7

s not like he was some sort of superhero or anything. He was just a kid with an unusual gift.

Aishitani glanced over towards the stairs as he heard the sound of footsteps coming down them. His two younger brothers, Nagisa and Toshi, were making their way down to the kitchen. Nagisa looked like he'd just woken up; his hair was a mess and he had a bleary-eyed expression on his face. Toshi, on the other hand, seemed awake and alert as he bounded down the stairs.

"Good morning," Aishitani greeted them, a small smile on his lips.

"Mornin'," Toshi responded cheerfully. "What's up?"

Aishitani shrugged, not really wanting to talk about the rabid animal situation. It was nothing to worry about, right? His parents would take care of it, just like they always did.

"Just hanging out with Dad," he said, taking a sip of.

Chapter 3 coffee. "You guys should grab something to eat, we've got a long day ahead of us."

Nagisa groaned in response, clearly not thrilled at the prospect of being up early on a weekend. Toshi, however, seemed excited at the idea of a long day filled with activities.

As the three brothers sat around the table, eating breakfast and chatting about their plans for the day, Aishitani couldn't help but feel a sense of unease in the pit of his stomach. He tried to brush it off as nerves about the upcoming school week, but he knew deep down that it was something more.

Later that day, as the family made their way to a local festival, Aishitani couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. He kept glancing over his shoulder, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. It wasn't until they reached the festival grounds that he saw the man with the large dog around his neck.

The man seemed to bestaring directly at Aishitani, his eyes unwavering from him. Aishitani felt a shiver run down his spine, as if the man's gaze had a chilling effect on him. He tried to shake it off and focus on the festival, but his eyes kept darting back to the man.

As they walked through the crowded festival, Aishitani noticed the man following them. He kept his distance, but Aishitani could feel his presence. His heart raced as he tried to figure out what the man could want from them.

"Hey, Aishitani!" Toshi called out, breaking him out of his thoughts. "Wanna go on the ferris wheel with me?"

Aishitani hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. Maybe getting away from the crowd would help ease his nerves.

As they waited in line for the ferris wheel, Aishitani couldn't shake the feeling that they were still being watched . He glanced around, but couldn't see the man with the dog anywhere. Maybe he had left them alone. Aishitani tried to push the thought out of his mind and focus on the view from the top of the ferris wheel.

But just as they reached the top, Aishitani felt a sudden jolt. The ferris wheel stopped moving and the lights went out. Aishitani's heart raced as he heard screams from below. He turned to Toshi, who looked just as scared as he did.

"What's happening?" Toshi asked, his voice shaking.

Aishitani shook his head, not sure what to do. He tried to reach for his phone, but realized he had left it behind. They were stuck up here, in the dark, with no way to call for help.

As they waited in the dark, Aishitani heard footsteps approaching. He tensed up, ready to defend himself and his brother. But to his  relief, it was his father's voice that called out to them.

"Aishitani, Toshi! Are you guys okay?" His father's voice echoed through the darkness.

Aishitani sighed in relief as his father's flashlight shone on them. He could see the worry etched on his father's face as he helped them down from the ferris wheel.

"What happened?" Aishitani asked, still shaken from the experience.

"It seems like there was a power outage," his father explained. "We're trying to figure out what's going on, but everyone is safe now."

As they made their way back to their car, Aishitani couldn't help but feel like they were being watched again. He glanced around nervously, but didn't see anyone out of the ordinary. Maybe it was just his imagination playing tricks on him.

But as they drove away, he couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the pit of his stomach . He knew that something was off and that they hadn't seen the last of the man with the dog. Aishitani had a feeling that this was just the beginning of something much bigger and more dangerous than he could have ever imagined.

As they pulled up to their house, his parents immediately got on their phones, making calls and sending messages. Aishitani couldn't hear what they were saying, but he knew that it was serious. He felt a pang of guilt for not telling them about the man earlier, but he didn't want to cause unnecessary worry.

That night, as he lay in bed, Aishitani couldn't shake the feeling of unease. He kept replaying the events of the day in his mind, trying to make sense of it all. But the more he thought about it, the more confused he became.

Just as he was about to drift off to sleep, Aishitani heard a soft whisper in his ear.

Chapter 4

The first rule of the Game was: Don't get caught. The second rule of the Game was: Never get caught.

The first rule was the hardest one to follow. The second rule was the easiest.

The first rule was easy. Nobody got caught. The second rule was hard. How could it be easy when the first rule was hard?

That was the hardest part about the Game.

You had to always remember the first rule. It was like a song that went on and on and on. You had to always sing it to yourself.

The first rule was: Don't get caught.

"Come on, let's go," Dad said. "We need to get home."

"What about our stuff?" I asked.

"It'll come with us."

"But what about our homework?"

"I'll help you with your homework tomorrow," said Mom.

"We can't just leave!"

"We have to go, honey," said Dad.

"But why?" I asked. "Why do we have to go?"

Dad sighed. "Because you have to keep this family together."

"We are the family," I said. "You and me and Mom and Aaron."

Dad grabbed my shoulders. "No, sweetie, you're a part of our family. The rest of them are just visitors who drop in for a few weeks every now and then."

"But it's not fair!" I said.