Days of Remedy

Part 6

On my way to school, chirping birds drown out the crunching sound of dry leaves under my feet. My coat feels warmer than usual since the heavy clouds dissolved into sheer ribbons, letting sunshine paint itself onto the still sleepy neighborhood. However, blue skies still don't save my crusty hands from October's cold air. I save my numb little fingers with a cup of hot coffee from a vending machine. The flowery smell fools me into thinking it may be decent, but my taste buds shrink when I take a sip. The bitter flavor didn't leave my tongue even after drinking some water, but it sure woke me up. The closer I get to the gate, the more clearly I can see the crowds of students chaotically running around, putting decorations around the festival sign.

Apparently, for a small school, the cultural festival gets a lot of visitors every year, so the students take this opportunity to show off. My class prepared the haunted house, inspired by horror movies from the early 2000s, and left me in charge of selling tickets. I think this attraction is a bit overdone, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't jealous of how happy my classmates seemed during preparations. My head is heavy, and I have felt a weird tingling in my stomach since I fell out of bed. I might be the only person here who grew to hate festivals from the bottom of their heart.

******

Sitting at the table, I can't stop counting the minutes until the end of the day, but then suddenly, Fujino pops in front of my face. "BOO!" I almost jump out of my skin. Covered in white paint, she wears a dark wig down to her waist and a face mask. Red contact lenses definitely make her look creepy, but other than that, her costume seems toned down compared to others. It looks familiar, but I can't pinpoint the character.

She makes an attempt for an evil laugh and gives me a hint: "Am I pretty?"

Kuchisake-onna, of course, that mask should have given it away. I want to see how she did her face makeup, so I jokingly answer yes.

She pulls down her mask: "And now?" Her mouth is slit open from ear to ear. The scar is detailed with dark eyeshadow, which gives it a more realistic look; the fake blood also helps as it hides the transition between her skin and the latex.

"Your costume is perfect," I respond.

My compliment puts a huge smile on her face, although not for long; the corners of her mask start to peel off: "Damn it, I need to glue that back again. I practiced making it so many times, but it still doesn't stick properly." She keeps trying to put it back in its place, cursing that she has forgotten her mirror. I can't watch her struggle any longer, so I offer to help. Standing next to her, I look like a dwarf. She could comfortably rest her chin on the top of my head if she wanted. Then, bending over, she asks if I have had a lunch break already."Yep, an hour ago, actually," I answer.

The wig has an unpleasant plastic smell, making me wonder how she can withstand wearing it. I notice Fujino's beautiful long lashes as she blinks fast when a piece of hair gets into her eye. Finally, a bit of effort fixes the mask. However, some girl gives Fujino an aggressive hug from behind, making the corner peel off again. 

"Saraaa! I brought you some food!" she shouts. I could recognize that voice anywhere. Only one girl at this school has such an ear-piercing voice. Yua Nakatomi, was it?

She lets her go, combing her messed-up bangs with her fingers, and greets me with a quick but friendly hi."Thanks! Are we still meeting for the bonfire?"

"Absolutely! But before that, I want to try some Casino games in Class 1-A! Their croupiers even wear sparkly waistcoats and ties; it looks like Las Vegas!" Nakatomi replies eagerly.

I keep telling myself to vanish so I don't have to be embarrassed by being the third wheel, but Fujino turns to me: "Hey Koyama, would you like to come with us?"

Nakatomi happily agrees, and my pleasantly surprised self awkwardly nods. "Great, let's meet at four next to the library! See ya," she adds. Then, both leave for the cafeteria to eat lunch while I stay behind, but a sweet spark of warmth in my chest keeps me company for the rest of the afternoon. 

******

Waiting on those two, I catch a glimpse of a small group of boys. Their eyes are stuck on me, giving me dirty looks. First, I think I may be paranoid, but their sleazy comments confirm my worries. Pulling down my skirt, I try to calm myself down, but the dryness of my mouth only makes me realize my lack of control. My lungs are filled with searing coal, and the back of my neck is starting to sweat. One of the boys heads my way, so I clench my fists together, thinking I can stand this whole situation, but something kicks me to run as far as possible. 

My legs instinctively lead me to the roof, the only abandoned place in school right now. I collapse to the ground, coughing, unable to catch my breath. Everything is shaking, and I try not to vomit. The voices in my head scream over each other, and I can't understand them, but my body certainly does. The memories of his hands, the lack of control, the pain, and the guilt of my own weakness break me down. My eyes hurt from the number of tears flooding my face. 

I don't know what to do; every inch of my body burns, and the agony is the worst I have ever felt. My life is a living hell because of the mangled inner voice I can't escape, repeating daily that this will never go away. But now, I can also hear it whisper a distasteful suggestion. I look over at the low-roof fence. Tired of everything and wanting a different life for myself, I wonder if I may be just a terrifying nightmare of somebody else. So I climb up, holding onto the flagpole. 

Looking down, the autumn breeze tickles my cheeks, making me grasp what I am doing. The fear paralyzes my senses as the ringing in my ears gets louder. When I step down, my legs tremble as if I was made of gelatin, but before my feet even touch the ground, someone grabs my hand, almost dislocating my shoulder. Falling into the arms of an assumed stranger, I see Fujino's terrified face, yelling at someone at the back. I still can't hear anything, and my vision is getting blurry. Before I apprehend what is happening, I pass out.