1997, Yamagata
Winter...
The morning came without sunlight, too shy to show itself, leaving its
duties to the dark, clustering clouds to replace hope.
The rising cold forced everyone outside to wear thick clothing. Snowfall
hadn't ceased for the last seven days, covering streets and buildings until all
that could be seen was white. No one wanted to leave their homes.
"Hira-chan, let's go play!!"
"Yay! Mom, I'm going out!!"
"Don't go too far, Hira-chan..."
And so, the two of them went out to play together.
Two little girls, with one rubber ball in hand, headed to a snow-covered
field 3 kilometers from their home—a quiet place with a sturdy wooden goalpost
standing tall.
"Hira-chan, let's play rock-paper-scissors. The loser will be the
goalkeeper, and the winner gets to kick," said the little girl in the red
beanie.
Rock... Paper... Scissors...
Tie.
And then the second round:
Rock... Paper... Scissors...
Tie again.
And then the third round:
Rock... Paper... Scissors...
Paper... Scissors...
"I get to kick first! Haha!" exclaimed the little girl in the red
beanie.
They took their positions, the girl in the red beanie preparing to kick the
ball while the girl in the white beanie stood hesitantly in the middle of the
goal.
Bam!
The ball went straight into the goal.
Now they switched positions.
The girl in the white beanie readied herself to kick.
Bam! Crash!
Her shot missed the goal completely, and she fell as she kicked.
"Wow, Hira-chan, you still haven't improved, huh? If this keeps up, I
could end your football career!" teased the girl in the red beanie.
They switched positions again.
The girl in the red beanie prepared to kick.
Bam!
Her shot went far beyond a goal, flying past the netless post and out of the
unfenced field.
What will you do now, goalkeeper?
"Hira-chan, go get the ball. I'll keep an eye on you from a distance,
okay?" said the girl in the red beanie.
You must fetch it, goalkeeper. Isn't it your duty to retrieve the ball? But
do you dare go alone? Your friend isn't behind you... She's not following...
She's tricked you, hasn't she? That ball was hers, after all. Why are you going
out of your way for her?
You've spotted the ball. Why did it land in the drain? Hurry, fetch it and
get back to your friend.
Grab!
Good! You've got the ball.
Now, let's—
Grab!
You're too late.
You've fallen into the trap of someone who's been watching you all along.
They covered your mouth and dragged you away, but you managed to scream,
"Help!!!" Scream louder...
"HELP!!! HIKS HIKS"
"Be quiet!"
Hey, that's despicable—hitting a little girl's head like that.
Wait… Stay conscious, white-beanie girl...
Look, there's someone over there.
Call out to him, child...
"Un...cle..."
Louder! You can do it... Come on!
"Uncle... Hel..."
Do you want to end up dismembered? Scream like your mother at home would!
"UNCLE..."
That's right! Keep shouting like your father's curses at home...
"UNCLE... HELP!!!"
Screech!
They're closing the van door...
Grab!
Look, the man is coming.
Help me, Uncle... I don't want to be mutilated...
Quick, reach for his hand, child...
"Damn you, bastard..." muttered the kidnapper as he aimed a gun at
the man.
Slam!
Good! Good!
The man pinned the kidnapper's hand in the door. That scream was music to my
ears.
Now, kick his hand, Uncle...
The man swiftly kicked the kidnapper's hand, causing him to drop the gun
onto the road.
But the van managed to escape.
Just as the story was getting exciting, wasn't it?
You're trembling with fear. Calm down... The uncle is here to protect you
from mutilation.
Don't keep crying. Turn this into a lesson... Never walk alone, understand?
At least you're alive, thanks to that uncle. And you managed to scream. The
gods still grant you light to achieve your dreams. So stand up and thank him.
Look...
The uncle is handing you the rubber ball that had fallen earlier.
Take it... He's a good man.
The girl took the rubber ball, still with her head bowed.
Hey, lift your head up...
Don't let this uncle think you lack manners towards elders.
"Th-thank... you..." sobbed the girl.
