Dark Side of Wonderland

Aprosexia

Halo Twenty: Aprosexia:

There are so many distractions everywhere. So much sleight of hand going on this winter. It adds to the inability to concentrate. So many of us are constantly getting distracted. Distraction is easy, but getting back on track is harder to do.

Akari frowned over her books.

"Damn it!" she shouted. The witch leaned back in her chair. This wasn't working and she couldn't figure out why. Actually, that was a lie. Akari knew the reason.

She reached over for her phone and opened up the Dollars website. She opened the messenger app. Oh, good. He was online. Akari took a breath and started typing.

"Mikado-kun, are you awake?"

She sat back and waited.

"Come on, come on."

Taro Tanaka is typing.

Akari sat up straight. Her heart started pounding against her chest. She took in long, slower breaths to calm down.

Taro Tanaka: Yes.

FireMoon Witch: I need to see you.

Taro Tanaka is typing.

Taro Tanaka: Why, what's wrong?

Akari waited with bated breath. At the same time, she cursed herself. Why was she acting like this? Mikado was just a man. A man with godlike abilities. Pretty much god in human flesh. Akari's cheeks felt like they were getting hot. She smacked herself in the cheek.

"Come on! Get it together, Akari! You are better than this! Cut it out!" she said to herself. When she looked at her screen, she was ready to type her response. The witch took her time and typed out a response.

FireMoon Witch: I need to see you.

Taro Tanaka: What do you mean?

FireMoon Witch: Can I please come over?

Taro Tanaka: I'm not at my apartment.

Akari stared at the screen, confused. She was about to ask when she noticed more text following behind. She held her breath for a second.

Taro Tanaka: I am going to send you the address of where I am now.

The witch stared at the screen as the address popped up. That was all it took.

FireMoon Witch: I will be right there.

The witch teleported out of her room.

There have been another string of murders happening around Ikebukuro. They first began in early October. Twenty-eight delinquents had been found slashed to death. All of the cuts were clean like down with a katana. All of them had their throats, arms, torsos, and legs were all cut up. They all laid bloody heaps on the ground. The police couldn't figure it out at first.

That was until a witness came forward on December eleventh.

She was a twenty-four-year-old hostess who was being harassed by three wannabe yakuza thugs. The woman sat at the table, still trembling from what she saw last night.

"Okay, from the top. Tell me what you saw," the cop said. The hostess kept her eyes on the table.

"Y-Y-You wouldn't believe me," she said.

"Try me," he said. "I just want to know what happened." She lifted her gaze toward him.

"It was my first night on the job," the woman said. "Everything was going well. I was a bit nervous at first. However, the customers took to me easily. I thought I was going to have an easy night." She began to frown.