Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Radical Dreamers ❯ Straying Doubt ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter 2: Straying Doubt

The front door slammed open with a bang. Panting, Erev surveyed the room. Her heart sank as she saw her mother seated on the floor across from a photo of her brother with beer bottle in hand. Atsuko looked up at her daughter and opened her mouth to speak.

“No!” Erev turned away and sprinted back down the street. She frantically searched through all of his usual haunts, checked every pachinko parlor that side of town, and toured the junior high hangouts. But Erev still found no sign of her absent brother.

Defeated and unwilling to believe the truth, Erev slumped into a wooden bench on the outskirts of a small park. For a long while she only stared. The reality of it all slowly sank into her as the sun blended into the horizon. Yusuke was dead. He had left her.

There was no way for her to prepare for it, no way to expect it. Erev had never even dreamed that she would have to be ready for a death in the family. Not this early, at least. So she wasn't prepared for the onslaught of emotions that accompanied the revelation of her brother's demise.

The tears came quickly then; tears of anger, fear, and longing. She hid her face in her hands, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees. What was she supposed to do now? Didn't Yusuke know she needed him, depended on him? Then again, it was just like him to leave out of the blue like that. He was always so abrupt.

“Miss? Are you alright?” A soft voice called Erev from her pondering. She suddenly remembered she was still crying and wiped the tears from her eyes.

“I'm okay,” she croaked, looking up into the boy's sapphire eyes. He seemed doubtful of her assurances and sat down beside her.

“Care to share?” he asked after a short silence. Erev stared at the ground. She made sure that her voice was devoid of scratchiness before she spoke.

“I just found out that my brother died.” Her fists tightened around her skirt. She had finally admitted the truth out loud and a new lump formed in her throat as fresh tears pooled in her eyes.

“Oh,” his voice dropped slightly. “I can understand why you would be crying now. I guess there's not much I can do to help, is there?”

Erev shook her head, still too emotional to speak. He still stayed seated and after a few minutes turned back to Erev again.

“You know, my uncle died fairly recently. I liked him a lot and had a hard time getting over his death. I don't know if my method will apply to you, but what really helped me was just getting away for a little while. You know, not hanging around places that he would have been around. If you go out and have an adventure, you forget what real life is like.”

Erev nodded and smiled lightly at her companion. “I understand. Thank you very much. You've helped me a lot.”

She stood and bowed to him before turning to leave.

“Wait,” he said, also standing. Erev turned back around.

He cleared his throat seemingly in nervousness. “If you're up for it I wouldn't mind helping you start off your adventure.”

One of Erev's eyebrows shot up questioningly.

“I mean, not by myself of course,” he clarified. “Some of my friends are getting together tonight to throw a little party. If you come, it might help you to forget for a little while.”

Erev's suspicion dissipated even though she still gave thought to his offer before deciding. He seemed like a fairly decent person so she wouldn't have to worry about what kind of party it was. And even if she didn't like the place, she could always leave. She still had a home to go to. Erev finally nodded, “Alright. That sounds like a good chance to test your theory. I'm Erev, by the way.”

“Yuki. It's a pleasure,” he smiled. “The party starts at eight. So, if we start walking now we can make it there a little early. It's this way.”

Yuki led Erev down the street. As they walked Erev shared more of her own story with him. He was very good at asking questions. Erev almost forgot where they were going until they arrived at the entrance of a worn looking duplex. She hardly thought on the state of the building, knowing from experience that looks weren't everything. Sometimes good people lived in bad places.

“Just to warn you, it'll probably be a mess inside,” Yuki said. Erev nodded and said it would be okay with her.

Erev had been willing to believe her assumptions until Yuki opened the door. The stench of old cigarettes and beer hit her as she stepped over the threshold into the living room. A pack of guys sat and stood in various places, some smoking and some drinking. Some of them welcomed Yuki very heartily.

Erev turned to him. “This isn't my kind of party,” she said coolly. “I'm leaving.”

