Chapter One - The Effects
A petite, navy haired teen roamed through the halls of Kisaragi Academy in silence. Shuffling along the noisy, busy halls, she kept to herself and held a cup of coffee near her being; so close it could possibly spill at any moment. The teen hoped the cup wouldn't spill, only a bump or a sudden shift in movement could cause it to. Albeit she wasn't counting on it. She tried her absolute best to be as anti-social as possible; she was afraid to ruin lives of others around her like she had with her own group of friends previously.
A sudden tap on her shoulder caused her to jump and gasp simultaneously; also causing the coffee cup she was holding to spill all over her chest. The hot, steaming beverage stained her school uniform and burned her chest; painfully. As soon as it transpired, an irate expression formed on her face at once. Right afterwards, her head whipped around and shot daggers at whoever approached her.
"What is it?" Ayumi hissed at the person who approached her. The person's identity; Yoshiki Kishinuma.
The delinquent jumped back slightly, a tad intimidated by the petite girl's sudden, great angered expression and tone. "Sh-Shinozaki, I just wanted to know if you were doing alright."
The navy haired teen narrowed her eyes and gestured to the great, big brown stain on the center of her shirt. "What do you think?"
Once Yoshiki finally noticed what had transpired, he apologized at once. "I'm really sorry-"
"Save it," Ayumi interjected angrily. "I'm going to go to class." The petite girl began strolling away and right for classroom 2-9.
The blonde haired teen caught up to her and strolled right by her side. "D-Do you want me to walk you there?"
Shaking her head no, Ayumi began strolling faster in attempt to shake off the delinquent. Albeit it was fruitless, since he was in the same class as her. "No thank you, I am perfectly capable of getting there all by myself."
"Shinozaki-"
Ayumi made a sharp turn at the girl's bathroom, causing the blonde haired teen to cease abruptly in his tracks. He gazed at the entrance for a moment before deciding it was pointless to aid her. Turning away, he started his way to classroom 2-9; where his new teacher lies. His old one- isn't exactly known anymore at the academy.
The navy haired teen stared at the bathroom mirror, examining the large, brown stain on the chest area of her uniform. She scowled at it, contemplating on how she could get rid of it or hide it from the other students. It wasn't exactly a necessity to bring an extra uniform with you to school every day.
"Kishinuma.." she growled, balling up her small fists.
"Kishinuma, eh?" another voice said echoed in the bathroom.
Ayumi froze on the spot, hesitantly turning around to see an unknown student leaving a bathroom stall. The petite girl flushed immediately, turning around abruptly and attempting to hide the brown stain on her uniform.
"It's not like that," she affirmed. "Whatever you're thinking, it's false."
The unknown student strolled forward to a sink next to the one Ayumi was standing at. Washing her hands, she turned to her direction briefly to look at her. "Are you sure? You sounded pretty serious there when you mentioned his name like that."
"It's not like that. He just got me so worked up," Ayumi replied quickly. Looking down at the big stain, she briskly turned around to the girl. "Look at what he caused."
"Then I guess I apologize," said the unknown student. "I'll just leave you be."
The petite teen watched as the other student left the bathroom, ultimately leaving her in silence; but in peace. Ayumi merely turned back to the mirror and continued examining the stain on her shirt. She released a sigh and averted her eyes, deciding to go to class, even if she was late.
After crossing a few halls, she made it to the door of classroom 2-9. Examining the door, she debated whether to enter or depart. The stain on her uniform was quite large, the teacher might take note of it as "out of uniform". She dismissed further thoughts and slid the door open, looking upon her classmates as they all simultaneously turned in her direction, staring as if she performed an impossible trick or act. All the more reasons she despised being late, and it was thanks to-
"Kishinuma," she added angrily in her thoughts.
Everyone stared at her as she closed the door and entered the classroom. Especially at the enormous, conspicuous stain on her chest. The teacher didn't seem to notice, only that she had entered late, so he merely marked her as tardy, the first one on her record. Another scowl formed on her face as she took her seat, shooting more daggers at Yoshiki from across the classroom.
"Now that everyone is here," announced the teacher. "We'll begin with class."
The teacher was named, Yamato Akamatsu. He was supposedly, the "new teacher" since the old one disappeared from all records and memories. Everyone thought it was an odd phenomenon, but decided to dismiss it since it didn't affect the education of students. Looking upon this new teacher made Ayumi's stomach twist and contort, mainly because this was not her original teacher.
After enduring the painful hours of class, everyone was dismissed. Ayumi shot out of her seat as fast as she possibly could. Only because she knew what would transpire next. The one thing she tried so laboriously to ignore in order to keep everyone safe from harm.
