FicWad: fresh-picked original and fan fiction

Chapter Nineteen: Karma Police:

Halloween 1999. Sixteen-year-old Kimoto Kaoru waited outside. He was all dressed in black. That was a cold night back then. Kaoru trembled all over. He’d rather be in bed right about now. But no! His dad said that they had to be out tonight. Why? His grandmother, Haruka, ordered her oldest son, his father out on a sacrifice tonight. His father was more than happy to do so. He always wanted to do this one. But, he needed some help. Enter the rest of the immediate family. So it was the dad, his two younger brothers, Kaoru, and his cousin. Nice little family outing. Kaoru didn’t think so.

He felt someone nudge him in the back. Kaoru slowly looked up. His dad had on a Kabuki mask of a priest.

“What’s on your mind?” he asked. Kaoru shook his head.

“Nothing,” he lied. “Nothing at all.” His father didn’t buy it. He slapped the boy in the face. Kaoru winced in pain, but said nothing. He learned the hard way that crying makes things worse. His father learned that from his grandmother. The boy bit his lip hard to fight back tears. His father glared at him through his mask.

“You can’t get cold feet on this mission!” he barked. “We have to do this! It is the only way that I… er… we can get mom to finally appreciate me after so long!” Kaoru looked at him coldly. He rolled his eyes at him. Figures! His dad wanted his mother’s approval after all of these years. Nothing he did was ever good enough for her. Yet, her son refused to quit. He kept trying to impress Haruka with more killings and blood sacrifices. Kaoru didn’t understand his father. Part of the problem was that the father never bonded with the son. A relationship between them never existed. Except for the fights and occasional beatings, the boys hardly interacted with each other. Kaoru said nothing to his dad and always tried to avoid him whenever possible. But sometimes like tonight, that didn’t turn out that way. Kaoru looked at his father begrudgingly.

“Fine,” he mumbled. “I’ll do it!” His father said nothing. He turned to the other boys.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Okay,” the oldest said. “Let’s go!” The men headed towards the manor. Kaoru sighed in discontent.

“Right…” he mumbled. Then, the boy put on his mask and walked up to the crew. They all made it into the yard. The father turned to his son.

“Okay Kaoru,” he said. “Just go up to the door and convince your cousin to let you in.” His son looked confused.

“How?” he asked.

“Just… make up something!” his father hissed. “Say it’s an emergency!” Kaoru nodded uneasily.

“Okay…” he said. The boy walked up to the Kimoto Manor door. He rang the bell. Anna opened the door a crack.

“Uh… can I help you?” she asked.

“Please miss!” he pleaded. “It’s an emergency! We need to use your phone!” Anna looked at him slightly confused.

“I’m sorry, we don’t have a phone,” she lied.

“Please!” Kaoru insisted. “It’s a matter of life or death! We need to contact help right away!” Anna paused for a moment. She looked inside nervously. After that, the young girl turned back to Kaoru. She nervously bit her lip.

“Well, okay,” Anna said at last. “But make it quick.” Kaoru nodded his head.

“Oh thank you, miss!” he said. Anna slowly pulled open the door. But then, Kaoru, his father, uncles, and cousin rushed inside to attack. Anna screamed in fear.

“What should we do with her?” the cousin asked.

“Do as you like!” the father brushed off. His youngest brother just shoved Anna in the closet and locked it up. The girl pounded on the door screaming. Daisuke ran into the living room and spotted the intruders.

“You!” he barked. The men looked up and saw their target.

“At long last!” the father announced. “Daddy dearest is here!” Then, the slaughter began. Kaoru didn’t participate. He stood against the back wall and watched. He had no stomach for killing. The boy was even worried for Anna being trapped in the closet while her dad was dying. He hoped that he could make it up to her. One day…

May 2009. On the same night Kato died, Anna heard the doorbell ring. She looked up from her laptop. “/Hm?/” the woman thought. “/Who’s that at this hour?/” Rihoko had a night class tonight and Yoko-chan and Seita were in their beds sound asleep. Tsuzuki and Hisoka had already left. Maybe it’s the killer. Only one way to see…

Anna got up from her desk and walked out of Daisuke’s office. She silently crept down the hall. A strange feeling came over her. “/I feel like I’ve done this before,/” she thought. “/Don’t know why…/” Anna made it to the door. She slid it open a crack. A man stood on the other side looking in. He looked about her age. The man seemed to be homeless. He really needed to shave. The beard on his face made him look like a Japanese version of the Unabomber. He looked so pale all over. The man wore all black as well. Anna looked at him confused.

