Kenji started by introducing himself and then Kiyomi, “I'm Kenji and this Kiyomi. What's your name?”
The teen gave his name shyly, “Nobuto.”
They shook hands quickly since they didn’t know each other. The teen looked at them funny; he was trying to size them both up.
“Hey, look, we aren’t here to rob you or anything. I live in the apartment just down at the end of the hall; we were just seeing if there was anyone else on this floor. I think we are just as surprised to find you, as you are to see us here.”
The teen shook his head, “That’s not it at all. I haven’t seen another person in almost two full weeks now. I…uh…I’m what they call a Hikikomori.”
The kid looked like a Hikikomori, a person who is obsessed with online video games and normally doesn’t leave their room, even for meals. A trend had started in Japan several years back and was popular amongst teenagers. Apparently, the kid staying indoors saved his life this time. Kenji wondered if he had contact with anyone outside his apartment or not.
Kenji looked around the apartment, “Is it just you here? Where are your parents?”
Nobuto answered with a hint of sadness, “My dad died when I was young, and my mother took care of me by herself ever since. She left for work several days ago and never came back. I tried to call her, her work, and even the police. I haven’t heard back from her. I don’t think… I don’t think she ever made it to work.”
Kenji realized that the kid was all alone, no one left to look out for him. He felt it was his responsibility now to make sure this kid was safe. Kenji put his hand on Nobuto’s shoulder and tried to reassure him.
“Look I am sure that if your mother is still out there, she is trying to get back to you. It's hell out there; I wouldn’t want to out there. Maybe she decided to stay at work for a few days until it calmed down outside and then would come back for you.”
The kid smiled a little and nodded his head in agreement.
Now it was Nobuto’s turn to ask the questions, “What about you two, I mean what are you doing lurking around in the hallway?”
Kenji answered, “I thought it would be a clever idea to make sure the building was safe and clear of Yokai. We decided to try and find anyone left uninfected in the building, and then move everyone up here to the upper floors where it’s safer. I also wanted to see if anyone left would want to go with me.”
Nobuto interrupted, “Go where? You just said it's hell out there on the streets. Where could you possibly go that is safer than here?”
“Well, like I was about to say, I figured that it might be better if we move to the downtown part of the city. Everyone is trying to leave the city, and the Yokai are following the crowds. It only makes logical sense to go there, where we know there will be fewer people.”
Nobuto took in the idea and thought about it. It did seem like a good plan. Naturally, the Yokai would follow the crowds of people to the outskirts of the city. It meant less of them, although he didn’t know of any place that would be a good stronghold against the Yokai. He had only been downtown a couple of times, normally with his mother who showed him around.
On the other hand, he could just stay here in his apartment, wait it out and then try to find a more suitable spot. The only problem he could find with that plan would be the fact that he would run low on food and didn’t particularly like the idea of scavenging for food and other stuff by himself. He wasn’t in the most peak physical condition, only surviving this long because his mom was gone so often for work that she stocked up on food for him.
“Sure, I will go with you guys,” stated Nobuto happily.
Nobuto decided that his odds of survival were better with these two than by himself. It would be safer; they could watch each other’s backs.
Kenji looked at the teen, “Do you have any weapon that you could use to defend yourself?”
The teen shook his head no.
“Well, how about you take all your food and everything else that is useful and put it in our apartment. Just wait for us there, we are going to check the rest of the apartments on this floor. We will unlock the door for you,” said Kenji with a smile.
The teen walked away after nodding his head in agreement. Kenji and Kiyomi looked at each other, still surprised that they found anyone else on their floor. They pushed the furniture away from the door again. Kenji checked the eyehole again making sure no one had shown up since they entered the apartment. Not sensing any movement, he opened the door.
Kenji cautiously checked the hallway again and stepped out into it. He went down to his apartment and made sure the door was unlocked so that the teen could enter. Kenji then turned his attention towards the apartment next door. Some middle-aged woman lived there, but he had never really gotten around to getting to know her. He knocked on the door gently to see if she would answer.
He waited about a minute before he decided to check to see it the door was unlocked. It was locked, and he didn’t feel up to breaking the door open and making a lot of noise. Kenji went to the next apartment, which too was locked, and no one answered when he knocked. He skipped the apartment where they found Nobuto. Kenji then turned to the other side of the hall and began to check them as well.
The apartment next to the elevator, diagonally from his apartment, was the only apartment that was unlocked. He pushed the door open with a squeak, cursing his luck. He entered the apartment slowly, the pipe raised, ready to swing. Kenji called out to alert any people in the apartment that he was entering. “Hello? I am coming in don’t be alarmed!”
The silence was his answer at first, and then he heard something dragged across the floor. The noise came from the bedroom in the back of the apartment. He froze in the entryway of the apartment, unsure whether he should keep checking the apartment or just leave. He walked into the living room slowly, making sure not to make any noise. Kenji stopped a few feet from the bedroom door and signaled Kiyomi to wait by the entryway.
