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Entry tags:
[15-Jul-2021] [Ayatsuri Sakon] Petrified
Title: Petrified
Day/Prompt: 15-July-2021
Fandom: Ayatsuri Sakon
Character/Pairing: Zenkichi/Sakon or Zenkichi & Sakon.
Rating/Warning(s): Teen & Up, 'cos horror.
The tile squeaked.
"Zenkichi-san?" A voice whispered, and his heart jumped.
Zenkichi spun around, startling at the figure of Sakon standing in the open doorway.
"Wha-- Sakon!" Zenkichi stammered. His heart slowed, and he relaxed himself. "You were gonna see the ground floor. What happened?"
Sakon held a single finger to his lips, shushing him. Then, he beckoned Zenkichi closer, slipping out from the shadows of the pale white alcove to step forward. His steps produced nothing more than the shift of his clothes in his silent motions.
"I was," Sakon pondered for a moment, face slack in utter peace as if he weren't inside a rickety, abandoned mental hospital and were instead prostrating before god at an ancient temple. "But... ah, I can't get one of the doors opened."
He gestured behind him, then softly tugged on Zenkichi's sleeve.
"And I believe I heard something." He paused, frowning. "It sounded like... something moving. Shifting, perhaps."
He trailed off into the silence, loosing his relaxation. Something had frightened Sakon enough to regroup with him, and he barely blinked at the face of horror.
"Or someone?" Zenkichi offered, and when Sakon's face twitched tensely, Zenkichi frowned and shook his head. It wasn't his place to get Sakon more riled up than he already was, and Zenkichi could tell Sakon wanted to avoid murder and the macabre to the maximum. Then, he was glad Sakon went to him; the puppeteer needed a confidant and friend that wasn't amongst the realm of half-dearly-departed wooden artistry, and it meant something.
"It coulda been you... or something else. Maybe it was the airflow." Zenkichi offered, and he shook his head again, eyes flickering to the arched opening, "but you can't go back there alone."
But Sakon already knew that; Zenkichi was merely verbalizing the conclusions Sakon's mind didn't put into words. At Zenkichi's side, he shifted closer, big-eyed and like a little kid.
Zenkichi shrugged and continued, "What did you hear?"
His gaze was distant as he stared at the opening entrance, and Zenkichi was about to ask what he was thinking when Sakon broke away from his side, taking several slow, backward steps.
Then, just as Zenkichi's mouth opened to question him, Sakon swiped the air, gesturing to get back and left and left now, get back please now with wide eyes that had Zenkichi complying immediately. He spared a glance at the alcove, but focused on the floor, on not stepping on the broken tiles or peeling boards, Zenkichi, don't -- he silently sucked in a big-ribbed, deep breath. It was dead silent.
And Zenkichi could hear dragging footsteps. A body moved, heavy, awkward. Then a shrill noise, like scraping. Something sharp. Something heavy.
Sakon stopped breathing, muscles tensed. Zenkichi's fists curled, a hand nudging in front of Sakon, pulling him backwards. His brows furrowed, but his eyes stayed wide.
Zenkichi took a step, another shift, and felt Sakon tugging him to a half-crumbled wall, but Sakon made a warning sound as each step was taken, louder than the last, but not enough to draw attention or so Zenkichi hoped. Sakon pulled harder, then grabbed Zenkichi with both arms, sticking Zenkichi at his side to the plaster wall with alarming strength.
...The kid was terrified, and so was he.
Shh, Sakon mouthed.
It's okay. Zenkichi gave him another soft nudge with a tiny smile. I'm here. Sakon pressed back against the wall, fingers still pulled into Zenkichi's body, knuckles white and face whiter. It was hard to smile when his entire body was pushing him to freeze or fight, to focus on the terrifying unknown; his grin settled into a firm line as they waited.
After a minute of being startling still, the footsteps and the low, eerie moaning evanesced. The shrill dragging echoed throughout the hall, but it was enough to breathe, enough to unwind. It ended, all too quiet, all too silent.
For a few seconds, Zenkichi held Sakon tighter, exhaling sharply through his nose. He could feel Sakon doing the same. Then, slowly, Zenkichi pried Sakon's grip and waited, turning his head slightly to peer through the opening. There was nothing to be seen but darkness. Unsettling, pitch-black darkness.
Wordlessly, they collected themselves.
Breaking the silence, Sakon spoke.
"T... that's what I heard."
Zenkichi swallowed nervously. If something terrified Sakon, then surely Zenkichi would be pertrified; if something frightened Sakon, they'd have true terror.