“Can I… help you?” she asked. The man looked at her with helpless eyes.

“Please san,” he pleaded. “My car ran out of gas on my way home and I don’t have any spare tanks. May I stay the night here?” Anna stared on uneasily. This all felt too familiar. Almost like déjà vu. Something told her not to let him in.

“Sure…” Anna replied uneasily. The man bowed his head.

“Thank you, san,” he said. The woman reluctantly let him in. The man walked into the manor. Anna closed the door behind them. Her new guest looked around his new surroundings. Anna observed him closely. There was an odd feeling in her gut. Something wasn’t right with this guy. “/Where have I seen him before?/” she thought. “/Where? Where?/” Her answer came when the man turned to her.

“Strange,” he said. “I thought you didn’t have a phone.” That little sentence triggered a chain reaction. Anna’s eyes widened. Her brain instantly made the connection. “/Oh shit, it’s him!/” she thought. This man was the boy who was at her door that fateful Halloween night. This was the boy who tricked her into opening the door for him and the other intruders to lock her away and kill Daisuke. The memories flooded her head again.

“San,” a voice spoke up. “Is something wrong?” Anna quickly returned to earth. The boy, now a man, stared at her, looking concerned.

“Are you okay?” he asked. Anna quickly nodded.

“Y-Yes!” she lied. “Just remembered something, that’s all.” The man kept his eyes locked dead on her. Anna decided to put on a brave front.

“Really, I’m fine!” she lied. “Look, you’re hungry, aren’t you?” The man blinked in confusion.

“Uh, yeah, I guess…” he replied.

“Great!” Anna chirped. “I’ll heat you something to eat and work from there.” The man gave her a blank stare.

“Are you sure?” he asked. “I don’t want to cause any trouble.”

“Oh not at all!” his hostess lied. “It’s a joy to have new people here at times.” The man still looked uneasy.

“Okay…” he said. Anna smiled at him richly.

“Good!” she said. “Take a seat at the table and I’ll get you something to eat shortly!” She pushed him to the dining room table. The man had no choice but to comply. So, he did.

In the kitchen, Anna began plotting. The past caught up with her at last. So now, what to do? “/He must pay for what he did!/” Anna thought. “/I have to make him pay for Papa’s death!/” Then, an idea came into her head. Her psychology minor came into good use. First, she needed to study her target and then work from there. But first, to look for food. Just to avoid suspicion.

Anna began looking in the cabinets. She spotted some instant ramen. The woman breathed for a moment. “/Okay,/” she thought. “/Good enough./” Anna turned back to the dining room.

“Uh… all we have is ramen at the moment,” she lied. “That okay?”

“Sure,” the guest said. “That’s fine!” Vengeance took over her mind from there. Anna set up the kitchen to start cooking. As the ramen cooked, she looked around in the cabinet with the pills. It took a minute to find what she was looking for. Anna found some sleeping pills in the very back. “/Gottcha!/” she thought. The woman pulled out the pills. She hurried back to the pot and dropped four sleeping pills in the ramen and mixed them in. She smiled at her work. Payback would be sweet tonight.

When the ramen was done, Anna took it off the stove. She put the food in a bowl. The woman carried the trap to her guest.

“Here you are,” she said. “Nice hot ramen!” The man became overjoyed.

“Thanks san!” he said. Anna joined him at the table. The man began eating. The hostess watched for a moment.

“So,” she spoke up. “Tell me about yourself. Where did you come from?” The man glanced at her. Anna gave him a kind little smile. The man didn’t suspect a thing.

