The Life and Times of an Average Coward|| Demon Slayer

Chapter 22 Meet the Family

The Life and Times of an Average Coward

Chapter 22: Meet the Family

*****

Awareness came to me abruptly, it was a sudden single point realization that I was unconscious and lying down on one of the most comfortable surfaces I've ever laid on. Like a hook, I was suddenly lured into the surface of awakeness. It's almost akin to waking up from a dream that you can't quite remember, it's almost troubling how I felt that something important just happened but I can't recall what it is.

Next to the awareness came the painful realization that all of my being aches. Or as much as it could hurt while feeling lightheaded, floaty in a way a strong painkiller could do. But its effects are slowly ebbing away and I'm gaining painful awareness of every uncomfortable stimulus my brain can handle. My limbs felt stretched thin and then suddenly squashed like an accordion, bones, muscles and all. I can't quite explain it right but it is awful as it sounds. My stomach is turning on itself, burning, squirming and wanting to go out of my body and from the awful taste of iron on my tongue, for a dizzying second I came quite close to doing that. A burning trail leaves its wake on my throat to my stomach like I tried chugging down a paint peeler. Even breathing somehow hurts to an extent that I want to stop doing it. The rattling of my abused lungs against my ribcage is upsetting, and the way my trachea involuntarily contracts and relaxes in intervals is uncomfortable and keeps me from going back to sweet oblivion.

In short, I feel absolutely miserable.

It must've been because I interchanged my breath styles three times in a row and then got myself stung by a radioactive spider demon. My poor lungs had done their job in keeping myself breathing and thankfully still alive, but I could have certainly done it without the resulting agony it came after surviving.

But still, being alive is better than being another body under the earth.

My senses returned in third. The smell of clean laundry, sunshine, sandalwood and wisteria incense greeted my nose, all familiar scents, all indicating that I'm in a safe space. My hearing gave me the feedback that I'm currently surrounded by people, with one being a serene orchard of willow trees and the other a garden of dewy flowers, the five others that followed are of mix variants of their sound, though still distinct from one another.

(Don't ask her how certain plants have strung melodies of their own. It just is.)

The former must be the parents and the latter their children. Because children usually inherit their parents' character in some way, so it's only good to assume that.

And it seems like I'm catching the tail end of a conversation.

"–ou ever know if you need a slap or two."

A high young voice spoke in indignation, obviously an offended child. "Even you Hahaue?!"

"Lower your voice Kiriya," The one with the willow tree tune spoke, mellow and serene. And wait, Kiriya? I know a Kiriya. A sweet clever boy, one of my regular penpals. One of the smartest people I know, and very humble to boot. "Senritsu is resting."

Wait, does that mean...

I forced my crusty eyes to open. For a second, dark spots danced in my vision that thankfully went away. In line with my waking senses, the natural lighting in the room I'm situated is gratefully not burning my retinas, otherwise I might start crying again for the unfortunateness.

A white paneled ceiling lined with dark wood greets me, blinking the grogginess away, I casted a full sweep of the room I'm in and was finally able to see the people currently accompanying me.