Is that how you say thank you properly? Lift your head and bow properly,
like you do when helping your parents.
Come on... You can do it...
The girl slowly raised her head.
She wiped the tears from her eyes and was about to say thank you...
"Tha..."
Oh...
Once upon a time, there was a wolf.
It seems there won't be a day to achieve your dreams...
Its face was expressionless, void of emotions.
You shouldn't have followed your friend's whims from the beginning...
Its fur was thick and enchanting, its claws capable of killing a
boar in a single swipe.
...
Its teeth could tear through tree trunks and crush a lion's skull
before it could react.
Click.
The wolf was admired by other animals, revered like a god.
You can't scream anymore... Just stop.
Every day, it walked, ran, and hunted down prey in its path.
It didn't care whether the animals worshiped it or not.
The object in your mouth fits perfectly.
It was unseen.
It could suddenly appear behind you.
Or next to you.
Or directly in front of you.
I'm sorry...
And now, the animal has entered its hunting zone.
Even the tiniest creature isn't safe.
A girl with a pistol in her mouth and a man's hand on the trigger.
The wolf behind the rabbit...
What will happen?
What will happen?
I offer my deepest condolences...
"Hiks... hiks... hiks... help..."
...
Do you want to know what happens next?
The wolf devoured the rabbit whole, chewing it with its sharp teeth,
crushing its bones, and squeezing every drop of blood from its flesh.
Wait, wait...
That's the story you want to hear, isn't it?
...
Wait? Do you really want to know what happens next?
Alright...
A bullet pierced the man's mouth, blood spraying out like a
fountain, splattering onto the rubber ball that rolled to the feet of a girl.
Wait...
That's the girl in the red beanie...
Oh... Her eyes reflect nothing but emptiness, fear, and sorrow all at once.
Hey!! You need to run...
Don't just stand there, run!!
Go back to your house!!
Your friend won't come back to life... Run quickly... What are you waiting
for? Run!!
The girl remained frozen, her face pale with fear. Her wide eyes reflected
disbelief as her friend's blood stained her hair, face, clothes, pants, and
shoes.
By the gods, run from there... This isn't a drama broadcast. Your friend
isn't acting. Run if you still want to achieve your dreams...
The girl began to step back slowly, tears streaming down her face. Her mouth
seemed ready to scream, but the man's cold stare silenced her.
Yes, that's right! Keep running...
A small rabbit, following its mother from behind...
Shut up! Stop telling that wolf story!!
The wolf turned its head back, the tiny rabbit froze, staring at its
mother, destroyed in the wolf's mouth.
Faster! Run!!
"Hiks... hiks... hiks... Vallerie-chan... Mom!! Help..."
"I don't want to die... Mom, help..."
Bang!
Oh...
It seems the death toll will rise again.
The man shot the girl in the red beanie in the leg.
The wolf bit the baby rabbit's head.
It chewed, crushed the skull, and tore apart its flesh as blood gushed
from its mouth.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA..." The girl screamed as
she saw her bleeding leg.
She saw her exposed bone, the fragments scattered nearby.
Fresh, crimson blood gushed from her leg like a beautiful waterfall.
Ahh, the sound of screaming... I've always loved it.
Oh... Sorry, I got carried away...
I mean, crawl quickly. Get away from him...
The girl crawled with one leg, bleeding profusely.
Do you know the moral of this story?
Keep crawling and screaming...
You can do it...
The man moved closer to the girl, whose beanie had now fallen off.
Right...
Clink.
Rabbits don't venture out in winter.
"Mom... Higasa...
I'm scared..." she sobbed.
"Help..."
Slice!
"Ogh... Ogh... Ohhooooghh..."
What a beautiful fountain, isn't it? It's the first time there's been one in
red...
Wait... Don't let it stop... Don't let it stop... I haven't taken a picture
yet...
Ahh, so little!! This is a once-in-a-lifetime performance, isn't it? Damn, I
didn't get a picture of that moment when the blood spurted so high earlier...
Well, anyway...
May you both rest in peace.
The End.