DSM S01-E03:
LIKE A BAT OUT OF HELL
FEATURED SONG:
"Voices" by Motionless in White.
*** Any featured song may contain explicit content! ***
Please listen at your own discretion.
CONTENT WARNING:
Contains:
- Innuendos
- Mild language
Mentions:
- Blood
- Death of an animal
HATORI¹ • 羽鳥
Shit!
I've lost the trail!
She has to be nearby. There is no chance she could have escaped me with that kind of injury, but the scent is mixed in with everything else, making it hard for me to tell which way she went.
Having been tracking my prey for quite some time now, I feel guilty that she has had to suffer in pain as long as she has. But the hungry side of me is about to take over, along with him. I need to find her before then.
I am not ready to lose control.
Not yet.
"Just a bit longer please," I plead, trying to buy myself more time. Even though I know it is probably pointless. He has been getting stronger lately. Strong enough to disobey my wishes, it turns out.
All he does is snicker, the git². The sound is patronizing all on its own.
I hate this.
I hate him.
And he relishes it.
<Bloody brilliant you are, losing Supper³ like that. So pathetic!> he taunts, still laughing at me.
I try to ignore him, but it is difficult to do so with him living inside my head and all. We may share the same body, but I am nothing like him. He is a complete animal, and I am just ~
<That's what you think,> he scoffs, cutting off my train of thought⁴, but then he changes his tune⁵. <Come on, please let me out. I've been a good lad⁶ lately, haven't I?>
Again, patronizing.
He hopes to persuade me to release him early, before the new moon, but I know better by now to be wary of his insincere attempts. I can practically feel his grin widening.
Mocking me.
Not a chance in hell! I think, and he scoffs at me again, his hollow politeness dashed. My thoughts are never just my own around this time of the month anyway.
<You are absolutely no fun.>
"Need I remind you, we have an agreement," I growl back, growing quickly impatient with his immaturity.
<Hmmm yes, but I'm soooo bored . . . and I want to play,> he retorts slyly.
I shiver. I know exactly what his version of "play" is, and even if it did involve a house, it would be nothing short of bloodshed.
I quicken my pace. The sooner I find her, the sooner we can eat. And the sooner he will go back to "sleep". He always quiets for a bit after a meal. Even if it is not the human kind he so thoroughly desires. But we came to an agreement after the last incident, and so far he has surprisingly abided by that. So I need to hold up my end of the bargain, to ensure our truce continues.
Now to find the deer. A lithe little doe, but more than enough to satiate the hunger. If only I had not lost the scent!
Wait.
There it is!
Her delicious aroma floats lightly on the breeze, along with something human, and a hint of . . . fresh clover?
The smell of humans is unsurprising; they are bound to come through here eventually. As for the clover, maybe someone recently planted some nearby? It is unusually strong, but this is a forest after all.
I race through the trees, desperate to not lose the trail again. That is where I eventually find her, lying at the edge of the treeline. The doe's spirit has passed on, but blood still flows from the large wound I left on her shoulder. The smell is absolutely intoxicating, but I hesitate when I see her eyes.
They are still open, staring at everything and nothing at the same time. It is quite an eerie sight and sets me on edge.
Like she sees my guilt.
My regrets.
But also, like she sees me for what I am.
What we are:
A monster.
I grimace, but it must be done. Only after I have started to feed, do I sense something watching me.
I was so caught up in my relief of finding the doe, that I failed to notice the pair of bright green eyes, like shimmering emeralds, cautiously studying me.
Her heartbeat is racing, eyes wide in fright, and her body on high alert. She appears to have had her hair tied up at some point, but it has come undone now. Little crimson strands fall upon her shoulders sporadically like strings of rubies. And the clover scent is strongest here.
I know she can probably hear me, but thankfully what remains of the moon is not bright enough for her lacking human eyesight to see who I am, or what I'm doing. Maybe, if I back away slowly, I can slip away unidentified.
<Looks like we've been upgraded to First Class.⁷>
I freeze.
Satori⁸ had become quiet while we fed earlier, but it appears he has yet to fall asleep.
This is bad.
This is very bad.
Do not even think about it! Let's just take our leave!⁹
I do not like the attention he is giving her. I know what he is thinking, what he is capable of, and it will not end well.
Not for her at least.
