Ganbare

[HerWhisperIsTheLucifer]

*Warning: This story contains graphic scenes involving physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Do not continue on if you are bothered by any of these.* 

"Ganbare" is based off of the real life killing of Junko Furuta, who was a 17 year old Japanese high school student that was abducted in November of 1988. She was found dead in 1989. All characters in this story are fictional and never truly existed. Enjoy. 


Ganbare


Back when I was in school, I met a girl. She had me completely entranced, placing me under a spell in which I became heartbreakingly enchanted. She was beautiful and perfect in every way. She was also dead.



It was my sophomore year in 1965, and the whole school was bustling with excitement as Summer break officially came to an end. I was in class 2-C, so I began to make my way down the long hall towards my classroom. A friend that I had made the previous year, Kiku Osakabe, had been placed in the same class and was already seated in her assigned desk. Before you get too excited, no. Kiku isn’t the dead girl I became ensnared with. I approached her with a gentle smile, nodding politely. “Good morning, Osakabe. Looks like we’re in the same class again.”

“Looks like it.” She smiled as I took a seat beside her, waiting patiently for the bell to ring. “I was hoping to have you in my class again. You made freshman year bearable for me.”

I grinned, “Well, same to you. I enjoyed spending time with you, especially when we were doing your creepy supernatural stuff.”

“It’s not creepy,” she pouted, “I find it quite beautiful.”

Kiku had always been strange like that. She was into everything paranormal and constantly had her nose in some sort of ghost book. While the other students shunned her and made her an outcast because of her interests, I liked them. It made her unique, and she was nice to have in a school full of identical minds. If I’m honest, I did have a small crush on Kiku at the time. She was so tiny and cute, but my crush quickly diminished once I met the dead girl. A couple years after graduation, she and I had fallen out of touch, but I remember hearing that she had been taken to prison for killing a man in some sort of black magic ritual. She gets out in three years.

“Speaking of all that,” she leaned forward and whispered, “I was thinking of coming to the school over the weekend to hang out. Wanna come? It’s kind of a spooky setting when no one else is here, so I can bring my tarot cards or we can do a seance or something.”

“We could get scolded for being in here without permission…”

“Yes, but that’s just part of the tremendous thrill. Come on, Yuzuru-Kun, it’ll be fun!”

I rolled my eyes and sighed. At the time, I was willing to do anything to make her happy, so I nodded. “Sure, I’ll come. Let’s do Saturday night.”

“Even better, midnight. The darkest hour.”

I nodded, feeling a large pit form at the base of my stomach. As the bell rang, I turned to face the class, a great feeling of apprehensiveness manifesting within my heart.



The room was pitch black. I sat patiently in the middle of the classroom as Kiku covered all of the windows so as to not alert anyone to our presence. “How are you feeling?” She asked as she struggled with the last window.

I shrugged, turning to face her. “If I’m honest, a bit… uneasy.”

“Ah, so you feel it too.” She gave up on the window, coming to sit in front of me. I remember that the look in her eyes had been one of great importance, like this was going to be the one conversation that would change her life. “Do you remember when we first arrived here as freshman? I do. How could I forget? There was a frequently told story within these walls that bounced from person to person. You know which story I’m talking about, right? The one about the dead girl?”

I tilted my head slightly, thinking about it for a short moment before the story re entered my brain like a quick flash. “Oh, right. To tell you the truth, I had forgotten about that story over Summer break, and I think that everyone else has too.”

“Yes, how unfortunate. That is the kind of story you should never forget.” She paused to look around at the walls, her eyes taking in every last, miniscule detail. “Last year, I heard the story too many times to count. It almost became a tiring nuisance to hear it again. I didn’t believe it, simply because the school seemed too normal and ordinary to have any sort of paranormal activity take place within it, so I discredited the whole thing.” She sighed and looked me in the eyes once again. “I know we’ve only been in school for a week now, but it feels so different. All of the rooms seem to be so much tighter, like you’re slowly being wrapped up within them and suffocated. When I look around at these walls, I see her, and I don’t even know what she looked like or who she was, but she’s there. I now think that the story was true and held validity within its many words, and it makes me feel like an idiot for not believing it in the first place.”

I blinked, looking around at our surroundings. “Hmm, I see what you mean. It does feel a bit strange in here.”

Kiku nodded, “If there is a dead girl in here, I want to call out to her. Let’s do a seance.”

I was about to nod when I felt a slight twinge in my heart. It told me to leave and go home. It told me not to do the seance, but to escape instead. That wasn’t the way I was supposed to meet her. “Osakabe, I think I should go. I don’t feel good.”

She gripped her skirt discreetly out of frustration but nodded. “Fine. I understand not feeling well here, but I think that she’s taunting us. She’s probably laughing at you right now.”

“You think she’s watching us?”

“Oh, I’m certain of it. I can feel her all around us.”

I felt a rush of saliva form in my mouth and I quickly stood, running into the bathroom that was next door. I threw up, and as I sat there in front of the toilet on my knees, I felt eyes on me. I remember panicking, my mind creating images out of the darkness around me. Images of a demon who would gut me alive if I stayed. I left Kiku there that night, and even when Monday morning arrived, I had no desire to return.



Kiku flattened out her skirt and pulled down her uniform sleeves as I entered our classroom. I took my seat, and she gave me a cheerful smile before leaning over to me. “Good morning, Yuzuru-Kun. How are you?”

“My stomach feels like hell.” I sighed as I pulled out my books. “You?”

She shrugged, “I can’t find anything to complain about, so I’m good I guess.”

I nodded. “Hey, I’m sorry for leaving you like that the other day. I threw up, so I had to go home.”

“I know, I could hear you. Don’t worry about it.”

I nodded again as my cheeks turned red from embarrassment. The girl I liked had heard me vomit. I never apologized to her for making her hear that. “So what did you end up doing after I left?”

She shrugged, “I mostly just sat there in silence, waiting to hear something. I also tried to speak to her - the dead girl, that is - but I don’t think she’s interested in talking to me.”

I snorted a little, looking up from my books. “Why not? Out of everyone, it should be you. Who else would she be interested in talking to?”

“Perhaps you?”

I blinked, turning to face the front of the classroom. Though the tone of her voice had been one of jest, I couldn’t help but be a little frightened. Chills began to run down my spine and my stomach ache quickly worsened. Something felt terribly wrong.



I scanned the cafeteria carefully with my caramel eyes, trying to find Kiku. She and I usually ate together but today, I felt that I couldn’t. I spotted her only after she waved me down from the corner table.

“Hey, Yuzuru-Kun. I brought a bag of Amanatto if you want to share. I don’t mind, you look like you could use a little sugar in your life.”

“Thanks, but I’m not eating today. My stomach keeps getting worse every hour. I don’t wanna throw up again. I was actually going to head up to the roof to take a nap…”

“Why not just go to the nurse’s office?”

“If it doesn’t go away after a nap, I will, but I feel like I can just sleep it off. I don’t want to bother her if it’ll go away so easily.”

“Hmm… Well, you can’t do well academically if you don’t eat lunch! I’d hate to see your grades slip, you know.”

“Since when do you care about something like that?”

She eyed me, and a grin slowly crept onto her lips. “Fine, don’t let me stop you. Have a nice nap.”

“I will. Thanks.” I put my hands in my pockets and headed towards the staircase, which I had to climb in order to reach the roof. We technically weren’t allowed up there, but no one ever really checked to make sure that the roof was student-free. Once I felt the gentle breeze hit my face, I smiled. It had been a lovely day if I remember right, so feeling the sun on my skin probably made me feel a bit better already. I took off my uniform jacket and folded it a few times to make a pillow, setting it down gently. I was about to lay down when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a girl. She was standing on the edge of the roof, looking down at the ground that was three stories below. Her behavior had seemed a bit strange to me, so I approached her as I cleared my throat. “Hey, you should get away from there. It’s dangerous.” She raised her head, now looking straight in front of her. Then, she slowly turned around. Her face was a truly grotesque image. One of her eyes was hanging from its socket, and blood was splattered all over her. Her jet black hair was a tangled mess, and the grin that slowly crept up onto her face was menacing. She wore the uniform of the school, but the skirt had several tears in it and you could see that her legs were severely burned.

I gasped and slowly started to back up. It was her. It was the dead girl. After that, I remember that the world had gone black as I fell into unconsciousness.



I woke up with a groan about an hour later, slowly sitting up and placing a hand on the back of my head. The sun was still shining brightly onto my face, and I remember looking around frantically, checking for the girl. She was nowhere to be seen. I sighed, relieved that the whole thing had been a dream. I remembered then. After telling Kiku where I’d be going for lunch, I came up to the roof and fell asleep without any distractions. It was nice.

I stood and grabbed my jacket, slipping it back on. As a breeze slowly blew through the trees, I looked to the edge of the roof. That was where the dead girl had stood in my dream. She had been staring down at something intently, and my curiosity had been peaked, so I went over to the edge and took the dead girl’s place. I stared down at the ground, and I saw nothing but the concrete that was so far down below me. For some reason, it’s a sight that I still remember, and one that I won’t ever forget.

“You should get away from there. It’s dangerous.”

My heart dropped as I turned around to view the owner of the voice. It was her, but she looked different now, less grotesque. She was quite beautiful, her face being paler than most, and her brown eyes looked soft and gentle. The burns still remained on her legs however, but they looked almost completely healed. I blinked, and a lump formed in the back of my throat as I realized that it hadn’t been a dream.

“You should get away from there. It’s dangerous.”

I took a step away from the edge, keeping my eyes on her. She quickly looked away from me, appearing to be greatly embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you so much earlier… My appearance does that sometimes, it changes and I can’t quite control it. I don’t like it when I look like that either.”

“It’s alright.” I cleared my throat awkwardly. What was I supposed to say? How could I make small talk with a ghost?

“I truly didn’t mean to frighten you in such a way…”

I nodded silently, still staring at her. She was beautiful in her normal form, her eyes being completely enticing. Though her legs were burned and her uniform was torn in several places, I began to get lost within her and her essence. My heart was pounding, and I couldn’t tell if it was from her beauty of the fact that she was dead. As she watched me gaze at her in pure silence, she spinned around on her heels, beginning to walk away. “I apologize for bothering you.”

