05/12/21 - Updated a few details! Nothing drastic though! Enjoy the read, fellow readers!
"Hey! Everything alright there...? You've been quiet for awhile..."
"..."
Anything I say wouldn't get Shinozaki to budge. She just kept...trembling. Not even allowing herself to show her face to me. She was hiding herself like if something was out to get her. So much so she couldn't lift her head to see me. Even her trembling gotten violently worse after I spoke again.
(Yoshiki): "Okay! You're worrying me like hell! You gotta tell me what's on your mind!"
(Ayumi): "..."
What is it that you're not telling me?
What is it Shinozaki...?
Why can't you just talk to me?
But then...I remembered.
Remembered the reaction she had before we first step foot into all this.
Wait...it's just like earlier... isn't it?
Could it really be that again?
But those thoughts didn't last once I caught Shinozaki moving. This time, on her knees with her head raised up. Hands still pressed into her face. Though, she had difficulty keeping still, as she was trying to...prevent me from seeing something.
But that didn't last... until I saw those cold tears began tracing down to her chin. To her uniform, being soaked.
(Yoshiki): "Shinozaki...?"
I called her name, and in return... her weak, brittle voice knotted my chest. Causing me to jerk in physical pain.
(Ayumi): "*Sniffles* This is...This is all my fault...!"
What is she...?
(Ayumi): "If it weren't for me... we wouldn't be here right now...!"
(Yoshiki): "What? No! That's wrong! The way this night has turned out has nothing to do with you!"
(Ayumi): "But...But we're here...because...because of...!"
(Yoshiki): "Not because of you! Because of the killer! He's the asshole who's trying to kill us!"
(Ayumi): "...*Sniffles*"
(Yoshiki): "We're in this mess because of him! You hear me? None of this is your fault, Shinozaki! So please... don't cry..."
My words were still not enough. Shinozaki just kept shaking her head to herself. Still trembling in fear. Which had me recollect my older thoughts that I began pursuing an entirely different matter.
(Yoshiki): "But you're not telling me everything... are you?"
(Ayumi): "..."
Shinozaki then suddenly jolted. Froze in place as her palms were glued to the floor.
(Yoshiki): "I know there's something else you're not telling me."
Next second, Shinozaki raised herself up, wiped her tears, then sat with her back against the wall. Head hanging and her arms over her knees.
(Yoshiki): "And if I had to guess... you've been hearing more strange things. Haven't you?"
She turned her attention away. Tugging on her sleeves while stuttering in a small voice.
(Ayumi): "...It's...It's nothing."
Though, my frustrations were slowly coming out. Mixed in with all the pain from seeing her...hearing her like this.
(Yoshiki): "You don't have to keep things to yourself... I'm right here! You can tell me anything!"
(Ayumi): "It's nothing... *Sniffles*"
(Yoshiki): "Shinozaki! Please cut the bullshit. And just let me help you!"
Shinozaki then shook her head more. Letting out a heavy sigh, as she came off as annoyed as I am. But with terror resting inside her.
(Ayumi): "...It's not worth getting into. Okay...?"
(Yoshiki): "Not worth getting into? Are you fucking kidding...? Look at you! You're terrified out of your own damn mind! Literally...crying! And you don't think me seeing you like this doesn't bother me at all? You think I'm just fine with you like this...?"
(Ayumi): "..."
Calm down, man...
(Yoshiki): "Look... I'm sorry if I'm getting... a bit upset right now. Shit's been crazy for us! But if we wanna move past this night, you gotta get it off your chest! Otherwise, you're just stressing yourself out... and worrying me to death...!"
(Ayumi): "..."
(Yoshiki): "I mean, I can't help you if you don't help me! So please... talk to me!"
Shinozaki's fear continued clutching at her throat. As her blank answers were now rupturing my eardrums. Making me more desperate... Desperate enough that I was ready to shout at the walls. Ready to...grab the nearest shard of glass so I could crush it in my hands. For anything to stop this.
That's until...she stopped trembling...
(Yoshiki): "Shinozaki?"
Immediately after calling her name, she lifted her head. Speaking in a voice filled with numb and shock.
(Ayumi): "She's here..."
It's not the answer I had been hoping for. But now knowing the problem made things a bit better.
(Yoshiki): "Her again...?"
Shinozaki nodded to herself.
