2 When You Sleep
“Good evening ladies and gentlemen! Tonight, on ’When you sleep’, we will share a special moment with the police force of Midori ward and- no, no.” The reporter speaking into the microphone shakes his head.
“Ladies and gentlemen? Does that sound weird?” He said to the cameraman named Saku.
“Ahh- it's- I think it's too much energy?” He replied in a daze as he was still focusing as a cameraman who didn't make a noise. The occasional flow of police officers heading out of the precinct made him feel awkward and shy. He was already sweating.
“Welcome and good evening. Tonight, on ‘When you sleep’, we're going to be following a pair of police officers to see what they're doing when we sleep through the night. Ahh, come on, I forgot my name… Tsk, why did you say anything Saku!” He snapped.
“I'm-I'm sorry!”
“Forget it. Let's do it again.”
“Welcome and good evening. This is Chikafusa Akira speaking. Tonight, we're going to be sharing some special midnight moments with — Blah, I lost it…” Akira facepalmed himself.
Akira was silent for a moment, smiling and staring into the camera lenses as he was reading out the next lines in his head.
He inhaled as he opened his mouth to speak, but his breath was cut short as he forgot what to say — a reporter's block.
“One second.”
'Hai~ That's why you lost your anchor job.'
“HAH! Did you say something!”
“HUH?”
'I didn't say it out-loud did I?'
“No-no, I didn't say anything Akira senpai!”
“I thought so.” He glared at Saku.
'I just remembered senpai is like a mind reader. That's how he's so good at covering crime scenes.'
Akira was big in investigative journalism and had even covered a big-time serial killer.
“Welcome and good evening. This is Chikafusa Akira speaking.”
A police car had its siren turned on as it exited the sally port. It got louder as it passed by.
“Tonight, on ‘When you sleep’- Cut it,” Akira said, giving up and waving his hand.
***
Akira and Saku were in the back of the police car with senior officer Yasu and Mochi with three years under their belt. They had quickly warmed up to each other and referred to each other's first names. Akira wanted it to look like they have become comrades in a short time on camera.
Both the officers were laid-back, and the dialogue was more casual than a formal interview.
A call came on the car radio.
They drove off to their destination.
“Just a neighbor calling in about some shouting and screaming next door. Possible domestic violence,” officer Yasu said with his hands on the wheel.
“It looks like we might be onto something,” Akira said excitedly.
“Hahaha! It's just a public disturbance call.”
“Over 95% of all emergency calls are non-emergencies.” Officer Mochi added.
“Oohhh. That's not good at all.” Akira said.
“Yea, the police resources and staff are already spread thin.” Mochi agreed.
The conversation continued like that with some questions thrown in by Akira. Half of the car ride was quiet.
They reached an ordinary old house in Midori ward.
The two police officers opened the front gate and walked up the steps. Akira and Saku followed them behind silently.
“This is the police from Midori station, we received a noise complaint about this house. Would you kindly please come to talk with us.” Officer Mochi spoke in a polite yet authoritative tone.
Officer Yasu took out his torch and looked through the windows.
Akira signaled with his hand telling Saku to come closer, and he pointed to the windows. Saku did a pan of the windows for dramatic effect.
Officer Mochi repeated himself.
“Would you please come-”
“Blood.”
Both men turned serious and pulled out their guns.
“MPD! Come out with your hands up!” Officer Yasu shouted.
There was a silent moment.
“How bad is it?” Akira asked.
“On the floor, next to the sliding door.” Officer Yasu replied. “We'll check the back.”
The two officers headed around while Akira got Saku to aim the camera through the window.
Saku turned on his camera light and zoomed in on the blood on the ground treading from the sliding door made of opaque white glass rectangles instead of paper (shoji door).
They then followed the officers inspecting the back. The two were tense, but it excited Akira that this may be the big break he needed to get back into the limelight.
“The back door is open. We're heading in.” After officer Yasu said that he gave an intense look to Akira.
“We're sticking with you. We won't get in the way.”
“Alright, you follow quietly behind us. If things get too dangerous-”
“We'll run like rabbits.”
Officer Yasu nodded.
“Police! We're coming in!”
After announcing their entering, they silently and slowly ventured into the dark house. There was only one light on in the corridor when they went in.
The sliding door was in the living room. Officer Mochi had his hand on the door and looked towards officer Yasu.
Officer Yasu had his gun pointed at the door, and he nodded.
The door opened, and they aimed at the person slumped in the darkroom's corner. There is a blood trail leading from the door they opened to the corner, and it seemed like the man was hugging a body.
“Sir, please put your hands behind your head and move away from there.” officer Yasu spoke.
The man didn't reply, but he was making slight movements with his hands and head. They could hear sticky squelching in the darkness.
It was eerie. They had a creepy thought in the back of the heads but tried to be rational.
“Are you getting this?” Akira said to Saku.
“Yes. I'm recording it.”
“Sir, are you okay?” Officer Mochi asked.
Akira found a light switch and struggled to press it as there was a plastic wrap over it. He pushed harder until he heard a click.
The lights turned on and rather than praising him; the pair looked back at him with angry eyes.
“It helped didn't it?” Akira nervously said.
“Ah!” Akira pointed with his finger.
When officer Yasu turned his head, the man's face was an inch away from his.
He could smell the stench of blood from his teeth. His mouth and cheeks were painted with thick velvet blood.
The bloodied man had one hand on officer Yasu's face and the other on his shoulder to spread the neck apart and plunged his big mouth over his skinny neck.
