Chapter 1: Encounter
"Now remember, good boys don't talk to strangers," my mother says, hesitantly opening the door of our apartment, our gate to the outside world. Usually she would insist that I hold onto one of her pale hands. She would frequently look down at me, as if to reassure herself that I hadn't disappeared. Today, however is a special day. Today is my birthday. Today is the day that I can get whatever I want. This birthday, for my seventh birthday, I want to be able to walk by myself. I want to be able to walk down two blocks, buy myself ice cream at the convenience store, and walk back. It would be an adventure, a chance for me to dive deep into the sea of humanity. Halfway out the door, I flash her a reassuring smile before beginning my journey.
My money, consisting of a few coins, jangles in my pocket. It jangles with every step I take, creating a song when accompanied by the sound of thudding feet. Thud, thud, jangle! Thud, thud, jangle! The vast array of sounds originating from those around me is impressive, unlike my view. Due to my short height, I mostly just see a collection of legs. I can feel myself becoming overwhelmed, getting lost amongst all the giants.
Suddenly I see it, a gap in the crowd, an alleyway. Dashing over to the empty space, a space that seems like an island in the ocean of humanity, I nearly get trampled by numerous people. A string of swears creates a trail of sorts behind me, a trail that soon dissipates. Strangely, despite the darkness, I find the alleyway more appealing than the crowd of people I have just emerged from. With a shaky, nervous sigh, I make my way past numerous piles of trash, and other smelly objects.
"Oh my, are you lost little one?" a voice asks, sounding angelic amongst the distant city sounds. From the shadows a woman emerges. She has dark, shoulder length hair and skin the color of caramel. Her voice is loud yet soft, reminding me of the voice of a Disney princess. The most notable thing about her appearance, however, is the large blood red stain on her shirt. Is she an artist? Is that paint?
"Y-Y-Yes" I stammer, my mother's words meanwhile echoing throughout my head. I SHOULDN'T BE DOING THIS.... She looks kind though... She has a bright smile... Surely it is okay for me to talk to someone like her... "Are you an artist? You have a stain on your shirt..."
She laughs, and it sounds like ringing bells. It is a sweet sound that can easily calm you. She shakes her head, an action that confuses me. Is she telling me no? Is she not an artist? "Didn't your parents ever tell you?" She asks, and I can't help but notice the vagueness of her question.
"Didn't they tell me what?" I say, responding to her question with a question of my own. Her eyes, her stunning brown eyes change in a matter of seconds. A bright red and a deep black soon replace her normal eye colors, a combination that makes me gasp.
My reaction seems to amuse her. She giggles, but soon presses her index finger against her lips, "Sssh. If you're quiet I'll share a secret with you." Confused and unable to think of anything to say I close my mouth, and wait for her to say more. She waits for a few seconds, before giving a grunt of approval. "I'm a Ghoul. G-H-O-U-L."
"Ghoul? What's a Ghoul?" I ask earning myself yet another giggle from her. In a blur of movement, something strokes my cheek. The object touching me seems to originate from the woman's back. The object, no limb, is beautiful seeming to consists of various shades of green.
"Well..." She says, her voice now lowered to a whisper, "It depends who you ask. Some say Ghouls are monsters. We eat humans after all. Others say... Well I've never heard anyone speak fondly of Ghouls.." there is a hint of sadness in her voice.
"Monsters aren't real," I respond, feeling particularly smart, "monsters live in nightmares, and this isn't a nightmare." As I speak, a small smile forms upon her lips. Following the smile, she sighs deeply, as if frustrated.
"To be honest, I was going to eat you," she says, pulling her colorful limb away from my face, leaving a cut. Droplets of blood drip down my face, and begin to stain my sky blue t-shirt. My mother is going to be angry... "But you're just too darn cute. You're fairly smart too. So, tell me, if this was a nightmare, would I be a monster?"
"No," I respond automatically, "You could never be a monster... Monsters are ugly, mean and smelly... You look just like me, more or less," to my surprise, she sighs once more.
"Silly boy," she says, her voice becoming sickeningly sweet. "Silly, silly boy. I'll let you off with a warning since you're kind. One," she says, taking one baby step towards me, "never walk into dark alleyways. Two, never talk to strangers. Three, if you encounter someone like me, run." Before I can respond, before I even get a chance to take another breath, my vision is overcome with darkness.
She was strange.
She was beautiful.
She wasn't human.
She was a Ghoul.
She was a creature that I was supposed to fear.
She told me that some people call her a monster.
I think she should be called an angel.
YOU ARE READING
Ghoul Lover (Tokyo Ghoul Fanfic)
FanfictionShe was strange. She was beautiful. She wasn't human. She was a Ghoul. She was a creature that I was supposed to fear. She told me that some people call her a monster. I think she should be called an angel.