(Ayumi): "Y-Yeah...! She's...She's here now... Somewhere inside this building...!"
I looked at the door. Trying to listen for sound. However, all I could hear were the sounds of Shinozaki's gasping.
(Ayumi): "Y-You still can't hear her... can you...?"
(Yoshiki): "..."
Should I tell her?
This was the perfect opportunity to bring up what I've also heard. Though, it wouldn't make our night any better by scaring her. I couldn't do that to her. Not now. Since some things are just not meant to be said. For the greater good.
(Yoshiki): "No. But if you hear something, you hear something... and the best thing for us to do is to ignore it."
(Ayumi): "...Ignore it?"
(Yoshiki): "Yeah... I know it won't be easy doing so... but there's no reason to let it win over you! Not when I'm around! Hell! I'll even scream at the voices to make them stop! Uhh, well... Scream at them as quietly as I can!"
(Ayumi): "But I'll still be hearing her..."
(Yoshiki): "Unless we leave."
(Ayumi): "...? Leave?"
(Yoshiki): "Yeah! There's no point in searching here anymore if we haven't found anything useful. And clearly, being here more longer won't make our situation any better. So it's about time we leave this hell hole behind us! Run for the hills and find our way back home!"
(Ayumi): "What if we get lost?..."
(Yoshiki): "We'll find a way!"
(Ayumi): "..."
Shinozaki was still hesitant.
(Ayumi): "You really think we can get out of this...?"
(Yoshiki): "Hell yeah! We've made it this far! Haven't we?"
(Ayumi): "We have... but..."
(Yoshiki): "Yeah?"
(Ayumi): "I...I feel so out of it, Kishinuma... I don't think I can get very far... by myself..."
(Yoshiki): "Well! Guess what?"
With that being said, I reached out for her hand. As this brought every bit of Shinozaki's attention.
(Ayumi): "...?"
(Yoshiki): "I won't let you give up, Shinozaki! If I have to, I'll carry you out of this place myself!"
It took a second to realize what I said may have been out of line... Once I saw Shinozaki's enlarged pupils. Reflecting back with pure awe. Redirected at my eyes.
(Yoshiki): "Well, uhhhh... That's if you don't mind me carrying you! I could always just drag you!"
(Ayumi): "..."
Great! I'm making this awkward again!
Can I be anymore retarded?
It gotten so quiet that I expected for Shinozaki to just humiliate me or get angry or something. But instead of doing any of that..she just...kept staring back at me in silence. Giving me a look of a thousand thoughts. Though, her stare wasn't very long as she darted her eyes across the room. And a soft voice gently brushing my heart.
(Ayumi): "Make sure you don't drop me along the way..."
(Yoshiki): "...?"
What I just heard couldn't be real... But once I saw that soft, gentle smile forming on her face, and felt my heart racing... that's when I knew I wasn't the only one who's just feeling it. Even her too.
(Ayumi): "I don't want to fall and get hurt because of a clumsy idiot...! I'm pretty sensitive to pain, you know?"
Now I couldn't stop smiling. Almost laughed out loud too.
(Yoshiki): "Then you're in luck! Because I...Haha! I understand your pain!"
(Ayumi): "Good one... Heehee...!"
(Yoshiki): "Hahaha...!"
Things are really getting better between us...
...
Huh?
But then...I caught her blushing. With a change of personality in her voice.
(Ayumi): "Hmm... Guess I feel a lot better now...!"
Holy crap...
She's really adorable like this!
(Ayumi): "Umm... I'm ready to leave...!"
(Yoshiki): "Alright! Then let's go! Let's get the hell out of this place!"
(Ayumi): "Heh! Yeah!"
Soon enough, Shinozaki began reaching for my hand.
(Yoshiki): "...?"
But as she was near to grabbing me, she suddenly...stopped. Before we could make contact.
(Yoshiki): "Shinozaki...?"
(Ayumi): "...!"
Then what followed was a trace of pain. Shot at her face. Forcing her to pull back as she shut her eyes. With her hands covering both ears, as she began trembling much worse than before. As if... she was physically hurting.
(Yoshiki): "Hey? Hey! Hey! What's wrong?"
I held onto her shoulders, doing my best to reassure her. However, it had no effect... it's like... I was losing her.
(Ayumi): "Nnnghh!"
(Yoshiki): "Talk to me! Where are you hurting?!"