Yuki grabbed at her arm before she could go far. “Come on, you haven't even gotten past the door. I thought you wanted to have an adventure.”

Erev glared, finally seeing past her companion's smile. His grip on her arm was tight and controlling, much less than friendly. “Obviously we have different ideas of what that means. Now let go of my arm before I break yours.”

He laughed. “Getting feisty?”

“Did you bring us a friend, Yuki?” one of the guys asked as three of them approached, circling around to block the door. Erev glared back at their lecherous glances.

Yuki shook his head. “Sorry guys, this one's not a toy. She's for Masuro's personal use.”

“The hell?” A bald guy asked incredulously. “I thought you didn't believe in any of that hocus-pocus crap he keeps spouting about.”

“I don't. But I do believe in money, which he's offered in compensation for bringing a subject. Isn't that right, Masuro?”

“Hm,” a spiky haired blonde agreed from a couch on the other side of the room. “Yes, Yuki, you'll get your reward.”

Erev jumped into action, seeing that the attention was not on her. She quickly pushed one of Yuki's fingers back toward his wrist until it snapped loudly. Adrenaline rushing, Erev leapt for the door.

But the others had also reacted to Yuki's screaming curses and piled onto her before she could get far. Her wrists and ankles were quickly tied.

They threw her on the bare floor before Masuro's feet. The last two of the group sat close to him, one flanking his right on the arm of the couch, the other leaning casually against the wall on his left. Erev counted seven men in all, too many for her to handle. She knew some basic fighting skills that Yusuke taught her when they were younger, but her brother was the real expert. He could beat those guys up for her in no time.

But Yusuke was dead. He wasn't coming to rescue her. Erev was on her own. And she already knew she didn't stand a chance.

“Hm. You have spunk but your eyes are dead. Good. That's exactly what I need.” Masuro stood and pulled her up by the collar of her uniform to coolly stare her down.

“Do you believe in the supernatural?” he asked, easily tossing her into his former seat on the couch.

Erev remained obstinately silent, still trying to wriggle free of her restraints.

Masuro continued, “Not many do. I myself think it's real and I've recently come across a way to prove it.” He walked across to the only bookshelf in the room. The volume he pulled out was dusty and falling to pieces. Masuro opened it to a bookmark close to the middle. He removed the piece of paper and held it up for all to see. It showed a strange, artistic symbol.

“This is a charm,” Masuro explained, returning to stand in front of Erev. “It will bring a spirit forth from the underworld.”

He pushed the paper against Erev's forehead, where it stayed. “But our spirit needs a host. And that's where you come in.”

“Yo, Masuro,” one of the spectators cut in. “Can we have her when you're done with all that magic stuff? We all know it won't really do anything.”

“Hm, we'll see,” Masuro frowned deeply and began to read the script of the book before any more interruptions came.

As Masuro began his otherworldly chant Erev tried to shake the silly piece of paper off of her forehead. The stiff parchment barely fluttered at her movement and showed no signs of letting go of her.

Erev finally gave up and sat still, waiting for him to finish. She would try her escape again then. She didn't believe in that stuff anyway. It was just a silly superstition.

Masuro finished speaking and clamped the book shut. The room fell deathly silent in anticipation. After a few seconds of waiting, Yuki spoke up.

“I told you, Masuro. It's just a load of -“

He was cut off by a loud scream from Erev. She began to writhe on the couch, shaking her head back and forth.

Once Masuro stopped talking Erev felt a pressure begin to build behind her forehead. Lightheadedness followed and the pressure suddenly flared into a blinding intensity that caused her screams and wild movements. It was as if her head was caving in, as if something immense was forcing its way in where there wasn't enough room for it to be.

And then she couldn't breath. The boys had stuffed a shirt in her face to quiet her screaming. Erev would have stopped if she could, but all control she had over her voice was lost.

The lack of oxygen took away the searing pain, but the lightheadedness returned. She could feel her body shutting down under the overload. Her vision tunneled into black. It quickly returned, but she couldn't think enough to figure her situation out.

