Chiyo leaves the room in complete and utter shambles. Her mind feels disassociated, and she’s still a little confused about what exactly took place in Kiara’s room.

With no real clue of where to go, what to do, or who she even was at that point in time; she kind of just wanders aimlessly back to her room. Completely lost in her own headspace, she fails to notice the person she runs into until she…well…runs into him.

Crash!

“Oh my god! I’m so sorry, are you okay?” ignoring the searing pain in her butt, she rushes up to help the other person.

Chiyo’s whole body freezes when her eyes land upon the oh so familiar figure sprawled across the floor. With hair that grows all over the place, thick glasses that cover his eyes and pyjamas so ugly that she could spot him from a mile away, she falls right back onto the floor.

“Are you okay?” Hirahito, magically back on his feet, blows out any speck of hope that she had of escaping when he corners her against the wall. By now, Chiyo’s body is shaking too much for an answer to come out.

“Why are you shaking again?” Such a fine young thing you are.

She must be going crazy. Chiyo blinks and the image doesn’t seem to disappear, if anything, it’s physical form seems clearer than before. The dark figure that emerges from Hirahito’s shadow leers sardonically at her cowering form. No. This is not real. Hirahito, however, seems completely unaware of what looms behind him. Chiyo flinches away from the hands that reach for her.

Trembling, she searches through the pockets of her pants. Did she not carry her meds with her? The pit of her stomach churns. She felt sick.

“Can I touch your hand?” You’ll let me hold you won’t you?

Her breathing stutters as she struggles to move, legs refusing to cooperate. Throat clogged with tears; traps all the words that she wanted to yell out; pushing it down until it suffocates her. Thankfully, before she’s truly strangled to death by her own thoughts, Akira’s voice cuts the tension, “What are you guys doing?”

As if a flip inside has been switched, Chiyo breaks down into tears. A convulsing and sobbing mess, she can only muster enough strength to curl up into a ball. Akira quickly runs over upon hearing Chiyo’s cries, separating the pair to prevent Hirahito from moving any closer

“You don’t look well. Should I take you to the nurse?” His voice is laced with concern as he bends over to check on her.

“C-can I just go back to my r-room? P-please” she’s rocking herself back and forth by now, knees pressed tightly against her chest.

“Sure, of course. Do you need me to escort you back?” He asks.

“Please, before he comes. Before he finds me”

“Are you okay? Are you sure you don’t want to see the nurse?”

“I can give her a check up. I’m qualified,” Hirahito budges in from behind.

“Oh, you do?” Akira turns and looks at Hirahito with surprise, “Can you check to see what’s wrong with her?”

Chiyo shakes even harder, she’s shaking so hard that her body fades into a complete blur.

“I think she might be having a nervous breakdown.” Hirahito studies Chiyo's intense shaking carefully like he’s trying to solve some maths equation.

“Please, you need to get me out of here” she cries out; wailing, screaming, as she clings tighter onto the leg of Akira’s trousers.

“Her mental state is unstable. I think she requires immediate attention,”

“He’s right, Chiyo. You should go with him,” The soothing circles that Akira rubs onto her back seems to be having the opposite effect.

“I just want” her words are barely decipherable through the crying and wheezing “to be left alone”

“What did you say, Chiyo?” Where do you think you’re going?

“STOP IT, WHY WON’T YOU LEAVE ME ALONE!” Chiyo drops to the floor, her hands covering her ears. Akira and Hirahito can only silently watch on in shock as they listen to Chiyo’s incessant screams.

She can feel the hands roaming her body, the breath down her neck, the voice in her ear.

Did you think you’d be able to get away?

“STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT! GO AWAY! PLEASE”

“It’s okay, we get it. Calm down, Chiyo.” Akira is the first to move, trying to untangle her from the foetal hugging position that she’s pulled herself into. Even though it didn’t seem like she had any plans to budge, he still somehow manages, through sheer strength, to get her back onto her feet.

You wanted this didn’t you?

You

little

slut

“NO! GET AWAY FROM ME!” Chiyo’s voice echoes down the hallway. When she realises what she has done, it is already too late. Akira, who’s now on the floor, can only stare back at her in disbelief.

“I…” With her emotional battery long overloaded, the shame runs her over like a truck, wipes her blank with horror. Ignoring Akira’s calls, she turns on her heel and runs. To where? She’s not sure.

But all she knew was, she desperately needed to get away from there.

——

This was a horrible habit that she’s picked up ever since the nightmares started resurfacing. It was something that helped her get through the night, even though it probably wasn’t the best way.

Maybe she should stop.

Though the thought doesn’t really match up with the action as Chiyo pops open the bottle of whiskey. She lets out a sigh, laying back down on the soft bed of grass, as she knocks back the pills with a swig of the burning liquid. Somehow, Chiyo managed to make the grass hill near the garden’s lake her little hideaway spot. The lake shimmers in silver specks, a broad span of azure blue fitted into the mould hemmed by surrounding hills and trees. Unruffled by the wind, it lays still and restful.

Her eyes land on the clear night sky, a dark veil flashing with pinpricks of birthstone blue, fingers following the line of scattered moondust as she begins to drunkenly count them in an impressively broken melodic tone.

“Mind if I join you?”

Chiyo props up, head automatically following the sound. Unfortunately, her eyes can barely make out the wriggly shadow in the distance. Yet that doesn’t seem to sway her. All caution thrown out the window, she waves them over, laughing and hiccuping as she shoves the empty bottle into their direction.

“Come come comeeeee the more the merrier, do you want to share?”

The bottle is quickly retrieved from her shaky grip, “Is there something on your mind? Why are you drinking like this?” She thinks the black thing is talking? Then again she can’t quite distinguish their mouth, their face, or much for that matter.

“CaN’t A gIrL eNJoY HeRseLf EVerY nOw aND ThEN,” laughing gleefully, Chiyo tumbles down the steep hill. Luckily, her body is held back before she rolls herself straight into the lake. But that definitely doesn’t stop her from plucking the grass on the ground.

One grass, two grass, three gras-

Her body is swiftly removed from the tattered patch of grass, and suddenly her feet are off the ground. It seems like she’s now levitating.

Woah, was she magic?

As she’s laughing and flapping her arms like a bird, the figure doesn’t seem to expect her to suddenly whip around, and tackle them with such a tight vice grip bear hug that they end up a tangled heap on the ground.

“Please, wake up…” The blobby figure in her arms seems to be struggling? Again, she’s not sure. Not when everything resembles a trippy psychedelic illusion.

Maybe they’re just dancing.

Chiyo clings onto them, laying her head on their chest as she snuggles closer. Whatever this is, it made for a good pillow. Finding comfort in the warmth this thing radiates, she can feel tears pricking her eyes. And the grass just feels so soft, each strand tickling her skin, framing her form like a heaven weaved quilt.

Something gently wipes away her tears, and Chiyo can feel her body floating into the air as she fades into unconsciousness.

——