Hungry Youkai !GGKI3UTr5s 2008/11/17 (Mon) 14:47 No. 68054 You bite your lip. Yuka ... you really don't want to see her, you don't want to see that face again, She tried to assault you, she hurt Renko ... she ... you're scared of her. She's not human in the slightest.
"I ..." You look between Renko and Utsuho. On the other hand, you're going to have to deal with her sooner or later, someone is, maybe by talking ... maybe you can avoid this again, make sure she doesn't hurt Renko again because of you. Yes, that's good. Talking. Talking to Renko has solved everything, right? So, talking to Yuka ... you gulp. The thought makes you shake a little, but it's better than knowing she's out there, waiting until she's whole again.
Taking a deep breath, you nod. "I think it would be okay." You say. "In case ... m-maybe she can be reasoned with?" You look at Renko, who just frowns.
"I'm coming with you." She says. "You're not going to be alone with that thing." Renko shifts the blankets off, revealing her bare legs, trying to stand up.
"No!" You say, holding your hands out. "You need to rest, please!"
Renko frowns at you. "It's not safe alone."
You glance at Utsuho, who has been shuffling towards the door. Your eyes meet and she smiles awkwardly.
"Just ... er ... thought I'd leave you two alone, yeah?" She says.
"I ... could-" You stop and gather your thoughts. "Would you come with me if I talk to Yuka?" You ask her.
"Oh." Renko says, letting herself slump back down into bed.
"Huh?" Utsuho cocks her head at you. "I ... yeah, I just came form there anyway." She shrugs. "Sure thing, you wanna go now?"
You glance at Renko, she nods. "Go on, Okuu'l look after you." She says. "Won't you?" She adds, raising an eyebrow at Utsuho.
"Oh! Yeah!" Utsuho jumps, her smile becoming even more fixed. "S-sure." She nods.
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After convincing Renko to lie back down, Utsuho leads you outside. She walks a few paces ahead of you, glancing back now and again. As you step outside, sunlight breaks over your face, it feels good. Renko was right, outside is better, open and free. You take a deep breath, relax, calm. Yuka's tied up, there's nothing to be afraid of. You keep telling yourself that but it barely helps, you can already feel the cold sweat on your back.
"You ... uh." Utsuho starts, then licks her lips and frowns. "You with the, uh, 'Renko' girl now?"
"Eh?" Your eyes widen, you feel your face turning red. "Y-yeah ... how, how did you-"
Utsuho points to her nose. "You're all over each other, s'odd." She shrugs and turns away from you again, walking down the pathway and turning left. You follow her, a little calmer for that. Think about Renko, after you've talked to Yuka, you're going to go back inside, sit with Renko. Yeah, nothing to worry about, nothing to-
"Here." Utsuho stops. In front of you is one of the outbuildings of Mayohiga, set a little way apart from the main house. Stood on its own, walls study and thick, half-logs, no windows. Looks like a storeroom or something. There's a metal pole propping the door shut. That wouldn't hold Yuka inside if she got free.
"Want me to come in with you?" Utsuho asks.
You nod, gulping.
She shoves the metal pole aside and it clatters to the ground. You wince at the noise. You didn't realise it until now but everything seems quiet around here, like the world is holding its breath while Yuka heals.
Utsuho opens the door, swinging it outwards. She goes in first.
You screw up your eyes and step through.
The room is dark, a few logs piled in one corner, floor covered in dust. On the far wall there are a series of metal loops set into the wood. Chains run through them, looping under Yuka's arms and then connected to irons on her wrists. The same set-up holds her legs in place, ankles bound, feet flat on the floor. She hangs from the chains, as if resting, face down.
Her clothes are covered with blood, torn and gashed. You can see a number of wounds in her torso, one on her neck. Bile rises up in your stomach when you look at her head. Part of it has been completely ripped away, a mess of blood, splattered tissue and bone fragments. How can she still live like that? How can anything with a head and a brain be alive after that kind of wound? Around the hole, her hair is matted with gore, but as you creep forward, curiosity overpowering disgust, you can see the edge of fresh, clean white bone around the wound, where her skull has already started closing up. The sight makes nearly makes your stomach heave.
Yuka takes a deep breath and you almost jump out of your skin. She rises up on the chains and then sags back down again, not looking up at you.
The she laughs, a slow, melodic laugh, forced through damaged and pained lips.
"Little lamb~" Yuka croaks. Her voice is rough, tired.
You glance behind you, looking for Utsuho. She's standing by the door, eyes wide, but she looks at you and nods.
" ... h-h-hello Yuka." You say, speaking too fast.
Yuka doesn't reply.
"You ... you w-wanted to t-talk?"
"Mm?" Yuka lifts her head up at last, face covered with blood. She's pale, red eyes like blood in a lake of milk. She grins at you. "Yes, talk ... mm." Her eyes unfocus for a moment, then she frowns and blinks a few times, gritting her teeth and growling under her breath.
"Little lamb." She says. "I lost. Cut me loose." She strains against the chains, grunting with pain. "Put me out in the sunlight."
"Wh-what?" You ask.
Yuka's gaze drifts, slowly. "I said," she takes a breath, labouring to speak. "Cut me loose."
"What?!" Utsuho pipes up from behind you. "No! Miss Ran said she's to-"
"I wasn't talking to you!" Yuka roars, yanking the chains so hard that the links creak with the sound of tortured metal. She bears her teeth and then slumps back down as Okuu squeaks in surprise. You shrink back, but Yuka doesn't turn her rage on you.
"Cut me loose." Yuka says, eyes heavy. "Your woman won you, cut me loose."
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