Insomnia

Chapter 3 - Hopes and Dreams

"I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night"

"Iwa-chan! Don't run too fast - I can't keep up!" 

Oikawa didn't know how he ended up here. The first minute he was greeting Iwaizumi, then the next minute passed and he was suddenly in the middle of the woods.

"Stop complaining! We're nearly there anyway."

Oikawa pouted - even though he was a great 'companion' (he refused to say 'friend' until Iwaizumi says it first), he was surprisingly quite vicious towards him. Iwa-chan is so mean.

Their footsteps and the crumpling of fallen leaves were the only noises in the wood. There were some occasional hoots from owls and the snap of twigs, making Oikawa tighten his grip on Iwaizimi's hand. In situations like that, the fear naturally bubbles, because you never know, there could be something else lurking behind the trees...

The dense darkness wrapped around them strongly - as if it was choking them to death. This was all too familiar. The reoccurring nightmare he would always have during sleep - It felt like the nightmare came into reality. So I guess he isn't here to save you this time...

"We're here," Iwaizumi said with a slight smile on his face. Nudging his shoulder, he awaited for a response.

"Oh! Uh... right – where are we?" Oikawa stumbled on his words. It must of sounded stupid because they were clearly on a hill. But, he wasn't really paying attention to his surroundings especially since it emerged again.

"We're on a hill," the other boy answered. "Sit down with me – it might take a little while before the show starts." he patted the patch of grass next to him as he hugged his knees tightly.

Show? What show? Oikawa thought (he momentarily forgot about it) as he sat beside him. It somehow turned even more darker than when they were in the woods, meaning they couldn't really see anything. The sky was covered with a thick sheet of clouds so even the brightest of the stars or the moon couldn't break through. There was nothing interesting, so what was the show that Iwaizumi was talking about?

"Iwa-chan, there's nothing to see-"

"Oikawa, look up."

And all of a sudden, the world came to a halt.

The curtain of clouds were drawn back, revealing the truly spectacular sight.  An ocean of darkness washed the sky with droplets of purple, red and green mixing into the black. A canopy of glittering stars smiled down on the earth - some beamed as bright as the sun. The dim luminescence from the town square added the finishing touches to the already-perfect portrait. Oikawa couldn't believe his eyes.

"It's great, isn't it?"

"It's not great, it's amazing Iwa-Chan! Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"This is the only time you get to see it," Iwaizumi whispered.  His eyes softed and started to gloss over, as if he was remembering something important. Before Oikawa can question the sudden quietness, Iwaizumi spoke.

"'Every year, the sky opens up another world, welcoming the lost and the lone souls of the earth," he paused to see if Oikawa would make a comment on his strange poetic words, but no sound came out of the other's mouh. He continued.

"That's what my mum told me every time we stargazed together. It's funny, actually - what she said came true. On this very night, when the stars were at its prettiest, I became that lost soul she talked about. I was... abandoned by my own mother."

Slowly, tears trickled down his cheeks. The fears and his past appeared in his mind, rewinding that terrible night over and over again like a broken record.