Oni Tensei

***Interior Dojo***

The boy had stopped crying. He checked to see if he had passed out. He was correct. The artist took another drink from the sake bottle before he poured it on the boy’s back. The boy woke with a start and a scream caught in the back of his throat. The artist wiped his mouth on his sleeve. He burped loudly and put the bottle down. He picked up the needle again, and chose another color. He carefully shook out the excess ink and, after wiping the chosen area with a cloth, he brought the needle in contact with the skin. As the boy cried out he carefully added color to that section. He was not worried about the boy moving because he had him secured between the wooden blocks. It was a genius design of his own really. Like a human vise. The boy was bound on his knees with his arms resting at his side. The rope was intricately woven so that his back was completely exposed. The boy was naked, but that did not matter to the artist. He had no interest sexually in him, just in the use of his skin as a canvas for one of his greatest creations. After the boy was bound with rope, he was placed between four pieces of wood stacked two high. Another stronger rope was wound on both ends of the wood so that they could be brought together and tightened. This ensured that if the rope directly on the boy were to come undone, he still could not move. This was key for the artist. One wrong stitch in the skin and the art would be ruined. He finished the section and wiped away the blood. He picked up the bottle and took another drink before me poured more onto the boys back, cleansing the area once again. It was part of the ritual he had developed over the years. The artist admired his work. He ran a hand over his creation, which started at the top of the boy's back and ran the entire length on the left side down past his lower back to the top of his ass. He took a moment to look at the boy himself. There was nothing special about him compared to the others. He had long hair in the front that hung in his face. Right now the strands were soaked with his tears and spit. The sides were short and bathed in red. The rest of him was flawless. A picture of innocence. It was what caught his attention in the first place. The artist came back from his thoughts and picked up the needle once more. He chose another color and after wiping off the area, began to create.

***Gerard***

It was a blood bath. There was almost nothing left of the bodies. They would be lucky if they could collect enough teeth for identification purposes. As far as they could tell though, the gore of the bodies was confined to the women. The measurement of the pelvises during autopsy would be the final confirmation. The men were a different story. They were huddled together on the far wall with their eyes glazed over as they stared into a hell that only they could see. They had not uttered a word until one of the male officers walked too close to them. He did not even acknowledge them, but something about him made them cry out in absolute terror at the sight of him. There was no question that they were violated. Trails of blood littered their inner thighs. They would have to endure rape kits and more probing at the hospital. Gerard shook his head and wondered sometimes if his job was worth the frustration of seeing this kind of thing everyday and into the night, plaguing his dreams.

”Detective Way, we found something!”

”Something?”

”Well more like someone.”

Gerard made his way over to the officer who was crouched down by a pile of tarps. As Gerard approached, the officer slowly peeled back the tarp to reveal a boy sleeping. He was curled up in a fetal position clutching a piece of bloody fabric. The boy was naked, but that was not what caught Gerard’s attention. It was the incredibly detailed tattoo on the boy's back. It took up the entire left side of the body and started at the top of the shoulder. The color was vibrant and could have been considered a masterpiece. A work of art, but the content struck fear in the detective. The picture was that of a demon with a piercing gaze that bore right into you. One of it's claws was depicted to be imbedded into the boys flesh. It leered at the viewer as if to challenge them to try and take the boy from him.

”Have you tried to wake him?”

”No, I called you over first. I was afraid he was another victim of rape and thought it better to not disturb him.”

”All right officer, good job. Please see that the other victims get their escorts to the waiting ambulances.”

”Yes Sir.”

Gerard watched the officer get up and make his way to the other side of the room. He noticed that the officer stopped to talk to the officer who had frightened the men. He watched them exchange pleasantries and even laugh. It was good to see the youth able to still make light during a dark moment. He watched as the younger officer rolled up his sleeve to reveal a tattoo on his bicep. The older officer admired it and high fived him. Then both made their way to the victims. Gerard turned his attention back to the sleeping boy.

Notes