Ever since I was little, I've been able to see the monsters.
Despite the deafening wind, and the roar of traffic below, that particular phrase rang ten times louder in my head. It drowned out the buzzing chattering of pedestrians on the sidewalk, muffled the screeching noise of jet planes, and muted the clicking of my shoes against the freezing concrete of the half-built skyscraper.
Though I was hundreds of feet in the air, I had no reason to be afraid. Skipping across from one steel support beam to another, I danced as gracefully as a professional ballerina, my life hanging above solid pavement. Yet, despite the danger, I couldn't have felt more alive.
A gust of wind whistled through the support beams, and it seemed as if an invisible hand was slowly pushing against me, threatening to topple me to my death. Planting my feet firmly, I stood my ground, letting the silvery strands of my hair flap in the unseen gale, creating a twisting shadow against the newly-placed panels of opaque window glass.
"You sure seem confident tonight."
I kept my back towards the darkness. "Confidence is the wrong word, Yoru," I softly replied. My words were nearly ripped from my lips as the wind attempted to take my life once again. "The correct word would be something like indifference, listlessness; dissatisfaction at the direction this world is going. That," I said, turning my head slightly towards Yoru, "is what I'm feeling tonight."
"So, you're risking your life, simply because you're bored?" Yoru asked, obscured in the evening shadows.
Walking to the end of the scaffold, I sat down on the numbing metal, letting my feet dangle over the side. "This is hardly the most dangerous thing I've done," I retorted, tightening my forest-green jacket around my body. "You of all people should know that."
"I guess that's true," he replied. The soft pitter-patter of footsteps began getting closer, and I pivoted adroitly, carefully shifting to look at him.
The cat-like creature flicked his pearlescent tail as he stepped out into the silver moonlight, the pale beams of light making it appear as if his pristine fur were radiating the colors of the evening sky. He gracefully skipped over to my side, his slim body twisting like a gymnast as he sat tall at my side, his neon-blue eyes looking me over.
"You don't seem pleased to see me."
"Why are you here?" I asked, crossing my arms as I looked down at Yoru. His triangular-ears twitched in amusement as he returned my gaze, before looking out across the city. Skyscrapers towered above the busy roads below, a multitude of colored lights illuminating the many diverse buildings that made up downtown.
"An interesting place to relocate, I'll give you that," he said, his whiskers glowing luminously from the golden light shining in the black atmosphere, completely ignoring my previous question. "Of all places, you wanted to come to Japan?"
"Kyoko's stationed in Tokyo and I was hoping to talk to her," I replied. "We planned to meet up here, in Yokohama, to give our yearly report to each other."
"Ah, I see."
We didn't say anything for a bit, just stared out across the city, lost in our own little worlds. Hugging my legs, I sighed contentedly, before I stood up, careful to keep my footing.
"Let's go take a walk," I suggested, putting my hands behind my back. "It's a beautiful night, and I'd like to get associated with the city while I stay here."
"I wouldn't mind that," replied Yoru, standing upon his four legs and stretching.
Reaching into my jacket pocket, I pulled out my white, fabric eyepatch, and covered my right eye, tightening the straps until it wrapped snugly around my head. Looking across the top of the skyscrapers, I sighed as Yoru climbed upon my back, perching on my shoulder.
"Hang tight," I told him, before I took a step off the scaffold, and began to fall off the skyscraper into the empty air. For a moment, I was weightless, letting my foot fall downward, while my other foot lifted off the scaffold. Then, all at once, a rush of wind slammed against my chest as gravity pulled the rest of my weight down, and I fell towards the solid concrete below.
The rush of adrenaline was exhilarating, and for a moment, as the lights of offices and apartments streaked by, I wished I could fall forever, letting my hair fly behind me and my arms splay out like majestic wings. My body seeming like it was floating in space, all the weight on my shoulders temporarily lifted away.
But everything must eventually come to an end.
The ground flew up towards me faster than I had anticipated, but I was prepared the moment I took that leap of faith. My fall came to an extreme slow and my shoes touched the pavement with the grace of a feather landing in a puddle of crystal-clear water and my stomach fluttered. It was like I was in an elevator, just before the doors opened, when you felt a small jump as the gears clicked into place.
