𝕭𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖉 - 𝙺𝚎𝚗𝚓𝚒 𝚂𝚊𝚝𝚘 X 𝙾𝙲

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞

༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕒𝕣𝕞 𝕤𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕣 𝕒𝕚𝕣 felt thick and heavy in the dim lit area of her friend's room. The faint hum of the television provided a soothing background noise as Noa's mom's voice echoed from the living room. "Hey Kia, your mom and sister are calling. Do you want to say good night before heading to bed?"

Noa and I looked up from the bed, our heads popping up in sync. The cool, damp strands of my dark hair brushed against the nape of my neck, still damp from the recent shower. I let out a barely audible groan, the sound catching in my throat. I really wasn't in the mood to talk to my mom knowing exactly how that conversation was about to go. But regardless an invisible weight seemed to pull me down, making the prospect of talking to my family feel like a chore.

As I entered the living room my friends mom handed me her cell phone, the smoothness of the black material cool against my warm palms, "Hi Kia, I hope you're behaving well..." My mother's gentle voice filled the senses of my ears, her words laced with a hint of concern, as if she already expected me to have done something wrong. The familiar taste of her mild disapproval lingered on my tongue.

In the background, the television flickered, catching my eye. A pink creature flashed across the screen—Kanji is what they called them, if only ever seen them through the screens but they were bigger than any normal creature I had ever seen. It was quite fascinating to me. As my gaze lingered on the screen the sound of my mother repeating my name echoed and I quickly snapped my attention back to the call.

"Hi Mama, sorry, I was just a bit distracted. I'm behaving perfectly well, don't worry. And before you ask, yes, I had dinner and finished it all. I already bathed, and no, we're not staying up too late."
My mother's light laugh filled the air, the sound slightly tinny through the speaker. "Good, good, I'm glad... Uh, just have a good night, honey, and your sister and I love you. I'll be there in the morning to come get you, okay?"

I suppressed another groan, the prospect of an early morning pick-up already weighing on me. Only my parents would pick me up this early on a Saturday morning after a sleepover, "Okay, Ma. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye-bye." I sighed hanging up the phone and thanking Noas mom for letting me speak with my mom.

She gave me a small smile before Noa's hand grasped my arm and began dragging me back to our original location. Her fingers felt warm against my skin. "You're seriously leaving in the morning?" she whined, her brow furrowed in disappointment.

I shrugged, the movement of my shoulders heavy, as we made our way to her room, the floorboards creaking slightly underfoot. I couldn't help but stare at the array of photos on display against the carefully painted white walls. Noa's family portraits lined up can and every surface, a constant reminder of the only-child life she led, which sometimes made me envious. She had always seemed to complain how she was wished she had a sibling but I couldn't disagree more. I'd do anything to trade places with her.

"I know, I know. Let's just stay up a bit longer since I'm leaving so early. I brought some Ultraman figurines if you want to play with those." I grinned rushing to my backpack, the zipper sound filling the room as I pulled out the silver and red suited character.

Noa's eyes widened, a smile spreading across her face as she looked at me in disbelief. "Ultraman? Those are for boys. Let's go play with my new dolls instead. We can make them be best friends, like we are!"

I shrugged again, conceding to her request. I honestly didn't care much for what specific toys we played with. Noa and I spent the next half-hour dressing and redressing the dolls, their plastic limbs clinking together as we moved them. Eventually, Noa's mom poked her head in, letting us know it was time for bed.

That night, as I lay in the unfamiliar bed, my mind refused to settle. My heart raced, palms damp with sweat, and a sense of unease settled in the pit of my stomach. I shifted restlessly, my best friend's steady breathing the only sound in the room. She seemed peaceful, so maybe the overwhelming warmth was just in my head. Maybe I was just homesick. I continued to lay restless for a while, just staring into the ceiling until eventually I managed to doze off.

༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

The next morning, I slowly opened my eyes, blinking several times to adjust to the bright sunlight streaming in through the window. I turned to my side to see that Noa was no longer beside me on the bed. Rolling my shoulders back, I stretching with a deep yawn, then swung my legs over the side of the bed to get up. As my bare feet hit the cold, hardwood floor, a shiver ran up my spine.

The house seemed too quiet for some odd reason. I had expected to hear the sizzling of cooking in the kitchen or the loud sound of some television show playing in the background, it was always how I woke up in my own home. Walking to the main living area, I was struck by the hushed, somber whispers.

The moment they all noticed me everyone went quiet. Noa looked at me with a confused, sad expression, while her parents stared at me with pity in their eyes. An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of my stomach.

"Is my mom almost here to get me?" I asked quietly, glancing around at each of their faces in turn. That's when the television caught my attention—it was not displaying the usual Kanji-related news I always found entertaining. Instead, I heard a solemn announcement: "Found dead from an attack last night was famous scientist Dr. Onda's wife and child."

The air felt thick with tension and grief. My mouth went dry, and my heart pounded in my ears as I struggled to process this devastating news. Bile rose up my throat and without even realizing it my eyes were welled with tears.