Day 23 Zombie
The air tonight was as stale and dark as the grave this night.
You couldn't help but feel a strange tension in the air and a bad feeling amongst the breeze as you swept the front porch of your tiny home. Darkness rolled over the skies despite it being daytime thanks to the large dark clouds fogging up above as far as the eye can see. It gave you an eerie feeling that crawled over your skin leaving goosebumps in it's wake.
You hadn't felt like this since the funeral. The funeral of your husband.
Kyojuro Rengoku.
The man who's positive and kind personality was like a beacon of hope in the town that he lives in. Never a frown on his face. Always willing to lend a hand. Always so selfless. Is was no wonder why so many women were head over heels Infatuated by him. You always thought he was really nice, although nothing more to it than that. Perhaps that's why he became so intrigued by you. Your family ran the town's bakery for generations and so you were no exception. Working in the family establishment and helping to sell the many breads and cakes and other baked delights your family made and sold.
He was almost always there sometime every day practically. Buying a small loaf of bread there or a cake for his mom here. Each and every time you spoke he'd smile and laugh which couldn't help but make you also happy. He was quite lively. Talking about everything from the small bird nest that was just built in his garden to his father's latest business investment. Sometimes you saw his family around town as well. Couldn't miss them. They all had the same vibrant features of fiery hair, flame eyes, and busy eyebrows. Seemed as if the Rengoku genes were very strong.
For the longest time ever you felt as if you had a good relationship with the Rengoku's, or at least one Kyojuro Rengoku. You thought you both were good friends by how much he spoke to you, or at the very least you two were on very good terms. However you were not expecting him to walk right into the small bakery and announce right in front of everyone-
"Mister and Misses L/n! I've come to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage!"
A lightning struck overhear making you jump and blink up towards the sky. It was getting darker now..A sign you should head on inside. With a few final sweeps, you quickly turned around and headed back into the warmth of your house. The door slid closed with a sound. The embers of the fireplace hissed when a fresh log was tossed on them. With a sigh of relief from the warmth, you sat yourself down for a while.
It was a rare moment of peace to yourself you got these days. It seemed like everything went downhill the moment your parents said yes to his outrageous proposal. You had no say in anything about the entire engagement or wedding or even the marriage. Even when you expressed that you didn't want to be married let alone to someone you really didn't know too well personally all you got was scolding from your family, eyerolls from your friends, and when you expressed your feelings to Kyojuro yourself he laughed away your concerns.
"Don't complain! You're not going to be young forever and the Rengoku's are the most prosperous family in seven provinces! So don't argue!," said your father.
"I want grandchildren!," said your mother.
"Are you serious?! You're so lucky! Any woman would die to be in your situation right now," said your best friend.
"AHAHAHA! Rest assured, Darling! We'll have all of the time in the world to get to know one another! I knew you were special the moment I laid eyes upon you! Do not fret. I promise to love you. Wholeheartedly," Said Kyojuro Rengoku before he caressed your cheeks and kissed your forehead.
In no time at all you were dressed in white sitting before a priest and staring into the crinkled eyes and happy beaming smile of a man you barely knew but now shared last names with. He took your hands in his own and smiled at you.
"From now on you're mine. My one and only.~"
Your eyes glanced towards the windows. The shutters rattling violently within the wind and continuously thudding against the glass panels. A violent shudder courses through your very core as you curled up ever closer to the fire. This was like the very night when your husband died.
You two had been a couple..or what could be considered a couple for only a few months when it happened. You tried to adjust to your new life but couldn't really bring yourself to hold his hands or return his hugs when he went to hug you..And everyone expected you to kiss him and share a bed?? His heart looked shattered when you requested to have a separate bedroom from his and physically stepped away anytime he tried to show you physical affection in private or in public.
He looked crushed but understood and respected your boundaries. Oh his father did not like that. AT ALL. You got quite a few nasty words from him and sympathetic looks from his mom but she only encouraged you to try and open up a little bit more and give her son a chance. Like you weren't freaking trying?! However many gifts he gave you didn't matter. However many kind words he spoke did nothing in the end. Because only seven short months after you two got married he was killed.
Murdered to be exact.
He'd been in a fight with someone else by the name of Hakuji. Why the fight started or what it was about you had no clue. You weren't there. You could only do what everyone else in his family did, watch in horror and shock as a few of his friends brought his body, recovered after the fight, back to his family. It was all a blurred mesh after that. Still now it feels like it didn't even happen.
