Categories > Anime/Manga > Yami no Matsuei > A Place for Us to Dream
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Toothless Misery:
Yasuo lay in the grass staring at the sky. Was this what he had become?
"Mama…"
How long had it been? No one was looking for him. Why would they? His wife left years ago. His son cut him off. His kitsune was murdered. Yasuo wheezed out a tired laugh.
Wow… /Even death rejects me./ The old man's laughter turned into crying. His arm dropped to his side.
Please kill me…
"No," someone whispered. Yasuo looked to his left in the grass. Chuckling teased his ear.
"Look at you," the voice said. "Such a sad sight. Are you really going to end it like this?" Footsteps grew closer. Yasuo's eyes started to water again.
"Mama?" he asked.
"No," the voice said. "Not mama. She's gone, not coming for you."
"No…"
"I'm afraid it's true. You're no more use to her. She abandoned you. Sorry."
"But…"
"It's true."
The old man started crying again. "Mama. Mama…"
"Oh, stop crying already," the voice hissed. "I can help." Yasuo paused.
"Huh?" he asked. The footsteps stopped near his head. Something tapped his cheek.
"Hm," the voice said. "You're not much, but you'll have to do."
"What?" the old man asked. He could see who was talking to him. The tone was low too. Something about that voice made him tingle.
"Yes," the voice said. "You will have to do."
"Wait, what are…?" Yasuo asked. His body went stiff. His jaws were pulled open. The only thing he could move was his eyes.
"Don't resist. It won't take long," the voice said. Tears filled Yasuo's eyes.
Mama… /Mama…/
"Didn't I tell you?" the voice asked. "Your mother can't save you. She won't. She abandoned you."
No… /No!/
Yasuo's body went limp.
Young Yasuo sat in a darkened corner. He bit on his thumb. His knees were drawn to his chest. The boy shivered.
"So cold… so cold…" he muttered. A hand rested atop his head. Little Yasuo froze. His breath formed ice clouds in front of him. He tried to look up, but the boy couldn't move his head. Overhead, a cold smile formed.
"What do you want?" a voice asked. Yasuo shivered as his eyes went blank.
"What do I want?" he asked.
"Yes," the voice said. Little Yasuo shivered.
"I…" he said. The voice snickered over his head.
"I already know," it said. "I can help you."
"You… You can?" Little Yasuo asked.
"Yes," the voice growled. "I will be happy to help you. I just need you to give yourself to me!" The hand sank into the boy's head. The child let out a voiceless scream. His body bloated up and exploded. The hand disappeared into the sky.
By sunrise, Yasuo sat up. He rubbed the back of his head. Only, he wasn't Yasuo anymore.
When he turned his head, his eyes glowed a bright yellow. He got up and walked out of the deep grass of the park. He wouldn't have that body for long.
Yasuo lay in the grass staring at the sky. Was this what he had become?
"Mama…"
How long had it been? No one was looking for him. Why would they? His wife left years ago. His son cut him off. His kitsune was murdered. Yasuo wheezed out a tired laugh.
Wow… /Even death rejects me./ The old man's laughter turned into crying. His arm dropped to his side.
Please kill me…
"No," someone whispered. Yasuo looked to his left in the grass. Chuckling teased his ear.
"Look at you," the voice said. "Such a sad sight. Are you really going to end it like this?" Footsteps grew closer. Yasuo's eyes started to water again.
"Mama?" he asked.
"No," the voice said. "Not mama. She's gone, not coming for you."
"No…"
"I'm afraid it's true. You're no more use to her. She abandoned you. Sorry."
"But…"
"It's true."
The old man started crying again. "Mama. Mama…"
"Oh, stop crying already," the voice hissed. "I can help." Yasuo paused.
"Huh?" he asked. The footsteps stopped near his head. Something tapped his cheek.
"Hm," the voice said. "You're not much, but you'll have to do."
"What?" the old man asked. He could see who was talking to him. The tone was low too. Something about that voice made him tingle.
"Yes," the voice said. "You will have to do."
"Wait, what are…?" Yasuo asked. His body went stiff. His jaws were pulled open. The only thing he could move was his eyes.
"Don't resist. It won't take long," the voice said. Tears filled Yasuo's eyes.
Mama… /Mama…/
"Didn't I tell you?" the voice asked. "Your mother can't save you. She won't. She abandoned you."
No… /No!/
Yasuo's body went limp.
Young Yasuo sat in a darkened corner. He bit on his thumb. His knees were drawn to his chest. The boy shivered.
"So cold… so cold…" he muttered. A hand rested atop his head. Little Yasuo froze. His breath formed ice clouds in front of him. He tried to look up, but the boy couldn't move his head. Overhead, a cold smile formed.
"What do you want?" a voice asked. Yasuo shivered as his eyes went blank.
"What do I want?" he asked.
"Yes," the voice said. Little Yasuo shivered.
"I…" he said. The voice snickered over his head.
"I already know," it said. "I can help you."
"You… You can?" Little Yasuo asked.
"Yes," the voice growled. "I will be happy to help you. I just need you to give yourself to me!" The hand sank into the boy's head. The child let out a voiceless scream. His body bloated up and exploded. The hand disappeared into the sky.
By sunrise, Yasuo sat up. He rubbed the back of his head. Only, he wasn't Yasuo anymore.
When he turned his head, his eyes glowed a bright yellow. He got up and walked out of the deep grass of the park. He wouldn't have that body for long.
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