It was a few hours later that same night and the woman had finally awoken. Even after all that had happened, she appeared to be fine except for minor scrapes from hitting the ground; but aside from that, she was fine. “Where am I?” She asked herself. Someone had brought her to a hotel room, and she could tell from the extravagant décor, that it was an expensive one. For no reason, her focus was pointed towards a magnificent painting of an angel carrying Jesus after the crucifixion in the Bible. “Momma…Papa, I’m sorry,” she said, attempting to touch the canvas, but a sudden knock on the door froze her in place. “I’m coming in,” said an unknown voice. Scared for her life, the woman took a nearby lamp and prepared for the worst. The door opened, and it was the same person from the earlier incident, though she had no way of knowing this. “Oh, so you’re finally awake. That’s a relief.” “Who are you and what do you want from me?” “Eh??” “Are you one those guys from before here to rape me?” “No, No, No!!! I’m the one who save you and brought you here, so please drop the lamp.” Upon further examination, the boy looked pretty trustworthy and gave off a timid aura, so she decided to drop her weapon. “Good. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Morishige Koji, third year art student at Tokyo U and aspiring painter. In fact, I’m the one who created that piece on the wall there,” he says pointing at the same angel piece. “Wait, second year college student? But that would make you around my age, Morishige-san.” “Is that a problem?” “N-No, you just look a lot younger than you actually are. I thought you were a high school student …sorry,” she replies embarrassed. Yes, from what she saw, this guy had the appearance of a teenage skater punk, so her comment was understandable. His hair was a mess but in somewhat cute way, and his skin was slightly tanned, which was slightly uncommon for someone living in Tokyo. His outfit consisted of a Bape letterman jacket and a Grizzly tee underneath, as well as, black denim jeans. Adidas shoes finished up the boy’s outfit, so all in all, he was pretty decked out from head to toe in popular youth fashion. As honest as he looked, his wardrobe choices and personality didn’t seem like something that would come from a normal art student, so she continued to ask questions. “Morishige-san…” “Koji is just fine, miss…” he interrupted, realizing that he had never asked for her name. “It’s Sachi. Sone Sachi. Anyways, tell me the reason why you brought me here and what happened after I passed out.” Hearing this request, Koji’s calm expression turned into a more serious one. “Ok, so I guess it’s about time I told you what happened, but please try to keep calm while listening.” Sachi took a big swallow and nodded her head in agreement, so Koji began to explain the events of the past hours. “Well, to begin with, just how much do you remember from before?” Balling her fists, she answered, “I remember a man, Tatsuo, offering to walk me back to my apartment, after I just left from work. I politely refused and made my way home, but he didn’t quite like this and instead forced me into an alleyway. That’s when he started to touch me all over. I can still smell the beer musk in his breath as he was huffing on me like a wild beast in heat… That disgusting stench.” “Ok, was there anything else that you remember?” “Well, he started to take my clothes off and was about to rape me. I was so scared, since I thought my first time would be with the one I loved, and not one person came to my rescue. That when...” “When?” “Before Tatsuo could lay a finger on me, there was a creepy laugh that was everywhere and a scary masked figure appeared. Tatsuo then threw me to the ground where I passed out,” she said, “When I woke up I was here.” “Cool. Well, then I’ll just fill you in on what happened after you fell unconscious, and remember to keep an open mind,” Koji stated, “To make a long story short, the person in the mask was me. As for the two men responsible for causing you harm, I killed them…” Hearing this, Sachi fell to her knees in disbelief, and her face was devoid of color. How could this kind looking person possibly be a murderer, and what was he going to do to her now that his actions were revealed. “Calm down, Sone-san,” Koji says as he walks closer towards Sachi. “Get away from me you monster!!! Get away!!!” “It’s not like that!! I wouldn’t have wanted it to go down like this, but you’ll have to calm down so I can explain myself.” Sachi wasn’t having it and in a random decided to throw the lamp from before. “Ahhh!!!” It was Sachi instead of Koji who was yelling, as the lamp collided with his face. It left a serious wound and blood began to flow from his face like a faucet, but the blood was weird. Instead of a crimson red, the blood flowing from his body was as black as the void of space. Though she was scared, curiosity overcame her senses, causing her to attempt to touch the strange fluid. “Don’t touch that, idiot!!!” He screamed with such intensity that it broke Sachi out of her trance. “Ah, I’m sorry!!!” “No, Sone-san, I should have explained my situation as soon as I met you.” As he said this, the blood slowly started to return to its source. It was as if time had reversed for him and him only, but Koji was not satisfied by this fact. “What the hell are you? Tell me just what the hell is going on here!! Murdering two guys, taking me to this hotel, and now this!!! Are you…Are you even human!?!” “No I can never go back again…never,” Koji mumbled to himself, “Let’s go. I’ll definitely explain everything, but it can’t be here.” Sachi was still shaken up and confused as to if she could believe him, but answers were what she wanted. The two of them left the hotel and started to walk towards the inner city. It was nearing midnight, so not too many people were out and about. “How about some soba noodles? I’ll buy.” Koji says. “Umm, ok,” she agrees. Koji takes Sachi to his favorite noodle shop in all of Tokyo, Tanaka soba shop, where he is a regular customer. “Hey, Koji, finally brought a cute girl with you after all this time? What will you two be having today?” “Ha, good one!! I’ll just have the same as always, and the normal soba dish for her, please,” Koji replies with a forced smile. “Ok, stay right here I’ll be back with your dishes momentarily” The man left to prepare the meals, leaving the two in awkward silence. “Enough of this. It’s time for me to come clean on what’s been going on and why you have gotten involved in all this madness; but trust me, this is not a simple story by any means.” Sachi nodded again. Koji then began to unravel the mystery behind his past. “Sone-san, are you familiar with the incident with a family of four that went missing seventeen years ago in Osaka? The family whose bodies were never found even after three years of widespread searches and investigations. Rumors went around that this family had vanished off the face of the earth, never to be seen again.” “Yeah, I’m pretty sure I’ve heard that story from my parents, when I was little. Though I don’t see how this has anything to do with the current turn of events, so would you please explain more?” “What if I told you that I knew what happened to them and where they are currently?” “What are you trying to say?” “What I’m trying to say is that I a member of the missing family, as well as, the reason why they disappeared forever.”

