A New Game (EDITING)

Chapter 5

I didn't mention it to anyone, didn't want to make a big deal about it. It was a coincidence, right? That was until she showed up in shops and areas we were in. When we left or entered a shop, she would do the same. After one shop, sure it's just a coincidence. Two? Okay, a little weird but whatever. Three shops? Ok, it was no longer a coincidence, she was stalking us. But why? Is she planning to lure me into a back alley and kill me? I shifted my body closer to Shiki's, making sure to establish that I wasn't here alone.

"Hey, Shiki...?" I whispered to her.

"Yeah?" She whispered back.

"Look" I pointed to the girl who was hiding her face behind a book.

"Yeah, I noticed too...I...I didn't want to say anything."

"What should we do? Should we confront her about it?"

"No, not yet...we'll make a scene."

"Yeah...you're right..."

Hours went by, she still followed. I was still deciding if she was trying to be secretive about it. If she was, she wasn't doing a good job at it. We knew very well who she was and what she was doing. I tried to ignore her, but I could always see her out of the corner of my eye. Wherever we went, there she was. That's it. I couldn't take it any longer. I had to confront her.

I took a deep breath, spun around, and walked towards her. My heart rate quickly escalated. It pounded in my head, getting louder and louder with every foot step. The loud murmur of people became like static on the TV. The passing by people became blurred silhouettes as her red school uniform came into focus. The pressure grew greater and greater, and it soon felt like my body was about to collapse under it. Now, she was right in front of me, peering into a book, pretending not to notice me. I drew a breath as I prepared to speak.

"Ah...Hey..."

She looked up from her book, I had a full view of her bright red eyes. The had a certain familiar intensity to them. I...I didn't want to look away. I was completely captivated by her gaze. Everything else drifted away, leaving me with a pair of eyes that filled me that strange sense of deja vu. For a brief second, it felt as if time stopped completely.

Then, without warning:

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

People started screamed and scrambled. Lights flickered on and off as broken glass fell from the ceiling. Store alarms screeched at and deafening volume. My body quickly went numb as the fact settled in.

I'm in the middle of a shooting.

Oh my god, I'm going to die! All my friends are going to die! My heartbeat when into overdrive, It felt like it was going to explode inside of my chest. I'm going to die! I can't do this, not again! I couldn't move, I could barely breathe. Vivid flashbacks of the first two times this happened played on a loop in my head. My entire life was collapsing on itself. This was it. I'm done for.

That was until, without warning, someone grabbed me and pulled me in some unknown direction. Where? I had no idea.

I was pushed into a nearby store as the shutters on the storefront closed. Whoever pushed me in here was now gone, I was alone with only the echoes of screams in my head. It was nearly pitch black, except for some emergency lights along the sides of the stores. I cautiously walked around the store, hearing my feet hit the ground in soft taps against the tile floor. I was alone, or, at least I thought I was. A quick series of taps from somewhere deep within the darkness proved me wrong. Someone was here, the question is; who? In a panic, I quickly ran to the dressing rooms in an attempt to hide. As I was about to enter one, I saw something move in it. Every limb went stiff. Oh no, they know where I am. As I moved, the figure moved with me. It got closer, and closer, and clo- wait a second. I went to the dressing room to see...

A mirror.

I'm a goddamn idiot. I gave a sigh of relief before looking up. Then all sense of false security was blown away. I noticed someone in the reflection, creeping up behind me. Before I could even react, the figure wrapped one arm around my waist and cupped my mouth. I tried to scream and force myself out of their arms, but they only tightened their grip on me.

"Shhh. Don't scream..."

Wait, that voice. N...No, It couldn't be...

"Calm down Neku, Don't scream."

I slowly opened my eyes to look in the mirror. Two people stood in it. Myself, and him...

His ashy blond hair.

His piercing lavender eyes.

His fair skin.

It was him.

It was Joshua.