“Hello? Is everything ok in there?” Kenji called out to the bedroom. The shuffling repeated, and then a loud thud of something hitting the door. The unexpected noise made Kenji jump. He quickly regained his composure and stared at the door. The thudding noise was now constant every couple of seconds. At first, he thought the door was stuck, and the person behind it couldn’t get out, but then why hadn’t they called out.
His stomach dropped realizing that it was probably one of the Yokai behind the door. He wanted to turn around and pretend he didn’t hear anything, go back to his apartment and feel semi-safe again. Kenji knew that he couldn’t, he couldn’t leave this to become a problem later on. He was going to have to take care of this sooner or later. He resolved that he had to end the life of the person, or what used to be a person, behind the door.
He knew what would happen if he hesitated or let the Yokai get the jump on him. Kenji quickly decided to open the door and charge in, bash the Yokai up till it couldn’t harm anyone. It wasn’t an easy feeling knowing that he was going to have to destroy what was once a normal person, someone he had probably seen around the building. He had never taken a life before and wasn’t sure he could do it. Kenji figured he was about to find out, whether he had what it took.
He reached for the handle on the door, ready to jump back from the door. Kenji turned the handle and pulled the door open. He stepped back ready to swing the pipe. Sunlight cast through the window, partially blocked by curtains. The silhouette of a man stood where the door had just been, a void of blackness. Kenji couldn’t make out who it was, but he was sure it wasn’t the person who lived here.
The figured hobbled towards Kenji, coming out from the room. Kenji could see the person now, a man in his forties. The man made a hissing moan, raising his arms towards Kenji. Kenji froze unable to move, this being the closest he had been to one of the Yokai before. He was horrified by their look, pale skin with black veins webbing across it, and his eyes were completely black. The man looked more like a demon sent from hell, than a person.
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br /> Kenji felt his adrenaline kick in finally, forcing him to move. He swung his pipe, aiming for the man’s head, not wanting to take any chances. He felt the pipe connect with the man’s skull, with a sickening thud. The pipe vibrated slightly from the blow while the man was sent sprawling to the ground. He seemed undisturbed by the attack and tried to right himself, his blackened eyes never leaving Kenji.
Kenji raised the pipe again, bringing it down to the man’s head. The man still had but one focus, Kenji. He looked at the man, feeling that he had hit the man hard enough to knock out a normal person. He already felt sick to his stomach from the sheer fact that he had just tried to kill another human being. No, this wasn’t a human being anymore, it was something else altogether.
Kenji felt that the creature that was before him was something to test himself, to see if he had what it took. He thought he did and even tried to prove it. Now, Kenji didn’t think he did; he wasn’t sure he could bring himself to bash in this man’s head. The fact that the man was still moving after taking such blows to the head made him unnerved. It just didn’t seem natural; it scared him even more than before. Now, he understood why the Yokai wrought such fear with them.
Kenji was snapped back to reality by a scream, a woman’s scream. He had taken several steps back from the man and could see the entryway to the apartment. Another creature was advancing on Kiyomi. That was enough to fuel Kenji, bring him back to the reality of the situation. He jumped into action and took off towards the second creature, which was an old woman.
He was mid-jog when the man who he had previously attempted to kill grabbed Kenji’s leg, tripping him. Kenji fell to the ground, and his pipe flew out of his hands and landed across the room. He kicked the man to get away; scrambling up to find a weapon. Kenji scanned the room; his eyes fell on something he didn’t expect to see.
It was a sword, a katana to be more accurate. It looked like an old family heirloom; a picture of a man in an army uniform was next to the sword that hung on the wall. He lunged for the sword and pulled it out of its sheath. He grasped the hilt, his confidence even greater than when he held the pipe. He looked down at the man; disgust was the only feeling he felt now.
With a downward swing, he split the man’s already weakened skull, hitting the brain. The man stopped moving after that and was down for good. Kenji understood now that he had to destroy the brain completely before the Yokai stopped. He planted his foot on the man’s skull and pulled the katana out. The blade was well made and looked after at least, suffering no damage from the use.
He walked over to the old woman, who he recognized as the old woman who did live here. Kenji yelled at her to get her attention, knowing the sound would draw its attention. She turned towards him, and Kenji took his chance. He swung the sword aiming for her head but misjudged and ended up hitting her in the neck. The sword cleanly took off the old woman’s head.
Kenji took the sword and plunged it into the old woman’s head to make sure that she was dead. He pulled the sword out once more and fell back on the couch. He sat there panting, letting the gravity of the situation sink in. Kenji had done what he thought he couldn’t do. Something about watching Kiyomi under attack brought out his protective instinct; not to let her come to harm. He knew down inside himself that he now could take on the Yokai, and win.
Not just win, but live. Live and tell the tale, well if there was anyone left out there to hear it. Kenji felt the rush of the adrenaline leaving his body, leaving him feeling tired. More tired than he had ever felt before. He had never been so scared in his life, and yet at the same time had the instinct to fight. It had worn him out so much that he suggested they go back to his apartment and do just that, rest.
