INFERNO ( the GazettE Tale )

Chapter 10 : Lying Truth

Long hanging bridge stretched forward with the end invisible by the heavy fog. Aika took one step on the old wood of the bridge. She gripped tightly on the knotted rope at her sides. With enough courage she took another step on the bridge, leaving the stable land behind her. She took few steps further more with shallow breathing and a throbbing heart. She didn't know what was waiting for her at the other end and as she set out even more the rope suddenly shook erratically making her lose her balance on the creaking wood she was stepping on.

Aika looked back over her shoulder and saw that the land she was standing at earlier was nowhere, she was at the center of the bridge; trapped. The rope continued to shake on her grip and almost in a split second she thought she would fall down. She managed to balance herself and was now only holding the right side rope of the shaking bridge. She looked down and saw the flaming red hot lava slowly rushing just a few feet beneath her. Terrified, her heart thudded faster; she would end falling down the hot thick liquid down her if the shake doesn't halt. "STOP!" She heard herself scream in horror when tears streamed down her eyes.

Abruptly, her eyes opened wide with her breathing coming fast and her heart pounding uncontrollably beneath her chest. The blue sky was watching over her with scattered unknown shapes of clouds slowly floating up. She realized she was still at the rooftop, but alone. Her hand rested on her chest, trying to calm her breathing. Odd, the dream she had was very strange and horrifying. That was the first time she dreamt of something like that and she felt it was all true yet there was no streak of tears on her face and it relieved her that it was all just a dream.

The loud alarm of the school bell brought her up to her feet and rushed down their floor. Students were already on their way out of their rooms and at their class's doorframe she saw her friends talking with each other with distress on their faces.

"AIKA!" Aki was the first one who found her walking to them.

"Hey," She said embarrassed. She took her bag from her who already had it on her shoulder.

Eri frowned at her and both of her hands settled at her hips. "Where the hell have you been?"

"We were worried about you...." Kimuu pouted at her.

Aika looked down and sighed. "Sorry, I fell asleep at the rooftop."

That made her think that she was not alone when she drifted off, the thing about her drifting off with him made her flush; it was embarrassing for her but knowing that he left her without waking her up and made her missed some of their classes fired up her anger. She tilted her head to see the inside of their room but disappointment waved at her after seeing the room empty.

"You okay?" Oru asked, disturbing her thought of how she could beat the life out of the blond.

She nodded. "Let's go."

They were near the school's gate when they saw Reita made his way out of his fan girls surrounding him.

"Why is that guy walking to us?" Eri had her glare at him.

Oru shifted her look from the blond to Aika who was also glaring at Reita.

When the popular blond stopped a few feet away from them he only had his eyes fixed on Aika.

"I'll walk you home."

She blinked, shocked of what he said. That was the least she expected him to say after leaving her alone. At her peripheral view she could see his fan girl's jaw dropped down, eyes wide in shocked too.

"No."

"We have to talk." His voice was stern almost demanding.

"No. And I don't think your girls like you talking with me." She snapped her eyes at some girls who were glaring at her already.