I eventually let gravity take control again, and I landed with a small bounce in the shadow between two buildings.
"You good Yoru?" I asked as the creature jumped off my shoulder.
"Couldn't have been better," he replied, flicking his tail. "So, any particular destination?"
"Not really," I said. "We'll just see where this nighttime stroll leads us."
Yokohama was even more beautiful as I walked through its streets. The scent of warm ramen and sukiyaki wafted through the air as I passed open restaurant doors, the spices and seasonings making my mouth water as I imagined biting into tender flour noodles or the choice cuts of beef.
Many people passed by me, a group of school girls here, a pair of businessmen there; everyone chatting together happily. Their smiles were contagious, and I couldn't help the small grin that crossed my lips.
Yoru sat at attention on my shoulder once again, but no one gave me any weird looks or dirty stares. In fact, no one seemed to acknowledge his existence.
A new sensation suddenly caught my attention, and I stopped as the aroma of cold cherries, buttery pastries, and sweet coffee overwhelmed me. Continuing my stroll, I walked twice as fast, determined to find the source of the intoxicating aroma.
A few seconds later, I stood in front of a small shop, barely noticeable in all the dazzling shops that surrounded it.
"You really do have an extreme sweet-tooth," Yoru sighed, exasperated. "But, if you're going to get anything, is there a possibility you could get me a red-velvet cupcake?"
"No problem," I replied, as a joyous smile pulled at the corners of my mouth.
I pressed my hand against the sheen, glass door and pushed it open, a merry bell chiming above me as I entered.
The shop was very humble, with only a couple of tiny tables scattered around the room. An energetic college student stood behind the display counter, perking up as I walked in.
"Hello!" he greeted cheerfully. "Welcome to Sweet Escape."
"Hi," I answered back, strolling up to the counter. Displayed in the lit glass trays were cakes and pastries, each gleaming with different kinds of frosting and toppings.
Yoru stood up on his hind legs, placing his forpaws on the glass. "Wow!" he exclaimed. "All of these look so good."
The worker, not once looking at Yoru, just grinned at me. "What can I getcha?"
"To tell you the truth, I've never been here before," I admitted. "There's just so many items, it's going to be hard to choose." I looked back at the worker. "What would you recommend?"
"Well, for a limited time only, we're currently offering this chocolatey confection," he replied, gesturing to a cake in one of the displays. Rich milk-chocolate frosting tenderly coasted the tiers, while crisp, white lines spiraled towards the top. A spray of thick, whipped cream completed the look.
"Slices are one thousand yen," he replied, smiling.
"Oh wow!" I moaned, "What a deal! I'll definitely take a slice!"
"Perfect," the worker said, ringing me up. "You just got the last slice that we made; everyone else will have to wait until tomorrow when there's another batch whipped up."
"What a shame," said a baritone voice behind me.
Startled, I whirled around to find a man standing behind me. His hands were tucked into the pockets of his wrinkled jeans, his large, dark eyes staring at the box that sat on the counter. He brushed back his messy black hair as he hunched over. "Guess I'll come back tomorrow."
I looked at his retreating form, then at the box on the counter. "Wait!" I called.
The man stopped and turned back to me. "What is it?"
"Here," I said, holding out the box, smiling. "You can have it. I'll just order something else."
"There's no need for that," the man said, though his eyes kept flicking back to the boxed cake. "I can just come back tomorrow. It's no big deal."
"It's okay," I replied, smiling. "I really don't mind."
Gently shoving the box into his pale hands, I turned back to the counter and ordered a simple red-velvet cupcake.
"The slice plus the cupcake will cost you fifteen hundred yen," the worker told me.
"I could pay you back if you want," the man said, as I dug out my money out of my pocket.
"That's alright," I shrugged, giving the cashier my money. "Consider it my treat."
Snatching up the change, I made my leave, skipping out the door, with the plastic bag swinging from the crook of my arm while Yoru trotted behind.
"Hey, Miss."
"Yes?" I turned back to the man, who now stood beside me on the street.
