‹ Prequel: Gensokyo 20XX: Rise of Earth
Gensokyo 20XXII: Imprisonment, Secrets, Sacrifice, Sorrow, and Freedom
Part VI
As Koishi sat scratching at the rash caused by too many a time being caused by peeing on herself and the areas getting infected from not being cleaned properly, I held up the key and promptly what did she think it went to. She shrugged and shook her head, saying, "Something." I remembered something Yuuka said about keys when Koishi had found one:
"A key that unlocks one lock is a key to the gateway that unlocks all, dear Koishi."
I suppose she could be right about that and I was curious to find out, after all, Yuuka, from time to time, is more than willing to give useful words, when she gets the chance if she isn't antagonizing people out of boredom or communing with the local children. I decided to test those words out. I put the key into the first lock I came in contact with and unlocked it. We discovered a room full of medicines and things. I opted to take the one thing and that was antibacterial salve for Koishi's legs. We hurried out of there and I shoved the oitment into my pocket and locked the door, hurrying back to our duties. Once we were finished, I rubbed the oitment on Koishi's legs and stashed the rest in my pocket. She really needed that oitment.
***
"I had nightmares last night, hey, did you guys have nightmares?"
***
Mokou came into recreation, sweating heavily. When I inquired on what had her the matter, she explained that she had a nightmare about seeing Tosca drenched in blood and heavily battered. Our had shivers sent down them and we realised the horror of her nightmare. After telling us about her dream, she asked us if we had nightmares. I told her I didn't but I do remember seeing what I thought to be a ghost of Tosca walking down one of the hallways. Koishi mentioned that she saw her stand right in front of her and whispered the words, "Help me." As we sat there telling each other of our nightmares and what we've seen, Mokou presented a question that none of us tried hard to think about: What will happen to Tosca when the warden grows tired of her? Neither of us could answer it or even imagine anything of the sort. Nevertheless, it was indeed a good but horrifying question. Crumbs!
When none of us could answer, Mokou said, "I'll ya what will happen. He'll swap her out with another and will keep doing that until there are no more girls to do so." We were horrified at that realisation and even more so because Mokou had habit about being right in her assumptions ever since she came. Her answer landed the question as to what was to happen to us when the warden has no more girls to turn on to and that left us fearing for an apparently brainwashed Reimu, as he could wait until she ages back to what she was before (currently, having been age-regressed, she may be about three). I was left indubitably terrified about the poor dear. The one thing I could only think of and that was to get Reimu out of here. If Tosca couldn't escape, then by jove she would have wanted her little one to escape. Hopefully, an escape plan is in motion.
***
"Have I gone crazy? Why yes, I have."
***
Apparently, Ran has a few screws loose and hasn't been acting quite like herself, then again, in this place, her acting like insane is a bit of an improvement and it was bound to happen. Maybe Huzi and I should act crazy, too, after all, it looks like fun and this place could use a little hell raised. Tosca would have wanted us to break free, though, I cannot bear escape without her, she's done so much and leaving her behind would only leave her much more torture. In the meanwhile, I had hidden a machine gun between my butt cheeks and an escape plan is in motion, yes. Hopefully, I will do something right for once and won't screw up the plan, like I did a little while ago.
Overtime, everyone started to have their screws loosened, even Yuuka, and I could tell because she took a pile of ashes and threw them into the washwater so the clothes and sheets would never be cleaned. They would confront her but she always promised to make sure they will be clean with her fingers crossed. Somehow, they never seemed to catch on. As for Ran, she often spilled ink on any important documents, explaining it away as an innocent accident. All was going according to our escape plan, though, I have yet to poison the warden.
***
"Now, is that all you've got to say to Ran-shama, Chen?"
"Yes, that is all, Ran-shama."
