MONSTER - preview
Genre: Drama, horror, romance.
Summary: A heir to a cursed family. A manor in ruins. And lurking in the shadows, a guest that is not entirely human.
Notes: Just a preview of a new fic, since I wanted to post something for Valentine's (not that this is a sweet love story though buuuuu *ם*)
The trip from Tokyo had been arduous. Travelling first in a tourist class coach packed with people and their bulky belongings, then taking a boat that arrived one day late to finally cross the island of Kyushu in another old and uncomfortable train, this had been by far the worst journey of his life. Funny how in perspective, the walk on foot towards his final destination was proving to be worse. He had already walked for more than an hour under the unforgiving heat of midday sun, and even in spring, that was way more than his pale complexion could bear.
He had asked for directions after stepping off the train in Minamata town, the memories from his childhood not enough to be able to find the place for himself. Three peasants had totally ignored him. Another had eyed him suspiciously, and the last one he dared approach had given him vague explanations, not without warning him to stay away from that building. After two hours on the exhausting mountain road he began wondering if that old man had just pulled a joke on him, but when the old Victorian house finally came into sight, he couldn’t help but feeling relieved, and why not, pleased with himself.
The western style hotel that once belonged to his grandparents had seen better days. He didn’t make use of the key, for the entrance to the hall, as well as most of the windows on the first floor, were shattered after years of abandon. He took a glimpse of the interior, and made a halt to dry the sticky sweat out of his neck with his already drenched handkerchief. The manor, once opulent and refined, was no more than a noble wreck nowadays. Not that he expected to find it in better shape, but definitely, traces of what once happened there were still visible, along with some other damage. Furniture such as silk upholstery armchairs or finely embroidered curtains had been torn apart, and marks of deep claws marred the carpeted floor and wooden walls. He ought to be cautious, wild animals might inhabit the dense forest that surrounded the house.
None of it mattered. He, Ninomiya Kazunari, felt like a kid with new shoes. He had decided to move there to rebuild the place along with his life, and right now none of the decay he saw could bring his determination down.
As night settled the clear sky gave way to nasty clouds, and with a strong wind lashing across the main floor, he was forced to find a room upstairs. The weak flame of an old oil lamp he had brought with him flicked as he looked for a suitable space, the tall ceiling transforming the dim light into phantasmal shadows. He finally chose the last room on the right of the corridor, a tiny and almost empty chamber that still had the wallpaper in proper conditions, along with a striking Art Nouveau style window that lead to a small balcony facing south. He would wake up with the sun and make the most of the daylight hours. After evaluating the current state of the building, he redesigned some of the sketches in his notebook and placed a reconstruction schedule, now and then having a bite from the plain onigiri balls he had packed for the trip.
Later on, it took him quite some time to get asleep. The house was a plethora on incessant noises, the loud whistling sound of the wind making them unrecognizable. He spent all night in a state of half wakefulness, somehow afraid of losing conscience in such conditions. He eventually managed to close his eyes and drift into slumber, only to be awoken by his own piercing scream short after. He often had nightmares, he was used to them after so many years, but this time the surreal menace had felt much more tangible, the nameless shadow that had ran after him in dreams still very present.
Panting heavily in an attempt to calm down, he remained unaware of how his shriek had awaken the other guest in the house.
***
So... not much here, but I'd really appreciate comments on this one... are you guys okay with a horror type of story? This is, obviously, related to their song, which I always wished had a more terrorific hue ^__^ so expect monsters to appear shortly O.O"