Song's Unwanted Note

Chapter XIII

A distant memory

—If it seemed cheesy on paper, it's worse in person. –After defeating the bird lady, listening to Kairi's lecture for not being cautious and finally realising that the school had already closed, I walked along the shore of the beach until I came across the "romantic" scene between Lukia and Kurosuna. –I don't want to watch any more of this badly written soap opera. –I thought, sticking my tongue out, with a fake displeasure on my face.

Walking across the sand, away from the teenage duo, I headed for home. I couldn't go for the book anymore and I was sure I wouldn't make any friends, so I had no choice but to go straight home. Upon entering, there was only Luchia and Kaito, with no sign of Hanon or Rina (surprisingly). Which meant peace of mind, at least for a while.
So, intending to disconnect from my surroundings, I threw myself on my bed and opened the music box again. As the minutes passed, the melody it emitted enveloped me. And from one moment to the next, I had surrendered to sleep. The nostalgic tune still lingered, but the surroundings changed as my eyes closed completely.

—Y/N. It's time for a snack. –A sweet, warm voice called to me from behind.

The dull, monochrome background was slowly beginning to change. I was now in the living room of a house. My house. The house I grew up in. The one I will never see again, except in my dreams.
I walked slowly, step by slow step, until I reached the sofa in front of the small television in the centre of the room. My mother, sitting at one end of the sofa, was offering me my favourite biscuits, as was her custom.

—Mermaids, mermaids, mermaids! –I shouted excitedly as I jumped up and down with joy.

I was a little girl again. Excited that the afternoon would come and I would be able to watch the series I loved so much at snack time. To be able to sing its songs and see if the main characters could, at last, live happily.
In those days everything was simple. There were no worries, just fun. How I longed to be with my family again, in front of the television, explaining to them which mermaid was my favourite and why.

—Mummy, mummy. Look! –I said excitedly, pointing to the transformation scene in the episode. –The pretty dresses! –But when I turned around and looked for my mother's face, there was nothing but a blur. And from one moment to the next, my mother figure began to recede. –Mum? –Despite the fact that we were sitting on the same sofa, the distance between the two of us was growing larger and larger.

Gradually the atmosphere became darker and darker. The elements of the room slowly disappeared and were replaced by pitch black. Was this what I was destined for? To never see my loved ones again?
I ran and ran and ran. My infant body changed into a more adult body, but I still couldn't catch up with her. She was so far away that I couldn't even hear her voice. It was so desperate. The tears flowed non-stop. They were unrestrained, as was my need to hold my mother again.

—Why are you crying? –When I stopped and turned to look for who had said that, I found a large mirror in front of me. At first glance, all I saw was my reflection: my y/h/c* hair, my y/e/c** eyes and my favourite summer T-shirt. But when I blinked, on the other side, there was now a girl, copper-haired and about my height. I couldn't see past her mouth, as the rest of her face was a mere blur.

—Because I will never see the ones I love the most again, not like you. –I said through tears, as if I already knew the person on the other side of the glass. Letting go of everything that bothered me, hoping that something was going to happen. –You can see them again, they're waiting for you. Not like me. –I whispered, trying to dry my tears.

—Don't worry. I'm sure you'll be with them again very soon. –And with her sincere smile, my tears stopped.

—Tell me, what's your name? –But before I could answer, someone called out to me loudly. Pulling me away from the mirror that reflected the hope of seeing those precious faces again, I was so happy to see them again.

—Y/... /N... Y/... Y/... /N... ¡Y/N! –With a tone full of concern, Kaito called out to me incessantly.

My body was trembling, my heart was beating too fast and my eyes were flooded with tears. From one moment to another, the sweet dream I was having had turned into a horrible nightmare.
Clinging to his arms, as if my life depended on it, I gradually stopped trembling and my breathing began to regulate. It was as if his presence eased the pain I felt in my chest.

—Dad... ? –I asked in a whisper, staring into his eyes.

—Shhh... Calm down. I'm here now and I won't leave your side, I promise. –He whispered, hugging me tightly, as if letting go would make me disappear.

—Dad. Will I ever be normal? –It was a question I didn't even know I had, but I blurted out without thinking. Even though deep down I knew the answer was no.

Still, knowing it wasn't going to happen, he didn't hesitate to smile at me as if nothing was wrong. –Yes, I'm sure of it. –And I believed it. Knowing it was a lie, I accepted it without hesitation. I clung to that lie and closed my eyes again, hoping that this time things would get better. Hoping that when I woke up everything would be better. But that wasn't going to happen, and I kept that in mind. And yet... –You don't have to worry. Your mother and I will always be by your side. –I felt that there was some light in the darkness.

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*y/h/c: your hair colour
**y/e/c: your eye colour