Ishiki (Consciousness)

1 - An In-between Day

 Ishiki (Consciousness)

TK Anez

Arc One: The Monster

Chapter One

An In-Between Day

The spectre had my mother's body in its arms. Her limbs hung loosely, as if she were a rag doll. Lips parted halfway, she looked like she was about to say something.

"She is already dead, little one. She does not have anything to say anymore," said the spectre, reading my mind. It brushed my mother's hair with its long white fingers.

"Mom," I whispered.

"Come here, let me show you something."

Before I could answer, the spectre dropped my mother's body and grabbed mine in her place. Its fingernails dug into my shoulder. Blood pooled around the wounds.

The spectre led me away from my mother, its grip still tight. The air was dark and opaque, but the spectre was practically glowing. I felt mud beneath my feet, my shoes squealing with each step.

"We are here."

My mother's grave stood in front of us. The spectre let go of me and sat down, cross-legged, beside her tombstone.

"I've been here before," I said.

"I know this." The spectre bared its teeth at me.

A strong wind began to pick up, tousling my hair and whipping the edges of my jacket back and forth. The spectre sat still, unshaken. Its red eyes bored two holes into my chest.

I knelt down beside it, my heart pumping furiously. Without a word, it began to scratch at the ground beside my mother's grave. A cloud of dirt and grass swirled around me. I coughed and squeezed my eyes shut to keep it out. It felt toxic against my skin.

"Look," said the spectre, prying my eyes open with its fingers. Before us was another gravestone, flat against the earth. 'Joseph Roberts,' read the plaque. "It is your father."

"He's hardly my father," I said.

"He will be dead, too. Just like your mother." The spectre looked toward me, its mouth expressionless against its sallow face.

"What does it matter if you kill my father?" I stood up. Hatred for Joseph Roberts sent a stabbing pain through me. It gave me the courage to step away from the spectre.

"I will not put Joseph Roberts in this grave," said the spectre. "But you will."

* * *

I woke up with tears in my eyes and knew I had a dream about the spectre again. Next to me, Auntie Setona was still sleeping. It was just about five o'clock in the morning: only two hours left before school would start.

"What's the matter, Joey?" she mumbled. Internally, I kicked myself for waking her.

"Nothing's wrong. I just can't sleep."

"Another bad dream, huh?"

I squirmed a bit, wanting to crawl back under the sheets. I didn't want to tell Auntie Setona that I'd had another nightmare.

But she sat up in the bed, suddenly wide awake; "Honey, tell me about it." She peered into my eyes, and she must have seen the tears in them. "It was a really bad one, wasn't it?"

"I'm okay, Auntie. I'm gonna try to go back to sleep now, I'm sorry."

"It was about your mother, wasn't it…"