399 No Way Ou ? (1/2)
Matsuo trudged to the front door and fasten the dozens of locks latched on it. Then, he diligently bolted the locks on the windows, kitchen door, living room door, and finally, his bedroom door.
He climbed into bed and looked up at the ceiling.
All the lights in the room were left switched on. They illuminated his bloodshot eyes and the dark circles hanging heavily beneath them. Even with the lights turned off, you could see how awful he looked.
Every crack and gap that was in the bedroom had been stuffed with newspaper or tissue paper. Even so, Matsuo felt that a pair of green eyes would appear.
Exhausted, he eventually fell into an uneasy sleep.
He woke when he heard a crisp voice calling for him.
”Matsuo, come play with me.”
”Matsuo, can you hear me?”
”Matsuo, let's play one more round, shall we?”
Matsuo fought to lift his heavy eyelids.
”Who's there? Who's calling me?” he murmured.
When he finally opened his eyes, he made out Momo's figure in front of him, rubbing the top of its head against him.
”Momo? Why are you here again?”
”Matsuo, I'm here to play with you,” the ginger cat smiled, eyes sparkling with joy, ”Matsuo, you finally understand what I'm saying!”
”I...I understand you?” Matsuo spoke slowly, brows knitted together.
He lifted his head and looked at his reflection in the mirror.
The image staring back was a nightmarish version of himself. His face was pallid and waxy, eyes glowing with a faint, green glimmer. The corners of his lips were turned up in a mocking smile.
Matsuo jumped backward in fear. He thought his back would hit the wall, but he fell through it and landed on the street instead.
He looked down at his body.
”I...I've become a ghost?”
He heard a door open. He turned his head towards it the sound. A man had swung open the room door. Exhaustion marred his facial features. The bags under his eyes were so swollen they looked like bruises.
”Why? Why does he get to be alive while I have to be a ghost?”
There was a ferocity in his expression. The green glow in his eyes grew brighter. He edged forward, looking through a crack in the wall to spy on the Matsuo that was still in the house.
*
The Headless Horseman pulled both arms outwards and backwards, hurtling himself up 12 floors, eyes locked on the spirit of the teenage girl on the roof.
”S**t!” she cursed, quickly beckoning the last of the spirits towards her.
They formed a wall of protection around her.
She was fast, but the Headless Horseman was faster. Before anyone could see what he was doing, he had appeared next to the girl.
”Gotcha!”
She blanched visibly as the spirits lunged at the Horseman.
”There's no point fighting me,” he smiled.
He raised a hand and stretched five fingers, then clawed at the air. In an instant, a spark of golden light appeared and expanded, bursting the spirits that were coming his way.
He turned to face the spirit of the teenage girl. There was an invisible force that blossomed around him.
He cut to Elizabeth's power.
”Deprive all five senses.”
*
”Ishida is unreachable.”
”The kamikaze spirits have been destroyed.”