Part 1: Hunters and The Hunted
Arc 5: Monster Hunting.
(17th August 1999. The Farmhouse is in perfect condition, the wind is strong and the grass is green, it is around lunchtime)
(A young girl around 10 years old is looking at a scarecrow in the grass field)
The Girl: (Speaking to the scarecrow in a happy and joyful tone) (She has long white hair and her eyes are blue) Hey Mr. Crow!!! Guess what day it is! It's my birthday!!! My brothers are going to take me some place special, I can't wait!!!
The Oldest Brother: (Black hair and green eyes) (Walks out from the farmhouse) (In a clear irritated tone) Hey! Ichika, you coming or not!?
Ichika: I'm coming Haruto!!! (Speaking to the scarecrow) See you later Mr. Crow!!!
(The younger brother comes out of the farmhouse his name is "Ren", his hair is brown and he has green eyes)
(Ichika, Ren and Haruto walk along a dirt road. Ichika is asking a lot of questions on where they're going, but her 2 brothers merely remain silent)
Ichika: What's the matter you 2? Cat got your tongue, haha!?
Haruto: Shut up! Just keep walking!
Ichika: Oh... sorry. (She looks over at Ren, he has a look of regret on his face and he sweating nervously) Ren... what's the matter?
Ren: (In a regretful tone) Just... keep quiet... please.
(Eventually the 3 of them reach a cliff edge overlooking the sea and Ichika looks around)
Ichika: Is this the special place? It doesn't really look fun...
Haruto: Stand on the edge of it, you'll see your special place soon enough...
Ichika: (Walks towards the edge of the cliff and looks out to the sea) I- I don't see it-....
(Just as Ichika turns around, Haruto pushes her off the cliff edge. She doesn't even have the time to scream as she is confused)
Ren: (He is shocked at what his brother has just done) I- Ichika...
Haruto: (Turns to Ren and looks him dead in the eye, face to face) It had to be done... she was irritating, a nuisance, nothing more, nothing less. Tell anyone about this... and you'll receive the same end. Now come on, our parents must be worried...
(Ren and Haruto walk away from the cliff)
(At the bottom of the cliff on a small plateau leading to a cave, lies Ichika she is bleeding due to being cut by rocks when she was pushed off, her back is broken and she is on her last breath)
Ichika: (With her hand up to the sky, blood is coming from her mouth and she is confused as to what is going on) B- brothers... what's going on...? I don't feel good. Mr. Scarecrow help me... someone, remember me please. Oh goddess of wind, if there is someone who feels my pain and confusing now, please let our paths cross...
(Ichika's arm falls to the ground, her eyes turn almost red as they close and she lets out her final breath)
(In the suburbs of Tokyo)
(In a house sits 10 year old Sam, curled up in a corner, surrounded by 2 dead bodies, he is sleeping when suddenly he is woken up by a large gust of wind knocking out one of the windows)
Sam: (In a confused tone, his wide young eyes are looking around the kitchen) (He looks almost nothing like 30 year old Sam, his hair is long, wild and all over the place, he has a very weak and skinny build, his face looks dirty and his hands are covered in blood, he also has this pure and innocent aura around him) W- what? Is someone there? Oh probably just the wind...
(Sam closes his eyes and continues sleeping in the corner of the kitchen)
(Present day)
Sam: (Sitting in the back of the hunting van, he opens his eyes after a short nap and looks around, Able is nowhere to be seen) Where did he...?
Able: (Walks into the back of the van) You're awake.
Sam: Yeah, you find anything?
Able: On The KuneKune no, but the farmhouse I got a bit on that...
Sam: Well go ahead.
Able: Turns out this place was owned by the "Hirata" family. In 1998 the family got into some serious debt.
Sam: Yeah I saw that in the ledger I found.
Able: Well anyways. August 17th 1999, the youngest member of the family mysteriously disappeared, the parents said she wandered off and got lost. With this one less extra mouth to feed, the debt slowly but surely got wiped away around December...
Sam: (His mind seems to wander) Anything else?
Able: The 2 brothers...
Sam: What about them?
Able: The eldest was found guilty of murder, strangely he was sent to a mental hospital for "odd" behavior. The younger one while not found guilty was sentenced to house arrest... (he notices Sam's mind seemingly wandering off) you listening?
Sam: (Snaps back) Yeah... yeah. Wait... what was the name of the youngest one who wandered away?
Able: Ichika Hirata...
Sam: Why do I faintly remember that name...?
Able: And now you're starting to remember names of people you don't know... what's next?
Sam: I don't know... first the guy in the red cloak, then the voices, then that chick with red hair telling me to find a guy... haha I don't know what's next!
Able: Okay...
Sam: (Sinisterly) Hahahaha, the world's next, next to crumble at my feet, hahahaha...
Able: The hell...?
(Sam continues laughing in this sinister tone. Able punches him in the face to try and snap him out of it)
Able: (Grabs Sam's shoulder) Hey!!! Don't go all Redo of Healer on me!!! You still got a few bolts left in that head of yours, use them!!! You still got a few cans in your 6 pack left!?
Sam: (Still not snapped out of it) Freya is best girl...
Able: (Punches Sam even harder) You watched it didn't you!!! You walked where the Light does not tread!!! Wait... I know just how to snap you out of it. "Hey Vampire face, yeah I talking to you, you cracker faced cracker, you think you can just step up in my crib and not get stomped on biatacho, how you gon' act!?".
Sam: (Seems to snap out of it) What are you going on about...?
Able: What happened!?
Sam: I don't know...
Able: Are you going insane or what?
Sam: I just heard something about Redo and Healer...
Able: Good grief. Listen we might be able to question the younger one, it could be useful.
Sam: Right... why did you punch me though?