***
After Yuyuko had put us to bed, I started to hear voices in the wee hours of the night. They had sounded familiar and they were warm and conforting. Once again, familiar smells and sounds started flooding in, as I drifted to sleep. In my dream, it was sunny and I was sitting next to Ran. It was also autumn and the leaves were going to fall. The air was chilly and Ran had placed her indigo around my shoulders. She was also knitting, listening to me tell her a story like she does me on certain days. "Now, is that all you've got to say to Ran-shama, Chen?" I heard her voice say. I answer back, "Yes, that is all, Ran-shama." I felt her gentle hand pat my head and she said, "Then, you'll have to make a new one." The next morning, I awoke, thinking about Ran had said. Maybe when she comes back, I will have a new story to tell and she will have a new one, too. We'll all have new stories to tell and maybe Satori will write a book for once, hopefully, also in braile.
***
"We're gonna bust outa here and we're takin' Tosca, too!"
***
Recently, there has been some talk of Mokou, Kaguya, and Sattie doing something. I wasn't surprised, we had been here for a long time and it is indeed the end of July. It could be any day now that the warden will come and swap her out for one of us, so we haven't much time, then again, when the hell was Kaguya suppose to poison that fat bastard? Kaguya had better not screw up this plan and, if she does, I'm going kick her ass with that shoe of hers. Then again, how the hell did she break her foot in the first place? Mokou never did tell me too much about that but she did say that Kaguya needed the shoe because she didn't set the bones correctly and they healed that way, being that she has quick healing. Perhaps, her shoe could be of some use
Hopefully, for our sake, Yukari won't try and get me to leave her. How could I? She had taken care of me since infancy and had gone through hell and back, also Reimu needs her. No, we're family and family sticks together. If she were to stay, then I would, too, no matter if it killed us. Like Mokou said, we're gonna bust outa here and we're takin' Tosca too!
***
"Oh crap."
"Kagu, you jackass, you poisoned the wrong beer."
"No, I didn't, Huzi, I swear, someone else grabbed the wrong tray."
"Alrighty, then, you're going to have to do it again, in the meantime, I will find out where he has Tosca and I will get her out."
***
Apparently, Kaguya had once again screwed up a plan and that involved messing poisoning the wrong beer. After listening closer, I found out that someone grabbed the tray with the beer that Kaguya poisoned. That put a spike in our plans but no matter, we did set up the explosives and combustables in one of the most important rooms. I can only hope that Tosca can hold out a little more, just a little more. By this point, I know, she is very close to or is dying. If we don't flee with her, then she won't have much long to live. She's done so much for us and, yet, she asks nothing in return. She could have asked any of us to do what she did and, yet, she hadn't. She's endured pain, illness, insanity, injury, grief, sorrow, and, now, she's allowed her innocence to be taken from her, in exchange for our lives. Even though she knows she can escape at anytime, she chooses not to, more than willing to endure hell with us. I hope she can live to see freedom with us and live long enough to hold Reimu in her arms.
On that note, it seems Koishi has started to take ill. It's not surprise since they denied us use of any sort of rest rooms, so we had to go pretty much anywhere, so she was in constant expsosure to her own as well as everyone else's feces and was probably eating them (from time to time, she has lapses when she thinks and, more often that not, lapses when its just impulse she goes by). If we get out of here, Koishi will need to see a doctor and be given some medicine, if they'll treat her, as the Outside World doesn't seem to be too kind to youkai.
Someday, soon, we'll be free.
***
"Strange, there is a bell ringing."
"So?"
"Usually, bells don't ring in this place. Something is up, I just know it."
***
Funny, bells don't ring in this place. Something must be up. Fortunately, they have found out about our escape plan and plan to poison the warden but there is a bell ringing. Usually, we have the typical buzzer or alarm chimes like always but this time we have a bell ringing. I did bring this up to Ran dear and, after hearing my concerns, she seemed to think something was up but she directed my concern to Reimu and made note of how she smells of piddle and poop and that she hasn't had any new pants. I was outraged, really, I was. The poor dear has been seperated from her mother, poked and prodded quite so with needles for screaming, and, now, she hasn't had a clean set of pants. Ran had also made note that Reimu's pants was filled to its brim, even coming out of the leg holes. I'm surprised the poor child wasn't screaming in pain and irritation of a diaper rash (her legs she can't feel but her buttocks she can). The same could be said for all of us, really, but it is about good time that Reimu gets a bath. Oh, I do wish Suika was here. She said heads were going to roll. She isn't here but she did tell Kaguya and Mokou about this place, allowing us to find a way to freedom, the dear girl.