Though, the insufferable amounts of pain she was forced to suffer through didn't allow her to speak. She was in too much pain that all she could do was hold her head and hyperventilate.
(Yoshiki): "Stay with me Shinozaki! Slow breaths! Through your nose! Slow breaths! Take it easy!"
I held her closely. Moving her head near my chest. Holding her...
(Ayumi): "*Pant* *Wheeze* *Pant* *Wheeze* *Pant* *Wheeze* *Pant*"
Why the hell is she like this?!
Her breathing had only gotten worse. And I couldn't do anything... All I could do was watch.
(Yoshiki): "Shinozaki!"
Watch until... she passed out.
(Yoshiki): "No...! No! Hey! Wake up! Please! Wake up! Don't do this to me!"
(Ayumi): "..."
(Yoshiki): "Shinozaki!"
There it was again...
That feeling...
Of complete uselessness...
And all I could do was watch her... feeling her neck for...no pulse.
(Yoshiki): "What?! No! No! That can't be...!"
She was just fine a fucking moment ago!
I kept feeling, feeling... but I couldn't feel any trace of life inside her. She was motionless... lifeless... like a corpse. Going limp in my arms. Refusing to react to any movement I gave her.
(Yoshiki): "No! Dear God! Please... This isn't happening right now! This isn't fucking happening!"
I gently rocked her back and forth. Panicking as none of this changed anything.
(Yoshiki): "Please! Wake up! Wake up Shinozaki! You can't do this to me!"
What do I do?!
What the fuck do I do?!
(Yoshiki): "...!"
Quickly I lied her down flat on the floor, doing chest compressions without a second thought. Pressing in and out.
C'mon!
Wake up!
This was all I could do. Hoping what I learned in my spare time would finally pay off. But the more I compressed her chest, the more I struggled to keep up with it. My hands and arms were losing momentum for how hard I've been going. With my sore muscles losing tendons, ripping apart like rubber bands being pulled and snapped. No doubt this was worsen by the fall from earlier. But I couldn't give up, even if it hurt like hell. Shinozaki's life is worth all the pain... even... if it costed my own life. Which led me to remember what happened outside. Remembering what she did for me. As her words began repeating themselves through our memories. One of the last things that connected us...
"I'm not gonna leave you behind you idiot!"
C'mon Shinozaki! Please!
"We're in this mess together!"
Weren't we supposed to get out of this together?!
"I'm...I'm ready to move on!"
It's not your time to die!
You have a very long life ahead of you!
A long, long life!
Seconds turned into minutes. And fear was quickly becoming a bitter reality, as every attempt of saving her had failed.
(Yoshiki): "No! No! No! God no! Please! Please don't take her away from me! Not her! Please! Not her...!"
I froze up... struggling to continue on... No matter how hard I tried... Shinozaki was still not moving... not breathing... it's like I was losing everything...
(Yoshiki): "Please! Please don't give up on me, Shinozaki...! Wake up! Wake up already! Wake up!"
What the fuck am I doing wrong?!
Doesn't this save people's lives?!
However, there's one thing I haven't tried yet...
(Yoshiki): "..."
I gotta do it!
I have to!
It's the last thing I know!
I have to do this!
I adjusted her head, lifted her chin and leaned in closer. Getting ready as I stared into her parting lips, struggling to...make contact.
Forgive me, Shinozaki!
But right as I was about to go in... I felt a tight grip on my uniform.
(Yoshiki): "...!"
(Ayumi): "*Cough* *Cough*"
(Yoshiki): "Shinozaki!"
Her eyes were now opened. Meeting my gaze with life returning to her.
(Yoshiki): "Shinozaki! Thank God!"
Without hesitation, I hugged her into my arms desperately.
(Yoshiki): "Thank fucking God! I wouldn't know what I'd do if you...if you were...!"
(Ayumi): "..."
But then I realized what I was about to say... what I was doing...
Oh crap!
In an instant, I released her.
(Yoshiki): "Ah! M-My bad! You gotta be confused as hell right now! So uh, please let me explain!"
(Ayumi): "..."
I waited for her to acknowledge me, to ask what happened or lash out in anger, but...
(Yoshiki): "Hey... Are you alright? Can you hear me? Can you move...?"
(Ayumi): "..."
Shinozaki didn't say a word, but she started moving on her own, standing up while I did the same.
Something's...off.
