SHisEI no KOe

CHapTEr ONe

She ran; she ran as fast as she could. The raspy breathing of the ghost woman behind her grew increasingly closer, "Just a little farther…" she gasped, running out of breathe. Her legs were becoming heavier and heavier, her vision blurred…The door seemed so far, yet so close. Extending her arm she felt the decaying wood of the door, but she also felt an icy coldness along her shoulder… Sitting up, she clutched her shoulder then pain seared through it like a thousand tiny needles pricking at her flesh. She cried out in pain and looked to see why her arm was aching so intensely, but before she could look she heard a small knock at her door.

"Rei-chan?" she heard the young woman ask peeking into her room, "Are you alright…?" Rei nodded. The pain in her shoulder had ebbed away now.

"I'll be down in a minute, Miku." The woman blinked and left the room. Rei sat on her bed for a couple of seconds; she contemplated what she had dreamt, "Was it…just a dream?" Rei though pulling a shirt over her head, "Or was it real…" She pushed the thoughts from her head and walked down stairs, where Miku was waiting with a small package.

"Rei, here, it appears to be addressed to Yuu…" she almost whispered the name for fear of hurting Rei. Instead, Rei just stood, holding the package she read who it was from out loud, "Kei Amakura…I think I've heard this name before." Slowly, she opened the package, inside was a letter about research and something about a camera.

"The Camera Obscura," wondered Rei, "could it be the same camera as from my dream?" Miku could read the look on Rei's face, "Perhaps it's time you faced the truth…" She watched as Rei's eyes filled with pain, Miku knew she was remembering that fateful night.

"It's been raining ever since……" Rei drifted off toward the stairs, lost in thought, she kept repeating incomplete phrases like, 'It's my fault...', 'It would have different if he was driving…' and 'Why?' Miku sighed and went into the kitchen to prepare dinner. Meanwhile, Rei had made it to the end of the hall; her hand shook violently as she lowered it toward the doorknob.

"Miku's right…I need to face the truth, he's gone." She warily turned the knob and entered the room. It was eerily dark and several boxes stood in the various corners. Rei swallowed hard and looked around, as she inched toward his work station she could have sworn she saw Yuu, "Rei, can I help you?" she heard him say.

"Oh, I was just—"She stopped in mid sentence, "He's gone, never forget that." She scolded herself for a moment and looked over to a shelf; on the shelf were many different kinds of radios. Rei ran her fingers across them, taking in the details through her sense of touch, tracing the radios she eventually came to the top of the shelf. There sat the item she had actually come in the room for.

"Obscura…" She muttered under her breathe. Suddenly the door opened, "Ummm, Rei, dinner's ready." Miku said standing in the door way. Startled, Rei tripped backwards as she tumbled downward, Rei realized she had stopped falling. Miku started, shock covered her face.

"What's happening?" Rei said hovering above the floor. Miku searched desperately for words, but only stutters slipped from her mouth. Confused and frightened, Rei began trying to fight the mysterious force that was holding her, but to no avail the presence wouldn't let go. The thing lifted Rei to her feet and vanished, Rei looked around. Her eyes landed on Miku, whose face was very pale.

"What's wrong?" Rei asked, walking toward her. Miku finally stuttered three words, "It was Yuu…."