"Ayumi! How are you holding up?"
The higher pitched voice filled the empty dorm room, Ayumi smiling into the camera of her laptop. She hadn't talked to Mayu in a long time, the sound of her voice calming and refreshing-though her voice was higher pitched due to her speaker quality. It was an older laptop, after all.
It had been a few weeks since the party, winter break officially over. Naomi and Seiko had decided to go out for coffee, leaving Ayumi by herself.
"I'm doing really well! What about you?" Ayumi smiled, relaxing as she sunk down against the wall. She was sitting in her bed, with a sweatshirt and sweatpants. Her hair was loose, falling midway down her back. She watched the screen, as the girl smiled.
She had grown her hair out, her signature ponytail out and her hair down, in a casual tanktop and jeans. Mayu tapped her finger against her laptop, looking up at the ceiling as if debating her answer, eyebrows knitting. "Ah...Shige-nii and I have been doing great. He tried out for a movie, did you know that?"
"What?! No way, how did that go?" Ayumi demanded, sitting up slightly with wider eyes.
"It's a smaller part, but he plays a babysitter."
"A baby sitter? I can't imagine being one!"
She erupted into giggles, causing Ayumi to smile. "He doesn't even like kids that much. It'll probably chance later on, though." She hummed happily, resting her hand under her chin. "So, Satoshi told me you met a certain somebody."
Ayumi paused, before groaning. Did she mean Kishinuma? "It's not like that!"
"Never said it was, you getting suspicious is making me think different, though!" Mayu smiled at her flushed state. "C'mon, tell me all the details. Has he visited?"
She nodded her head. "Ah, he comes by sometimes." She paused, hearing a rapping sound and looking up at the ceiling. It sounded like it was coming from the ventilation systems, again. Mayu frowned, the audio picking it up barely.
"What's that sound?"
"Oh...Uh..." Ayumi swallowed hard. "It's nothing, the ventilation isn't the best of quality." She sighed quietly, looking back at her screen, then out the window. It was starting to get late. "I should probably start working on my new design...wanna see?"
Mayu's eyes visibly sparkled, leaning forward eagerly. "Show me, show me, show meee!" Ayumi chuckled, reaching a hand to her dresser pausing slightly. There was suddenly a loud bang directly behind her, behind the wall, causing her to yelp. Mayu jumped slightly, eyes narrowing, but Ayumi quickly covered it up.
"Haha, gotcha." She smiled, before reaching the paper. She grabbed the sketch, showing her the gown. Mayu studied it as much as she could through the video quality. Her eyebrows were knit, Ayumi knowing she had something in her mind right now, causing her to gulp.
Ayumi wasn't showing it, but she was starting to panic. The loud bang wasn't normal, it was like someone had slammed their hand onto the wall right next to her. She fell silent, watching Mayu as she trembled quietly. "Like it? I'm thinking of using some fake gems, and some silk to make it flow more elegantly.."
"I'd so buy it!" Mayu smiled, Ayumi trying to calm down a little, though there was more rapping above her head, echoing slightly.
"Thanks!" She chirped. "I'll so make you dresses. Perhaps I can join the whole theatre business and make you costumes, or dresses!" Mayu smiled brightly.
"Who woulda known you would be so into this! I'm so glad, please do!"
"Of course. Just wait until I gradu-" Ayumi froze, looking up. She shook her head, looking back down. She could of sworn, she saw a woman there.
"Ayumi?"
She didn't reply, her face turning pale. The lights flickered, shivers running up her spine.
"Ayumi."
Silence. She began to shake more, the room turning colder and colder, before the lights completely flickered out. Ayumi squeaked, turning towards the screen with wide eyes.
"Ayumi Shinozaki! Is this a joke?!" Mayu demanded, catching her attention.
"M-Mayu!" She choked out, curling up in terror. She felt for her phone, taking it out and using the flashlight. In the corner of the room, a woman with ragged clothes stood, staring directly at her. They held eye contact, Ayumi freezing in fear. Mayu tried to get her attention, starting to grow frantic.
"Ayumi? Ayumi! What's going on? What are you staring at...who are you staring at?!" Mayu demanded, grabbing her phone.
"Mayu...I have to go..." Mayu could barely see Ayumi, but it was easy to pick up how terrified she suddenly was.
"W-wa-" Mayu froze as she suddenly heard croaking on the other end, listening in. Slowly, it started to increase in pitch and volume. "S-shino-!?" She was cut off by a scream, and the laptop being shut, ending the conversation.
Now, this had happened in the span of a few minutes, the conversation had barely started, and she was already freaking out. Did somebody break in?! Mayu looked around frantically before grabbing her phone, standing up. Deep breath, deep breath, speak clearly, something bad is happening, don't panic or cry. She dialed a number frantically, putting the phone to her ear. They picked up.
"Hey, suzu-"
"Satoshi!" She yelled into the other end. "Shinozaki's in trouble, I think!"
It was hard for her to process what happened. "I-it might be a joke, but the lights went out and she ended up screaming before our conversation went out. There was this really weird sound, too, like croaking. Y-you live close to her, right?!" She demanded.