She wasn't even staring at me or even... moving a muscle in her face. She just kept staring blankly... at nothing.
(Yoshiki): "Shinozaki...?"
Calling her name again seemed to snap her out of it. But instead of focusing on me, she turned her attention to one of the book cases, walking towards them as she began mumbling something to herself. Though, I was able to make out every word.
(Ayumi): "...I believed in you."
(Yoshiki): "...?"
(Ayumi): "Weren't you supposed to be there for me?"
(Yoshiki): "Wh-What do you mean? I'm right here! Aren't I...?"
(Ayumi): "..."
Is she actually...pissed off at me?
(Ayumi): "I really thought I could count on you."
The deep misery in her voice could be heard, convincing me that now she wanted nothing to do with me anymore.
(Yoshiki): "Shinozaki! C'mon! That's not fair...!"
(Ayumi): "..."
(Yoshiki): "There's no way I could've prevented that!"
(Ayumi): "..."
Am I... actually at fault here?
...
No, that's fucking crazy!
She has no idea what just happened!
It's nobody's fault!
(Ayumi): "I always thought you were the type to keep your promises."
(Yoshiki): "...?"
(Ayumi): "It's really embarrassing."
The way she said those things made it sound like she was intentionally mocking me, out of all people... but instead of angering me, it had me... rubbed in the wrong way. More so... confused. As my mind desperately tried to find a reasonable explanation as to why on Earth she would say those things. However, I just couldn't figure it out. Which left me staggering in dear agony...
(Yoshiki): "What the hell are you getting at...?"
(Ayumi): "..."
(Yoshiki): "If you were in my shoes, you wouldn't say the crap you're saying! But...for you to...even go there... when you don't even know what...just happened...! The fear I felt! The fear of... losing you...! That's some straight up bullshit, Shinozaki! That's really out of line...!"
(Ayumi): "..."
My anger slowly started to pick up as her words kept repeating, but at the same time, I knew I couldn't be that way. Our time was short. Anything could happen, and starting a meaningless fight wouldn't help our situation. The last thing we needed... was to lose each other.
(Yoshiki): "..."
(Ayumi): "..."
Damn it, Shinozaki...
(Ayumi): "..."
It wasn't even just the pain from her words. My body was starting to betray my soul too. All those emotional and physical pains together were making me extra vulnerable... that I could just say what's on my mind. Which... I didn't have the strength to care anymore.
Her almost dying just... made me felt numb to all the fears I once had of her ever finding out. And I just couldn't keep it to myself anymore...
If I didn't come out now, then when will I get the chance to ever do so again?
I had to say it.
Before whatever happens next.
And so, I clenched my uniform. Hesitating. Fumbling. Turning away.
(Yoshiki): "But you know what?..."
My grip got tighter. And then... it just came out.
(Yoshiki): "I'm still that dumbass who can't help but love you..."
And just like that. Sweat began trinkling down my lower back. Tickling me in the most uncomfortable way as I tried shuddering the overbearing tension off my body. Even the heat was closing in, burning me alive that my doubts were working against me like fuel being fed into a fire. It was so bad that I lost my footing with my head feeling lighter. Feeling...dizzy to my surroundings. Surrounded by a haze of anxiety with the world biting on my shoulder. Biting down hard.
No, wait...
What am I doing...?
But it was too late to backtrack. I said what I said, and the only thing I could do was move forward with it. But Shinozaki's dead silence was...making this too unbearable.
(Yoshiki): "...Didn't expect that coming from me, huh?"
From what I said, it somehow had no impact on Shinozaki. Not once she had uttered a word or even... moved.
(Yoshiki): "Shinozaki...?"
One touch on her shoulder, and yet... nothing. Well, until I realized she was trembling. With her hands being shaped into fists. Followed by a voice that struggled to be spoken in.
(Ayumi): "Stop it..."
(Yoshiki): "Stop what...? Stop what I feel?"
(Ayumi): "..."
And again, more of that stone cold silence. Although, I just told her...everything.
(Yoshiki): "That's not something I can stop, Shinozaki... these feelings...are what make me feel alive. They are the reason why I've...why I've never given up! Ever since...Ever since that day..."
Junior high began filling in my eyes. The exact moment of when Shinozaki stopped me from getting expelled. When I was close to committing a life ruining mistake.
