My delicate hands tightly clutch the soft fabric of the bed, as I sat on the edge, pondering what to do next. I clasp my hands in my lap and stare down at them, furrowing my brow and biting my lip. A long sigh escapes me as I whisper to myself,. "I have a meeting today. I get off at 2 or 3 o'clock. I might be able to…" The words die on my lips and I get up from my bed and walk to the wooden desk. Grabbing my bag and a few folders, I slip on my shoes and leave my room. The walk down the hall is silent, and feels almost deafening. I'll visit the library after the meeting; I can look up a few books on werewolves or something. I start to walk more briskly down the hall, Ren and Masato's words echoing in my head. No going outside at night. My journey progresses as I walk down the steps and continue on past the fountain. I'll be home in time, I knew that but worry still gnaws at my mind. While it was quite common of me to return home late in the night, with the recent events still fresh in my mind I've been more eager to return home early. I shake my head. I'll be fine; I have no need to worry.
The meeting ended surprisingly quickly. Usually my meetings would consist of hours upon of hours of talking of the latest findings on music test and planning on what songs to create for future shows and radio stations. Before I knew it, I was making my way to a nearby library. Looking down at the crumbled slip of paper in my hand, I reread the instructions to the building. It's a left then a right, and then a… left? Murmuring to myself, "Please don't let me get lost." I inhale then exhale and keep walking down the street. Unfamiliar faces speed by and flashes of red and yellow lights zoom by even more quickly. I take in a deep breath and exhale it slowly. Don't worry; I'm sure I'll get there with no problems. Rounding a corner, I look up at street signs, hoping for something with a familiar name. It's the next left, I think? Worry starts to gnaw at me as I gulp loudly. Everything's fine I'm sure. I'm positive I'm almost there.
What felt like hours to me was actually mere minutes and I soon find myself outside a tall white building. I beam proudly at the structure, twirling in happiness. Speeding up the concrete steps to the double doors, I slowly stroll in, cold air gliding over my skin. The plain carpet and white walls of the hallway aren't there to impress, but the several cases full of books and writing are. After a short walk through the entrance hall, I make it to the actual library part and quickly scan the signs for a mythology or science fiction section, frowning when I can't see it in plain sight.
A quick glance over to my left reveals a tall thin woman in front of a computer at the front desk. She was perhaps middle aged with brown hair tied back in a tight ponytail. As I approach the desk, she glances at me but otherwise doesn't say anything. "Excuse me miss," She looks at me with a bored expression. "I'm looking for books on mythology, preferably about werewolves." I frown and quickly add, "For a project."
She scoffs under her breath and in a flat voice responds, "Second floor. Take those stairs and they're the third section on your left, labelled mythology." Pointing behind me, she immediately goes back to her computer screen. I thank her and zoom up the flight of stairs. At the top of the steps, I spend only a moment of searching before finding the mythology section. I stroll down the aisle and begin looking in the 'W' section. Smiling, I'm surprised to see a small section for werewolves. Of course, I didn't expect to find a whole book on werewolves, or even a section as large as the one in front of me, but I grateful either way. I grab a majority of them and stack them into my arms. A quick look over my shoulder reveals an empty desk and chair. I glide over, setting the books down, and crack one open.
"I'll try to find a cure for you guys. I will." And I began reading immediately.
"No…" The sound of flipping pages floats through the air. "No." I scatter the pages on my desk, some of them falling off and landing gracefully on the ground. "No! There must be something here, anything!" I flip through the scattered books on the desk once more, making an even bigger mess than before. Frowning, I pick up a worn down book and carefully leaf through some of the delicate pages. I groan in frustration as I place the book on the table, before laying my head down in my hands. "There has to be something I'm missing." Flipping through another book, I promptly put in down when it yields nothing of interest.
Every book in the section is the same; opinions and false accusations of werewolves written down on every page. None of them said anything of sure way to cure a werewolf, and most said the same thing; that werewolves are blood thirsty killers. While some books did say a few points of interest, how werewolves are known to become aggressive or show mood swings, they were facts that did nothing to help or I had already known about them. One of the books said that a rumor for curing a werewolf is by killing the wolf that made it one, but it was just a rumor; and if it happens to be true, I'm sure Ren and Masato won't be able to take a life so easily. My phone suddenly vibrates in my pocket and I pull it out, Otoya's name flashes on the screen.