"Woah, woah woah slow down!" He demanded, causing Mayu to take a deep breath.
"Shinozaki may be in trouble! Check on her! I-i'm scared, I have an idea what it really is, don't call the police. Just check on her!" Satoshi fell silent, before abruptly hanging up. Mayu took a deep breath, tears forming.
"Shinozaki, please be okay.."
You don't know true horror until you receive a phone call while walking to a girl's apartment. Well...it isn't really terrifying. Until you hear a frantic voice on the other end telling you that the girl you are trying to visit is in deep trouble. Yoshiki had yawned, picking up the phone.
"Hey, Satoshi. What's-"
"Yoshiki!"
Kishinuma's eyes slowly narrowed, stopping in his strut and standing a little taller, as if in more alert. "What's up-?"
He barely had time to finish as Satoshi's panic voiced filled his ear. He groaned, putting a finger to plug his other ear, trying hard to hear the gibberish. He started to walk cautiously, eyebrows knitting. "I can't hear a word you're saying, man. Slow down."
"There's something in Shinozaki's apartment!"
"The hell are you talking about?" He started to pick up thew pace, his eyes narrowing. He was at least a few minutes from there walking. He listened in to how satoshi explained everything. A friend video chatting Shinozaki called him after the chat ended, weird noises? He didn't let Satoshi finish, mind setting into overdrive as he hung up the phone, putting it into his pocket. And then he began to sprint.
Now, normally, he would of watched who he would of bumped into, but right now his mind wasn't working properly. Panic set in, the thought of somebody could of harmed the girl he seemed to know for years, even though it was only a week...He pushed and shoved down the crowded streets, going into a complete panic as he shoved, ducked, dodged and even jumped a few times.
He nearly tripped over his own feet, almost skidding past the entrance to the university. He scrambled to change his direction, hopping three steps at a time, and running towards where he remembered the girls dorms were.
By this time, he was panting heavily, his fatigue getting to him from the lack of exercise over the few months. He ran into the elevator, finally coming to a stop as the doors to the elevators closed. He quickly chose the floor, doubling over as the elevator started moving. After a few seconds, he began to pace the small space, wiping sweat from his eyebrows and leaving some of it to dribble down the side of his face.
The doors opened, and before he knew it he was standing in front of the door. He listened closely, not hearing anything, before trying to open the door. It wouldn't budge.
"Eh?" He knit his eyebrows, trying to twist the door knob. He put his weight onto it, but nothing changed. It was almost like it were some decoration. He knocked on the door.
"Shinozaki! Hey! You in there?" He listened closely, almost about to pull away before he heard it. It sounded like...sobbing. His eyes widened upon hearing that, trying to open the door with more force. "Shinozaki! Shinozaki, are you okay! Open the door!" He yelled, before yelping. He pulled his hand back, looking at his hand, which had a burn mark on it. "T-the fuck?" He reached for the door knob, only to pull away, shaking his hand. It was burning hot...
"Damn it!" Now he was panicking. A few people poked their heads out of their dorms to peer at the raging blond, watching him pace around before taking a few steps back. He went to knock on the door again. "S-shinozaki! I'm coming in, hold on!" He took a few steps back, swallowing hard. People were watching, people were watching...He swallowed again. Fuck them, then. He suddenly charged the door, jumping slightly and turning so his shoulder hit the door. It creaked.
He tried the knob again, this time it was icy cold. He turned it, like it was going to open, but it still didn't budge when he tried to push it. Hmm.. He took a few more steps back, charging at the door again. With his arm, that wasn't going t be in contact with the door, he grabbed the door knob and turned it, before his body collided with the door. It bursted open, causing him to stagger and lean against the door in support.
The room was icy, completely freezing. He nearly choked on the thin air, unable to breath for a moment. His breath puffed out in front of him, as he got up, walking in hurriedly. The bathroom lights were off, and the door was closed. He shook his head, looking around the room, under the bed, in the closet.
"Shinozaki! Where are you?" He paused, hearing muffled sobbing, causing him to knit his eyebrows. It sounded...close, but far? "Hey! C-come on, Ayumi..." He looked around the room, before trying the bathroom. It opened easily, and he switched on the lights. She wasn't in there...oh god..
He went back into the room, feeling like he was going insane. He stood in the center of the room, his eyes trailing to every single detail. If she wasn't here...where was she? He was about to leave the room when he heard the same muffled noises again. He froze, trying hard to listen. Where was it coming from...?
Instantly, something touched the top of his head, causing him to frown. He reached to his head, feeling it be a little wet, when something landed on his hand. He drew his hand back, noticing a clear liquid land on it, causing his eyes to widen. He stepped back, before looking up towards the ceiling.
"S-shi-shino-a-AAAGHH?!" He fell backwards onto his rear, staring up at the blue haired girl, who was sprawled against the ceiling with an unnatural force, mouth open and a dead look in her eyes. Her skin was unnaturally pale, even in the dimly lit room, veins literally popping from her wrist. Her eyes were glossy, and black, and she wasn't moving.
Shinozaki Ayumi looked dead.