"Thank you," he said quietly, as a glossy limousine pulled up next to him. I blinked, taking a double take when I saw the car.
"It's no problem," I replied, watching as an old man stepped out of the driver's seat and opened the door for the stranger. "Enjoy the cake."
The man nodded before climbing back into the car. We connected eyes for only a moment before the door swung shut. The old chauffeur looked at me for a moment, adjusted his glasses, then got back in the driver's seat, shutting the door behind him. The tinted glass obscured my vision to the two, but I could feel both of their eyes on me.
"How weird," I muttered, before continuing down the street.
"Hardly," said Yoru, jumping back on my shoulder. "The weirdest thing is why you'd give up your treat to a complete stranger. I'll never understand you humans."
"And I'll never understand you Ikigamis," I replied, smirking. "Let's just leave it at that."
"Fair enough." Yoru sassily flicked his tail. "Can we sit down somewhere? I can smell that cupcake from here, and I can't take it anymore.
"Okay," I replied with a small laugh.
As I walked along the well-lit streets, I gazed upwards at the flashing advertisements and TV screens that lined the tall buildings, humming thoughtfully.
Because of my lack of attention, I tripped over my own feet and I bumped into someone, crashing hard to the ground.
"Oh my, I'm so sorry!" I stuttered, as I brushed back my hair. Yoru stood next to me, snickering and I shot him a dirty look.
"No, please, don't apologize," said a kind voice. I looked up to see a young man's hand extended to me. "It was also kinda my fault; I was reading, and wasn't really paying attention to where I was going."
I grabbed the young man's hand, which seemed surprisingly warm to the touch, despite the cold wind that whistled through the streets.
"Are you okay?" he asked, as he helped me up.
"Yep," I replied, brushing off my jacket. "Are you?"
"Yeah," he said, sweeping back his light brown hair. "Sorry about that."
"No problem." I flashed him a smile, which he returned. Bending down, I picked up my plastic bag, along with a small book that had fallen from the student's hand.
"An Introduction to Forensics," I read, flipping through the pages. I grinned up at the guy. "You planning on becoming a police officer?"
"Yes, I am," the student said, as I placed the book in his hands.
"Hm," I looked at him thoughtfully. "Why do you plan on being a police officer?"
"My father's a police officer. I find the workforce very honorable."
"Yeah," I replied. "This world is pretty rotten, in my opinion."
"That's my opinion too," the young man agreed, a kind smile plastered onto his face. Quietly, as if to himself, he grunted out a few words, "Something needs to change."
The student looked at me as if he forgot I was here, shaking his head as he continued. "Sorry," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm ranting, aren't I?"
"No, you're okay." I smiled at him.
"Anyway, I'd better get going. I have cram school, and can't hang around long."
"Oh, no worries," I said, waving my hands. "Have fun with that."
The young man sighed. "As if anything about school is fun." He adjusted the bag that hung from his shoulders, bowed to me, and headed down the street.
Before the young man could be obscured from the crowd, I slid my eyepatch down so my eye was uncovered. Above his head, in white letters with a crimson glow around them, I read the name:
I.
A series of numbers bobbed below the name, but those didn't matter to me.
With a satisfied nod, I covered my eye again, and continued to walk down the street with a smile on my lips, Yoru walking behind me, invisible to everyone in the world except me.
That's right.
Ever since I was little, I've been able to see the monsters. Whether they would be friend or foe, large or small, good or evil, I could see them.
My parents, therapists, and the social workers never believed me, and, honestly, I don't blame them. Imaginary friends are very common among children. However, these definitely weren't imaginary.
Shinigamis and Ikagimis aren't imaginary.
Hi guys! Oria Nightshade here. I'd just like to apologize first of all for the super late update. If only school wasn't a thing. The second thing I want to apologize for is for rewriting this story for the third time. Once again, I didn't feel super confident that I was giving you the best story that I could. So, I rewrote it. There are going to be a LOT more scenes, more details, and it's just going to be an overall better story.
Thank you for understanding!
Chapter Music:
Prelude to Act 1: watch?v=FXakcMAZpBM
Special thanks to my editors: Juniper Jellyfish Studios and Kieran Elliott