Chapter 9 - I Want To Live

The sharp, metallic sound of something knocking over a trash can outside.

My breath caught in my throat.

I grabbed my flashlight, flicked it on, and stepped into the snow-covered alley that ran behind the building.

I rounded the corner slowly.

Just ahead, a metal trash lid lay spinning on its edge before toppling flat.

At first, I saw nothing.

Then, from behind one of the bins, something darted out — fast, low to the ground.

A cat.

A calico, maybe the same one Hayato rescued the other day. It looked at me with wide green eyes and purred.

I let out a shaky breath.

“Just a damn cat…”

I turned and walked back to the front of the kōban, crunching through snow that seemed deeper than it had five minutes ago.

I opened the front door and stepped inside.

I froze in my steps.

And stared.

Something was different.

The desk light was on.

I’d left it off.

The logbook was now open to a blank page, even though I’d closed it shut earlier.

Something creaked.

Not loudly. Just enough.

Like a footstep.

I couldn’t breathe.

I stepped backward.

Another sound — the soft click of the cell door down the corridor shifting open.

No.

I spun and bolted out of the kōban and into the snow, boots slipping against the ice.

I didn’t know where I was going — just away.

Down the road, through the drifting snow, past darkened houses and frost-covered trees.

My lungs burned.

I didn’t stop.

Couldn’t.

I want to live…

I need to live…

I don’t remember how long I ran.

The snow blurred everything — roads, houses, memory.

At some point, my legs gave out.

And then—

Darkness.

End…

Thank you for reading Volume 1! This story started as a simple idea — a quiet village, a peaceful life — and slowly turned into something far darker than I expected. I’ve poured a lot of love and fear into these pages, and I’m grateful you came along for the ride.

As for what happens next… well, that’ll have to wait just a little while. I’ll be taking a short break before diving into Arc 2, but things are only going to get stranger from here.

Until then, keep your doors locked, and your tea warm, and when you hear that extra step at night… don’t turn around until it’s gone.

See you soon.

-GoingInsane