"Ever have that feeling where you're not sure if you're awake or dreaming?"
-NEO
Have you ever had moments where something just feels or sounds... off?
Like the lines between reality and fiction seem to either blend or violently separate from one another into a mess of shards and coding?
I know that what I'm saying probably doesn't make sense, and I can't blame you for probably thinking that I'm crazy, but I swear that I am 100% telling the truth about this predicament.
Everything that has happened so far is not the result of some hallucination or any of that "dream within a dream" crap... though, a part of me wishes that was the case.
However, I think I might be getting ahead of myself here, as you might not have a single clue what I'm talking about, and I don't blame you. Hell, even I'm still confused by it all, but to the best of my ability, I'll try and explain as best as I can.
First thing first, I should probably explain who I am.
You can just call me MC and I currently live alone. I am 18-years-old, and I am a third-year student at Matsubara Senior High School.
I have a childhood best friend named Sayori, and we usually walk together to school... or rather we use to. Recently, however, Sayori has been arriving late to school, and while usually, I would wait for her, nowadays I just make my way to the walkway and get to school with barely a thought as to why exactly.
I always just assumed it was because she would sleep in late and not pay any mind to the time, you know as any airhead would probably do in this kind of case.
However, as I later found out... that was not entirely the case...
The first sign that something was amiss with her started on what was supposed to be a normal day. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and I was just doing my typical routine of waking up, showering, getting dressed, and eating breakfast... though, to be honest, I wasn't feeling "normal" myself.
Before I woke up, I had a strange dream... Well, to be more honest, it was more like a nightmare.
Now, I've had plenty of weird dreams before... but this one, it was on a whole different level!
It was all incoherent to me, smudged colors were whizzing by me as I could hear someone talk to me, or at least try to talk to me, but it was all muffled.
Everything was muffled to me, not to mention my entire body felt like wet spaghetti being pulled and stretched. I opened my mouth wide to scream, opened but nothing came out.
I could feel my head getting twisted and pulled back as a strangled cry finally left my thinning throat, tears leaving my eyes as I struggled and choked against the invisible force doing this, but to no avail...
A buzzing erupted in my ears and before I knew it, I woke up sprawled out on the floor with half the blanket falling with me. Breathing heavily, I looked up at my ceiling, my heart pounding erratically in my chest as sweat dripped down from my forehead.
My throat felt dry as I lifted myself. From the small pile of clothes that lay in a small corner, to the posters strewn about my wall as well as my gaming console, everything looked and seemed normal.
Clearing my throat, I ran my fingers through my hair as I stumbled for a bit, my stomach was doing flip-flops as I tried to calm down. I carefully made my way outside into the hallway towards the bathroom as I turned on the light and stared into the mirror.
Amidst my slightly bloodshot eyes and pale skin, everything was present on me. Coughing slightly, I relaxed a bit, my rapid heart slowing down to a steady beat as I ran my fingers through my hair.
A few seconds passed, and I managed to find myself back to normal as I turned on the sink faucet, running my hands through the cold water before splashing it on my face in the hopes of waking myself up further. A jolt ran through my body and mind as I looked in the mirror again, the pink of my skin returning as I turned off the water and rubbed my eyes.
Everything was returning to normal as I stood in place, mind racing. A mixture of slight exhaustion and nausea sweeping through me, the urge to just crawl back under the covers and sleep the whole nightmare experience away growing more interesting to me... but I couldn't.
I had school today, and there was no way I was going to play hooky, so I pushed that plan off to the side, waiting till tonight to catch up on some much-needed rest. One shower and a small breakfast later, I was feeling slightly better as I made my way outside and started heading towards the crosswalk.
During the small trek, I did pause a bit as I took in Sayori's house, the blinds to her bedroom closed. I sighed as I held on to the strap of my backpack tightly, turning away as I slowly began my trek once more.
One part of me did want to knock on the door and get Sayori up and ready, but ultimately, I quickly changed my mind... as I always did. 'If Sayori wanted to sleep in, then so be it. It's not like you're her babysitter', I tried rationalizing, though... that sounded harsh as I stopped.
