EX Chapter 1

[Sachi]

June, 58th year of the Showa era

Hinamizawa Village, Shishibone City, xx Prefecture

Missing Persons Report

On the night of the 20th, police received reports that seven children from Hinamizawa Village, xx Prefecture, had not returned to their homes. The investigation began with the assumption that there was some connection to be had with the series of mysterious deaths that had occurred in Hinamizawa the past 3 years, but as of now, no evidence has been found linking the two.

The children were last seen at the Watanagashi festival on the 19th of June, but following the festival's conclusion, their movements remain unclear. All but one of the children attended the Hinamizawa Branch School, a small school contained within the town. They frequently engaged in after-school activities that involved playing games with one another. The games varied from board games to cooking competitions. 

It is highly unlikely the seven children joined together and simply chose to run away. Sonozaki Mion, heir to the Sonozaki family, is among the missing children. As well, all of the children displayed a love for their home and an unwillingness to travel much further than the neighboring city. To assume they simply ran away is remarkably out of character.

Head of the mysterious deaths case, Kuraudo Oiishi, insists that there is a connection between the two cases, and that this year's "death" manifested in the form of the missing children. There has yet to be any evidence discovered that supports this claim.

Residents of Hinamizawa work day and night in search of the children, assisting the police in their efforts. No trace of any of them has yet been uncovered.

Residents have likened the disappearance to an old Hinamizawan folk tale. Older residents earnestly believe that the seven children have been 'demoned away'.

[Sachi]

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"Nfu hu hu! And those are the basics of the charm," my sister beamed. She held in her hands a doll I once played with as a child. Its smile had long since faded, and I felt bad for the poor thing. She wanted us all to tear it apart and keep a limb on us as some sort of friendship ritual. I didn't particularly care about being friends with any of them, but I found my eyes wandering over to Satoshi-kun to gauge his reaction. As expected, he looked pathetic, like a little wet cat...

"Hau... So Rena gets to take it home? Does she?" Asked Rena, one of sis' friends. Her eyes had practically turned into love hearts. I wasn't too close with Rena, but even I knew how much she loved cute things. I had to admit, though, that her sense of what was "cute" and what wasn't tended to be pretty different to my own sense of style. 

"Ah, no no. Well, yeah, but just a limb," Mion shook her head and then nodded in the same breath. "We all keep one and then we'll be together forever!" She waved her arm around as if trying to hype us up. "Come on, what's with the hesitation? You're not all scared of a little ghost story, are you?" She had her teasing face on. It was clear she didn't actually believe in the charm, but I had to wonder exactly what her motives here were if that was the case.

"Meep..." Meeped Rika-chan. If Satoshi-kun was a wet cat, then Rika was an abandoned little kitten. It was hard for me to get a feeling of what she was thinking sometimes, but tonight I could see the uncertainty in her eyes. She stared off into the distance, her long blue hair fluttering behind her back like the draping parts of a robe. She looked almost ethereal. "Mii-chan... Why do we need a charm to say we're friends forever?"

"Why, I concur!" Shouted Satoshi-kun's annoying brat of a sister. Satoko puffed our her tiny chest and complained, like she always did. "I have no intention of leaving my friendship up to the whims of some... some ghost! That sounds ludicrous!"

"Eh... You guys really don't wanna?" Mion seemed disheartened. She turned a begging expression in my direction, but I swiftly avoided it by averting my eyes. I assume she did the same to Kei-chan, because he burst out laughing a moment later.

"Bahahaha! That's Satoko for you! She hears the word 'spirit', and she's out!" Kei-chan went to pat her on the head, which she vehemently refused. She grabbed his hand and threw off of her.

"The nerve...! I simply believe our friendship is above such trite concerns! I-Is that so wrong?!"

"Satoko's scared of a little ghost girl! Bahahahaha!" Kei-chan continued to rile her up. I knew this song and dance. She was probably going to crack at some point. I didn't care either way. Whether or not I participated in the charm was determined by...

"Keiichi, stop making fun of her." Satoshi-kun pouted. "It's Satoko's decision whether or not she wants to take part." 

I bit my lip. He was being such a good big brother... to her! Why couldn't it be me?! Gaaah, I'm so jealous!! Still, I can't let anyone here know that. I'm renowned for my stoicness.

"Ah, sorry, sorry. I just think it sounds kinda cool, is all." Keiichi scratched the back of his head. He chuckled nervously while choosing his next words. "Hmm... Well, let's rephrase what the charm is about. Instead of friendship, owning a piece of the doll can be your proof of membership to our club!"

"Whoa... I like your style, Kei-chan!" Sis's face broke out into a huge smile. She wasn't very good at hiding her intentions. If someone else had suggested it, I don't think she'd react half as interested. "Then it's settled! By doing this ritual, you become an official, permanent member of our club!"