They made their way back to the apartment, where the teen was waiting for them. Nobuto stood at the entry of Kenji’s apartment. The teen looked scared, probably fearing that they had abandoned him or worse. His expression changed once he realized it was them and greeted them. Kenji had kept the katana from the old woman’s apartment, but also picked up his old weapon. He now handed over the metal pipe to Nobuto, telling him that it was his to keep.
The teen looked excited as if it was the first time anyone had ever given him a gift or shown kindness to him. Nobuto held the pipe, rolling it in his hands, testing the weight. Kenji felt as though he was about to pass out on the spot, but instead helped block the door after locking it. He got some blankets and a pillow and put them on the couch.
Nobuto thanked him, “I never really talked to people, and I just don’t seem to connect well with them. Even with my mother. You both have been so kind and accepting of me, even though we just met. It's more than most people would do for me. I feel glad knowing that I can sleep safely and have you both to watch my back.”
Kenji felt understanding of what Nobuto was saying. It was nice to have another person around, the simple fact that someone else was alive through all this seemed to make things less bleak. Kenji was glad that the hell in the streets outside was still far away from his apartment on the nineteenth floor. Kenji walked back into his bedroom with Kiyomi and closed the door.
They took off their dirty clothes and donned clean ones. Kenji lay on the bed, intending to take a nap. He almost immediately fell asleep, his body too tired to keep him awake.
✽ ✽ ✽
Kenji woke up the next morning feeling refreshed after yesterday’s activities, as short as they were. He had never felt those emotions and physical strain as hard as he had yesterday. It didn’t surprise him that he had slept longer than he wanted to. When he awoke, he felt the dazed aftershock of the time difference. He wanted to make sure everything was still the same in his apartment as when he left.
He looked over and saw Kiyomi lying in bed next to him, still asleep and still as beautiful as ever. That hadn’t changed; she was still there with him. He moved on to the next category; was Nobuto still in his living room on his couch? He didn’t know the teen and wanted to make sure that he hadn’t taken off with their food and other supplies.
He walked over to the bedroom door, stopping for just a moment. Kenji prayed that he could trust the teen, hoping that he hadn’t taken off with their things and was still on his couch as he had left him. Kenji wanted to have faith that not all people were as messed up as what he had seen on the streets. He took a breath and opened the door.
Nobuto was still on the couch clutching the pipe that Kenji had given him. Kenji felt happy, knowing that he could trust the teen. Even if Nobuto was a socially awkward person, Kenji didn’t mind him and hoped that he would stick with them when they left the building. He had agreed to go with them but leaving would be easier said than done.
Seeing that everything was still in place, he went back to bed. Kenji crawled under the sheet and curled up next to Kiyomi, holding her while she slept. He kissed her cheek and lay there, thinking about his next move. They would have to clear out the rest of the building. He wanted to bring along more people than just three. It would be an undertaking, but he felt it necessary to complete his plan of making it downtown.
His mind wandered in the thought of how they could easily clear the building. Kenji thought of what he would do if they did find more people, how he could convince them to come as well. He hoped he wouldn’t have to and they would just agree to come with them. He started to drift away again as he thought about the outcomes of going down each floor and what they would find. Kenji fell asleep again, preparing for his upcoming task.
Chapter 23
Floor by Floor
Kenji and Nobuto left around eleven am, deciding that they should clear out the twentieth floor. They found half the floor’s apartments locked while the other half were unlocked but devoid of any occupants. In one apartment they found a couple of heavy-duty backpacks made for hiking and mountain climbing. They took these and stuffed anything they deemed useful into them and headed back down to Kenji’s apartment.
Once they were back in his apartment, they quickly unloaded everything they f
ound on his floor. By this time, Kiyomi was awake and came out of the bedroom.
“Wow, did you find all of that upstairs?” Kiyomi asked.
Kenji nodded, “Yes, we have a nice haul from upstairs. Did you want to join us on the next run of the floor below?”
“I’m still feeling a little jittery from yesterday’s encounter. Thank you though,” she replied quickly.
Kenji hugged her and kissed her forehead, “I understand. Would you mind organizing all of our supplies then, we will need the room if we continue to find as much as we did.”
“I will gladly stay and organize the supplies,” Kiyomi said kissing him back.
Kiyomi leaned in, hugging him, “Be safe.”
Kenji and Nobuto left once again, heading to the floor below, finding a Yokai wandering in the hall. Kenji didn’t give the man time even to notice them before he charged, swinging the katana at the Yokai's head. The blade sang through the air slicing anything in its path, including the man’s neck. When the blade connected with the man’s neck, Kenji almost lost his grip, still testing his bounds with the sword.
Nobuto came in quickly after Kenji, dealing the final blow bashing the man’s head open against the floor. Nobuto looked shocked at his death-dealing move, but still greatly proud of himself. Kenji patted Nobuto on the shoulder telling him he was proud of him. They continued to check the doors only finding two unlocked and the occupants missing. They found a few small items worthwhile.
They moved on to the next floor, finding two apartment doors wide open. The first apartment they entered quietly, finding nothing inside. It looked like someone had already searched it and took most of its valuables. They still found several things untouched such as some food, and a little medicine. In the next apartment, blood coated much of the interior; something violent had happened.
What Remains: The Outbreak Page 12