Arcadia. The crown jewel of Erde Nona, a mecca of technological and magical innovation. A city as large as it is splendid, where thousands work, live, and enjoy themselves. And like any jewel, it is made all the more beautiful by its accompaniments, for surrounding the city is a ring of smaller towns from which the bulk of its workers commute from.
It's in one of these suburbs that our story begins. Newport is much like its neighboring towns, full of average people leading average lives and living in blissful mediocrity. The children sit in neat rows at school or laugh and play in the streets while their parents work in the big city or busy themselves with maintaining their cookie cutter ranch homes.
The shrill banshee wail of the bell marks the end of the day at the town's aptly named "Newport High School". As its echoes die away within the locker-lined halls, it is replaced by a growing rumble of teenage voices, banging doors, and shuffling feet. Cliques of like-minded youngsters start to gather together, mirth-filled laughter punctuating stories of their day and plans for the weekend.
One such group coalesces just outside the school. Brenda Shumaker, a plucky, brunette Sophomore who acts as the leader of the group. Then there's Ryan Green, a shy lad with shoulder-length black hair and a love for anime. The "token jock", Darius Washington has a penchant for coming up with fun activities that, more often than not, land the five of them in hot water with their parents. Lastly is William Avery, a blonde Junior who kinda just fell in with the others. As the friends begin their walk home, Darius kicks off the conversation.
"So, what you guys up to this weekend?" He began, a glint in his eye. Before the others could answer, he plowed on. "Doesn't matter, cuz we're gonna go check out the old Toga place over in Eddsburgh."
A subconscious shiver runs through his friends, and they each looks nervously to the others. Ryan speaks up first, his timid voice a bit hard to hear over the conversations going on around them.
"Y-you sure, Darius? I heard they still haven't found the girl who did it… what if she comes back?"
With a hearty laugh, the large, black teenager slaps his smaller friend on the back and leans in close to him. "Aw, don't worry about that. The cops were scoping that place out for months, thinking she might come back. They finally packed it up last night. Guess they figured that if she ain't come back by now, she ain't coming back."
Putting on a brave face, Brenda gives Ryan a warm smile and joins the huddle. "Ya don't hafta come if it's gonna be too much fer ya," she says to the youngest member of their group. Ryan immediately straightens his back and says, "N-no! I'll come! I just didn't want to run into the cops or nothing."
With that, the three of them turn to Will, who had been watching the others with his own smile. They were old friends, having grown up in the same neighborhood. They did everything together. But…
"Sorry guys," Will said with a sigh, kicking at a rock as he continued. "Me and the fam are going out of town this weekend. Gonna visit Grampa and Gramms out in the country. Next time?"
Darius and Ryan shrug it off, but Brenda slides over to walk beside Will, playfully nudging him in the ribs.
"Ya know, you've been flakin' on us a lot lately. If I didn't know better, I'd think ya had some secret girlfriend or something."
Will's reddening cheeks and sputtered denials sent his friends into a fit of laughter, but eventually they reached their first stop. Will's was the first house along their path home, and giving his friends one, last, friendly wave, Will makes his way up his front steps. The sounds of midday talk shows and the scent of stew can be detected even before he opens the door.
With a happy smile, the young man enters his home, closing the door behind him. To his right is the kitchen, devoid of life but filled with the bubble and smell of a slow-cooked meal. To his left is the living room, equally vacant, though the television leaves the impression that it was recently occupied. But Will pays neither any mind, instead heading directly for the stairs leading to his second-story bedroom.
As he ascends the stairway towards his bedroom, each step is accompanied by a sloppy slap, as if from someone dropping a handful of wet clay onto the floor. Both flesh and clothing lose their cohesiveness and fall away from his body, the dim reflections cast by the family portraits on the wall revealing the nude and nubile form that lay beneath.
Now before the bedroom, slender fingers reach out grasp the handle. From within can be heard a muffled gasp of alarm as the door swings open. Upon the bed, the true William Avery lays prostrate and naked. Blood cakes his skin and the linens, left-overs from the expert severing of tendons and the occasional bloodletting. His eyes, wide with fear, latch onto the young woman in his doorway, his anxiety not relieved in the least by her friendly smile. Toga Himiko has come home.