"Well, if that's the case, I suppose I have no choice!" Satoko choked. "I- I shall take part in this stupid ritual after all! Rika, you will too, right?"

"Meep... I suppose."

All the clubs' girls (plus Kei-chan) seemed to be in agreement now that it was a good idea. That just left the most important person...

"Uhm... Well, it's like Satoko said. I don't really have a choice, do I?"

"Haha! You're so right!" Said Mion

"Oh, for goodness' sake," I interjected. This was my cue. If it meant I could be bound eternally together by fate to Satoshi-kun, I'd do anything, even a stupid charm like this! ...I realised that it meant I would be bound to the others too, but I supposed it was worth the trouble it might cost me later. "I suppose I'll have to join as well. The Sonozaki sisters do everything, you know?"

"Hau!! The Sonozaki Sisters... That's so cute! Rena thinks you should wear matching outfits... Then I'd have to... I'd have to take you both home!! Hau..." Rena was off in her own little world. I ignored her.

"Ah, so you're joining too, Shii-chan?" Mion said. "That's seven of us. So, everyone say the phrase seven times total, alright? If you miscount, it'll fail!"

"Why, I worry about poor Keiichi-san. I'm not certain he can count much higher than three." Satoko said.

"Ahh, I'll show you how high I can count!" Keiichi shouted. He counted out the seconds as he gave Satoko a horrendous noogie. "Look at that! All the way up to eight!"

Satoko started bawling. "Waaaaaah! Nii-nii! Keiichi-san is being mean!" I had to stop myself from smacking her across the face. Every breath she took, every move she made... She's so annoying! But still Satoshi-kun is going to go to her rescue...

"Mhm... Keiichi, come on. I don't want her to cry..." Satoshi-kun mumbled.

"Okay, okay, I was just messing around." Keiichi said. "So, seven times, right? How about we get this show on the road?!"

"Yeah!" We all shouted in unison.

[Sachi]

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"Satoshi-kun... Satoshi-kun!!" I sprinted over the broken-down floors, ignoring the dull pain that coursed through my muscles. "Where are you?! Satoshi-kuuuun!"

I was in a building I'd never seen before. It was dark outside - dark, freezing cold, and raining. The weather just a few hours ago was so warm. It was like someone had moved me to a different country, or a different climate at the very least. The building looked like some kind of old-fashioned school. Maybe the kind my mum would have attended. There were notes on the walls informing people to put their shoes away and not run in the halls and stuff. 

There were classrooms, too. In fact, it was definitely an abandoned school. I was certain of that. It had everything you'd expect to be in one. The one thing I wasn't sure of was how I got here...

Did Sis do something? I tried thinking back to the Watanagashi festival. Did she slip me something...? Did she drug me and put me to sleep and have some underlings throw me in some dingy old school as a prank?! I didn't eat anything at the festival, so she had to have slipped something in my drink! What the Kuma! was the point of that?! That's not funny! 

I kicked one of the walls in a rage, and it gave way. The place was practically falling apart - I could've told you that just from the floors, though. For a prank, this was pretty dire. I had to weigh my options.

The place was surrounded by woods on all sides. I could get outside easily by smashing a window, but the rain chilled me to the bone. I was wearing summer clothes. I'd die of hypothermia before I even reached a road, let alone a town.

If I couldn't leave, then I'd have to stay... Maybe Sis would come for me in the morning and laugh it all off and reveal it was all a prank. Then I'd sock her in the shoulder and tell her how stupid an idea it was. Yeah... That definitely sounds like something that could happen.

So, my first course of action is to find a place to hole up in and try to get some rest. The classroom wasn't the most comfortable place to be in, so I went downstairs, careful on my way so as to not fall down and snap my neck or something. Hmph. I'd like to see her face if something like that happened. What an 'innocent' prank it would turn out to be then!

Downstairs wasn't much better than upstairs when it came to comfort. A bunch of other classrooms, all filled with junk, awaited me down there. I was about to give up when I discovered something waaaaay in the back... I guess it was some kind of break room? It had a cushion, a TV, and a functioning lightswitch. Honestly, compared to the rest of this place, it was a five star hotel.

I decided to spend some of my time in there. The sink was filled with dirty dishes, but I covered it up with the cushion so I didn't have to look at it. I sat on the tatami mat and tried to get the TV working. It was a waste of my time. The damn thing's only channel just showed some 1s and 0s. It was the kind of avant-garde art I couldn't begin to understand. So, I turned that off and sat in silence for what felt like ever.

I didn't have any way to tell the time. There was a clock in the room, but I think it had run out batteries, because it didn't make so much as a tick. I found myself in a far more precarious state than I was in earlier. Rather than being scared... I was bored!

