Kana From Hell Part Eighteen
Night had fallen when Kana realized she was lost in the forest. The moonlight was her only guide, but she could barely navigate through the forest. Several times, she stumbled on fallen tree branches and scratched by thorny bushes.
Tired and frustrated with her inability to find a way out of the forest, she slumped on the ground and wept.
She had great strength, but no amount of power was going to rid herself of her guilt.
Deep inside her heart, she held a terrible secret that no one knew about, not her mother or Michi.
She knew why she was condemned to hell. She knew why she deserved it.
Eight months ago, Kana had traveled to Nishitomi because Michi had traveled there with her family to visit relatives. She intended to meet Michi secretly and had even devised a lie should she be questioned by her parents.
Kana's mother had taken work as a maid in a wealthy household while Hiro was out drinking with his friends. Since they spent long hours outside of home, Kana was certain that she could steal away from her house, take a boat to Nishitomi, and return before her parents returned home late at night.
However, things had not gone as planned.
She reached Nishitomi and found the house Michi was living in, but it was filled with relatives, and a strict eye was kept on every woman in the house. Michi had seen her through the window and quickly signaled her to leave before she was caught.
Disappointed that she wouldn't get time to spend with Michi, she went to the Izakaya to find some food before she traveled back to her home.
She had barely made it to the table when a large, burly man came up behind her and pinched her bottom. He was drunk and could barely stand straight. He smelled of alcohol and slurred his words when he talked. He said the most vile things to her publicly, which made the other patrons laugh. Then he stooped to whisper the most vile things he wanted to do to her.
Kana almost hit him but restrained herself. She was a young woman who wasn't even supposed to be here. Should she react to him, he would cause a scene, and everyone would ask where she came from. And then her parents would find out.
She quickly exited the Izakaya, but the man was persistent. He followed her, pushed himself against her, and blurted more vile things to her.
Unable to hold in her anger anymore, she lashed out, she pushed him away, something she wouldn't have done had he not been disgustingly drunk. He stumbled back and slapped her. Kana fell to the ground and prepared herself to receive a beating. The man kicked her and then spat on her before stating that she was not worth his time.
Kana shivered and wept softly as she wanted the burly man to stagger away. She then saw him suddenly stop. Kana dragged herself back to the ground, expecting the man to return and finally do what he had threatened to do to her.
Instead, he changed his direction and walked towards the river, where she heard a woman singing softly to herself.
The man walked to her, and Kana got up so she could see a beautiful young woman cleaning a boat. She looked up, saw the man, and bowed.
"Kage. It is such a surprise to see you."
Kana stood rooted to the spot as she watched the young woman smile as Kage advanced towards her.
"You know my name. It must be fate."
The young woman's smile diminished. "I... you're..." But before she could finish, Kage pounced on her.
The woman struggled in his arms and fell to the ground. Kage pinned her against the ground, forcefully kissing her. Kana wanted to help her, but the man called Kage was too strong. If he saw her again, he might do what he was going to do to the woman, to her. Kana didn't know what to do.
She hid behind the bushes and wept with a hand over her mouth. Kage was violent with the young woman and clasped a hand on the woman's mouth so that she couldn't scream.
Kana had never felt so helpless. She could either try to save her or call for help, but in either scenario, she imagined herself being beaten by the violent man.
Kage got up suddenly and dusted himself. He looked satisfied with what he had done and walked away without another look.
Kana cowered, hoping that Kage wouldn't see her as he turned around. After she was sure he had gone from the area, she rose from her spot and started to leave when she heard a tiny whine.
The woman... she was alive. Kana peeked at the woman and saw her covered in bruises and cuts. She could barely breathe because of the injuries she had incurred.
Kana crept slowly toward her.
The young woman's eyes fell on her. She gasped, trying to talk. Kana came up to her, sobbing. She wanted to say she was sorry, that she was helpless and a coward.
The woman grabbed her hand, and Kana moaned.
"Help me," the woman gasped. "Please."
Kana wiped away her tears. She covered the woman as best as she could to preserve her modesty.
"I'll call for help. Someone has to be here. I'll..." The woman squeezed her hand and shook her head.
"I can't...please...just let me die."
Kana suppressed her sobs. She knew that even if she called for help and someone did come, the young woman would not survive considering her injuries. The young woman was bleeding out.
"Let me help you," Kana begged. "I couldn't before because I was so scared. But let me help you now."
"Kill me." The woman gasped. "The pain, it is too much."
Kana cried harder. "I can't."
The young woman begged until Kana found herself nodding.
"What's your name?"
"Sakura," the woman managed to say.
"I'm Kana."
"Kana, can you please put me out of my pain?"
Kana couldn't stop crying, but she knew the woman must be in pain and that she would not survive. She would eventually die, but not soon enough.
"I can't take the pain. Please, Kana."
Kana couldn't take the woman begging anymore. She got up, grabbed the woman's wrists, and started to drag her towards the river.
The woman was so frail that she would not be able to swim. Kana took her deeper into the river until Sakura's head was under, then she dropped her and walked out of the river.
Kana cried as she walked out. Behind her, she barely heard any noise. Sakura was not fighting for her life. She had simply drowned.
Kana returned to her home that night. Her parents returned moments later, but they didn't notice why their daughter was shivering or why she wouldn't speak for a week after.
Michi thought she was disappointed because they didn't get to spend time together. No one knew what had happened or what Kana had done.
The young woman's face haunted her every nightmare. It took months before Sakura's face, finally faded from her dreams.
But every action had consequences. Kana thought she could move on from that incident, but the past had come to punish her for her cowardice.
Kana wiped her tears. She would no longer be a coward. She got up, determined to find a way out of the forest.
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