The Haunting of Yuki

    By ??????

    The Haunting of Yuki cover image

    10 Sep, 2023

    Through the moonlit windowpane of the derelict mansion, Yuki could see the bloodthirsty ghouls circling in the courtyard. Her heart pounded in fear and anticipation.

    The room shuddered as the ghouls battered the barricaded door. Yuki struggled to remain calm, her sweat-drenched face contorted in pain as she dealt with the contractions.

    Everything inside Yuki screamed to push, but she forced it down. Giving birth now would mean endangering her children, her triplets. She wouldn’t allow that.

    Consumed by a mother's ferocity, Yuki frantically attacked the rusted window latch. She had to get out, she had to keep her babies safe.

    As she struggled with the latch, the first primal scream of a ghoul echoed through the mansion. The sound sent chills down Yuki's spine, propelling her into action.

    With an immense effort, the window creaked open. Cold air rushed in, bringing with it the scent of roses from the courtyard. Yuki grimaced as another contraction hit.

    She trapped her firstborn in the confines of her pants, refusing to let him out while the ghouls roamed. Her wail echoed in the deserted mansion as the door began to give way.

    The hinges groaned, splintering wood echoed in Yuki's ears. The ghouls were close, she could hear their hunger-filled hisses, their claws scraping against the doorway.

    With her heart in her throat, Yuki squeezed herself through the narrow window. She held onto the ledge, her knuckles turning white with the effort.

    She dangled there for a moment, assessing the drop. The courtyard below was a maze of forgotten rose bushes, their thorns gleaming under the moon.

    Behind her, the wooden door shattered. The ghouls poured in, their gleaming red eyes filled with hunger. Yuki steeled her resolve and let go of the ledge.

    She landed hard, her breath forced out in a grunt. Yuki rolled and found herself face to face with a ghoul, its pale face inches from her own.

    With a terrified gasp, Yuki rolled away, scrambling to her feet. She dashed into the maze, her labored breath echoing around her.

    The howls of the ghouls echoed behind her, their cruel laughter haunting her. The chase was on and Yuki was the prey in this deadly game.

    Yuki's world blurred around her, the pain from the contractions blending with her terror. But her resolve never wavered, she had to escape.

    With adrenaline fueling her, Yuki bolted through the maze, her hands scraping against the thorny rose bushes. The ghouls' laughter was closing in.

    Yuki's breath hitched as she spotted a small garden shed ahead. It was rusty, dilapidated but most importantly, it had a lockable door.

    Summoning every ounce of strength, she staggered into the shed and slammed the door behind her. She fumbled with the rusty latch, finally securing it.

    The shed was dark, cold, but it was a respite from the ghouls. Yuki took a moment, her body trembling from exertion and pain.

    Her babies fought within her, their movements a reminder of what she was fighting for. On the cold earthen floor, Yuki prepared herself for the birth.

    Panting heavily, she tore her pants with shaking hands, unveiling the strained roundness of her belly. Sweat trickled down her brow as another contraction hit.

    She cried out with each push, her body thrashing around as she brought her first child, a boy, into the world. His cries echoed within the shed.

    As she cradled her first-born, the ghouls' howls grew distant. She smiled weakly at the baby boy, her fatigue momentarily forgotten.

    The arrival of her second child was less painful. A girl, her wails intermingling with the distant wails of the ghouls. Yuki was almost there.

    Wrapping her newborns in her torn blouse, Yuki held them close. Their cries were loud, defiant - just like their mother.

    Her third child came with the dawn. A boy, his cries softer than his siblings', but no less determined. The ghouls' howls faded with the night.

    As the morning sun illuminated the rusted shed, Yuki knew they survived. She had done it. Her triplets were safe, they had a fighting chance.

    Yuki looked at her newborn babies, their tiny hands reaching out towards her. She cradled them close, their warmth radiating against her.

    They were her warriors, her survivors. Born amid the haunting cries of ghouls, within the cold walls of a shed, they were fighters.

    As the sun rose higher, Yuki swung the stable door open. The Court of Roses lay silent and still, the ghouls nothing but a nightmarish memory.

    With her triplets nestled close, Yuki set out into the world. A mother and her children, survivors of a night that would haunt them forever.

    But they had each other, their warmth insurmountable against the cold world. Yuki knew they would fight. Together, they would conquer whatever lay ahead.

    Yuki, the mother ghoul-fighter, with her triplets, born amid the haunting of ghouls, were survivors. That's how the world would remember their tale.