As I listened to the bell ringing and making haste, I brought Reimu to the dishwashing room and gave her a bath. Aside from the depserate reaching for her bum, she seemed to be fine with taking a bath, even smiling and giggling, wanting to give me a smooch on the nose. Of course, she had nothing else really to wear and didn't have a spare set of pants, as her dress was beyond any sort of repair and she had no diapers. No matter, I can simply make her makeshift out of a torn laundry bag but the diaper, I'm afraid, she'll have to do without. Actually, it was better that way, as she's had a terrible diaper rash and wearing a diaper could irritate it, though I would have to be quick to wash off her any sort of piddle and poop, as so not to irritate it further. Maybe Sattie could use that key of hers to find some sort of salve for her rash.
As for the bells, it turns out Mokou was trying out a new signal for when we move forward in the plans. That was expected and it will be needed for when we do move forward in our plans. In the meanwhile, we were just simply putting them together.
***
"My big heel has use for more than one thing."
***
Apparently, the warden's attention has started to shift over to me and a little less from Tosca, his "pet", then again, I was his servant who serves his food, no infatuation was involved. If I wasn't serving his food, then I was given the task of cleaning up his qaurters, which were rather disgusting to say the least. On one such occasion, I managed to kick a hole in the wall with my foot that wore that big heel. Fortunately, he didn't seem to notice, not even when it made a noise. To my surprise, I found something indeed useful about kicking that hole in the wall because there was a strange room on the other side, a room with a sliver of light. When he left his quarters to the day, I crawled through that hole and found a room with blinds to a window. I brushed back the blinds and discovered something that was quite forbidden to us. Sunshine. We have been here for a ver long time and not once were we allowed to go outside. For once, I got to see the sunshine, hear the birds chirp, and smell the faint smell of flowers and new autumn leaves. I knew I will have something to tell Huzi this time. I bid the sunshine a farewell for the day, even blowing a kiss, vowing to return and say hello once again. I crawled back through that hole and pushed the mini fridge in front of it. I hurried out his quarters, my big shoe making a noise.
That night, as we washed dishes and while Reimu was Sattie and her little sister, I told Huzi about how useful my big shoe is and I told her that I saw the sunshine to which she asked, "Mmkay, why didn't ya escape?" I stood up and answered, "You know I really couldn't do that, after all the rest of you are here and I don't want to be alone. I can't stand freedom if it means being alone and leaving behind my sister. I'll stay here. The reason why Suika escaped in the first place was because she wanted to be free but more specifically she wanted them to be free with her, so she escaped and told us about this place." She agreed but did tell me that reason as why we are in here is because I messed up the plan to which I responded, "Yes, Huzi, and that is why we have a new plan." Her eyes widened and she smiled, patting me on the head. After patting me on the head, she she asked to kick more holes in the wall to see if I can't can't find something else. I turned my back to the wall and kicked, discovering nothing. I promptly suggested we try again the next day.
***
"OPERATION: Find Tosca is a go."
***
As part of the plan, Mokou and Kaguya took advantage of their idle time to snoop around and try to find Tosca. Apparently, during this time, the warden was ill, so the Kaguya put him out of commission this time, though, its likely she poisoned a lot of others by chance, as we were down the number of guards to about, at least, twenty, making security very lax. They won't be coming back for awhile, not in this life, as that was a lot of rat poison she placed in those shitty beers. In light of snooping, I noticed Kaguya was kicking at things with her large clog shoe, almost as if trying to find something, more specifically, weak spots in the wall. That made sense, as Tosca could be hidden in a room that otherwise could not be found by wandering around, then again, she could also be kicking at weak spots as an attempt to make a tunnel. Either way, if they didn't want us to escape, then they shouldn't have built or more than likely picked a place with weak spots in the walls.
