The Curse - Part 4

Cursed

"Hiro?"

I don't know where I am. Its dark, its cold I'm huddled with my arms wrapped around my naked body. Oh god my fear, it clings on so strong. Its hold on me keeps me here, my safe place. They can't get me here—can't find me.

Release me.

"Not yet."

There is a light above my head. Its cool glare is stinging my eyes…eyes that feel like they haven't seen light for forever. I squeeze them shut but the light fascinates me. I force myself to stand slowly. I reach out for that light. Will you wake me up?

"Hiro? Can you hear me?"

Those voices... It's them! No…oh please say they haven't found me! But there is another voice among them.

Are you one of them?

I fear I have lost my mind. You can't help me! I have forgotten his name, it feels like this is the first time I have thought of it. My thoughts are vague; I can't answer your questions. Please leave me alone. Leave me alone!

Lies! It's all lies. No one can save me now...

I blink rapidly, gulping in air and find myself backed against a solid wall. I wonder if I fell asleep. That dream? I heard my brother's voice. How? I'm convinced it is another course of my insanity rendered by this place. This fucking place! I yearn for blissful denial, so I could wish that I was not running from my friends. Friends, who wanted to kill me! It's crazy but I can't escape this nightmare which seems all too real. I can still taste the semen in my mouth, the sting on my cheek, my hands, and the pain K gave me...

Damn it!

My eyes, they are wild in my head, constantly keeping watch for them. I haven't heard them yet, but they are looking for me. I know it! Right now I can feel the wind on my face, that sea like smell in the air drifting over the East China Sea. It offers hope, I find myself walking closer to the edge of the water. I don't know how I got here but I know that I'm below the typhoon breaker wall. Maybe I fell? Either way my heart is pattering like a drum in my chest; its beat is steady at the moment, but palpitates once in a while, anticipating the next strike.

Maybe if I can stay alive till the sun rises again, then I could see the mainland and swim. Ahhh! I grip my head in my hands, there must be a way! Even as my ragged mind spins with misery I continue towards the water. My tongue feels like sandpaper, my throat feels as if it's on fire. I kneel, shoving the gun into the waistband of my pants, oblivious that my knees are partly submerged in the dank water. A trickle makes its way through the seam of my vinyl pants but I barely feel it. Instead I lean over and slip my hands into the blackness. I feel the sting though on my wounded hands but I lean further and bring a handful of water to my lips. I drink. The water tastes like rust, but I'm beyond care. As I swallow I hear a hissing sound. Snapping my head around I search for the source, I can't see anything but the fog. It's moving away from me! It's making that sound like its being sucked up by a vacuum, disappearing as if I was watching one of those odd nature shows on fast forward.

Suddenly I can see everything so clearly, there is a moon above my head. I blink at the light, like I did in my dreams. Its pure light so cold and distant but shimmering like a pearl in the sky. Glancing at the water I gasp, for a second I see myself with those white bloody eyes. Feverishly I swipe at them but in the next breath I was staring at my regular face. As I push myself away from the water, I see Sakano's and Suguru's reflection over my shoulders.

"Mmmpp!"

My head plunged under the water. My heart almost stops and in shock, I gulp down rusty water as I flail and fight back. I struggle to pull up but a strong force makes me immovable. Just as the burn for air starts in my chest, my head is pulled up. I splutter and cough.

"Did you really think you could run from us?" Suguru says.

In my hysteria I cannot speak. I just whimper breathing in all the air I can get.

"You're gonna die," Sakano promises darkly and shoves my face back into the liquid death.

I try to hold my breath this time. But the little air I have in my lungs doesn't last long. I squeeze my eyes shut and the burning ignites in my lungs again. I moan in my torment, my suffocation. I don't want to die! With every fibre of my being I see my panic in red before me. I grab at my assailants, screaming under the water and heave Sakano and Suguru over my shoulders. I rip my head out of water and gasp for air. They both emerge from the water and lunge at me—I pull out the gun and shoot four shots off wildly. Splash! I got them both point blank. They land back into the water and there is silence once more.

I stare at the gun in disbelief.

I shift my gaze to the water, expecting them get up and come at me again. But they don't. Before I could stop myself I throw up, utterly sickened with myself. I killed them! Oh god no! I run into the water searching for them. Evil or not I just can't leave them. "Sakano! Suguru!" I wail but I can't find anything. They were right here! Breathing heavily I look around the water, but they are gone…

"What the fuck is happening to me?"

