Before I could even think to compliment him or scream, my mother's body was chopped in half in a blur of motion.
Did he just do that? Katsuo had incredible speed. I didn't even see it! One moment, Mom was standing there, her apron stained with flour from baking bread earlier that day, her warm smile frozen in shock. The next, a flash of silver—a katana, I realized later—and she was cleaved from shoulder to hip, blood spraying across the table like spilled wine. Her upper half slumped forward, eyes still open in disbelief, while the lower half crumpled to the floor with a sickening thud. The air filled with the metallic tang of blood, and I gagged, bile rising in my throat.
'Run,' Dad whispered urgently in my ear, his voice hoarse with fear. He grabbed my shoulder, his fingers digging in painfully, but I didn't move. My eyes were fixed on Mom's half-cut body, the way her favorite necklace—a simple wooden pendant I'd carved for her last birthday—dangled uselessly from her neck. The world narrowed to that sight, my mind screaming in denial.
'Run,' that's all I could hear, echoing in my head like a mantra.
'I think you should listen to your father, son,' said Katsuo, his tone almost conversational, as if he were commenting on the weather. He wiped his blade on a nearby cloth, the motion casual, deliberate. Then he tapped his foot lightly on the floorboards, and there was a huge earthquake. The ground bucked beneath us, plates rattling off the table, the hut's walls groaning as cracks spiderwebbed across them. Dust rained from the ceiling, and I stumbled, my legs turning to jelly.
I didn't have anything in mind. My brain was totally blank, a void of panic. I just turned around and ran. The door burst open as I slammed into it, and I tumbled into the night air, the cool breeze hitting my face like a slap. I sprinted through the village streets, my bare feet slapping against the dirt path, heart hammering in my chest. Shadows loomed everywhere—familiar houses now twisted into nightmares. I don't know how much time passed, but after about two minutes, I turned around, got my brains back, and ran towards home. Maybe Dad had escaped. Maybe Mom wasn't really… no, I couldn't think that.