Ever since the incident, she couldn't possibly look upon her comrades again. Even if they all survived the ordeal, she couldn't look at them once more. They didn't need a problem starter in their lives; they didn't need more endangerment; they didn't need her.
Bolting through the halls, the navy haired student briskly made her way outside Kisaragi Academy. And then at that moment, she decided to run home.
The sky was very cloudy; clouds of a charcoal, grey color indicated an oncoming storm. And by the looks of it, a heavy rainstorm at that. The sight of the dark clouds permeating the sky caused yet another scowl to form upon Ayumi's face. It were as if the universe was trying to test her temper. Today was certainly that a day that she would constantly be trifled with.
The petite teen felt a raindrop fall upon her face. She cast her eyes to the dark sky and saw an army of them targeting the ground below. Briskly, she ran her way to her house, wincing as each icy raindrop made contact wit her skin. A sound of loud thunder was emitted, echoing all across the area. Averting her eyes from the sky, she took notice of people scattering away to whatever shelter they could desperately locate.
"Of all days, why today?" Ayumi asked herself mentally, ceasing abruptly at her destination. It wasn't her house, but a crosswalk. Glancing at both directions, she saw that there wasn't a car in sight. With this information in mind, she bolted across the road hastily so the rain wouldn't soak her as much when she would arrive at her house. At least, she hoped it wouldn't.
The rain and wind pushed against her with a force as strong as Gods, the road suddenly became a slippery slope unable to run or stroll across, ultimately causing her to tumble onto the center of the road. Flinching, the teen sat up on her rump and tried with all her might to stand back up again, due to the godly strength of the storm she wasn't able to. Albeit during this struggle, something else caught her attention. Like the sun, a light pierced through the wind and rain and shined on her. But like a deer caught in the headlights, she stared fearfully at an oncoming threat; an oncoming vehicle.
Thunder rolled across the sky, reverberating simultaneously her heart slammed against her sternum. At each time her heart slammed, the sound of the terrifying booming sound seemed to be getting louder and louder. The sound was so loud it appeared to numb everything out, making it seem it was in complete silence with exception of the sound of her heart pounding loudly in her head. The petite girl was as frozen as someone performing on stage with stage fright. Unable to move a single muscle; ultimately unable to depart from the road from an imminent accident.
As Ayumi stared at the oncoming car with eyes widened to the size of saucers, an unknown force tackled her out of the way. The petite teen tumbled onto the other side of the road and onto the sidewalk. Her eyes were wide in shock. Briskly, she got back up and tried desperately to comprehend what just transpired. Casting her eyes at every direction, she quickly found something useful to her predicament. A frown formed across her face as she examined her findings.
Yoshiki stood up and gazed upon Ayumi with a concerned expression. "Are you hurt? Are there any injuries?"
Ayumi merely stared at him, not saying a single word. Three words did pop into her head, so she decided she would say those instead of this painful silence. "Leave me be."
Backing away, the navy haired girl continued staring until actually sprinting away from the delinquent, hoping he wouldn't try to follow her home. Not once did she glance back, she already had enough of him today, what else could he possibly want to trifle her with now?
After a few minutes of running through the continuous, icy rain, she finally made it home. Bolting to the door, she bent down and quickly lifted the mat, snatching a key and unlocking the door before briskly barging in. Closing the door, she placed her back against it, sliding all the way down until her rump was on the ground. The first thing she noticed was how soaking wet she was. The water pooled out from her and onto the floor, enveloping a portion of it. With weary eyes, Ayumi gazed upon it in both disappointment and exhaustion.
"Better take a shower and clean up this mess before they get home.." she muttered to herself, picking herself up and trudging her way towards the nearest bathroom to take a shower.
Ayumi finished taking her shower and cleaned up the mess she left at the door; all before her parents came home. A sigh of relief was released from her mouth. When she checked the time, she realized it had gotten late.
"Already?" she mused. "I didn't take that long in the shower.."
Ayumi strolled to the nearest window and peered outside, seeing that the storm had ceased altogether and all light had been obliterated by the black of night. Raising a brow, she stepped back and decided to go to bed. There was no use in looking around much longer. After deciding to go sleep, she slipped on a slippery surface and her face made contact with the floor.
The navy haired girl reluctantly felt the slippery ground, it was wet. Ignoring the pain with the best of her ability, her hand rose up to her face so she could have a better view of what she slipped on. "What is this..?" Ayumi cast her eyes below, noticing the floor was wet. After examining the sight further, her blue orbs broadened immediately at the sight.
Somehow, water pooled onto the floor once more. A thought camp up; the storm may have been severe as to flood her porch and ultimately cause the water to pool inside. Besides, it was the only explanation. Ayumi was one hundred percent positive she cleaned the mess of water she made earlier. There was no possible way she could of imagined the entire scenario.