<And pass up a juicy meal such as this? I think not,>⁹ he salivates. I feel my vision blur, hair begining to raise on end, limbs starting to tingle numbly, and an itch forming on my scalp.
I know what this means.
He's trying to take control again.
By force.
"NO!" I command, trying to shove him back down into my subconscious where he belongs, but he is resisting me. The idea of a lone human nearby, with no one around to see us attack, or hear her screams, entices him entirely too much.
The girl quickly steps back several metres in shock, and I realize too late that I said my command aloud, startling her.
The problem is that there are only a few metres of hilltop before the cliffside. A significantly shorter distance than she ends up traveling.
She lets out a scream as she falls over the edge, and I dart out of the trees, reacting purely on instinct. I do not even remember transforming into my bats, just that I did it without thinking. Like my body just knew that it was the only way I would reach her in time.
I dive fast, and catch her just before she hits the street below. I then glide to a nearby tree, using its branches as a perch. Frantically, I search her face, worrying that she may have seen me. Then I release a breath I do not recall holding. Thankfully for all of us, she appears to have fainted from fright.
I must say that she seems quite peaceful in this state, like she is simply sleeping, with no worries to trouble her in this moment. The girl appears relatively unharmed, aside from a few scratches caused by the branches earlier, but that is an easy fix. Now that I have a better look at her, she appears to be around my age, and quite pretty actually. Although, the light blue ribbon in her fiery red hair does not seem to match the rest of her attire. An odd choice, but not an unflattering one. I inhale her scent. Definitely clovers. Maybe it is her shampoo?
<Jeez mate,¹⁰ get a room while you're at it.>
I groan in frustration at his teasing, heat rising to my cheeks, but glide down from the branches to the street side anyway. Thankfully, no one is around and hardly any motors¹¹ are driving by at this late hour.
"I think we are in the clear," I whisper, as I lay her down on the grass.
<And I think we should still add her as the Main Course¹², then dispose of her properly to prevent any witnesses . . . but you're not going to let me, are you?> he chides, but I can tell his question is more of a rhetorical statement.
You already know my answer, so why ask? I snap back and he quiets.
All things considered, we do need to figure out what to do with her now, before she comes to. She doesn't appear to have a purse, so I begin rummaging through her jacket pockets. When I discover that they are empty, I move on to the ones in her jeans. The heat rushes to my face once again, as it does not escape my notice how close our bodies are or the fact that I am basically giving her a pat-down.
Ugh. Of course she keeps her wallet in her back pocket, so I basically have to touch her arse if I am to retrieve it.
Taking a deep breath, I try not to think about it. This is necessary if I plan on getting her any aid. I cannot just leave her here like this. If I did, who knows what would happen to her? And what kind of person would that make me?
<Hurry up already, would ya? Although, the view's not bad, I suppose . . . > He trails off but his innuendo is clear. I can practically feel his eyes traveling the length of her body, hesitating in certain areas. <. . . for a human anyway,> he infers, pretending to be indifferent. His arrogant smirk returns once more.
Oooh-kay, that's enough of that. I suddenly spring to my feet with her wallet in hand.
Hmmmm, I muse. Japanese passport, California driver's license, some debit and credit cards, a few thousand yen, couple of dollars . . . Ah ha! Here it is: her port-entry paperwork.
I am surprised by the fact that she carries a Japanese passport, rather than an American one. She probably has at least one parent who is Japanese, thus allowing her to possess dual-citizenship. I review the entry paperwork, finding no local phone number to call, but instead, I spot a temporary address, which is not far from here. It appears she is visiting Japan for school, which explains why the address differs from the passport and the need for entry paperwork. Based on her birthday, she is 16. Only a few months older than me. I also spot her name.
Surname: Takai • 高井
Given name: Rima • 李眞
Date of birth: October 14th, 1989
"Rima," I whisper. Spelled using the kanji for "plum" and "genuine".
<A pretty name for a pretty bird¹³.>
Oh will you just give it a rest already? Put your hormones away before you poke an eye out, I direct at him, shoving her wallet into her jacket pocket. I proceed to pick her up again, transforming as well, so I can glide overhead, out of sight.
<What are you doing?> His confusion is palpable.
If I cannot call anyone to come collect her, then I will just have to take her home myself. Simple as that.
