"ʏᴏᴜ'ʟʟ ʙᴜʀɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴜꜱ"

Chapter 4: The Message

When I got home I was tired, but I knew I should eat dinner. I decided some leftover pizza from yesterday would be good enough. Something from my shift stuck with me and dwelled in my mind as I ate... the black and white arcade machine was a burned image in my mind and I really didn't know why... something about it just felt off, and yet I was suddenly interested in it, as if my mind knew something and just wouldn't let me remember.

I managed to shrug it off, I couldn't really do anything about it right now.

Finishing my pizza, I went to clean up anything in the kitchen I may have made a mess of while in my deathly tired state. I definitely would have to get used to this new sleep schedule...

I checked the time, seeing that it was 7 am now, my eyes felt even more heavy just from knowing that.

Suddenly my phone began to ring, it was my mom.

Why was she awake?

I really didn't want to answer it, but the time at which she was calling deeply concerned me, so I answered it.

"Hello?" My voice rough from my tiredness.

"Hey Y/N how's things going for you?"

I groaned mentally in annoyance.

"Is there something important you called me for?"

I asked, eager to end the conversation quickly.

"Uh... well your father is really sick..."

I quickly rubbed the sleep from my eyes "What? Will he be okay?"

"Well the doctor thinks it might be the flu... and his immune system is so weak..he's been in the hospital for the past couple days now..."

I furrowed my eyebrows, why was she just now telling me this?

"Text me the address to the hospital and I will visit tomorrow."

"Oh, why the hurry? Did I wake you?"

I grumbled "No mom, I was actually about to go to sleep."

"Oh dear what are you doing staying up so late? That's bad for your health."

"Yeah I know, but my new job is a night shift job so I'm trying to get used to it, sleeping during daylight and all."

"Honey you better not be having one of those night jobs."

"What?"

"Those ladies of the night are such nasty women—"

I had to cut her off before she went completely crazy.
"No no mom it's not like that, I'm a security guard, let's just talk tomorrow I'm tired..."

"Oh, well okay then I guess , goodnight? Good morning? Haha okay then bye bye."

"Bye" I rolled my eyes slightly, too tired to even do a full eye roll. I hung up the phone and dove into my bed, and just like that I was out like a light.

~~~~
Black and white stripes

Cake

Happy birthday to the children?

No... something...something else...

Pink icing, six candles.

Tears streamed down her face, yet she still smiled, pin pricks and rosy cheeks, yet the rest of her face was pale like a porcelain doll, a crack running from her eye to her temple. She turned to me, her slender body swaying, with a white box wrapped with a red ribbon and bow. "Who...are you?" I asked automatically, feeling no control over my voice. A childish giggle escaped her, yet her lips never moved, then she pushed the box toward me as I began to hear many faint whispers, too many voices to make out a single word.

I opened the box she had gifted to me, many old pages filled the box, yet they all had the same two words in common.

Missing Children

I skimmed over the pages quickly, before looking back up to meet the white pin pricks.

She placed a slender finger to her permanent red-lipped grin..."Shhhhhh"

Strings wrapped around my wrists, forcing me to rise to my feet and follow the pale-faced figure into a room I took a moment to recognize.

The arcade room.

The arcade was no longer faded and ruined, instead it was bright and vibrant, each screen lit up with joy, rather than the unnerving static I formerly knew.

On the black and white arcade I could read the letters, as I immediately felt drawn to it.

I crouched down, now free from the strings, I read the title of the arcade...

The Happiest Day