Distorted Wonderland

Rika-Sensei

Halo Nine: Rika-Sensei:

Rika's new at the Child Psychology center today. Three days; three days and nothing. Three sessions and she still hadn't gotten anywhere with Noriko. The girl seemed to be trying to keep something at bay. The clock ticked in the background as they stared each other down.

"Noriko-chan," Rika said, "You can start when you are ready." The girl still wouldn't talk. Her new therapist sighed.

"Come on, Noriko-chan," she said, "I want to help you."

"You can't," the girl said in a hoarse whisper. Rika gave her a rather puzzled look.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Noriko drew her knees to her chest on the couch.

"I'll get you killed too," she whispered. The therapist looked intrigued now.

"I won't be killed," she said, "What makes you say that?" A dark shade filled the patient eyes as she stared at the floor. Noriko mouthed something just as cold.

"Excuse me?" Rika asked. Noriko's darkened eyes turned to her therapist.

"Don't let the devil get me," she said in a growl. The therapist was so startled that she dropped on her notes on the floor.

Later that evening, Rika recovered enough to look over her lack of notes. She couldn't understand what happened in today's session. Noriko had remained silent until now. What brought all... this on? She happened to look out of the corner of eye to see one of her colleagues, Chiho walking up to her.

"Hiya!" she cheered. Rika slowly looked up at her.

"Oh..." she mumbled, "Hi..." Chiho looked over her shoulder and saw her notes on Noriko. Her face went rather grim.

"You have that patient?" she asked. Rika tilted her head at her.

"Do you know anything about her?" she asked. Chiho took a seat next to her.

"I was here after Koda-sensei disappeared," she explained, "Every therapist that had her has disappeared in some way or another." Rika turned to her intrigued.

"Disappeared?" she asked. Chiho gave her a sharp nod.

"Yeah," she said, "I don't know much about Koda-sensei, but I heard that Mirai-sensei was a nervous wreck after her last session with Noriko-chan. After that, she had never been seen since."

"Did it have something to do with their notes?" Rika asked.

"That's the word in the office anyway," Chiho said. She stood up from the table and turned to the doorway. Before she left, the woman turned and looked over her shoulder.

"Get out quick with this case while you have the chance," she warned her. Rika watched as her work best friend walked out the door. For the rest of the night, she couldn't sleep because of Noriko's haunting words.

"Don't let the devil get me."

What did those words mean? What has Noriko so frightened like this? The current notes didn't provide much for Rika to solve.

The next morning, she dialed up Shimamoto-sensei for help as she left her apartment to go to work.

"This is Shimamoto Ken," his voice mail said, "I cannot come to the phone right now, please leave a message." Rika walked across the street as the other line beeped.

"Hey Boss," she said, "It's Yagami-sensei, I have Ichikawa Noriko as my patient and I can't seem to get through to her. I can't reach her guardian either. I was just wondering if I could have a look at her previous session from her last ther..."

Rika froze in horror as she saw Shimamoto-sensei's body being taken down from the cross that he was martyred on in front of the psychology center. Her cell phone dropped to the pavement.