My Modern Kaidan

Chapter 17

Drowning is a terrible way to go. Panic rushes over me and I realize this is what Sachi must have felt. I can feel myself growing weaker the more water I swallow, invading my throat and burning my pleading lungs.

I suddenly feel a lightness over me and before I know what's happening I'm toppling down onto the ground, landing hard on my back, causing water to spew from my mouth as I roll onto my side, coughing and choking. With blurry vision, I catch sight of two figures struggling at the fountain. If my lungs weren't burning, I could believe I'm having some sort of out of body experience right before I die, viewing the last moments of my mortal body. Then I realize it's my dad, wrestling with Sachi's sister.

I get to my hands and knees, crawling towards them. My fingers brush something wooden, the discarded shovel on the ground and I glance up at the mangled shōji, realizing my dad must have sent it flying forward as he busted through. I grip the handle and lunge forward, offering it with shaky arms.

"Dad," I mouth, my words muted by the water still sitting in my windpipe.

The woman catches sight of me, sending her foot flying into my shoulder. I collapse onto the ground, causing my dad to rush over and, instead of tending to me, he grabs the shovel. In true baseball style, he grips the handle with both hands and sends it careening into the woman. She staggers forward, doubling over the fountain.

My dad rushes forward, the shovel still in his hands, pinning her against the stone as she moves wildly to free herself.

I get to my feet, watching my dad who, with gritted teeth, moves the handle of the shovel over her back, tipping her head forward and into the water.

It's getting dark now.

She's thrashing now as my dad struggles to keep her underneath. In a second or two she might slither out, free herself, get the upperhand.

I can't let that happen.

I look up at the wall above the fountain, reaching towards the blue light, lifting it from its post and letting it slip from my weak fingers.

It takes a moment before I hear the rush of electricity through the wire and sparks dance on the surface of the churning water.

My dad continues to hold the shovel over Sachi's sister as her body jerks and tremors before going limp.

She falls to the ground as my dad steps back, dropping the shovel at his feet. We look at her, dead in our garden, before our eyes meet.

We don't say anything, but words from earlier still ring in my head.

A family of murderers.

We glance toward the house as a knock on the door echoes through the house.

I grab a dish towel, wiping at my face and hair as I go to open it, eager to see my mom, picturing her balancing her bags in her hands

Swinging open the door, I gasp.

"Surprise!"

I manage to find my voice but the word barely escapes my lips. "Auntie?"

She smiles down at me. "Is this a bad time?"

Head over to the next part for a preview of the next story in the My Modern Kaidan series, My Modern Kaidan: Meibatsu!