“Well,” he started. “I just got divorced. We grew apart. One of those things, you know?” Anna nodded some.

“I see,” she said. Her guest took another bite. Lucky for her, he was in a talking mood.

“It’s funny,” he went on. “My life has always been a screw-up. My dad and I never got along. He was too busy kissing up to grandma.” The man shook his head.

“So pathetic really,” he went on. “Dad never paid any attention to me. It was always about what grandma wanted. Sigh That’s part of the reason why we never got along. So stupid! He used to beat me all of the time, you know? When he got angry, dad would lock me in the closet for a long time. That’s why I’m… oh what’s the word?”

“Claustrophobic?” Anna suggested.

“Yeah,” the man said, nodding.

“I see…” the hostess replied in thought. An idea came into her head. She had just found a fitting punishment for her guest. All needed to do was wait. That would be easy!

In one hour, the guest passed out on the table. Anna kept a stoic face the whole time. Time to act! Anna rose to her feet and walked over to the target. He was out cold. Perfect! Now for the next part. Anna reached into her pocket and drew out her cell phone. She dialed a familiar number. The woman waited. “/Come on,/” she thought. “/Don’t pick up./” Just as expected, voice-mail. Good. No answer, made things easier.

“Hey Tsuzuki, it’s me,” she said. “I found one of the guys that killed Papa. Laughs Come and get me before I do something really bad. Bye.” Anna hung up the phone. She turned back to the man. Still out cold, good. The woman breathed some. Okay, now to wrap up.

In a few minutes, the man awoke. He saw pitch black all around. Panic came over him. He began to fear the worst. The man slowly felt all around him. It was then he knew that he was in a tight closed space of some sort. A closet, to be exact. The panic increased instantly. He started pounding on the door.

“Let me out!” he cried. “I’m scared in here. Let me out!”

“No!” Anna yelled on the outside. The man became bewildered as well. He pounded on the door harder.

“Why are you doing this?!?” he yelped. “Have I offended you somehow?!?”

“Oh yes!” Anna replied like a mad woman. “Ten years ago on Halloween!” The man tried his best to remember. Suddenly, it hit him.

“Anna?” the man asked. “Cousin?” The woman didn’t think about the last part. Vengeance clouded her mind. She wanted to make him suffer. She wanted to make him feel the pain she felt that night. He needed to pay for what he did.

“I don’t get it, Anna!” the poor man yelped. “Why are you doing this to me? Please, let me out! I’m scared!”

“Are you now?” the woman asked.

“Yes!” he victim yelped. Silence on the other side. Anna took in his breathlessness with made delight. He was scared. Good! He deserved to feel the terror she felt that night years ago. Insanity continued to eat at her logic. She only saw red.

Her victim panicked inside his cell. His panic attack began. Sweat broke out all over his body as he broke down trembling. His heart raced out of control.

“Cousin!” he pleaded. “Dear cousin! You don’t want to kill me! I-I-I’m not your enemy! I didn’t kill your dad!”

“LIAR!!!” Anna screamed. “You’re just as guilty as they are!” The man became desperate. He panted even worse now. Thoughts of dying and going crazy invaded his mind. The poor soul felt the dark wall closing in on him, cutting off his air. Anna was choking him with her cold cruelty.

“Really, I didn’t touch him!” he begged in between breaths. “I-I-I didn’t want to do it! My dad dragged me along! He told me to get you to let us in! After that, I didn’t do anything, I swear! I just stood near the wall. I’m telling the truth! I swear! I swear! Please let me out of here! I think I might die in here!” Anna didn’t hear his voice anymore. All she heard was her own sixteen-year-old voice crying for help as Daisuke was being beaten to death. No! This bastard deserved to suffer until he died. The jury in her head had reached that verdict.

Things grew worse for the victim. Death was breathing down his neck. Derealization took over his mind. He felt cold and hot all over. The poor soul soon felt light-headed. He soon couldn’t think straight anymore.

“I’m sorry, dad!” he cried from his childhood. “I’ll be good! Please help me somebody!”

