A CANADIAN WEREWOLF IN JAPAN

CHAPTER 4: THE RED FACED DEMONS

I wake up to white walls and water up to my neck. A bathtub. An old looking bathtub with fresh water. "Hello? Hello? Can somebody tell me what I'm doing here?" I said as it echoed. Four red hands rose from the water and grabbed a hold of my body, "Ahhhhh!" I screamed. The hands dragged me down past the barriers of the bathtub. I thought for sure I would drown. But I could breathe just fine.

"What's happening?" I said with bubbles coming out. The water than decreased down the drain. While standing in the middle of this dirty bathtub, I could hear small footsteps approaching. Out from the shadows stood children. Five Japanese children, each of different gender. Behind them walked up five men in red Japanese demon masks and black suits. Out of their suit jackets they pulled out silver butcher knives. "No, please. No." I said. Each of the children then says, "Why have you damned us, Vincent?" Than their knives plunge into the little children's hearts.

"No!!!" I screamed. "Vincent! Vincent, wake up!" I hear Aya's voice. "Aya. Aya, it was horrible. Five children. Five children, dead. Because of me." I said. "Vincent, you fell asleep on the grass. You were here the whole time. No children died last night." said Aya. "No, I didn't kill them. They just blamed me for their deaths. There were these men in masks, dressed all in black. With knives made from silver, those men ended the poor children's lives. Without guilt." I said. "What kind of masks were they wearing?" asks Aya. "Red rituals ones, native to Japan." I said. "I have to find them!" I said. "Not in this state you can't." said Aya. "Then I'll investigate." I said.

I took a bus to the city to find everything I could about the children's deaths. Something else felt odd, I gained another ability I hardly even knew I had. The news channels, I understood them. It was like English to my ears. "Another horrifying event had taken place at midnight, last night when five children were brutally murdered by the anonymous Namahage gang. What we believed to be a myth and folklore has turned into a hellish nightmare for all the mothers and fathers of Tokyo, Japan." said a news lady on the jumbo tron. The picture they showed of this gang fit the description of the men I saw in my dream.

But than I realized it wasn't a dream, it was a vision. I called Aya and said, "Aya, I wasn't dreaming. It actually happened. I saw the news reporting on it a couple of minutes ago. They're dead." "Good lord." she said. "What much do you know about the Namahage?" I said. "Only what can be told, they're vile ogre faced demons who pray on those guilty of laziness. But primarily enjoys slaughtering children who don't behave." said Aya. "That's horrible." I said.

"Vincent, what are you going to do?" she said concerned. "I'm going to show them the consequences of murdering innocent children." I said. "Vincent, they'll kill you." said Aya. "They'll try. Either way, somebody has to avenge them." I said. "Vincent, what happened to them was not your fault no matter what that dream of yours told you. Save yourself from whatever harm you'll bring upon." said Aya. "I have to bury the guilt, or else I'll live with it forever. Goodbye, Aya." I said. "Vince!" she said as I hung up. I dialled Sid's number and said, "You up for killing some men? Could be dangerous." "Mate, you had me at danger. Where to?" said Sid. "Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre. 11:00pm, don't be late this time." I said. "Alright, Alright." said Sid.

Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, 11:20pm. "Since you're letting me in on this, you mind explaining to ol Sid who these twats are?" said Sid. "You've seen the news lately?" I said. "The one with those red faced freaks?" said Sid. "Yeah, that's them. From what I heard, they abducted an 8 year old boy and had him kept in there." I said. "Why?" Sid asks. "He did something he wasn't suppose to." I said. "He snuck in the girl's bathroom?" Sid says. "No!" I said. "Glued the teacher to their seat?" Sid says. "No!" I said. "Walked in on his mum and dad doing it doggy style?!" says Sid. "Stop it!" I said. "Ah, childhood. Brings back memories it does." said Sid. "You had one fucked up childhood didn't you?" I said. "You bet!" Sid said with pride. "Any way he got into a fight at school. From what I heard they're going to execute him at midnight. That means we have to hurry." I said.