Location: Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Japan Emiko woke with a start. Her headphones had slipped off her ears.
Shit! she thought.
Fell asleep! She looked out the window. When had it gotten dark out? She checked her phone.
Shit! Mr. Watanabe's gonna be pissed!She stopped, her brain slowly spinning up. It was after closing time. Even if he'd be mad, the boss would have woken her up to chew her out.
Where is he? thought Emiko. She turned her music off, dialled Mr. Watanabe's number…
She could hear a shrill, electronic rendition of "Ode to Joy" coming from the garage.
The hell? Emiko stood, moving slowly. "Mister Watanabe?" she called. "Are you there? Are you okay?"
Emiko fumbled for the light switch to illuminate the room. She stopped, feeling something warm and sticky on her hand. She held it up to examine it. Dark red, and from a brief sniff, coppery.
Blood.