Chapter Thirty-One: Alice�s Fall:

7:00 a.m.

The blood drops began with an odd text. Amaya's phone buzzed on the kitchen counter as she cleaned up the breakfast dishes. Hm? She lowered the plate and dish brush and picked up her phone. Amaya raised an eyebrow at the number on the screen.

Who is this? The housewife opened the message. She squinted at the words on the screen. What the hell?

Start the revolution

"What kind of hoax is this?" the housewife mumbled. She hit delete and finished washing the dishes.

8:25 a.m.

Amaya went out grocery shopping in Kyoto. The snow died down that morning. She couldn't help but smile. It felt good to be home. Now, she could make dinner and please Shichiro all night. Suddenly, she bumped into someone on the crowded street.

"Ack!" Amaya cried. "Watch out now!" The stranger said nothing.

"Hello?" Amaya asked. She started to get pissed off when she got no response still.

"Hey!" the woman snapped. "I'm talking to you!" The stranger still didn't speak. Instead, the man walked away into the crowd.

"So rude!" she hissed. The woman walked to the grocery store. Amaya planned a stew this evening. Plenty of beef, potatoes, leeks, carrots, onions, spices, and a little beer. He'll flip to see his favorite when he gets home. This'll be a fun night! She felt like going all out tonight. Curry stew, Hoppy, rice balls, a nice hot bath, and a sexy night in bed. Amaya smiled at her plan in her mind.

The shopping took a fair amount of time. Close to forty minutes tops. Amaya knew what she wanted. Only one thing left to get. She made her way to the counter. The old clerk smiled at her.

"Kimoto-san," he said. "So good to see you again."

"Hello Amuro-san," she said. She put the groceries on the counter.

"Will this be all?" he asked.

"You have any Hoppy?" she asked. The old clerk grinned.

"Thought you'd ask." He disappeared to the back and returned, presenting the bottle. "You're in luck. This is the last bottle."

"Excellent."

The old man totaled up everything. "That'll be 7218.04�."

"Yes sir." Amaya reached in her purse to pay up. The clerk noticed a small piece of paper falling out.

"You dropped something," he said.

"Huh?" Amaya asked. The woman looked down at the floor. Amaya bent down and picked it up. She unfolded it and read the contents.

Start the revolution

"What is it?" the clerk asked. She shook her head.

"Nothing." Amaya balled it up in her fist. "Here is my card." She paid for all the groceries.

"Have nice day," Amuro-san said. They bowed and Amaya left.

She hurried through the crowd to get home. What the hell? How did I get that message? That creepy guy in the street must have given it to me. She snorted to herself. That was a rude bastard! He didn't even apologize! Something caught the corner of her eye. Amaya turned her head. Huh? Everything looked normal at first glance. Amaya blinked for a few seconds.

What was that? The air felt colder through her coat. Am I seeing things? Amaya shook her head and continued to walk. She was about to cross the street when her head began to ache. She rubbed her temples.

What is this? I was fine this morning. She drew in a slow breath. A strange heat touched her nape. Amaya froze in place. Who� Who is there? She slowly looked behind her. So many faces waited to cross. Amaya's eyes slowly widened in panic. These weren't people. A sea of glowing sharp fangs and menacing black and red eyes floated before her. Their laughter made her break out into a cold sweat.

W-What is this? The faces floated towards her, laughing. Amaya's shook her head roughly. No. No! You will not take me! I won't let you take me! Stay back! Stay back! The faces floated towards her like waves in the ocean. Amaya trembled and shook her head.

            Stay back! Stay back! The wave floated in closer. Amaya looked for a place to run. Too many people! Too many people! The wave of faces came within inches now.

"Stay away!" Amaya cried. All eyes fell on her. Whispers filled her head.

Start the revolution! Start the revolution! Start the revolution! Start the revolution! Start the revolution!

"No!" Amaya cried. "Get away from me!"

Murderer.

She slowly shook her head. "No."

Murderer.

"No."

Murderer. Murderer. Murderer. Murderer. Murderer.

"No!" A bloody hand grabbed at her chest. Amaya jumped away as fast as she could. "Stay back!" she stumbled backwards. Blood red fireflies against the light snow. They hovered over her head like a halo. Amaya tried to swat them away.

"I'm innocent! I didn't do anything!"

Murderer!

Everyone heard her scream. Amaya ran straight into traffic. She didn't even see the cars swerving to miss her and neatly taking out other predestinations. The fireflies kept up with her pace. She swatted at them to no avail. They just kept coming, even multiplying with each hit.

Murderer! Murderer! Murderer!

Amaya tried to escape without success. The blood-colored fireflies consumed her mind. She ran aimlessly for any sort of help.

No one can save you now! You will die here like the damn mutt you are!

"No!" Everyone could hear her screams in the streets.

7:00 p.m.

Haruka took a shortcut through an alley to get back to train station when she heard someone whimper. Curious, she followed the sound to the darkest corner. The old lady found Amaya sitting on the ground in a daze. Her deep purple hair was in a frizzy mess. Her coat stained with blood. Amaya moved her hands against each other as if to wash something off of them. Haruka observed her daughter-in-law for a good moment.

"Amaya?" she asked. The middle-aged woman began mumbled something.

"All of that blood. All those years." She chuckled to herself. "It's crazy. Crazy� Crazy� I kept pushing Shichi-kun to keep killing. It just� turned me on." Amaya's glow died from her face. "I had a child once. Precious little boy. Shichi-kun wanted to name him after his father. Sweet little baby boy, but he had heart problems. The hospital observed him for nights and days after my C-section. My son was so little and his heart was so weak too. The doctors said he wouldn't make it another day. They asked if I'd like to hold him one last time. I said yes." Amaya sobbed hard.

"He died later that day! They disconnected his tubes and let me hold him for that one time. He died later that night!" The woman wept for the first time in years. Haruka smirked as she shook her head.

"Pathetic," she murmured. "Truly pathetic."

Stab! The blade of the knife struck the soulless doll in the chest. She didn't even gasp. Just like putting down a wounded animal. For one short second, time stopped and went quiet. The blade found a strong blood vessel before it was ripped back out and thrown away in the slushy snow.

Haruka walked away as Amaya fell over in her own seeping blood on the ground.