Dragging myself out of the water I don't look back and run. Somewhere on this rim is the raft. I go right and hope the little bit of shore and rock lead me around without having to go back up the wall. I got to keep moving. Can't stop. No. No more stopping. They'll get me. As I run along the narrow strip of stony shore I see Yuki and Shuichi appear ahead of me. I feel the white sheet of fear slip over my face. I stop dead in my tracks.

"Hiro!"

Painfully I hear Shuichi call me but it's not real. He's not him! I turn and flee in the direction I just came from. In my moment of terror I actually hear a crazed laugh coming from my own mouth. I think I'm like one of those poor souls in a horror movie. Only it doesn't seem so funny now, but still I laugh.

I'm cracking…

"No, keep it together man," I tell myself.

I glance behind me and see them walking towards me. They just walk and yet they seem closer than they were before. Oh no! "Stay away from me!" I beseech and run up a slab of tumbled over concrete. It's piled in shambles, jagged stone and sharp pieces of wood. I hop from stone to stone finding myself almost as high as the breaker wall itself. Aiming for the shore I head down the other side, only Yuki and Shuichi are over there now!

Panting and surprised I slip, scraping my knuckles, the gun gripped in my hand. I land hard on my rear but scramble to get up and run up onto the island once more. The moonlight is a godsend, I can see enough to navigate my way over the piles of rubble. Huffing with panic and excursion, I head for one of those skeletal apartment buildings. I enter a decrepit alley that makes me think of the entrance to hell. My shadow dances on the walls and I look back. No one is there.

"Hiro!"

I inhale sharply and realize the voice is already near by. Quickly I leap over a kid's old rusted tricycle and into the dark gutted building. A crunch comes from nearby and I press up to a wall and disappear in the shadows. It hurts so much to try and stay quiet, to force my breath to come out slower and soundless.

Snap.

I hold my breath, my eyes darting towards the sound. I see them. Shuichi and Yuki walk by a square opening and down the alleyway I just left. I swallow hard.

"Come on out Hiro. We just want to play a game," Shuichi calls out.

But I don't budge. I just pray that they move along.

But then I hear him scream as if in pain. I know the look of concern flashes over my face. What's happening to him?

"Hiro?" I hear Shuichi whimper.

Oh fuck…fuck. What do I do? Maybe he's changed back?

"Shuichi!" I cry out. I can't stop myself from running to him. I stumble back into the alleyway and spot him cowered on the ground. Kneeling I go to help up my friend. "I'm here Shuichi," I say almost softly, startled that at this moment I was capable of it.

"Hiro," he says, "I'm so scared."

I hold him and urge him to hush, "It'll be alright. We'll get out of here." My promise gives me a little hope.

"Heh."

I spin around and see Yuki holding a huge rock above his head, the light of the moon illuminating his perimeter. He looks like a glowing silhouette. Shoving Shuichi aside I try to protect him. The rock comes down and misses us both by a hair. My friend begins to cackle.

"Hiro, oh Hiro save me," he muses and laughs.

Wha?

I back up and stare at them. They duped me. I stumble backwards this act almost seemed as cruel to me as being humiliated in front of everyone! "Shuichi," I plead, "Snap out of it!"

But they only laugh at me.

Stricken, I run into the building and hear them behind me calling.

"Hiro come out and play."

At this moment I'm overwhelmed by my realization that I'm completely alone. I can't do anything for them. All I can do is run away. And I do that, I keep moving even though my body is becoming so weary and beaten. My mind is filled with despair and apprehension. I can't take much more of this I fear and my hope that surviving this is becoming nil. My eyes are adjusting to the darkness but I still have to brush my hand along a wall so I can guide my way around. I follow the bit of light on the other side of the apartment building. Who cares if the thing falls on me now? I many ways I wish it would…

Not knowing where to turn next, I fear every second that one of them will appear again. Exiting the building after a careful navigation, I come to the outside again. Up ahead is a slope with a boarded up entrance. It looks like an old mine shaft. I head for that and hope that I can hide from them in there, I run for the small opening. Ducking and crawling under the boards I sigh for a moment. It's so quiet in here, no wind…no nothing. Darkness. I don't dare to move to far in, I know there could be a hole falling possibly a mile into the earth here. I catch my breath and close my eyes.

This is my hell I conclude.

I stuff the gun back into my pants and squat taking the edge of my legs. I feel a shiver as the damp clothes I'm wearing beings to affect me. In a moment of peace I think of my parents and my brother. I think of my childhood, the strict rules I had to follow, meeting Shuichi for the first time, the concerts he and I did at school. So many good times and bad, it was like watching my life flash before my eyes.

Feeling my legs seize a little I stand again, got to keep on my toes. It's so dark that reaching out makes me think I'm be swimming in thick ink. Only my hand touches something firm yet malleable.

