Chapter 6

On some small level, Akane had always known there was something wrong with her. Most girls her age didn't hear voices in their heads, not as far as she could tell anyway. Most seemed to live in relatively happy households, while hers always felt broken and distorted. All the same, she'd done her best to at least hide these abnormalities from others. To put on some semblance of humanity if for no other sake than her own survival.

But this was the first time in her life Akane felt truly, genuinely, lethal. As if on the verge of full blown frenzy. What was once simple rage had morphed into an unfettered bloodlust that she could no longer ignore. That miserable bitch Sana had to pay for what she planned to do to her Senpai. Caleb belonged to her and no one else! She had to stop her at any cost. There was nothing Akane wouldn't do for her Senpai. Even if it meant ending that wretched girl's life.

Her mask of sanity was simply another victim in this impending descent into her own darkness. Sana...had to die. She could see no other options before her. What's more, Akane wanted her to die. That was something else she'd never felt before now. A genuine desire to end the life of another human being. Whereas before, her indifference towards her fellow man never reached the point of genuine hatred, Sana Nijio lept and bound over that threshold in the most extreme way possible.

She wanted nothing more than to spill Sana's blood and make her darling Senpai hers forever. No one else could have him. No one else would have him.

He. Will. Be. Mine!

These words kept playing through her mind on repeat over and over again as she walked into the spare room of her family home, crowbar in hand. There, she pried open the floorboards and moved them aside before pulling out the massive black duffle bag she kept stashed away in the crawlspace below.

She dropped the bag on the floor with a loud clang, as dozens of metal objects shifted around within. As she slowly unzipped the bag, Akane was greeted by the sight of all the various 'tools' she had collected over the years. Living with two sick parents at home forced her to get crafty growing up. She'd always been a resourceful girl, but the needs of day to day life and her own survival necessitated a level of ingenuity most simply didn't have.

Most of these were burglary tools. Things she'd use to break into small businesses for food, medicine, and other things she and her parents needed. Tonight, however, they would serve an entirely different purpose. Helping her break into Sana's home and spill her blood in whatever gruesome manner Akane's rage fueled mind could concoct.

How should she do it? She quietly thought while sifting through tools. Piano wire around her neck? A steak knife through her wicked heart? Maybe tie her down to the bed and cut her into tiny pieces with the rusty hacksaw she now held in her hand?

Akane let these ideas swim in her mind for a moment, vividly picturing Sana's slow, excruciating dismemberment. Whereupon she tossed the hacksaw aside and kept digging. Her eyes caught a glimmer of something shiny at the bottom of the bag. She rummaged around before pulling out a small stainless steel hatchet, inspecting it from all angles. The way it glimmered in the moonlight, the brilliant luster by which it shined, it was just like her darling Senpai.

This would do perfectly. A most perfect demise for her mortal enemy. The only problem was the edge of the hatchet appeared to be quite dull. She'd need to sharpen it first. Akane wanted to completely coat herself in that miserable slut's blood. She wanted there to be no trace of whatever physical beauty she might have once possessed left when she was done with her.

With slow deliberate movements, she made her way to the garage. It was strange. Akane thought for sure her heart would be beating much faster than this. She clutched at her chest, fully expecting to feel a thumping, angry, beat. But there was nothing. If anything, Akane was surprisingly serene.

It wasn't until she'd revved up the portable generator, flipped on the lights, and sat down at the industrial sharpener she'd built herself out of parts stolen from a nearby hardware store, that she could feel it. That impatient thump of her heart beating madly in her chest. There was a massive smile on her face as she watched sparks dance off the edge of her hatchet. Akane couldn't remember the last time she'd been this excited for one of her little outings. Tonight, Caleb was going to catch a glimpse of the real her.

And if he didn't like what he saw...well that was just too fucking bad. She'd be sure to at least keep his head intact, so she'd never be without those gorgeous eyes of his ever again. She started humming to herself as she sharpened her ax. Tonight was going to be so much fun! And what was more, one way or another, Senpai would be hers forever.

"Akane? Are you using the power tools?" she heard her dad call out to her.

She groaned in agitation, focusing on her sharpening. "It's for a school project, Dad!"

"Did you at least get the medicine we needed?"

"It's on the counter in the kitchen!" she called back to him.

No response. He was likely going to check and make sure she got the right brand. A few minutes later, she heard his voice again.

"Sweetie, did you mean to get the drowsy kind?"

"It's to help you and Mom sleep, Dad!" she called back to him. "You both need your rest!"

"Alright, alright. You don't have to sound so annoyed. I appreciate it, sweet daughter."

She huffed in frustration. Dad was always interrupting her at the most inopportune moments. Fortunately, the medicine she bought was extra strength. So there was no need to worry about either one of them waking up in the middle of the night while she was gone.

"Akane?"

With an aggravated growl she shut off the sharpener and turned back towards the door. "What?!"

"Your mother and I are very proud of you," he called back warmly. "We appreciate everything you've done to help us while we're still recovering."

Hearing his words caused her features to slowly soften, a sad sigh escaping her lips as she smiled at the doorway.

"Thank you, Daddy!"

"I'll let you get back to your project now, sweetie. Just thought you should know."

With a bright smile on her face, Akane returned to her sharpening. At the very least, she was happy knowing she had the support of her parents. Aside from her beloved Senpai, they really were the people in her life who mattered most.

Hopefully, once she fixed things with Caleb, she could do the same thing for them as well.