Chapter 5:

Chapter 5

Hachiko - A Hachishakusama Story


“...I do Kazuuuu or I guess I should say I did. In the past. I hope youuu don’t hate me now. But I will understand if youuuu do. No matter what youuu say, I’m a monster. I do eat huuuuuumans but I also eat animals. Blood is what keeps me alive.”

“Blood? Are you a vampire?”

“Back before the mean huuuumans locked me in this vault there was a story about me, I guess it’s like your uuuurban legend thing. They said that my father was a vampire and my mother was a Yuki-onna? I think they call it a snow woman?”

“I’m familiar with the story of yuki-onnas. Again those stories have been changed over time. And I’m not sure that many of them are real. Yet here I am with a super tall creature who’s not supposed to exist. Hachishakusama is actually a yokai though so that differs from the story.”

Hachiko turned to me and smiled before saying, “Youuu’re a pretty knowledgeable huuuuman. I’m glad I didn’t eat youuu.”

“Yeah… Can we stop talking about eating me now?!”

“I will try Kazuuu.”.

“W-w-wait a minute. So you were locked in here?”

“Yes, and I didn’t fight back because I knew I was different from the huuuumans. I didn’t belong in their world. I’m grateful to the family who tried to keep me around but… The hunters made it seem like they would try to kill me if I tried to fight back. A few huuuumans would try to hide me but once I got tall it wasn’t that easy to hide me anymore. It made me so sad that...I started eating huuuumans who came near here as revenge. But they tasted so good and when I get a plump one it satisfied me for a few days.”

With that I didn’t know what to say. I dropped the brush and don’t even remember what I did after that. I was shocked.

“Ummmm…”

“Kazuuuu please don’t hate me. I don’t want to eat youuuu...anymore. I want youuu to come back and visit me. But I understand if youuu hate me now.”

“Anymore?!?! You wanted to eat me!?”

“Youuu did enter my home.”

“You’re right. I did.”

I just didn’t know how to react so I went back to brushing her hair.

“Youuuu’re quiet Kazuuuu.”

I brought a mirror with me because after I was done with her hair, I wanted her to see it so I started digging in my bag to find it. When I found it, I leaned forward and put my left arm around her, kind of like a one arm hug from the back and then I reached around the other side with the mirror in my hand.

“You….don’t have a reflection. Maybe you really are a vampire.”

“Kazuuuuuuu, you sound hesitant. Youuuu’re scared now aren’t youuu.”

“Yes. I am a little scared.”

“As long as I don’t get hungry, youuu will be fine Kazuuuu. I can’t control my hunger though. We just have to hope there are enough animals outside like deer. But I know in my heart that I don’t want to eat youuuu….anymore.”

“Hey! Now you’re doing that on purpose.”

She started laughing which did calm my nerves a bit. I had a woman who could literally eat me, sitting right in front of me and I was brushing her hair. This had to be the weirdest situation I was ever in.

“I really don’t want to eat you Kazuuuu….anymore.”

“HEY!”

She kept laughing after that. I guess she really thought she was funny. I guess it was but you know… Anyway, I started digging in my bag for this facial cream I saw my sister using. Yes I swiped her cream. I didn’t really understand the whole face cream thing that women do but figured I’d try it with her.

“I have this face cream, maybe if I put it on you like a mask then you’ll be able to see what you look like. So just turn around again and let me try this”

She turned around to face me but it seemed like she was staring a hole through me. She definitely had something on her mind and with that she said...

“Kazuuuu. Am I really that scary?”

I kept putting the cream on her face, smoothing it out to try to make a smooth facial mask. I didn’t know how to make it so she could see herself without swirls and whatever so I kept trying to smooth it out over and over.

“Stop talking for a minute okay?”

She did stop talking but it was obvious she was really concerned about thinking she might be scary or maybe just too scary to be around. She would be scary if I didn’t know her, for sure. But now that I know her, I know she has feelings and just wants to be understood like any human would. Hachiko, while you’re a creature that I don’t understand, you are still human enough.

“Hachiko, to any human you would probably be scary because you’re not like us. Humans fear what they can’t understand. You understand that right? I do still feel a little scared because you’re technically a monster as you put it, but I’m still here right? I could have ran away by now but I’m still here. You did just tell me that you eat humans. You’re like 8 feet tall, no human is THAT tall. So to a regular human yes you probably would be scary. Most men are afraid of tall women as it is and that’s normal tall women.”

“But I didn’t eat any recently.”

“Shhhhh. No talking. Let me finish okay?”

She was trying her hardest to be on her best behavior and also trying to relax me so I wouldn’t be so afraid of her. I kept trying to get some of the stuff out of my head but she eats people. How can you get that out of your head when she could just eat you if you attacked her or did something to her.

“Hachiko, just keep still a little longer okay?”

I reached back and grabbed the mirror since I was done with the facial cream.

“Close your eyes.”

I grabbed Hachiko’s hand and put the mirror in her hand.

“I want you to look at what I just gave you.”

“Is that that glass thingie youuuu had?”

“Yes. Just look at it.”

She looked into the mirror but of course since she’s not used to the mirror she had it way too close to her face.

“Hachiko, pull it away from your face. Hold it out in front of you.”

It took her a few tries to get the right angle but she finally got it.

“Is this really me? Is this what youuuu said is beautiful?”