Where are you? It's getting late.
Public Library. I'm on my way home. Stifling a sigh, I put the phone back in my pocket and place the books back on the shelf. Seeing each book back in its proper place, I pull out my phone and dial the number for the usual taxi driver. After confirming my ride home, I rush down the stairs and out the front door. I slide in the car and after a brief hello to the driver, the scenic drive home starts. Gazing out the window, I notice the sun starting to set and the crescent moon slowly replacing its position in the sky. No full moon for another two weeks or so. The books said full moon's effect werewolves, but they turn into wolves every night, so they aren't a reliable source right? So they don't have to kill the white wolf that bit them, right? Sighing, I rest my chin on my and glare at the passing scenery.
"You alright ma'am?" The driver asks, looking at me through the rearview mirror. I nod to him and he returns his eyes to the road. We'll just have to solve this problem at a later point. Closing my eyes, I patiently wait to see myself home.
"What did you need at the public library?" After dinner, I found myself in a similar situation from before, me drying dishes and Otoya washing them. While dinner seemed a bit tense, many of the guys seemed uncomfortable and no one seemed to bring up Ren and Masato's confession, we still managed to talk about the day's work and tell a few humorous stories. I look up at Otoya, the feeling of Déjà vucoming over me. Otoya stops washing for a moment and looks at me, a smile on his face and patiently waiting for an answer. Sighing, I look down at the dish cloth in my hands.
"I was looking up books on werewolf mythology..." I frown, remembering that the books at the library weren't of much use to me and that my trip was utterly pointless.
"Oh, really?" Otoya raise an eyebrow doesn't say anything, instead choosing to frown down at his hands. He continues washing the dishes and the room starts to fill with a suffocating awkward feeling. "So…" He glances at me. "Find anything interesting?"
Shaking my head, I reply, "I wanted to see if there was a cure to be a werewolf, but I came up empty handed. There was one book that said something of a cure," My thoughts suddenly flash and a scene of Masato and Ren attacking the white wolf appears. I shudder slightly at the thought and shake my head. "But it turned out to be a fake."
"A cure and you didn't find anything that could help?" Otoya furrows his brows and frowns. He sighs, "I'm not surprised. People still believe that werewolves aren't real. In fact, I keep thinking this is all a dream and that I'll wake up any moment now and laugh at how strange it seemed." The silence returns and he stops talking, clearly lost in thought. "But... I know that's not the case. I guess this whole werewolf thing is reality, huh?" I nod my head. "Though it makes me wonder how Ren and Masa are handling the situation. It's been almost two weeks; do you think it's still strange to them?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I mean they seem… I don't know, comfortable? Like, it's not really something that bothers them. Or it's not something to feel shame over. Of course, they don't really talk about it that much, so maybe they're just trying to handle it themselves." Shrugging his shoulders, Otoya finishes the last of the dishes and dries his hands off. "I'll be heading to bed, if you don't need any other help. Good night Haruka!"
"Good night Otoya!" I dry the last of the dishes and wipe my hands. Making sure the kitchen is in order; I briskly walk out and down the hall, towards my own room. I pass by Ren and Masato's room, knowing it was empty. They go outside the second Ranmaru falls asleep and only return shortly before he wakes up. I cast a quick glance over at Syo and Natsuki's door. Both were probably asleep or getting ready for bed. Finally, I see Otoya and Tokiya's room, Otoya caught in the doorway and about to walk in. He notices me and smiles before waving me good night. The door shuts, a click echoes audibly down the hall. Continuing upstairs, I make it to my room and swiftly shut the door behind me.
The second I'm inside, I change into a pair of pastel pajamas and brush my teeth. After, sitting down at my desk, I place a few of the stray pages into some folders. Pulling out some music sheets, I look through them before carefully organizing them in their correct places. Something pulls my gaze to the window, as I sit there staring at the balcony doors. Slowly, I walk over to it and open the pristine glass doors. I feel the cool night air roll in and across the floor as I take a hesitant step onto the freezing concrete. The cold seeps in through my bare feet as I walk closer to the balcony. My gaze wanders out over the trees as I see two wolves walking down the paved earth. They suddenly stop and look over their shoulders at me. I give them a quick wave and they continue on their way. I smile and close the windows. I stifled a yawn as I drag my feet over to my bed, pulling back the covers and resting my head down on the pillows. My stare ends up looking towards ceiling, as I start to think of Ren and Masato. They're fine. They can take care of themselves. I sigh and, turning onto my side, remember today's earlier events. I'll look online tomorrow. My eyes slowly drift close, exhaustion pulling me under sleeps veil.
