It's 1am and I'm still awake editing this... I'm so tired. MUST. SLEEP...

Dreams or Reality?

BEEP BEEP BEEP.

zzZZzzzZZzz

BEEP BEEP BEEP.

Ugh is that my alarm?

BEEP BEEP BEEP.

Please no.

BEEP BEEP BEEP.

"ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT, I'M UP!"

*Slaps the snooze button*

8:45AM

"OH MY GOD I'M LATE! WHY DIDN'T ANYONE WAKE ME UP. OH MY GOD I'M SO DEAD!" My teacher is going to KILL ME. What am I going to do?! I can feel Mino watching me buzz around my room trying to collect all my belongings. You'd think she'd be used to this behaviour by now. I've been so tired lately from staying up so late. The time just flies by when i'm surfing through countless news articles on the web trying to find SOMETHING about my past...

"I tried sweetheart, you just sleep like a rock. Not even a hurricane could wake you. I've called the school and told them you'll be missing your first period class. Let's not make this a habit OK?" she says, smiling sweetly at me. My poor mother. She's such a saint always watching over me like that. What would I do without you?

"Thank you. I love you!" I give her a quick kiss on the cheek and grab my packed lunch from her hands. "Don't wait up for me tonight, I'll be home late! Have some things I have to do after school. Bye!" I briefly hear Mino sigh in response as I race out the door.

Tonight I'm going to visit the old shrine, the same one I was found in when I was just baby. Apparently there's not much left from the fire but I can't pass up the chance of possibily finding some clues that my father may have missed.

I stop in front of the shrine entrance on my way to school. "Higourashi" I read on a sign. Hmm, I wonder if the people who died here knew of my parents? Another question to add to the list of unanswered ones I have already. If only they were alive.

RING RING

"Okay everyone. Please make sure to read through chapters 1 to 5. There's a test and assignment coming up soon. Be prepared."

Blah blah BLAH. I am SO glad to be getting out of here. I've been waiting for that last bell to ring all day. The day is finally OVE- "Amaya!" hmm? Oh right, friends...

"Hi Yumi. How's it going?" maybe if I quickly pull stuff out of my locker and place it in my bag really fast she'll realize I'm in a rush... Or not care.

"Nothing UM slow down missy where do you think you're going?" I can feel her death glare shooting beams into the back of my head.

"HAH um..." come on Amaya think of something fast "I just have so much work to do. I'm really swamped and I-"

"Stop right there." uh oh, what have I done? "You look like you haven't slept in days. I barely see you around... The girls and I are worried about you. There's a party tonight and you're coming. You NEED this."

She's right. I've been so distant lately... It sounds like fun but this is more important. "I don't want to make any promises I can't ke-"

"See you at 9 girly! I'll pick you up! Muah!" before I can argue with her she's out the front doors. That Yumi, so persistent.

9:00pm is pretty far away from now... I'm sure I'll have enough time to snoop around the shrine a bit and still make it home on time to get ready for the party. Right?

I arrive at the front gate staring at the long staircase. Suddenly I'm too nervous to move. I've been waiting for this all day and I'm choosing now to chicken out?

Am I seriously ready for this? Should I even be here? The longer I stand there the more doubtful I become. Maybe this was a bad idea, maybe I should just go home.

I turn around and stare at the sunset peaking between the houses. You're pathetic. How will you ever find out more information if you're such a wuss? What could possibly go wrong?

And then something hit me.

Literally.