I think I had a dream. I dreamed that I was a butterfly fluttering through an endless abyss. Then I woke up.
I awoke to find myself as a man standing on a great Stained glass platform. Across from me was another man, a masked man in a white business suit, who was both strange and yet oh so familiar.
Was I a man that dreamed he was a butterfly? Or am I a butterfly dreaming of being a man?
"Greetings," the Masked Man spoke. "It has been a very long time since any human has entered my domain." His voice was deep and smooth, like Morgan Freeman.
"Who are you?" I felt compelled to ask.
He gave my a coy smile visible from beneath the mask, but only just. "Thou art I, and I am thou." He replied.
What was that supposed to mean? He couldn't be me, I am me. But before I could try to say anything more he held up his hand to stop me.
"It seems as though you are not fully aware of your own identity. Do not panic, that is normal for those who enter here. And yet you have retained your sense of self, a great accomplishment.
"Allow me to introduce myself properly. My name is Philemon. And I am a form of the collective subconscious, or the collective will of humanity."
"Is this a dream?" I managed to say.
"Perhaps." He replied. "This may very well be but a dream and you will soon wake up in your home…" He then turned to the abyss behind us and stared into seemingly nothing. "... It appears that that may not be possible any longer. Your old world has met an End."
"What?!" The questions really just wouldn't stop.
"Fear not. For we are within the Sea of Souls. And from here almost anything can be accomplished. I shall send you back to a world not unlike the one you once knew.
"But first you must tell me Your Name."
April 6, the Dark hour
Kimiko Yuki, or Hamuko as that explosion kid from middle school insisted, disembarked from her train just as the large clock struck midnight. Every electronic device shut off, and the world became shrouded in a green glow. Kimiko took this in stride and left the building.
Outside was much the same. A large eerie moon lit the sky and coffins lined the streets, the warm spring air from moments before was now chilled like ice. such was the everyday occurrence for Kimiko.
"And this is why I love this sweater." She said to no one, hugging her favorite orange sweater closer. She let out a soft giggle that echoed through the city, despite the chill this was Kimiko's favorite time of day.
Normal as the extra midnight hour was to Kimiko, she decided to hurry to the dorm she'd be staying at until she could get her inheritance settled, her parents had died when she was six. As another chill when up Kimiko's spine, she picked up her pace, it wouldn't be fun to catch a cold on the first night in ten years back in her hometown.
But of course nothing is ever that simple when the world is green.
Kimiko checked the map for the third time to make sure of the address. It had taken most of the hour to walk to the dorm and she was very ready for sleep. Kimiko looked up from the map just in time to see one of the coffins open, a make figure fell from inside as the coffin dissipated into nothing.
It's not safe for him here in this Time, Said a voice in the back of Kimiko's mind. It didn't take more thought than that to make Kimiko rushed to his side, she needed to get them both somewhere safe.
"But where?" She asked herself.
The dorm. Her inner voice answered.
Kimiko looked around, the dorm was within sight but so we're the creatures less than four block away. Kimiko hefted the boy over her shoulder and started towards the dorm. The boy was much lighter than expected, he was all skin and bones and about the same height as Kimiko herself.
They reached the front door if the dorm building. A buzzing filled the back of Kimiko's senses, the Things were getting close. She fiddled with the door handle. The Things were now ten feet away. The door opened and Kimiko flung the boy and herself inside.
And we're safe. Kimiko took a moment to examine the new environment, she was met with a large common room. To the left was a reception desk complete with administration tools and mail bockes for each room. On the right were couches and an armchair set around a coffee table. A room divider split the eating area off from the entrance and also had a small television set up. Farthest back was a stairway leading up and two restrooms, one marked Men's and one Women's.
"Good evening." A soft voice came from across the counter next to the door. A strange young boy dressed in a vertically striped black and white shirt and pants, reminiscent of prison clothing, sat in the receptionist chair. He was deathly pail with a round face and black hair. "I see you've finally arrived. I've waited a long time."
Kimiko gently lay her burden on one of the couches then turned to face the strange boy. "Oh? And who might you be?" She asked, never one to miss out on making new friends.
"I do not know." He replied with a sad smile. "But that is unimportant right now. If you wish to proceed, please sign here." the strange boy held out a paper, 'I chooseth this fate of mine own free will.' is written across the top with a blank to sign on. "As you can see it's a contract that merely binds you into accepting responsibility for you actions."
"And I need to sign this?" she asked. The boy nodded. Kimiko was uncertain about this, she had thought that all of the paperwork was already completed. She gave the boy an appraising look, but his face held only innocence and sincerity. "Ok then. Here, right?" And she sign 'Kimiko Yuki' neatly on the designated space.
"Very well, Hamuko Yuki." Kimiko's eye twitched. "Time is something that no one can escape, it delivers all to the same End." A sound came from the stairway taking Kimiko's attention away. "Wishing won't make it go away. And so it begins."
Kimiko looked back to find the strange boy had vanished.
"Who's there?" A very feminine voice called from the direction of the stairs. "How can you be… but it's still..." A girl about the same age but taller than Kimiko, with light brown hair and wearing a bright pink sweater, stood at the foot of the stairs and held up a… was that a gun?! Yes there was a gun pointed directly at Kimiko.
"Wait!" An elegant young woman came down the stairs, a commanding aura radiated from her being. She was dressed in the standard uniform of Gekkoukan minus the blazer, and her long red hair looked well maintained . The first girl lowered her weapon just as the green of midnight faded and the electric lights came back to life.
