Part 1: Hunters and The Hunted
Arc 5: Monster Hunting.
(4 Days after Elizabeth came into Sam's life, it continued as normal except now there's another mouth to feed, but further everything is the same)
(At Reaper Hunting Co.)
(Sam has just came out of a warm shower, there is steam everywhere in the bathroom, and Sam stands in front of a mirror and a sink, looking at himself)
(He looks at his chest and sees the black kiss mark from Fate, it won't wash off, it has been there for 5 years)
Sam: (Singing silently in Japanese) The Sun is setting, The light is disappearing, The Innocent souls of the damned cry out for help, yet nothing comes to them...
(A Voice whispers to Sam, almost commanding him: "See that knife on the sink? Cut out that mark, sever your ties with Fate, and let me through...)
(Sam reaches out to the knife and brings it up to the Kiss Mark, he starts slowly putting the blade through his flesh)
The Voice: You're almost there... just a bit more!
Annah: (Knocking from the other side of the door) Sam! You Okay in there? I'm coming in, is that fine with you?
Sam: (Takes out the blade quickly and washes off the blood from the blade) Yeah, yeah... I was just zoned out that's all.
Annah: (Enters the bathroom) Oh... (She notices Sam covering the Kiss Mark) What are you covering?
Sam: Nothing, my chest just hurts, that's all.
Annah: Okay then! Well, Micheal is downstairs he says he's got something for you.
Sam: (Drying his hands) Hopefully not another kid, haha...
Annah: (A small smile grows on her face) You know Sam, I... I quite like her.
Sam: I do too.
Annah: (Whispering to herself) We're finally a real family.
Sam: (Just as he leaves the bathroom) What was that?
Annah: Nothing...
(Sam puts on his black shirt, black jeans and grey boots, and heads downstairs. Where Able and Micheal are talking and Elizabeth is watching TV)
Sam: (Walking down the stairs) You better have something for me, and it better be something I can kill!
Micheal: Relax Sam, trust me it is something you can kill and I think you'd quite enjoy this one.
Sam: What is it?
Micheal: (Places a folder on Sam's desk) That's for you to figure out, not me.
(Sam sits down at his desk and opens the folder)
Micheal: (Leaning towards Elizabeth) So... what do you think about Sam, Elizabeth?
Elizabeth: (Silently talking) To be honest; I though he'd be taller.
Sam: (Reading the file) I heard that!
Able: (Sitting on a chair) He's real sensitive about his height, don't worry you get use to it. Just don't make a lot of fun of it.
Micheal: (Starts to walk towards the door) Well, Sam I'm leaving. Inform me when you've killed the thing.
Sam: Yeah sure...
Elizabeth: (Walks up to Sam's desk) You know, we've never discussed what I should call you.
Sam: What do you mean?
Elizabeth: Like you know; Father, Dad, Mister, Sir or just Sam?
Sam: Call me whatever you like. Not Daddy though, please anything but that.
Elizabeth: Another question, would you-...
Sam: No, I'm not buying you barbies every week, I struggle with rent.
Elizabeth: You know nothing about children do you!?
Sam: Well, little Missy, I'm sorry you came into my life just 4 days ago!
Elizabeth: (Turns her head back) *Hmph* Fine then! I'll be in my room then!
Sam: *Tch* That kid...
Able: Haha, I guess that personality runs in the Reyes name...
Sam: Yeah well, unlike her, I didn't just come into somebody's life so suddenly.
Able: Clearly you don't remember very well.
Sam: I guess you're right.
Able: Anyways, what does that case file say?
Sam: 23rd June 2020, 2 brothers went on a small stroll through the country side, when they reached a rice field, the older brother looked out towards the field, where he saw a white paper-like scarecrow, wiggling in the wind, but the second the wind stopped it still continued, the older brother moved closer to investigate and merely stated "It's better not to know", when the brothers arrived at their house, the older one began laughing almost as if he is possessed, then he began moving his body just like the scarecrow.
Able: And all evidence points to...?
Sam: The KuneKune.
Able: The what!?
Sam: (Looking at the laptop on his desk) A Japanese Urban Legend. It is said to resemble a slender, white humanoid shape, like a paper mannequin or a piece of fine fabric. It is said that the being can be found at lunchtime during hot summer days.
Able: Well it is nearly 29 degrees celsius outside...
Sam: The KuneKune lingers in widely extended rice fields or acres, in rare cases it might be found over the open sea. Its limbs are said to wiggle permanently, as if there was a straight gust of wind, even if it was a windless day. This behavior gave the being the Japanese name "KuneKune", meaning "to twist", "to wiggle" or "to meander".
Able: Anything else?
Sam: Yeah... The KuneKune allegedly can only become visible from a distance; witnesses may see field workers or others closer to a KuneKune who do not seem to be aware of it. In some variations, if an individual tries to look at it up close, they will go insane. In other versions, if someone touches it, or simply comes too close, the KuneKune will kill them. Even looking at it from a distance for too long is said to be unwise. If someone does not approach or make contact with the KuneKune, it is said that the KuneKune will ignore them.
Able: So how exactly are you gonna kill the thing?
Sam: I have discovered that the only way to defeat paper, is to burn it.
Able: Haha, does it have like a place we can investigate?
Sam: Yeah, a farmhouse at the outskirts of Tokyo, 35 minute drive.
Able: I'll go get the Hunting Van ready.
Sam: Right.
(Able leaves and heads over to the van inside the garage)
(Sam gets up and puts on his coat. He then takes out Reap and Sow from the weapon cabinet, he hides them under his coat in holsters. He also puts a circular scabbard on his back, over his coat and keeps The Rogue Scythe inside it, leaving only the blade exposed at the top)
Sam: (Just as he walks through the door he faces backwards) I'm going on a hunt, I'll be back in a while, take care of the house!
