A Girl's Turmoil

Chapter 21 - Filming Project

At first, there was nothing before her eyes. It was only a black, soulless void that no one wind could breeze through. Though, it took her a few seconds to realize that she's still had her eyes closed. As her weary eyes opened, she found that she was standing in the middle of a single glowing light amid the darkness surrounding it. And then she is puzzled and terrified by her new surroundings.

A few tables are arranged in a couple of rows and a long counter on her left side. The furniture seems eerily familiar, mainly from its colors, but cannot pinpoint the reason as to its familiarity. As for the terrifying part, her sight is showered by a scene akin to some kind of a massacre. Interestingly enough, the people whom she saw were... different, to say the least.

A few dead bodies in front of her, two of them are sleeping against the counter as blood forms pools underneath their cold carcasses. The dead men's guns, except for one, napping by their side, half-covered by the blood. Turning around, she found a glass door left open, alongside some trail of blood on the floor around her. As she is stunned by the scene, she is immediately struck by a sudden, incisive pain on the right side of her neck. Her left hand unconsciously holds onto her neck and then looks down to her hand, now tainted by her own blood.

Also, she just realized there's an odd sensation, something clinging within her right hand. An unfamiliar pistol is in her hand, ready for the killing. She slowly and carefully inspects the entirety of the new pistol. A little alarmed that it's not her gun. What just happened?

"O-onee-chan."

Her head lifts, then turn around, finding a petite brunette girl agitated and deadly worried.

It's Hanako.

"Sakurako, a-are you alright?"

Behind the little girl, the older sister, Nadeshiko, and the mother having stood a considerable distance from her with such distraught and fright. Didn't even dare to take a step forward.

"S-Saku-nee-chan, you're bleeding...."

She watches as the tiny brunette braves for a step forward, reaching her hand towards a new wound that she hasn't realized on her stomach. The pain is still there, but it was null for her. She continued to eye on the innocent brunette, caring and distressing for her second sister. A tear emitted from Hanako's eyes.

The sight... she just can't take it. There's an urge to reach out to her, to hold Hanako by her hand, to calm her. She could...

Instead, she puts a muzzle on Hanako's forehead. And presses the trigger.

*DOR*

---

Sakurako almost springs off her futon, wildly darts her eyes to her shaded surroundings. Only a few controllable breaths and ten good seconds to ease herself down. She had scanned her surroundings and thanked herself that she didn't make quite a fuss about waking the others up. Although, she had noticed that Yui wasn't in her futon. Looking around the darkroom and the dark black sky outside the balcony, she grabs her phone beside her and checks the time.

It was 04:30 AM.

The blonde closes her eyes, then sighs with all the genuine gladness stirring in her mind. Drinking the alcohol still works well for her slumber, but on some occasions, it seems a bad dream could wake her up earlier than expected. She puts her phone aside and rubs the back of her head. Didn't mumble nor whisper in the presence of the sleeping girls.

"Sakurako?"

The said girl turns towards the kitchen doorway, where she sees Yui is standing with a glass in her hand.