Chapter 12
Part A
“What the hell are you thinking!” Roared Madoka as she shoved Yohko into the bathroom and slid the rice paper door shut. Yohko turned away from her grandmother as she pulled her nightshirt up over her head and off. “Come clean yourself off.” Madoka commenced turning the faucet on and filling the bath tub.
“Nothing happened, Grandma,” Yohko told her in a whine. “I promise. Ichigo’s a good guy.”
But Madoka would have none of it. “Just like your mother, huh?” She turned on Yohko, pointing an accusing finger. “Is that what you want to be like? Pregnant at sixteen with no one to take of you or this world? A shameless whore like Sayoko!”
“Don’t talk about my mother like that!” Yohko screamed back, tears burning her vision. “Did you ever think for a second that maybe she was like that to get away from you? Maybe she found love and want and acceptance with those guys! Warmth! Something you never gave to her!”
“Watch your mouth!” demanded Madoka, and she slapped Yohko across the face, causing her to stumble back. The tub caught the back of her legs and she tripped, falling backwards into the steaming water, which splashed up and out of the tub, soaking the hard wood floor.
Yohko cradled her cheek with her palm, sniffling and sobbing quietly to herself.
Madoka turned her back to Yohko, and headed out of the room, muttering angrily under her breath.
Yohko just sank back into the tub and continued sobbing.
Tatsuki Arisawa was leisurely rubbing a towel against her dark, spiky hair, drying it from her recent shower. She sipped at a glass of juice as she glanced at the clock by her bed. Time enough for a quick breakfast before school. Tatsuki jogged down the steps two at a time, making a bee-line for the kitchen and fetching herself some cereal. She noticed with disinterest that her parents were watching the television. Going through the motions of making breakfast when the program shifted to a news update.
"Tragedy has struck Karakura Town when a simple family was slaughtered in their home late last night. Police discovered the father, son and two young daughters all butchered and left in obscene positions in their front yard. Reports say that strange phrases were written in the victims blood, possibly hinting to an occult or satanic ritual slaughter. Could this be some sort of human sacrifice, similar to the ones in England years back?"
The young woman turned to look at the screen, crunching puffed rice with her teeth as the broadcast continued.
"Police have identified the victims as Isshin Kurosaki, and his children. There are few clues, and no suspects at this time."
The chilly bowl slipped from Tatsuki's hand as she starred at the television; she remained transfixed even as the bowl shattered against the tiled floor, and cold milk splashed against her shins.
Part B
Madoka, simmering with rage at the irresponsible behavior, walked down the street in the morning sun. She could barely contain her rage and just kept spewing ire at the air.
"Damn that girl. Peh. I wonder where there's a shrine around this place. A little prayer might go a long way."
Just then, Madoka heard a scream.
She ran towards the sound, and rounding the street corner, she came upon two girls. One was cradling the other in her lap, and they were sitting in a pool of blood.
"Th-...the school!"
Madoka's face hardened. "Where's the school?"
The girl pointed a trembling, bloody hand and the women darted down the road. She ran about a block and a half before she slid to a stop, her eyes wide at the ruined building, blood splashed on broken windows and smoke seeping through the cracks of the walls. Madoka did not hesitate to push through the doors, forcing herself to pass the wounded and crying students. Where was the demon? Where?
Tatsuki ran down the road towards the school as fast as she could, tears blurring the scenery that passed as she kept going. Ichigo was gone? Dead? Murdered? She had to tell Orihime before someone else did. Tatsuki knew she could ease the blow the best. Her lungs burned from the stress, the emotional weight. She had to find Orihime first!
She skid, then stumbled as she saw the state of the school.
"ORIHIME!" Tatsuki dove towards the school, towards the mouth of Hell.
Towards her best friend.
She vaulted over the fallen kids, faces she barely knew and voices that usually giggled and gossiped now screaming in fear and pain. She clambered over fallen, dented lockers, she screamed out Orihime's name.
"Ahh!" Tatsuki ducked as a broken body was flung out of a class room and smashed against a wall. She brought he hands up to protect her head, and felt drops of blood kiss her knuckles. She knew without having to look that it was not Orihime.
When she turned the corner into her classroom, Tatsuki feared what she would see.
The room was in shambles, walls painted in a stark red colour, bodies all askew on the floor, and the back wall blown out, letting in a cold morning breeze. In the middle of it all floated the body of a girl, hovering effortlessly, her copper coloured hair streaming in the wind down her back and around her arms. The collar of her top was torn, revealing ample cleavage, her skirt hung low on her hips.
"Ori-..." gasped Tatsuki.
"Demon!"
"Demon?" Tatsuki turned to see a short old woman standing in the doorway just behind her. "Who are you?"
"Get down!" Ordered Madoka, flicking her wrist and throwing out a protective paper. It stuck to the demon's forehead. Tatsuki had cover her ears against it's horrific scream.
When the noise died down, Tatsuki once again found herself able to speak. "Don't hurt the girl!" Her eyes refocused and an image began to emerge. Orihime was not floating, but rather being held up in the air by some giant creature. Now that she had a visible target, Tatsuki sneered a wolfish smile, and then lunged for the beast.
It pointed it's great head at the oncoming girl, a huge, quaking sound ripping from his vocal chords, forcing Tatsuki to fly through the broken wall and into naked air. She inhaled before feeling herself fall.
A/N: Did you catch the Hellsing refference?