Tapping my foot, I tried ignoring the small pit forming in my stomach as the light changed, but before I could take a step, the unmistakable sound of someone calling my name rang through the quiet morning air.
"Heyyyyy, MC! MC, wait for me!"
Without even turning my head, I closed my eyes and let out a sigh, waiting for Sayori to catch up to me. Soon, I could feel her body next to mine as she breathed in and out, trying to catch her breath as she breathlessly gave out several thank yous.
I opened my eyes as I turned to give Sayori a sarcastic remark... however, my voice got caught in my throat as I stumbled backwards, my eyes widen from fear.
"MC? MC! Hey, MC! What's wrong?!" she asked, her voice sounding concerned for me, but her body said the complete opposite.
She was wearing a button-up sleep shirt and red shorts, a piece of rope hanging limply around her pale-colored neck. Her blood-coated fingers were clasped together out of worry as she stared at me, her eyes cold and blank as a speck of drool traveled from her mouth down her equally dead skin.
I rapidly began rubbing my eyes, a dull ache resonating from them as I slowly opened my eyes once more. Sayori was still standing in front of me, but now she was wearing her school uniform as her eyes and skin shone once more with life.
"MC? Are you ok?" Sayori asked me again, her voice worried as I cleared my throat and nodded, a small bead of sweat dripping down my forehead as I wiped it away.
"Y-yeah... I'm f-fine. I-I just thought- I mean, I-I just... I-It's nothing. I guess I'm just tired is all," I finally said to her, turning away as I began walking.
"Tired? Wait, were you up all night playing video games again," She asked me, sounding exasperated as she caught up with me.
"No, n-nothing like that... I mean, I just didn't get enough sleep, that's all," I replied to her as we continued.
"Because you were playing video games late into the evening, I bet!"
"No! I went to sleep early, honest! I just... I just..." I started to say, trailing off. Sayori took note of my hesitation, her face softening as she placed a hand on my shoulder.
"MC, if you're not feeling well, maybe you should head back home and get some rest. I'll explain to the teachers what's going on," she said, giving me a gentle smile.
"N-no... I'm fine Sayori. I can get through the day..." I said, trying my best to sound positive and focused as we reached the school gate. Other students were already making their way inside, and thus, Sayori and I quickly joined them.
"Are you sure MC?" She now whispered to me, trying not to draw anyone's attention. I just nodded, wanted to end the conversation right there, and not think about anything else related.
She seemed to have taken the hint, and thus, our conversation was put on a brief pause as the school day officially began and we needed to focus on the lessons that laid ahead of us...
Or, at least that's what I tried to do.
Throughout the entire day, no matter what was being discussed, I just couldn't concentrate as Sayori's appearance repeated in my mind, the teacher's voice becoming background noise to me. I looked down at my desk for one second and before I knew it, the day was over.
I found myself back into reality as I took notice of the lack of noise from the other students and teacher, the classroom empty. Rubbing my eyes, I slowly got up and grabbed my bag, my mind feeling foggy.
I felt dizzy.
I just wanted to go home and sleep this whole week away.
Why was I so exhausted all of the sudden?
I put a hand to my head, feeling a headache come on over me as my legs stumbled forward. I could feel my side bump against one of the desks, but I paid no mind.
Looking down, I gasped as the floor seemed to weave... or rather, glitch in and out, causing myself to suddenly fall forward and lose my balance. Just before I hit the ground, I felt a pair of hands quickly grab me and hold on to me tightly as my vision blurred and twisted before settling down as everything finally fell back into its normal position.
I looked up and twisted my head as a set of blue eyes furrowed in concern. It took a while for me to realize that it was Sayori who helped me, her mouth moving rapidly as my ears ringed violently.
"H-huh? W-what are you saying Sayori?" I mumbled out, my mouth feeling like cotton.
"...M... Are... What..." Sayori's voice came in and out to me as the ringing slowly started to subside for me, and eventually, I could feel things starting to shift and turn back to normal.
"I...was... asking if you... were ok, MC?! I came in here to check on you after you didn't come out of the classroom, and you nearly collapsed!" Sayori explained to me, voice now becoming clearer to me as she gently helped me up.