"A key that unlocks one lock is a key to the gateway that unlocks all, dear Koishi."
I suppose she could be right about that and I was curious to find out, after all, Yuuka, from time to time, is more than willing to give useful words, when she gets the chance if she isn't antagonizing people out of boredom or communing with the local children. I decided to test those words out. I put the key into the first lock I came in contact with and unlocked it. We discovered a room full of medicines and things. I opted to take the one thing and that was antibacterial salve for Koishi's legs. We hurried out of there and I shoved the oitment into my pocket and locked the door, hurrying back to our duties. Once we were finished, I rubbed the oitment on Koishi's legs and stashed the rest in my pocket. She really needed that oitment.
***
"I had nightmares last night, hey, did you guys have nightmares?"
***
Mokou came into recreation, sweating heavily. When I inquired on what had her the matter, she explained that she had a nightmare about seeing Tosca drenched in blood and heavily battered. Our had shivers sent down them and we realised the horror of her nightmare. After telling us about her dream, she asked us if we had nightmares. I told her I didn't but I do remember seeing what I thought to be a ghost of Tosca walking down one of the hallways. Koishi mentioned that she saw her stand right in front of her and whispered the words, "Help me." As we sat there telling each other of our nightmares and what we've seen, Mokou presented a question that none of us tried hard to think about: What will happen to Tosca when the warden grows tired of her? Neither of us could answer it or even imagine anything of the sort. Nevertheless, it was indeed a good but horrifying question. Crumbs!
When none of us could answer, Mokou said, "I'll ya what will happen. He'll swap her out with another and will keep doing that until there are no more girls to do so." We were horrified at that realisation and even more so because Mokou had habit about being right in her assumptions ever since she came. Her answer landed the question as to what was to happen to us when the warden has no more girls to turn on to and that left us fearing for an apparently brainwashed Reimu, as he could wait until she ages back to what she was before (currently, having been age-regressed, she may be about three). I was left indubitably terrified about the poor dear. The one thing I could only think of and that was to get Reimu out of here. If Tosca couldn't escape, then by jove she would have wanted her little one to escape. Hopefully, an escape plan is in motion.
***
"Have I gone crazy? Why yes, I have."
***
Apparently, Ran has a few screws loose and hasn't been acting quite like herself, then again, in this place, her acting like insane is a bit of an improvement and it was bound to happen. Maybe Huzi and I should act crazy, too, after all, it looks like fun and this place could use a little hell raised. Tosca would have wanted us to break free, though, I cannot bear escape without her, she's done so much and leaving her behind would only leave her much more torture. In the meanwhile, I had hidden a machine gun between my butt cheeks and an escape plan is in motion, yes. Hopefully, I will do something right for once and won't screw up the plan, like I did a little while ago.
Overtime, everyone started to have their screws loosened, even Yuuka, and I could tell because she took a pile of ashes and threw them into the washwater so the clothes and sheets would never be cleaned. They would confront her but she always promised to make sure they will be clean with her fingers crossed. Somehow, they never seemed to catch on. As for Ran, she often spilled ink on any important documents, explaining it away as an innocent accident. All was going according to our escape plan, though, I have yet to poison the warden.
***
"Now, is that all you've got to say to Ran-shama, Chen?"
"Yes, that is all, Ran-shama."
***
After Yuyuko had put us to bed, I started to hear voices in the wee hours of the night. They had sounded familiar and they were warm and conforting. Once again, familiar smells and sounds started flooding in, as I drifted to sleep. In my dream, it was sunny and I was sitting next to Ran. It was also autumn and the leaves were going to fall. The air was chilly and Ran had placed her indigo around my shoulders. She was also knitting, listening to me tell her a story like she does me on certain days. "Now, is that all you've got to say to Ran-shama, Chen?" I heard her voice say. I answer back, "Yes, that is all, Ran-shama." I felt her gentle hand pat my head and she said, "Then, you'll have to make a new one." The next morning, I awoke, thinking about Ran had said. Maybe when she comes back, I will have a new story to tell and she will have a new one, too. We'll all have new stories to tell and maybe Satori will write a book for once, hopefully, also in braile.
