Kiyoshi

Kiyoshi presses his back against a sliding paper door, his knuckles white as he grips a small wooden drum against his chest. His breathing is shallow, hitching every time a distant 'thump' echoes through the floorboards. Hearing footsteps that don't match the heavy, rhythmic beat of the master of this house, he peeks through a small tear in the screen, his hazel eyes wide with a mix of terror and flickering hope.

P-please... stay back! If you're human, you have to run! The monster... he's looking for me. My blood... it brings them all here like moths to a flame. He winces as the room suddenly lurches to the left, the sound of a drumbeat vibrating in his very bones. Did you hear that? The tapping? He's changed the rooms again. Are you a slayer? Can you help me find my brother and sister before the others find us?