I began to panic. I didn’t want her to leave me, not yet. I tried to call out to her, but the yell came out in the form of a whisper. “Don’t go… Please.”

She didn’t hear me, and promptly disappeared after a few more moments.



I went into sixth period shortly after, sitting beside Kiku with a sigh. She continued jotting down notes before stopping to look at me. “You smell dead.”

“Do I? Can’t imagine why.”

She leaned in closer to me, eyeing me carefully. “You saw her, didn’t you?”

“How could you tell?”

“I’ve studied the paranormal for years, I know how to tell when someone has seen a ghost. So tell me, what was she like?”

“Frightening at first. Her right eye was hanging out of its socket and she was covered in blood. I passed out at the sight, actually. However, when I woke up, she was the most gorgeous girl I’ve ever seen. Her hair was long and silky smooth. Her eyes were soft and gentle, and even though her legs were badly burned, it didn’t take away from the fact that she’s the closest thing to a goddess there is on this Earth.”

Kiku looked out of the window, and I could see how hard she was thinking about something. “Burned? Hmm… Yuzuru-Kun, you could get her to talk to you, right? Open up?”

“Probably, why?”

“Try to get her to tell you how she died. If we figure out how her life ended, we could perform a ritual that’d help her move on. I’d like to help her in that way, I can feel that she’s not happy staying here in the world of the living like this.”

“I’ll try tomorrow at lunch. I’ll go up to the roof again.”

“Be sure that you do. Something about her frightens me, Yuzuru-Kun. I don’t know what it is, but I need you to be careful.”

I chuckled, “She seemed kind enough to me, and I don’t see her being any sort of malicious spirit. I’m sure we have nothing to worry about.”

“You may be sure, but I’m not. You can get as involved with her as you want, but be cautious about it.”

As the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Kiku practically ran out of the room, leaving me behind to wallow in my confusion.



The next day at lunch, I wasted no time in rushing up to the roof, anxious to see the ghost girl again. When I arrived, I sat down, scanning the rooftop with my careful eyes. After many minutes of not seeing her, I decided to call out. “Hey, if you’re here, I want you to come out. I don’t care what you look like, and I promise I won’t get frightened again. Please, I just want to see you!” It remained quiet for a long while, so I stood and grabbed my things as a feeling of defeat washed over me. However, as I turned around to leave, she was there, now standing in front of me.

“You came to see me again.”

“I did… I can leave if it makes you feel uncomfortable.”

“No, please don’t. It makes me happy that someone would want to visit me.”

I smiled softly, sitting back down. “Well then, do you mind if I eat my lunch?”

She shook her head, sitting across from me shyly. “No, go ahead. I don’t mind at all.”

I took out my chopsticks and began to eat slowly, our eyes locked on each other. The wind blew her long black hair back, and that was when I saw the bruises on her neck for the first time. They looked like imprints left behind by fingers, like she had been mercilessly strangled to death. Seeing as how she was as dead as they come, it was more likely than not. Once she saw me staring, she quickly pulled her hair forward again. “I’m sorry…”

“No need to apologize. In fact, if anything I should be the one apologizing to you. That shouldn’t have had to happen to you.”

“Well… It’s in the past now.” She scooted closer to me, examining my face. “What’s your name?”

“Sakagami Yuzuru.”

“Well Yuzuru, you have some rice on your cheek. You’re a sloppy eater.”

She lifted her hand up to my face, giggling as she stroked my cheek with her thumb in order to remove the rice. She was even more beautiful up close, and her skin was incredibly soft. I swallowed quietly and began to grow hot.

“W-Well, what’s your name then?”

“Mine? Oh…” She looked stunned for a minute before plastering the smile back onto her face. “...It’s Mikamo Tomoko.”

“That’s very pretty. If I ever had a daughter, I’d name her Tomoko.”

“Don’t. It’s a cursed name.”

I furrowed my brow and tilted my head to the side. “Well, um… Tomoko, I’d like to know why you think that. I’d like to know how you died so I may understand you better.”

She frowned, but nodded. “I figured that you’d want to know soon enough. One cannot be friends with a dead girl without getting curious.”

I nod, “Only tell me if you are willing. The last thing I want to do is force you to relive painful memories.”

“Yuzuru, for some reason I feel that I should tell you, as if the stars are pushing us together. I’ll tell you, but not here and certainly not now. Come here on Saturday for the half day classes and stay after school gets out. We’ll meet in the old storage room on the second floor.”

“And you’ll tell me there?”

She nodded, “Yes, but not all at once. It is a story that is best told in parts.” She stood, straightening out her torn skirt and turning to leave. “I’ll see you then.”

“Tomoko.” She stopped walking abruptly. “Just tell me one thing; is the story true? Was it murder?”

She looked down and whispered, “Yes. Murder in its purest form.”



“So she wants to meet you this weekend, huh?” Kiku was hunched forward onto her desk, absentmindedly nibbling on her pen. “She’ll tell you how she died then?”

“Yes. We’re meeting in one of the old storage rooms on the second floor.”

“Are you scared? What if the story is exceptionally gruesome?”

“To be honest, that’s what I’m expecting. I don’t think it’ll frighten me as much as it will sadden me.”

“I see.” She sat up and sighed, looking up at the ceiling momentarily. “Do you think she’d mind if I was there?”

I blinked, quickly nodding. “Yes, I think she’d mind very much. She doesn’t know you, and even if she and I have only met twice, I can feel that she trusts me. I don’t want to break that trust. After being dead and forgotten for so long, she deserves someone to call a friend.”

“I’m sorry, I know you’re right, but… I just want to see her with my own eyes. I want to hear the story in person, not have it told to me by you.”

“I’m sorry, Osakabe. I can’t betray her trust.”

She nodded, laying her head back down on the desk again. “Fine. I’ll be patient and wait for you to tell me the story yourself. I just worry, Yuzuru-Kun… I don’t know what she is capable of. Be careful, okay?”

I scoffed, standing with my things and leaving the classroom as the bell rang. Whenever Kiku spoke of Tomoko as if she were a threat, it bothered me. She was simply a sweet spirit who wanted to feel love and acceptance again, and I had to be the one to give it to her. I had to be the one to make her feel alive again.



I sat in the storage closet, waiting for my dead friend. The final bell of the day had rung fifteen minutes ago, and I wondered how many more minutes I would have to wait to see Tomoko again. After a few more minutes, the door slowly opened, and my eyes lit up. However, my excitement quickly dwindled once I saw that it was just Kiku. “What are you doing here? I thought I told you that you couldn’t come.”

“I know, I know. I just thought that I’d bring you some lunch. It was a half day today and I know you’re probably going to be here with her for a while, so I didn’t want you to starve.” She smiled and handed me a bento box. “I made it for you before I left this morning. Promise me you’ll at least try some of it?”

I sighed and nodded. “Fine, I promise.”

“Good, now remember what I said; be careful!”

“Osakabe, please. Tomoko isn’t some sort of dangerous or evil spirit who will possess or harm me every chance she gets. She’s a sweet girl, and she deserves a bit more respect than what you are giving her.”

“I know that’s what you tell me, but…” She sighed and looked at the door, staring at it. “...Something feels off about her.”

“I’m beginning to think that something feels off about you.”

I saw her face drop subtly, and she left the room without a word. As the door swung closed, Tomoko was revealed. She had been standing behind the door the whole time. “I don’t like her.”

I smiled at the appearance of her, and I nodded. “I know, how could you after that?” I patted the spot beside me, “Come sit.”

She happily did so, grinning as I began to slowly eat the lunch that Kiku had prepared for me. “So, do you want to just jump right in, or…?”

Tomoko went to staring at her lap before nodding. “Yes, I know how anxious you are to hear it, and I’ve already kept you in anticipation all week.” She giggled softly before looking back up at me. “We’ll start just a couple days before it all started.”



I had been the president of the writing club at this school about five years ago. I was a senior, and I had been working diligently to make sure the club’s activities were going smoothly and that I was on the right track to graduation. I remember the day like it was yesterday. April 26th, 1960. It was the day of the school’s spring festival, where each club put up a booth in the courtyard and underclassmen from different middle schools would come to check them out. We weren’t too terribly busy that day, though we never really had been at any other previous festivals either. A lot of students didn’t see the appeal of writing because it made them feel vulnerable, or perhaps it was because they were too shy. Even so, I was satisfied with the amount of people who did come up to speak with us, and it was towards the end of the night when a mother and daughter came up to the booth.

“Good evening,” said the mother, “My name is Nokozawa Hikari, and this is my daughter, Yuka. She’s interested in joining your club. She’s currently a junior here.”

I smiled to the both of them, nodding. “Well it’s nice of you to come visit me here. I’m Mikamo Tomoko, the president of the writing club. It would be a tremendous honor to have your daughter in the club. All she has to do is sign up.”

“Splendid! She’s always loved to write, and I know that she has a great talent. I think the club will suit her just fine.”

I nodded, looking to Yuka. “It’ll be nice to have a new member who shares the passion for writing. We’ll get you all signed up tomorrow at lunch, okay?”

The shy, thin girl nodded, not looking me in the eyes. At the time, I didn’t think much of it, but now I know that she couldn’t look at me because then I would see the remorse that she held in her eyes for me. Meeting her was the beginning of the end.



A couple days passed, and Yuka had been accepted into the club. She had attended a few of the meetings, but she was very quiet and reserved, never speaking much. Finally, on the third day of her being in the club, she came up to me and smiled weakly. “Hi, Mikamo-San… I just wanted to tell you that I really liked your poem today. It was written beautifully, and the way you read it out loud was magnificent as well.”

“Thank you, Yuka-Chan. That’s very nice of you to say.” I smiled cheerfully to the girl, happy to finally see her opening up a little. “However, I am curious… When will we finally get to hear something from you?”

She blushed and quickly looked away from me. “I’m working on something right now, actually… It should be done in a few days.”

“Well, I look forward to hearing it. What’s it about?”

