Moth to a Flame

Katsumi woke up to the sun hitting her face and she blinked, realizing it was the morning she slipped out of bed, glancing over to see Akane still asleep. Katsumi went about quietly, preparing for the day ahead by having a shower, brushing her teeth and getting changed into a kimono, she tied the sash up before going into the kitchen.

After cleaning the house Katsumi had realized there was no food so she had gone out and done the shopping. Now she stood in front of the fridge, rummaging through and pulling out different ingredients.

“What are you doing Katsumi?” A small voice asked tiredly.

“Oh, you’re up Akane, go have a shower and get dressed, the weather is really nice today so let’s go on a picnic,” Katsumi giggled, shooing the little girl out of the kitchen.

An hour later Katsumi had prepared their picnic and they were on their way. Occasionally Akane would run ahead and Katsumi had to call her back so that she didn’t lose sight of her. Katsumi was glad when she finally saw the opening to the meadow, she use to come here a lot when she was giving free time, which was rare.

When they arrived to the meadow Katsumi went about unfolding a blanket and setting the food out while Akane ran around looking at all the flowers and collecting different coloured ones. Once they had eaten Akane held the flowers out to Katsumi.

“Can you make flower crowns?” The little girl asked excitedly.

“I haven’t made any in a long time but I can try,” Katsumi replied, taking the flowers from Akane and skilfully weaving them together as Akane’s bright eyes watched the older girl.

Once Katsumi has finished making the flower crown she placed it on Akane’s hair and the little girl giggled happily.

“Will you have a matching one?” Akane asked sweetly.

“Of course,” Katsumi grinned, making herself one and placing it on her head while making a silly facial expression.

Akane roared with laughter and the girls started eating their picnic, content with each other’s presence they stayed in the meadow, playing until the sun was beginning to set.

The girls walked back to the house, chatting animatedly as Katsumi opened the gate but passed when she saw the front door open, “Akane, stay here,” she stated firmly before striding up to the door and nudging it open.

Katsumi gasped, her eyes scanned the hall, now in a disarray, she listened carefully but couldn’t hear anything, suddenly she felt a tug at her sleeve and jumped in fright, looking down to see Akane.

“I told you to stay put,” Katsumi growled and Akane shrugged.

“The house is safe,” the younger girl stated and Katsumi furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

The older girl stepped in and quietly made her way inside, she searched the bedrooms and found them to be the same fate as the messed up hallway.

“It doesn’t seem they took anything, so what were they searching for?” Katsumi wondered out loud as she ventured outside to the backyard, she was about to come back in when she spotted an open door that she hadn’t noticed was there before.

Approaching, she cautiously went down the steps until she was at the door way, finding the light switch she flicked it on but what she saw made her blood run cold and she let out an ear splitting scream.

There at the bottom of the steps Akane lay motionless and pale. Katsumi looked back at the sad looking Akane who stood next to her as realization hit her. Katsumi ran down the cell steps and placed her two fingers on the neck of the body that lay in front of her and found zero pulse.

On the body was a stab wound that had long stopped bleeding and the neck of the little girl had been slit open to drain her poor little body dry. Akane started to cry as she looked down at her body and ran off inside the home, all her memories flooding back into her head.

Akane was dead.

Now she remembered