I blink and whip around to look at my surroundings, only to find myself in a grassy field. Not just any field, but the fields near my grandmother's home. Looking down, I notice I'm wearing the dress my grandma made for me. A soft breeze rolls by, causing the skirt to flutter slightly. Tall mountains surround me, keeping me in like gentle walls. My gaze goes up as I shield my eyes from a blinding light. The sun was shining with the occasional cloud drifting by, making everything seem as an ordinary summer day. "Hello? Is anyone here? Ren? Masato?" No sound came back, not even the chirping of insects. "Being by myself is fine, I suppose."
Turning around, I start walking over to my home. Though it seemed strange to me that no one would be around, it did mean I would have a chance to play the piano I first learned how to play on. My hand reaches for the handle of the front door, and even though the door didn't appear locked, it did not open for me. "Huh?" Grandma hardly ever locked the door, considering the fact we live quite a distance from any neighbors and no one around here hardly ever steal. A prickling sensation crawls up my spine and I freeze.
A sudden shadow moves over me. I look up to see the sun being covered by a much darker cloud. The cloud starts to expand and grows darker with every second. The sky quickly becomes a battleground for thunder and lightning. Furrowing my brow, I walk down the front steps and onto the grass. A bolt of lightning strikes the ground in the distance. A dark mist glides down the hills from where the bolt struck. I look down at the grass under my feet. The grass starts to cripple and die, bright green becoming a sickly yellow. The yellow blades fade into ash as a strong wind sweeps by my feet. The sky and earth fill with a white mist. My fear continues to tingle up my spine, I shiver and look around.
"Is anyone here?! Anyone?!" A harsh cracking sound starts to come from my home as the walls start to burn away like a paper in a flame. "No!" The building quickly falls into a pile of ash as a much stronger wind sweeps by. Without thinking, I reach out to grab the flecks of ash, but the pieces slip through my fingers. A sharp hissing sound comes from behind me causing me to freeze, and the same dreadful feeling from all those times before washes over me. I know how this will turn out, I've seen this many times. Dark gray clouds start to swirl past my feet as I turn around, they gather in front of me. They slowly morph into a monstrous shape. Something two times my size with glowing yellow eyes and razor sharp teeth the length of my hand stands just a few meters away. It's made of solid skin and fur, but if gives off smoke like wisp from every inch of its body. I try to force myself to take a step back, but my feet are glued to the ground. The thought of calling out for help crosses my mind, but I know I won't be able to at this point. I feel my legs go weak and I collapse to the ground, hands hanging by my side. My jaw hangs open as the monster saunters closer and closer to me. Its warm breath hits my face, as warm vapor is being forced out of its nostrils.
Something in my mind snaps and a small rush of courage goes through me. But it wasn't enough; it only gave me the courage to move my arms. I raise them up to my face to shield myself as tears slide down my face. My body starts shaking in terror and I start to cry even harder. The temperature starts to drop and the ground becomes cold. I can hear the beast directly in front of me now, a disgusting sound like a hiss and a growl comes from its throat. A whimper escapes my lips and I bring my arms closer. "Please…" I whisper. "Don't hurt me…" The beast comes closer. "Not again..."
The monster starts to get ready to attack, clenching its muscles for a spring and jaws wide, ready to clamp down on me. I close my eyes as tight as I can, but I know it won't do any good. It feels like the cold is starting to seep into my very bones. It clenches my veins and my very blood feels like it's made of ice, but my shivering was not from the cold. Tears continue to stream down my face in buckets. "What did I do to deserve this?"
I feel a joyous warmth come by my side. The ice in my blood stream seems to melt as I feel myself being able to move again. Slowly cracking open my eyes, fearing I might be within the jaws of the monster, but instead I saw something much different. A bright orange light appears on me left. The monster notices this light and stops its attack, and starts hissing at it, taking a few steps back. The orange light starts to change and turns into the form of a wolf. It appeared soft and made of smoke, and I reach out to touch its fur. It opens its eyes, light blue wisp coming from them. It nuzzles my hands and another warm feeling comes up to me. To my right, a blue light materializes, turning into a wolf as well. Its darker blue eyes glow wisp just like the other, and the wolf nuzzles my cheek as the tears dry under their touch. I reach out to place a hand on their heads and they meet my hands. The fur was soft and had such a comforting feeling to it. Through closer inspection, I've come to realize that neither of them have mouths.
