That Fucker! (Shin Soukoku) [Rewritten]

Chapter 2: Bad dreams, Kitty?

Warning: Chapter contains description of blood, character in a distressing situation and a freeze response to trauma. Please do not read if any of these are triggering or upsetting.

A/n: closet jokes are welcomed here.

Given how small Atsushi's apartment is and the fact that there is only one bedroom where he and Kyouka can sleep, he has given up most of the space to Kyouka, choosing to sleep in a closet. Luckily for him, sleeping in a closet comes with an added benefit – it is always warm. He also always feels safe in the secluded space that the closet provides because he feels that no one can harm him there.

Atsushi is still asleep, soundly dreaming away when he starts to slightly shiver. Cold. Why is it cold? Atsushi opens his tired eyes and is met with pitch-black darkness. He doesn't see anything, almost like he's been blinded. Usually, there is a bit of light coming from outside the closet, since Kyouka sleeps with a small nightlight but right now, there is no light. All Atsushi knows, is that he is freezing.

Trying to feel where the closet opening is, a sudden realization dawns on him.  Is this even my bed? He reaches to open the closet door and is met by the unfamiliar feeling of nothingness. There is no handle, no cracks, there is nothing but darkness.  He tries to sit up but once he does, his head lightly touches something. He quickly notes that the wall above him is closer to him than the closet ceiling ever has been. 

He starts to knock on the wall and while trying to stay calm, he calls out to Kyouka. Instead of an answer from her, he is met with a loud bang and an agonizing ringing in his ears. It sounds like someone has hit the box he's in with a metal pipe. He covers his ears with his hands and pulls his legs up to his chest, waiting for it to be over. His breathing is rapid, almost like he can't breathe at all. Atsushi tries to pull himself together and stays like that for a couple of minutes until he is somewhat calm again.

Once the sound is gone, he can slightly hear muffled talking coming from outside the box he's in. He looks up, removing his hands from his ears to hear better, and figures that the noise is coming from above him. He raises his hands and pushes the wall that's pracrically on top of him. It turns out to be a door or some sort and it opens easier than expected. Relieved, he quickly climbs out.

The room which he steps into is almost dark, there are no lights besides the dim sunlight reaching through the black curtains that cover a small window. By the same window, there is a desk. It's small and almost empty apart from a bowl. Tea on rice?  Atsushi frowns, not understanding what this is. Why is he here? And what does "here" even mean?

"Kyouka?" He shouts as he moves around the otherwise empty room but receives no answer. He still hears muffled words coming from the room next to this one and before he goes to investigate, he turns to look at the box he was trapped in, and what he sees makes his heart drop. It isn't just a box. It's a coffin. The coffin is rusty, made from metal and there is a name engraved on it. Or so Atsushi guesses because he can't make out any of the letters. They are jumping around, switching places, melting away, and differing in size. His thoughts start to race, his heart is beating faster, and his head starts to spin. Who would do this? And why? Was it Akutagawa? Why would he do this? Three months haven't gone by yet. No, he wouldn't, right?  I can't. I can't do this.

Atsushi is sick to his stomach. He steps back from the coffin until he's back up against a wall. He feels like he might pass out, but he doesn't allow that. He can't pass out, not now. He must get out, he has to get away from the sick person who's doing this to him.

He turns to the door where the muffled voice is coming from and finally goes through it. What he sees is even worse than before – It's the orphanage. It has the stupid stained glass that's casting blue and violet patterns on the freezing floor and the only thing that's different here is the fact that instead of the director, there are dozens of tape recorders scattered across the floor, all replaying different things he's said to Atsushi before.