(Yoshiki): "You know? You could've minded your own business... But instead, you came in to stop me from knocking out that jackass. Stopped me from...ruining my own life. And because of that... Because of you... I'm still in school! Still able to have an education! Still able to graduate! While I'll be able find myself more opportunities once I'm out there! And that's all because of you...!"
I shook.
(Yoshiki): "And now? After tonight? There's no way...no goddamn way I'll throw all of that out! You...You saved my life, Shinozaki...!"
(Ayumi): "..."
(Yoshiki): "So I'm not giving up on you... Even if you don't feel the same, I'll be there for you no matter what!"
(Ayumi): "..."
Why...isn't she saying anything?
Not knowing what she was thinking was the true hell. But it didn't stop me. I didn't back down.
I needed that answer.
I just needed to hear it so I could finally leave it to rest.
(Yoshiki): "C'mon... tell me! What do you think about all this? Want to at least laugh at me? Shrug it off like it's one big fat joke? Because... I'm ready for that too!"
(Ayumi): "..."
(Yoshiki): "Well...?"
Suddenly, Shinozaki lowered her head and shook herself.
(Yoshiki): "What? What is it...?"
(Ayumi): "Hnnngh...!"
She's hurting?
(Ayumi): "Haaauughhhh..."
(Yoshiki): "...? Shinozaki...?"
(Ayumi): "STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT!"
(Yoshiki): "...?!"
The unexpected rage sent me flying backwards, which had me stumbling over myself until I landed on my side. Down on the hard floor.
(Yoshiki): "Wha-What the hell...?!"
(Ayumi): "Why... Why do you have to leave me?! I thought you were different!"
(Yoshiki): "Sh-Shinozaki!?"
The way she spoke sounded like if I wasn't in the room with her... as if she was completely unaware of my existence. Going off on this wild tangent. Unrelated to anything I just said.
(Ayumi): "No... You're just like everyone else... You only care when I'm not around!"
(Yoshiki): "What the hell are you talking about?!"
(Ayumi): "You only care when I'm giving you what you want... it was never about us...!"
Before I could even pick apart what she just said, she started... convulsing in deep emotion.
(Ayumi): "Blub-blub-blub-blub!"
The hell?!
This time, I went in front of Shinozaki and held her shoulders. Maintaining the eye contact as I tried to calm her down.
(Yoshiki): "Get a grip on yourself!"
(Ayumi): "Huaaaaghhhh!"
(Yoshiki): "Shinozaki! Please... Snap out of this! Come back to me!"
Pleading with her seemed to be working... up until... I felt a sharp pain on my neck.
(Yoshiki): "Wh-Wh-Wha-?! Ahhh! What the fuck?!"
Teeth was even digging in... tearing off multiple layers of my flesh.
(Yoshiki): "Shinozaki! Ahhh! Stop! What are you doing?! Stop! Ah! Ahhh!"
With enough force, I managed to shove off Shinozaki, leaving behind this painful, exposed bite mark on my neck. Traces of her saliva, and potentially... my OWN blood, could be felt running down as I held onto the wound, panicking and losing control.
(Yoshiki): "Gahh! What the fuck is wrong with you...?!"
(Ayumi): "Mmm..."
(Yoshiki): "...?!"
Has she lost her mind?!
Am I in real danger NOW?!
(Ayumi): "...!"
Confused and terrified as I was, Shinozaki didn't realize what she had done. But instead, walked up to the door of the room, firmly pulling the slider and revealing the pitch black, dark infested hallway.
(Yoshiki): "Wh-Where are you going!"
No answer.
(Yoshiki): "Shinozaki!? Shinozaaaaki! Hey!"
It was too late. Shinozaki dashed out and vanished into the darkness. All the lit candles in the hall couldn't be seen. Every one of them all had died out for whatever reason. That all I could do was stare into the pitch black void while hearing Shinozaki's footsteps getting quieter and quieter until no more.
(Yoshiki): "Why is this happening?... This...This can't be fucking real!"
I was in complete disbelief to do anything...
I desperately wanted to believe this was all some sort of nightmare, but the aches in my body, and the stinging, pulsating bite mark growing on my neck...all these sensations were too real.
What the hell am I supposed to do?!
Damn it!
Goddamn it!
(Yoshiki): "...C'mon! C'mon! C'mon!"