When Erev regained her wits she realized she was lying with her cheek pressed against the cold ground. She stared across the level plane of the room, head still throbbing in a pulsing beat. Voices sounded above her.

“Dude, you killed her!”

“Don't be an idiot. She's still breathing.”

“Hey, did anyone else see that glowing light?”

Erev continued to stare. She couldn't move. But she needed to. She needed to leave before they got the idea to try another experiment on her.

She blinked slowly, trying to think coherently, and opened her eyes to find a red film covering the world.

A grunt sounded from her throat as her arms flexed against their bindings. The rope easily split apart. The only problem was that Erev had not thought of trying to break out of her restraints. She knew she couldn't. She knew she wasn't strong enough.

And now she was standing, surveying the room and its occupants as if she had never seen them before.

Erev realized with a sudden certainty that she was not the one in control anymore. Her body was following another's orders now. She was only a spectator. Apparently, Masuro's convictions were just proven true.

She suddenly pointed at Masuro. “Explain yourself, human. Why have you bonded me to a woman's body?” Erev's tenant snarled. The male's voice gave her own a deeper, harsh undertone.

Masuro stood dumbfounded. Either he hadn't believed that anything would happen or he was shocked at how different the scenario was from his own imaginings.

“Fool!” the spirit continued. “You humans are disgusting, always finding ways to disrupt our kind by meddling in things beyond your comprehension. Did you not realize that the binding spell you chanted is permanent? Now I must wait for this host to die before I can inhabit a more suitable body.”

“I didn't -“ Masuro began shakily.

“Think? No you did not. And for that you must die. Your offense is unforgivable. I may have shown you more mercy for freeing me if you had done it properly. But not this way.”

In the next moment her arm drove through Masuro's chest.

Masuro made no sound and neither did anyone else in the room. Erev, too, was shocked into silence. She had wanted to be rescued, but her wish didn't include the death of her assailant.

The spirit inhabiting Erev's body took a step back, allowing Masuro's limp body to fall to the floor with a dull thud. Erev's eyes turned to the rest of the group.

`No,' Erev thought desperately. `No. You can't do this. You can't kill them.'

`This body belongs to me now. I will do as I see fit.' The responding thoughts of the spirit sounded like an actual voice to Erev. It seemed they could communicate through thought even though their minds were separate.

`No, please don't.' Erev could hardly think. Everything was happening so fast. She already had one death on her hands, even if she hadn't really committed the crime. She didn't want to see anyone else die that day.

`Hmph. Your pleadings are idiotic and useless. You have no power here.'

A curse from the outside world broke into their conversation.

“The girl's gone nuts!” One of Masuro's followers proclaimed. He swiftly pulled a gun from a back pocket and took aim.

The spirit was faster. Erev's controller grabbed the man's wrist in the next second and twisted until it snapped. At the same time the heel of Erev's palm shot against his face, driving the man's nasal column into his skull. He dropped and the spirit turned to the next one.

In the same bloody manner the spirit decimated the other five. Erev wanted to stop him, but her screams were ignored. She couldn't even look away. Her eyes were where he wanted them to be, so they both saw the same things. Erev felt that the spirit enjoyed his killings; that he relished in the blood and destruction. He was a nightmare she would never wake up from.

The spirit stood among the dead. Erev's eyes swept over the room again and she knew he was thinking about what to do next. Then, with a sudden lurch, she was back in control again.

She could see more clearly and hear the clock ticking on the wall. And she could feel again. She could feel everything; the warmth of the blood against her cheeks and dripping down her arms and hands to the ground, the pounding of her fearful heart, and most of all the thudding beat of the spirit's presence still pressing against her mind.

Erev knew the switch was unintentional. The spirit was fighting to get out, to have control. And she was too weak to deny him.

Her freedom was short lived. The gathering fatigue of a long day of trauma pulled her toward the ground. She was soon falling.

Falling into black.