"I can't do this anymore. It's on my hands, on my face, it's everywhere! I tried it so many times! I tried to wash it away, but it's still here! It stings on me! The blood is everywhere!"
--
Giyuu is haunted by the same nightmare every night. His p...
I open the door that leads into the old abandoned building. Police officers had reported unknown groups of people. Either they were young people who came here every week to get drunk, or it had something to do with our case.
Because it was only after the many children had disappeared that these groups started their activities. It would have been strange if we hadn't noticed beforehand that there were people in this abandoned building. There is ivy and grass growing out of every crevice. As Sabito slowly follows in my footsteps, I swallow hard and look after him.
We are aware that this could end very dangerously if these really were the kidnappers. I separate from Sabito and start searching the rooms. But so far there's not much strange. Just an overgrown building that has become home to the animals.
My eyes can't miss a thing. Even the scratch marks on one wall. I touch them carefully and realize they must be those of a raccoon. Later, I notice a dried up drop of blood. I take a closer look at it.
It's still fresh.
I pick up the walkie-talkie with which I can contact Sabito and tell him what I've found. Several minutes later, he comes to me and examines the bloodstain. He takes a sample and packs it into a case in which we will take several samples.
"That will probably be enough. We can go now. Let's come back tomorrow to take more samples."
I wake up in horror. "No, don't go!" I shout.
I grab my head because it hurts. Such an incredible headache that I get up and blindly pour painkillers into my hand with my eyes closed. My blind eye hurts. As if someone was poking my eye the whole time. I swallow the tablets with water and sigh loudly afterwards. The pain is still there, but it starts to fade after several minutes.
I organize my thoughts again.
Stay calm.
I can't change anything now. What I dreamt is the past. I can't change anything now.
The agonizing thought of going back to sleep and perhaps dreaming the past again makes me wake up.
It's only 3.30 a.m..
What should I do now? I can't go back to sleep and I'm just too deep in shock to do anything again. I open my closet to change, but then I notice the gym membership card I haven't used in months. I think about going to the gym, but hesitate to grab it.
But then I remember what I promised myself.
I want to forget it, want to move on.
So I take the card and get ready for the gym. I put on a black T-shirt with gray training pants and take my blue water bottle and put it in a gym bag.
I look at my work schedule.
Today is what day?
I open my cell phone and ignore the many messages. Today is Saturday, so I have to work in the morning until the afternoon.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I have to be there at 7.00 a.m. I take the bag, open the door and lock it. It should be quick with a bike. I take my bike and go to the gym.
The first thing I do is go on the treadmill.
I start slowly and get faster and faster.
That reminds me of my training as an agent.
I was the fastest. I could go up to maximum speed on a treadmill and it was still easy. Sabito always tried to catch up with me, but he always failed.
I shake my head, shaking the sweat from my face. As I step off the treadmill, I look around. It's completely empty. Almost no one is here. Just a few people.
And that's when I spot Salami, or whatever his name was. The regular customer of the café where I'm starting work today.
His eyes meet mine and I look directly in the other direction. I always do this when I accidentally look people in the eye because it makes me uncomfortable.
But with him it's not unpleasant, but I do it anyway because it's a habit.
He has a lot of scars, I notice.
And he's very muscular.
Okay, ewww. No. Stop brain. I don't want to be like Shinobu. That's disgusting.
But my brain doesn't stop. More and more images of his muscles appear in my head.
I try to think of something else, but it doesn't work. I ignore my thoughts and lift weights. I look at them more closely. I'm still not used to not being able to see with my left eye.
It was one of my most important senses, but now I'm only half as good.
But it's okay, isn't it? I can still see a lot with one eye! Besides, it doesn't kill me. I was much luckier than he was. I wanted to forget, so I'm trying.
I'm actually quite healthy.
I can feel a gaze on me with my 6th sense. Every agent must have a sixth sense. It's the sense of feeling a presence.
I look around me and spot this Salami guy looking at me. I sigh with relief.
Just a harmless guy living an ordinary life.
Right?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It's still fresh.