Annah: (From upstairs) Please be safe!
(Able parks the car outside and waits for Sam to get in)
Able: (As Sam gets inside the van, he starts driving) So what exactly do you think we're dealing with here?
Sam: The motivation behind the KuneKune is unknown... but I do believe it to be a spirit perhaps. If I could just get a bit physical evidence as well as the background and history of it. Then I might just be able to pin down how to kill this thing...
Able: Well it's made of paper, shouldn't be too hard...
Sam: I have discovered that the only way to defeat paper, is to burn it!
Able: Haha, yeah...
Sam: You know, I really enjoy these rides with you. Just makes me sad to think that someday we'll have our final ride together...
Able: Don't worry that's still a long ways off.
Sam: Yeah... I'm gonna take a little nap while you drive.
Able: Right.
(Sam leans his head against the window and closes his eyes)
(45 Minutes Later)
(Sam suddenly wakes up and they have arrived at the farmhouse mentioned in the case file)
Able: Another nightmare?
Sam: No...
Able: What was it then, you seem spooked.
Sam: Eh... probably just a Queen, Princess, whatever from a fantasy world. Let's get going!
(Sam and Able leave the van. The 2 story farmhouse is old, the windows are broken, the dark oak wood seems to be deteriorating. The windmill is barely moving as the day is windless. The tall grass outside the farmhouse seems to be dying. There is a railroad across the farmhouse, there is also a small barn near the farmhouse)
Able: (Looking around) Well I think we have a winner for the "Come here with your crazy boyfriend and end up missing a week later" award! I mean jeez this is the perfect horror movie setting. Who would willingly live here!?
Sam: A nutjob that's who, listen you take the barn, I'll check out the house... find or encounter anything and you tell me instantly.
Able: Right.
(Sam goes inside the house and it's dark inside, Sam flicks the light switch but nothing happens)
Sam: Naturally... (Grimm Fire wraps around Sam's left arm, the fire lights up the area and Sam can now clearly see) That's better. The case file said that this is the place where The KuneKune was first encountered, now what makes this place special?
(Sam walks around the room, opening cupboards and inspecting everything around him, yet he finds nothing)
Sam: It appears to be the living room. (He uses "Reaper Sense" to try and find anything hidden, but nothing's in the downstairs room) There are 3 rooms upstairs, I'm guessing those are the bedrooms and the bathroom.
(Sam heads slowly up the stairs and goes inside the first door from the stairs, it's the bathroom)
Sam: Ah!!! It stinks like a goblin in here!! (Sam looks around the bathroom walls and it's all stained in blood and filthy) Well that explains it... blood's dry. The hell happened here? Nothing seems out of the ordinary, well aside for the blood on the wall. (A frog jumps out of the bathtub and Sam jumps backwards out of fear) S- stay the hell away from me!!! Don't you dare jump towards me, you little bastard!!! (He runs out of the bathroom and shuts the door to the bathroom) I swear if someday I get isekai'd into a world with giant frogs; I'm gonna shoot myself! Moving on...
(Sam continues down the hallway and walks through the second door. Inside is a large empty room with a dirty double sized bed and a single cupboard inside it. It is clearly the main bedroom, Sam investigates the cupboard and finds nothing inside it, but he finds a button on the left side of the cupboard and a hidden compartment opens, inside the compartment is a ledger)
Sam: (Reading through the ledger) The family that lived here was in debt? Shit... knee deep in it too. It looks like some nights they couldn't even afford food. But on August 17th 1999 the debt started to get better, eventually it was wiped away... what happened here then? I'm missing pieces of the story here for sure... August 17th my birthday, what do you know!
(Sam leaves the room and walks into the one across from it, the third room. Inside the right side of the room is painted blue and has a bunk bed, the left side is unpainted and in a far worse condition. It is the only room where sunlight is coming through strangely.)
Sam: (He sees a photo on a cupboard of a young girl with her 2 boys in front of the farmhouse, something is written on the back of the photo and Sam reads it) "It's my birthday finally!!! This is me and brothers! Mommy said they're gonna take me some place special! I can't wait to see how the day turns out!!! Got to go now!!!" What exactly was this "special" place...?
Able: (Shouting at Sam from outside) Sam! I think I found something!
Sam: (Looking at Able from the window) Okay, I'll come down to you!
(Sam walks down the flight of stairs and spots a white figure out of the corner of his eyes, but is disappears as soon as he turns towards it)
Sam: Guy in the red cloak, voices in my head, a chick telling me to find someone and now this... haha I really am going insane! (He meets Able outside) What you find?
Able: Well... I got this. (He takes out a letter and hands it over to Sam) I found it hiding behind a crate.
Sam: (Reading the letter) 3 stars born under the night sky. 2 were perfect and strong. 1 was too weak and had to be removed from the starry sky. On a dark day that star faded and never ignited again. You know what they will do, you will be next...
Able: That wasn't there before!
Sam: What?
Able: That whole "You will be next" part! (He takes the letter from Sam's hands and nothing on the page anymore) The hell!? It's blank!!!
Sam: Well it ain't the most bizarre I've seen before. (He takes the letter and everything is still on there) It's not blank!
Able: Well then what hell is going on!!!
Sam: (Burns the letter using Grimm Fire) Nothing anymore.
Able: Huh well... what do we do? We don't exactly know when we're gonna encounter the thing.
Sam: Let's just wait here. It's almost lunchtime, it's a hot day and there's a open grass field. It's perfect!!! In the mean time we can do more research.
Able: Yeah... yeah! You're a genius!
Sam: Now I wouldn't say that... let's go sit in the van.
(Sam and Able sit in the back of the van, while they do research about The KuneKune and the farmhouse. And possibly finding a way to kill it)
(End of Chapter 26)