Flick.

I scream.

There is K holding a glowing lighter in front of his ghostly face.

"There is no where to hide Hiro," he says and I notice his eyes look normal once more. But I can't believe it, this is just another hoax!

I can't speak and I back up against the boards leading outside. Shit, even if I try to crawl out he'll haul me back in. I whimper and say, "Just kill me dammit! Do it already and get it over with!"

"No Hiro, kill me first." It sounds like a plea. "You have one bullet left I know I heard them throughout the island. Do it now before it's too late!"

The light goes out and I panic. What the fuck? I hear him wail and rustle as if he's kneeling. "What's the matter with you?" I ask.

"They're in my head! I'm so sorry Hiro! Kill me…do it now!"

Oh gawd how can I just kill him? I can't even see him at the moment. I pant as my mind reels. Instead I decide to try and run for it. But I'm too late. K grabs at me and sinks his teeth into my arm, I howl in pain. I shove him back and start to crawl out of the tunnel. He grabs my foot and hauls me back; I knock my chin off a protrusion of rock. Fresh blood trickles down my neck.

"Fuck this!" I cry and kick my legs like mad. I feel K let go and I scramble to my feet. Damn I have to fight an un-dead K. He's much bigger than me. I charge at him, suddenly my fear dissipated. What do I have to loose? I'm dead no matter what. I put my head down for impact and hope I actually don't run past him. But I don't and I shove him back so hard that I'm positive I can make it out of the tunnel now. Only a long echoing diminuendo of evil laughter floats up to my ears.

"K-san?"

Realizing I have my own lighter I set it aflame and gasp looking down. Closing my eyes and gulping, I take a step back from the edge of the deepest hole I ever seen. Oh man, one more step and I'd have fallen down that hole with… Oh my god! I shoved K down a mine shaft...

The same nauseous feeling returns as it did with Sakano and Suguru. I cry out in utter madness.

I can't stay here now, if I stop and reflect I'm going to kill myself. Crawling out of the tunnel I look around in wonder. The sun is rising. Its candy pink and orange gloss is sunk partly in the horizon of the sea. I'm mesmerized. I can see all over the island much better now. I sigh, this means I have spent a whole night running from my group.

Find the raft.

Yes! The sun gave me a sudden feeling of comfort and safety. It was like bad things weren't supposed to happen in daylight or something. I glance around and spot no one. So I headed for the part of the island in which we arrived at. It took a good half hour to get to our camp. It looked so normal compared to the people it belonged to. I ran to the edge of the wall to see if I could spot the raft. Or maybe the ferry would be returning. The raft was there! Only with a longer look I realized it was half sunk in the water. It was partly deflated. I sigh and looked over the channel I could see the town from here. Fuck it I'll swim or drown trying.

Running over to the ladder I was about to start down but Suguru was climbing up—followed by Sakano. They're not dead! But they look even worse than they did before. Their eyes were the same but paler and they were grimier looking, pieces of seaweed hanging off their clothes.

Backing up I bump into someone else. I spin around and look disbelievingly at Yuki and Shuichi pops out from behind him. They too look worse in the daylight, greyish skin and eyes as disgusting as ever. Yuki grabs at me but I dodge and distance myself a few yards. By that time Sakano and Suguru were standing at the edge—all four start walking towards me. Gaping at them I listen to their raspy breaths. More movement catches my peripheral vision, stricken I see K crawling up and out of a hole in the ground. He stands and groans reaching up to his head and snaps it, as if putting it back into place. Ugh, I hear the sound of something cracking from here.

I stare in incredulity. They were all still alive…

Well not alive exactly because no one could survive gunshots and drowning, or a fall like K did. I grit my teeth at this damnable situation and mewl in my throat. Once more they walked towards me. I turn and flee. Dashing over the splintered wood and bits of metal and concrete, I don't know where I'm going but I just run. "Leave me alone!" Stop it, just stop it!

"Hiro!"

"Here Hiroshi it's time for your medicine."

My feet pound, my heart hammers.

"I don't understand it, he's completely lost it."

I follow the rising sun and look behind me. They're coming…

There's a door, I must reach it!

But my legs burn, I don't want to run anymore. I'm so tired.

But the door is so close.

I fall to my knees and cry towards the heavens. I want to die…

It's alright Hiroshi, everything will be ok now.

I put the gun to my head…

"Hiro!"

It was like I got struck by lightning. I bolted awake and screamed.

"Hiro! Oh man thank god you woke up!"

That voice? I stop screaming. Blinking, I open my eyes.

"Welcome back buddy. You've been in a coma for a week, everything will be al—oh my god! Someone call the doctor!"

