Bara no Scarlet
Chapter 23
Questions
Ayomi awoke with a gasp. What had that just been? A dream? No, it felt too real. She looked over to see green eyes looking back at her. She blinked once, then twice. No, Anshii wasn't the girl in her dream. But the man. she knew him. He was familiar, but she just couldn't put a name to him. And yet, as quickly as she had awoken, the details within the memory of her dream were fading. By the time she sat up and gave Anshii a little smile, the second part of her dream was no more than wisps of unfinished thoughts in her head.
She rose, moving towards the dresser to collect her clothing, and smiling faintly again to Anshii, slipped out of the room and headed for the shower.
In the bathroom, she started the water warming, and slipped out of her nightgown, letting the soft white gown fall to the floor at her feet. She checked the scar in the mirror. Yes, it was still there. It hadn't faded. She'd never heard what happened to the driver of that car. Perhaps she ought to check up on that. Maybe someone in the office would know what had happened to the driver. Chairman Akio had mentioned something about the driver of the car that hit her going to a different hospital. maybe she could find out from him.
Roses. The cloying scent of roses was everywhere. Something was falling, something important. a scream. was it hers? Someone else's? A car. there was a car involved. Deja vu struck; the world swayed; she reached for something.
The porcelain of the sink was cold, and as she tried to focus her eyes, realized that the mirror was fogged up, and she blinked, frowning. When did the mirror get foggy.? I only just turned on the water.
"Ayomi? Ayomi!"
"If you're in there, answer me! Ayomi!!"
The pounding on the door was getting louder, and she wrapped a towel around herself and hastily opened the door to the bathroom, lest it be broken down, looking out. Anshii stood there, fully dressed, worry in her eyes. "Ayomi. are you all right? It's been a half an hour." Her voice trailed off as something behind Ayomi caught her attention.
Ayomi blinked. Half an hour? How very odd. She'd only paused to check the scar that the nurses said might fade. The look in Anshii's eyes made her turn to see what had rooted the other woman to the spot.
I'm inside the Gate.
The words were written in the condensation on the mirror, and as Ayomi watched, they faded as the air in the bathroom cooled. "What.? There weren't any words there before." Confused blue eyes looked to startled green ones. "Miss Anshii. I don't know what that was all about. I only just started the water, and haven't gotten in my shower, but if you give me a few minutes, I'll be right out."
The other woman nodded mutely, and as Ayomi closed the door, she wondered. Where had those words come from. and what on earth did they mean?
On the other side of the door, Anshii shook. That had looked like Utena's writing. As if Utena were trying to contact her. She walked back towards the bedroom, contemplating the ring on her finger. It was indeed Utena's ring. And Ayomi, who looked like Utena, had an imprint of a ring on her finger. Everything pointed towards a single solution. as illogical as it was. Ayomi had to be Utena, but under the control of Akio as End of the World. But how he had gained the upper hand over Utena, especially after the Rose Gate was shattered. Anshii flopped down on the bed and sighed. She was still missing too many pieces to the puzzle.
The water was warm, cascading across her shoulders and down her back. Little by little, memories filtered through, memories that she wasn't sure were from a dream or not. A face flashed before her eyes, of green eyes hidden behind glasses, a patently detached smile. That face was so familiar. while the face she saw in the mirror was less and less familiar with each passing day. Every time she looked, she saw a face that didn't seem like it should be hers. She shivered under the water, and turned the heat up a little bit more.
Anshii had almost fallen asleep on the bed when Ayomi walked in with a towel wrapped around her head. "Miss Himemiya.?"
Anshii sat up and looked over across the room at the girl. "Yes, Ayomi?"
Ayomi took a deep breath, held it, and then exhaled. "Sometimes, in my dreams, I see people and things that ought to be familiar to me. I saw something last night, and it's bothering me. Especially after those words. the ones on the mirror."
Anshii tilted her head and looked at Ayomi. "What is it, Ayomi?"
The girl looked to Anshii with wide and clear blue eyes, a panic of sorts reflected within them. "Who am I?"
To the lovely Drama Nerd: Just for you, updates every Monday. ( See how I adore my loyal readers?
