I was a bit late leaving my apartment today.
"Felix! You're up late, did you stay up late? It's nice to see you!"
I could've sworn I heard someone. I wonder who? Man, what a shame, I was really wondering what she had to say.
"F-Felix?"
The closing door silences the voice I couldn't hear.
Darn. I really wanted to hear what Mary had to say!
I'm hanging out with my best buddies today!
The smell of cheap coffee fills my nostrils as I take my seat at the same diner we came to the other day.
They're talking about… something.
They're having a good time though! I'm having a good time.
I'm safe.
A feminine voice fills my ears.
"Um… is everything okay?"
Ada looks at me, worried.
I smile at her.
"Yeah, what's up?"
She doesn't look very convinced.
"…Are you sure?"
Ethan chimes in.
"Huh? What are you talking about? He looks fine to me…"
Ada sighs.
"Haah… whatever. It's probably my imagination."
HUH?! THE FAKE BLONDE IS WORRIED ABOUT ME?!
So, heartwarming… thank you! My… best friend!
Ada shivers.
"Don't look at me like that, you weirdo…"
I wipe the tears from my eyes.
"Sorry, I'm just lovestruck…"
She stares at me, dumbfounded.
"Don't even joke about that, idiot."
Ethan slams his hand on the table. Is that a character tic of his?
"I'M HERE TOO YOU KNOW!"
…
"So, how's practice going?"
Ethan screams.
"DON'T IGNORE ME, YOU BASTARDS!"
Ada nods.
"It's going pretty well. Don't worry about it, I have time to practice later."
Ethan chimes in this time.
"What practice are you doing anyway… you're almost as busy as Felix…"
Ada stares at him like he's an idiot.
Makes sense, considering I've seen her with a guitar case several times.
"Guitar. I practice playing the guitar."
Ethan's eyes shine.
"SERIOUSLY?! THAT'S SO COOL!"
Ada sighs again.
"Sure. What about you, Felix? What keeps you so busy?"
No idea. Getting murdered has been keeping me busy the last few days.
"Video games, I guess."
The pair look unimpressed with my answer.
Ethan's the first to speak up, he looks extremely unamused.
"So, every time you refused an invite from me, you went home to play video games?"
…That sounds really bad when you phrase it like that.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA"
!!!
Ada's… laughing???
Ethan stares at her bitterly.
"Don't laugh at that, asshole."
Ada's the first to get up.
"Well, it's been fun. I should get home, I'll see you two tomorrow."
Huh?
Ethan stretches his arms above his head.
"Yeah, we have been talking for a while…"
What are you saying?
Ethan smiles at me.
"Looks like you CAN talk to people. Huh, Felix? We should all hangout again sometime!"
Don't leave…
"H-hey! Why don't we go to the batting cages! I know a real cool place that stays open late!"
The two exchange looks, before looking towards me.
"Nah, I really do need to get home to practice. Let's just do it tomorrow."
Ethan smirks.
"Heh, that's the only good idea that's come out of your mouth all day."
Ada stares daggers at him.
They're leaving me alone.
I'm going to die.
And you're both joking around.
I'm going to die, and you're laughing!
"Hey! Felix! What's wrong?!"
!!!
That surprised me…
Ada? Why are you so loud?
"H-huh? Nothing… why are you freaking out?"
She slams the table.
So you two do have something in common…
"Don't give me that shit!"
You're making a scene…
I smile awkwardly.
"Anyway… it's been fun you two! I'll see you tomorrow!"
I leave the diner before things get any more uncomfortable.
Where do I go from here? I can't go back to my apartment…
…The farther, the better.
I'll just… go to the park, or something.
Yeah, that guy won't find me there…
8:00pm. It's been about an hour since I left the diner.
Time has been passing slowly.
The chilly air makes me wrap my arms around myself.
It's my only source of warmth, but…
It's safer her.
I can't stop my hand from shaking.
It's going to be okay…
That's what I tell myself.
Well…
It worked… I think.
It's 9pm now.
My phone is dead… again.
It works as a clock, at least.
I hold the power button, and the only thing that's displayed is the time.
It's better than nothing.
I've just been…
Here.
"Haaah… At least I'm safe."
Still… I'm kind of bored…
Whatever. I'm okay, that's what matters.
A soft smile spreads across my face.
…
I miss my bed.
My comforter.
My smile is gone now…
I wrap my arms around myself, and rub my exposed skin.
The friction causes temporary warmth to spread through my body.
