The Boy With The Blank Stare: Future

Chapter Twenty Four: Last Wishes

Ouma's POV:

The figure was crossing their legs.

In a world made of a bright blue sky, they smiled at me, with a toothy grin. Their smile however was overdone and crossed the line into horror as they tilted their head their manic eyes searching me for any sort of expression.

I leaned back in the wooden chair, trying to be as far from them as I could. "You have quite the guts showing your face here you know?" the figure asked with clear amusement. "Yet I admit, I wanted to see you so badly, and every agonizing day waiting was SO worth it just to see that look on your face~" they teased maliciously. 

"Don't think bad of me, if the tables were turned you'd be even worse. You would sing for my own demise or existential hell. All I want is to see you as you are right now, all that misery is almost sweet...yet it irks me how you made it here at all." the voice complained as they leaned forward as far as they could in the chair, their grin stretching even farther.

"Are you satisfied? Are you satisfied with where you ended up in life? Look around! Look at where you are in the world, the entire world is still at the tips of your fingers...are you satisfied with that simple fact and all the amazing delicacies the world still offers you?" they asked, their tone serious and deadpanned.

"No" I answered honestly.

"I don't believe you" the voice rebutted, bored, as they sighed and yawned. "Someone like you would never settle for anything less than satisfactory, whether you're aware of it or not" they reasoned. "I'm not" I insisted to deaf ears, the figure glared at me. "Then prove it to me" they dared as they stood on their chair looking down on me.

My lack of response was their answer.

"Knew it," they said gleefully as they stepped forward and fell into the sky.

~-~-~-~

I didn't really wake up the first time.

It was a slow awakening of consciousness, just the mild sense of pain that grew with consciousness to searing agony. Like a blazing fire that couldn't be quelled, and a mind-shattering chill for the rest of my body. It weighed down like lead, even the idea of opening my eyes or attempting to cry out was enough to start lulling me back to sleep.

It hurts.

"You always let yourself get like this don't you? I know you're the tough cool leader, but it's ok to take a break now and again."  the voice called out to me, it was a calm and gentle voice as I tried to reach out towards it, but my fingers barely twitched as I groaned with the ache that motion brought. "Hey, rest it's ok. Alright, it's going to be ok. Think about it, the less you rest and ignore taking care of yourself the more DICE will worry about you and the longer it will take to get better. That or I'll just tie you to the bed, but I'm pretty sure that's illegal. Please don't make me do that" the voice laughed as the realization was brought before me.

That gentle voice that radiated comfort and warmth..."S-Shiro...?" I called out, my teeth chattered with the movement as I felt something cold being placed on my forehead as I groaned at the uncomfortable feeling. "Shhh...go back to sleep" a voice gently guided, as I paused. "W...Who..." I tried to ask but a chill escalated through me and forced me back under the covers as I wrapped them tighter around myself desperate to fight off the chills. 

"Dad" was the answer as I was dragged back under.

~-~-~-~

I dangled my legs kicking up against the air as I struggled to open my ramune bottle. If it had been my choice, I would've gotten the simple to open grape panta. But since I didn't buy my soda this time, I guess I didn't have the right to complain. Even if these bottles were tiny prisons made for toddlers yet still thwarted everyone regardless.