My stomach was doing flip-flops as I processed her question. Everything was still a fog to me as I felt myself being sat down in one of the empty school chairs.
"The floor..." I quietly said as I held my head tightly.
"The what? What about the floor?" Sayori asked me, directing my head to face her as I pointed towards the floor.
"The floor... The floor was glitching Sayori! D-Didn't you see it?" I asked her, still pointing as I looked into her eyes.
Sayori looked at me in confusion before shaking her head. "N-No... I didn't. Also, by "glitching" do you mean what happens to a computer? Cause I don't think something like that can happen in real life-"
"But it did!" I yelled out, interrupting her as I shot up, causing her to flinch slightly. I hissed in pain as I felt another headache come over me, forcing me to sit back down as I rubbed at the spot.
"MC... Are you sure you aren't just tired?" Sayori asked quietly, breaking the small space of silence that fell over us. I looked at her, not having the strength to even argue with her as I sighed.
"I... I'm not tired Sayori! I... I don't know what's going on with me today..." I admitted to her, looking out towards the window. From my peripheral vision, I could see her get up and walk towards me as she placed a hand on my shoulder.
"MC..." She started to say to me, causing me to turn towards her "I know I probably sound like a broken record at this point, but I really think I need to take you home so you can get some rest! Maybe once you feel well-rested, whatever is happening to you will end!" "And," she started to say, taking note of me about to argue with her, "if you still feel that you don't, well I apologize in advance but I will drag you home and tie you to your bed if I have to."
I quickly shut my mouth tightly as I looked at Sayori with widened eyes, her face remaining unchanged as she looked back at me with her arms crossed.
"Y-you're joking, right Sayori? You wouldn't actually do-"
"Yes. Yes, I would MC. I care about you so much that I will do something like that, so MC... Please make the right decision."
It was silent again. I rubbed the back of my neck as I let out a sigh.
"...I-I see... If that's the case, then I'll head home just to keep you from doing something potentially risky. So please, no need to tie me up like cattle," I said, putting my hands up in defeat as she gave off a big smile.
"Good. Would you like me to walk you home?" Sayori asked as if she hadn't just threatened me nor heard me ramble early on in this conversation.
"No, that's ok. I-I can get home myself... but thanks anyway," I replied, getting up as I grabbed my bag and swung it over my shoulder.
Sayori got up as well and followed close behind me as we made our way out of the classroom and into the hallway. As she started to walk ahead of me to where the main doors were, I found myself looking back down towards the floor for any more "glitches" to occur, even if a part of me was trying to persuade me that it was all in my head and nothing more.
Unfortunately, I guess I either wasn't paying much attention as the next thing I knew, I let out a loud "OOMF!" as I fell back onto my butt, wincing slightly from the pain.
"HEY! Why don't you watch where you're going?!" A voice shouted at me as I felt my shirt get grabbed and my head jerk forward. My eyes were instantly greeted with pink as a small girl glared daggers into me, her pink pastel hair seeming to stick up in aggravation as she gripped my collar tightly.
Any thoughts about what had just happened and what I just saw were temporarily forgotten as I looked at her, mouth gaping open as I struggled to think of what to say.
"Well?! Aren't you going to apologize?! Or are you just gonna sit there with your mouth open?!" She angrily asked me.
"I-I'm sorry?! I didn't mean to bump into you... I just didn't see you there, honest!" I tried explaining to her, holding my hands in front of me. The girl scowled me as she gripped tighter, but thankfully, my savior came in the form of footsteps coming from behind me.
"MC!" Sayori's voice called out to me as I could hear her footsteps coming from behind me. "MC, what happened? You just vanished out of thin air for me! I almost thought you were... Natsuki? What are you doing?"
The girl, now known to me as Natsuki, looked up as she let me go with a huff. Getting up, I watched her brush dirt off her skirt and socks as she put her hands on her hips, looking towards where Sayori stood behind me.
"What was I doing? Well for starters, what were you doing," she asked, pointing at her with a scowl. "You were taking so long to come to the clubroom that we thought something bad happened to you!" Natsuki shouted, giving Sayori a scolding look.
