Shudders: Reclamation Day

Chapter 15 - The Paranoid

     Look at how she is now. She never gets so worked up about I9 like she does with Ki and Akai. Uncomfortable? Yes but never having full blown panic attacks just from hearing its name.

     It's very telling how badly they treated her all those years ago. She's more afraid of them than the demon that actually wanted to kill her.

     Now she's stuck debating with herself whether or not they're dead or alive. Desperately trying to convince her conscious that they are but that same conscious telling her they aren't. She uses Yama as evidence to fight back her conscious. He said so himself, the link was gone and Akai was dead. If Akai was dead then so was Ki. They were in the same room as I9 and I9 died. She felt it die. That should be enough proof that they were all dead.

     But then her conscious hits her with the fact that Yama lied before, so what if he lied then too? He's more likely to protect his own brother, his flesh and blood than let him die for her own safety. And even though I9 did in fact die with the possession and their link going away being her proof, that didn't mean the other two went down with it.

    This constant back and forth with her own mind wasn't healthy for her. She's a mother now, a wife, a leader of a lab, her mind should be set on the future, not constantly in the past!

     The only way she'll have a sound mind is if she sees definitive proof that Ki and Akai are dead. Not someone else's word, not constantly saying they are over and over, but them actually lying dead at her feet with no life in her eyes. It didn't matter how they died as long as they were dead and out of her life for good.

      Then maybe she can finally live in peace...

      The sound of a branch breaking caught her attention and pulled her from her thoughts.

     She turned towards the greenhouse and kept still. Nothing moved or made a sound but (Y/N) wasn't convinced.

     She gripped her knife and slowly turned to face the greenhouse. Carefully taking steps closer to the door the led to the cafeteria without taking her eyes off of the greenhouse, she stopped when she heard another sound. This time, it sounded as if a shelf was bumped into which made some of the dead plants inside rustle.

     Someone or something was in there.

"Come out. You don't have to hide." She softly spoke but loud enough so whatever was inside could hear her. It was nighttime so she couldn't exactly see inside the small glass building due to the darkness and tarps covering it.

"Are you following us?"

     No response.

"If you are... and you don't want to hurt us, then I can make sure we don't hurt you. I promise."

     No response but more small shuffles could be heard. Through the darkness in the greenhouse, she saw something long and skinny move around. It folded in a way that reminded her of a spider...

"Are you... that demon from the university?"

     Dog flinched. How did she know?! He turned to look at his legs and saw them slightly stretched out to which he quickly pulled them into his back.

     He was originally following the Chief and keeping his eyes on him like he was told but his curiosity about (Y/N) got to him. When he was almost caught by other humans in the school, he hid inside the greenhouse until he could get the chance to leave. But then she showed up and stayed in the courtyard by herself for a while...

     The Head Keeper relaxed herself and took a deep breath. "You don't have to be scared or suspicious of us. Or maybe you work for Zankoku? But we don't have to be enemies."

     Dog anxiously fiddled with his gloves. He wanted to come out. He wanted to be friends with the humans and be safe from harm by them. He wanted to be safe from harm from everyone. She may be trying to help but it's better if he doesn't accept it. He can't accept her promise of safety, it would only make things worse. He can't. He just can't.

     He is her enemy. He works for Zankoku after all. 

    (Y/N) was getting nervous from not receiving any responses whatsoever. She wanted to get the others but didn't want this demon to slip away. If only it'll come out.

     She finally got her wish when the greenhouse door slowly opened up and revealed the dark insides of the small glass building. But inside she can make out a faint black silhouette that watched her carefully.

     The figure slowly came out and revealed itself in the moonlight. To say (Y/N) wasn't a bit scared would be a lie. But as the demon fully came out, hunched down but still big enough to be half her size, they both stared each other down. Neither daring to make a move.

     (Y/N) slowly held up a hand before reaching to her helmet to remove it. Dog watched her pull the helmet off and reveal her face to him. She looked kind...

"I'm not a threat. We're not a threat. I'm asking for you to be our friend so that we won't be threats to each other... You don't have to follow us..."

"I- I do..."

      Just as fast as she heard the deep raspy voice emit from the demon, Dog was already gone. Darted away in a black blur before (Y/N) could even blink. She looked around for him but didn't see any trace of the demon besides the tracks in the snow.

      She sighed and placed her helmet back on and her knife back in its holster. That... could've gone better.

      At least she knows who's following them...