“Yes Hachiko. I smoothed it out so you can see that your face clearly. You’re almost human like...except those big teeth.”

We both started laughing which eased the tension a little.

“Kazuuuu. What color are my eyes?”

“A beautiful crimson red.”

“So if youuuu put this stuff all over me...I could see my whole body?”

“Technically yes, but that’s a LOT of cream.”

“Hey!”

“Well it’s true. Look how tall you are. But you can see your silhouette with the clothes on. Though I guess it probably wouldn’t work with this tiny mirror. Maybe I can find a bigger one. Or come up with an idea.”

“I guess you’re right. I’m much taller than youuuuu little huuuuumans. Plus if you had more of that cream you would just grab my ass again anyway...”

“That was an accident!”

I looked at her and I could tell she was holding back a laugh. It wasn’t long before she started laughing.

“Ha ha ha. It’s. Ha. Okay Kazuuuu. Ha ha. I don’t mind if it’s youuu.”

“Did she say what I think she said? That can’t be right. Right?”

“Hachiko. I have a question. How do you stay clean?”

“Do I smell bad? I apologize.”

“No no no. I was just curious.”

“Well….late at night I leave the vault.”

“You’re not scared to leave here?”

“I am. I’m very scared every time I leave. What if someone comes looking for the mysterious creature that lives in the vault and stumbles in here.”

She stared at me looking for a response. Obviously she’s starting to feel more comfortable around me, as I am with her.

“You really think you’re funny don’t you.”

She gave me a big toothy grin. Kind of crazy how this creature, woman or whatever she is can be so human like.

“There is a lake out in the woods behind here. It’s very quiet. The only ones out there are food.... I mean deer. I don’t really get dirty much but I clean myself off in that lake.”

“I guess you could always eat someone if they showed up.”

“No one really comes here anymore. I guess over the passage of time, people forgot about me.”

“I was kind of curious about that. Just how old are you?”

“I don’t know Kazuuuu. What year is it?”

“2025.”

“Wow. Then I might be around 350 years old if what I was told is actually the truth but that was soooooo long ago.”

“You know humans don’t live that long right?”

“I know Kazuuuu. Back when I was younger I had people who took care of me. I watched them die and it made me very sad. I was able to live with random huuuumans until I grew taller. When I was small they weren’t really scared of me much because they were still bigger than me I guess. I did have some huuuumans who tried to trap me and then some who tried to hunt me too.”

Hachiko pulled her legs in and wrapped her arms around her legs like she’s trying to curl into a ball.

“It might have been about 200 years ago when I got locked in here. It was either be locked in here or they were going to hunt me...”

I put my hand on her head in a comforting manner. Honestly, when she says things like that, I feel something inside me break.

“Hachiko. I hope what I’m about to say doesn’t sound crazy.”

She picked her head up to look at me and all I could see was sadness. The anguish she must have gone through all these years. If I was alone as long as she was, I think all those thoughts would have ate me alive.

“The world has changed in 200 years or however many years it’s been. A lot. I want to show you how the world has changed. I want to take you out into the human world.”

And again, Hachiko gave me a sight I never thought I would see. A giant whatever she is, crying uncontrollably. At least this time it was happiness and not sadness because it seemed like I kept triggering bad memories. The last thing I wanted to do was make her cry.

“Reawwwwwy!?!?!!”

“But first we have to get you clothes and a new hat. Which means I have to get some measurements. Is that okay with you?”

Unfortunately before we could do that, her stomach started growling which unfortunately for me is a bad sign. AT least that’s what she told me anyway.

“Kazuuuu. Youuuu better go home. NOW!”

“Do you not want to go outside with me?

“I want to go but I don’t want to eat youuu. I’m hungry and I can’t control my hunger. Please run Kazuuuu. Go home. Youuuu won’t be safe here. Please!”

What the hell?! Dude, seriously, what the hell!? I panicked and picked up my bag but I left anything that was already out. Since I didn’t know what was going to happen I didn’t want to leave anything to chance. I was watching Hachiko on the floor, holding her stomach like she’s in pain so I was pretty sure she was serious.

“I’ll be back in like 3 or 4 days okay?”

“Yes! Please run Kazuuuu!!!”

I was goooone! I ran as fast as I could and I didn’t look back. I hoped that was the right thing to do though since I had no clue what was about to happen. I’m glad she gave me the warning though because I was barely out of the woods and I heard the vault door slam. If someone could slam that door they might be superhuman. The doors on that thing must have weighed hundreds of pounds. I would brace myself before pulling them open and while that made them move easier, there was no way in hell I could slam them.

What I didn’t see was what emerged from the vault. I call this Hachiko’s huntress mode. She had extended claws, like they must have grown a foot or something. Her mouth widened and you could clearly see her teeth. And she took more of a stalker stance, instead of standing straight up, she was kind of hunched over. If I saw her at that point I might not have gone back. This creature, which looked human except for the claws and teeth, was in hunter mode. She was pretty graceful for whatever she actually is. What I’m assuming happened after I left is that she ran into the woods to hunt for deer. All her senses were heightened in this form so she could probably even hear the heartbeats of those deer. I felt sorry for them. If she caught them it was game over. She could have probably torn those deer in half with her bare hands. The way I imagined it, is that she ripped limbs off one by one and ate them. Brutal to think about but that’s how I pictured it without seeing it.