that walking pink stick over there!” Ai pointed at Sayumi whose wearing pink bunny slippers which matched her pink pyjamas and a frilly blouse.

“You’re mean! I’m not letting you sleep on my bed. You’ll sleep here on the floor.” Sayu pouted her lips. She was combing her hair on the dresser when she heard Reina made a comment about her love for pink color.

“I guess, the three of us have weird tastes after all.” Reina deduced.

“I guess so… We’re friends after all!” Ai jumped on Reina on the bed. Sayumi followed. The three tickled each other until Sayu stood up.

“Wait! We still have a test tomorrow. We need to get enough sleep. The two nodded and lied properly on the bed. Sayu turned off the lights and opened her door exposing the dark hallway ahead.

“Hey, where are you going? I thought we’re going to sleep already?” Reina asked.

“I’m just going to my parent’s bedroom. I just need to check something. You sleep first.”

“Hai! Oyasumi!”

“Oyasumi! Close the door, will you?” Ai remarked.

“Hahaha, sure. Oyasumi!” Sayumi closed the door slowly.

She had a hard time adjusting her eyes to the darkness. She felt her way towards her parents’ bedroom. She opened the lights and proceeded to her father’s drawer. Their family has a farm business in her grandmother’s province. Her mother cannot handle it alone that’s why her father quit his job being a history professor on a university to help. They always go in Osaka. They want Sayumi to finish her schooling in Tokyo so even though the fare’s really expensive, they didn’t move back in the province permanently. Sayumi liked History very much especially if it tells something interesting about a certain place or a person or a thing.

“I know that I’ve read about it before…. Where was it?” Sayumi searched her father’s old files. It’s sorted according to the date. She looked at it one by one. She found a small, dusty, black-colored book on the far corner of her father’s drawer.

“That’s it! I’ve found it!!!”

………….
“Tokugawa Ieyasu defeated his rivals and took over the renegade feudal lords in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. After 3 years, Ieyasu established the Tokugawa Sho…ate which lasted for many years (1603-1867). He divided his land to the three kinds of daimyo; the Fudai daimyo or member clans; Tozama daimyo or outside clans and the Shimpan daimyo or the related clans. Each daimyo had to maintain two residences; one in Edo (now Tokyo) and another in his fief.

Some researchers believe that there’s a 15th daimyo instead of only the 14 known d..im..s in the Kanto area. It’s not included in the official history books but they saw it in a book used by a certain shaman living in that time. Legend has it that in this certain place (near Tok…. or Sh…ku today), a town was headed by the rich but harsh daimyo Kamei Hironori. Mysterious happenings happened 2 years after his marriage with a palace girl named Eri.

A year before Ie..su died, he ordered the historians at that time, not to include the place wh..re ..amei ruled. Histo…ns in the 19th cen..ry who found the journ.l and read it.. c.n…ts decided not to publish it to the public for the same reason as shogun Ieyasu. The only infor..tion that they released in June 6, 1966 was that the wife of daimyo Kamei was burned alive as a punishment for……………………

The face of the black hooded girl suddenly appeared in front of Sayumi’s face. Sayumi was surprised that she fell from her seat.

“Yokatta! It was only a dream…” She looked at the clock and saw that she had been sleeping for almost an hour now. She was sweating profusely and she felt a need to drink some liquid because her throat’s feeling dry. She took a look at her father’s book.

“There are too many blurred lines… I can’t read it. But my hunch was right. This was the basis for that game. I need to tell it to Yoshizawa-sempai tomorrow.”

Sayumi opened a hidden compartment inside the drawer. It contained an old yellowish book which has a black metal snake with orange streaks that served as a lock.

“I guess I need to show this journal to her also.”

Sayumi closed the hidden compartment and returned the book she was reading on top of the journal. She closed her father’s drawer and got her diary which she brought along before she went out of her room earlier. She wanted to write something without those two, disturbing her. She wrote what happened that day; from the time Kon-Kon gave the CD, to the journal with a strange lock. After that, she left it on her father’s table and got a flashlight. She wanted to quench her thirst first before going back to sleep in her room. She opened the flashlight and went out of her parents’ room. She felt some of the hairs on her neck stood up. She tried to open the lights but somehow it didn’t emit any light. She went down the stairs, focusing her small flashlight on the steps then suddenly, Sayu thought she had seen something on the 2nd floor from a large mirror at the end of the stairs. She looked back and squinted her eyes because the light emitted by the flashlight was not enough. She saw nothing.

“My mind’s playing tricks on me… So much for playing a scary game and then following it for a weird history in this area.”

She shrugged it off and went directly to the refrigerator to get herself a cold drink. She felt the already dim place turned even dimmer. She was getting nervous when she heard some hissing sound coming from the end of the kitchen. She looked at it and saw a dark figure walking towards her.

“You must be kidding me!” She threw her glass and started running upstairs towards her room.

“Ai! Reina! Wake up!!! There’s a burglar in the house!!!” Sayumi almost stumbled when she came to the end of the stairs. She saw the figure on the end of the hallway. She wasn’t sure if it was a burglar anymore but she needed to warn her friends about the impeding danger ahead. She opened the door and got the surprise of her life.

“OH MY GOD!!!! NO…. NO…. This isn’t happening….” Sayumi stepped back from the gruesome scene from her now, blood-filled room. Her two friends were already dead. Both of them have claw-like scratches on their face. Reina was hanging upside down; a chain from the ceiling was holding her ankle. Ai was on the bed, her body deformed. It looked like someone thought of her as a toy. Her right leg was on her head, her arms were twisted together and her head was already on her back. Sayumi couldn’t believe her eyes.

She tried to run away from her room and went to her parents’ room instead. When she turned around, the figure pushed her on a chair. She screamed as the hooded figure scraped her flesh off, of her face. She could feel her strength leaving her as blood gushed out of her face. Sayumi heard hissing sounds coming from the sides of the hooded woman then suddenly, it struck a sword, slightly shorter than a katana, down her throat and sliced down towards her heart. Scenes from her past flashed before her eyes as she breathed her last breath.