***
"We're gonna bust outa here and we're takin' Tosca, too!"
***
Recently, there has been some talk of Mokou, Kaguya, and Sattie doing something. I wasn't surprised, we had been here for a long time and it is indeed the end of July. It could be any day now that the warden will come and swap her out for one of us, so we haven't much time, then again, when the hell was Kaguya suppose to poison that fat bastard? Kaguya had better not screw up this plan and, if she does, I'm going kick her ass with that shoe of hers. Then again, how the hell did she break her foot in the first place? Mokou never did tell me too much about that but she did say that Kaguya needed the shoe because she didn't set the bones correctly and they healed that way, being that she has quick healing. Perhaps, her shoe could be of some use
Hopefully, for our sake, Yukari won't try and get me to leave her. How could I? She had taken care of me since infancy and had gone through hell and back, also Reimu needs her. No, we're family and family sticks together. If she were to stay, then I would, too, no matter if it killed us. Like Mokou said, we're gonna bust outa here and we're takin' Tosca too!
***
"Oh crap."
"Kagu, you jackass, you poisoned the wrong beer."
"No, I didn't, Huzi, I swear, someone else grabbed the wrong tray."
"Alrighty, then, you're going to have to do it again, in the meantime, I will find out where he has Tosca and I will get her out."
***
Apparently, Kaguya had once again screwed up a plan and that involved messing poisoning the wrong beer. After listening closer, I found out that someone grabbed the tray with the beer that Kaguya poisoned. That put a spike in our plans but no matter, we did set up the explosives and combustables in one of the most important rooms. I can only hope that Tosca can hold out a little more, just a little more. By this point, I know, she is very close to or is dying. If we don't flee with her, then she won't have much long to live. She's done so much for us and, yet, she asks nothing in return. She could have asked any of us to do what she did and, yet, she hadn't. She's endured pain, illness, insanity, injury, grief, sorrow, and, now, she's allowed her innocence to be taken from her, in exchange for our lives. Even though she knows she can escape at anytime, she chooses not to, more than willing to endure hell with us. I hope she can live to see freedom with us and live long enough to hold Reimu in her arms.
On that note, it seems Koishi has started to take ill. It's not surprise since they denied us use of any sort of rest rooms, so we had to go pretty much anywhere, so she was in constant expsosure to her own as well as everyone else's feces and was probably eating them (from time to time, she has lapses when she thinks and, more often that not, lapses when its just impulse she goes by). If we get out of here, Koishi will need to see a doctor and be given some medicine, if they'll treat her, as the Outside World doesn't seem to be too kind to youkai.
Someday, soon, we'll be free.
***
"Strange, there is a bell ringing."
"So?"
"Usually, bells don't ring in this place. Something is up, I just know it."
***
Funny, bells don't ring in this place. Something must be up. Fortunately, they have found out about our escape plan and plan to poison the warden but there is a bell ringing. Usually, we have the typical buzzer or alarm chimes like always but this time we have a bell ringing. I did bring this up to Ran dear and, after hearing my concerns, she seemed to think something was up but she directed my concern to Reimu and made note of how she smells of piddle and poop and that she hasn't had any new pants. I was outraged, really, I was. The poor dear has been seperated from her mother, poked and prodded quite so with needles for screaming, and, now, she hasn't had a clean set of pants. Ran had also made note that Reimu's pants was filled to its brim, even coming out of the leg holes. I'm surprised the poor child wasn't screaming in pain and irritation of a diaper rash (her legs she can't feel but her buttocks she can). The same could be said for all of us, really, but it is about good time that Reimu gets a bath. Oh, I do wish Suika was here. She said heads were going to roll. She isn't here but she did tell Kaguya and Mokou about this place, allowing us to find a way to freedom, the dear girl.