<Brilliant idea Romeo, but what if someone sees us?>
I recognize the use of my own words against me, in order to mock me once again.
Well then, I suppose I best not be caught, I reply smartly.
<But what about Gaijirou?¹⁴>¹⁵
What? Are you going to tell him or something? He does not need to know.
<Now you're getting it,> he chuckles, seemingly chuffed¹⁶. <Better to ask for forgiveness than permission.>
I ignore his weak attempt at quoting Hopper¹⁷ and push on through the night, eager to be done with it already. I'm simply exhausted from tonight's strange turn of events. And even more unsettled by the foreboding feeling that our lives just became more complicated than they already are.
~ ~ ~
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
¹ 羽鳥 "Hatori" ( ハトリ ) is a given name meaning "feather" and "bird". Pronounced as "hah-toh-ree". Usually it is a girl's name, but a famous exception would be samurai Hatori Hanzō. However, the kanji is different ( 服部 ).
² Git: A British term for someone you don't like. An unpleasant or contemptible person.
³ Supper: British term for dinner. Here, it's also being used as a proper noun, like a name.
⁴ Train of thought: An idiom used to describe a series of thoughts or ideas that someone is having, that eventually reaches a conclusion. Also known as a line of reasoning.
⁵ Changing tune: An idiom used to describe when someone changes their opinion, or what they are saying, completely, especially when they think it will bring them an advantage by doing so.
⁶ Lad: British term for a boy or young man.
⁷ First Class: To live or dine exceptionally well, above average. Originates from the term for an extravagant service and seating arrangement on American and British passenger airplanes.
⁸ 慧璃 "Satori" ( サトリ ) is a unisex given name meaning "wisdom" and "jewel". Pronounced as "sah-toh-ree".
⁹ The use of carrots <> represents Satori's telepathic "mental speech" when he chooses to converse mentally with Hatori, since he cannot speak aloud, unless he has control of their shared body. But unlike Satori, Hatori can't hear Satori's internal thoughts. Hatori's internal thoughts that are directed at Satori are in unbolded italics, instead of <> so that it is easier for novel readers to tell them apart, since the webtoon uses font colors to differentiate between them instead. Sometimes he speaks to Satori out-loud using " " due to force of habit, and when he forgets that people may be listening nearby.
¹⁰ Mate: A casual and informal British term used to address someone you know, such as a friend, coworker, someone you see regularly, or share an activity with. It can be used sincerely, sarcastically, or as a term of endearment.
¹¹ Motors: British term for any motorized vehicles such as cars, mopeds, motorcycles, etc.
¹² Main Course: Refers to a multi-course meal (also known as a full-course dinner). On average, they consist of three to eight different meals served in sequence, but at a minimum they contain a starter / appetizer, the main course, and dessert. This type of dining is considered part of the echelon that is Haute Cuisine (a type of fine-dining) and dates back several centuries in culinary history. There are different versions of this, such as Service à la Russe which is similar to a fancy buffet style, and Service à la Française, nicknamed "Family Style" because all courses are served at the same time, similar to a holiday feast, rather than in sequence.
¹³ Bird: British term for a girl, or more often, a woman. Sometime in the last decade it started to become more of a derogatory term used by men to refer to (what they believe to be) an annoying, simple, or stupid woman, like they are objects or pets to be owned. But before that, it was usually used as a complement for a desirable / pretty woman, or was used as a term of endearment between lovers. The surrounding sentence structure must be taken into account in modern times to decipher the connotation or meaning intended when used.
¹⁴ 凱士郎 "Gaijirou" ( ガイジロウ ) is a man's given name meaning "victory", "samurai", and "gentleman".
¹⁵ In Japan, the use of a first name, rather than a last name represents close relations. However, the purposeful dropping of the "-sama" suffix by Satori here is meant as intentional disrespect, rather than earned closeness.
¹⁶ Chuffed: British term for when someone is in a good mood. Similar to being in "high spirits".
¹⁷ Hopper: Refers to Grace Hopper. She was one of the first female naval officers in the United States Navy, eventually reaching the rank of Rear-Admiral. She is famous for her trailblazing efforts, developing the first compiler, and working on the military's Mark 1 prototype computer project at Harvard during WW2. She lived from 1906 - 1992, and recieved her PhD from Yale University. Her actual statement that Satori misquoted was "It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission".
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