There was a funeral for him a short time later, and with it the end of your time within the Rengoku's estate. For a short time that's where you stayed. Technically you were still a Rengoku if only by marriage and your last name so it kinda made sense for you to still live there kinda. But it was incredibly awkward, especially during dinners. Without Kyojuro there it was just like you were essentially a stranger spectating their house. Eventually you just left. It was too much and too awkward for you to stay. You couldn't just move back in with your family either, that was simply not done and they probably wouldn't accept you back anyways disappointed by your lack of interest in the marriage to begin with. You weren't homeless only because of the generosity of your aunt being nice to lend you her guest house until you get back on your feet.
With a tired sigh, hands rubbed your face and a tired feeling washed over you. You felt guilty about it. Really you did, but you couldn't help but feel a sense of relief after everything. As much as you thought Kyojuro was a good guy and didn't think he deserved to die, you just couldn't help but feel relieved that no one was trying to coax you into loving him or judging you. It was simply just more calm.
However tonight you were more on edge. You weren't sure why. Perhaps it was the lingering tension in the air or the still open wound from being widowed so soon. Whatever it was bothered you. The air was uneasy tonight. It'd be better in the morning hopefully. With one last shudder you curled up by the fire ready to sleep in and forget about it with the sun's warmth in the morning.
That it until the footsteps echoed from outside.
At first you dismissed it as an animal. A deer, wolf, stray dog- Sone kind of large beast. It wouldn't be the first time you had animals near your home, however a deep dread filled you as your tired brain realized something about the sounds of those steps.
I T W A S W A L K I N G O N T W O L E G S
Fully sparked awake now, you body shot right up as whatever it was encircling your small house was slowly making it's way from around the right side of the home and crunching it's way slowly towards the front door.
THUD. THUD. THUD. THUD. THUD-
Your eyes widened as a ghost hand entrapped your throat in fear. Head turning following the steps until it reached just outside of the front door. Heart pounding in your ears, you stared at the door in silence. No sounds other than the intense breeze outside and the crackling laugh of the fire behind you. Until there was a sound. A sound that made you flinch violently. The door shook a little bit. A small tug from the outside being stopped by the lock on the door securely keeping it shut. The lock jingling where the hook went through the loop. An experimental few tugs were given before it stopped all together leaving you to look on in terror, and then the next few sounds were given.
KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.
"Honey, I'm home!"
The sound of shock and terror fled from your throat as you froze solid. That voice! That horribly recognizable voice! There's no possible way it could- You gave a shriek, scrambling back as a bold of lightning lit up the sky.
"Darling? Are you quite alright?"
No. NO!! This was real! He wasn't really there! Your mind was playing tricks on you-
JINGLE. JINGLE. JINGLE.
The flimsy hook lock jingle with each hard tug on the door.
CLINK-
Until it unhooked. The door slid open as lightning lit up the red eyes of the smiling figure in the doorway.
Y O U S C R E A M E D
The tall figure took a step inside causing you to shoot up to you feet with another louder scream. Unnatural greying skin clung onto bone and body as the figure shambled inside from the whipping wind. Orange hair now as dull as dried tiger lily petals were a mess swaying from it's head. And white filmed eyes turned unnaturally in their sockets as they focused on your horrified screaming form.
"Oh, my little flame.~ My darling. I've returned home finally from...well.." The thing hummed in thought as if still confused but happy. "Actually I can't remember what happened too well exactly..The last thing I remember was defending your honor from that brute.. It's no matter!" He happily smiled holding out his arms. "I have returned home-"
Your voice cried out again backing away from the outstretched arms he held out to you which seemed to confuse the being.
"Dear?" He slowly lowered his arms looking hurt. "Honey, it's me." He smiled again wider. "Kyojuro! I've returned to you!"
You shrieked. Not because you thought you lost your mind, but because of the fact that the man before you was dead. He was still dead. You knew because the clothes hanging from his body were the same ones he was buried in. Now stained and dirtied with soil stains like he had crawled out from the grave itself.
"Oh. Is it because of my ... appearance? Darling, I promise you have nothing to fear from me." He stepped forward again. "Honey, please don't fret. You're my one and only. I couldn't rest without knowing that you were with me."
YOU SCREAMED.
You screamed and screamed. You couldn't stop screaming even when his expression turned to hurt and the cold touch caressed your cheeks. Even when he sighed in response to your reaction. You screamed out until your body could stand no longer and a deep black of night swallowed you whole.