It's in one of these suburbs that our story begins. Newport is much like its neighboring towns, full of average people leading average lives and living in blissful mediocrity. The children sit in neat rows at school or laugh and play in the streets while their parents work in the big city or busy themselves with maintaining their cookie cutter ranch homes.
The shrill banshee wail of the bell marks the end of the day at the town's aptly named "Newport High School". As its echoes die away within the locker-lined halls, it is replaced by a growing rumble of teenage voices, banging doors, and shuffling feet. Cliques of like-minded youngsters start to gather together, mirth-filled laughter punctuating stories of their day and plans for the weekend.
One such group coalesces just outside the school. Brenda Shumaker, a plucky, brunette Sophomore who acts as the leader of the group. Then there's Ryan Green, a shy lad with shoulder-length black hair and a love for anime. The "token jock", Darius Washington has a penchant for coming up with fun activities that, more often than not, land the five of them in hot water with their parents. Lastly is William Avery, a blonde Junior who kinda just fell in with the others. As the friends begin their walk home, Darius kicks off the conversation.
"So, what you guys up to this weekend?" He began, a glint in his eye. Before the others could answer, he plowed on. "Doesn't matter, cuz we're gonna go check out the old Toga place over in Eddsburgh."
A subconscious shiver runs through his friends, and they each looks nervously to the others. Ryan speaks up first, his timid voice a bit hard to hear over the conversations going on around them.
"Y-you sure, Darius? I heard they still haven't found the girl who did it… what if she comes back?"
With a hearty laugh, the large, black teenager slaps his smaller friend on the back and leans in close to him. "Aw, don't worry about that. The cops were scoping that place out for months, thinking she might come back. They finally packed it up last night. Guess they figured that if she ain't come back by now, she ain't coming back."
Putting on a brave face, Brenda gives Ryan a warm smile and joins the huddle. "Ya don't hafta come if it's gonna be too much fer ya," she says to the youngest member of their group. Ryan immediately straightens his back and says, "N-no! I'll come! I just didn't want to run into the cops or nothing."
With that, the three of them turn to Will, who had been watching the others with his own smile. They were old friends, having grown up in the same neighborhood. They did everything together. But…
"Sorry guys," Will said with a sigh, kicking at a rock as he continued. "Me and the fam are going out of town this weekend. Gonna visit Grampa and Gramms out in the country. Next time?"
Darius and Ryan shrug it off, but Brenda slides over to walk beside Will, playfully nudging him in the ribs.
"Ya know, you've been flakin' on us a lot lately. If I didn't know better, I'd think ya had some secret girlfriend or something."
Will's reddening cheeks and sputtered denials sent his friends into a fit of laughter, but eventually they reached their first stop. Will's was the first house along their path home, and giving his friends one, last, friendly wave, Will makes his way up his front steps. The sounds of midday talk shows and the scent of stew can be detected even before he opens the door.
With a happy smile, the young man enters his home, closing the door behind him. To his right is the kitchen, devoid of life but filled with the bubble and smell of a slow-cooked meal. To his left is the living room, equally vacant, though the television leaves the impression that it was recently occupied. But Will pays neither any mind, instead heading directly for the stairs leading to his second-story bedroom.
As he ascends the stairway towards his bedroom, each step is accompanied by a sloppy slap, as if from someone dropping a handful of wet clay onto the floor. Both flesh and clothing lose their cohesiveness and fall away from his body, the dim reflections cast by the family portraits on the wall revealing the nude and nubile form that lay beneath.
Now before the bedroom, slender fingers reach out grasp the handle. From within can be heard a muffled gasp of alarm as the door swings open. Upon the bed, the true William Avery lays prostrate and naked. Blood cakes his skin and the linens, left-overs from the expert severing of tendons and the occasional bloodletting. His eyes, wide with fear, latch onto the young woman in his doorway, his anxiety not relieved in the least by her friendly smile. Toga Himiko has come home.