“It’s… About a young woman who finds herself having feelings for a female colleague of hers. She wishes so desperately to be with her that she begins to transform herself into the perfect and ideal woman in order to catch the attention of the colleague.”

“Hmm… Sounds like it could be slightly erotic. Not many people in the club write stories about love or obsession. It’ll be nice to hear something different.”

She grinned and looked back up at me, her cheeks still rosy. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask, but it has completely slipped my mind…”

“What’s that, Yuka-Chan?”

“My mother wanted to ask if you would like to come over for dinner tomorrow… She says she’d be willing to cook your favorite meal, and you could have any dessert you want. She says it’s a thank you for finally letting me feel accepted somewhere.”

I remember that my heart had been instantly warmed, and that I felt proud of myself for bettering someone’s life in such a way. I nodded happily. “Of course, I’d love to! Tell your mother that I’d be honored.”

“Great! She’ll contact your parents to let them know where you’ll be and I’ll come by tomorrow afternoon to take you to my home.”

“Alright, Yuka-Chan. See you then.”

“Yes. Have a nice night.”

She hurried out of the room, and the excitement within my heart continued to expand. I had made someone happy and given them purpose, and in return, I felt amazing. It’s too bad that it didn’t last.



Time went by painfully slow after that. The next day, I was anxious and excited all at the same time, getting ready for the dinner I had planned with the Nokozawa family. My parents had been gone for the day, visiting an old friend from their childhood, so I was left in the home by myself. At around four o’clock, Yuka arrived to take me to her house. The walk over was fun; we conversed and laughed about the little things life had to offer. She was a truly sweet girl, and I do not blame her. It was the brainwashing of her mother that caused her to do the things she did, and behind all of that, I could sense that she truly regretted everything she ever put me through.

We arrived at the house after a ten minute walk, and I stepped into the small home for the first time. I would never leave that place again.

Mama Hikari greeted us both with a smile as she cooked away in the kitchen. She had decided to make okonomiyaki and yakitori, which were both my favorites. The delicious aroma that filled the house is still engraved in my mind and nostrils, and I often still find myself smelling it when I am all alone. I got to meet Mr. Nokozawa as well. He was an older man and had about ten years on his wife, and it was evidenced in his whitish hair and wrinkled face. He wore thick glasses, and he walked hunched over with small steps. He seemed harmless when I first laid my eyes on him, but I would quickly learn that this was not the truth.

Soon enough, we all sat down at the large dinner table to feast on the glorious food that Mama Hikari had prepared. My mouth had begun to water, and I could barely control myself as we all said our thanks. I quickly dug in afterwards, though I was only able to take a few bites before a wet rag was pushed up over my mouth and nose, and the world fell black.



“No,” I demanded, “You cannot stop there! You can’t…”

Tomoko simply grinned at me and stood up. “I can stop wherever I want to. Remember, it is a story that is best broken up into pieces.”

“But I need to know more! What happened to you after the dinner? What did they do to you?”

“You’ll learn soon enough, Yuzuru. Don’t worry, I won’t keep it from you for too long.”

“Then… When are we meeting next?”

“A week from now, next Saturday. Same spot, same time. I’ll continue the story then.”

“No! That’s too long to wait! Tomoko, please…”

“Go home, Yuzuru. You look like you need some rest.”

She began to walk away from me and I quickly stood up, shouting to her. “Dammit Tomoko, what did they do to you?!”

She stopped walking, and I could tell that the angry sounding tone in my voice had hurt her. That hadn’t been my intention, but at least it caught her attention.

“What did they do to me?” She spun back around and faced me. She had morphed into her horrific form again, her eye hanging out with the blood all over her and the burns on her legs looking fresh. “You tell me, Yuzuru. What did they do to me?”

I clenched my jaw shut as I gazed on at her, my fists hanging loosely at my sides. That image of her still haunts me. She always looked so tired and exhausted, but it was even more so when she took on that form. I swallowed once and shook my head. “I’m sorry, Tomoko. I shouldn’t pry too much if you are not ready to tell me. I’ll see you next week.”

“Yes, you will. Goodbye Yuzuru, take care.” She waved and turned back around, promptly disappearing.



Kiku sighed, placing some Amanatto in her mouth. The two of us sat in my bedroom on a Sunday afternoon, enjoying the breeze that was traveling in through my window. “I can’t believe she just left you hanging like that,” She said as she chewed slowly, “But, you have to hand it to her… She thinks like a true writer, always leaving you on a cliff hanger. It makes sense that she had been the president of the writing club.”

I nodded, watching the clouds drift by from my window. “Kiku, I’ve been meaning to ask… The story that everyone has passed around about the dead girl at school, they only think of the murder aspect as a rumor, right? None of them actually know what happened to the girl?”

Kiku nodded and laid back on the floor. “That’s right. It is no doubt that the story is about Tomoko, but the murder part was made up by a student and it just became an accepted part of the whole thing. In truth, when Tomoko went missing, her body was never found. No one knows what happened to her, not even her parents. I suppose that ‘Mama Hikari’ didn’t truly contact them, and that Tomoko herself didn’t tell anyone where she would be going that evening. The police hit a dead end because of it. No one even saw her talking to Yuka at all…”

I kept my eyes on a fluffy white cumulus cloud as it slowly went by in the sky. “Then, I suppose, we are the only ones who will know the truth. We could help the police find Tomoko’s body and give her parents some closure.”

“Maybe, but I wonder if Tomoko herself would want that? She may just want to be forgotten so that no one has to feel any pain because of her. Maybe she is just telling you everything so she can get it off of her chest and move on.”

“I can’t imagine her wanting to keep her parents in the dark like that, though.”

“Well, I’m not the one who knows her. You are. Why not just ask her yourself?”

“I plan to on Saturday when I see her next.”

“You know, her case is classified as cold… No one is really looking into it anymore. How would it look if a high school student came to the police with all this new information? One who didn’t even attend the school at the same time that Tomoko did, or who has no connection to the Mikamo family at all. They wouldn’t believe you, or they might grow suspicious of you. It may be best to just listen to Tomoko and let her do what she needs to in order for her to be at peace.”

“I feel that I owe her in some way. I feel that I need to help her case be solved and allow the community to know what a horrible bunch the Nokozawa family truly is.”

“Well, from what you told me, it seems that she doesn’t hold much anger towards any of them. She seems strangely docile about the whole thing. Besides, she even said that she holds nothing against Yuka and that she doesn’t blame her for anything. It’s almost as if she doesn’t want the Nokozawa family to be figured out. It seems odd to me that she would try to protect them after everything, though. I don’t even think they live in this town anymore, anyways...”

“What are you saying?”

“Well, she mentioned that Mama Hikari had put some serious effort into brainwashing Yuka in some way… What if she did the same thing to Tomoko while she was in captivity? Maybe she feels that she has some sort of strange, fucked up bond with her or the rest of the family.”

“That could be it… I worry for her, Kiku. I know she’s dead now and nothing can harm her anymore, but… I still worry.”

“You shouldn’t worry for the dead, Yuzuru. They have already left this world. What could possibly hurt them?”

“For some reason, I get the feeling that I will eventually hurt her… That I will betray her in some way.”

Kiku quickly sat up and gazed at me with a subtle fear in her eyes. Back then, I just ignored it, paying it no mind. Now, as I look back, I realize that she was worried about me falling for the ghostly girl. She knew how dangerous of a game I was playing, and while her concern for me was great, the game only continued on and her fear eventually came true.



The week went by at a snail’s pace. Each class felt like an entire year, and by the time Saturday finally did come around, I was mentally exhausted. I sat in the storage closet and sighed as I awaited the arrival of the infamous dead girl. My heart began to pound within my chest and it only grew worse and worse with each moment that passed. Tomoko appeared ten minutes later, waving to me. “Hi, Yuzuru. I’m glad you came.”

“How could I not? The rest of your story has been driving me crazy all week…”

“I apologize for making you wait so long.”

“It’s okay, as long as I get to know more today.”

She nodded and sat beside me, sighing. “You know, that Osakabe girl came in here earlier this week and tried to talk to me. She told me to leave you alone, she told me to just move on and make peace… But what peace is there to be made? I have already forgiven the Nokozawa family for what they put me through, so I am still here on my own free will. I don’t want to move on, I want to stay here.”

“I see… I’ll have to talk to her about that. It was wrong of her to come in here and bug you like that.”

Tomoko nodded and rested her head on my shoulder tiredly. “You know, Yuzuru… I may not want to leave, but the longer a spirit stays in this world, the more tired they become. It is a permanent feeling of exhaustion that settles itself into our still hearts.”

“Is there anything I can do to help you, Tomoko?”

“Yes.” She sat up again and looked me straight in the eyes. “You can listen.”



I woke up the next morning by having water being sprayed onto my face. They had placed me underneath the shower and turned it on, and I still remember what it felt like to nearly drown. I quickly leapt away from the shower and the water that rained down onto me, looking up to see Mama Hikari staring down at me. “Good morning, dearest. Have a nice rest?”

A grin slowly crept onto her lips and I pressed myself up against the wall. “G-Get away from me…! Let me go!”

She listened to me beg and plead for a while before rolling her eyes and laughing. “Oh, honey… Why would I let you go so soon?” She took my jaw into her hand and squeezed my cheeks. “You’re so precious, I want you forever.”

Tears began to well up in my eyes as she leaned forward and stuck her tongue deep inside my mouth, causing me to panic. I threw my arms up and pushed her back by the shoulders, quickly hopping onto my feet. “Don’t touch me…” My whole body trembled and I tried to remain strong, but to no avail. She quickly grabbed me by the neck and pushed me up against the wall, leaning into my ear and whispering.

“You are my plaything now, I am free to do whatever I want with you. Maybe if you just submit yourself to my desires, I may be kinder towards you.”

A wave of helplessness overtook me. I wasn’t supposed to be there, in that house. I was supposed to be in my own, enjoying a Sunday morning breakfast with my mother and father, whom I had begun to miss very much. I simply looked down to avoid Mama Hikari’s gaze, allowing a few tears to trickle out of my eyes and onto the shower floor.