   They were a happy family, even an idiot could tell that from one glance. Two happily married parents kept their family in check. The ever so proud father, Morishige Takuma, a former J-League soccer player for Bolt Osaka, now the owner of a soccer facility that trains up-and-comers. His wife, Morishige Lisa, was a professional actress in Hollywood and now is a famous producer for a popular animation studio. Together they were a killer combo of a couple, and they supposedly had never fought in the entirety of their relationship. After a few years together, their love was brought to a new level with the birth of their twin babies; and these babies became a testament of twenty years of pure affection for each other. The first child, Miyu, was safely brought into this world with ease and a beautiful smile bright enough to challenge the sun itself. Koji, on the other hand, was a different story all together, and his delivery was more intense than his sister’s. Before he was even delivered, the air in the room had dramatically changed. The pain coursing through Lisa intensified and she clenched the blanket as if an outside force was ripping her apart. The doctor in charge of the delivery was sweating furiously, but he gave his all for the both mother and baby’s sake. After about 15 grueling minutes, the baby boy was finally brought into the world, and both of them were perfectly healthy afterwards. “Look, Lisa, our two beautiful babies. They just might be prettier than you, mother.” Takuma said holding the told newborns. “I’ll be okay with that, since they will grow up to be twice as great as you are, father.” “Haha, hey!!! You’re probably right on that one, HAHAAAHAAHA!!!” Everyone in the room was laughing and laughing nonstop like a pack of hyenas.
   It was seven years later and the Morishige family had decided to clear their busy schedules, in order to take a trip to the mountain. “Ahhh, just take in that wonderful Japanese air,” Takuma said, “As fresh as the ocean is beautiful, I say.” “Stop it, honey. If you keep talking like, you’ll turn into an old man,” Lisa interjected. She had everyone in stitches with one of her signature comebacks. “Ha, you might be right on that one, dear.” Both of them were enjoying each other’s company, and the children were just as happy as they could be. Little Koji ran up to his father yelling, “I want to climb up Fuji-san, papa!!! I want to go to the tippy top, papa!!!” “Sorry, Koji, we’re going to mount Katsuragi today; and besides that, Fuji is back near Kawaguchiko, but maybe another time.” “Whaaaaat!?! But I wanted to play with my Kinnikuman figure,” said the boy, pulling out an action figure from his travel bag. “I’ll make sure to bring you and your toy to Fuji, the next time I’m on a business trip over there, ok?” “YAY YAY YAY!!!” “Ok, you two. Hurry up or me and Miyu will beat you to the campsite.” “Oh yeah!? Let’s show those two with our guy power,” Takuma exclaimed. The boy heard this and starting running with his father, chanting, “GUY POWER!!!!!!!!” The girls followed suit and chased the boys up the mountain trail, so as not to lose their lead. Both sides were neck and neck, while this casual walk transformed into a heated race to the top. “Sorry girls, but it’s time to unveil my secret weapon.  Koji, COMBINE!!!!” And in an instant, the boy was hoisted on his father’s back, allowing Takuma to bolt to the finish at full speed. The race was over in an instant, and the words “Boy’s rule” echoed like thunder throughout the surrounding areas.  “Ok, ok, huff… I thinks that’s enough exercise for one day, alright?” said Lisa in-between breaths. “Ok, if you say so, Honey. Koji, Miyu. Come help daddy with the tent.” “Yay!!!” shouted both the children. “I bet I can help papa better than you, Koji,” said Miyu. “EHHHH?? Says the girl who always makes me do her chores when she’s tired. Plus, there is no one who is more super-duper as me!!!” Replied the now irritated Koji. “EHHHHH!?!? And who always cries to me when they wet the bed at night?” “I told you not to tell anybody, Miyu!” “Bed wetter, bed wetter, bed wetter, bed wetter!!” “Lazy bones, lazy bones, lazy bones, lazy bones!!!” The two were at it like two warring nations trying to get the advantage over the other. “Are you two going to help your father, or will you guy continue to fight like a bunch of cranky crabs,” Lisa asked with a hint of irritation in her voice. Embarrassed by their actions, the two apologized and continued to help build the tent as a team. It took a while, given the fact the twins would bicker occasionally, but the job was eventually finished by nightfall. The family ate s’mores for before going to sleep. “That was very good, but I’m ready to hit the sack. Right Miyu…Koji?” Takuma asked; but before he even realized, the two were happily sleeping together next to the campfire. Their parents picked the two up and brought those two the tent, and like that, the family called it quits for the day. Though for this family, the night would prove to hold secrets that would change their way of life in unfortunate ways.