The Disconsolate Maiden

Chapter Eleven

Homura accidentally, not knowing how exhausted she was mentally, fell into a deep sleep.

Homura opened her eyes, the sound of the ocean's waves crashing upon the cliff greeted her. Like a kind grandparent, the waves, from how fierce they sounded today, seemed to be beckoning Homura to come closer. The waves wanted to tell the poor girl a secret. The secret she always knew, deep down.

"Homura?" a sweet, familiar voice called out from behind the girl who had just awoken in the world again. "You're here, right? That's really you, isn't it?"

"Who..." Homura, finding that her voice in the dream world had gone hoarse from her crying in real life, wheezed. She tried to speak loudly so the voice could hear her, but like always, the ocean breeze carried her voice off to sea. But maybe that was for the best.

Maybe, just maybe, someone drowning in this vicious place would feel calm in their last moments, knowing someone was still there for them. Those few seconds would be all they ever wanted in life. Comfort. Comfort wasn't something one received often, especially if they visited this world in a dream.

A voice, reaching out to one as they swallowed the salty water, gagging and gasping, brining pain to their own, fragile body.

The sad thing was, was that one could not die in this dream world. No matter how hard they tried, they would just end up where they awoke if they did "kill" themselves.

"Homura, is that really you?" the sweet voice said again, much more like a breeze this time, less like a human being. "I've missed you."

Droplets of water splashed all the way up to Homura, dampening her cheeks as she stared down at the foamy waves, her brown hair, out of its usual braid, flowing majestically behind her.

"Hey," the voice said again, this time, Homura knew it was a person, someone she knew, at that. She only knew it was someone, because she felt a frail hand rest on her shoulder. "Do you remember me?"

Homura refused to turn around. She knew who this person was, but there was no way she'd acknowledge their existence. Doing such would only bring her a deep, aching pain that would last in her heart for weeks upon weeks, just as it did when the incident happened so long ago.

"You don't have to keep holding yourself back, Homura. It's okay to cry," the girl said, resting her other hand on Homura's opposite shoulder. "Your omurice, was always good."

"Good...?" Homura whispered to herself, taking a few steps closer to the edge of the cliff. "When was I ever good at anything...I'm a failure..."

Homura still refused to speak the girl's name, fearing she could possibly remember this dream when she woke up again.

"If I had the chance, I would go back, and live the exact same life again, Homura," the girl said, resting her chin on Homura. "Because every moment I spent with you was amazing. I loved being your older twin sister for the time being."

"No..." Homura whispered, quickly running towards the edge, jumping off without a second thought. But a firm grip was planted both of her wrists, preventing her from falling to her fake death.

"Look at me, Homura," the girl said. "Say my name."

"No!" Homura screamed, staring down at the ocean as she watched her shoe slip off, falling into the bubbling sea. "I cannot stand to look at you!"

"Yet the picture," the girl said as she hoisted her sister back up with her strong arms. "You've kept it out."

"You look just like me, so if I tell myself it's me, it doesn't hurt so bad..." Homura sighed, still staring down at the rock which she stood on once again.

The girl pulled Homura in and hugged her tightly.

Homura didn't return the hug, but somehow, she found herself sobbing, despite lying to herself that she didn't know this girl at all.

Homura awoke.