"There's nothing left for you here. So… It's about time we leave." The tall hooded skeleton said.
Megumi could only look up upon the imposing skeleton before her. Fear gripped her very mind as his boney fingers inched closer to her.
"N-noo!" The last second she finally broke free and jerked away from him. She tucked herself in the corner of the room by a broken cabinet and window.
"S-stay away from me!! Whatever you are d-don't come any closer!" Megumi exclaimed.
She became more panicked, frantically looking around and finding the hospital room was much more dilapidated than before.
The Reaper suddenly grabbed her, bringing her attention back to him. "I am a Reaper. You can say, that I'm here to collect your soul" He began to slowly lift her in the air.
"C-c-c-collect me????"
"Uugghhh... Yes. But let's take this outside."
The Reaper's nonchalant response worried Megumi. "Outside? Why would-"
Without warning the Reaper sent Megumi crashing through the hospital window! Shocking her to her very core! "Huh?"
She fell from the towering hospital, screaming her lungs out as she fast approached the ground. She slammed onto the side of the street hard on her back, pain reaching throughout her body. To her surprise however… she was still alive…
The pain quickly subsided and she worked her way to her knees, but fell back forward. She gritted her teeth trying to bear with the lingering pain.
"How… How am I now dead?"
The sound of a large thud of something landing behind made her freeze. She could only guess who it was.
The Reaper's deep voice arose once more as she could hear his approach. "Make no mistake. You are dead…"
"It's just the matter that you're no longer among the living…" He passed her, glancing back as he did. "After all… We are in 'Purgatory'."
At that moment all that fear built up, was replaced with disbelief. She grabbed the bottom of his robe, stopping him. "T-that can't be right! Isn't there supposed to be a-a h-heaven or hell!??"
"Hmm?" The Reaper looked back, seemingly a little confused by her words. His confusion slowly turned to that of a chuckle before bursting out in a grand laughter. It was as though he heard the greatest joke of his lifetime.
Megumi finally let go of his robe, stunned. She could only watch as he laughed hardily. It was then she realized that they were surrounded by many people walking around, all going to destinations unknown. She could tell from a glance that some were even stopping and staring at her.
Not long after the Reaper finally stopped laughing. "How very entertaining. However…"
The Reaper turned around to Megumi, his demeanor became much more serious. "What you're looking for doesn't exist. You're now in Purgatory, a world where the human soul comes when they die by the hands of their other fellow men."
Megumi, seeing his approach, crawled backward onto the sidewalk, behind, not taking her eyes off him.
"Murder. Suicide. Execution. You name it… If your life was cut short, then your soul ends up here in Purgatory.
Megumi's back hit the wall. Panic rising again. Despite this she managed to muster the courage to speak back out. "I-If that's true, t-then tell me where Eric is! H-he wasn't anywhere w-when i got here."
"Hmmm…?" The Reaper cocked his head. "You mean that boy from the hospital room? That one… Is a special case…"
"What... What do you mean?" Megumi slowly worked her way up the wall. Her heart began to sink, and readied for the worst.
The Reaper sighed. "Unlike yourself, the life force of the boy has already expired."
The Reaper, seeing the face of disbelief on Megumi continues. "Let me clarify… When a human dies before it is their time... Their life force such as yours ends up here in Purgatory… However a person that lives out their days until old age or dies from an illness moves beyond this world."
"If it makes it any easier. Think of life as a candle. A candle whose life is snuffed before the wax is melted can survive its descent. But a candle with a completely melted foundation, has no means of surviving. Especially as a puddle. Many folks here know this as the world natural death."
"Natural death? N-natural death!???" Megumi's eyes welled up, not wanting to believe the skeleton Reaper before her.
"There's nothing 'natural' about being rammed by a huge truck!!!" She shouted. "That's not natural!"
Megumi stumbled back to the wall with tears seeping down her face. Her knees became weak and she tried to lean herself on the wall. "I don't understand. This can't be true…! I-It can't be…"Megumi's knees finally gave way as she fell back down.
"Whether you believe me or not, doesn't matter. Whether or not you like it… This is just how the world is… "
Megumi looking at the ground noticed that each tear falling from her face practically evaporated into a strange blue mist. There was no use denying it anymore. Wherever she was, was no longer her previous world.