Boredom is the mind killer! If I sat here doing nothing, my brain would melt away. And I couldn't even get to sleep thanks to that stench!

That... stench...?

I hadn't noticed it until now. I was unconsciously tensing up my muscles, and they ached because of it. The reason I was doing that was... a horrible smell coming from the closet right in front of me. It smelled like... I don't know. Nothing I had ever smelled before. I just instinctively knew it was bad news. 

I suddenly became aware of my heart beating in my chest. I could hear it thumping faster and faster. For some reason, my body was going into a fight or flight response...

...Why was I feeling afraid? It's just a closet. If the sink is anything to go by, it's probably just some rotten food. 

Yeah, like rotten meat.

I stayed in my spot on the floor, clutching my knees close to my chest. I didn't remove my glance from the closet even once.

I was getting sick of this.

This closet is the source of all my worries. It's the reason I'm so tense right now. Therefore, if I remove the source of the tension, there'll be nothing for me to worry about, and I'll be able to relax.

Even saying that, I continued staring at the closet door. I could feel my hands getting sweaty.

Okay, let's think about this logically, Shion! You have two courses of action here!

Open the closet and see nothing inside, and then you'll be fine!

Or go find some other room to relax in! One that hopefully smells a lot better than this one!

Either way, then you won't have to worry about this closet anymore!

So which will it be, Shion?! How are you going to deal with this?!

I swallowed the saliva that built up in my throat...

...And decided!!

[Sachi]

#s://i~imgur~com/fjrgPT9~png

That's it, then. All I had to do was open the closet to get rid of my fear. The chances I'd actually find anything were low. Maybe some wild animal crawled in there and died. That was the most likely explanation. So, I just had to stand up from my seat and confirm that.

...

So then why did I keep hesitating? It was as if my body was doing everything it could to stop me from opening that door. But I was my mind. I had control. I pushed aside all the terrible gut feelings and got to my feet. For some reason, I was tiptoeing over the tatami mat to get to the closet door, as if making a noise would be the end of the world. What was I afraid of?! I was beginning to annoy myself. I slapped my cheeks once, then twice, then three times, until I felt I was ready to face it.

Okay... I took a deep breath. 

And I slid open the doo-

AH! Kuma!!

Something fell out onto me! What the hell what the hell what the hell!

I pushed it off and stood up against the furthest wall from the closet. What is that?! 

It was wearing some traditional clothes... Oh, haha. I get it. It's a closet. Obviously they store clothes in there. Maybe they fell onto a vacuum cleaner or something. Yeah, that'd explain everything.

...Right?

I was making excuses to myself, but the fact of the matter was that I could still smell it. Vacuums don't smell that bad. I'd succeeded in opening the closet, but I'd just created another mystery. If I didn't solve this, I'd be no better than I was before I opened the door. What was making that awful stench?

I gulped down the saliva that had built up in my mouth. My stomach churned in anticipation. I swore to myself, on the count of three, I'd rip it off and take a look. 

With that resolve, I once again stepped forward.

Alright...

One...

Two...

Three...!!

I wound up closing my eyes as I ripped the fabric off of the thing. I realised as I did it that it made the countdown a bit meaningless. I'd just have to do another if I wanted to open my eyes. The awful smell only increased in its potency once the cloth was torn off. My body was still doing everything in its power to avoid direct confrontation. I was scared, of course, but I grew even more pissed off with myself.

Stop being such a baby, Shion. Just take a look.

I opened my eyes...

I saw... two... skeletons...

Two human skeletons... embracing one another...

Ah.... Wha....

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

My scream echoed through the silent school. It was like the building was screaming with me.

"Shii-chan!" Yelled a familiar voice from outside. Mion...? Why would she be here? Why would she be here when she clearly locked me up here to die like these two!?

I grabbed the cleanest knife I could find in the sink and sat down in the corner facing the door. My teeth were chattering. I felt like I was going to throw up. But in this position, I held the advantage unless the skinwalker that took my sister's voice had any kind of ranged weapon. I could get the jump on them from my vantage point. This part of the room was slightly elevated after all. 

I clutched the knife's handle so tight I thought it was going to fuse with my hands. 

The door to the break room opened slowly...

"Shii-chan?! Is that you?! What's going on?!" My sister said. I broke down into tears. I was inconsolable.

---

Mion supported me on her shoulder and took me back upstairs. She explained everything she'd figured out about the place so far. Rooms with candles are safest, or something. I was envious of how well she was taking the situation. Of how much she was able to discover while I was hiding away in a single room trying to remove myself from the world.

"The first time I saw one, I was kinda like you," she told me as she sat me down. "I guess that makes sense since we're sisters, huh? The only difference was, they didn't fall on top of me..." Mion looked apologetic, in a way. I was feeling a killer migraine coming on, though, so I didn't respond to her. "You're the only one I've found so far, Shii-chan. I don't know where Kei-chan or the others are..."