Coma? As my eyes focus better I look around. I'm in a hospital bed. I see everyone before me. They look normal and there are flowers all over the place. Gasping I cower from them, "It's another trick," I mumble over a raspy breath. My voice? I whine in my torment, this is not real, nothing is real! It's a nightmare, "You're not real! You're all dead!"

"Hiro calm down," someone says.

I look at Sakano.

"You fell and hit your head on Hashima Island Hiro," another explained.

I flash my eyes at K. The island…I whimper.

"We never even got to shoot our video, remember?"

I stare at Shuichi, curled up, knees to my chest trying to distance myself from them. The video? I watch them with crazed eyes. Lies! I watch a man in a doctor's uniform run into the room, his mouth opens as if in shock. He comes towards me. I recoil more, "No!" I cry.

"I've never seen anything like this before. It must be burst vessels," he says and pushes a button behind my bed. He speaks into an intercom, "We need an emergency team in room three thirty-three, and bring an eye specialist, stat!"

I look around wildly, what's happening? Across my left shoulder I see a sink with a mirror over above it. My eyes!

"Noooooo!"

Everything went black.

I don't know how I got here, it feels like forever. All around me the walls bleed, the floor is damp and cold. The shadows followed me here, constantly dancing on the walls. The bare bulb gives them life, I hate their screeching. They're all evil, evil and watching me all the time. From my spot on the floor I rock, holding my knees close, resting my head against the wall. I can't escape, I don't even try anymore. Sometimes I close my eyes but I then I'm running again. I don't want to run anymore, so I try to stay awake. If I stay here they don't touch me, they watch but they don't touch, except the people in white. A tear trickles down my cheek, I watch a droplet land and spread on the knee of my white pants, red—I'd wipe my face but I can't move my hands. They say it's so I don't hurt myself. Lies, they just want to keep me prisoner, locked up—laughed at. Them, always watching…
"I'll never understand what happened," Shuichi said peering over at his best friend who sat curled up in the corner of the clean white room. He watched Hiro rocking back and forth, "How can someone go insane from being in a coma?" He clung to Yuki but as usual the man said nothing and pet over Shuichi's hair. Shuichi looked over at K. "We were just supposed to shoot a video," he looked back at his friends, "oh Hiro please get better." He began to cry.

"The doctors say he's suffered some severe mental trauma while unconscious. Like a really bad nightmare. They say it can happen and maybe he'll snap out of it. But his eyes…" K trailed off, tearing his gaze away, unable to look anymore.

Suguru winced as he too watched his former band mate. Hiro was completely despondent to them, eyes staring forward all filmed over in white and blood leaking from them. "I don't believe its just insanity. I think it was that island. The real Hiro would never end up this way."

"But we only just stepped foot on it when Hiro fell and hit his head on that rock. How could something act that fast?" Sakano questioned and shivered. "I can't stand being in here any longer this place creeps me out. I'll…I'll wait for you guys out front." An institutional guard opened the door for him, he walked out.

"I want to go hug him," Shuichi said.

"Yes I know but he's screams whenever we go near him. As if we gonna hurt him or something," K says sadly, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"We'd never hurt you Hiro, please come back to us," Shuichi pled with his friend.

Hiro made no sound.

"Alright your time is up," a woman doctor says. "We hoped your visits would improve his state but," she sighed, "he is not responding. I'm very sorry gentlemen."

"No miss we're sorry…we should have never gone to that place," K said with a guilty face.

"Doctor, can't people get possessed?" Suguru questioned. "I mean what if that's—"

Leading them out of the room, the doctor locked it securely and turned to face them. "Scientifically that is impossible. The mind is a wondrous place, we can bring upon ourselves the most incredible horrors. When someone's mind can't fathom what is placed before it, it shuts off or creates new ideas. It's a survival tactic of the mind. But his eyes are a phenomenon; we have never seen stigmata like that before."

Everyone looked at her dubiously.

"Once again I'm sorry, please if you'll excuse me," she said and walked away, her heels clicking over the floor.

"I don't believe her," Suguru said insistently, "He didn't do that to himself. Doctors have been known to be wrong. I think he's possessed or cursed."

"A ghost inside of him?" K wondered out loud.

Shuichi cried harder now. "Isn't there something we can do?"

Yuki made a contemplative face. He placed a hand on Shuichi's shoulder as they walked down the hall. Everyone followed behind them, "I need to talk to you guys about something. You see my father is a monk…"

FIN

A/N: Thank you for reading! This was a shorter fic so I posted it all in one shot. I hope any of those that enjoy thrillers and scary stories enjoyed it. Happy Halloween!