4/26 – Sunday.

"It's a basic concept of Black Magic. If you use it, you have to face the consequences. You get it?"

Takashiro's words repeated themselves over and over in my head; I could feel my conscience gnawing at me. I knew it was only a matter of time before I would have to face the consequences of my actions for myself.

I had used the power of the magic book to make Shiraki fall in love with me, the most popular girl in school who; before the spell was cast barely even knew I existed.

It was only after I had slept with her that I realised I only lusted after her; I had no feelings of my own for her and to make matters worse I had been unable to resist the temptation and continued to use her and even told her I loved her.

My best friend Imari… I had scarred her for life when she walked in on me and Shiraki in my room.

I had no idea what I could say to her; but it was clear to me that I couldn't get my normal life back without her.

I resolved myself that I had to say something to her, I had to talk to Imari.

Slipping my jacket on; I walked to the door and headed out.

I walked the streets as I struggled to think of places where Imari could be; I tried her house; the park; that restaurant she loves and came up blank.

"She's upset; she must be looking for somewhere to be alone…"

Then it hit me.

"It's Sunday, the school's empty… maybe she's gone there?"

I picked up the pace and made my way to the school.

The gate to the school was locked but it wasn't very high, I climbed over the fence and ran inside and without thinking my body began to head towards the art room.

Sure enough Imari was there, huddled up in the corner with tears streaming down her face, she didn't even look up as I opened the door.

"I-Imari…"

I walked closer to her; as I approached a sinking feeling in my stomach began to rise; a feeling that I had permanently ruined something very important to me.

I took a deep breath and tried to break the painful silence.

"Imari… I don't even know what to say…"

I squatted down nearer to her.

"I… don't love her… I don't know how this all even started…"

I knew there was no way I could tell her the truth about the magic book; even in this desperate situation; but that didn't make it feel any easier lying to her.

Imari stayed quiet, simply sobbing to herself.

"Imari…"

I reached out to place my hand to her shoulder.

As soon as my hand touched her shoulder her body sprung to life suddenly and her fist landed rock solid in my gut, I was completely winded.

I fell to the floor, holding my stomach and gasping for breath, Imari had hit me before but nowhere near this hard.

"Minase… don't touch me"

Imari stood over me with tears in her eyes; the make-up she had worn especially for today was running down her face.

"Minase… how can you come here and expect to talk to me after what you did?"

Imari's voice croaked painfully as she spoke.

"You were the only one Minase… the only one…"

She closed her eyes briefly, trying to regain some sense of composure.

"Minase… you IDIOT!"

As she yelled those final words she burst out through the door.

I lay there; gasping for breath; it was all I could do.

That was it; the one person I could call a friend; I had broken this relationship for sure… was there no going back for me?

My vision began to blacken and before I knew it I had passed out.

As my senses began to come around; I heard the gentle sound of someone's breathing.

Underneath my head; soft… I was resting on someone's lap.

"Ah… you're awake?"

A voice rang out.

"Imari?"

I instinctively replied.

As my eyes opened I was met with Shiraki's beautiful face.

"Oh…"

I hurriedly climbed to my feet and dusted myself off.

"Minase... are you in such a rush?"

She said as she looked down at the floor; twiddling her thumbs nervously.

I sighed and began to wonder what she was doing here in the first place, to come to school on a Sunday… was she following me?

"What are you doing here Shiraki?"

Shiraki bit her bottom lip and her face flushed a light shade of red.

"I just… started to miss you after I left this morning and I happened to see you go into the school…"

So she was following me... I knew this spell had made her come off as pretty desperate but I didn't think it had made her resort to stalking.

"Listen… I've got to go…"

I said, trying desperately to get away from the situation. I was already upset about Imari and the last thing I really needed right now was Shiraki doting her false feelings onto me.

As I reached for the door I heard a voice behind me.

"Minase… why…"

Her voice was shaken and tearful; I gulped as I turned to face Shiraki.

"…You can't leave me, I need you Minase."

Shiraki was still kneeling on the floor, she clutched her hands together tightly and stared down at her legs.

"…Is it because you love Imari?"

I took a deep breath; I guess it was true… even if I couldn't fix things with Imari I knew I couldn't live with myself if I stayed with Shiraki.

"Shiraki… I… can't see you anymore."

The words sounded weak as they came out of my mouth; but I got the message across clear enough for her.

Tears started to well up in Shiraki's eyes, and she quietly began to sob.

I gritted my teeth… although it was horrible to see her like this I knew this had to be the right thing to do… if there even was a 'right thing' in this situation.

I sighed and decided it was best if I left, I didn't think staying any longer would be of any benefit to either of us.

I reached out for the door once more; only this time I was interrupted more abruptly.

Shiraki clutched my wrist tightly in her hand.

"Minase… I need you."

Her voice sounded a lot darker than before; and she stared up at me from below with cold tear-filled eyes that seemed to emanate a deathly glow.

My heart began to race; I had never seen her like this before.

"L-let go."

Despite my pleas; Shiraki only gripped my arm tighter.

I couldn't believe how much it hurt, her hand felt like a hydraulic press.

"Minase!"

Her voice sounded more disturbed than the last time she spoke; and a wide grin formed on her face.

She looked absolutely terrifying; I felt myself struggling for breath; choking on the anxiety welling up inside me.

I had to get out of here.

"Minase wouldn't leave me…"

I pulled my arm away from Shiraki as hard as I could, somehow managing to break her iron grip.

