Fiction Academy: CAS' Never Ending Story 2022

|22| Demons and Town

Just like a wild beast, I couldn't go against my nature.

The curiosity was strong, and my hands were shaken.

I carefully placed my thumbs inside the paper and folded it back against itself.

_______________________

Aikoku Nobunaga

407-039-1194

Meet me behind the Izakaya tavern by midnight if you want to live.

______________________

My heart pounded violently as I unconsciously repeated the last sentence in disbelief. Would I be killed? But I was dead, wasn't I? Could the devilish town be worse than a mortal imagined? Could this be hell, and I'm reviving my death once again? My fright and wonder were destroying what I had of my sanity!

Yes, I was surely becoming insane, paranoid to be exact. He requested my presence, expected me to be behind the tavern. My senses told me he knew more than I ever suspected.

There was the possibility of being dead; anyone in the town could kill me easily.

...and never find out the truth.

...there was the chance of meeting a stranger.

...a possible assassin, and taking the risk of dying.

Both situations were unpleasant, but a choice had to be made. I was conflicted to leave the hotel at such late hours. All my belongings could be stolen, or worse!

But I had made up my mind and straightened my sanity. I could no longer find the truth about the damned town. I slipped within the halls. Cautiously made my steps as I gently tiptoed towards the exit and closed the door without making any sound.

I stayed in the darkness, avoiding the sight of anyone passing by until I reached the destination where he was waiting. We did not exchange any words; my fear took my voice or introduced each other.

However, he handed me an old diary made of leather before fleeing once again. Something inside me told me to open it in the hotel, so I did it.

_______________________

September 11, 1998

My darling wife, Himari, and my precious children were the only company I had when we arrived in the town. We were on our way to our vacations for the summer until we needed a place to rest for the night.

The town residents kindly set us to a hotel and gave us a pamphlet about the activities downtown. The following morning we found our car missing. We reported it to the police and questioned the managers at the hotel, but they claimed we didn't have a car to start.

Himari later found all our belongings, which were in our car, at our room in the hotel. We all agreed there was no way to escape and return to our destination. We reported to the community service (The "activities" were just like the ones a prisoner would do in community service) where we later found out there were other unfortunate souls like ours. They claimed that it was too dangerous to talk because he was listening to everything we said. This was just the start of the worst.

A sign of relief and fright ran down my spine. I wasn't the only one who was trapped in the town, but that meant this was a spider web waiting for the next prey.