62 - Vignette- Week 3 Day 7

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No Turning Back

The sense of foreboding grows on him as they walk along the path. The walls surrounding them are filled with graffiti and Neku feels the creativity that was put into the work flowing out at him. He doesn't know if that makes any sense, but that's the only way he can describe it.

Beat is ten paces ahead of him, looking tense. They may have beaten Konishi, but Rhyme hasn't turned back to normal yet, so it's no surprise that he's still worried.

Shiki's walking beside him, not looking like she's completely up to speed with what they're doing, but like she's prepared for the worse, nevertheless.

Neku sees that she's taken out her phone again.

He hopes she's only looking at the picture as a sign of reassurance and that the two weeks that she had been out of action has not made her forget that she would be herself. She catches him watching and smiles. "Guys, mind if we take a quick pit stop?"

Neku halts immediately, but Beat needs to be called on three times before he stops walking. He leans against the wall, crossed armed, indicating that he knows that they're taking a break, but his eyes are still shifting around restlessly.

"…Are you alright?" He asks her. Maybe being brought back into existence from apparently nowhere had side effects on her body. "If your body's too tired maybe you should stay here. We don't know what's waiting up ahead, and it could be dangerous."

Instead of answering his question, Shiki seems to take a closer look at him, her – or more technically, Eri's – brown eyes meeting his own blue ones.

Her gaze is intense and Neku feels like looking away, but he doesn't.

"I really have missed a lot, haven't I?" She drops her eyes down to the plush cat she is holding. "I can't imagine you asking me that question two weeks ago."

Neku wants to open his mouth to argue, but he knows that she's right and nods. "I think when they took you for my..." He pauses and the words 'entry fee' fill the space between. "…When I got my memory back, I remembered why I pushed people away and for a moment, I wished that my memories had stayed forgotten. Along the way, I realized that I can't keep living like that…I don't want to lose anymore people but I can't just avoid them all."

He can tell that Shiki is holding back the urge to ask what he remembered and he's grateful for it. There's a time and place for that, and now isn't it.

"That's good to hear," Shiki says and hands him her phone.

He raises an eyebrow in confusion.

"…It's to put your number in. You know, for when we get back to the real ground." Shiki uses 'when', not 'if'. "I don't want to lose you either."

Neku smiles behind his collar. He thinks that even if Shiki doesn't see it, she understands, because she smiles back at him.

They know that their moment of reprise has finished, because Beat walks up to them, and though he is not shouting for them to move along, his expression tells them that they can't delay the end any longer.

Before they go, though, they glance at each other before holding both their phones out to Beat, telling him to put his number in.

He fumbles with his phone for a moment, and almost drops it, causing Neku to roll his eyes and for Shiki to giggle behind her hand.

The three friends share one last laugh before heading continuing down the trail, eyes now only looking ahead.


A/N: Tadaa! Stitched Graffiti has 400+ Reviews! WHAT! You guys are all seriously amazing and writing this fic has been made so much more fun, since I have all of you to support me :D I know I've said this before, but thank you so, so, so much for sticking with me for all this time. You guys really are the best. And while I'm at it, thanks for all the good wishes for my exams, I've finished them now, so hopefully the luck worked!

A round of applause to the reviewers from last chapter – Xerzo LotCN, B.A.G-GOMEZ, Crow's Gamble, I'll Break Your Heart (You were no. 400, Heart-chan :'D) and ElementLegend.

Thanks again, and see you all next time!

Dina (10/6/2014)