Hide and Seek, by J.C. Arguello (CrazyconeJC)
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“The world is a way darker place than it seems to be.” – Rio Kojima
Millenniums from the world today, most life forms have gone extinct, and humanity has been forced to return to the old ways. The sudden re-appearance of technology, and rapid expansion has thrown the spirit world off balance and brought upon humanity dangers that had long been forgotten. When our protagonists are thrown into the mad-man’s puppet show, they are left with only a few choices for survival. Slowly, they reveal the darkness of the world that threat on starting a new world war. After the “village-call-to-arms,” they are forced to participate in a bloodshed that threat to stay for eternity in an endless cycle.
Until the last of us dies.
Tags:Key:- Encased in *...* means setting/action report.
- Encased in **...** means narration.
- Name, followed by : is for dialogue.
Hide and SeekUntil the last of us dies
INTRODUCTION PART 1
A single child
*Scene1_ 6 children playing outside the village, in a hill with a couple of trees around. Some leaves can be seen flying with the wind as chiming bells are heard coming from a tall building inside the village walls. The lightening is
dark, the sun is hiding, and the night-sky is about to arrive.* (3 boys, 3 girls.)
Girl1: Nothing is going to happen, it’s all adult lies.
Boy1: I said I changed my mind, never mind the bet!
Boy2: Don’t be a scared-y-cat! You lost!
Boy1: Alright… but it’s only for one hour right?
*Boy2 looks behind and winks at the rest of the children, who are all gathered up in a group. One of them, in the group, is holding a rope (Boy3).*
Boy2: Yeah, yeah. Hurry up; we’ll come back in an hour.
*Boy1 walks towards the nearest tree and puts his back against it.*
*Boy3 walks towards Boy1, gets behind the tree and starts to tie him up, with the help of Boy2.*
Girl1 *Whispering*: Your boyfriend isn’t that much of a pussy after all, Sora.
Sora *Whispering*: I don’t think we should do this anymore… I don’t even want to know.
Boy1: Guys I changed my mind!
Girl1: Oh, stop the whining already!
Boy1: I really don’t want to do this, please!
Boy2: Too bad. Let’s go guys…
Sora: It is just for an hour right?
Boy1: Wait!
*The group returns to the village, leaving Boy1 behind.*
*Scene2_ in the inside of a small wooden house, the rest of the children talk about their day and make bets on what will happen with Boy1. A small boy is inside as well, with them.*
Boy3: Obviously nothing is going to happen.
Girl1: Yeah, the stories are just ways for adults to keep us inside the village at night.
Little Boy: What stories?
Boy2: I don’t get it Sora, why does your brother have to stay with us?
Sora: My mother wants us to hang out more…
*Girl1 approaches Little Boy, looking creepy.*
Girl1: Riooooo, you haven’t heard the stories yet?
*Rio shakes his head.*
Girl1: After the sun goes down, and the night sky arrives, along with the moon comes the demons.
Rio: Demons?
Girl1: Creatures from the spirit world, it is said that they can take human form and pretend to be someone else.
Girl1: They drive children away from their mothers, and travelers away from the road.
Girl1: As soon as darkness rules the ground, they come to take you away…
Sora: Don’t worry Rio, it has never happened before…
Boy3: What about the baker’s daughter incident? She disappeared shortly after it...
Sora: Right… My mother told me about it.
Bo33: Since then, we haven't had a full moon.
Girl3: You don’t have to listen to them, it is all fine. Demons don’t exist so Jun is going to be ok.
Boy2: Besides, what is the worst that could happen?
Sora: Maybe the stories aren’t real, but what if wild animals get him?!
Boy2: You’re kidding? My dad’s group hasn’t been able to hunt anything for years, and suddenly animals are going
to show up because of a boy?
Boy3: It’s been a while since animals left the safe areas…
Sora: Anyways, hasn’t it been an hour already? We should go get him…
Boy2: No one is going out; you guys promised we were going to spend the night in the club house.
Boy2: Besides, we aren’t going to get him until tomorrow.
*Boy2, Boy3, and Girl1 laugh, as Girl3 talks to Sora.*
Girl3: Don’t worry, we’ll get him tomorrow. It’s perfectly safe, I promise.
Sora *Frowns*: I don’t know, what if something does happen?
Boy2: Shut up already!
*Boy2 walks towards the door, and locks it from the inside. He then puts the key inside his pocket.*
Sora *angry*: You’re an idiot!
