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Loneliness.
It was a word most fitting for the situation at hand, and for Hitori Gotoh, it was one that she had grown all too accustomed to over the course of most of her life. She knew how to deal with this kind of emptiness; after all, she'd been dealing with it since before she could remember. It was only until recently that she joined a band and thus found and made some amazing friends. Friends who supported her and were always there when needed.
But this place that she woke up from; Hitori could feel something was amiss and eerie about its solitude. This was a different type of 'lonely', one that felt more sinister than any other meaning or definition she'd ever experienced in her young life. As she walked through the empty corridors and rooms plastered with yellow wallpaper, she couldn't shake off the feeling of a presence watching her, scrutinising every single movement she made. It wasn't just because of the absence of people that gave her goosebumps on her arms either. No, it felt otherworldly, an atmosphere that seemed to emanate from the very air itself. It was off.
The building's layout perplexed her, to say the very least. There were no windows, so she couldn't tell what time of the day it actually was. The only source of light provided were the buzzing fluorescent lights that attached to the ceiling. They looked old and worn out, but managed to provide enough illumination to walk without stumbling. The floor itself was fitted with damp carpeting, which added to the overall smell of decay. This combined with the strange erratic manner in which the rooms were laid out gave Hitori a distinct sense of dread, one that caused her stomach to twist into knots and her breath to catch up in her throat.
Needless to say, Hitori obviously didn't like this place. It was unpredictable like some sort of fever dream and every minute she stayed here, she felt she was one step closer to losing it. She felt like she was running out of time.
Time.
How long has she spent inside these confines? Hours, days perhaps? Hitori's grasp of reality was sinking, her perception of time completely escaped her. She didn't know how much longer she can continue to find an escape route or exit in this place. Hitori was on the verge of panic, a cold sweat dripping down her forehead. All she wanted at the moment is to be back in Tokyo, hugged by her three friends but mostly Kita-chan.
She never felt so lost or lonely in an unfamiliar place
She didn't alone, or at least it felt like it. Every so often a faint noise she didn't recognise would echo in the empty hallways, causing her to jump in alarm and fear. But whenever she turned around to look, there was nothing. Despite that, there was this unnerving feeling that something dark and ominous was stalking her, lurking in every corner she was too scared to approach.
And that terrified her.
"Breathe Hitori, breathe," she reaffirmed herself as she closed her eyes for a few seconds, "You can do this. You can escape."
Her blue eyes opened and she walked and scanned each corridor carefully, looking for anything out of the ordinary that might provide a hint on how to escape this unsettling place. Her pink dishevelled hair bounced gently against her shoulders as she continued to walk forward, searching for an exit. But despite her keen senses and sharp intuition, nothing stood out as particularly helpful. Everything looked exactly the same as everything else: bare, yellow and the absence of normality.
Several hours (or days, Hitori couldn't tell now) of wandering aimlessly without getting anywhere near finding any way to escape did little to ease her growing anxiety. And frankly Hitori was becoming increasingly desperate and frustrated, and began to sniff. Tears welled up in her eyes as she sobbed, her emotions overwhelming her. She missed her friends, her family, her dog terribly; not having any of them here to comfort her was unbearable. All she wanted was to see them again. To have someone hold her and tell her that everything will work out fine. That things will get better soon.
Hitori was still occupied crying quietly that she didn't hear the faint footsteps that crept behind her until she finally sensed an ever-looming presence. Slowly, she turned around and saw a figure appear in her line of view, his appearance reminiscent of a middle-aged man dressed in a white suit and red tie. He had long brown hair, and a neatly trimmed moustache and beard, giving him an overall distinguished look. Hitori rubbed her eyes to make sure she hadn't imagined seeing him, then quickly wiped away the tears that threatened to fall down her cheeks. She wasn't alone anymore.
He looked normal and human expectedly. And yet, something about the man bothered her. His almost too perfect smile, the way he held himself, his soulless eyes staring at her so indifferently. All of these things combined, gave her a discomforting feeling that something was wrong, very wrong. Her heart pounded violently in her chest. Fear gripped her mind, making her legs tremble uncontrollably. She froze, unable to move, even though she desperately wished to flee.