Without wasting the opportunity I pulled the door open as quickly as possible and began to run down the corridor.

As I got down the stairs that lead to my freedom I could hear her anguished screams echoing down the halls behind me.

As soon as I made it home I slammed the door shut and dropped to the floor; gasping for air.

I could scarcely believe what had just happened, was this all because of the book? It made her fall for me that much that when she was rejected she'd flip out like that?

I gripped my hair in my hands… this was all my doing and I knew it.

I slowly stood up and made my way to my bedroom.

I collapsed on my bed; exhausted physically and mentally from the whole affair.

"If I go to sleep… Imari will come to wake me up… everything will be back to normal…"

I muttered these words into my pillow; hoping I would actually believe them.

"Wake up."

A soft voice is whispering to me, my head begins to clear as I become aware of my surroundings.

"Wake up Minase."

I feel something run along my stomach; a finger.

Instinctively, I try to reach down to scratch my stomach when a sudden panic rushes over me; my arms are restrained above my head.

In my panic I try and move my whole body only to find my legs and torso have also been restrained.

As my eyes begin to focus; I am met with the sight of Shiraki sitting on top of my torso; the light from her eyes has faded and she bears a twisted grin as she gently caresses my chest.

"Minase… you betrayed me…"

I swallowed deeply as I felt the first stings of anxiety building up in my chest.

"Shiraki look… whatever it is you're feeling right now… it's not real."

I was getting desperate; I'd spill the beans about the magic book and the spells I used if it would get me out of this situation.

Shiraki gave a stunned silence.

"Not… real? …Minase after everything we've done together…"

Shit. This was really starting to get worse.

"It was a spell Shiraki, think about it, before that day you confessed to me you never even knew I existed right?"

Shiraki went contemplatively quiet and looked away to the side.

"There has to be a way to undo it Shiraki, I'm sure I can help you just… let me help you."

Shiraki suddenly turned back to me and stuffed what I can only assume was her underwear into my mouth; and then proceeded to tie a rope around my mouth to keep me from spitting them out.

"I think that's enough out of you Minase… saying things like that really… I'm going to have to punish you."

Shiraki leant off the edge of the bed and pulled up an overly large pair of scissors.

My eyes widen at the sight of them and my breathing sped up, please tell me this isn't happening.

I felt Shiraki shimmy further up my body and take hold of my hand.

I heard the metallic scraping sound of the scissors being opened; and then I felt two edges of metal press against my little finger.

My heart began beating out of my chest; I struggled as much as I could; wriggling and twisting but it was no use; I couldn't move.

I tried to yell as much as I could but my voice was muffled by the makeshift gag in my mouth.

"Now then…"

I felt the metal tighten around my finger and then…

Slice.

I twisted and turned my body in agony; my muffled screams fell on deaf ears.

My face began to turn white and sweat poured from my body; I could feel the blood from my finger running down my arm.

Shiraki held my severed finger in her hand and grinned; she pressed it to her lips and kissed it giggling to herself.

"Minase… you look even more adorable like that."

She leaned forward and grasped my head peppering my forehead in ice-cold kisses.

My breathing was laboured and I felt completely drained; I didn't think it would take much more for me to pass out.

"We just have a little more to get through and it will all be over Minase."

Shiraki chuckled to herself and licked my blood from her hand.

"Next… let's…"

She began to caress my face with her hand gently; then her finger moved to circle around my eye.

Her finger pressed tighter against my skin… she wasn't going to…

Her finger suddenly stopped moving. She tilted her finger downwards pressing the tip of her nail onto my eyelid.

I let out another pitiful muffled yell and desperately tried to thrash and move to escape this situation, but once more it was no use.

My entire body tensed up; I clenched onto my restraints as tightly as I could.

With a smile; Shiraki's finger and thumb began to slip between my eye and the socket; and she began to squeeze my eyeball.

My breathing became erratic and I once again made a futile attempt at yelling and moving.

She began to grip tighter on my eye, my vision blurred and the squashing began to make painfully loud squelching noises.

I bit down on the makeshift gag in my mouth as Shiraki began to pull on my eye; inch-by-inch wrenching it out from it's socket.

Tears began to stream down my face and I made ungodly howls of pain from behind my gag as I pathetically thrashed around.

Shiraki leaned forward; brushed my hair back and kissed my forehead… while her other hand used the scissors to cut through the optic nerve of my eye she had just pulled out.

I barely made any response this time; at this point I could feel the life fading from my body… I wasn't going to be alive for much longer… It was incredible I was still even partially conscious.

I glared up at Shiraki, my vision kept fading and returning but I could make out she was holding my eye in her hands.

I closed my remaining eye… please just let this end.

…..

I was jolted back awake by a sharp pain in my stomach; I looked down to see Shiraki had embedded the sharp end of the scissors into my stomach.

She began to twist and turn the scissors making the hole wider and wider; laughing manically all the while. Choking, I felt blood and puke rising into my mouth.

The scissors began to cut sideways across my stomach; my head tilted back and I gazed up at the single light in my room; I can't feel anything anymore; I just feel cold.

As the remaining light began to fade from my vision; the only thing I could hear was Shiraki laughing and the squelching sound of my organs being pulled, torn and sliced.

As those stomach-churning noises become a fleeting dream I hear one final voice in my head; Takashiro.

"…Black Magic… ….If you use it, you have to face the consequences…"