It's 3am, I yawn and stretch, turning to go get some water, but that changed when a piece of curled paper caught my eye calling to me from my bedside, unfurling the note in some kind of code, but quickly solved it. It's like reading a math's question and then your brain goes clickety click but then your math's teacher asks for the working out, the thing is you don't know how you did it but it still worked out. The code read: Do not look at the moon, each letter had a familiar cursive twirl on it. Unable to fall back asleep avoiding looking out at the moon (though it felt quite silly), I start scrolling through my phone. I find I have hundreds of unread messages from random numbers saying: It's a beautiful night tonight, look outside. Barely able to force my curiosity down I find myself in a restless sleep.
I wake up in the morning to find another notes this time written on your hand, it read: Trust no one, escape. I make my way downstairs to the kitchen sleepily and see your mother eating her breakfast, when she notices me, she asks, "Tsuki wa mi mashi ta ka. It was gorgeous, wasn't it?". Trusting the gut feeling I have to make a split-second decision and decide to lie, although I had just only woken up your mother was acting a bit different, I chose a leap of faith and followed my instincts and trusting the note. "Yeah, I couldn't sleep so I decided to get a bit of fresh air. Sore wa suteki na koukei deshi ta." Since when was mum into nature? She absolutely hated it, due to events that happened to her when she was still a kid- but anyway - you never know, maybe she found a connection with it?
I could feel it in my stomach now, my heart, lungs and so on. From that moment I knew something weird was going on. It was eerie like something beyond my control. At the bus stop I realize I'm the first one there, no weirdos, no awkward kids from my school trying to look as though watching the grass grow is interesting, there's not even any cars driving by, though I probably just jinxed it. It was these moments I looked forward to each morning no parental expectations weighing me down, no annoying sister, no drama between myself and anyone else... Anyway, I was free, not bound by anyone else's chains, I could just be me which you would probably only see a difference if you could read minds unless I'm singing in my own quiet way to myself which I rarely do unless I'm sure everyone else who take the bus won't be there for the next 10 minutes.
But today like earlier this morning feels uneasy like there are people watching me but I can't see them it makes me feel exposed but there was also something else I just couldn't put my finger in. Everyone who catches the bus shows up one by one until the bus shows up, we all pile in and unusually the bus has vacant seats I would usually open an e-book on my phone but instead I click on messages and type something that I know will be ignored but send it anyway. 'Something feels weird about today?'. I get a reply within minutes, but I don't bother I already know what it says. I'm stuck in a trance staring out at the scenery as it passes by, my chin resting on my backpack on my lap. We arrive at our stop.
I'm taken aback as only 5 students step of the bus something really weird is going on... Once we've made it to school I glanced at the school's entrance, usually bustling with laughter and chatter, but today it lay eerily quiet. We part and take different ways around the school alarm bells are ringing in my mind there's never this little of the student body at school. All I could hear was the click clacking of my sneakers on the titles which I'd never heard since everything is usually livelier. Where is everyone? Before I turn the corner of the hallway, I'm in I plaster a smile onto my face and turn to see some familiar faces I call friends, but my facade falls there's... No one... There? That's weird... I head to roll class.
Inside the classroom, only a few scattered desks were filled with students, faces I recognized, but of the people I didn't talk to. I slid into my seat at the back, it's the universal sign for don't talk to me. The teacher, Mrs. Kobayashi, stood at the front, marking attendance. Although I could see her lips move, the words felt distant, muffled by the layer of fog that had settled in my mind. I was only half-present, in a trance on the edge of my own thoughts. Once I finally snap out of my thoughts, I tap Hana who's sitting directly in front of me, I whisper trying not to disrupt Sensei.
"Pssst, Hana-san where is everyone?" After a moment she turns and faces me with a crease on her forehead like she's confused.
"Dō iu imi desu ka?" She has trouble with her English pronunciation so although the sensei's pressure us to speak in English for when we meet native English speakers on a school trip or something similar. But sometimes she also has trouble trying to understand so I switch to Nihongo.
"Tsumari, minna wa doko ni iru no?" I repeat my question, and she seems even more confused turning to face to rest of the classroom and small number of students that it makes up.
"Gokai sarete iru kamo shiremasen." She replies. My head starts to feel light. I raise my hand.
"Sensei, may I go to the bathroom?" She turns her head and nods.
"Hai, Kokomi-san." With approval I slip the strap of my bag onto my shoulder which rested above my collarbone. I wave at Hana-san as I exit the classroom a small gesture for her answering my questions.
