Feeding the beast

Another day came to the old school-grounds, indicated by the happy singing of the birds and the bright shining of the sun's light. Rōjū and the rest woke up from a string of light caressing their faces, gently and motherly. Kohana stretched and yawned before picking up Hanonai with care, petting the little creature with love. Rōjū rubbed his eyes and slowly brought himself up, looking around the room, remembering all the events of the previous day. It was almost unbelievable, somehow they ended up with a caring lady that fed them and spent time with them, a warmth started growing inside his chest.

Toha knocked on the door twice "Wake up my stewies!" she said once again filled with energy, and opened the door to see the still sleepy students struggling to wake up. She smiled and went to the kitchen to prepare the breakfast. They all followed her and ate mushroom stew before Toha signaled for them to follow her. "Today we are doing routines" Toha said bringing them to a bathroom, shining white on all walls. The kids showed confusion by tilting their heads to the side, which Hanonai copied after looking at the two. Toha smiled and began her lesson by picking up Kohana and cleaning her up in a ceramic tub filled with water.

After some time the three students ran out the room wet and covered with a towel, which they proceeded to use to splash water at each other. Under Toha's watch they began playing around the school. Learning new games with the help of the only teacher, they spent the day having fun and learning how to play these games. After all this exhausting running around and goofing, evening came without the kids noticing they haven't eaten lunch today. Toha guided them back inside for another shower, and sighed sitting on a chair while placing her head on top of a table. She was tired. Toha looked at her side beginning to rest before catching sight of the branch she used to walk. She forgot, she didn't have the energy to spend carelessly. She called the kids and sent them to bed before closing her eyes peacefully. She finally had some deserved rest.

The wolves howled at the moon replacing the sun, and everyone slept. Everyone but Rōjū, who was not that comfortable sleeping on a single bed with Hanonai and Kohana. He snuck out and ventured around the school at night. He started walking to the kitchen before hearing his stomach growl, making him freeze with fear before making sure no one heard. Hunger got the best of him tonight. He blindly followed his instinct and searched around looking for food. The rooms and corridors looked different at night, he got lost easily. Starting to get scared of the open darkness surrounding him, he quickly opened the first door he saw and shut it behind him, letting out a sigh of relief while sliding against the door onto the floor. He sat there for a while, looking at what seemed to be a storage room of sorts. He stood back up and walked around this tiny closet of old bags. It seemed like this was the food storage, making him feel lucky. Rōjū now checked out the first of many, many bags. However, a killing stink slapped his face when he opened the first one.

Rōjū's eyes widened at this old sight, a red sea flooded his eyes. Flashbacks of the event that happened not many days before they arrived here. Blood, blood he recalled. While playing around sooner on that day he got a bruise, Toha tended to it with worry in her eyes. "Blood" she called it, she said blood was leaking out. Distress filled his mind when he once again looked inside the bag, seeing floating limbs inside the dripping red bag. He stepped back, away from the memory. A metal crash echoed around the walls, making Rōjū look at the floor next to his feet. A spilled soap of eyes and toes, looking a whole lot like the stew they ate. The loud banging on the door sent shivers down his spine. "Rōjū?" He heard being called. "Rōjū come out it is late" he didn't answer. The handle moved slightly before the door was thrown to the other side of the room. Rōjū looked to it before looking back at the entrance. Black. A hand covered his eyes and all he saw was pitch black before passing out right there and then.

Rōjū jumped suddenly from the floor where he was resting, breathing heavily and looking around to find a worried Kohana next to him. He calmed his breathing and closed his eyes, thinking it was just a nightmare. He smiled at Kohana and pet her head before stretching his arms out and fully waking up. Rōjū didn't wait for Toha to get them and instead went with Kohana to the kitchen, since they were already hungry. After some walking around the corridors Rōjū stumbled upon the familiar path he walked before, making him feel uneasy. Kohana looked at him with worry once again and grabbed his hand to reassure him. Rōjū smiled at Kohana's attempt to help, but still felt discomfort, specially when he bumped into a door, seemingly forced into place. Markings of struggle around said door, like claws. Rōjū started to walk away from the door frightened, only to be pushed inside the room alongside Kohana and their pet. The door was locked quickly before Rōjū hit the back of his head against metal, cold wet metal. Kohana jumped to his aid "Rōjū?! Rōjū!" Kohana yelled. Rōjū stumbled a bit before getting himself together and walking towards the door, grabbing the handle and shaking it desperately. The door moved, it looks as though it wasn't repaired well enough. He brought his entire body against the door, breaking it open. He looked around with anxiety, not noticing how dark the rooms have gotten already. He searched for the exit while grabbing Kohana's hand, and Hanonai climbing up to his shoulder, before finding himself in the kitchen once again. "Class. Is. Starting. Now." A voice whispered, before the person behind it emerged from where the kids came. "Sit down" She said smiling wickedly, her clothes covered in blood while holding an axe. The kids looked away and started running, only to stop when the bloody axe cut its way in front of them, thrown by Toha. "Sit" She demanded, taking a knife out of her back. Rōjū now remembered, he struggled against Toha, stabbing her with a knife that was in the storage room. Toha walked towards them slowly, not waiting for the kids to sit in the table. Rōjū quickly tried getting a hold of the thrown axe, but Toha seeing this sprinted towards the kids, her long arms extended towards them and the shiny knife dripping blood on its way. Rōjū finally got the axe out of the rotten wood and with one smooth move ended up chopping a hand off. The knife fell on the floor sticking itself in it, before Toha's screams filled the room. "YOU-" She was cut off, literally by none other than their knight in shining armor. He came back for them, the guard that helped them escape was there, on his knees watching the scene he made.