"I didn't expect you to arrive so late. I'm Mitsuru Kirijo, and this is Yukari Takeba she'll be a second year student starting this spring just like you." She said, gesturing first to herself and then to the girl with the gun.
"...Hi," Yukari greeted with a sheepish smile. "I'm Yukari."
"Nice to meet you, I'm Kimiko Yuki." Kimiko responded brightly. Then more seriously, "Mitsuru-senpai, thank you for letting me stay here while things get settled and for helping me get to this point."
Yukari looked between the other two puzzled. "What is she talking about Senpai?"
"Yuki will only be with us temporarily. It's something of a business matter so to speak. Anyway," Mitsuru turned back to Kimiko. "you must be tired from your trip. You'll find your room up on the third floor."
"C'mon I'll show you the way." Yukari motioned for Kimiko to follow.
Kimiko hesitated, realizing that neither Yukari or Mitsuru had noticed the Coffin Boy laying on the couch. "Um… before that. Something unusual happened on the way here."
Yukari and Mitsuru shared a look that said they were expecting something like this. "Unusual how?" Was Mitsuru's slow reply.
Kimiko rolled her eyes, suspecting what the look meant, then jumped in to a recount of the last hour. "I got off the train at the stroke of midnight and the world turned green like it always does, I think cool I'm going to have a nice quiet walk while I get to the dorm but then when I get close, and, oneofthecoffinspopopen. and thisboyfallsout. then Ifeelthesethingsbehindus.
"I act quickly, grabbing the boy and racing for the dorm. it's a close called but we get inside before they can catch us. then as I lay him on the couch over there this other boy, dressed in prison clothing, shows up behind the counter. Does he live here? I don't know. but he has me sign this contract and disappears. then Yukari points this gun at me. And, well. Now we're here." by the end of her word vomit, Kimiko had lead them over to the couch to see the coffin boy.
"Wh...WHAT!? Turned… like always?"
"Takeba, breath."
"Is the gun real?"
"No. of course not. It's a tool for self-defence. Takeba, show Yuki up to her room. Yuki, from the sounds of it you've had a long night. Get some sleep." Mitsuru sat down by the boy. "I'll take care of him so you have no need to worry."
Kimiko made to argue but stopped, realizing that she really was exhausted. "Ok, senpai."
Yukari lead the way up the stairs. Mitsuru could hear her speaking to Kimiko as they ascended. "Ya'know, i was going to ask if anything weird happened on your way from the station, but i guess there's no need now…"
Yukari stopped at the door to Kimiko's new room. 'Here it is. The last door on the right, pretty easy to remember, huh?"
"Yeah, I don't think I'll be mistaking it for another."
"Right? Oh, i'll come wake you up in the morning to show you the way to school." Yukari looked away for a second then turned back to Kimiko. "Hey, so, I don't think i need to tell you but, Don't tell anyone about what you saw tonight. Ok?"
Kimiko laughed. "You don't have anything to worry about from me. My lips are sealed." She entered the room replying to Yukari's "G'night" with her own and practically fell into bed. That night Kimiko dreamed of the Bluest of Blues, Riddles, and a long-long-long-nose.
The cost of traveling to a new world is your memories. It may seem unfair, but it's a must. Not to worry however in time they will return if you truly wish for that. In addition, the world i am sending you to is about to experience a great time of flux. You may find yourself in the midst of these events, but remember, it is your own choice if you get involved or not. No one else's.
The darkness that held me tight was suddenly gone and i found myself falling onto a hard surface. Then something, someone, lifted me up. They were soft and warm. But it didn't last long. There was a door, then a cushion, and a voice that spoke of time and ends. Then girls fighting followed by silence. And I truly woke up.
I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. I was in a bed at the far end of the room. I got up to look around, there was a mini fridge between the door and a small sink. A desk was setup under the middle window on the wall opposite the closet, which was also beside the door. A old TV set was on a stand at the foot of the bed, with a vcr player. Talk about dated…
Wait… what was the date? I glanced around again and found the calendar. Odd, it was in japanese… why is that odd? I didn't know. According to the calendar it was April of the year 2009. But something in the back of my mind was telling me it should have been 2018.
Another thought, who am i? I didn't know the answer. The more i tried to recall, the more i came to the conclusion that i had no memories. I had amnesia.
I moved to the sink. It had a mirror behind it and two shelves to the right. I checked my reflection, dark brown hair and blue eyes with a hint of green looked back at me. I studied every inch of my image, burning it into memory. Round eyes, bony chin, and white skin with a slight reddish tan. Definitely not japanese, let alone asian.
"Who are you?" i asked my reflection, in Japanese… i could speak it? "Well what do you know." English this time. Ok. so i knew two very different languages but couldn't recall ever learning either.
"Tre Bien."
i jerked away from the sink looking to the speaker. In the doorway stood the most beautiful woman i had ever seen. only woman? She wore a white blouse and a black skirt with high heeled knee high boots. Her hair went past her back and was a beautiful shade of red. Her figure held my attention for longer than i wish to admit, and i couldn't help but note how large her assets were, somewhere in the Ds for sure. Her eyes were the only thing that kept me from oggleing further, the look in her eyes was both gentle yet stern, but there was also something else i couldn't quite place. All in all she was intimidating.
"I'm glad to see you awake. You've been asleep for almost three days. Any longer and i was going to sign you into a hospital." her voice was strong and confident, and i understood every word. Just how fluent was i and how?
"Do you know me?" i asked, my voice was rough like i hadn't used it in a long time.
"No. I am Mitsuru Kirijo. A pleasure to meet you. And you are?"
Something tugged at my thoughts, a voice. Our name is...
"David Hudson."