“You will address me as ‘Mama Hikari,’ is that understood? I don’t want any of that ‘ma’am’ or ‘Mrs. Nokozawa’ bullshit. I am your mother now. I am your Mama Hikari.”

I continued to say nothing, for what was there to say? I had become one of the news stories you see on the television, the kind you think would never happen to you or your family. I had become a lost girl, one the community would search for desperately but would never find. The world had forgotten my existence… Perhaps it was time that I forgot mine as well.

I nodded as Mama Hikari smiled happily. “Good, I am glad that we understand each other. This is your new home now, this room. It’s the master bathroom, and it is attached to mine and Mr. Nokozawa’s bedroom. We’ll have easy access to you from now on.” She gave my cheek one long, disgusting lick before throwing me to the ground. “Also notice how there are no windows. I want to ensure that you never see the sunlight again.”

“Why me?”

“Oh, because I liked you as soon as I laid my eyes on you. I had gone to the festival to pick out a new, fresh girl. All the others withered so quickly, but when I looked at you, I saw someone who could last longer. You look stronger than the rest, so I know you won’t disappoint me.”

I looked away and began to sob uncontrollably. This angered Mama Hikari, and she gave a swift kick to my side. “No, you shut up! There is no crying when I am around, do you understand me?!” Another kick, followed by another and another. “Do you?!”

I nodded and got into the fetal position, staring at the wall. Even then, I knew that I was going to die. I think that I said my goodbyes to my parents in that moment, laying there on the cold bathroom floor with an aching stomach. I left them behind on the first day. It’s amazing how quickly hope is diminished when put in that kind of environment.

Mama Hikari left the bathroom and shut the door, making sure to lock it. I think she made a point about locking it as loud as she possibly could. She wanted me to hear it, to know that I was completely at the hands of her mercy.

I laid there as still as I possibly could, my stomach stinging me from the inside. My heart burned with rage and my eyes once again filled with tears. Out of all of the time I spent there, that was the only time I felt pure anger. After a while, you learn to accept the inevitable.

For the rest of the day, it was quiet. Mama Hikari brought me in some miso soup at dinner time, but other than that, I wasn’t visited again all day. For a brief moment, I wondered if she would try to kill me using starvation. If only I could have been that fortunate.

That first day was the easiest. Apart from the kicks to the sides I had received from Mama Hikari, nothing else had happened. That all changed rather quickly.



The next day is when it all truly began. I awoke to the sound of the door being swung open, and before I had time to comprehend anything, I was grabbed by my hair and dragged out into the bedroom. Mama Hikari forced me onto the bed, grinning down at me. “Good morning, honey. How did you sleep? I hope the ground wasn’t too cold for you.”

I shook my head and sat up shakily. “N-No, it wasn’t too terrible…”

“Well, that’s good. I’m glad.” She looked to the clock that hung on the wall above the headboard. “Well, would you look at that… It’s only seven o’clock, which means Mr. Nokozawa has an hour before he has to be at work. He wanted to explore you a little bit before leaving.”

My eyes widened and my heart instantly began to race. I nearly protested, but quickly shut my mouth. It would be better if I didn’t try to object, right? It would be over sooner that way?

The short, older man came in a couple minutes after that, walking with his usual hunched over posture. He took his sweet time in coming over to the bed, and when he finally made it over to the bed, he looked into my eyes with a sort of bored look. A chill ran down my spine in that moment. If he looked that uninterested in the whole thing, it probably meant that he had done this to several different young girls plenty of times, and that thought was enough to make my stomach churn. He grabbed my thighs and pulled me towards him so that I was on the edge of the bed, flipping my skirt up and ripping my panties off of me. It all happened so fast. The pain was enormous as my virginity was torn from me by a man who was older than my own father. He hunched over on top of me about halfway through, the sound of his heavy breathing in my ear being enough to make me want to vomit. He finished soon after, standing back up as straight as his back would let him as he zipped his pants back up. He quickly kissed Mama Hikari, who had been there to watch the whole time, and left to go off to his ordinary job. I felt the leftovers leaking onto the bed, and that was what finally made me throw up what little I had consumed in the past twenty four hours.

“Well, that didn’t take long. The others were all able to at least make it to the toilet…” The middle aged woman yanked me off of the bed and pushed me forcefully towards the bathroom door. “Get in there and clean yourself up. I don’t like messy girls.”

I moved my trembling legs towards the shower, turning it on with my quivering hands. My mind had been so far off somewhere else that I got under the water without removing my clothing, allowing my white blouse and black skirt to become completely soaked with the water I could not feel. I watched as the water fell from the shower head, landing onto my fair skin. I remember laughing at the fact that I couldn’t feel the sensation of the shower, and I realize now that that was the moment I became entirely and completely numb.



I stared at the ghost girl who sat in front of me with wide eyes. “They… They…”

A sort of sorrowful smile appeared on her face and she nodded. “Yes they did, and it happened nearly every day after that. It’s alright, it’s over now.”

“It is not alright!” I stood quickly, my hands clenched into tight fists. I shook my head in disbelief and resisted the urge to punch something. “They had no right to do that to you! They shouldn’t have hurt you…”

“Yuzuru, they had no right to do any of the things they did to me, but they happened. Besides, compared to everything else that happened, the rape really didn’t bother me anymore. You learn how to go into autopilot mode and just accept the whole ordeal… You can’t do that when they throw new torture methods at you every day, however.”

“I-I need to do something… I can’t just sit here and listen to what they did to you all while doing nothing. What do I do, Tomoko? What do I do?”

“If it’ll help at all, I’ll stop here and go away. You won’t ever have to worry about me again.”

“I can’t let you do that. I need to hear the rest of the story, I need to know every last detail.” I sat back down again with a heavy sigh, placing my head in my hands. “Tomoko, what happened to the Nokozawa family? Osakabe says she doesn’t think they reside here anymore…”

“Well, she’s right. Yuka ran away from home after I died and she’s in Kobe right now as far as I know. I do not know what became of Mr. Nokozawa or Mama Hikari.”

I stayed quiet. I remember wondering why she had cared to keep track of Yuka, but not the others. She had said she didn’t blame Yuka for anything, but it seemed strange to not even show a bit of resentment. She was fully aware of what was happening to Tomoko behind all those closed doors, yet she did nothing. How couldn’t you despise someone like that?

I sat there, fuming away. Tomoko scooted closer and rested her head on my shoulder again, grabbing my hand. “I’m sorry that this all upsets you so much, but you did want to know.”

“I don’t regret hearing the story. I’m glad you’ve decided to open up and tell me. I just want to do more about it than I can.”

She giggled, “Well, even if you did, I am dead and gone to the world. It doesn’t matter anymore. I escaped their wretched captivity and came here to meet someone like you. I am fine.”

I looked into her dark brown eyes, taking in her beauty once more. I still remember her image as if the last time I had seen her was just yesterday, and I miss her deeply. As I stared at her, my gaze drifted down, and the finger-shaped bruises on her neck caught my attention.



Kiku stared at me with a look of exhaustion, shaking her head. “I only suggested that she leave, I didn’t say that she had to…”

“It was wrong of you to even go to her. What the hell were you thinking?! You were the one who said to let her do what she had to do so she could move on, so let her!”

Kiku quickly looked away from me, trying to hide the tears that had formed in her eyes. “Yuzuru, you are changing… She is changing you. You aren’t my Yuzuru-Kun anymore.”

I eyed her viciously, leaning in closer. “I never was ‘yours.’ I belong to Tomoko.”

“Well, soon enough, you won’t. I found a ritual that forces spirits to move on. She has outstayed her welcome.”

“No, Kiku. It is you who is no longer welcome.” I stood and pointed out of the front door to my home. “Get the hell out of here.”

Kiku stared at me in disbelief for a moment before slowly standing, shakily going towards the door. “You will regret it all, Yuzuru. Getting involved with her was a mistake.” She left my home, and would never return there. I scoffed and stomped up towards my room, slamming the door closed behind me. What the hell did she know? She wasn’t the one who was growing ever so closer to Tomoko, she didn’t truly know what kind of person she had been. Kiku would never understand, and I wish I could say that after that day, I never saw her again. It would’ve been better that way.



All the days in that house had something new and horrible to offer me. One day I had one of my molars forcefully pulled out by Mama Hikari, the next day I was missing a few fingernails. On this particular day, I had already done my morning exploration with Mr. Nokozawa, and I was laying on the floor with a hand on my cheek. My gums were extremely irritated from no longer being able to cling onto a molar, and the pain was immense. I looked up as the door slowly opened, bracing myself for whatever it was that Mama Hikari had planned next.

Yuka avoided looking at me as she held a bowl of udon in her small hands. I stared up at her from the floor, my eyes tired and red from crying. She tried to set the bowl down in front of me without having to meet my gaze, but her eyes pulled themselves towards mine. We both stayed still; Yuka squatting beside me with her hands having not yet left the bowl and I laying there, only halfheartedly reaching for the food. She held my gaze for a few seconds before falling backwards so that she sat across from me. “I’m sorry…”

I frowned and weakly pushed myself up, sliding the bowl closer to me with my shaky and weak hands. “You had to do what you had to do…”

She looked down, “She makes me lure the girls here… If I don’t, whatever she had planned for them falls onto me. It’s happened once before, and I can’t let it happen again…”

“I understand, Yuka.” I began to eat slowly, the warmth of the broth making my stomach feel better. “You don’t have to worry about me, just look out for yourself.”

“You were the one I never wanted her to choose… I had heard about you. I had heard stories about the great Tomoko Mikamo and how great her kindness was. I saw you in the halls, and your smile always seemed brighter than the rest. I admired you. I cannot even begin to describe the great feeling of dread that rose up within me when my mother pulled me towards you at the festival.”

I had begun to eat at a quicker pace by then, but I stopped to look at her. “Please, do not blame yourself. I know it isn’t your fault.”

“I’m sorry Tomoko, but how can I not blame myself…? If I had never lead you here, you wouldn’t have to live like this.”

I set my bowl down and weakly pulled her into a gentle embrace. “I would rather go through this myself than have you be in my place.” I pulled away from her and smiled, pointing to my mouth. “I am alright, see?”