As I listened to the bell ringing and making haste, I brought Reimu to the dishwashing room and gave her a bath. Aside from the depserate reaching for her bum, she seemed to be fine with taking a bath, even smiling and giggling, wanting to give me a smooch on the nose. Of course, she had nothing else really to wear and didn't have a spare set of pants, as her dress was beyond any sort of repair and she had no diapers. No matter, I can simply make her makeshift out of a torn laundry bag but the diaper, I'm afraid, she'll have to do without. Actually, it was better that way, as she's had a terrible diaper rash and wearing a diaper could irritate it, though I would have to be quick to wash off her any sort of piddle and poop, as so not to irritate it further. Maybe Sattie could use that key of hers to find some sort of salve for her rash.
As for the bells, it turns out Mokou was trying out a new signal for when we move forward in the plans. That was expected and it will be needed for when we do move forward in our plans. In the meanwhile, we were just simply putting them together.
***
"My big heel has use for more than one thing."
***
Apparently, the warden's attention has started to shift over to me and a little less from Tosca, his "pet", then again, I was his servant who serves his food, no infatuation was involved. If I wasn't serving his food, then I was given the task of cleaning up his qaurters, which were rather disgusting to say the least. On one such occasion, I managed to kick a hole in the wall with my foot that wore that big heel. Fortunately, he didn't seem to notice, not even when it made a noise. To my surprise, I found something indeed useful about kicking that hole in the wall because there was a strange room on the other side, a room with a sliver of light. When he left his quarters to the day, I crawled through that hole and found a room with blinds to a window. I brushed back the blinds and discovered something that was quite forbidden to us. Sunshine. We have been here for a ver long time and not once were we allowed to go outside. For once, I got to see the sunshine, hear the birds chirp, and smell the faint smell of flowers and new autumn leaves. I knew I will have something to tell Huzi this time. I bid the sunshine a farewell for the day, even blowing a kiss, vowing to return and say hello once again. I crawled back through that hole and pushed the mini fridge in front of it. I hurried out his quarters, my big shoe making a noise.
That night, as we washed dishes and while Reimu was Sattie and her little sister, I told Huzi about how useful my big shoe is and I told her that I saw the sunshine to which she asked, "Mmkay, why didn't ya escape?" I stood up and answered, "You know I really couldn't do that, after all the rest of you are here and I don't want to be alone. I can't stand freedom if it means being alone and leaving behind my sister. I'll stay here. The reason why Suika escaped in the first place was because she wanted to be free but more specifically she wanted them to be free with her, so she escaped and told us about this place." She agreed but did tell me that reason as why we are in here is because I messed up the plan to which I responded, "Yes, Huzi, and that is why we have a new plan." Her eyes widened and she smiled, patting me on the head. After patting me on the head, she she asked to kick more holes in the wall to see if I can't can't find something else. I turned my back to the wall and kicked, discovering nothing. I promptly suggested we try again the next day.
***
"OPERATION: Find Tosca is a go."
***
As part of the plan, Mokou and Kaguya took advantage of their idle time to snoop around and try to find Tosca. Apparently, during this time, the warden was ill, so the Kaguya put him out of commission this time, though, its likely she poisoned a lot of others by chance, as we were down the number of guards to about, at least, twenty, making security very lax. They won't be coming back for awhile, not in this life, as that was a lot of rat poison she placed in those shitty beers. In light of snooping, I noticed Kaguya was kicking at things with her large clog shoe, almost as if trying to find something, more specifically, weak spots in the wall. That made sense, as Tosca could be hidden in a room that otherwise could not be found by wandering around, then again, she could also be kicking at weak spots as an attempt to make a tunnel. Either way, if they didn't want us to escape, then they shouldn't have built or more than likely picked a place with weak spots in the walls.