Boy2: You and your stupid brother can sleep in the corner, away from me.
Girl1: Come on guys, it’s enough.
Sora: Who made you the leader?
Boy2: I’m older!
*Sora walks towards Rio, leans on the wall, and lets herself fall into a sitting possition.*
Rio: Do demons really exist?
Sora: Of course not, it’s gonna be alright.
*Sora hugs Rio as he falls asleep.*
*Scene3_ same room inside the small wooden house. It is dark inside, as well as outside; the clock marks 12:30.
Sora accidentally wakes up, and notices that Girl3 is missing. Everyone else is sleeping in sleeping-bags.*
Sora *sleepy*: Where is Ayano?
Boy2 *barely awake*: Probably in the bathroom, you know how you girls are. Go back to sleep.
*Scene4_ the group of children walk back to the hill, where they left Boy1. Ayano hasn’t showed up yet.*
Girl1: Where do you think Ayano went?
Boy3: Well, she would be back already, so probably back to her house.
Boy2: Damn these people, they can’t even fulfill a simple promise.
*Jun is no longer tied up to the tree.*
Boy3: Where’s Jun
Rio *smiling*: Maybe the demons took him.
Sora: Shh, this isn’t the time to be joking Rio!
Girl1: Oh boy, this isn’t right…
*Boy2 starts to circle the tree. He suddenly stops, his eyes widen and he begins to scream of fear and surprise as he falls backwards.*
Boy2: Aaaahhh!
*The rest of the children run towards Boy2, looking at the same direction as he is. Down the slope of the hill, next
to another tree lies Jun’s dead body. It is barely recognizable, as it is torn apart with organs lying out, and severed extremities. The body was almost completely destroyed, yet no sign that it was done by an animal was found. The rope, which was used to tie him up, was missing.*
*Sora falls to her knees, crying in regret. Girl1, who was older than the rest, just placed her right hand on her mouth, and began to cry. Boy3 wasn’t even able to move due to the surprise. Rio, shocked by the smell, the pool of blood, the organs lying out of the body, and the sight of Sora’s dead friend, fell to a fetal position burying his face into his legs and crying out loud.*
*Scene5_ Sora is resting on her bed, hugging a big pillow with her arms and legs, a couple of tears fall from her eyes. Her mother is at the door. Sadness and fear reigned the minds of all villagers that day.*
Sora’s mother: Sora, it is time to go… Everyone is gathering in front of Jun’s house.
*Scene6_ Inside Jun’s house, his mother is crying quietly by the corner next to the stairs; everyone else that gathered there that day were walking around, talking quietly and trying to forget.*
Man1: It has been a rough day.
Woman1: Tell me about it, they said the children were the ones that found him.
Woman2: Don’t you think it weird? Jun was a quiet boy with the nerves of a cat; he would never leave the village
at night.
Man1: Are you insinuating that the children-
Woman2: I’m not saying that they did, but you got to admit this doesn’t smell right.
Woman1: Supposedly, the girl Ayano went missing the same night.
Man1: Really? Isn't she the one who's mother never goes out?
Woman1: Indeed. I was told she suffered from a really bad disease, and couldn't leave the house.
Woman2: Everyone says something different, yet no one has ever seen her in person.
*A few groups of grownups were staring at each individual child that was there that night. Stares were enough to creep them out, but the silent whispers that accused them of killing Jun were enough to break anyone.*
*Rio, a child that doesn’t pay much attention to what others say or do, walks silently on a shadowy corridor, exploring the house. Nothing that they could say or do could break him at this age, all he cared about was how he
spent the day.*
*He stops next to a small wooden door, where the handle is missing, just a slight push would do the trick to open it. After hearing a tapping noise coming from the inside, he decides to go for it.*
*The door emits a creepy cricking sound as it opens. A girl stands alone, with her hair in front of her face, no expression can be seen. She is holding a rope.*
Rio: Oh it’s you…
*The girl doesn’t say anything; instead, she lifts her face and smiles creepily. Rio runs towards the room where the others are. He grabs Sora’s hand, and pulls her.*
Rio: Come, quick Sora!
Sora: This is not the time Rio, stop it!
Rio: It’s Ayano, she’s here!
Sora: Ayano?
*Sora and Rio run towards the corridor, and finally stop in front of the room. There is no one there.*
Rio: I don’t get it, she was here.