"T-this i-isn't fair..." she said, softly. memories of her previous life, living with the ire of everyone who knew her arose. she clenched her teeth and hands out of frustration with these memories lingering, within her. "None of this is fair!!"
Her face suddenly contracted a crack beneath her eyes. Megumi heard this but couldn't realize that it was coming from her. A strange nauseating feeling filled her. She looked back up, finding that many of the people around them stopped. All of them were now staring at her.
"Huh?" Megumi worked her way back up and as she did the all began to approach her, still ignoring the Reaper. She could see their scornful gaze on her. The very same gaze she would get when she was still alive.
One of the men started to reach out and grab her.
"HOLD IT!!' The Reaper shouted.
Everyone'es attention fell to the Reaper. They all back away from Megumi, muttering to themselves. Some of them even looked a little surprised.
Megumi's heart raced a million miles a minute unsure what's happening as she glanced back at the Reaper.
"What a troublesome woman you are… It seems I'll have to bring you to 'Arc' to have you judged for your sins."
"J-judged? F-for my s-sins?" she questioned.
"That's right and if needed I'll-"
The air suddenly changed. a malicious intent. The Reaper pulled his arm forth and like magic a bone tentacle erupted from a small black portal.
Megumi closed her eyes, seeing it come her way.
SHHNNKK!!
She opened her eyes back up not feeling any pain. The Reaper's arms were still lifted. And a tentacle seemingly pierced something to her side. She looked to her left and her eyes widened in shock seeing a man holding a knife, posed and ready to stab her!
The only thing that separated her from that man's blade was a bone tentacle that was piercing the man's face.
The blade then fell from the man's grip. Soon after the Reaper pulled his bony tendril from the man's face revealed a hollow hole. No blood. No bones. Just a hollow black hole.
They stumbled forward, and reached out to Megumi. But not long after that, cracks emerged from the hole, spreading throughout his body fast. His legs broke and fell forth and crumbled into a trillion pieces and into a pile of ash.
"How annoying. But you get the picture…" The Reaper said.
Megumi became pale. Her mind raced as she looked on, horrified by the scene.
"Kill her!!" One of the men shouted.
"She'll turn into a demon!" Another shouted.
"Do your job damn it!"
Many people surrounding her agreed. They all started to become riled up as they closed in. The reaper glanced around at the angry crowd around them. He growled, annoyed by their presence.
Megumi on the other hand began to slowly feel the mounting pressure of the crowd. Slowly it all became white noise to her with building pressure around.
"Let's go Megumi…" the Reaper indignantly said.
Megumi turned to Reaper, finding that he was standing over her once more. His figure, more imposing than ever before.
"I have to get out of here… I have to…" Unknown to Megumi, The crack on her face deepened further. The pressure within exploded as she quickly bolted away and past the group of people.
"She's getting away!"
"Don't let her escape you idiot!!"
"Megumi..." The Reaper said aloud.
Megumi printed down the street into a nearby forest.
"Megumi!!" The Reaper now shouted.
Megumi slid down the hill of the tree further into the forest. She remembered trending down here many times before. Everything was familiar, that was until she headed further down the hill. She expected a road, but there was even more forest, confusing her. "W-what the-"
"DOWN HERE!!"
She spared the thought, choosing to run further into the forest instead. She ran past tree after tree. First it was oak, then turning to pine then birch and back to oak. It was like she was trapped within many forests combined into one.
She was caught in a confusing mess of a forest, hearing the approach of the mob coming from all directions. She quickly hid herself behind a tree the best she could, she even squatted real low, hoping for no one to find her.
"She must've come this way. C'mon!"
The rustle of the leaves cracking of branches followed. She took a peek and seeing them running in a single direction, she sprinted the opposite of them. She ran as fast and as hard as she could until she was finally met with the light at the end of the forest
She emerged out of the forest by a small cliff. Scanning the area she found herself somehow in a cul-de-sac filled with some fanciful homes. "houses?"
Megumi felt uncertain, thoughts of turning back were quickly thwarted by the shouts of men chasing her. "How'd they-" They were closing in! She glanced back to the house and found an open door to a home. Without hesitation she dashed inside, closing the door behind her.
She leaned herself on the door, sweating profusely "H-how did it come to this?" she whispered to herself.
