The guitar case I carried was something I'd scavenged from a dumpster.
At first, I'd nearly passed it by, dismissing it as mere trash, but after a second thought, I realized its potential. I brought it home and modified it myself. I lined the interior with styrofoam for insulation, turning it into a makeshift cooler to preserve the meat for as long as possible. Then, I layered it with thick plastic, sealing it tight so that neither blood nor scent could escape.
Ordinarily, an arm or a leg would have sufficed. However, after the incident the other night, I knew Eto's nutritional requirements had increased.
I filled the case to the brim with one arm, two legs, and portions of the liver and intestines. Once the harvest was complete, I moved the remains to a sunny spot and buried them, piling a few stones on top to serve as a makeshift headstone.
I clasped my hands together in a silent prayer.
I will see to it that the flesh you discarded is put to good use.
Finishing my respects, I checked my phone. It was 5:40 AM. Because I was deep in the mountains rather than the city center, the sun wasn't visible yet, but the sky was already brightening. Dawn had broken. I had lingered too long, considering the work that remained before Eto woke up.
I hurriedly shoved my tools into the guitar case and hoisted it onto my back.
"𝘎𝘩...."
I nearly toppled over from the sheer weight. It was only natural, given the amount of meat I was hauling. The contents of the case alone likely weighed more than half of an adult man.
Dragging my body forward, I struggled up the incline and finally reached my bicycle. I worried that the added weight would make the bike unmanageable, but fortunately, it moved smoothly enough. Still, I made a mental note to avoid uphill paths at all costs. Trying to climb a slope with this load would surely end in total exhaustion.
Consulting my map, I plotted a course that stuck to flat ground as I descended from the mountain trail toward the city. The world grew brighter as I rode. Perhaps it was the relief of escaping a night saturated with death, or perhaps it was simple sleep deprivation—it might even have been the effect of the pills I'd taken earlier—but I felt a desperate urge to just get home.
Suddenly, a voice brought me to a halt.
"Excuse me, one moment please."
"Huh? Ah. ...?!"
I reflexively hit the brakes and stopped, immediately cursing my own stupidity. How could I have been so careless while transporting high-risk contraband on my back?
Of all the paths I could have taken, I had ridden straight into a police checkpoint. I hadn't even noticed them until I was practically on top of them.
"It's morning, but it's still dark out. It's dangerous to ride without your light on."
"Ah, yes. I'll be careful."
So, it was just a warning about the light. They seemed busy with other things and didn't look like they intended to conduct a full inspection of a bicycle. I thought I could slip away if I just played it cool, but then…
"Pardon me, but where are you coming from?"
"Why do you need to know that?"
"...."
Dammit. I really was out of it.
Giving off a defensive "I don't want to tell you" vibe was practically an advertisement that I was hiding something. I'd let my emotions slip into my answer. The older officer's brow furrowed with suspicion. There was no taking it back now. I had to pivot immediately.
"Ah, I'm sorry. I've been up all night at band practice, so my nerves are a bit shot. May I ask why you're asking?"
I tried to put on a friendly face, but it felt forced, and the officer's expression didn't soften. A younger officer, who had been flagging down cars, noticed the shift in atmosphere and began walking toward us.
"There was a murder nearby," the older officer replied, his eyes never leaving mine.
"A murder?"
"Yes. It's not confirmed yet, but parts of the victim's body are missing. It could be a ghoul, but we're also investigating the possibility of a grudge-motivated homicide staged to look like a ghoul attack."
Wait. This is going south fast.
If they found the human flesh in my guitar case, I'd be pinned as the culprit for a murder—regardless of whether a human or a ghoul actually did it.
"That being said, if the culprit is human, our investigation suggests they might still be on the move with the missing remains. So, would you mind showing us the contents of that guitar case?"
The officer held out his hand, his eyes saying, 'If you've got nothing to hide, you won't mind, right?'
I felt like hurling a mountain of curses at the concept of fate.
I did it.
The thought echoed in my head as I gasped for air, my lungs burning. I had tried every excuse to avoid opening the case, but it only served to deepen their suspicion. In the end, I was forced to take drastic measures.
I had motioned for the two officers to come closer, claiming I would show them the contents.
"I never actually thought the day would come when I'd use this..."
I looked at the small "water balloon" in my hand. Inside was a homemade mixture of paint, corn syrup, ammonia, and several other foul ingredients. If smashed against a face, the pungent, sticky liquid would cling to the skin, effectively blinding the target for several minutes.
Pretending to reach for the case's latch, I smashed the concealed balloons directly into the faces of both officers. While they screamed in shock and disgust at the mysterious, foul-smelling liquid, I leapt onto my bike and pedaled with every ounce of strength I possessed.
I rode down the main road for a while before veering off into narrow back alleys to avoid detection. And now, I stood on the very steel bridge favored by those seeking an end to their lives, hoving my bicycle into the river below.
The officers had seen my face and the model of my bike. Bringing it home would be suicide. It was a waste of a good bike, but safety dictated its disposal. I'd have to get rid of this guitar case later, too.
