Serial Experiments Lain: Shadows Chapter II As she walks through the cluttered halls of the now buisy school, Lain passes a number of students who are changing clothes, preparing for club activities and sports, or just socializing with friends about what to do during the weekend. Pain still lingers in her head from the previous bout with her "shadows". As she walks through the halls, she can start to feel another headache dawning upon her, then suddenly she feels sharp pains in her temples, and everything begins to get hazy and the people start to look like the shadows in her dreams. Slowly, Lain can see that one shadow, the one unique one that tormented her earlier today. The headache is unblearable, and in a scream of pain, Lain collapses and blacks out.
When Lain comes too, she looks around and all she can see are white walls, a single window, and a curtain. But at her bedside is this girl, still kinda hazy and fatigued from fainting, Lain mumbles "A...r...u?" while looking at a girl asleep in a chair next too the bed. Most of what she says is completly inaudible. The girl suddenly wakes up, its the girl who approached Lain in class. Startled at Lains sudden movements, the girl looks at her and begins to talk, "Lain, are you alright?". Still lightheaded, Lain exclaims quietly, "I'm,... I'm fine"
"Really, That's such a relief. You just collapsed, I was so nervous, I didn't know what to do, so I grabbed you and rushed you to the infirmary... Are you sure you're ok? Wan't me to go get the nurse or get you anything"
"No, I'm fine,... really"
"Ok. Do you know what happened to you"
"Not really,.. it happens a lot, usually not that bad, but I get these... headaches... and people start to seem, hazy, like shadows"
"Wow, thats serious, maybe we should take you to a hospital to get you checked out"
"No, I'm fine, seriously"
"Im just worried about you"
"Why"
"I don't know, I just feel a connection to you... I know it must seem strange but, I don't know, its wierd, I can't really explain it"
"I see... um, this may seem inconsiderate, but I don't know your name"
"Oh, really... ha ha ha, don't worry about it. My name is &"
"What? I couldn't hear that"
"I said & Arisu"
"Arisu"
"... I,... I didn't say Arisu... I said Hitomi, but,.. how'd you know to call me that? That's my middle name, only my mother calles me that, I was named after my grandmother"
"I thought... I thought you said Arisu,... I could have sworn you said that... But I like it, its somewhat, nostalgic. Of what, I don't know, well, its actually I don't remember,... I don't remember much past a year ago"
"Really? Wow... I didn't know that, well, I don't know much about you. Nobody does, you're a complete mistery to the entire school. You are always such a loner"
"Most people don't interest me, so I keep to myself"
"Oh, well, about your memory, what do you remember"
"Well, my earliest memory is of waking up in my small dark apartment to an alarm. I walked around and saw a note on the table, with a wallet holding money, and I.D. that states what I think is my name, and a note saying,
'Lain,
Im sorry I had to leave on such notice, I've left your stuff on the table with some money. I don't know how long I'll be gone for, so I'll send money every week along with paying the rent for you, so you don't have to worry about the exspenses. Stay safe, keep healthy, and eat something, I'm always worried about how thin you are.
Love maKi P.S. Don't forget, you have school starting tomorrow, its your first day, so try to make a good impression with the class. Good Luck'
That was all it said. I don't remember where I was before that apartment, how I got there, and who that maKi was. Alont with that note, in the apartment was my uniform, bag, a custom navi, and a portable navi, the red one you saw me on earlier. For some reason I've always been drawn to the Wired, I also seem to be very proficcient on Navis, its probably the only thing that draws my attention"
"... Wow, that's really, obscure,... I can't fathom how you can really go on without your memories... Has this maKi-sama ever returned"
"No, I just keep getting money in the mail, every week, same day, sunday"
"$$$$E$"
Just as Hitomi was about to say something else, she turned into a shadow, and spouted more of that inaudible screeching, as the screeching continued, the world around her seemed transform into static. At that exact moment, another headache dawned upon Lain, the most severe of them all, it was the most painful experience Lain had ever gone through. After about 10 seconds, she fainted, and as she blacked out, Lain could hear Hitomi calling her name, it seemed as if Hitomi was miles away, calling after her. The darkness of her dreams followed shortly.