Tsuki no Odori

The Beginning

'It was like I was being torn apart from the inside... I couldn't breathe, I couldn't move, all the while that it was taking hold of me.'

It all began one night, a normal night, when the friends were at a slumber party. They had one every weekend, except when Ivie was kept in juvie detention Saturdays and Sundays. Laughing and talking, on their phones, taking selfies, giving makeovers, just like any normal kids. Then-

'Cia, you look pale.'

'Yeah... I don't feel so good, Juno.' she responded.

'Arachne, you ok?' asked Ivie.

'I'm sure I'll be fine. Just a cold, probably.'

'Kay then. If you get sick, just tell us, okay?' said Jina.

'Of course.'

The next day was Sunday. The girls went out shopping. 

'Can we get spraypaint?'

'No way, Ivie! Aren't you already in kid prison for long enough?'

'Now that's not fair. I only painted a few walls, and-'

'You would have been fine if you hadn't painted a high-def pair of- well- on the mayor's wall!'

'It was a work of art. My masterpiece. It's still there, they couldn't get it off-'

'I agree that you're a good spraypainter, Ive, but there is a LIMIT!

'Rules are there to be broken. Have some fun for once.'

'I can have some fun. On a wall that's owned by me! Anyway, you're banned from buying spraypaint in any shop round here, thought you knew that.'

'Yeah, but if you buy it for me...'

'No. End of conversation.'

'Jina, your eyes look weird. Almost yellowish.'

'No they don't! Rood!'

'No, I'm serious.'

'Lemme see... AARGH! They do!'

'Told you.'

And so this went on, just normal chat, but sometimes with a twist. They shopped and rollerskated/rollerbladed/skateboarded until it was late. Then-

'Back to kid jail, I guess.'

'WTF happened to your hands, Ivie? They're all red! Where did you get the spray paint?'

'I didn't- WHAT? It won't come off. I can't go back to kid jail like this-'

'You'll have to.'

So they all went their separate ways, and headed back.

At school the next day, Arachne, Juno and Jina left at lunch to go get chips and chat to Ivie through the fence.

'Hey Ivie, we brought you some chips.'

'Ah, thanks. The food in here is shit.'

'Anyway- ARI! You're really pale, are you okay?'

'Idk... I feel kinda weird...'

'You almost look blue. Wait, gimme your hand-'

'Ari! You've gone see-through!'

Ivie snatched Arachne's hand through the bars.

'Ow, that hurts!'

'They're right, it has!'

'Well, if I look weird, you look weird too, Jina, your eyes are all glowy!'

'What! That's so weird?' 

'We should try find out what's wrong with us. It might be contagious.'

'Anyway, Ivie, you still couldn't get that spraypaint off your hands?'

'No, and it's everywhere, everything I touch turns red and sometimes it sizzles!'

The girls looked at each other, scared.

'What are we gonna do?'