Day/Prompt: 15-July-2021
Fandom: Ayatsuri Sakon
Character/Pairing: Zenkichi/Sakon or Zenkichi & Sakon.
Rating/Warning(s): Teen & Up, 'cos horror.
The tile squeaked.
"Zenkichi-san?" A voice whispered, and his heart jumped.
Zenkichi spun around, startling at the figure of Sakon standing in the open doorway.
"Wha-- Sakon!" Zenkichi stammered. His heart slowed, and he relaxed himself. "You were gonna see the ground floor. What happened?"
Sakon held a single finger to his lips, shushing him. Then, he beckoned Zenkichi closer, slipping out from the shadows of the pale white alcove to step forward. His steps produced nothing more than the shift of his clothes in his silent motions.
"I was," Sakon pondered for a moment, face slack in utter peace as if he weren't inside a rickety, abandoned mental hospital and were instead prostrating before god at an ancient temple. "But... ah, I can't get one of the doors opened."
He gestured behind him, then softly tugged on Zenkichi's sleeve.
"And I believe I heard something." He paused, frowning. "It sounded like... something moving. Shifting, perhaps."
He trailed off into the silence, loosing his relaxation. Something had frightened Sakon enough to regroup with him, and he barely blinked at the face of horror.
"Or someone?" Zenkichi offered, and when Sakon's face twitched tensely, Zenkichi frowned and shook his head. It wasn't his place to get Sakon more riled up than he already was, and Zenkichi could tell Sakon wanted to avoid murder and the macabre to the maximum. Then, he was glad Sakon went to him; the puppeteer needed a confidant and friend that wasn't amongst the realm of half-dearly-departed wooden artistry, and it meant something.
"It coulda been you... or something else. Maybe it was the airflow." Zenkichi offered, and he shook his head again, eyes flickering to the arched opening, "but you can't go back there alone."
But Sakon already knew that; Zenkichi was merely verbalizing the conclusions Sakon's mind didn't put into words. At Zenkichi's side, he shifted closer, big-eyed and like a little kid.
Zenkichi shrugged and continued, "What did you hear?"
His gaze was distant as he stared at the opening entrance, and Zenkichi was about to ask what he was thinking when Sakon broke away from his side, taking several slow, backward steps.
Then, just as Zenkichi's mouth opened to question him, Sakon swiped the air, gesturing to get back and left and left now, get back please now with wide eyes that had Zenkichi complying immediately. He spared a glance at the alcove, but focused on the floor, on not stepping on the broken tiles or peeling boards, Zenkichi, don't -- he silently sucked in a big-ribbed, deep breath. It was dead silent.
And Zenkichi could hear dragging footsteps. A body moved, heavy, awkward. Then a shrill noise, like scraping. Something sharp. Something heavy.
Sakon stopped breathing, muscles tensed. Zenkichi's fists curled, a hand nudging in front of Sakon, pulling him backwards. His brows furrowed, but his eyes stayed wide.
Zenkichi took a step, another shift, and felt Sakon tugging him to a half-crumbled wall, but Sakon made a warning sound as each step was taken, louder than the last, but not enough to draw attention or so Zenkichi hoped. Sakon pulled harder, then grabbed Zenkichi with both arms, sticking Zenkichi at his side to the plaster wall with alarming strength.
...The kid was terrified, and so was he.
Shh, Sakon mouthed.
It's okay. Zenkichi gave him another soft nudge with a tiny smile. I'm here. Sakon pressed back against the wall, fingers still pulled into Zenkichi's body, knuckles white and face whiter. It was hard to smile when his entire body was pushing him to freeze or fight, to focus on the terrifying unknown; his grin settled into a firm line as they waited.
After a minute of being startling still, the footsteps and the low, eerie moaning evanesced. The shrill dragging echoed throughout the hall, but it was enough to breathe, enough to unwind. It ended, all too quiet, all too silent.
For a few seconds, Zenkichi held Sakon tighter, exhaling sharply through his nose. He could feel Sakon doing the same. Then, slowly, Zenkichi pried Sakon's grip and waited, turning his head slightly to peer through the opening. There was nothing to be seen but darkness. Unsettling, pitch-black darkness.
Wordlessly, they collected themselves.
Breaking the silence, Sakon spoke.
"T... that's what I heard."
Zenkichi swallowed nervously. If something terrified Sakon, then surely Zenkichi would be pertrified; if something frightened Sakon, they'd have true terror.