Ayomi awoke with a gasp. What had that just been? A dream? No, it felt too real. She looked over to see green eyes looking back at her. She blinked once, then twice. No, Anshii wasn't the girl in her dream. But the man. she knew him. He was familiar, but she just couldn't put a name to him. And yet, as quickly as she had awoken, the details within the memory of her dream were fading. By the time she sat up and gave Anshii a little smile, the second part of her dream was no more than wisps of unfinished thoughts in her head.
She rose, moving towards the dresser to collect her clothing, and smiling faintly again to Anshii, slipped out of the room and headed for the shower.
In the bathroom, she started the water warming, and slipped out of her nightgown, letting the soft white gown fall to the floor at her feet. She checked the scar in the mirror. Yes, it was still there. It hadn't faded. She'd never heard what happened to the driver of that car. Perhaps she ought to check up on that. Maybe someone in the office would know what had happened to the driver. Chairman Akio had mentioned something about the driver of the car that hit her going to a different hospital. maybe she could find out from him.
Roses. The cloying scent of roses was everywhere. Something was falling, something important. a scream. was it hers? Someone else's? A car. there was a car involved. Deja vu struck; the world swayed; she reached for something.
The porcelain of the sink was cold, and as she tried to focus her eyes, realized that the mirror was fogged up, and she blinked, frowning. When did the mirror get foggy.? I only just turned on the water.
"Ayomi? Ayomi!"
"If you're in there, answer me! Ayomi!!"
The pounding on the door was getting louder, and she wrapped a towel around herself and hastily opened the door to the bathroom, lest it be broken down, looking out. Anshii stood there, fully dressed, worry in her eyes. "Ayomi. are you all right? It's been a half an hour." Her voice trailed off as something behind Ayomi caught her attention.
Ayomi blinked. Half an hour? How very odd. She'd only paused to check the scar that the nurses said might fade. The look in Anshii's eyes made her turn to see what had rooted the other woman to the spot.
I'm inside the Gate.
The words were written in the condensation on the mirror, and as Ayomi watched, they faded as the air in the bathroom cooled. "What.? There weren't any words there before." Confused blue eyes looked to startled green ones. "Miss Anshii. I don't know what that was all about. I only just started the water, and haven't gotten in my shower, but if you give me a few minutes, I'll be right out."
The other woman nodded mutely, and as Ayomi closed the door, she wondered. Where had those words come from. and what on earth did they mean?
On the other side of the door, Anshii shook. That had looked like Utena's writing. As if Utena were trying to contact her. She walked back towards the bedroom, contemplating the ring on her finger. It was indeed Utena's ring. And Ayomi, who looked like Utena, had an imprint of a ring on her finger. Everything pointed towards a single solution. as illogical as it was. Ayomi had to be Utena, but under the control of Akio as End of the World. But how he had gained the upper hand over Utena, especially after the Rose Gate was shattered. Anshii flopped down on the bed and sighed. She was still missing too many pieces to the puzzle.
The water was warm, cascading across her shoulders and down her back. Little by little, memories filtered through, memories that she wasn't sure were from a dream or not. A face flashed before her eyes, of green eyes hidden behind glasses, a patently detached smile. That face was so familiar. while the face she saw in the mirror was less and less familiar with each passing day. Every time she looked, she saw a face that didn't seem like it should be hers. She shivered under the water, and turned the heat up a little bit more.
Anshii had almost fallen asleep on the bed when Ayomi walked in with a towel wrapped around her head. "Miss Himemiya.?"
Anshii sat up and looked over across the room at the girl. "Yes, Ayomi?"
Ayomi took a deep breath, held it, and then exhaled. "Sometimes, in my dreams, I see people and things that ought to be familiar to me. I saw something last night, and it's bothering me. Especially after those words. the ones on the mirror."
Anshii tilted her head and looked at Ayomi. "What is it, Ayomi?"
The girl looked to Anshii with wide and clear blue eyes, a panic of sorts reflected within them. "Who am I?"
To the lovely Drama Nerd: Just for you, updates every Monday. ( See how I adore my loyal readers?