"Ah, I'm sure they're still here, though!" She corrected herself with a thumbs up. "They might be in parts of the school neither of us have explored yet." Her explanations were falling on deaf ears. Well... that's not quite right. They were reaching my ears, but it's as if my brain wasn't processing them correctly. I was only thinking of one thing...

"I'm hungry," I said.

"That makes sense," Mion nodded. "You probably haven't eaten since lunch. Want me to go find you something?"

I nodded back. Mion winked at me. "You got it, Sis! I'll find you a meal if it's the last thing I do!" She started grinning mischievously. "Oh, and if I find Satoshi-kun, I'll send him right along to you. Mfu hu hu. I know how lonely you can get."

I didn't care about her teasing right now. I just wanted to eat something. I still didn't know how long I'd been here, but my stomach felt as if it was empty.

"Okay. I'll be right back," she said. "Don't go anywhere. Only the candle rooms are safe, okay?"

Mion waved and shut the door. I was alone again.

[Sachi]

#s://i~imgur~com/7YTMw0J~png

Satoshi-kun must be going through the same things I am... He must be starving himself to death, acting like a cool big brother to that rat Satoko... She's probably screaming, "Waaaah, nii-nii, I'm so scared!" And he's probably comforting her... patting her head... He's probably scared himself, but he can't let her know that, because it's his role to be the big brother...!

If Satoko wasn't here, he'd have nothing to worry about! It's just like me and the closet! 

...

...Therefore, if I remove Satoko from the equation... Satoshi-kun has nothing to worry about...?

I gripped the knife tight in my hand. I'd hidden it in my pocket when Mion was escorting me here. I couldn't leave the room, because then Mion would start worrying about me. So what could I do to get rid of Satoko without physically leaving the room myself?

I had an idea. 

I carved a message into one of the desks. The wood was weak, but the knife was dull and rusty. Those two factors cancelled out and made it a pretty frustrating job. When I was done, I wiped the sweat from my forehead and admired my work.

"Satoko, I'm going to find the others. This room is safe, so please wait here for me. I promise I'll be back. - Satoshi"

I traced the words like my fingers and smiled. It was like Satoshi-kun really did write it. I was the closest person to him, so I'm sure I got all his mannerisms and speech patterns right even in that tiny extract of a message. I found myself giggling. If I find Satoshi-kun first, all I have to do is stop him from going in this room, and then Satoko won't be there to monopolise his attention anymore... Hee hee hee.

Maybe this weird, abandoned school wasn't so bad after all. I still didn't know where I was - and it seemed that Mion didn't either - but I had the opportunity to use it as a tool. I could get rid of Satoko... and finally have Satoshi-kun all to myself... Ha ha ha ha ha!

I felt my stomach grumble. I clutched it with both my hands and frowned. My laughter quickly disappeared when I remembered how badly I was starving. It didn't feel like I hadn't eaten anything since lunch. It was more like I hadn't eaten anything in a few days - that's how badly it was affecting me.

When Mion returned to the room, she saw me caressing the message on the desk and asked curiously what I had found. 

I turned to her and smiled. She was so active and upstanding, even in a time like this.

"Mion..." I said.

"Yeah, Shii-chan? Oh, by the way, sorry. I couldn't find anything for you to eat."

"That's fine..." My eyes drifted downward as if of their own volition. They stopped themselves on Mion's stomach. I could feel the drool dripping out of my mouth.

"Ehhh, Shii-chan, what are you doing? Are you trying to say I've gained weight? That's mean!" Mion chuckled nervously and scratched the back of her head.

"No..." I mumbled. "It's just that..." 

"I'm still so hungry..."

[Sachi]

#s://i~imgur~com/cLWE4vT~png

I watched through a crack in the window as that psycho bitch went to town on her sister. Pinned her to the ground, ripped open her stomach and chowed down on her innards. All while she was still awake to feel it all. Kuma! me.

So this is the 'Darkening' thing Hinoe was talking about. It's worse than I could've even imagined. I seen the dead bodies about, 'course, but I thought some spirits must've got to them. Fuckin' amazing to know that you're not even safe around people that are still alive.

Jesus Christ... 

I got away from that Kuma!, 'cause I'm quite keen on not becoming her next meal. Seems like a family matter anyway. Who am I to intrude?

That's when the school started shakin'. From what I remember from Hinoe's notes, that probably meant it was rearranging itself. God damn it. Just when I was starting to get used to the layout.

Whatever. I sat with my back against the wall, folded my arms, and waited.

First things first...

I gotta find that fuckin' book.

--EX CHAPTER 1 - END--