“Is that lie supposed to make me feel better?”

I laughed, but quickly placed a hand on my cheek again. “I was hoping it might at least reassure you slightly, but I suppose we can’t have everything we want.”

“I don’t understand how you don’t think of me as a monster…”

“Mama Hikari is the monster here, not you. You are simply a pawn in her games. She is the one playing you, your actions do not truly come from your own heart.”

She looked up at me and bursted into tears. “I-I don’t want to do this anymore…! She has been taking girls ever since I was in kindergarten… I can’t just sit here and do nothing!”

I thought for a while before speaking again. “So don’t do nothing. Do you want to know what would truly make me feel better?”

She sniffled, nodding.

“I want you to get out of here as soon as you can after my time in this house is done. As soon as I exhale for the last time, you get out of here. Please, Yuka…”

She took my hand and held it tenderly against her chest. “Is knowing that I will escape enough for you? Will it truly calm your heart?”

“It will let my heart rest.”

She nodded, placing the back of my hand against her cheek. “Then it shall be done, Tomoko. It shall be done.” She gently freed my hand from her own and placed the bowl back in my palm, standing up. She went over to the door and opened it, looking back. “Ganbare,” She said quietly, “Hang in there.”

As the door closed behind her and I was left alone again in the darkness, a painful smile painted itself onto my lips. Everything hurt, but when Yuka visited me, I forgot about it all for a while.



The next day, I was thrown into the master bedroom for the usual appointment with Mr. Nokozawa. He was more aggressive this time around, and I found it hard to find a place within my mind to hide from reality. Once he was done and off to work, Mama Hikari’s crazed grin appeared on her face once again. “Oh, I have some very special plans for you today. You get to go to a different part of the house today.” She grabbed me by my long black hair, tearing out several strands as she dragged me out of the room and down the hallway. She swung Yuka’s bedroom door open, throwing me inside. “You know what to do with her, darling. Have fun!” Mama Hikari laughed as she closed the door, going back to the master bedroom.

Yuka stared down at me, still in her nightgown. “I have to take part in the torture today…”

I stood and stumbled over to the bed, sitting beside her. “Th-That’s fine… It will hurt less if it comes from you.”

“She told me to leave small, delicate cuts all over your body, then she gave me this.” She pulled over a small kitchen knife, shivering. “I don’t want to do this.”

My brow furrowed as I grew worried. I knew that if Yuka didn’t do it, Mama Hikari would instead do it to her. I understood the reluctance Yuka possessed, but I could not let her get hurt. “Here, let me start for you.” I gently slipped the knife from her hand, looking at the blade. I ran my fingers across it and my heart began to pound, as if it wished to escape my chest. I shook my head and brought the blade up to my face, running the tip across my cheek. I grimaced as blood began to trickle down slowly from the thin and shallow cut, looking back to Yuka. I pulled the knife away and held it out to her, but she only stared. Fear rose up inside me. I was fine if Mama Hikari tortured and abused me, but I couldn’t let Yuka fall too. One of us had to discover happiness again, and I was determined to make sure that it was Yuka. I quickly lifted the knife back up and cut the other cheek. She continued to stare. Tears welled up in my eyes as I began to slice wildly at my arms, tearing the sleeves of my blouse and allowing blood to pour out of me. As I sliced and sliced, I accidentally cut a little too deep, and I yelped from the intense pain, dropping the knife.

“That’s enough now!” She cried as she quickly retrieved the knife from the floor, “I-I’ll do the rest… I’ll do it…”

I laid my bare legs out in front of her, swallowing once. The accidental gash on my arm throbbed with pain as she ran the blade along my legs gently, creating thin and long cuts all over them. I clenched my eyes closed and placed a hand over the deeper cut, though she gently moved my arm out of the way so she could undress me. Her thin fingers undid the buttons on the front of my white blouse and she slipped it off of me, being careful not to put me in anymore pain than I was already in. She removed my bra as well, quickly averting her eyes so she did not gaze anywhere that would make me uncomfortable. I helped her in unzipping my skirt and slipping it off, being fully nude as I laid back on the bed. She ran the knife across my stomach in a zigzag pattern, then made sure to cut along my collar bones and upper chest. She left my breasts alone, and finished with my hips. She rolled me onto my bleeding stomach and created the same bloody patterns on the back of my body. I took deep, long breaths in order to calm myself down enough to sit through it all. A few minutes after she had finished, Mama Hikari came in and looked me up and down. “Oh, what wonderful work, Yuka! You get extra dessert tonight. Now come, bring her into the master bathroom. I’ve drawn a bath for her.”

Yuka nodded slowly and watched the floor as she helped me up, escorting me back into the bathroom I had memorized over the past few days. Mama Hikari smiled and patted the edge of the tub. The bath was filled to the brim and the water seemed to be a bit murky. “Come along, honey. I made this bath just for you.”

I showed a moment of hesitation, looking to Yuka briefly. Before I could even look back, Mama Hikari had me by the wrist and was throwing me into the bath. I screamed out in pain as soon as I hit the hot water, flailing around and scrambling to get out. Oh, how it burned… It made my skin practically sizzle. As I tried to escape the deadly feeling waters, I realized that it did not only burn from the extreme temperature. It was salt water. After a few seconds of sheer panic and extreme confusion, I managed to get onto my feet, leaping out of the tub and running over to the corner of the room to cower. Mama Hikari growled and grabbed me again, pulling me back towards the bath. I resisted, kicking and screaming, and out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Yuka weeping. I had to do it. I had to endure the extreme pain in order to save her. I had to.

I was thrown into the bath again, but this time my head was held underwater as I struggled against Mama Hikari’s firm grip. She held me under for what seemed like an eternity before pulling me back up, licking her lips. “You look so pretty when you’re in pain.” She laughed cruelly, turning to look at Yuka with her hand still firmly holding my jaw. “Oh my darling Yuka, I bet you just can’t wait to fully grow up… Then you’ll be able to do this all on your own.”

I cried out once more, and Mama Hikari forced her lips onto mine to silence me. She ran her hands all over my bleeding body as her tongue explored my mouth, and I went limp. My body had grown exhausted, and even though the water was still burning me all over, I found myself not caring. I was quickly pulled out of the bath and laid on a towel that Yuka had been instructed to place on the floor. I stared up at the ceiling, breathing heavily. I heard Mama Hikari laugh again, leaving Yuka to clean the mess I had made when I was flailing around. She quickly toweled up the water, looking to me. She was a sobbing mess, and she offered no words of comfort to me this time. As soon as her job was done, she left the bathroom as quick as she could, slamming the door behind her. Silence once again fell upon me, and I closed my eyes as I whispered to myself.

“Ganbare…”



I sat in class on Friday, gazing out of the window. The teacher continued on with her lecture like normal, but I found that I could no longer concentrate on anything besides Tomoko. The more she told me, the more I found myself wishing to help her. I needed to figure out a way to get deeper into her thoughts to figure out what it was she truly desired. By this point, Tomoko still seemed like a mystery to me. I couldn’t read her like I could others. All I truly knew was that she was dead, not how she felt about it or what she needed me to do to make it all better for her. I sighed, leaning forward onto my desk and looking back to the front of the classroom. As I did, my eyes met Kiku’s gaze as she turned around to look at me. We stared at each other for a while before I quickly looked away. I still despised her, and I would for a very long time.

As I allowed my hatred brew for Kiku even further, I froze. That was it. That was how I could gain more access into Tomoko’s thoughts and feelings about the whole ordeal. I grinned as the bell rang, standing and grabbing my things.

“Kobe.”



I walked up to the old storage closet on the second floor, as I had been doing every Saturday for a few weeks. I had been snacking on amanatto since I wasn’t able to bring a lunch with me. I hadn’t been eating as much lately and it worried my parents, so my mother forced the amanatto in my hands before I was able to get out the door. In truth, I had begun to despise the sugary snack because it had always been Kiku’s favorite. I wanted to forget her entirely and my parents weren’t helping.

As I pulled the door to the closet open, my eyes widened and the bag of amanatto dropped from my hands. There sat Kiku, surrounded by candles and the smell of incense. Tomoko was there as well, cowering in the corner as she covered her face. “W-What the hell is this, Osakabe?!” She turned around and looked at me, swallowing quietly.

“She needs to move on. I am helping her.”

I gasped gently, remembering the ritual that forced ghosts to move on. I lunged at her, grabbing her by the collar of her uniform and holding her petite figure up and off of the ground. “I don’t ever want to see you here again. You must leave Tomoko and I alone! You are no longer a part of this.”

She scowled, spatting in my eye. “Put me down! I have always been a part of this, I am how the two of you even began speaking in the first place! It has to stop here, dammit!” She pushed me away, shaking slightly. “Y-Yuzuru, I love you and I have for a very long time! You made life so much more bearable for me, and I was grateful for it… Please don’t let me go so easily. She is blackening your mind. You must resist… Please.”

I took a step forward and slapped her across the cheek as hard as I could, grabbing her arm tightly. “I hate you. I despise the very ground you walk on. You have hurt my precious Tomoko. No one is allowed to do that ever again.” I dragged her over to the door forcefully as she tried to escape my grasp, throwing her out into the hall. She looked at me one last time before I slammed the door closed in her face, locking it. I heard her get up and walk away slowly, and I sighed tiredly. That was the last time I ever saw Kiku Osakabe.



Days continued to go by. Everyday followed a sort of schedule: My visit from Mr. Nokozawa, some form of new torture, dinner, then sleep. It was a cycle that I was disturbingly becoming used to, and I think that if I had suddenly been thrust out of the cycle somehow, I wouldn’t really know what to do with myself. Despite this, I still longed to escape it all, to somehow be able to run back into my mother’s arms, but it was no longer possible. On this particular day, my heart was heavy with sadness and sorrow, and I was missing my family more than I ever had. After Mr. Nokozawa left for work, Mama Hikari came in and sat beside me on the floor. She sighed as she took out a cigarette, lighting it quickly. She breathed in, then pulled it away from her lips and smiled down at me. “Well, how is my darling this morning? You seem a bit more tired than usual.”

“I grow more exhausted with each passing minute.”