As for my face being seen... I'd worry about that later. Once they caught the real killer, they'd likely forget the face of one suspicious kid.
After disposing of the bike, I flagged down a taxi and hurried back home.
"𝘏𝘢𝘢𝘢𝘢𝘩...."
Dismembering a corpse was a labor-intensive task that drained one's soul, but having a police chase on top of that at the crack of dawn left my body and mind in tatters. I leaned my back against the elevator wall, trying to alleviate the crushing weight of the case, and stared blankly at the red numbers ticking upward.
Suddenly, the numbers seemed to warp and twist.
In the next moment, the distorted digits formed the image of the woman's corpse from the riverbank, staring back at me with eyes inhabited by death...
"𝘜𝘨𝘩...!"
I clapped a hand over my mouth as the forgotten nausea surged back. Dammit, the second I let my guard down, this happens. Even after taking two pills...
The elevator doors opened, and I practically hugged the hallway wall as I shuffled toward my apartment. When I finally unlocked the door, the familiar scent of home rushed out to greet me, washing away the lingering smell of the morgue.
Stepping into the entryway, I glanced toward the bedding. Eto was still fast asleep, right where I'd left her. The sight finally brought a sense of peace.
𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘥.
My knees buckled before I could even make it past the foyer. I guess I'd relaxed too much. Hey, what are you doing? Get it together. You're not done yet.
I whipped my body back into motion and dragged myself to the bathroom.
𝘚𝘩𝘩𝘩𝘩𝘩𝘩𝘩𝘩...
I turned on the shower and dumped the human remains from the case onto the floor under the spray. As the blood was washed away, the bathroom floor was stained a vivid, visceral red.
I don't remember much of what happened after that.
I simply repeated the mechanical motions of the saw, separating flesh from bone and carefully wrapping the meat in plastic. I gathered the bones—shards of flesh still clinging to them due to my clumsy technique—and wrapped them in a towel.
Then, I took a hammer and brought it down with everything I had.
𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘥! 𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘥!
With every strike, I could feel the bones within the towel shattering. I placed the pulverized remains into a plastic bin and hid them along with the packaged meat in the back of the refrigerator.
It was finished.
The procurement was over.
𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘱𝘴𝘦!
The moment I shut the refrigerator door, I fell onto the cold kitchen floor. I wanted to just pass out right there. As I whispered to myself to just close my eyes and sleep, another voice in my head intervened.
Hey, you idiot. What about Eto?
𝘚𝘯𝘢𝘱.
Right. I was so out of it I almost made another mistake. Eto would be terrified if she woke up and found me collapsed on the kitchen floor. Furthermore, the faint scent of death still clung to me. With Eto's keen sense of smell, she'd realize exactly what I'd been doing to end up in this state.
And then she'd start lying again, faking her appetite so I wouldn't overexert myself. I wish she'd just act like a normal kid her age for once.
I stripped off my horrific, sweat-and-death-stained clothes and threw them into the washing machine. Then I hopped back into the shower, scrubbing away every last trace of blood from the tiles. I sprayed fragrant air freshener everywhere to kill the lingering odor.
By the time I finished and dried off, there was no feeling of "refreshment." I was simply consumed by a desperate need for rest. I crawled into the bedding beside Eto, not even bothering to pull up the covers, and buried my face in the pillow.
Okay, time to sleep. I'm going to sleep all day tomorrow even if it means skipping work.
Just as I was about to welcome the encroaching darkness with open arms...
"Papa..."
𝘑𝘰𝘭𝘵!
Startled by the voice, I pushed back the darkness for a moment and turned my head toward Eto. How long had she been awake? Her eyes, which had been closed when I first came in, were now wide open, staring at me.
She looked as if she were on the verge of tears.
"I... I'm okay being a little hungry. So you don't have to push yourself so hard to get things for me."
"...."
Eto spoke with a cautious weight, looking like a child carrying far too many burdens in her heart. I stared at her blankly for a moment before a small laugh escaped my lips.
"Our Eto has grown up so much. Worrying about her old man already."
I stroked her hair and continued.
"I'm fine. You just focus on eating well and growing up big and strong."
"But..."
Eto trailed off, clearly unconvinced.
I wanted to find more convincing words, but I couldn't. I'd reached my limit. My consciousness was fraying at the edges. I searched for a way to reassure her while also getting the rest I needed.
"Well then, at least give your Papa some comfort?"
"Huh?"
"Hup!"
𝘚𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩!
I reached out and pulled Eto into a hug. I felt her warmth spread through me, mending my ravaged spirit. Her face was tucked against my chest, so I couldn't see her expression, but judging by how her body stiffened, I'd surprised her quite a bit.
"Let's just sleep like this."
"O-Okay..."
I couldn't see her face, but her ears peeking through her hair looked much redder than usual. Heh, did my plan work?
I decided to figure that out after I woke up and let my eyes drift shut.
At that moment, the darkness in the corner of the room seemed to warp, and the phantom of the dead woman from the riverbank appeared, glaring at me. Her death-filled gaze was full of loathing, directed at me for embracing a ghoul.
I raised my middle finger toward the hallucination.
Get lost. I'm healing here.