Then, the cold returns.
…
I should look around, or something.
The streetlamp flickers as I pass.
The only thing I hear is the soft howling of the wind.
Nobody's here.
Nobody.
At a park.
In a city full of two hundred thousand people.
…
Why?
Isn't that strange?
Where is everyone?
My steps quicken.
The scraping of dirt against my shoe.
A quick stride.
A jog.
Then a sprint.
My chest is hammering.
My breathing heavy.
Nobody's here.
Just me.
I need help.
I don't want to be alone.
That's…
A sigh of relief escapes my lips…
"HEY! OVER HERE!"
The man turns his head.
The… hooded man.
He's here.
Alone with me.
How did he know I was here?
HOW?!
"Hah… hah… hah… haha… hahaha… hahahaah!"
I'm going to die.
Again.
Again.
No.
NO!
I ran away!
I got away.
I hear him.
He's getting closer.
That static coming from his head.
As if he's drugged.
The same from back then.
I run.
He comes.
I run again.
He's there.
He's following me.
How does he know?
Can he sense me too?
That's impossible.
"Hah… hah…"
My hands are on my knees.
The back of my throat tastes raw.
Hair sticks to my forehead.
Piercing needles on my back.
He's coming.
Closer still.
I just need to get out of this park.
I need to get to the police station. Then I'll be okay. I should've just started with that!
More people.
More static.
They're covering the entrance.
I hear them.
The entrances.
Across the edges of the park.
I'll be spotted regardless of where I am.
Why is it only the one guy following me, if they're all working together?
Why are they all in the same trance?
Tsssch beep beep
"He's in the bushes. 3 o'clock."
!!!
"Hah!"
They look towards me and just… stand there.
Their insect-like eyes pierce right through me.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"
I break out into another run.
"FUCK YOU! FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!"
HOW DID HE KNOW?!
WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING?!
No matter where I go, someone is there.
I grab onto the nearest bench handle to catch my breath.
"Hah… hah…"
My tight chest is hammering…
I can barely breathe…
I'm not used to this shit!
Again.
That damn static.
That damn static penetrates my brain.
I'd rather you just be normal.
At least then, I could hear you properly.
"Die… die…"
Shut up!
"Die… die…"
Shut the fuck up!
"Die… die…"
He's walking towards me like a zombie.
Knife in hand.
The same one he used before.
…
I'm tired of this.
It doesn't matter
I look around, I see a brown bottle just below the bench.
My hands shake as I pick it up.
He didn't even run to stop me.
He's just walking towards me.
"Die… die…"
…
If you're going to try to kill me.
I'll just kill you first.
I'll worry about what comes next after you're dead.
I slam the bottle into bench handle.
Broken shards of glass clatter to the ground.
See?
I have a knife too.
My hands don't cooperate with me.
"Hah… hah… just die."
He's barely alive as is.
"Die… die…"
He barely even looks at me, even when he's trying to kill me.
The look on his face hasn't changed.
His eyes are blank.
Even now that I have a weapon.
He doesn't even register me as a threat.
He's not nervous, he's not excited.
He's looking at me, blank. Like a moron.
He's just a blind animal doing what he's told.
He slashes at me.
It's sluggish. His whole body moves with the slash.
Still, I barely manage to stay out of its range.
I trip over my feet and fall to the ground.
I scramble to get up, and there he is.
Just walking towards me. As if it never happened.
Anyone else would've rushed forward there…
"Hah… hah…"
His mouth croaks.
"Die… die…"
I bite down on my teeth.
"SHUT UP!"
I dash forward.
I thrust into his neck.
He was too slow.
A sick squelch sounds from the wound.
Red.
Red.
Red syrup flows from the wound.
I pull back with a loose grip, and the bottle clangs against the ground.
He collapses almost immediately.
The liquid flows into a puddle.
"ah… ah…"
What did I do?
"ah… no… no…."
What did I just do?!
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"
I didn't do it!
It's not my fault!
He was going to kill me!
It's not my fault!
I didn't mean to!
SHUT UP!
SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!
I hear them coming.
The people that were static before are coming.
It's because I killed him.
It's not my fault!
Why is this happening to me?!
What did I do to deserve this?!
"Grh… grh…"
My throat constricts.
A copious amount of saliva spreads through my mouth.
"Braaaaaaaaahh…"
I grab onto a tree for support, as I release my dinner onto the floor.
My shoe isn't spared from the bile.