“Oh? I wonder why that is…”

“It is because you are slowly killing me.”

She found this hilarious, and she began cracking up. She laughed for a solid two minutes before calming down, wiping away a tear from her eye. “Oh honey, you have no idea.”

“When will you get it over with, then? When will you finally allow me to draw my last breath?”

“Oh, that is all up to your body. When it decides to give up, then you may die.” She exhaled again, grinning.

“You’re a horrible, vial woman. I wonder what it was that made you become such a monster?”

Suddenly, her eyes filled with anger, and she pulled on my hand so my arm was straight. “Oh my love, that is no way to talk to your mother…” She pressed the cigarette against my skin, putting it out on my arm. I didn’t even flinch as it burned into my flesh, throwing a side glance towards her. She scowled and pulled on my arm roughly, forcing me to sit up and face her. “Why the hell didn’t you scream? Are you so eager for death that you do not feel pain anymore?”

“Perhaps I have reached that point.”

“Then we shall see how willing for death you truly are.” She flicked the cigarette butt at me before standing up and leaving the bathroom. She had left the door open, so I decided to crawl out into the bedroom weakly, causing Yuka to stop in front of the open door as she walked down the hall. She stared at me for a while, staying quiet. I gazed up at her and put on the biggest smile I could muster, giving her a small wave. She waved back and looked down the hall. Her eyes widened as she stared down the hall, and I could hear Mama Hikari’s angry footsteps approaching. Yuka quickly looked back to me with panic in her eyes and I quickly turned around to try and make it back inside the bathroom before she saw me. I was almost there when I felt Mama Hikari’s hand grasp me by the hair, forcefully ripping me away from the bathroom doorway. I fell onto my back and looked up at her, and my heart dropped. She held a rope firmly in her hand and that same insane grin on her face. She sat back on the bed, beginning to tie the rope into a noose. “You’re the one who told me you wanted to die, that you have lost all the longing for life. I may as well make your wish come true, right?”

For some reason, fear quickly rose up within me. I found myself wishing for my mother again, and I suddenly wanted to escape just to let her and my father know that I was okay. I quickly leapt to my aching and tired feet, running for the door. Mama Hikari quickly swung around on the bed, looking to her daughter, who had not left the doorway. “Yuka, shut the door! Now!”

She clenched her eyes shut and did so, slamming it just as I was nearly there. “No,” I cried, banging my fist against the door, “Yuka, please!”

Mama Hikari began to stalk towards me with the noose held tightly in her fist. I turned around to face her, tears welling up in my eyes. She noticed, and she quickly grabbed me by my blouse, undoing a few of the buttons on the front. “Oh, what is it? What’s with the water works? I am simply granting a wish of yours!” She threw me to the ground, sitting on top of me and placing the noose around my neck. I squirmed and flailed, trying desperately to get out from under her. She laughed and leaned down to give my exposed collarbone a nibble. I tried to scoot away from her, but she held me firmly in place as she began to sexually violate me in multiple ways. That was the first and only time she’d ever do such a thing. She usually left that part to Mr. Nokozawa.

I laid there, stunned. She smiled down at me as she tightened the noose, standing. As soon as she was off of me, I stood and ran for the door once again. I needed my mother, I needed her embrace. I was determined to retrieve my old life once again, but my determination was reduced to nothing as Mama Hikari grabbed the rope like a leash and pulled me back towards her. “Bad girl,” She slapped me as hard as she could, “Let me kill you like you wanted.”

“P-Please Mama Hikari, don’t…!” I sobbed uncontrollably, causing her to grow even more angry. “First you feel nothing and are unable to weep, but now you beg and plead when actually faced with death! How pathetic of you!” She began to drag me back towards the door by the rope, opening it and pulling me out into the hallway. Yuka watched on with wide, horrified eyes as her mother pulled me across the floor and I flailed, struggling to get loose.

“I’m sorry Mama Hikari! Please, let me go!”

“Sure, sure, I’ll let you go… Oh, how I’ll let you go.” She laughed loudly, pulling me to the front door and looking back at me. “I will hang you on the doorstep of the Mikamo house! When your father has to go to work in the morning, he will be greeted by the hanging body of his precious daughter! Your mother will weep as you hang there like drying laundry! All the neighbors will know the horrible fate that fell upon the sweet young girl who lived beside them, and who always greeted each day with a smile! The world will know what a worthless bitch you were! Are you ready for that, my dear? Are you?!”

I shook my head quickly, becoming more and more fearful of the insane look in her eyes. “N-No, Mama Hikari! I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! I’ll never wish to die again!”

“That’s right, you won’t!” She spit on me and kicked me in the side once, growling viciously. “You better pray that I never hear you speak like that again!” She then dragged me back down the hall, through the bedroom and into the small bathroom. “You hideous pig, sit in here and think about what you have done! There will be no dinner tonight! Bad girls do not get fed!” She slammed the door closed, leaving the noose around my neck.

I trembled as I sat up with my back against the tub, shakily removing the rope from around my neck and tossing it aside. It remained in the corner of the room everyday from then on, silently tormenting me as a reminder that death was always just around the corner.



I stood at the train station, clinging onto my thin sweater. Since Fall had arrived, the world around me had grown slightly more cold and unforgiving, and I wondered if Tomoko ever missed being able to feel the cold? I had asked her about it, and she said that she was cold all the time. She was dead, after all. I shivered as my train arrived and I quickly boarded it, finding my seat. The train began to move, and I sighed quietly as I began to relax. I was finally on my way to Kobe.

I had looked Yuka up and discovered that she was no longer a Nokozawa, but a Sagura. She had married a man after running away to Kobe, and I was able to retrieve her address as well. I told my parents I was visiting the city because I had to write a report on its history, and this was the excuse I planned to use on Yuka as well until I could reveal the true reason I was there.

The train ride was long and grueling, but eventually I reached my destination. I left the train and looked around, trying to figure out where I was supposed to go. It was late at night by then, so I just decided to find a place to sleep at for the night. Luckily I had decided to bring money, so I began the walk to the nearest hotel. As I made my way to it, my mind began to drift to Tomoko, as it did regularly by then. She would worry and wonder why I wasn’t at school, and I decided to tell her that I had been ill. If she knew what I had really been doing, she likely wouldn’t have been too happy, but I needed to know more of the story on a deeper level. Yuka would offer me that.

I stayed at a small hotel for the night, though I found myself having trouble sleeping. Every time my eyes closed, I had a horrible nightmare. It started off with darkness and the sound of heavy sobbing. Eventually, a door comes into my view, and as I run for it, I hear cruel laughter. Even though I had no idea what the woman looked or sounded like, I knew that the laughs belonged to Mama Hikari. As I pulled the door open, my eyes would widen as I saw Tomoko hanging there in her grotesque form, staring deep into my soul. I’d always wake up as soon as she opened her mouth to speak.

After a long night of hardly any sleep, I got up and left the hotel, eagerly heading towards the address I had scribbled down on a small piece of paper and taken with me. It took me a couple hours, but I finally reached the large, cozy neighborhood. The house was located on the third street, being about five houses down. As I approached the doorstep, my heart began to race and my legs froze. The large door was intimidating, and I had no idea what awaited me on the other side of it. Luckily, I didn’t even have to knock. My arms wouldn’t have moved even if I tried, so I was relieved when the door was pulled open by a middle aged man who was all dressed for work. He blinked as he laid eyes on me, a soft smile appearing on his face. “Well, hello… Can I help you?”

“O-Oh, I’m sorry sir… Is there a Mrs. Sagura who lives here? I’m a senior in high school writing a report on the history of Kobe. I was told to look up a resident and speak to them, and I chose a woman named Sagura Yuka.”

He nodded, “That’s my wife. I have to leave for work, but you’re welcome to head on in and speak with her. Come on.”

He led me inside and into the living room, allowing me to sit on the sofa. He quickly went into the bedroom and retrieved his wife, who looked at me questioningly. She had long, straight brunette hair, and her eyes were the lightest brown I had ever seen. She was still very petite and small, but she wasn’t bad looking by any means. I allowed a soft smile to form on my lips as I nodded. “Good morning Mrs. Sagura, I just need to interview you for a report I’m writing.”

She nodded and looked back to her husband, who kissed her tenderly on the lips before leaving the house once again. She took a seat beside me on the sofa and smiled politely. “So, you’re writing a report on the history of Kobe, huh? That must be fascinating, though I must admit that I haven’t lived here long. I’ve only been in the area for about five years now.”

“I know. You left after everything happened… That’s what you promised.”

I watched as her expression morphed into one of fear and her face went pale. “W-What…?”

“You promised Tomoko that you’d run away after she breathed her last breath.”

Her eyes widened and she started trembling. “N-No… That’s impossible… How do you…?” She shook her head and quickly stood, pointing towards the door. “I want you out of my house. Right now!”

I looked to the door, then back at her. “No, Yuka. I can’t leave yet. I need answers.”

“Answers to what? I don’t know what you’re talking about…!”

“Yes, you do. You were Yuka Nokozawa, and you were present in the house when Tomoko Mikamo was killed. I need to know what it was like from your point of view.”

“Get the hell out!” She grabbed my sleeve with her thin arms, trying to pry me off of the couch. “You cannot just come in here and demand to know such things! It is impolite of you and I won’t stand for it! Out, out!”

“Yuka, please.” I pulled my arm away and she stumbled forward a bit, staring at me with a terrified look in her eyes. I sighed and leaned back. “I need to know what Tomoko was truly like in her final days. She’s told me a little bit, but I can’t help but feel that she is hiding something… She is too calm when speaking about the whole ordeal.”

“What the hell is wrong with you?” She was breathing heavily as she stared at me, fuming. “You have the audacity to come in here and ask about her, then you mock me by saying you’ve spoken to her? You’re a cruel person!”

“I have spoken to her! I attend the same school you two did, and she haunts it. She and I are…” I thought for a moment. What were we? What did I see us as? I grinned as the word came out of my lips. “...Lovers.”

Her brow furrowed and she shook her head. “You are mad.”