As I slowly got up, I turned to take note of the sheepish look on Sayori's face as she twiddled her fingers together and gave a sheepish laugh in response.
"A-Ah.. well, w-what I was doing was really important Natsuki, I swear! I was getting us another member to join our club, b-but my friend MC," she said, pointing towards me, "He wasn't feeling well, so I was leading him back to the school entrance so he can go home and rest."
Natsuki turned towards me, a cold glare on her face. "Please tell me it wasn't going to be him, right," she asked, jabbing her thumb towards me as Sayori looked away, giving a sheepish nod in return.
"I-I mean, I figured that you wouldn't mind..." Sayori responded as she began shrinking in on herself.
"God Sayori, I know Monika said that we need more members... but I doubt this guy here is exactly Literature Club material," Natsuki responded, ignoring my indignant cry of "hey!" as she crossed her arms.
"Aw, come on Natsuki! You just have to get to know him better, honest! I-I mean yeah, he can be a bit lazy and sarcastic, and sometimes he has a habit of speaking with food in his mouth as well as"
"Sayori. Please, stop," I called to her, feeling a bit embarrassed. Sayori paused as she rubbed the back of her head, giving me a small "sorry" in response.
"M-my point is, Natsuki if you just give him a chance, I feel that he'll be a valuable member! You'll love him, and so will Yuri and Monika... of course, maybe not today as he was just heading home, but maybe tomorrow!"
"Heh, I doubt that," Natsuki said, scoffing. "If what you said about him is true, then there isn't any point. The club involves everyone working together and playing an important role... and from what this guy sounds and looks, he's obviously not worth it."
I was feeling myself getting a bit annoyed at what Natsuki was saying here.
Who did she think she was, judging me like that?
...I mean, technically Sayori was right about those little details, but still!
Natsuki didn't know me well enough, so she shouldn't just make assumptions like that! Especially when I'm standing right here!
What does she know? I could be helpful if I wanted to!
"Actually Natsuki," I started to say, causing both girls to turn towards me, "I believe that I may be able to prove you wrong-I mean, prove my worth to you. In fact, how about I come and check it out for myself? If I'm interested, I'll come back tomorrow and show just how much of a team player I am... which would mean, you'll have to take back what you said," I finished, ignoring Sayori's look of disbelief as Natsuki gave me a small smirk.
"Hmph, sure you will. But, I thought you weren't feeling well..." she responded, giving me a fake sympathetic smile.
"He isn't," Sayori responded, going to grab my arm. "In fact, he should have been home already so that he can rest up-"
"No no no, that can wait Sayori. Right now, I'm feeling just a bit interested so why don't we go and check it out?" I asked, giving Natsuki a smirk as she just rolled her eyes.
Sayori puffed her cheeks out in annoyance as Natsuki turned on her heel and looked over, causing me to blink and feel my heart seize up.
Once more, that same fear that greeted me with Sayori was present as I took in Natsuki's appearance. Her neck... it was bad enough implying Sayori's state earlier in the day, but Natsuki's was just as sickening. It was bent off to the side, her face blank as her lips, or whatever those things that were flapping and moving around were, started speaking in an unintelligible language.
I rubbed my eyes just like before and suddenly, Natsuki was back to normal as she looked at me with an annoyed look.
"Well?" She asked.
"W-well what?" I asked back, scratching my head as Natsuki scoffed and put her hand to her forehead.
"Seriously?! Were you not paying attention to what I was saying at all?! God, you must also have cotton in your ears or something if you can't pay attention! Geez, and here I was offering to bake you a cupcake if you come back tomorrow!"
"Wait, you'll bake me a cupcake? And all I have to do is come back tomorrow?" I asked, my mouth slightly watering as I pushed back what I saw into the depths of my mind.
"Hmph, only if you prove yourself! So how about we stop wasting time, and let's head back to the classroom so we get this over with!"
With a huff, Natsuki walked forward as Sayori and I followed her. I could feel Sayori's eyes looking towards me, but I paid it no mind.
There was a goal in mind and right now, I feel that attending this aforementioned literature club might help in distracting me from whatever was going on...
Hopefully.