At this point, the monster has moved even farther away from me and is preparing to attack again. The two wolves walk in front of me as a growling noise comes from their throats. The beast looks at this like a challenge, and lunges forward, jaws open wide and aimed right at the wolves' throats. Despite not having mouths, they start forcing open their jaws, smoke like fur and skin starts to rip apart to make way for their fangs. The run forward, dodging the monster's jaws, and jump to bite down on its neck and shoulders.
The scene seemed familiar, and in fact looked the same as when they saved me from before. I'd forgotten how scary it was then. Both the wolves and monster were having their flesh torn away only to have it grow back, but that didn't stop them from fighting. They're cries and yelps echo in the vast darkness. As the beast skin is torn away, blood falls in buckets on the ground and stops once its skin grows back again. I try to look away from the whole thing, but I find myself frozen in fear yet again. I know the wolves are protecting me, and of course I'm grateful to them, but that doesn't change the gruesome images their creating with their teeth. The monster is now ignoring me completely, and is doing whatever it can to rip off the two wolves, only able to tear off more of their fur. Tears come to my eyes again and my heart rate quickens. I try to focus on my breathing, to force my panic and fear back down, but I only start to breathe harder. It feels like the air around me is being sucked away.
Something warm suddenly touches my shoulder and I jump but I can't bring myself to move and look at it. It nudges my shoulder again and even starts to nuzzle it. I look behind me and see a bright red light there, slowly changing into a wolf like the others. It opens its eyes to reveal slightly darker red wisp moving from them. Though it doesn't have a mouth like the others, I can tell it's happy to see me and a yip comes from its very being. It nudges my shoulder again and nuzzles my face. Its body gave off such a comforting warmth, I reach out to pet it and it doesn't flinch away, and meets my touch.
The wolf begins jumping around; excited over something I had no idea about. It pushes its muzzle under my arm and tries to help me up. I feel its warmth giving me courage to stand and I successfully make it on my feet. I look down in shock, surprised that I was actually able to stand. Turning to the wolf, I smile a genuine smile, "Thank you." It runs around me a bit more, a red trail of smoke follows behind each step. It then runs off behind me, yipping excitedly. My gaze follows to see it running towards a bright light, the bright light of my home. I look behind me at the other wolves behind me. "Can they really take care of themselves?" The red wolf runs up to me and barks happily, nudging my arm and tugging on my dress. I gaze down at it and it looks up at me with hopeful eyes. My smile grows, "You're right. They can handle themselves. I have to trust them…" The wolf begins tugging on my dress again and runs off to the light. Laughing, I run into the waiting light, joining the all too familiar wolf.
Yawning, I stretch in my bed. I lay unmoving staring at nothing, a grin plastered on my face. Hurriedly, I get out of bed and start to get dress. That dream filled me with such a strong sense of happiness; I must have been smiling in my sleep the whole time. The smile doesn't die as I rush out the door the second I'm fully dressed. I walk down the halls with a bounce in my step, smile still on my face. Carefully, I down the grand steps of the main hall and head off toward the kitchen. I come up to the living room, STARISH already gathered there on the couch and chairs. "Good morning!" They don't seem to hear me, and I quickly walk up to them. The atmosphere of the room hits me head on. Something didn't seem right and my smile drops instantly.
Ren and Masato were both standing off to the side, both scowling at nothing in particular. Syo was sitting in his usual one person chair, arms folded and a frown on his face. Natsuki stood close by him, frowning just the same as Syo. Cecil and Tokiya were sitting on the couch, Otoya sitting between the two. Though Cecil and Tokiya both seemed worried, Otoya looked scared as his eyes were wide open and staring at the empty place in front of him. I was about to say something until I noticed the blood soaked bandages around Otoya's arm, his hand was grasping it tightly and shaking heavily. My eyes go wide and for the third time, the world froze all around me. It was in this moment that I felt a sudden disgusting feeling wash over me; dread.
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