“So what if I am? Please, just tell me…”

She stared me down for a few more moments in silence before sighing sharply and sitting back down in a chair that was away from the couch. “I don’t know how you figured out about her, not even the police could do that… So I’ll believe you about her spirit for now, but I simply cannot believe you two would be lovers. She wouldn’t go for someone like you.” She leaned back in the chair and looked at the ceiling, crossing her legs. “How much do you know?”

“Up until the noose.”

She closed her eyes and nodded. “I remember that day like it happened only an hour ago. My mother threatened to hang her on display…”

“Yes, I know.”

“The few weeks she was in that house were the worst times of my life. If it would have been anyone else, it wouldn’t have been as bad, but she was just so heartbreakingly sweet and kind, even in a situation like that. She did it all so I wouldn’t have to suffer anymore. She did it to save me… I only wish that I could have returned the favor.”

“She doesn’t regret it. I can tell in the way she tells the story, and the way she talks about you. You’re the only one she never speaks badly of. You’re the only member of that family that she wants to be safe.”

“She wants us all to be safe, young man. She told me that she hoped the police never figured anything out. If they did, they’d blame everyone in the household, including me. She didn’t want that for me.” She sighed and looked back at me, tears in her eyes. “I miss her… Do you think she misses me?”

I nodded immediately. “I know she does. She always looks sad when she brings up your name.”

“Well, I always feel sad when I think about her, so I suppose it is a fair trade.” She stood, going into the kitchen. “Would you like something to drink? I know you’ve traveled a long way if you are truly a student at that god forsaken school…”

“I’m fine. Thank you.”

She nodded and poured herself a glass of water before coming back to sit down. “Well, I’m glad that Tomoko misses me as much as I miss her. She’s the one I regret the most.” She took a big gulp of her water before setting the glass down on the coffee table. “My mother took several girls to be her ‘daughters.’ None of them lived. We moved each time she found and inevitably killed one, and I wish every day that we never moved to that small town. Tomoko would have been able to accomplish so much, and she would be happy right now… Instead, she is a tormented spirit.”

“Yes, it is saddening to know that such a promising life was taken away so easily. I’m curious as to why you never stood up to your mother…? Surely if you had, she would be alive right now.”

Her eyes darted over to me and she scowled. “She’s told you already. She was protecting me. Even though she had only just met me, she wanted the last days she had to be towards me being safe. She was just that kind of person.”

“I know what kind of person she was.” I snapped, “I’m sorry, but even if she was protecting you, you should’ve done something to help her. You say that you wish you could have returned the favor but you didn’t even try!”

“I did all that I could.”

“But you didn’t do anything!”

She slammed a fist on the coffee table and stood angrily. “You do not know the full story yet! You do not know what I did!”

“Then tell me!”

“It is for her to tell, not me!”

I stood as well, staring daggers at her. “You’re such a coward… You let an innocent girl die and you want to claim that you did something to help her? Pathetic!”

Her hands suddenly shot to my neck, but she quickly pulled them away before she could give herself the chance to choke me. She looked at her hands, suddenly bursting into tears. “I-I did what I could… I did what I could…” She covered her face with her hands as she cried, falling to the floor. It was a truly pitiful sight, and if I am honest her sobs did make me feel a bit uncomfortable, even if I had caused them. She sat like that for several minutes before looking up at me, her eyes red and puffy from crying. “Get out of here. Please. Do not torment me any longer. Let me go…”

I scoffed, “Fine, but you will never be forgiven for what you did. I don’t care how much Tomoko wants to protect you, you will always be the cause of her death in my book.” I stomped out of the house angrily, leaving the sound of her desperate and angry sobs behind as I slammed the door closed behind me and prepared to return home.



Days passed, and the same usual cruel treatment continued. After the whole thing with the noose, Mama Hikari had grown twice as horrible, and the abuse continued to grow worse. I had just finished my tonkatsu dinner when Mama Hikari came into the bathroom suddenly. “Well my dear, I have a question for you.” She squatted down beside me, looking me directly in the eyes. “How long until you have your monthly?”

I blinked and my heart dropped as I came to a sudden realization. I had been in the house for three weeks by then, and my period was a week late. I looked at Mama Hikari with fear in my eyes as I shook my head slowly. She grinned and stood, pushing me over so that I lay flat on the floor. “You should have already had it by now, yes? That’s what I figured. You’re pregnant with my husband’s baby, love. Don’t worry, this has happened many times before to the other girls, I know how to handle this… Although I caught you much earlier on than I did them, it should still work. Wait here.” She quickly ran out, slamming the door behind her. I sat up weakly, shaking as I sat there and awaited whatever she decided would be my punishment. She returned with Yuka a few minutes later.

“Yuka, darling, would you do your precious mother a favor?”

“W-What is it…?” She glanced at me and I could see that she was just as worried as I was.

“Well you see, Tomoko is a whore, and she has become pregnant with your half sibling. We don’t need a baby to take care of, so we need to ensure that it is never born.”

“S-So what do you want me to do…?”

Mama Hikari threw me back down so I laid on the cold bathroom floor. “Sit on her stomach for me. Please?” She flashed a charming smile to her daughter, who shakily did as she was asked. Yuka was so petite and thin, I was surprised that she weighed as much as she did. Her mother licked her lips as she took in the image and she nodded. “Yes, that’s nice. Now bounce.”

Yuka tilted her head, “What?”

“You heard me. Bounce.”

Yuka looked back at me and said a silent apology before doing so, lifting up slightly and slamming back down onto my stomach. I grunted and clenched my eyes shut. Mama Hikari laughed and instructed her to do it again, which she did. This went on for a few minutes before Mama Hikari came closer. When Yuka was lifted up, preparing to slam back down, her mother grabbed her by the shoulders and thrusted her back down onto my stomach as hard as she possibly could. My eyes flew open and went wide as pain spread throughout my entire midsection and tears welled up within my eyes. Mama Hikari only laughed again.

“Yes, yes! More, more!”

Yuka cried as she was forced down onto me by her mother over and over again. It all stopped after a few more minutes, Mama Hikari slapping her daughter across the cheek. “We do not weep for those who deserve what they receive! You should be thankful, Yuka! If it wasn’t for her, this would all be happening to you!” She pushed the frail girl back forcefully so that she hit the bathtub as hard as she could. As Yuka flinched, Mama Hikari left the room angrily, going outside for a cigarette. I sat up, placing a hand on my stomach as I looked to my sobbing friend.

“H-Hey… Are you alright…?”

“Don’t worry about me.” She sniffed and looked up, trying to put on a reassuring smile. “I’ll be okay. I’m more concerned about you.”

“Yuka, you shouldn’t be. We both know what fate awaits me as long as I continue to be in this house. Don’t worry for someone who is already lost.”

She frowned and hugged me gently. “I’m so sorry…”

“You’ve apologized enough, even though I don’t think you have anything to be sorry for. It’s alright. I’ll be alright.”

“B-But you’ll be…”

“Death will be my sweet release. The moment I die is the moment I’ll be okay again.”

“I-I just wish you didn’t have to long for death so frequently.”

“I know, but it is what it is.” I leaned back against the tub with her, taking deep breaths. The pain I felt was immense, but I had been slowly growing used to it and it wasn’t so bad anymore. I blinked and looked over to Yuka, smiling sweetly. “You know, you never did read that story to me.”

“Story?”

“Yeah, the one you were writing for the club. About the two female colleagues…?”

“O-Oh.” She looked away from me and shook her head. “In truth, I wasn’t really writing anything. I just made that whole thing up on the spot.”

“Really? It seemed to have too good of a plot for it to have been made up like that.”

“W-Well… If I’m honest, not all of it was fictional.”

“What do you mean?”

“I… I used you as inspiration.” I saw her cheeks turn a light shade of pink as she swallowed once. “I knew as soon as I first saw you. I couldn’t tell anyone, so I hid it in the form of a story about a woman loving her colleague.”

I smiled softly and leaned down to rest my head on her shoulder. “I see… I figured as much. I didn’t want to say anything because I feared that I might make you uncomfortable.”

She looked at me again, still blushing. “You knew the whole time?”

I nodded, “Yes. It doesn’t bother me.”

She smiled back and nodded, allowing me to rest my head on her shoulder again. “Alright, then.”

That day ended with the two of us falling asleep beside each other, temporarily forgetting what was soon to become of me.



“Wait.” I interrupted Tomoko as she continued with her story, “So Yuka…?”

“Yes. She was in love with me.”

I looked down as Yuka’s words repeated themselves in my mind. “You do not know the full story yet. You do not know the full story yet.” I knew I still had much to learn about Tomoko, but I began to understand just a little bit more. “Tomoko, how could you have not fought back? How could you not hate them, or want revenge in some way?”

“How could you build revenge while you calmed your heart?” She stared me down, a dark look in her eyes. “How could you wake your hate while death is the new bed?”

“I… Tomoko, I must confess something to you.”

“What is it, Yuzuru?”

“I’m in love with you.”

She blinked, leaning back against the wall. “How unfortunate.”

“You could never love me back, could you?”

“No. You’re alive, I’m dead. It doesn’t work that way, Yuzuru.”

“Even if you were alive, you couldn’t love someone as horrible as I.”

“What are you talking about? You don’t seem horrible to me. I don’t believe that the universe would have thrust us together if you were a truly horrid person.”

“You don’t know what I’ve done.”

A sort of scared look appeared in her eyes. “Okay… What have you done…?”

“I… I lied to you. I wasn’t truly sick those couple days I was gone.” I sighed and looked back up at her. “I was in Kobe.”

“Kobe? That’s-” She stopped and anger flared up within her. “You didn’t.”

“I did.”

“You harassed my poor Yuka…!” She took a few steps towards me aggressively. “Who the hell do you think you are?! I trusted you, Yuzuru!”

“I-I know… I’m sorry, I just needed to know what things were like from her point of view.”

“I wanted her to forget about me. I wanted her to be happy. I died so I could give her the gift of happiness…”

“I don’t think she could ever truly be happy without you.”

I saw a tear run down her cheek as she fell to her knees. “W-What is she like…? Is she healthy? Is she living life to the fullest? Has she found someone to make her happier than I ever could?”

