Imagination

Those who know me, know my frightful past, have been weary of me for the past few months, I know. They- my friends- believe me insane. But, I assure you that I am completely and totally sane. I truly hope that, if you sway to following my friends' viewpoint, I can convince you that I am commonsensical.

After he (I do not say his name, for it fills me not only with fear, but with agony and rage as well, feelings I do not like) left me for the afterlife, I found I was never good around people. When classes started up again, I instituted myself in the back and darkest corner of the room. When the other students would talk to me, I would just stare at them with a blank face- I would never speak back to them. I just kept to myself.

You would think that I would be celebrating, dancing around like a fairy in the halls, but no. I was quiet, silent, distant…

I remember a day about a few weeks after all that began Yugi approached me on it.

"Ryou?" I looked up from my novel to see none other than Yugi Motou standing behind the bench, gazing down at me questionably. "Can I sit with you?"

I nodded and made room for him. He sat down beside me. A breeze began to blow and he sighed as it brushed his bangs back behind his ears. We sat in silence; I continued to read my book while he kicked his legs.

"Say Ryou? I have a question." Yugi said to me. I peered back at him with a stare that told him to continue with his inquiry. Yugi looked back down at his lap. "You've been really quiet lately. Aren't you glad that Bakura's gone?"

Deep in the pit of my stomach something swelled. It grew and spread to my chest. Anger, rage, agony… that's the first time I felt it since he left. I bent my head to where, from Yugi's view, my face was shadowed by my pallid bangs. My fists clenched tightly; I replied, "Of course. In fact, I hope he burns a bloody death in Hell."

I could feel the shock radiating from Yugi. And I wouldn't blame him. The language I had just used wasn't something I would often say. In truth, that was the very first time I had said that of someone. I never had said that about anyone else after that, for, as you will see, I never needed too.

Yugi regained his composure quick, for he soon said: "Well, I was just wondering. You've been acting pretty strange lately."

I looked back at him. Yugi then smiled. "Hey, have you been feeling pretty weird lately?"

"Yeah." I muttered in reply.

"Me too. You know something; I'll bet you a pickle that it's just the newly gained empty space in our heads." Yugi grinned.

I blinked. "Pickle?"

Yugi laughed. "Yeah. That's what that new girl says. She must really like pickles."

I softly chuckled in spite of myself. "That's… probably weirder than us."

"She is. But, she seems pretty cool. And smart." Yugi paused, looked at me thoughtfully, then added: "You might like her."

I cocked my head to the side, but, before I got an explanation, Yugi realized he had to get to the shop, hurriedly said goodbye, and left.

It wasn't long after that I met the new girl. Saki Tomiko was her name. She had a calm look to her, although her personality portrayed something entirely different. Her jet black locks were shoulder length, her after-school clothes usually consisted of shades and tints of blues and browns- one of the two would color her usual skirt and short-sleeved top apparel- and she would always wear the same jacket everyday. A light blue, long-sleeved jacked that had Winnie the Pooh on it. Her eyes were something though. Her left eye was brown while the right was blue (most suspect that this contributed to her liking of monochrome outfits of either brown or blue).

She looked calm enough. Very mature- excluding the jacket- looking also. She was even as smart- possibly smarter- as she looked. But, her personality differed greatly. She tended to be hyper, she'd say the most random things, and she'd even openly admit that she was only half there when we'd question her antics. I would sometimes wonder where the other half of her was.

She was a strange girl, yes. But, I wasn't too surprised when I caught her following me home one Friday afternoon from school. When I had gotten her to come out from behind the lamppost, where I could clearly see her, I asked her why she was following me; her answer was that she was bored, so I invited her to my house.

We sat on the sofa just chatting. But, then she reached over and gently grasped a small portion of my hair. She studied it, and stated, "You have really pretty hair. Soft too!" She giggled.

I felt my cheeks heat up slightly, and my stomach flipped. What was this strange feeling? I had never had it before.

