Chirp
Chirp chirp
I open my eyes to the summer sun beaming in my eyes and two chickadees having a conversation outside my window. I groan and flip over, lazily flopping my hand around my headboard to find my phone.
8/15/12- 12:28 P.M. Wow, I slept in THIS late?
Not too late, though, I have to get ready! I'm meeting up my friend Miku today at the park; We've been planning this since school started up a few days ago. We're finally able to, so I better be there. I don't WANT to know what she'll do if I'm late. I quickly change into my favorite pair of jeans and a shirt Miku said she liked- why not suck up to her if I'm going to be late? At least the punishment will hurt a little less.
I run down the stairs from my room and grab a couple of apples from the kitchen, hurry a "Bye" to mom, and rush outside. Hopefully she's not there yet. Please no. Please?
Finally, I reach the park that served as a meeting place during summer break. Yes! Miku's not here yet! I sigh triumphantly as I head to the swings- Wait. I just saw some teal hair. I let out a defeated groan as Miku pops out from the bushes behind the swings, giggling as much as she could, holding her black cat, Midnight. Ugh.. One day I'll get her. At least she's wearing the cute, black dress with her white t-shirt underneath. The dress's sleeves would show off her shoulders more than she wanted to. I can't understand this woman's logic.
She smiles at me and sits on her swing with Midnight on her lap, "You finally dragged yourself out of bed, huh? 'Bout time, Jayden."
I stick my tongue out at her and sit on my swing next to hers, "Well maybe I need to have an alarm set on noon."
"I doubt that'd work. When you're asleep, you're dead to the world."
True.. I guess falling asleep last year in Algebra II gives her too much to observe. I sigh again, defeated this time, and look up. Though the heat's making everything too hot to bear, it's beautiful out here; No clouds, a gentle breeze, birds chirping happily, and hanging out with my cute friend. Yeah, sounds like a nice day if I've ever seen one. "It's a really pretty day, isn't it?" I say, looking to her for her input.
She chews on her lip for a moment before answering. "I guess. I don't really like the summertime, though." Miku said, stroking Midnight's black fur. The cat mewed and purred, pushing her head against the hand her "owner" was always pampering her with.
"That's dangerous to say. The heat's going to get you." I tease her. We laugh at the joke and stand up, deciding to head further into the city. Might as well get some more things to clutter our rooms with. As we walk, Miku holding her cat, we talk about the insane teacher we got this year for English III.
After some odd number of crosswalks, we finally find a store that we both love. She loves it because of all the cute objects and cheap prices, I love it because of the cool clothes and cute girls that come in. Too bad it's across the street from a horrible excuse for a construction site.
Miku looks up at me, obviously reading my mind. "Are you going to check out every girl you see in the store again, Jay?" I lie and shake my head, which makes her laugh. "Sure you're not. Just like I'm a talking walrus with a purple top hat and cane."
I laugh, "Whatever you say, Sir Walrus." She hits me in the stomach as she giggles.
We walk up to the crosswalk just as it's about to light "Don't Walk." Midnight, as if compelled to catch something on the other side of the street, jumps out of Miku's arms and runs for the crosswalk.
"Midnight!" Miku screamed as she ran to catch her kitty friend. As she steps onto the crosswalk, the light turns to its bright red "Don't Walk" light, letting the cars in the lane go. A speeding truck, taller than me, speeds toward the light. Miku doesn't see it?
I reach out to her and scream "Miku! Get-"
Too late.
The truck's hitting her body drowns out her scream.
Blood. There's so much blood. The metallic taste of the air makes it poisonous gas to my lungs.
There's more screaming? Ah, people around me. I can barely hear them through the haze of the shock. I look across the street at Midnight; She's sitting next to a boy, specifically, a dark version of me. They both are staring at me.
The boy smiles and shouts, "What you see is exactly what you're gonna get."
I stare in shock as my world goes black.
Chirp
Chirp chirp
I open my eyes to the summer sun beaming in my eyes and two chickadees having a conversation outside my window. I confusedly find my phone and look at the clock.
8/15/12- 12:28 P.M.
A dream? That was a dream? What a nightmare.. It looked too real to be true.
I change into the same clothes as my dream predicted, grab two apples for Miku and I, and rush out to see my friend. I see her in the bushes now, as I approach the park. I loudly call out to her, "I already know you beat me, go ahead and rub it in."
She pops out with Midnight and goes to her swing, just like in my dream, and says "You finally dragged yourself out of bed, huh? 'Bout time, Jayden."