Sora: Damnit Rio, I told you this is not the-
*Sora’s comment is cut down by loud screams coming from the main room. Women and men scream and plead for their lives. The sound of screams, as well as falling objects and others being broken sends a shock sensation towards Rio and Sora, who stand in the middle of the corridor, not knowing what is happening or what to do. A single man comes crawling towards the corridor. He is badly hurt, and covered in blood.*
Man: The girl… s-she… arghh!
*The man begins to cry heavily, murmuring something about demons. Sora grabs Rio’s hand tightly, and swiftly pulls him into the room where he found Ayano. She locks the door, and falls into a sitting position next to the wall.*
Rio *frightened*: What’s happening?
*Sora hugs Rio, the same way she does to put him to sleep.*
Sora: I don’t know. Let’s just stay here for a while, ok?
*The shadow of an obscure image can be seen through the gap between the door and the floor. It is moving, and
then stops right in front of the room where Sora and Rio are hiding. While the image stays close, the sound of a
little girl singing (and humming) can be heard. The voice is sweet and gentle, yet, the tone of the song itself sends chills down the spine.*
*Sora, trembling with fear, hugs Rio even tighter.*
Sora: Shhh shh shh its going to be ok…
*As the girl sings, in the background, the cries of agony from nearby victims keep the melancholic atmosphere on the entire housje. Barely heard, there is
the sound of nails carving something in the wood of the door.Finally, after a few seconds of the image just standing there, it leaves, and her voice slowly fades away.*
**It was a long, cold night. The emptiness in my heart of having lost two friends was killing me. Rio was the only one to stand beside me for the next set of hours.**
*When the night arrived.*
*Sora slowly opens her eyes, as she does, she notices that the door is open and Rio is missing.*
Sora: Rio?
*She stands up*
Sora: Rio!
*She charges towards the door, looking for her younger brother. As she gets out through the room door, with the
blinking lights she is able to notice bloody handprints on the walls. Rio is standing on the other side of the corridor, staring into the main room.*
Sora: Rio, what are you doing?!
*Sora makes her way towards Rio, to warn him not to do it again. Instead, she sees what he does, tenths of dead
bodies on the floor, chairs, and stairs. Each body in a different position, some were in ordinary positions, as if they didn’t even realize what was behind them, others were trying to escape, and are now found in crawling positions. The sound of thunder fills the background, with lightning as a light source.*
*Next to the door, rested her mother’s body. Rio hadn’t noticed, but Sora did right away. She quickly made her way towards her mother deceased body, kneeled, and cried her heart out. Rio did the same, shortly after.*
Sora *crying*: Why? If I had only knew, I would have…
Rio: Mommy… Mom, why?! Don’t die, don’t leave me!
*Sora whipped her tears*
Sora*thinking*: We’re alone now, I need to step up for Rio’s sake…
*She approached Rio, who was hugging his mother’s dead body, and whipped the tears off his blue eyes.*
Sora: Come on Rio, it’s enough… We need to get out of here.
*As she stood up back to her feet, she pulled Rio upwards, hugged him and whispered something into his ear.*
**My friends, my family, everyone was dead.** (This is not what she whispered…)
*Sora backs away slowly, holding Rio’s hand, and walks towards the backdoor in order to get out. As they go through the corridor again, they notice a strange marking on the door of the room where they were previously hiding.*
“Found you…”
END OF INTRODUCTION PART 1
Notes: (I have some doubts, so I’ll write them in this section in order to hopefully get some advice to make up my mind.)
1. Should I change “demons” to something else, to take out the mainstream and set an impact? Maybe a made-up word like “Ghoruls” or something that sounds cool and scary at the same time… I won’t be using this word for the entire series, instead, just for the beginning. I planned to have each “culture” (village= have a different word for those “demons”. (Not exactly demons, they are more like the “bad” side of the spirit world. I will explain more in the next chapter.) So this word will only be used at the beginning of the series.
2. Is “pussy” and those kind of words acceptable in manga? I used that word because I couldn’t think of another way to say that dialogue, but I don’t really know if it will affect the series.
3. Pease let me know if I missed something, or if I am going too fast. (This is just a flashback to explain a little about the plot and the character's past. In chapter 1, we go back to present day, where they are older and I introduce a couple more characters.)
4. Also, please let me know if I made grammar/spelling mistakes, I don't like messy work.[/list]