"Did they come home?" she asked herself, wondering if her parents had come home soaking wet from the storm. It was one possibility, but she didn't hear anyone come in. Unless they arrived when she was still in the shower.
Ayumi carefully stood back up and decided to clean up the mess. There wasn't much use in standing around and doing nothing; that would be unproductive and unlike her. After all, the navy haired girl was the class representative of class 2-9.
Once more, the petite teen cleaned up the mess. Shortly after she was finished, she noticed a trail of water leading up to the kitchen in her house. Grabbing the nearest broom, she reluctantly approached the doorway of the kitchen. Peering within, she saw a shadowy figure standing near the other side of the room. Ayumi tightened her grip on the broom and began sneaking her way in.
"I've dealt with much worse than a mere robber," thought Ayumi, as she assumed this shadowy figure broke into her house to rob it. Not on her watch.
Raising her broom, she prepared to strike at the shadowy figure. It wasn't until the figure turned around to face her that the teen dismissed any further intentions on beating this person with the broom. With eyes widened to the size of saucers, Ayumi gazed upon the "robber" with shock.
"Hinoe?" she asked aloud, loosening the grip on her broom and lowering it down. "Is that you, sister?"
Her older sister, Hinoe, was soaking wet. Other than that obvious fact, there was an odd expression on her face. One Ayumi had never seen on her older sister's face. Instead of being nonchalant, the woman was in utter panic. There was a frightened look in her eyes, as if she were being chased by a threat like no human being has ever seen before.
"Ayumi," Hinoe began, placing both of her hands on her younger sister's shoulders. "Listen to me, there isn't much time. You need to send her back, she doesn't belong in the mortal world. She will wreak havoc in this world if you do not send her back!"
"Wh-What are you talking about?" the navy haired girl asked with confusion. "I don't understand, who do I have to send back?"
At once, the room began melting. The walls and floors were turning into a gooey, sticky substance. Ayumi took a glimpse at her older sister and let out a blood curdling scream. Hinoe was melting as well, her flesh, blood and innards leaving her until nothing was left but her skeleton. Said skeleton fell to the floor and got sucked below by the melting floor.
"S-Sister!" Ayumi screamed. "No!"
The navy haired teen stared in horror at the macabre scene. Before she became aware of it, she, too, was being sucked in by the melting floor. Like quicksand, the floor pulled her body down into the depths of its gooey pool. The girl attempted to escape but realized it was fruitless to try as every single thing in the room was practically melting away. Panicking like a person drowning in water, Ayumi moved feverishly until what felt like hands grabbed at her hair and face.
"Stop it! Stop it now!" she continued to scream, slapping all the gooey, sticky hands away. "Get away from me!"
Multiple gooey arms popped out of the melting ground and grabbed at the remaining parts of her body and dragged her down into the depths of the ground, her vision going dark until it everything in sight was pitch black.
A loud thunderclap ensued and at once Ayumi woke up. Panicking, she cast her eyes everywhere to see if she were still being sucked into the floor. Surprisingly, she was in her bedroom sitting up on her bed. Confused, the teen pushed her covers away and got off of her bed. Staring into a nearby mirror, she noticed her hair wasn't in pigtails anymore and that she was in her pajamas.
"How did I.. get into these?"
Dismissing any further thoughts, Ayumi grabbed her cellphone and checked the time.
"10:00 PM."
"Was that all.. a dream?"
The teen set down her phone and left her bedroom. Afterwards, she snuck through the hallway and took a peek into the kitchen. The first thing she laid her eyes on was her sister and her parents. Ayumi decided to eavesdrop on them, since they were speaking about a very particular subject.
"Thank you for coming over like you had," said Ayato gratefully.
"Yes, if it weren't for you, Ayumi would have caught a cold soaking wet on the floor like that," Asuka added on, causing Ayumi's eyes to broaden slightly.
Their eldest daughter, Hinoe, shook her head. "No need, Mother, Father, it's no need." The woman stood up and dusted herself off. "I'll be taking my leave. Make sure to tell me whenever Ayumi wakes up, I need to speak with her."
The navy haired teen watched as her parents nodded acquiescently. Her older sister strolled out of the kitchen, but paused in front of the hallway. Ayumi flinched and scrambled against the darkest part of the wall so she wouldn't be spotted. She could see a smile creep onto Hinoe's face.
"Have sweet dreams, little sister," she whispered, before sauntering her way out the door.
This chapter is a tad short, but I think it's a good start for this story. Let me know what you guys think! Please review!
If you have any issues, please state any and I'll revise if necessary.