Soon enough, I picked up the only lit candle in the room, taking it with me as I went after Shinozaki, searching through the overbearing darkness. Surrounded by shifting shadows.
I gotta find her!
She's gotta be heading to the entranceway!
Eventually, I traced back to the entranceway of the building.
(Yoshiki): "...!"
Though, I quickly realized the door that was once jammed shut, was no longer jammed. The moonlight was now peeking it's head in, inviting me out.
How did this get opened?
...
Did she do this?
Did she...leave?
Thinking back, that might've not been the case.
I didn't hear footsteps running down here though... or the door being pried open...
She has to still be inside this building somewhere!
Before I continued the search for Shinozaki, I looked around to find something to hold the door open. Just in case so we wouldn't be locked in again, which I came across a brick. Picked it up and placed it in between. Keeping a small gap open.
God, this is too fucking wild...
What would I even do if I find her?...
Wouldn't she attack me again?
Already, the thought of her going insane had me trembling. The more steps I taken, the more I felt like I had no chance of escaping this hellhole with Shinozaki. That hope I constantly envisioned now was crumbling away, shattered and being swallowed by the nothingness of this foreboding, dire situation. Not just that. Breathing was also becoming more difficult, like if the air wasn't reaching into my lungs. With the sweat on my skin kept trinkling down, irritating me like lukewarm wax. Preventing me to move in ease as the sores in my body were eating at me. Slowing me down. But even then, those weren't the biggest worries I had.
God please! Don't let anything happen to her!
Slowly I made my way back through the hall, checking every room I could enter. Briefly scoping them out. One-by-one. Flashing the candle to expose every angle of each room.
Not here...
Next room.
Not here...
Next room.
Not here...
Next room.
Not...here...
Next room.
(Yoshiki): "Shinozaki! Where are you? Talk to me! Please!"
I shouted, but all I got were the sounds of something being...dragged. Far in the back of this surgical room. It sounded like a heavy object being slowly pushed in intervals.
(Yoshiki): "...Shinozaki? Y-You there?"
Too far. And too dark to see. So I moved closer, slowly taking my steps with the candle shaking in my hand, casting endless shadows. Which the flickering of the candle light seemed to not just expose shadows, but... something else, as the uneasy feeling caused me to freeze on the spot... to examine if I wasn't imagining what I had been feeling.
One look over my shoulder...nothing.
Moving forward.
But again... the lingering feeling of being stalked had stiffen my muscles and halted every movement. As once more, I kept watch of the candle flickers, watching for the shadows and... something... was definitely off.
Something unnatural...
The shadows were not mine, or any of the items or the row of tables in the room.
(Yoshiki): "...?!"
I tried flashing the candle to catch what darted towards my blind spot, only to find one of the jar lids had slipped off on their own.
Goddamnit!
Am I...seeing things now?
My nerves were shot up to hell at this point. I had to stare at the jars. Hoping they eased the tension, but no... what were filled in them were... scratching every part of my body. As the jars were filled with strange liquid and what seemed to be chunks of unknown meat. Belonging to some animal, or... person. Mossy green glass. Stenched with this horrible, dreadful smell of lobotomized cattle left to rot out in the fields, but for an unknown reason, preserved after such long decay. It's surprising there were no flies or maggots in any part of this room. But being in here as long as I already had been, the smell was definitely throwing me off... which led me to gag to not only the rancid odor, but now, the sight of this overgrown mold. Crusty, humid fragments seemingly released by the candle's flame.
(Yoshiki): "*Cough* *Cough*"
Dear God!
I don't remember this room being this bad!
(Yoshiki): "Sh-Shinozaki? *Cough* *Cough* Are you... Are you in here? Please answer me!"
The closer I moved, the heavy sounds were becoming quieter, but steadier. If someone...something...was deliberately trying to get my attention. Gently tapping in a rhythm.
(Yoshiki): "..."
That's not Shinozaki!
*Creeeaaaak*
(Yoshiki): "...!"
Out of nowhere, I felt a jarring pain scraping the insides of my brain. As I was now hearing the sound of the door of the room being closed. Screeching so loudly I lost complete focus to everything else.
(Yoshiki): "...?!"
Followed by an enormous slam. Closing off my escape, but it even got worse...
No!
The candle!
No!
God no!
Why did it go out?!
God fucking no!
I struggled to find my lighter, but once I had it felt in my grasp, the flooring...started to move and crumble into pieces.