“What the hell are you thinking!” Roared Madoka as she shoved Yohko into the bathroom and slid the rice paper door shut. Yohko turned away from her grandmother as she pulled her nightshirt up over her head and off. “Come clean yourself off.” Madoka commenced turning the faucet on and filling the bath tub.
“Nothing happened, Grandma,” Yohko told her in a whine. “I promise. Ichigo’s a good guy.”
But Madoka would have none of it. “Just like your mother, huh?” She turned on Yohko, pointing an accusing finger. “Is that what you want to be like? Pregnant at sixteen with no one to take of you or this world? A shameless whore like Sayoko!”
“Don’t talk about my mother like that!” Yohko screamed back, tears burning her vision. “Did you ever think for a second that maybe she was like that to get away from you? Maybe she found love and want and acceptance with those guys! Warmth! Something you never gave to her!”
“Watch your mouth!” demanded Madoka, and she slapped Yohko across the face, causing her to stumble back. The tub caught the back of her legs and she tripped, falling backwards into the steaming water, which splashed up and out of the tub, soaking the hard wood floor.
Yohko cradled her cheek with her palm, sniffling and sobbing quietly to herself.
Madoka turned her back to Yohko, and headed out of the room, muttering angrily under her breath.
Yohko just sank back into the tub and continued sobbing.
Tatsuki Arisawa was leisurely rubbing a towel against her dark, spiky hair, drying it from her recent shower. She sipped at a glass of juice as she glanced at the clock by her bed. Time enough for a quick breakfast before school. Tatsuki jogged down the steps two at a time, making a bee-line for the kitchen and fetching herself some cereal. She noticed with disinterest that her parents were watching the television. Going through the motions of making breakfast when the program shifted to a news update.
"Tragedy has struck Karakura Town when a simple family was slaughtered in their home late last night. Police discovered the father, son and two young daughters all butchered and left in obscene positions in their front yard. Reports say that strange phrases were written in the victims blood, possibly hinting to an occult or satanic ritual slaughter. Could this be some sort of human sacrifice, similar to the ones in England years back?"
The young woman turned to look at the screen, crunching puffed rice with her teeth as the broadcast continued.
"Police have identified the victims as Isshin Kurosaki, and his children. There are few clues, and no suspects at this time."
The chilly bowl slipped from Tatsuki's hand as she starred at the television; she remained transfixed even as the bowl shattered against the tiled floor, and cold milk splashed against her shins.
Part B
Madoka, simmering with rage at the irresponsible behavior, walked down the street in the morning sun. She could barely contain her rage and just kept spewing ire at the air.
"Damn that girl. Peh. I wonder where there's a shrine around this place. A little prayer might go a long way."
Just then, Madoka heard a scream.
She ran towards the sound, and rounding the street corner, she came upon two girls. One was cradling the other in her lap, and they were sitting in a pool of blood.
"Th-...the school!"
Madoka's face hardened. "Where's the school?"
The girl pointed a trembling, bloody hand and the women darted down the road. She ran about a block and a half before she slid to a stop, her eyes wide at the ruined building, blood splashed on broken windows and smoke seeping through the cracks of the walls. Madoka did not hesitate to push through the doors, forcing herself to pass the wounded and crying students. Where was the demon? Where?
Tatsuki ran down the road towards the school as fast as she could, tears blurring the scenery that passed as she kept going. Ichigo was gone? Dead? Murdered? She had to tell Orihime before someone else did. Tatsuki knew she could ease the blow the best. Her lungs burned from the stress, the emotional weight. She had to find Orihime first!
She skid, then stumbled as she saw the state of the school.
"ORIHIME!" Tatsuki dove towards the school, towards the mouth of Hell.
Towards her best friend.
She vaulted over the fallen kids, faces she barely knew and voices that usually giggled and gossiped now screaming in fear and pain. She clambered over fallen, dented lockers, she screamed out Orihime's name.
"Ahh!" Tatsuki ducked as a broken body was flung out of a class room and smashed against a wall. She brought he hands up to protect her head, and felt drops of blood kiss her knuckles. She knew without having to look that it was not Orihime.
When she turned the corner into her classroom, Tatsuki feared what she would see.
The room was in shambles, walls painted in a stark red colour, bodies all askew on the floor, and the back wall blown out, letting in a cold morning breeze. In the middle of it all floated the body of a girl, hovering effortlessly, her copper coloured hair streaming in the wind down her back and around her arms. The collar of her top was torn, revealing ample cleavage, her skirt hung low on her hips.
"Ori-..." gasped Tatsuki.
"Demon!"
"Demon?" Tatsuki turned to see a short old woman standing in the doorway just behind her. "Who are you?"
"Get down!" Ordered Madoka, flicking her wrist and throwing out a protective paper. It stuck to the demon's forehead. Tatsuki had cover her ears against it's horrific scream.
When the noise died down, Tatsuki once again found herself able to speak. "Don't hurt the girl!" Her eyes refocused and an image began to emerge. Orihime was not floating, but rather being held up in the air by some giant creature. Now that she had a visible target, Tatsuki sneered a wolfish smile, and then lunged for the beast.
It pointed it's great head at the oncoming girl, a huge, quaking sound ripping from his vocal chords, forcing Tatsuki to fly through the broken wall and into naked air. She inhaled before feeling herself fall.
A/N: Did you catch the Hellsing refference?