Etsuko’s socked feet lightly pad along the hallway. She’s wearing her favorite pink polka dot pair, which comes in handy for being quiet. She ducks behind corners, watching and listening for anyone coming close. She’s near the storage room in the back of Anteiku, where all the extra coffee and food is kept. The people who work here are getting ready to close for the night. She’s gonna be in big trouble if anyone finds her walking around this late. It’s way past her bedtime. Her mom is going to wonder where she is, and she’s going to scour every inch of the building to find Etsuko. That’s what moms do when kids go missing.
She’s in trouble right now, she knows it. Still, the girl keeps walking, not sure where she’s going or why. She just knows that she has to go somewhere. She can’t stay cooped up in her room all night.
Etsuko knows that she needs to be asleep right now, but she can’t sleep. Her tummy is too upset. To make it worse, her brain is talking too much, worrying and thinking about all the things she’s been nervous about for the past few weeks. The number one thing is the Doves. That’s what her mom and most of the adults call the humans who work at the CCG. That’s the government place that investigates ghouls, which are what Etsuko and her family are. The Doves have been on a “record-high capturing spree,” that’s what her mom said the other day. They have even started to kill ghouls. The Doves call it “extermination.” Etsuko has never heard that big, scary word before, but she knows it can’t mean anything good.
Her mom pulled her out of school last week after all the reports started coming in. Etsuko couldn’t stop herself from crying when she realized she wouldn’t see all of her friends for a while, but her mom promised that she’d go back. She just has to go back when it’s safe. The wards around Anteiku are being watched, her mom said, and the school she goes to is too far inside the unsafe zone. Her mother’s explanation didn’t answer all of Etsuko’s questions, though. Why do humans hate them so much? What did they do wrong? Why is it okay for humans to kill ghouls? Etsuko’s friends don’t hate her -- why does she have to stay away from them?
The little brunette leans against the wall then sucks on the knuckle of her index finger. She’s too old to suck her thumb, and she wouldn’t want to be caught looking like a baby, anyway. She’s not a baby. She’s eight years old.
In the distance, there is loud shuffling, then the sound of someone walking in through the back entrance. Etsuko jumps and backs up, pressing herself against the wall to try to get away from whoever it is. What is she going to do? She can’t let anyone see her. She starts to hyperventilate, darting her eyes from the door next to her to the hallway on her left. She’s never been in this area before. She can’t leave. If she does, she’ll get lost, and getting lost is scary.
The door to her right opens without warning. Etsuko is so wrapped up in being quiet that she can’t even scream. She can’t make any sort of noise at all. All she can do is stare up at the silhouette of a tall man. The man is carrying something wrapped up in a bloody cloth. Etsuko inches closer to sniff. The huge lump in his arms smells like a human.
Etsuko’s eyes widen. Why is he carrying a person, and why are they all bloody? The human’s form is completely limp. Whoever it is isn’t moving. Her heart races in her chest as she gapes at the person. Are they...asleep? But why would they have blood on them when they’re asleep? Tears start welling in her eyes. What’s going on?
When the man steps into the light, he reveals silver hair and a very serious, broody face. The moment she recognizes him, Etsuko finds her voice.
“R...Renji-san?” Etsuko blinks. “W-what are you doing?”
