Kouichi Sakakibara stood in his bathroom, wishing for the flashbacks to stop. He didn't know how to deal with this PTSD. He jumped suddenly when a voice called out. The voice that has been plaguing his nightmares for weeks. He didn't want to. He tried not to. But he looked up, the mirror glowing an ominous purple. And surely, he was face to face with his dead aunt.
"It's not your fault." He didn't believe it. He didn't want to believe it. "It's nobody's fault." But that's impossible. She died. He killed her.
"No! You're dead! I killed you! Of course it's my fault. If I found some way to save you..." Impossible. The mirror... It can't be... Reiko...
"Kouichi, thank you." She said, her voice hoarse. Probably from getting an axe to the face.
"Why...? I killed you! You should be celebrating my misery! It's my fault, how can I live with this guilt... I should just die." The woman in the mirror looked horrified, and if she could, she would've slapped him for such a preposterous idea.
"Kouichi... I love you, and so does your mother. You saved me. I'm happy now. Before... before I wasn't alive. I was dead inside. Trapped inside of my own body. That... that thing who begged for her life, asked for mercy. That wasn't me. I would've begged to be killed. You saved me!" He backed away in disbelief. No. No! Impossible. She should hate him. Encourage his death. Then he'll be in hell, where he deserves to go.
"Kouichi." A soft voice spoke, snapping him out of his mental ramblings. That was one voice he hasn't heard in years. The owner of that voice died a long time ago.
Sucking in a breath, speaking hesitantly. He didn't look in the direction of the voice. There was no need to. He knew her voice like the back of his hand. "Mom..." That was all he could force out of his mouth, tears starting to fall down his face.
"Hello Kouichi." She also sounded close to tears. But despite how much he wanted to, needed to, he forced himself to keep his gaze staring directly at the floor, not wanting this dream, nightmare, hallucination or whatever this is, to end.
"Kouichi look at me!" She pleaded, and just that alone broke his self-control. He looked at her. His heart stopping when he did. She looked the same. The same soft, caring smile he had known so well. The same brown doe eyes. The same silky brown hair. The only thing that was missing was that she wasn't actually there.
"Y-you're not real." He stated in disbelief. She couldn't be real. It wasn't possible. But the same could be said for a curse that kills children.
"I'm real Kouichi. So is Reiko. I'm sorry we can only stay for a short amount of time. He only gave us enough time to talk to you." Kouichi didn't notice the way that she said he. He was to busy wrapping his head around them being here.
"You'll probably never see us again. But we'll be watching over you. We always have." Reiko continued, causing his head to snap up rapidly.
"What?" He asked, tears still streaming down his face, landing on the floor with a splash.
"Kouichi, Ritsuko and I are dead We're lucky to have been able to speak to you in the first place." Reasoned Reiko. He nodded, although he wanted to argue further.
"We only have a few minutes. So I'll say my part, and give you two some time alone." Reiko told her sister and nephew. "Kouichi, I love you. You are not alone. You never have been. You will be okay, and I don't blame you, I thank you. Thank you Kouichi for saving me. I lobe you, and always will." She said, fading as she spoke. When she finished her last sentence, there was nothing but a silhouette of a person, which was practically impossible to make out. "Goodbye sweetheart." And just like that, she was gone. Leaving him alone with his mom.
"I don't know what to say." She admitted, looking down at the floor.
"Neither do I." He smiled at her, but it quickly turning into a frown.
"I just got you back, and your leaving already." He stated sadly. She sighed quietly, as if dealing with a toddler.
"Kouichi, I feel the exact same way. But... I'm dead. That's all there is to it. I want more than anything to come back to you and your father, but you know I can't." He did. He just couldn't except it. His mother, who was dead most of his life, couldn't just come back. It would raise questions. People would wonder who was the 'fake' body. Wonder why she 'falsified' her death.
Sighing, he agreed. "I know... I just... It's not fair!" He yelled, throwing the nearest thing, which was a soap dispenser.
"Kouichi, life isn't fair. You know this. An amazing example would be the calamity. It's unfair that Reiko and I died. It's unfair that anyone has to die. But nothing is fair, Kouichi." He knew she was right. He knew better than most people. The world was a cruel, cruel place. The calamity had shown him that. Yet, you still love it. Is it because of the colours? People? Family? Love? He didn't know. And there was no point trying to find out.
Ritsuko seemed to hear something, then she turned to Kouichi, looking utterly devastated.
"I-It's time for me t-to go." She said, her bottom lip quivering.
Once again, tears streamed down his face. "I love you mom!" He practically shouted. She also started crying, but she hardly seemed to notice them.
"And I love you too. Even though you can't see me, I'll always be with you." She exclaimed, before disappearing, leaving Kouichi to stare at the mirror, for another five minutes, before turning away, absently picking up the soap dispenser.
He stared at the wall blankly when he entered the room, sitting on his bed.
"Sakakibara?" A voice asked, causing him to look at the person who entered his bedroom. It was Misaki.
"Hey." She whispered. Before she even stepped into his room, Kouichi stood up, walked towards her, enveloping her in a hug. She stood limply before also wrapping her arms around him.
He may not have his mom and aunt, but he does have Misaki, his dad, grandparents, and most important of all, friends.