"Yeah, yeah, I heard it all before." I sigh and sit in my swing. I bite my lip and look at the ground.
Midnight meows and I feel Miku's soft hand touching my forehead. "Are you okay? You seem deep in thought about something. What's wrong?" A soft, caring voice asks from the girl next to me.
I shake my head, pushing her hand off of my forehead, no matter how much I want it to stay there, "I'm fine. Just.. I had a really bad dream last night.. Everything but the conversation we're having now is the exact same as it was."
Her face twisted into a confused look, soon giving way to a smile, "Well, luckily it was just a dream, right? Hey, Jay, wanna talk about how insane Mrs. Smile's class is going to be?"
I'm glad to have a friend like her. She's so bright, it cheers me up. Although, I just can't shake the thought of the dream from my mind. Ugh, it was just a dream. Not a reality, right? I force a smile and reply, "Sure. Can you believe the amount of homework we have to do already? It's like a novel!"
We continue like this for a while. It's the same as the dream.. How Miku pets Midnight, how the cat purrs and moves against her hand.. It's all the same- even the number of crosswalks. Eventually, we get to the shop we wanted to go to.
As if on cue, Midnight again jumps out of Miku's arms.
"Midnight!" Miku cries, running after her cat.
The red light; The truck; The poisonous gas of blood.
I grab her wrist and pull her back to safety, "She probably found another cat to play with. Let's go to another store, I there's a cupcake shop just down the street. Let's go get some." I see in my peripheral view the speeding truck pass by, cutting the turn rather easily. Good. My dream was just a dream after all.
She looks at me confused for a minute or two, but nods and agrees. I let go of her arm and Miku leads the way, heading towards the brightly colored shop. As I start walking with her, I see people pointing towards the sky, some screaming.
Before I knew it, I look to Miku just as a rusted, sharp, metal beam plunges into the middle of her back, pinning her to the spot she was struck.
More blood.. I can hear more screams through my shocked haze. I rush toward her, but not before getting caught.
The boy from before- my dark double- amusedly says in my ear before flinging me to my back, "Bet you wish you were asleep, but it's not a dream!"
I look to Miku before the darkness takes me, seeing a hint of a smile on her face.
The morning starts the same as usual.
8/15/12- 12:28 P.M.
Miku. I have to get to her as soon as possible.
I change into my clothes and rush out, skipping the apples and forgetting the "Bye" to mom. I can't let her get hurt again. I run as fast as I can to the park and see her getting in the bushes.
"Miku!" I call out to her and run to her as she turns from the bush, Midnight stopping in her tracks as well.
"Well well, Jay's only a little bit late today." Miku smiles at me.
I grab her hand and start to run, her asking me so many questions that I'd rather not answer.
"Just let me protect you, Miku. I'll explain it to you when we get somewhere safe." I say to her, her questions stopping then.
Jaywalking in several neighborhood streets later, I get to my destination; An old apartment building we used to play in as kids. We hurry up the stairs- her, of course, trying to keep up with me- and I face her. "We have to get-"
I cut myself off when I see my dark double leaning on the rails, a dark smirk on his face.
"Jay!"
Miku's scream snatches back my attention as she slips out of my grip and falls down the flight of stairs, breaking her head open on the concrete below.
"Need I say anything? You can't escape this reality."
The dark voice chuckles as the world fades, yet again, to black. The blackness is in tune with the puddle forming from Miku's head.
I can't take this..
Same day.. August 15th..
Same time.. 12:28 P.M.
A nail gun going berserk and shooting her.. A seamstress' scissors slipping from her hands and into her neck.. Miku.. She's been dying for how long? It seems like years to me.
How can I stop this?
As we walk to the usual spot before Midnight takes off, I try to think of ways to stop her death. We can't avoid her death.
"You can't escape this reality."
His voice echoes. I can.. I'll find a way to escape this.
On cue, the cat takes off, and Miku after her.
Then, it hits me. The solution to my dilemma. All it needs for this day to end is a death, right?
Just as Miku steps onto the crosswalk, I grab her wrist and pull her out of the way, my body replacing hers.
The explosion of the pain the truck's grill causes upon my chest immediately hits me. I can feel my blood splash on the metal giant, as well as the concrete, and my body follows suit. I look to one side as my vision starts to fade at my double; His eyes are wide; His usual smile replaced by a shocked gasp.
I smile as I mutter at him, "What you see is exactly what you're gonna get."
I look over to Miku, my vision failing with black creeping in. Her hands are clasped over her mouth, tears in her eyes.
My eyes go wide when I see a dark girl next to her smiling. She looks exactly like Miku.