Able: You weren't yourself, what's the matter with YOU recently, because you just went all Eren Yeager on me...
Sam: I'm sorry... it's just I had this random feeling of anger in my head, my mind seemed to have wandered. Next thing I know, you're punching me and calling me "Vampire face".
Able: No I'm sorry... just I don't want that dark corner of your mind coming out, so lock it away.
(Sam reaches his arm out for a handshake. Able quickly gives Sam a handshake)
Sam: Where's the younger brother's address?
Able: 15 minute drive, in a small village near here.
Sam: Let's go!
(Able and Sam get in the hunting van and drive to the nearby town of Fukai)
(They park outside a orange 2 story house with 2 sakura trees in front of the house and stare at it)
Sam: That the place?
Able: Indeed it is...
Sam: Ren's the guy's name right?
Able: Yeah and he's probably wandering around inside the house right now. How are we gonna approach this?
Sam: You wait at the back door, should he try and run you stop him.
Able: Right and you?
Sam: I'ma sneak in there, catch him off guard.
(Able gets out the van and makes his way to the back of the house. Sam goes to the back of the van, takes off his coat and puts on his dark green cape, putting the hoodie over his head)
(Sam makes his way through the kitchen window and starts making himself a coffee, drawing the attention of Ren, who was in the living room watching TV)
Ren Hirata: (Looking at Sam drinking a coffee) (Wearing his orange pajamas) What are you doing here, who are you!?
Sam: Drinking a coffee, that's what I'm doing here. (Starts taking off his hoodie, turning his head back) Oh I'm nobody but, do you remember the name "Ichika Hirata"?
Ren: (Backing off from Sam) How do you-...
Sam: Know that name? Simple really, it's called doing some research. But what research doesn't give the answer to is, what was the special place you and your brother took her too? So either 1 of 2 things is gonna happen, 1 you tell me simple and quickly what you did to her... (A sadistic smile grows on his face) or 2 I break your fingers, get a healer to heal those fingers, break them again and again, causing a never ending cycle of finger breaking...
Ren: (Thinking) How... how does he know!!! I just need to run!!! There's no way his short legs can keep up with me!!!
Sam: Well what's it gonna be!?!? Telling some words or sadomasochism!?
Ren: You know what... my mind works best, when my legs are moving!!!
(Ren runs to the right side of the hallway he's standing in, towards the back door. Where he is then greeted by Able)
Able: Hi...
(Able right hooks Ren, knocking him out in one hit)
(Several hours pass, the sun is starting to set and as Ren starts gaining consciousness, he overhears Sam and Able talking with each other)
Sam: You sure he's not dead?
Able: I punched him hard, but not that hard.
Ren: (Fully gains consciousness, but his head still hurts) What happened...?
Able: Hey! you're finally awake...
Ren: No, no, no!!!
Sam: Yes, yes, yes... you got a few questions to answer. (He takes out a knife from the kitchen drawer) You see, I wanted to break you fingers over and over... but that's not my style. Now whenever you tell me a lie, I'm gonna cut off a small piece of your flesh!
Ren: (Leaning back in his chair) You're a sadistic bastard!!!
Able: You better tell him something he wants to hear, otherwise... (Leans towards Ren's face) he's gonna do it with a spork!
Sam: (Brings the knife up to Ren's face) Well, what did you do with Ichika Hirata?
Ren: I-... I-... I helped my brother kill her!!!
Sam: What do you mean?
Ren: Listen!!! Hah... our family was in debt as deep as the ocean. Some nights we didn't even have food on our plates, but she had to have everything... Ichika always wanted something new every week, she was the reason we never got out of debt!!! When the time came, we had no other choice!!! (He starts tearing up) Our parents asked us to get rid of her... Haruto pushed her off a cliff, he gladly went along with it... I wanted nothing, I loved her!!! I was the only person in that damn house who loved her and that damn scarecrow of hers!!! I pleaded, I begged, I did whatever the hell I could to save her... (He begins crying profusely) "The weak have no place in this world" they said! There are you 2 happy?
Sam: (With a look of remorse in his eyes) August 17th 1999, what about that day?
Ren: That was the day we-... he pushed her off the cliff. It was Ichika's 10th birthday...
Sam: Could it be possible...
Able: What could be possible?
Sam: Think about it, The KuneKune's attacks normally involve 2 brothers, they live in the countryside normally, Ichika had a scarecrow and The KuneKune normally resembles a scarecrow... hey! Ren what time of day did you push her off the cliff?
Ren: Around lunchtime, the wind was strong that day too.
Sam: See the dots line up perfectly...
Ren: She also constantly prayed to the goddess of wind, whatever that is...
Sam: Again...
Able: Yeah... yeah!!! So what you're saying is that The KuneKune could be the vengeful spirit of Ichika!!!
Sam: Exactly, she seeks revenge against the 2 brothers who killed her...
Able: I see... question is still, how are we gonna stop her? The Japanese countryside is pretty big...
Sam: (He looks over at Ren) I got an idea... (He releases Ren from his bindings and helps him up) You're coming with us!!!
Ren: (Points to his ankle collar containing electronic tagging) Not with that I'm not... you can't take it off, nothing can...
Sam: You're right... stay still.
(Sam uses Grimm Fire to burn Ren's ankle collar)
Ren: Wha- what the hell was that!?
Sam: Just keep walking...
(Sam throws Ren into the back of the Hunting van and gets in the front with Able)
Sam: (Looks back at Ren) Alright, where's the cliff you threw her off?
Ren: My brother threw her off... it's near the farmhouse. I'll tell you when I see it, just go to the farmhouse.
(Able starts driving to the farmhouse, with Sam keeping a close eye on Ren, as well as readying for a fight with The KuneKune should they encounter it)
(End of Chapter 27)