"Say, what shampoo do you use?" Saki asked. She leaned over and sniffed me. The heat in my face began to feel more like burning fire than a small cinder like before. "Mm! Smells pretty! Banana, right?"

I nodded my head, which swam a bit. What was wrong with me?

Saki giggled once more. "Bananas are good! You should always take one to a party!"

I gulped and stood up. "I-I'm going to make us some tea." I left in a hurry, barely catching her cheery reply.

I stood leaning over the sink. Whatever I was experiencing was terrifying, sick. My face was an explosion and my stomach was a gymnastics routine. I knew this freakish sensation was coming to me because of Saki, how I knew, I'll never know. So, I decided to rid myself of the problem.

I poured two cups of tea and headed back to the living room. When there, I handed Saki a cup and sat down. Saki took one whiff of the tea and pinched her nose. "Whew! This stuff stinks!" she said nasally.

I smiled. "It's Valerian tea. It's supposed to be good for you."

She narrowed her eyes and glanced from me to the cup at least six or eight times. Then, her expression lightened. "Well, bottoms up!" Saki took a sip of the tea. It took about ten minutes, ten suspenseful minutes before the tea started to work.

Saki began to get drowsy, it was clear. She rubbed her blue eye sometimes, in vain hope to wake herself up. Then, later, she switched to the brown. She would shake her head. She was obviously fighting to stay awake. But, I was hoping she wouldn't succeed. I wanted her to sleep. The only way for me to rid myself of this strange problem was her first to sleep. It was all part of my humane plan to liberate myself of this strange heat and flipping.

"You know, Ryou," Saki was saying, "I've always kind of liked you."

I stopped. "What?"

Saki gave a weak chuckle. "Some might even say I have a crush on you…" her body had finally had enough. She fell back against then sofa and was fast asleep.

My heart was beating fast. Was what she said true? I never knew Saki to lie. I took a deep breath and regained my composure. I had to finish, what I swear to you, my humane plan for expulsion of my problem.

I one of the sofa's pillows and placed it over her face. After about five minutes, took it off. Saki wasn't breathing any longer.

You see, fateful reader, this was humane plan. Something simple, effective, and perfectly sane. Any insane person would do something completely inhumane like stabbing her over and over again or brutally killing her in some way. This way, the amount of blood was zero and it wasn't inhumane or insane.

But, the next step was where to put her. I thought of the next sane and ingenious, if not stolen (sorry Poe), thing. I went to the kitchen and took a butcher knife. I cut Saki up into pieces so small, they looked a lot like cheese cubes. The toes, fingers, eyes, organs and head I had to keep whole though.

I unzipped one of the couch cushions and hid the pieces in there. The head, I would just consider a lump in the cushion when company came over.

Many weeks later, Saki was reported missing. I had Yugi-tachi over one day when the police came. They said they'd like to have a word with us since we were the last people that were said she saw. I let the two men in and took a seat on the right couch cushion.

While Yugi was speaking to the men, something inside my stomach sprouted. Nervousness I believe. I wondered why.

Wait. What was that? I heard something. A beating. The steady beating of a heart. I felt vibrations in the cushion. Was it… was it her heart?

No. Of course not. That's silly.

… Was that giggling? I swear I could here Saki giggling just then.

No. That was Anzu's giggling. She was trying to flirt with one of the cops.

"Ryou!" came Saki's sweet cheery voice. I looked around. She wasn't around. The beating got faster, louder. Her heart. It was alive. I began to fear that everyone in the room would hear it.

One of the cops looked in my direction. "Son, are you alright?" he queried.

I gulped. I was sweating up a storm. "Y-yes." I answered. He and his friend gazed at me suspiciously. Then, they stood up and walked over to me and motioned me to stand up. I did so and they picked up the cushion and unzipped it…

Now, Yugi pleaded me insane. But of course that's not true. As you could clearly see, I was just jittery from having officials in my house. My imagination just took over. Even though that beating and feeling hasn't left me, I can confidently say unto you, inside this cell and tightly bandaged up, that I am completely sane.