The Only One I Could Rely On Was a Pumpkin Head
“Halloween’s getting close, huh?”
As October was nearing its end, I went out to buy various things for the upcoming Halloween. You might think, “What’s a high school sophomore doing?” but I don’t intend to do anything that would cause trouble on the news. I’m just planning to dress up and have dinner with my friends.
“Lightsaber and pumpkin head… perfect.”
I do have a friend who likes cosplay and apparently, they’re preparing a serious costume, but something like this is fine for me.
“…Huh?”
Well, that’s how I was, satisfied with my purchases, on my way home. My eyes were drawn to a certain house.
“Isn’t that Shinjo-san’s house?”
Shinjo-san, the beautiful sisters in my grade at Akagi High School. Both of them boast beauty and style that no idol could ever match, and they’ve been confessed to countless times, but they’re as impenetrable as a fortress, rejecting every single one.
My house is just a short distance from there, so it’s not uncommon for me to run into them on the way to school and exchange greetings.
“Good morning.”
“Morning.”
It’s just the kind of relationship you have with neighbors, but it doesn’t feel bad to be greeted like that. Of course, we don’t walk to school together, and we don’t talk at all at school, but it’s certain that we’re acquaintances.
“They really are beautiful. Their mother is beautiful too… but why is the front door wide open?”
I went out shopping after 3 PM, and after hanging out for a while, it’s quite dark now. But the entrance light isn’t on, and the door is wide open, which makes me imagine something unpleasant.
“…There’s no burglar, right?”
No, no way, I tried to pass by with a wry smile, but I couldn’t help but be concerned. I can just apologize if I get yelled at, I thought lightly as I approached the house, and then I heard a man’s voice that I’d never heard before.
“Heh heh, aside from valuables, there’s a whole lineup of good-looking women. Hey, brats, take off your clothes if you don’t want your mother killed.”
“…Hiss-“
Looks like I’ve stumbled upon a seriously bad situation.
I took the utmost care not to be noticed and somehow managed to peek inside. Then I saw a large man holding Shinjo-san’s mother in his arms, fondling her chest while telling the sisters to take off their clothes quickly.
I heard that they lost their father early, but the family’s good relationship was well-known. I’m sure the sisters are thinking of how to help their mother somehow.
“…………”
For now, I’ll call the police, but I checked my belongings.
All I had with me was the lightsaber and pumpkin head I bought for Halloween.
The sisters are already only in their underwear, and if this goes on, the unpleasant scenario I’m imagining will definitely become reality.
“…Damn it.”
I muttered softly and put on the pumpkin head.
I’ve always been able to perform better when I hide my face like this. That’s why I had a record of reaching the national tournament in kendo when I was in middle school.
“Alright, let’s go.”
Normally, I shouldn’t get involved, but now that I’ve seen it, I can’t ignore it.
Akagi High School sophomore, Hayato Domoto, is on his way!
“…!”
“Sister…”
It was unexpected.
I never thought I’d be in this situation… That’s what I was thinking.
It was the second half of October, close to Halloween, when I came home with my little sister as usual. I was concerned that the door was open unnaturally, but we didn’t think much of it and stepped inside the house.
I thought it was eerily quiet, but I never imagined that my mother would be held in a headlock by a man. A body much sturdier than ours, thick arms, my mother was caught and couldn’t escape with her own strength.
And the man who saw us come home held a knife to my mother and threatened to kill her if we moved. I was scared, I wanted to run, I wanted to shout for help, but I was afraid that my mother would really be killed if I did.
“…Are you really going to let her go?”
“Yeah. If you do as I say.”
…Tch.
If my mother can be saved by getting naked, it’s a small price to pay. That’s what I thought and took off my clothes, and my little sister followed suit. The man’s demand is for us to take off our clothes, it’s disgusting just to think about what’s beyond that… but I wanted to help my mother somehow. And I wanted to somehow get my little sister to escape.
“It’ll be a pain if you run away. Hey, you, tie up her arms and legs.”
So the man said and handed my little sister a rope.
My mother’s legs and wrists are tied up, so he’s planning to completely prevent us from escaping in the same way. The man’s face as he leers at my little sister tying me up makes me want to throw up. I feel sorry for my little sister who is doing as she’s told, looking frustrated and about to cry.
“…That’s why I hate men.”
It’s always been like this. Men are nothing but barbaric, vulgar, and vile creatures.
The only man I wanted to be by my side was my real father who married my mother. That man loved my mother until the last moment of his death, and cherished us as his daughters.
“Heh heh heh, alright, that’ll do. Now, let’s have some fun.”
Seeing that I couldn’t move, the man seemed to choose my little sister as his first target.
“Wait! Stop touching my little sister!!”
“Shut up! I’ll deal with you later, so be quiet!”
The man shouted at my words and stabbed the knife into the wall.
My mother and little sister let out small screams at the blade that pierced deeply with a dull sound. I should shout, but if someone gets hurt…
I’m about to cry… no, I’m already crying.
In the end, we always end up in these unreasonable situations. The accident that caused my father’s death was also from such unreasonableness.
“…Damn… damn damn damn!”
I clenched my fist tightly, digging my nails in.
I bit down hard on my teeth, cutting my tongue… My little sister is about to be violated by the man in front of me who can’t do anything. In the face of such unreasonableness, I finally shed large tears.
“…Help me.”
It was a small murmur.
Anyone, please help, help us… That’s what I wished for at that moment.
Something made a noise and rolled into the center of the living room. It was a tennis ball that should have been in the entrance.
“Huh? A tennis ball?”
The man turned his attention to it and tried to pick it up.
As if not to miss the moment when his attention was completely diverted from my little sister, something jumped into the room with tremendous force.
“Wh-what the-“
Faster than the man could react, something like a red glowing rod was swung down on the man’s shoulder. The man showed signs of pain and dropped the knife, and immediately a follow-up attack was added to the man’s body.
“Gah… who the hell are you…?”
“…!?”
“…A pumpkin?”
Something looking down at the suffering man, it was someone wearing a pumpkin head. From the build, I could tell it was probably a man, but… why is he wearing a pumpkin head?
I was terrified until just now, but such questions swirled in my mind.
“I don’t know if you’re a robber or a rapist, but you’re done for here.”
The moment the pumpkin-headed man said that, the sound of sirens echoed from afar. He firmly tied up the man’s hands and feet so he couldn’t move, and also untied the ropes that were binding me and my mother.
“Damn it… let me go!!”
“No way I’m gonna let you go. Criminals should obediently stay tied up.”
The glint in his eyes peeking out from the carved eyeholes was sharp enough to discourage the man.
“Here, put on your clothes. It’s okay now.”
“…Ah.”
Okay, hearing that, I was at my limit.
Forgetting to put on my clothes, I squatted down on the spot and cried loudly. My little sister followed suit and cried, and my mother clung to us and shed tears.
“…Looks like there was a blanket in just the right place.”
So he said and put a blanket over our bodies.
At that time, he was close to us, but I didn’t feel any of the disgust I always feel towards men.
“…I’m glad. Really.”
“…”
Those words, which seemed to be unconscious, seemed to contain a certain kindness.
I felt my cheeks rapidly heating up… no, it seems my little sister felt the same way.
In this incident, the man was arrested and we were all safe. The sudden life-or-death situation, we were saved by a man wearing a pumpkin head.
Somehow, I felt the greatest destiny I could ever have… no, we felt it.