Halting to a stop next to Ema, I adjusted the bag strap over my right shoulder. I glanced over to the two figures, and I started to read off their emotions and auras almost immediately. The one with the pink hair and bubbly clothes radiated optimism and pure excitement. I was quite overwhelmed by the huge smile he had plastered on his face. A flash of a chipmunk briefly crossed my mind, as he honestly reminded me of one. The older person held a much calmer and smooth demeanour, and I knew that he was the voice of reasoning when it came to the much younger boy. He too held a welcoming smile, but there was a hint of nervousness in his voice that I picked up.
"My name is Masaomi, and this here is Wataru." The care and love he directed to the younger boy gripped something in me, and I know that Ema felt something too. Whilst our father did love us dearly, he was never a constant in our lives to show it. Absence stems longing, and it has done us both. But in my case, I wish it was only the need for another's soul to mend my own.
"Onee-chan tachi, konichiwa!"
"Ah, konichiwa. I'm Ema Hinata, and this is my sister…" She came up from her bow as did I.
"Nice to meet, I'm-" Just as my name was on the tip of my tongue, my phone went off, so instead of picking it up, I silenced it and readjusted my expression to one of apology.
"Sorry, I'm Ella. Ema's twin."
"Ah! Twin!" Wataru seemed to be delighted, and I had an inkling on why. Whilst the news of the move and remarriage came sudden, there was time to check on the family we were to be apart of. When Ema said that it was 13 brothers, I was albeit stunned. She didn't bother digging more into it. I did. Hence, I know that Yusuke Asahina in our class was one of the brothers, along with a set of triplets. Two of which are voice actors and the other involved in the video game industry. Ema will be surprised when she founds out how connected she already is with them.
By now, Masaomi was leading us to our separate rooms. I got the one besides Ema's. Masaomi spoke some more but at this point I was just dazed out. I thought about the phone call and though I should take it in private.
"-la, Ella!" When I came to I physically felt Ema's shaking on my shoulders. I made a noise of affirmation and she just morphed her face to one of concern.
"Is anything wrong? Are you feeling okay?" Her voice floated to my unconscious, and somehow, I just wanted to laugh in her face. 'Okay'. I somehow felt even more drained.
"Yea. Just… a bit tired." I wanted to choke on water once I said that. This body itself felt foreign to me. My state of tiredness is more mental than anything.
"Well, you should sleep earlier tonight. You didn't sleep properly last night, right? And you also handled most of the move this morning." Her voice was firm but with gentleness. Somehow, I found myself wanting to escape. But instead, I feigned an easy-going expression.
"Sure. Sleep sounds wonderful to me right now." My laxed expression must have done the job as predicted, she rolled her eyes.
"Sleep always sounds wonderful to you. You sleep too much either way, and sometimes you don't sleep at all. I think that's why your tired more often now." She scolds at me, and I could merely go along.
Walking into the bedroom, I could see that it entered a short corridor before opening to a relatively spacious room. By standing in the doorway, I could see the bed vertically facing me. To the left upon entering is the closet with the work desk and chair situated on the wall before the closet. A carpet with the image of a deep-blue mandala lied in the space in the middle of the room. Everything was minimalistic and bare, leaving me the option to decorate it how I see fit. Walking to the bed, the curtains show a small veranda leading from my bedroom. I didn't know what to feel about that. On the one hand I'm pleased with the easy access to the outside, whilst the other part of me felt it was too easy to access.
My chest suddenly hurt a lot. It was so heavy, I was surprised when the weight of it haven't toppled me down to the floor already. I grip my shirt and I started to sink to the floor. Ragged breathes escaped me and I tried to keep them at a steady pace but failed miserably. No, not this. As usual, the timing was just spot on. My sarcasm didn't help with the pain, but at least I wasn't spiralling worse. It lasted a couple of minutes. Me, just kneeling on the floor, my head upon the bed and my hands clutching onto my shirt like it was a lifeline.
Extreme fatigue hit me. Energy was something I did not have, so I just relaxed my body onto the bed and let darkness overtake me. I surrendered my body to its needs, but somehow, I found the soul to be the most tired. I used to think it was empty, since it felt like a hole in my very being. Constantly a thorn at my side, causing me pain. Yet, how it was so painful when it was only empty, truly confused me.
Later, I thought it was the hunger of my soul. Trying to seek the replacement for the vacant hole. Trying to fit something that wasn't meant to be there. I remember screaming. I remember my fingertips gripping at my body to relief the pain. The pain of existing. To have an existence. I thought the pain was something to help cope with the unstable mind. An anchor. It was, and somehow, I came to abuse it too much. I know I thought it was a slow process. Letting something in just too slowly break everything down. And it was. It was so excruciating slow. It's still continuing, and I can't stop it from happening. Rather, I have no will to stop it.
Those thoughts hit me again tonight. For I will go to sleep again, wishing the darkness just doesn't leave me, like all the other nights.
Little do I know that Ema noticed my absence and thought I needed the rest. Tomorrow, I will notice that she would have excused my appearance to the brothers and fainted right after. But, that is all for tomorrow. For now, I would like to sleep.
Ello readers. Thank you for reading this story and to those of you that favourited/followed/reviewed, I truly want to say I really appreciate it!
I realize it is only a very small number, but to someone that is publishing their first story, it means a world to me. And in many ways this story is a world to me. I wish to continue it on at my own pace (meaning infrequent updates). Although my exams are coming up this coming month, so I will most likely either update chapter 3 right before the end of April, or after mid-May. Until then, enjoy this short chapter 2.