Teito Monogatari:
The Tale of the Imperial Capital
Part 1: Great Spirit of Tokyo
Author: Hiroshi Aramata
Part 3: The Enchanted Maiden
Chapter 14: The Worm Within
Yukari awoke in the middle of the night. All was still and silent, like an underwater world. She'd never woken up in the middle of the night before. She pulled her comforter around herself and tried to go back to sleep.
What could have woken me? she thought.
A faint, distant voice had roused her. Or perhaps it wasn't a voice. She thought she heard the echo of a song, but she couldn't remember which one. Not clearly. So she closed her eyes again, trying to make sense of the mysterious singing.
As she lay still with her eyes closed, the song she heard became louder. She felt a tingling sensation in her stomach. She brought her hand to her ailing gut.
How strange!
Yukari broke into a cold sweat. She pressed both hands against the sharp pain in her stomach and breathed out with difficulty. Her stomach spasmed. She curled in on herself, groaning. She heard singing again.
The cage, the cage
The bird in the cage
When, oh when will it come out?
She remembered the Listening Mirror. Was this a bad omen? What could that song possibly mean?
Yukari threw off her comforter and sat up. A stabbing pain shot through her lower abdomen. Her stomach felt as if it had caught fire and was burning intensely. She felt like an insect on fire was crawling around inside her, under her skin.
Her face twisted and her whole body tensed. Her bare white feet rested on the floor. The pain in her stomach radiated out to her feet and up to her head.
Unable to bear it, Yukari arched her back and collapsed sideways. Her left shoulder was exposed by her movement. Sweat glistened on her chest. Was this what a parasitic infection felt like? Was she ill?
She remembered the name of the protective charm that Lieutenant Katō had given her: the Worm Within. She raised her eyebrows. That didn't sound like a protective charm at all!
Spasms wracked her stomach. She wondered if childbirth hurt this badly. She felt like it was the same kind of pain, like she was a virgin trying to give birth to a demon's child. She dug her nails into her stomach and writhed. Blood seeped onto her underwear and nightclothes.
“Mother…” Yukari tried to call for help, but another voice overwhelmed hers and silenced her. It was clearly a man’s voice. It was mocking her. It echoed from within her abdomen.
Yukari moaned and then fainted.
The voice within her shouted, "Come!" It was the voice of a demon lord. That voice bound her completely, making light of her pathetic resistance.
The voice was Lieutenant Katō's.
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