His smile grew unnaturally wide, staring at her with an unnerving gaze.
.
.
.
Hitori sprinted.
Without warning, he lunged towards her, his monotone expression not changing in the slightest.
She screamed and tried to further the distance, but he was faster, reaching out and grabbing her arm. His grip was firm and strong, and although Hitori kicked and struggled to free herself, she couldn't break free. A chill ran up her spine, as his mouth opened even further, revealing rows of crooked razor teeth inside his jaw, none aligning perfectly straight but ready to sink into soft flesh. His head brought closer to hers, his breath reeking of death.
Before she could even react, Hitori could feel her body tackled down into the ground, knocking the wind out of her. Her back was on the floor, her vision was completely obscured by the man's face just staring with his unnerving eyes. His clawed hands reached for her face and reactively squirmed and twisted to avoid his touch. He was simply too heavy and strong and her futile attempts did nothing to deter him from keeping her firmly pinned down. Her screams and cries only fell on the deafening silence around her. She felt trapped and helpless, unable to push back as his nails dug into her cheeks, drawing blood.
The pain was excruciating. Hitori screamed in terror as she tried desperately to fight back, kicking and punching wildly. In response, the creature moved one of his other hands and started scratching her flesh through her pink tracksuit, staining it with blood. She continued to struggle, flailing and kicking with all of her strength. But it was pointless. Tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks. It got harder and more painful to breathe as it continued attacking… relentlessly slashing, biting, clawing at her, slowly but not missing a beat. Hitori just wanted to die. For everything to just stop.
Then suddenly, she heard the sound of an arrow flying through the air and hitting its target, followed by the monster's pained shriek. Its assault ceased, as she could feel the creature letting go of her and stumbling backwards. With its hold gone, Hitori immediately crawled away from her attacker, scrambling frantically across the floor and curling herself into a tight ball, crying softly as she watched the creature's body twitch several times before going limp.
For a few seconds, Hitori didn't know which emotion dominated her feelings – relief, terror, confusion, maybe all three at once. No matter, her breathing was still ragged and uneven. She tried to stand, but couldn't seem to get enough strength in her. Eventually, though, she managed to pull herself together somewhat. Shaking off the shock, Hitori pushed aside the remains of the creature lying beside her as her two rescuers came into view.
The first was an Asian-American teenage girl who looked slightly younger than her. She had black tomboyish hair, and wore a grey hooded school uniform with a green shirt, along with brown sneakers. Hitori saw her holding a crossbow in her hands, aimed at where the beast once stood. Her face was pale, and her body was shaking a little as the teenager reached for the arrow but relief washed over her nonetheless. The other was a two-tailed anthropomorphic yellow fox with white gloves and red and white striped sneakers. He looked even younger than the girl and his blue eyes were full of concern over worry.
Hitori could feel tears streaming down her face once again, but she didn't care. Her vision was blurry, and her breathing was heavy. The pain in her wounds throbbed painfully. However, it wasn't as bad as it had been when she was being attacked. All that mattered now was the fact that she wasn't going to be alone anymore. A warmth of comfort and solace flooded her heart, washing away the residue of her earlier despair. She hadn't felt this relieved since she woke up in this strange place.
"T-th-than-thank y-you," said Hitori, trying to speak calmly and composed, although she wasn't quite succeeding. She glanced at the corpse lying nearby. Rotting flesh and torn clothes were strewn across the floor. The smell made her gag slightly. It was unpleasant, but nothing compared to the agony and pain that she had experienced a moment ago.
The teenage girl walked towards Hitori slowly, handing her crossbow to the yellow fox and sat down next to Hitori. Her movements were slow and soft, delicately enough not to scare her off. She placed her hand on her shoulder, offering some comfort and reassurance, which Hitori gratefully accepted. The girl's touch was warm and soothing, and helped ease her pain slightly. Hitori reluctantly leaned on the girl, just slightly making contact with her shoulder, but letting her tears fall more freely.
In response, she pulled Hitori into a tight hug, pressing the girl's head against her chest. Her cheeks still stung from the pain but the girl's embrace alleviated some of it. Hitori let out a shaky breath, relaxing in her presence.