Muffled voices from outside could be heard.
"I think I heard her over here. Look around, she has to be close by. No matter what, we can't let her live."
Megumi shook hearing those words. "This is crazy! T-this is just crazy!" She slowly fell back to her knees and hunched over in defeat memories of her life as a practical outcast resurfacing.
"Why is this happening to me? Why… Why does everyone hate me?" The emotions boiled over. And just as the brought heer head further down the voice of another made its presence known
"Hate you? I don't hate you." a boy said.
Unknown to Megumi, she had been watched from the corner of the hall since she first entered the home.
She became alert. She quickly got back to her feet attempting to escape back out. The door was locked. "Why can't I…"
She peered back into the darkness within the hall, looking for the figure behind the voice. She could tell by the footsteps alone that whoever it was, wasn't wearing shoes.
The first thing she could see was his cat-like pupils and sharp white teeth. "Why don't you stay and play with me…?"
Slowly his face emerged revealing himself to be a child with pale white skin with curved black hair pulled to the back and two tufts of hair hanging from his face. His eyes were hollow black with white pupils and had an unnerving smile that indicated sinister intentions. There were also two similar shaped black marks just beneath his eyes. These marks had three points to them with the longest one practically curving to the side of his face.
"I know a great game we could play…" he said.
The rest of his body soon followed as he looked to be wearing a torn yellow shirt with black jeans.
"A... Kid?" Megumi looked a little worried seeing his strange appearance.
"Let's play a game of tag." He said. "I'll start."
The boy flashed a much wider smile.
"Tag!!" In an instant he launched his right arm forth! Megumi dodged in time as his clawed hands penetrated the door. His arms stretched to an absurd length, He reeled himself towards Megumi stomping onto the door.
The Boy quickly clawed his left hand into the door and jerked his body to face Megumi. Using his free hand, he stretched his hands back at Megumi.
To his surprise, She dodged again with her back now against the wall. and now more panicked.
"Hey, that's not how this game works…" The boy whined.
She looked frightened by the child's strange powers. Seeing a doorway next to her to escape entering into the house's living room.
"Wait. Is that how it's played?? Haha! This is a lot more fun than I thought!!" He exclaimed.
Megumi glanced over to her left, finding a way leading to the hall. Running, there was a sudden crash behind her. Glancing back the boy had smashed through the wall behind!
He landed on the other side of the room and bounced off the wall straight at her! "TAG!"
The Boy thrusted his arms hard. Luckily Megumi tripped, avoiding this attack! He smashed the floor where she would've stood.
As the boy stood back up, there was no doubt in Megumi's mind that the boy in front of was not human. A terrifying aura surrounded him with a face of anger to match.
"He's- He's gonna kill me!!"
And just as he faced her… "I keep on missing…" He looked back at his hand very confused. "I wonder if I'm tired…"
Megumi was completely befuddled by his reaction. "Moved… Moved!!" She thought to herself.
Megumi broke through her fear, getting up and dashing past the boy! She turned left into the hall, quickly finding a kitchen door that led outside! she ran to it much faster.
But to her shock men from the mob were just outside of that door and spotted her!
"HEY EVERYONE! SHE'S IN THIS HOUSE!! SHE'S OVER HER!!"
"W-why are they in his backyard!!???"
Megumi turned back but was cut off by the boy's stretched arms. He landed onto the kitchen wall, indenting it.
"This is fun." he looked back giving a wide smile.
He lifted his free arm. "Tag!!" He smashed his entire arm to the floor and neraly hit Megumi!
She wasted no time running from them with no time to think she just ran to the closest door.
"Tag!"
The boy sent his arm flying, ricocheting from the walls to the ceilings to the dining room table and past Megumi!
"I missed again..." disappointment could be heard from the boys voice.
To her surprise, Megumi found that she went in a complete circle, ending up back in the living room. She proceeded to the other doorway in the living room, remembering seeing a railing for a stair case to its right. She quickly glanced behind.
"TAG!"
Turning back she found the boy now in front of her, grabbing her as he had doubled back!
The Boy pushed her into the ground hard, pinning her to the floor. "I got you this time," he said.
The boy chuckled to himself as he smiled devilishly. He now had Megumi at his mercy.