(Yoshiki): "A-Ahhhh!"
Causing me to fall into a hole with my waistline being caught in between the broken gap, struggling to stay up.
(Yoshiki): "What the fuck!? What the fuck!? What the fuck?! Hrrnnngh!"
I used all my might to pull myself out, and eventually making it over with something slicing into my uniform and into my skin... ripping a part of my side open.
(Yoshiki): "Oh! Ohhh! Ahhhhh! Fuck! Fuck!"
The newly found wound was burning like hell. It even felt like blood was spilling out.
No! No! No! No!
What did I do?!
How are things getting even worse...?!
(Yoshiki): "Ohh fuck! Ahhh...!"
*Thud*
(Yoshiki): "...!"
The sound from earlier was now bombing my eardrums, disorientating me with a constant ring blocking out every sense in my body. Almost leaving me deaf. Not only surrounded by pitch black, but now... I was unable to hear myself think... like if, I was finally losing my sanity to this hell.
No!
No! No! No!
Lord! Make this stop! Please!
I can't die here!
I can't!
I did my best to not panick but God... Now, this sudden pain shooting up my skull was driving me even more insane. It was so bad I didn't notice I slammed myself over one of the counters, toppled over and slammed myself into the wall. Then immediately falling on the floor, as jars and glasses shattered around me with some of the broken shards digging into my own skin.
(Yoshiki): "Gaaaah!"
However, the pain in my head was above everything else.
(Yoshiki): "Hrrrrk!"
It hurts!
God!
Why am I going through this?!
What's...happening to me?!
My head...!
The pounding in my head was now louder than the constant ringing. Working like an EKG machine, my head beating faster, and faster... like a ticking bomb about to go off in any second. With the pressure squeezing my eyes and draining my lungs to no function.
(Yoshiki): "...!"
Though, that all stopped abruptly. The ringing in my ears had stopped. The loud pounding. So as the pain being sent to my head. But before I could relax, another noise became present, as it was the door of the room slowly creaking open. Seeing the faint moonlight reappearing, I quickly limped to there, using the counters to guide me with glass being crushed beneath my feet, until I finally made it out of the room. Closing the door shut behind me, panting...
(Yoshiki): "*Pant* *Pant* *Pant*"
My hands met my face, wiping all the sweat off as I started to limp towards the entranceway. Going outside to catch the breeze. Literally collapsing into the door without a care in the world. Even if there were still shards of glass stuck in my arms, my legs and back...
(Yoshiki): "*Pant* *Pant*"
What am I doing...?
I can't leave Shinozaki!
Swallowing was so hard, it felt like I was choking on my own goddamn saliva... I had to actually spit out a lot before I could properly breathe.
Damn it...
This is...This is just too much!
I was exhausted to my core. It really was hard to do any moving. I wanted to just... die where I was resting. Close my eyes and...wake up from this God awful nightmare.
Though, I was close to passing out.
Until... I heard those words. Repeating themselves again.
"We're in this mess together!"
(Yoshiki): "...!"
"So...I expect you to count on me too...!"
(Yoshiki): "Shinozaki..."
"Count on me from now on, okay? Kishinuma?..."
It was then my body regained all the strength it had lost. A spark ignited. Sending me back to my feet, as I became more energized than ever before.
(Yoshiki): "No... I can't give up... not now...! I'll...I'll save you, Shinozaki!"
Even if she's not herself... the Shinozaki I know is still somewhere inside there!
I just need to get her away from this place!
The conviction I felt eased all the wounds, practically numbing them as I kept picturing the faint, yet glowy future of me and Shinozaki... holding hands.
Not as long as the other chapters I've written! But this one might be the shortest one I've ever wrote! LMAO! Eitherway! More chapters are to come! Also! UPDATE: Chapter 7: Accepting my friend Has been updated (For a month actually lol)! New changes that include 10k additional words to read! If you're a SeikoxNaomi shipper, you'll enjoy it way more than the first time you've read it! But I recommend all of my readers to reread it anyway since the dialogue and narration has heavily improved! Might even consider reworking the other chapters before that one (Which I've been thinking about doing a lot lately)!
Anyway! Wish you all the best! To those who have read up until this point, thank you very much for giving my story a chance! I appreciate all your time and feedback! If any of you have any questions relating to the story or just about anything, leave a message! I invite every one of you :)
