Summer, 2017

Two girls walked, side by side, down a lonely alleyway. It was little more than a short road nestled between two towering skyscrapers. There was hardly enough space between them for them to get by.

The sides of the alley were lined with what seemed like dozens of shops and restaurants. Despite the brightly colored markers and neon signs, business seemed slow.

It was no wonder, since the path ahead of them was so dark. The steel behemoths above blocked out almost all of the sky's light. A wide open azure sky and dense blue clouds reflected off the skyscrapers' glass sides. Tokyo's blue skies always pierced through, giving the ground a dull blue tinge.

"Damn, it's a really pretty day, huh?" The brown haired girl looked up at the sky in wonder.

Summer's first heat had arrived, signalling the early dog days to come. The air was thick enough to cut with a knife, and heavy on their shoulders.

A moment of silence came before the other girl replied. "Oh, uhh, yeah."

The shorter girl turned her head. "You doin' alright there, Tsuki? The heat's not getting to you, is it?"

"Just... thinking." Tsuki replied as she stared off into the distance.

Tsuki was the taller of the two. She towered above her friend in an almost comical fashion. Her clothing was more formal too, creating an odd contrast between them.

She wore a white button-up blouse and navy blue pleated skirt, both ironed to perfection. Her hair was an onyx black, with straight cut bangs and ends, all neat and tidy. On the side of her head was a small, red ribbon.

"About?" The brown haired girl prodded.

Tsuki shook her head. "Nothing in particular."

"Not even me?" She smiled.

"C'mon, Fumi, focus." Tsuki turned to her friend and grinned. "You're gonna trip over something."

Fumi was the shorter one. She had spared no expense in being well dressed for Japan's cruel summers. Her clothes were light and cool.

She wore nothing more than a white blouse and black shorts. Her hair was short, soft and messy, falling an inch or two past her shoulders. She would describe it as fluffy with a proud smile.

"Nah." Fumi shook her head. "No way."

The path got darker and darker with every step. While the rest of Tokyo was bustling and lively, the path ahead was completely silent. Tsuki and Fumi hadn't seen another soul since they'd turned into the alley.

Even the shops were empty, save for the occasional bored worker or shopkeep. They must have just opened, waiting for customers to arrive in the night.

"You sure you're not lost?" Tsuki teased.

"I'm not!" Fumi pouted.

"Maybe if you’d look down for once, we’d be there by now."

"Yeah, yeah." Fumi rolled her eyes.

Fumi kept walking, her head in the clouds. The skywatching didn't stop until she felt herself bump into something. She blinked and looked around to see what she'd hit.

A tall, strange thing stood before her, motionless. Fumi jumped at first and took a few steps back. Her mind took a moment to process whatever it was.

Whatever it was, it hardly looked human. They could only really tell from the vague shape and the way it leaned toward them. At first glance, Tsuki thought it was a ghost.

White porcelain covered the person's face. Ornate, golden markings decorated the mask. A long black robe covered most of their body, save for the bottoms of a pair of black leather boots.

"Uhh, hello?" Fumi put a hand in front of the mask and waved.

"Phones and wallets, now." The robed figure demanded.

"Get back." Tsuki dragged Fumi behind her.

The masked man reached out with a single arm. In a gloved hand was a pocket knife with its blade out. The two girls took a step back.

"Phones and wallets, now!" He shouted.

They panicked and fumbled around to try to meet its demands.

"I-I don’t have my wallet!" Fumi shuddered.

"Huh?" Tsuki turned to her.

Fumi shoved her hands into her pockets. She looked desperately for anything to offer to the mysterious robed man.

"Hurry it up!" The masked person inched towards them.

"Just give him something, and let's get the hell outta here, Fumiko!" Tsuki pleaded.

"Quit wasting my time!" The mask growled.

In a single motion, he pulled back his hand and jammed it forward. The gloved fingers let go of the knife and moved back under the robes. He then turned as if nothing had even happened.

Tsuki turned to watch the man. He took a few slow steps before breaking off into a sprint. Before she could even prepare herself to move, she heard a groan.

Fumi grasped her stomach. She stumbled, catching herself against the wall. Her legs wavered and shook, before she fell to her knees. Tsuki tried to catch her, but she was too late.

Tsuki went down with her. "Hey, are you alright? Fumi!"

A stain began to form. The white of her blouse was being marked with a murky deep crimson.

Panic settled in. Tsuki didn't know what to do. She hadn't even been in that sort of situation before.

"Call an ambulance…"

"Huh?" Tsuki stuttered.

"An ambulance…" Fumi repeated.

"Y-yeah!" Tsuki fumbled around with her phone.

She grit her teeth as she waited for the person on the other end to pick up. The repetitive ringing on the line made it feel like she'd been on the line for hours.

The dial tone stopped. As soon as the person on the other line asked what was happening, her voice spoke faster than her brain could think.

"M-my friend's been stabbed! We're in the c-commercial district." Her voice wavered in fear. "…by the ramen shop."

Tsuki somehow managed to finish the call. She sat next to Fumi, squeezing her hand tightly. It was the only thing she could do to keep herself calm. Fumi's grip was still strong, but Tsuki knew she could feel it getting weaker.

She'd turn to look at her wounded friend, just to look away. The sight of blood terrified her. A lump formed in her throat.

Every glance, she felt like she could see Fumi's eyes fading. Every touch, she thought she could feel her friend getting colder.

Approaching sirens in the distance offered them some hope. They squeezed each other's hands tighter. Whatever happened was out of their control. They still had hope.

"It's gonna be alright." Tsuki squeezed her friend's hand tight. "They’re almost here."

Tears rolled down her cheeks. Tsuki wrapped her arms around her friend, hoping for the best. The bloody stains on their clothes grew with each passing moment.

"…don't leave."

"I won't!" She cried.

"…it hurts."

"It’s gonna be okay." Tsuki sobbed.