The Yandere

Chapter 17: Close to Death

Baxter was sat up cheerfully when I got back there. His leg was all bandaged up and on the way to mending itself. I sat down next to him with a little difficulty thanks to my bruised stomach and patted him on the head.

"Haruka! What happened?" Kimi gasped in surprise, wandering over to me with concern.

"Some drunk got an advantage over me in an alleyway. No big deal since I'm still alive, right?" I chuckled humourlessly.

"Lift your top."

"Ew Kimi, you pervert." I laughed, pushing her away gently.

"I'm serious, Haru."

"Nobody calls me that anymore." I stated darkly, standing up again. "Anyway, Baxter and I are gonna make a move before it gets too dark."

"Oh, I'm really sorry Haruka. I didn't mean to-"

"- It's fine." I snapped shortly. "Tell Ai and Gina goodbye for me. I'm not great with those kinds of things."

Baxter stood beside me, already waiting to leave, with his tail wagging patiently. I walked off, back towards the sellers where I knew the exit was.

"Pistol looks hurt," muttered one man to another as I walked by. I glared at him sideways to shut him up so he did.

The gate opened without me asking when they saw me approaching it. Without a simple thank you, I stepped outside again, feeling less strained than inside the populated walls. I pulled up the scarf to warm part of my face from the crisp air.

It was early January and still freezing from the winter. The only good thing that came from it was that the cold weather slowed down the dead and made it easier to escape from unnecessary fights with them.

I walked for a while until I found my little shed at the edge of the woods. It was small but at least I had a safe place to sleep and keep my stuff.

The room was just big enough for a mattress in the corner with a coffee table against the wall which I left my bag on usually. I'd added a mat on the floor as well to make it seem like home as I'd be staying there a while. In the opposite corner was a small cupboard for my food to be kept in.

Luckily for me, the door had a padlock on it so my things were safe inside. Not that anyone would try to get in anyway. The shed was out of sight, making it difficult for anyone to find it unless they were looking for me specifically. Passers by would never guess I was here.

Baxter and I went on inside, closing the door behind us with a tired sigh. I threw my bag on the floor carelessly as I just wanted to sleep. My knife was placed next to my pillow in case of any sort of unplanned situations.

I laid back and closed my eyes peacefully, welcoming the darkness of sleep. I was asleep straight away after such a long day.

My slumber didn't last very long though.

I was rudely awakened by a fierce banging on my door, followed by many voices outside. My eyes snapped open, quickly reading the situation. I picked up my knife and padded towards the door, Baxter behind me keeping quiet.

My hand reached for the lock and pulled the necklace out from under the scarf, the key hanging from the chain.

When I unlocked and opened the door, I was greeted by many armed men, all glaring in my direction.

"This little loner took out our men?" One sneered, pointing his gun towards me.

"Don't shoot, that would be too quick of a death." The one who knocked my door stated calmly.

I glared at him, putting my necklace back around my neck as though I didn't have a bunch of guns pointed at me.

"And who might you be?" I questioned with a roll of my eyes.

"We're the main group of those men you massacred at the warehouse up there. You're going to pay for what you've done."

"Oh." I replied simply.

So this was going to be my death. I knew it would happen eventually since I never really had the motivation I longed for to survive. I'd imagined many scenarios for my death but never this one. Being woke up in the middle of the night to be gunned down by a huge group of idiots wasn't really on the list.

"You think this is a joke?" The man spat, grabbing me and throwing me to the ground.

I just smiled, waiting for the inevitable to happen.

Man number one, who had knocked my door, kicked me in my already sore stomach, wiping my smile away. Then, another one joined in, leading to more and more taking turns. My vision was becoming blurry and I just wished for the End to come sooner. I'd done my time and I'd decided enough was enough.

Sadly, something pulled me back. I'd closed my eyes but instead of darkness, I only saw the smiling faces of the people I used to know. They were encouraging, as though willing for me to carry on in my weakest moment. Automatically, my eyes opened again, fighting the tiredness.

It was a voice from far away I heard that actually made me open them. It sounded so familiar that I just had to see who it was. Maybe they would join in on the beating.

"Touch her one more time and I will make your death so slow and painful that you will wish you were never born!"

I heard the sound of a knife, or maybe a sword, I wasn't so sure at that time. Then I heard multiple bodies hitting the ground at once and wondered what was happening. The people who had been hitting me weren't there anymore and were just yelling in panic around me. Everyone had beaten me so badly I couldn't find the strength to move at all. My entire body ached.

"Haru... I've got you now, it's okay. I'm here for you and I won't let you go again."

I felt someone lift me into their arms bridal style and tried to open my eyes in an attempt to look at whoever it was but failed, closing them again. The person was breathing heavily and I could hear their heart beating rapidly behind their chest. I liked listening to it for some reason.

We must have gone back inside my shed as I was gently placed down on my mattress and I heard the door close quietly.

"It will be okay now, Haru." The person told me as I drifted back to sleep, their voice gentle like a soothing lullaby. I was still wondering if I was dead or alive.