Eitsu's Nine Lives (永津の九生) [yuri/GL yokai reincarnation story]

36 - Onryou

A/N: Yo, what's this? A chapter? Amazing!

I'm still trying to work my way back to having a regular upload schedule. Thanks for your patience.

CW: Death, references to suicide

***

Oh.

Unlike the tightly packed city and tunnels they had just left, the place they now looked out on was vast, the few buildings present scattered and low, decaying under a steel-grey sky that felt like a heavy weight ready to fall and crush them all flat.

Mou led the way out onto the wide dirt streets, where the darkness crawled upwards towards the grey sky. "Lady Eitsubyou?"

Eitsu had not moved.

The fur all down her back and neck stood upright, her lips curling to show long, sharp teeth and black gums. She wanted to retch, maybe, to run, the sky claustrophobic on her face.

"Lady Eitsubyou?"

How could that shinigami stand there so unaffected? With her belly almost to the ground, Eitsu crawled out into that open, oppressive space.

Mou resumed walking, steadily heading out across the dust.

Her breath coming in shallow, panting gasps, Eitsu followed.

There was no-one else there, aside from the two of them.

No one.

Right?

So why did Eitsu feel like she was being watched?

The broad street they were walking down was strewn with fabrics, torn rags of hemp, ragged skeins of silk tumbling through the dust, scraps of ramie hanging limp in gaping windows and doorways.

Something wrapped around one of Eitsu's ankles, and she shook it absently as she crawled after Mou.

The something did not dislodge.

Eitsu kicked her foot harder, thinking it was a piece of fabric. When it still failed to let go, she looked around.

It was hair.

Long strands of black hair crept out from the darkened ground, wrapping tightly around her limb. More were reaching for another of her feet; she hissed and scratched at them, her sharp claws slicing through, but the severed hairs were quickly replaced with more.

"Eitsu-chan? Eitsu-chan?" a voice sang out to her, one that sounded somewhat familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. It sounded a little distorted and raspy, as if the speaker had a sore throat.

"Eitsu-chan... Come back... I'll be good to you... I promise... I won't be so needy anymore... I'm so lonely..."

On all fours, a woman crept after the hair. Her face was distorted, purpled and swollen, with blackened spots speckling her cheeks and chin. A long, dried tongue protruded from her cracked lips.

"Eitsu-chan..."

The bulging, bloodshot eyes rolled madly before settling on Eitsu's face. As the woman crept nearer, Eitsu could see a livid red welt that ran across her throat.

Eitsu crawled backwards. The woman crawled forwards.

"I didn't mean to get upset," the woman sang wheedlingly. "I made you angry, didn't I? I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

Eitsu squinted all of her golden eyes, trying to discern familiar features on the woman's bloated face and coming up with nothing.

Mou stood nearby, waiting patiently. She neither moved to help Eitsu, nor actively encouraged the ghost woman. Feeling that she couldn't expect any help from the shinigami, Eitsu turned back to the onryou, whose hair was now entangled around two of her feet.