"Hey, hey… you're okay. I know that was terrifying but we got you now. You're not alone anymore," the teenager murmured reassuringly in a gentle tone. Her voice was cracking as well, "Take a deep breath, okay? For me?"
Hitori nodded, swallowing hard against the lump in her throat and inhaled sharply. Her breaths came slightly easier now but remained shallow. Her body was shaking, and it was obvious. But it didn't matter at this very moment. She sighed softly and closed her eyes, allowing her thoughts to drift away. Her heart beat steadily, the steady rhythm providing solace.
"I'm Marcy," she said gently, "We're not part of the… whatever the heck that thing was. We're just lost just like you. Just trying to figure this place out. So, what's your backstory?"
Hitori turned her head away from Marcy's chest.
"I-I'm H-hi-hitori, and I-I'm-" her voice cracked, struggling to even speak. She tried her best to keep calm and relaxed but she could feel herself start to tremble, the traumatic events rushing back towards her. As the image of the creature flashed in her mind, she instinctively clutched onto the Marcy's arm, squeezing it tightly. Her eyes widened and her breathing quickened. Her muscles tensed up, causing her wounds to throb painfully once again.
Marcy in return pulled her close again and embraced her warmly.
"Back in school, before I met my best friends Anne and Sasha, I used to get panic attacks whenever something out of my control happens," Marcy softened her voice even more, "My brain just… shuts down. So I get it. You don't have to say anything else. Let me do the talking for you."
Marcy pointed to the yellow fox, who was standing nearby fiddling with the inner mechanics of her crossbow, "That's Tails! He's even younger than me but he's way smarter than me in almost everything."
Tails lightly chuckled at the remarked as his cheeks blushed, "Yeah, yeah, Marcy. Stop trying to be humble. My actual name is Miles Prower but everyone just calls me Tails!"
"P-people just call me B-bocchi," Hitori managed to say, her breathing starting to relax as the tears dried on her cheeks, "Or y-you can call me something e-else?"
"Bocchi?" Tails asked, puzzled, "How about we just shorten it to just 'Bo'? It rolls off the tongue easier."
"Bo sounds g-good. S-sure, I'll accept th-that."
Hitori gave a soft smile, her eyes sparkling brightly. She felt the tension in her muscles loosen up, and she relaxed slightly. Her heartbeat slowed down as her breathing became steadier. She could still feel her wounds hurting but they weren't nearly as painful anymore.
Marcy noticed her changed demeanour and smiled warmly, patting Hitori's head and stroking her messy hair. "You're safe now, Bo. We're not leaving you. We're a team together now. Right, Tails?"
"Right, Marcy," Tails replied with a confident smile. He turned his head gently and offered his free hand to Hitori, "Do you think you can stand up?"
Hitori glanced at Tails' light blue eyes, and considered the question briefly before nodding. She took his gloved hand and pulled herself upright, wincing as she felt the pain return, although not quite as much. She could feel Marcy's arm wrap around her waist, supporting her and helping her balance. Truthfully, she still felt a bit weak in her knees and everywhere in her body, but regardless she could move. Albeit slowly.
"We should probably get moving before more of those freaky creatures come crawling around here," said Tails, looking at Hitori carefully, "Are you alright to walk?"
Hitori nodded and took a step forward, only to stumble slightly. Fortunately, Tails was quick to catch her and held her upright.
"Easy, easy," Tails said softly. "Let's just take things slowly."
"Yeah, what Tails said," added Marcy, taking the crossbow back from Tails, "Are you sure you're okay?"
Hitori's lips trembled, gently brushing off Tails, "I-I c-can w-walk. J-just give m-me a sec."
She saw Marcy look at her for a moment, not completely buying it. She smiled and looped her arm firmly under Hitori's arm. Then without saying a word, she guided Hitori slowly, letting her adjust her gait to the movement. As they walked together, Hitori leaned into Marcy's side, letting herself be led forward.
"We've got you," Marcy assured, "You're not alone anymore."
Hitori wiped her eyes with her free hand, removing the remainder of her salty tears from her eyes.
Sure, she was still scared. Still lost. Still hurt.
But she wasn't lonely.
Not anymore.