Puella Magi Madoka Magica : Rebirth

Chapter 21 : Fears and Uncertainties

The cold night air assaulted Shika's senses, heightening them to epic levels. As she dashed along the empty streets astride her faithful Shiba Inu, her past came flashing before her eyes.

Always, whenever she was afraid or in panic, they would come back to haunt her mind. Like cruel bullets, they penetrated deep into her consciousness, forcing her to relive everything that she had gone through in that torturous one month.

That one month of hell. She was trapped within it. Trapped for what seemed like eternity.

Shaking her head violently, she tried to dislodge the memories that were clinging onto her, digging their evil claws deeper and deeper.

Dying and living and dying again. The looping cycle of life and death.

Yuki twisted her head around and whined, trying to lick Shika's fingers. She had sensed her mistress's distress. Shika's grasp on Yuki's reins tightened reassuringly, telling her companion that she was alright, and they must forge on.

That hideous face. Those curved fangs. The sadistic remarks. Those ruthless words.

Shika shut her eyes tight. No! Stop it! Stop it, you useless brain! she yelled internally. Cold sweat formed in beads on her forehead. Her hands were trembling and she felt faint.

The noose around her neck tightened. The blade at her wrist pressed deeper. The water in her lungs suffocating her.

Yuki turned sharply around a corner, almost throwing Shika off her back. Momentarily shocked, her memories seized the opportunity and came pouring into her brain, as if the floodgates holding them back had been breached by that one moment of carelessness.

The Witch grabbed her around the torso as if she were a toy. It raised her to its face, ignoring Shika's punches on it's hand. It laughed with her dead mother's voice; it spoke to her with her dead father's tone.

"Shika, I never loved you anyway. You were a burden to the family. Everyone hated you." It's grin widened with malicious joy, drinking in Shika's obvious distress. "You are better off dead. Here, let me give you a pistol to shoot yourself now."

"Shut up! Shut the hell up!" screamed the green-haired girl, as her dog lay motionless below her. A pistol materialised next to her, glowing atrociously.

"Take it now, and your suffering will end with a simple bullet. Go on. You won't be missed," preened the Witch, cooing to her with her brother's voice. "After all, you are about the most worthless person this world has ever seen. You know, I've always wanted to kill you myself, but I could never do that. You know why? Because I didn't want your filthy blood on my hands."

Shika screamed. She screamed and screamed, her voice breaking. "No! No! You're lying! You're not my brother! You're lying to me!" Her breath came in sobs. She couldn't breathe. Couldn't see. Couldn't feel anything but raw fear.

The pistol hovered closer and closer to her. The Witch's face was changing, from her mother, to her father, to her brother, and settled on Akira... her best friend.

Her one and only friend.

"Take it," said 'Akira' in her icy tone.

The pistol was right before her. Her green eyes misted over. "Not you too, Akira..." Everyone did hate her.

"Take it!"

Her lips quivered, wet with tears. "How could you, Akira...?" Maybe she was better off dead.

"TAKE IT!"

"I HATE YOU, AKIRA!" She grabbed the pistol, screaming like an animal as she pulled the trigger on herself.