My skull felt like it was trapped in a vice grip, with one final twist being more than enough to burst my head like a plum tomato. I hardy recalled a single goddamn thing. Just that I woke up in some weird-ass garage, got into some clothes, got some food, biked to a city, and then… Its all blank. Oh, and I guess my name is Nari or something like that. I was some teenager with white hair and blue eyes. Emphasizing the past tense on the last bit, because I almost immediately noticed that was no longer the case.
I awoke in a cold sweat, in some poorly lit room covered in some sort of dark red flower-patterned velvet. There was a pretty damn fancy looking set of curtains covering what I presumed to be windows, and an overly designed wooden cupboard on one side. A rack of dresses of various colors, lengths, and designs paired with a sofa that looked to be designed like the clothes, more for spectacle than any actual bloody function, on another wall. Followed by one devoid of anything except for a door that had the same gaudy-ass look as the cupboard. All capped by a huge vanity table with six different mirrors in some form, along with enough makeup to gussy up a team of three high class hookers for a good five months.
However, when I looked into one of these mirrors, I experienced a sense of Deja Vu when I saw a woman looking back at me. It was the same one who murdered me. I did not get a good look at her before, and just noticed her age. Now I made note of her darker skin tone, shoulder-length straight black hair, and very skinny body. Which was almost a bit unhealthy looking to me. She had on the same red cloak, except it was slightly less torn, and perhaps a bit brighter. Also, she had a wristband of some sort on, which I probably should have investigated, but hey, this is just a series of my own recollection of events. And I am pretty damn sure that I won’t be getting a second chance at them.
Anyway, before I even opened my mouth to ask her what the blazes is going on, I began to gesture forward, and as she did the same, I knew that I had somehow become her. A thought that never came to mind, seeing as how I too distracted by how she looked a tad younger, and was no longer pregnant. That is when I heard the door shake, and heard a man roar from the other side.
I decided to do what came naturally to me, run away from the loud noise! Without skipping a beat, I turned toward the curtains lining one of the room’s walls, pulled them away, hoping for a window, with my arms ready to life one open, only to be denied such a luxury, and be greeted with more of the same wallpaper. Plan B! I had to move the cupboard in front of the door with the roaring man pounding hard enough to set the door off its hinges given enough time. And I needed time, simply so I could tell what the hell was going on!
I attempted to use my body weight to move the cupboard, however I was barely able to nudge it. I examined the feet and back of it, yet there was nothing keeping it in place. Panicking, I decided to try and open the cupboard to hide inside it. I shook the handle, with rage over how I had to deal with all of this pressure simultaneously. Only to pull it open, knocking myself back while thinking how this girl must be really frail if her body can’t even properly open a drawer, before I leapt into the cupboard.
I only looked for a fraction of a second before I dove in, but there seemed to be some loose clothes that I could hide in. I rummaged through them in a decent attempt to hide myself, before I began to gather my thoughts. I was trapped in some furniture while hoping that the roaring being outside would not look inside of one of the three pieces of furniture in the entire room. I really should have looked for an air vent. After all, whoever I’m possessing could probably squeeze into one of those. And why was I even possessing her?
Was I just some sort of spirit who lives on in whoever murders the person they are possessing? Maybe that was why I didn’t recognize myself back in the Garage. Yet, the woman looked slightly younger than I recalled, so I might just be blowing smoke out of my ass. Hell, my memories from before could have just been implanted, and I am whoever this is. I mean, my muscle memory seemed to be ideal while I was examining the room. Hell, I think she was wearing heeled shoes.
My theories were cut short when I heard a large boom of sorts. The sound of crackling wood had been in the background for a while now, but the miniature explosion was all I needed to signify that the roaring man was now in the room. I ducked down and covered myself as well as I could without making a ruckus. I covered my mouth and tried to avoid shaking. For whatever reason, I was doing that a lot, shaking in my metaphorical boots. First time I can recall being in a situation like this but again, body quirks. I don’t even know what kept me calm about the whole situation. I was just too worried about whoever this could be in order to think about my own identity much besides a few thoughts and theories.
Regardless, I could still hear him creeping closer, undoubtedly going to find me. I tried to convince myself that was not the case, but I accepted my fate the instant I felt a large hand grab one of the cupboard’s handles. I did not look up. I did not move, I did not cry even though every part of me wanted to. I just paused my body in the loose cloths of the cupboard, and waited for the undoubtedly massive and hairy hand to pick me up.
It did, and I began to sob, only to feel a burst of adrenaline and wind, followed by pain. I believe that I was thrown toward the floor like a rock being thrown at a very stubborn jar of pickled cabbages. Either way, as I was fading out, I saw a face. It was large, hairy, unkempt, with eyes that seemed to glow red with anger and lust. A jaw shaped like two bricks on top of one and another, which morphed into a crooked grin.
I tried moving and could not. I felt numbness after the initial pain, making me believe that I was harmed severely, with broken bones, internal bleeding, and everything that would prevent me from doing the obvious. Getting up, kicking this guy in the crotch, and feeling like a mad badger through the door, hoping he doesn’t have any mates. I knew that what would follow if I were to stay, would be the opposite of good. So I decided to let the numbness consume me, and drive me toward unconsciousness, in hopes that I would wake up somewhere else. Once more drifting into the black abyss.
End of Cycle
Fun Fact: I’ll be honest here and say that this chapter is the first of many Deadly Premonition references, not unlike my quote from Virtue’s Last Reward with the food in the previous cycle. Well, it is more of a Rainy Hills reference, with the red velvet room, which is also kinda like Persona. There’ll be tons of these, mostly because I find it to be fun. I mean, geez. Next chapter you’ll see just how much Virtue’s Last Reward influenced me with this series. But a lot of this chapter is me laying down things to use as a throwback. Even though I’m still not 100% on what it’ll be, but it’s there if I need it!