Happy Ending ((TENYA IIDA X OC))

Chapter 20

I made it home with a cloud of paranoia hanging over my head.

Hiroe was there when I entered the house, but she merely watched me from the living room doorway as I rushed up the stairs and straight into the bathroom.

I turned on the faucet and let the shower run cold before getting in to let the water rain down on my face.

My previous adrenaline rush was now fading fast, leaving behind a sticky hot feeling that I was desperate to wash away. I scrubbed at my skin uselessly, leaving splotchy red marks behind on my skin as I tried to scratch away this feeling eating away at my sanity.

I scrubbed and scrubbed, but my efforts only seemed to worsen my stress.

I scrambled to the faucet and turned the cold handle as far as it would go, but the suffocating heat I was being swallowed by didn't stop the fact that I was on the verge of hyperventilating.

I whimpered dryly and slammed by back against the shower wall, bringing my hands up to tug on my dampened hair.

The feeling of a rapidly approaching demise still plagued my brain. The feeling of Dream Walker's heat — even though I knew he wasn't there — crawled across my skin and pressed against my lungs. My world felt like it was closing in on itself; slowly and torturously.

I felt pressure rise in my throat as I sunk down to my knees. My hands shook uncontrollably as I released my hair and shrieked. Nothing made sense. Everything was falling apart.

I was too weak to stop it.

I was too weak to do anything.

I am nothing.

"Osoroshi!" Hiroe burst into the bathroom and a cold draft wafted into the shower as she yanked the cover away.

I didn't look up as I rocked myself to and fro. I didn't even move when I felt her hands wrap around my arms to pull them away from my face.

"Osoroshi," she said urgently, turning the water off with one hand and grabbing a towel with the other. "Talk to me, honey. What's wrong? Say something."

I couldn't. All I could focus on was the pulsing in my ears and temples. I still felt like I was consumed by flames.

Hiroe wrapped her towel around me and led me out of the shower and onto the tile floor. I sunk back to my knees and she lowered herself down with me, wiping wet clumps of hair out of my face to look at me. I focused on the pink shirt she was wearing.

"Osoroshi," she said again, softer this time. "Baby, what's wrong? Why were you screaming? What happened?"

So many questions.

"I-I —" I squeaked out, clutching the white fabric of the towel cascading over me. "I can't do this."

Tears stung my eyes and I let them fall. I heard Hiroe's breathing hitch and she didn't hesitate to pull me into her.

Her arms wrapping around me eased my racing heart and I let out a shaky breath. She was warm, but it wasn't the same as the heat that was forcing me to my knees.

"I know you don't think you can," Hiroe cooed after a prolonged silence. "But you are the bravest girl I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. You have your doubts, everyone does, but there is no doubt in my mind that you can do this. You came back to do this because deep down you too know that you can."

I gripped her sleeve and squeezed my eyes shut. Panic began to settle again and I tried my best to will it away, but my attempts seemed futile as I steadily began to hyperventilate again.

God, just make it stop.

"Shh," Hiroe hushed, running her fingers through my tangled hair. "You're safe, Osoroshi, I've got you."

I tried to believe that, but something in the back of my head wouldn't let me. Deep down I knew that as long as Dream Walker walked this Earth I wouldn't be safe, and neither would anyone else. I knew that I had to put an end to him and the fact that I was the only one who could sucked.

"M-make it stop." I pled desperately. More tears fell down my cheeks.

"Just close your eyes," Hiroe urged me gently, tightening her grip. "All you have to do is close your eyes. I won't let anything hurt you."

I wanted to believe her. All I ever wanted was to believe that someone could protect me. I didn't want to be the one to protect everyone anymore. I was an open target in this game that I was forced into and it wasn't fair.

Who had my back?

No one, that's who.

I listened to her despite that, however, and closed my eyes. The darkness I was greeted with made me flinch. It didn't matter that this darkened place was produced by my eyelids. Anything could lurk within it; anything could lurk within my mind and jump out to try to hurt me.

I couldn't trust anyone now, not after that damn stunt.

I couldn't trust Hiroe. She might leave again.

I couldn't trust my mind.

I couldn't even trust myself.

__________

My eyes fluttered open to a while ceiling, but my vision seemed impaired by a black ring.

I narrowed my eyebrows and squinted. I even blinked a few times, but this ring still remained.

My body willed itself into a sitting position and I watched as my head turned to gaze around the room.

It would have been normal, but there was one thing out of the ordinary, here.

I wasn't the one in control of my movements.

Immediate panic rose in my chest, and despite my arms moving from wherever I actually was, my physical body didn't move a muscle to my command. I tried to scream, but it only bounced around this white void I was stuck inside of.

Seeing my attempts futile, I shifted back to the screen-like display in front of me.

The bedroom door opened and my heart sunk to see my sister. I wanted to ask what she was doing here, but a voice that wasn't mine spoke over me.

"Ah," it said. "You must be Hattori Shizuka. It's very nice to meet you."