“Anna!” a voice yelled at his captor. The woman looked up right away. Tsuzuki and the boys stood in the doorway. The Shinigami saw Anna with worried horror. Her eyes were red with hate. She look possessed by the devil. Her body was there, but her mind had vanished. Hisoka could feel her wrath without touching her. Tsuzuki stepped forward.

“Anna, what’s going on?” he asked. “Where is the man that killed your father?” Anna didn’t speak. She pointed to the blocked off closet. The boys got a clear picture of what happened. Tsuzuki tried to stay calm.

“Anna,” he said. “Let him go.”

“NO!!!” the woman screamed. “HE DESERVES TO DIE!”

“Why?” the Shinigami questioned. Anna froze. That question was strong enough to snap her back into reality. She still didn’t speak. The woman’s hands began to tremble. She looked down at her feet.

“I… I…” Anna stammered out. She finally sank down to the floor crying. The vengeance left her mind and took all of her energy with it. In the end, the whole punishment trap proved rather pointless. Tsuzuki walked over to her and knelt down beside of her.

“Shhh! It’s okay. It’s okay,” he whispered, trying to calm her down. Anna said nothing and wept. Tatsumi and Watari walked over to the closet. They moved the chairs aside and opened the door. The man sat on the floor in a frightened daze. The Shinigami looked at him in pity.

“It’s okay,” Tatsumi said, calmly. “We’re not going to hurt you.” The man didn’t respond. She really gave it her all with him. The Shinigami had to physically take him out of the closet.

Once this had calmed down, the man sat at the kitchen table again. He still wasn’t off the hook. The Shinigami had their own questions for him. They kept Anna away from their suspect in fear that she would harm him again. The boys got the man some tea to help him calm down.

“Here,” Tsuzuki said as he handed the man the cup.

“Thanks,” the suspect said, nodding. He slowly took a drink. Tsuzuki sat at the table with him.

“How are you involved in all of this mess?” he asked. The man looked down, nervous.

“I’m Anna’s cousin,” he mumbled. The Shinigami all listened on in shock. This man was Anna’s cousin? They suspected that Daisuke was killed by his family all those years ago. But they hadn’t thought of children joining the kills. They all had to learn more.

“What’s your name?” Tatsumi asked.

“Kimoto Kaoru,” he answered.

“Why did you come back here?” Tsuzuki questioned. “Was it to finish the clan’s job?” Kaoru shook his head.

“My car broke down a few miles down the road. I just needed a place to stay for the night!” he justified. “Look, I left my dad’s family years ago. I went to my mom’s maiden name, Ueda, and went to live with my grandparents. I was there the night they killed Uncle Daisuke. But I only tricked Anna into letting us in. I didn’t participate in the killing. I only watched, I swear. I’m not lying! I’m telling the truth!” The Shinigami sat in silence. He could be telling the truth…

“Why did they kill your uncle?” Hisoka asked. Kaoru shrugged as he shook his head.

“No idea,” he replied. “Dad never told me why.” He shook his head at his answer. “He just dragged me out of bed and said that we had to do this for grandma,” the man went on. “That’s all ever cared about! He spent most of my childhood trying to make grandma happy and love him. Dad never cared about me! Not once! Kaoru finished his tea bitterly. The whole room went silent. That certainly drew up a clear picture of what they were all up against.

After a few more questions, the boys let Kaoru go. He walked into the living room and paused at the front door. He turned and look into the room. Anna was heading back to Daisuke’s office when she pauses and saw her cousin. The woman glared at him. The Shinigami stayed by in case Anna would try to attack him again.

“Cousin, I’m so sorry!” Kaoru pleaded to her. His cousin looked him up and down. Anna took a couple of steps closer to Kaoru. Tsuzuki prepared to break up a confrontation. Instead, Anna spat on her cousin bitterly and walked off. That was all that she had left in her. Tsuzuki and the boys breathed out in slight relief. At least, tonight they had a new lead after many years of searching for a way to bring down the Eda-Kimoto clan for good.

Log in to rate and review this story

You won't see stories with a lower score when you browse or search. Log in to adjust filter.