25. It Just Gets Worse.

It was monstrous.

Eyes-of-the-Ocean was a hideous fusion of eight people, facing outward and bound together to form the creature's body. On the tops of each head was a single eye, the colour of a tropical sea, circling a huge red mouth filled with pin-sharp teeth.

Many arms were fused to form gecko-like legs, powering it forward with sinuous movements. Many hands had merged to make thick toes, allowing the thing to scale the walls and remain on the ceiling.

Hanako was tucked into the shadow of the bridge, her back flat against the inside support. She watched it crawl up the ceiling before stopping dead in its tracks. The creature hung down from above the bridge, scanning around.

Sensing a presence, an enormous spider leg crept out of each human head's mouth, to create a defensive 'hood'. Hanako stood frozen in place, holding her breath.

I want my Mom. 

Digging into her knapsack, she fished out a firecracker and focused on the rear exit, with a ready hand.

Not good! Not good!

Counting down from three, she threw the firecracker at the furthest tunnel and fled toward the exit. Eyes-of-the-Ocean took the bait and barrelled toward the sound. By the time it realised the mistake, Hanako was halfway up a platform edge.

The creature leapt onto the bridge, landing with a swipe that barely missed the girl's body. Desperate to escape, she slipped on her side, but the adrenaline kept her moving.

She scrambled up, just in time to miss another sweep of the mutated leg. Still bristling with electricity, Hanako made it to the stairs when something grabbed her from behind.

Eyes-of-the-Ocean dangled her upside down, before pulling the girl over its bright red mouth. Numb with fear, Hanako used the Javelin to stab at one of the eyes.

The creature let out a strangled scream and released its grip.

Once free, Hanako surged back up the stairs and retrieved Chain-Maker with a flick of the hand. Reaching the top, she limped through the tunnel and collapsed behind the barrier, exhausted. She needed a plan. Fast.

An idea soon popped into her head, but was dismissed immediately.

No, shut up. That's crazy. She thought,  trying to think of something else, but kept coming back around to the same plan. It's going to get me killed or worse!

Finally convinced, Hanako got to her feet and looked to the dark end of the tunnel.

At least Izumi won't yell at me for trying. ~

Sliding into the gap, she faced the wall with her knees up. Gritting her teeth, Hanako pushed the scissor gate until there was a slight give. The rusty metal groaned loudly and scraped against the floor, inch by inch. Pushing back, she began to feel results, until it ground to a halt three-quarters of the way.

Satisfied, Hanako glanced at the discarded armour, wondering if it was worth putting on. She decided against it, feeling speed was more useful than combat.

With a deep sigh, she set off toward the darkness of the tunnel.

***

Creeping around the station was an eerie experience for her. Firstly, she had to keep herself away from the walls that wept sticky brown syrup. Secondly, it was a unique position to be in, playing the hunter and drawing out monsters. Hanako would have laughed at the irony if she weren't already doused in sweat.

The girl stopped at the main exit and glanced at the impenetrable darkness spreading up the stairs. She shivered; even the silence had a weight to it.

Out toward the gated main exit, Hanako snuck into a nearby ticket booth and found a metal lunchbox. Crouched down in the shadow, she gave herself a chance to calm her nerves.

This is gonna hurt.

After a few sharp breaths, Hanako threw the lunchbox into the deep, dark and waited. Nothing happened.

Come on out, baka yarō. Where are you? 

Suddenly, a tall, muscular shape appeared by the barriers, hunched over in silhouette. Even though she expected it, the appearance of the creature was still a shock.

Hanako took the lunchbox and threw it into the bathroom entrance. The Headless-Nameless immediately sprang at the sound.

Sensing her chance, Hanako bolted back into the tunnel, with the monster in hot pursuit.

Propelled by fear and adrenaline, Hanako retraced her way through the station, down long, curling tunnels and sliding on escalators. She imagined her pursuer closing the gap, with nothing between them.

Into the final stages, she slid past the rusty gate, down the staircase before rolling into a heap at the bottom. Within a couple of leaps, the Headless-Nameless was looming over her.

Before it could go in for the kill, a monstrous leg (made of many hands) pulled the Headless-Nameless up toward the ceiling.

Hanako took the opportunity to retreat into the nearby tunnel. She didn't know where she was running; it was all on instinct. Following the signs, she took the stairs into another service tunnel which led directly onto an open-top bridge over a platform.

The first thing she saw when arriving was the sight of a subway train below. A feeling of elation prickled her body, infused with a newfound hope, but the excitement was cooled when she noticed the patches of shadow ahead.

Halfway across, she felt a sudden need to turn around. Standing tall at the other end of the bridge was the hulking, bleeding, and scratched outline of the Headless-Nameless.

Frantic, Hanako threw the Javelin, but creature caught it with one hand and snapped the weapon in two.

Bad idea.

Quicker on its feet, the creature leapt forward, grabbed her collar and threw her off the bridge. The girl impacted hard against the rails with a bruising crunch, causing her to groan and cough up a wad of blood.

Hanako tried to roll over onto her front, but found herself launched across the platform, smashing against the wall.

For a moment, she regretted having flesh and bones.

The Headless-Nameless was not done, not even close. It lifted her with one hand, but Hanako struck out with a kick that connected just below the knee. 

Angered, it threw her toward the stairs.

Sliding across the polished floor, she barely managed to stand and use the handrail, let alone limp up the stairs. Every torturous step felt like she was breaking a new bone.

By some miracle of effort, Hanako made it to the bridge. 

She was almost across when a meaty hand shot out from a patch of shadow and grabbed her by the throat and lifted so high, her feet were nowhere near the ground.

The girl watched wide-eyed in horror as the creature's fingers extended into long, thin spears.

 Without thinking, she gripped the monster's wrist and felt both ends of the Javelin shoot through her hands and its arm.

Severely wounded, the monster tossed her to the side.

Seeing a chance of freedom, Hanako held her punctured hand and staggered off toward the double staircase, trailing spatters of crimson dots. Halfway down, she lost balance and tumbled down the hard steps. Pushing herself up, she scraped enough energy to walk on, using the wall to keep upright.

Poisoned, Hanako tottered over toward the train before collapsing inside. Her breathing was becoming erratic, as floating spots swam in a matrix behind her eyes.

Slumping against the other side, she was relieved to see the doors finally close, when the Headless-Nameless slowly pulled them apart at the last second.

Exhausted and out of moves, Hanako warily reached into her knapsack and threw the last thing she could find: Jenny Lewis’s tennis ball.

It wasn’t even a throw; the ball simply rolled between the creature’s legs before stopping under a bench. So pathetic was the attempt, the Headless-Nameless was momentarily confused as to what just happened.

What the monster did not expect was a flash of light, followed by a cascade of twenty fully-grown Bears piling onto it in an instant. Shocked at the sight of so many animals appearing at once, the girl dragged herself away, in time for the doors to snap shut.

Finally leaving the station, Hanako felt the rocking motion of the train as the tunnel lights slipped past. With her strength ebbing away, she propped herself up against a nearby seat and felt the stark embrace of a babbling oblivion.