Chapter Text
Eyes open ever so slowly, as the image of an alleyway comes into view. The blurry images surrounding the vision clears.
From behind- a sharp pain seeths still, hitting like thousands of tiny needles maybe worse. It's hard to describe. Sitting up to see the cement. It's difficult to focus with that half-awake feeling when one gets up after a rough night sleep. A heavyweight on her chest but she manages to push herself up- But… her ankles were see-through.
The first thing to come out of was a yelp of surprise.
A mix of emotions began to stir as the mind begins turning cogs.
Millions of thoughts are running wild through her head, ‘why is she see-through? Where in the world is she? Why did she wake up here instead of in her home? What happened yesterday?’ she tried to recollect the events but it was just a hazy blur.
She started to think maybe this is a certain apparition's doing.
"Maybe-..." she tried to think,
"Maybe this is Hanako kun's doing, maybe he is using my body again" she worried, recalling the last time the boy possessed her body- the time he tried to kiss her best friend, Aoi, and put her on Akane’s hitlist. Not a good memory she wanted to recall, but she wanted to believe it.
However, something deep down in her gut told her- that's not the case.
Whatever it may be- she needs to get out of here. She quickly runs for the sidewalk streets seeing the daylight shine down.
A Light of hope.
All she needs to do is find Hanako or Kou and find a way to get her body back easy as-
She is interrupted as an invisible force shoves her backward. Flat on the pavement her back feels on fire as she lets out a yelp as painful sensations explode from the contact.
Nene sits back up whimpering at the sudden surprise.
"What? What was that…" she says out loud.
Nene decides to get back up, not paying mind to her transparent body parts trying as much as she could avoid to looking at them.
This time, she steps slower toward the edge of the alleyway and reaches out her hand to see a rippling effect in the air… a barrier of some kind. Nene tries to shove her hand through but it doesn't seem to budge.
Confused, she keeps pushing stubbornly to break through this invisible wall.
She took a breath to catch up some energy.
Just as two people in a conversation passed by walking at a leisurely pace.
"Did you hear?" One asked, coming to an abrupt stop.
"Hear what?" the other person turned to them
"About what happened in this alleyway?" the one person stopped staring right through Nene
Nene felt herself freeze.
"No…what happened?"
"They say someone was murdered"
A sudden silence.
"Why?"
"No one really knows who or why but some heard the police say they were stabbed several times."
Nene felt her stomach drop.
"Several times?!"
"I heard it was about 8 times"
"8 times? Oh by who?!"
“No one knows.”
“Well who was the victim?”
Please don't let it be...it has to be someone else.
"It was reported to be a student from that academy nearby."
Nene could think of many other nearby schools and ran through the list. It could be ANY SCHOOL!
"Oh… what's its name again?"
"I believe it was Kamome-"
“Oh I have a cousin who has gone there-”
The rest of the conversation went deaf to her ears. It was nothing but white noise now.
She feels her nonexistent breath hitch for a moment as things begin to blur the outside.
it all was white noise to her now.
She balls up her fists.
No.
No
nO
NO!
This can't be real, this could be some other person right?...right?!
The people continued talking but it slowly returned from static. Her hands raise against the wall beginning to hit the air again, and again. And again.
"They say that the student's spirit remains stuck in this alley”
Bang.
“ hoping for someone-”
BAng.
“ to take vengeance on their murderer" they continued.
BANG.
She now hit the barrier with all her force.
The shots became slower, more limp, more tired.
"This can't be right I'm sure this is just a just a dream right-“ hands sliding down.
Her hands slowly lower to a yellow and black tape.
She stares at it with lifeless eyes.
This...this can't be happening…
"Hanako kun…" she mumbles.
Her grip tightens around the tape
"Hanako kun."
Vision blurs with wavering colors.
"Save me…", she chokes out.
"Please...please save me!" she says louder with a voice cracking. Water pouring down her porcelain face
" HANAKO KUNnn…" she yells now shaking the tape pulling it back and forth.
"HANAKO SAN PLEASE SAVE MEEEEE" she screams at the top of her lungs.
Breaking the tape in half.
She falls against the invisible barrier, limp hoping to wake up- hoping this is all just a bad dream.
As the echo of her grief is heard, carried by the wind as the tape now blows broken in half
"What was that?" One of the strangers asked.
"It sounds like they want vengeance.. let's get away from here for now." They pulled the other person by the arm.
And now the beloved ex-protagonist Yashiro Nene lies limp, tired, and defeated, vulnerable tears wash down onto the cement in nothing but a daze….
…………
Only wind.
With only the wind carrying her voice to an open bathroom window as nothing more than a whisper. As a certain boy putting his head up with an alert expression and uneasy feeling hitting him.
"Yashiro?"
. . .
To be continued.