Just Another Ghostly Story

Exposed (03)

Mizuki opened her eyes, a young girl, in front of her, a familiar person. However she could not recall who the girl is, just that she used to know her. Mizuki is chasing her, as if playfully. But she can't keep up, the girl is running too fast, and Mizuki's leg is too short, she's a child. A scenery from her childhood. She called out to the familiar girl "No! Wait, don't go!!" But the faster she gave chase the further the girl escapes, into the horizon. Vanished.

Mizuki overheard a conversation. The voice sounded familiar, but this time she recognized it "Mom and dad..?" She's outside her room on the second floor, but the sound is coming from downstairs, muffled by the wall but still distressed. She goes down the stairs stealthily, half of it to not alarm them, half of it because she's scared to find out why they sound so, grieving. But why? Maybe because she somehow felt like she is partly responsible, maybe because she is the one who disappointed them so, maybe she is the reason why they're so sad. "We've tried everything... I don't know where to look anymore.." her mother's voice, it's rare for her to sound so, despaired. At least, not in front of Mizuki. "Tone down, what if she overheard you" her father hugged her mother, trying to calm the crying woman. They both look like they'd just sent away some visitors, visitors that had brought in bad news for them, bad enough to make up this scenery. Mother cannot contain her emotions, "But what else can we do for her? at this rate-"

"Here we go again.. of course it's her.." Before Mizuki could finish hearing mother's sentence, she overheard another conversation. It cut off the sentence from earlier, but somehow awkwardly answers the question she'd had in mind, as to the source of her parent's distressed tone "There it is, Ms. Can't-Get-Enough-Attention." another voice in the distant turned her head, she finds herself not at home anymore, but in school. Her middle school. She's walking down the corridor, nobody is blocking her route, but the walk alone felt very heavy. The weight of all the eyes staring at her, the gaze of judgement. Another chattering caught her attention from behind her, but this time she didn't turn her head. She keeps her gaze down on the floor, unable to lift her head "I heard she did it again.. this time in the Science Lab" a girl told her friend "Really? How many time has it been this week?" the chattering between the 2 girls in the distance registers clearly in her ear, almost forcing it's way in. Even without looking she knew she's the subject of the conversation. "Its not even funny at this point! go be crazy somewhere else!" The condemnation, the judgement, the mocking laughter in the background. The weight of all that emotion crushed her as she walked through. Too heavy, they sink her beneath the floor, she's drowning, unable to stay afloat, a force pulled her down as she desperately reach upwards.

"GAAAHHH!!" Mizuki gasped. She woke up. This time in her room, this time for real.

"Ugghh, my head hurts like crazy" she massaged her forehead. For some reason she felt more exhausted after her sleep, with a headache to greet her wake "It's been a long time since I have dreams like that" she can still recall what she'd dreamt off earlier. Or rather, its a part of her memory that she find quite hard to forget. Though for some reason only today do she remember even having them in the first place. As unforgettable as they are.

"I guess I'll go wash my fac-" as she pulls herself out of bed, she stepped onto something on the side of her bed. It has a rather peculiar texture. Her headache pulses ever so slightly as she stepped onto that thing. She turns to her feet to investigate. "Oh what? it's just Fuu chan" although a bit hazy, she can make out that it is just her favourite plushies that she stepped onto. Not alarmed by that normal incident, she goes ahead to wash her face in the bathroom. Half hoping that it could also wash away her headache.

'But still... why does my head hurt so much today..?' unfortunately she still has it. And the pulsing is getting stronger the more she move around her room. As if simply keeping her eye open is a constant trigger for her headache to grow more and more painful. Almost too painful that it's causing her to see things 'J-just now.. on the bed..' she shook away the image, the headache is getting to her. Perhaps a change in scenery could wash away her cerebral agony. "I must have imagined it.. let me get some fresh air in.." she places her hand on the window pane. Hoping to unlock them and let in some morning breeze, but she couldnt. The view outside her window that was supposed to be all too familiar to her is different today. Too different that it stopped her on her track. She can't fathom them, those things, outside. In her familiar neighborhood, those unfamiliar things are scattered all around.