“She’s married. I don’t think she could ever love him as much as she did you. She wept at the mere mentioning of your name.”

“S-So she misses me…? I miss her too, more than I ever thought I possibly could. There isn’t a day that goes by where my heart doesn’t ache because I can no longer be there for her. It’s been five years, Yuzuru… Five years since I’ve seen her most beautiful face, heard her lovely voice, felt the warmth of her tears as they fell onto my cheeks. I need her, but I cannot have her.” She looked to me, tears now cascading down her face at a rapid pace. “You know, when I was alive I had heard many stories about Hell being a pit of fire and despair… Everyone was wrong. Where I am right now, the feelings I feel…” She shook her head and drew a quivering breath. “...That is true Hell.”

“I’m sorry, Tomoko. You’ve already gone through so much. You shouldn’t have to suffer after being released from all of that.”

She nodded, bringing her knees up to her chest and resting her cheek on them. “After I died, I followed her for a while. I had to make sure that she was getting out of there, and that she would be safe. I made sure she didn’t see me. I thought that the sooner she let me go, the sooner she could be happy. I followed her all the way to the train station and I almost left with her, but I discovered that I couldn’t leave the town. I had to watch as she boarded the train for Kobe and left me forever. I wished her well and looked down at the pavement where her tears had fallen and made dark dots on the ground. I knew then that I never wanted her to cry again, and if Kobe was what was going to put an end to her tears, then I was okay. I wandered back here, to the school I had once loved with all of my heart, and I stayed in the old club room when there was no one there. I still go there at night. I stand at the podium like I had done every day during lunch and after school, and I act out the events again. I am still very much haunted by the past.” She laughed and lifted her head once again, “Who knew that a ghost could be haunted?”

I stayed quiet. What was there to say? This was the emotion I had longed for her to show the whole time, yet when it finally came to the surface, I didn’t know how to handle it. I sighed and shook my head as she stood again, turning to face me. When I looked back at her again, she was in her grotesque form. “Yuzuru, I think it’s time I finish the story and tell you how I came to look like this. I think it’s time to let you go.”

I leaned forward with great interest and nodded. “Tell me.”



Morning came a bit too quickly for us. We were awakened by the bathroom door slamming against the wall as Mama Hikari flung it open. “What the hell?! Yuka, what is this?!”

Yuka jumped up and looked at her mother, growing fearful. “I-I’m sorry…! I didn’t mean to!”

“Get out of here. Now.”

She looked back to me and she bit her lip. “B-But…”

“I said now!” Yuka was grabbed by the hair and thrown out. She stumbled forward and took a quick look back at me before quickly running out. Mama Hikari grabbed me by the arms and pulled me up roughly, dragging me into the bedroom and throwing me onto the bed for the usual morning with Mr. Nokozawa. “Don’t be gentle with her at all today,” Mama Hikari said to her husband as she glared at me, “Make her squeal like the pig she is. Make her beg for you to stop, make her hurt for days. I don’t want her to be the same person she once was when you’re finished with her.” Mr. Nokozawa nodded, and he painfully began to have his way with me. It was worse than all other times. I yelled for him to stop, begging and pleading with him in hopes that I may find his human side, but he didn’t stop. My eyes widened as he continued to thrust into me with increasing ferocity, no longer being able to restrain my tears. He finished after just under an hour and left me there on the bed, completely limp and wide eyed. Mama Hikari came over and spat on my naked body. “Stupid bitch. Are you ready to get what has truly been waiting for you the whole time?”

I gasped as she pulled me up and back into the bathroom, where I saw a large spoon lying on the ground next to a clear container filled with some sort of liquid. She threw me to the ground as she began filling up the bath, the grin I had seen many times before forming on her face. “You will not corrupt my daughter, you selfish brat.” She kicked my chin and I fell back, hardly being able to comprehend the pain as she grabbed my legs and pulled me towards her. I felt her pour the liquid on my legs and I heard the click of her lighter. Before I knew it, a hot and intense pain spread all over my legs as they were lit on fire. I had her laughs as I panicked and flailed. After a few more seconds, she picked me up and through me into the bath. The fire was extinguished, but my legs were badly burned and I laid there in the tub, my eyes wider than ever. She smiled a big and menacing smile as she picked up the spoon. “Oh, how perfect…” She pulled my eyelids back so they were forced to remain open as she dug the spoon into my right eye, eventually popping it out completely so it hung onto my cheek. I wasn’t even able to scream. My body froze and my eyes remained wide. My legs had stopped hurting, and even though I knew I no longer had an eye in the right socket, I didn’t feel a thing. My breathing was fast and my heart was racing. I heard her spit on me again before she angrily left the bathroom.

I remained there for hours and hours on end. As time went on, my mind began to come back to me and I became more aware of my condition. I refused to move, refused to acknowledge the new deformities I possessed. There was no dinner that day. I wasn’t allowed a final meal, and I was fine with it. Why wasn’t I dead yet? At what point would my body finally decide that enough was enough?

Yuka came in later that night and I heard the sharp gasp that escaped her lips as she opened the door. I looked at her with my good eye. Her hands had shot up to her mouth and she was staring at me in disbelief. I tried to smile, but for the first time in my time within that house, I wasn’t able to for her. “H-Hi, Yuka…”

“N-No.” She quickly came over and pulled me out of the bath as gently as she could. She laid me back down on the hard floor, beginning to sob. “This is enough… This is enough…”

I blinked my eye as I felt her warm tears fall onto my cheek. I allowed my hand to rest on hers, shaking my head. “I’ll be fine. You know I will be.”

“Yes, you’ll be fine once you’re dead. That’s the only thing that can make you fine at this point!” She heaved out heavy sobs, shaking and trembling as she did so. She had covered her eyes while crying, but after a few minutes, she pulled them away, looking back down at me.

“T-Tomoko…?”

“Yes?”

“I love you.”

I smiled and nodded as she continued talking.

“A-And it’s because I love you that… That…” She gripped my hand tightly. “...I’m going to make you okay again.”

I looked up at her and I weakly reached my hand up to wipe her tears away. She gazed down at me and tried to smile but couldn’t. She was so scared, so frightened. I realize now that we were both trying to give each other the gift of happiness.

“You’ll go? You’ll escape?”

She nodded quickly, bringing my hand up to her cheek as she hugged my arm. “Yes, I promised you that I would. I’ll run away and never look back.”

“I’m glad to hear it, Yuka. So very glad…”

She nodded again and laid my hand at my side. “I’m only sorry it had to be me that gave this gift to you.”

“No, I am very thankful that it is you. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

She bent down and kissed my cheek tenderly before pulling away and rolling up her sleeves. She began to weep again, and as I felt her hands wrap around my neck, a tear slid from my eye and down my cheek, stopping at my chin. I laid back as I accepted the strangulation, and Yuka’s face was the last thing I would ever see. I died at 7:34 PM. It had been a Friday, and even though I hadn’t seen the outside world in weeks, I’m sure that it had also been the most loveliest of days.



Tomoko turned her head to look at me, smiling sadly. “Now you know.”

I gazed at her softly for a moment before moving her long, black hair away from her neck. I gazed at the finger shaped bruises yet again. “These hands… They were Yuka’s.”

“Indeed they were. I am forever grateful that they were hers and not someone else’s.” She stood and closed her eyes, leaving her grotesque form. “Thank you, Yuzuru. Thank you for listening to me. Now someone knows what life was never meant to be.”

“I’ll never forget you, Tomoko. I promise you that.”

“I don’t expect you to. I don’t think I’ll ever forget you, either. I’ll always be here in this school. Even when you do not see me, just know I’ll be watching you. I have to keep an eye on a trouble maker like you.” She laughed softly and went over to the door, opening it quietly. I stood, and spoke to her for the last time.

“Ganbare, Tomoko.”

She lifted her head, but didn’t look at me. “I’ve been trying, Yuzuru… I’ve been trying.” She closed the door behind her and ended her own chapter.



The officer removed the cigarette from in between his lips and blew the smoke directly in my face. The room was dark, having only one lamp to provide light for it. Smoke drifted in the air, giving the dimness of the room a sort of hazy look. He sat on one side of the table and I sat on the other. He raised an eyebrow, clearly looking skeptical about my whole story. “While it was interesting, you expect me to believe all of that?”

“I have nothing to lie about anymore. I have already openly admitted that I am guilty of the crime. Why lie about my reasons?”

He blinked and nodded, putting out his cigarette. “I see. I suppose it makes sense that you wouldn’t have to lie anymore, but… The story sounds like something out of a book or movie. How can you expect me to believe it?”

“I’m not asking you to believe it, but it is what happened. Whether or not you choose to believe me doesn’t take away from the fact that the story is true.”

“I remember that, you know. I was born in 1949, so I was eleven when Tomoko Mikamo disappeared. No one ever found her.”

“Well… I found her, and I am very lucky to have met someone like her.” I sat up and leaned forward, “Sir, a young girl by the name of Junko Furuta was just found encased in cement. She was held captive and tortured just like Tomoko, so how many more people have to go through such a thing? How long until it stops?”

“Is that thought what gave you the inspiration for your crime?”

I shook my head, “No. I’ve been looking for Hikari Nokozawa ever since Tomoko left me behind. She was extremely hard to track down, but I found her.”

“Yes, you clearly did… You strangled the sixty five year old woman to death. What about her husband?”

“He died long ago. I couldn’t exact Tomoko’s revenge upon him. I will always regret that.”

He rubbed his eyes and groaned. “Alright, so I know your whole story now… Please give me an official statement as to why you murdered Hikari Nokozawa.”

“Because she killed Tomoko Mikamo back in May of 1960, and I needed to obtain the vengeance that Tomoko herself was never able to obtain.”

He nodded and stood, grabbing the file that had been laid out on the table before walking out of the interrogation room. He left me there to stare at the wall, and for a split second, I saw her face. “It was all for you, Tomoko,” I whispered, “It was all for you.”

Yes Tomoko, I now know the reason why the universe pushed the two of us together so suddenly. Rest well, my dear, and find that happiness you have been searching for since you drew your last breath twenty nine years ago. I love you. Ganbare.