#237

A large building with run down features and rusted ceiling sat among others of similar features. The door was locked but age and weather made it weak and easy to break. Most features of the building were destroyed by rust but the imprint of a shipping company logo took up most of the street wall and the address number 237 was printed in small text next to the door though it seems to have been written within the last week unlike the rest of the neighborhood.

I held up the scrap of paper with the numbers 237 written on it. I pondered at what the number could be. Bank code, safety deposit box, house number? I had no clue. The possibilities were more vast than I'd expected. I went to my library and dug out a few record books. I scrounged through significance of the number, but then determined I should check a map. I couldn't get the banks until morning. I found a location of the map labeled the 200 blocks. I looked closer and discovered that the blocks were broken up into sections of 10. I decided it was worth a look so I grabbed Borei and put on my mask and cloak.

After an hour of walking from my house to the 200 blocks, I discovered the neighborhood. I wandered the streets observing the buildings. It looked as if no one had been here in ages. I eventually made my way to a location I'd assumed to be building #237. I approached cautiously, drawing Borei in case things got hairy. Once I got to the door, I looked to the side of the building and saw the numbers. It looked as if they'd been written only days before. It looked out of place for a building that looked like it hadn't been inhabited for years.

A loud crashing sound would be heard as a few metal shingles fell from the roof to the street. When the kid looked all he would see though was a rat that was was crawling down a pipe, it would pause a moment to look at him and then proceed through a small hole next to the door and scurry off into the darkness within.

A crash rang out and I gripped Borei tighter. I was probably a rat, but I couldn't be sure. I stepped closer, then forced open the large steel door that closed the room off. I stepped forward, into the darkness, not knowing what was going to be awaiting me.

The room was dark save for the light coming in through the now open door, there was a large wooden table in the back corner with a lamp on it. A dark figure of a man sat at the head of the table facing the kid as he came in holding his weapon. Save for the sound of the rat moving about though it was silent in here.

I noticed the shape of a man sitting at the head of the table. I stepped closer carefully. My heart was thumping and I could barely see straight. I made my way to the table, and drew a chair, then sat down. I had no clue who was on the other side of the darkness, but god, I hoped it was something pleasant and not a random face-eating demon.

As the kid took his seat the sound of the rat continued but was joined by the sound of a creaky door slowly opening on the other side of the room.

I heard a creaking door and a now gripped Borei as if my life depended on it. I didn't switch on chakra sensory, I couldn't bear to see if it was a monster, a man, or just the wind. I just waited, trying to keep calm.

In an instant the power in the building turned on and the lights filled the room, revealing the trash all about the floor and that the man at the end of the table was nothing more than a cardboard cutout of the man that used to run this business. There were a total of three door in this room including the one that lead outside but otherwise this room was empty.

I sighed with relief when the lights turned on and the room was empty, but something didn't feel right. I pulsed chakra to my hands and gripped Borei. There were still two doors that needed exploring and they weren't going to do it themselves. I sighed and stepped forward, pushing open one of the unopened doors.

As the kid pushed open the door the lights would flicker on and off a few times before restabilizing themselves but now they were red. The room in front of him was rather interesting though as it was filled with a maze of shelves packed with boxes.

I was jittery as I stepped into the strobe-like flash that was in the next room. I began working my way through the maze, but I canceled the chakra flow to may hands. My grip continually got tighter on Borei. If something was in here, it was gonna get stabbed.

For now the room remained silent. Slight rustling from rats climbing on top of the shelves was the only company in here as he was otherwise all alone...or was he?

I crept forward, ignoring the scampering of the rats across the floor. The constant flashing of the lights of the room was distracting me. For whatever reason, though, I felt like there was somebody else in the room with me.

The kid was fairly deep in the maze now and would find himself at its center to see a desk with papers stacked up high on top of it. Once again the lights would flicker though this time they would burn out and leave him in the dark. The sound of some of the boxes being knocked to the ground near the exit in the direction he came from was heard followed by the footsteps of something much larger than a rat.

FUCK! The lights went out. I gripped Borei tighter as I heard large footsteps moving through the room. I flicked on chakra sensory and watched for the large intruder in the room. If it came near me, I'd know. I began to charge chakra into my body as I waited. I couldn't help but shake, though. I was scared as hell.

As chakra sensory was activated you would notice the lack of a human presence at all, only rats. However the sound of footsteps was still there and getting closer every second.

Nothing appeared on my chakra sensory, but I heard the footsteps. Shit. Shit. Was it that goddamn Henkaku again? I gripped Borei tighter and pulsed chakra into my hands. Closing my eyes, but focusing on the footsteps.

All of a sudden the footsteps would stop and after a second the lights flickered on once more. Every box in the room had the number 237 written on them in what appeared to be blood still wet and dripping.

As the lights flickered on, I clentched in a scream. I couldn't let anything know I was here, but there was blood everywhere. I gripped Borei as hard as I could. Pulsing even more chakra into my hands. I was scared shitless. This could be the end, or it could be some trick that Shinobu was going to play on me.

The lights flickered once more for a moment, they would remain on for once though in one of the flashes of darkness the blood disappeared and was as it had been when he entered. The rats though had stopped making noise for the first time since he entered the building.

I held Borei as tight as I could, but raiton was now pulsing through my hands. I was confused as hell. The blood was gone and the rats were silent. I began slowly making my way back through the maze the way I came. I hoped I didn't run into the thing that was playing tricks on me.

Making your way back through the maze you will find at least a half dozen rats, all with their abdomens sliced open and completely drained of their blood.

I noticed the rats drained of blood, but I chose to ignore it. I continued to hold Borei in one hand and keep raiton pulsing through my hands. I had finally made it back to the main room though. Now I had to see what was behind door number two.

When you make it back into the main room you glance at the cardboard cutout for just a moment but notice that the expression has been changed to something of absolute terror. His hand holds a crumbled up note.