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Katsuya had the impression of walking through the streets of Silent Hill. Half of the streetlights were out and the few that still illuminated something did so with a dim light that only helped to create an even more pathetic atmosphere.
His footsteps echoed in the darkness.
On the other end of the phone he could barely hear Reigen's paced breathing. Katsuya stopped in front of the house that people said was haunted. Katsuya noticed nothing but the passage of time eating away at the walls. If there had ever been anything, it was long gone.
"I think I'm here now" Katsuya whispered, as if afraid someone might hear. "It's the one with the red facade, isn't it?"
Reigen barely mumbled his answer. It was strange not to have his incessant chatter in his ear but he had barely said two words the whole time they had been on the phone.
Katsuya opened the gate and jumped out into the small garden. The flowerbeds were completely bare and only weeds survived in the desolation. Some of the timbers lining the entrance were uprooted, others were barely holding in place.
Katsuya hit one of the half-ripped timbers and managed to crawl inside the house. The smell of mold, dust and decay almost managed to suffocate him.
"Reigen?" Katsuya asked, trying to find the shadow of his best friend.
"Here" Reigen raised his arm. His voice, barely more than a broken growl.
His figure was nothing more than a ball in the darkness. Cornered against the wall, he hugged one of his knees trying to look as small as possible while the other leg was stretched out in a strange way. Katsuya shone the cell phone flashlight on him. The sweat pearling on his forehead glistened, giving him a ghostly look. His face looked like someone who had just been through hell itself.
Katsuya ran up to him and squatted down until they were face to face. He could barely see Reigen's face, hidden behind his crossed arms. His eyes were still bloodshot.
"What happened?" Katsuya reached up, pushing his sweat-glued bangs away from his forehead.
Reigen continued to stare into space. His breathing was slow and deep. Katsuya recognized the pattern. Reigen was forcing himself to breathe, holding the air in his stomach for a few seconds before exhaling again. Katsuya had done the same thing dozens of times whenever anxiety managed to overtake him.
"My ankle. I think I twisted it. I haven't been able to put it on the floor when I tried to get up."
Katsuya frowned. The swelling was obvious but a sprained ankle didn't seem to explain what looked more like a panic attack.
"Can we go home?" Reigen whispered, hiding his face even more against his arms.
"That position isn't normal. It has to be broken. Shouldn't we go to the hospital?" Katsuya asked, not quite sure what to do.
"Is that really necessary?" Reigen looked at him, eyes still shiny from tears. "I just want to sleep. would your mom mind if I stayed with you?"
"We'd have to call your parents. They'll be worried."
Katsuya hadn't felt as helpless as he did at that moment in a long time. Of all the things he'd read about on the internet, why had he never picked up a first aid manual? He was almost certain that in cases of a fracture it was best not to move him without first immobilizing the foot. The idea of carrying him in his arms and making things worse made him even more nervous.
The only thing that could be heard in the silence of the abandoned house was the chattering of Reigen's teeth. The pain seemed to keep him almost drugged. Katsuya took off his coat and offered it to Reigen before sitting down next to him. Dampness from the floor seeped through his jeans.
Reigen snuggled against his side. His whole body was shivering. He had to be staying awake by force of will alone. The stress had to have fried his nerves. Katsuya rescued the cell phone from Reigen's hands and set it down, setting it hands-free. The ringtones filled the silence.
The call ended up on the answering machine once. Katsuya tried again. The call ended up on the answering machine a second time. He didn't bother to call a third time.
Katsuya felt his power vibrating under his skin. Anger, frustration and fear battled in his chest. The last thing Reigen needed was to have to deal with his powers getting out of control. For once, he was going to have to be able to keep his cool. If only because someone needed him to.
In one last attempt, he picked up Reigen's phone again and searched through his contacts.
Kageyama-san picked up at the first ring.
***
Katsuya had never seen Kageyama-san so upset as the moment he entered the house, pieces of wood flying through the air, pushed by an onslaught of power. His eyes flashed angrily. The trench coat swayed in rhythm with his martial stride.
"Taka! Do you know where you are?" he said, crouching down to his full height.
"Here, I haven't gone anywhere" Reigen muttered.
Katsuya didn't quite understand the question but the answer seemed to reassure Kageyama-san. A strange feeling pressed against his stomach. With the broken foot it wasn't like he could have gone very far either. After all this time, there was too much Katsuya didn't know about Reigen's life.
"I've already called an ambulance. It shouldn't be long now." Kageyama-san ruffled Reigen's hair.
"Do you have to muss my hair?" Reigen tried to shield his head from the attack. "I'm fine."
"Once your foot wakes up you'll let me know." Kageyama-san shook his head. "Only you could break it on flat."
"Do you have to mess with me?" Reigen frowned. "I'm hurt! Don't you feel sorry for me? You should be feeling sorry for me! Serizawa! Defend me!"
Hearing his name in the middle of the conversation caught Katsuya completely off guard. For a moment, he was convinced that Reigen had forgotten about his existence.
"Against Kageyama-san? Don't expect me to be able to do much." Katsuya smiled.
Maybe it was stupid to rejoice but it had to mean something that, of all the people to call, Reigen had chosen him.