Waking Up in Wonderland

Mikado

Halo Twelve: Mikado:

He had to know the truth. What did he see outside of Russia Sushi that night? Chiharu died last month. There was no way she could be up and walking around Ikebukuro just like that. That wasn't her, was it? What was that he saw three nights ago?

That night started out normally; just him, Anri, and Masaomi out for dinner at Russia Sushi. Anri sat quiet as Masaomi bragged about how he got another high school girl's number the other day. Mikado had tuned him out as usual and looked out the window. To his surprise, there she stood. Chiharu watched him and his friends from across the street. She didn't say a word; she didn't attempt to move. Confused, he turned to his friends.

"Guys," he said as he pointed across the street. "Isn't that Hashimoto-chan over there?" His friends stopped talking and stared at him.

"Huh?" Masaomi asked as he looked out the window with his friend. He blinked in his confusion.

"What are you talking about, man?" he asked. "I don't see her out there."

"Huh?" Mikado asked as he turned back to the window. She was gone again. He blinked rather confused.

"She was there a few moments ago..." he said. Masaomi frowned at him.

"You feeling okay, dude?" he asked.

"But... she was just there!" Mikado said. "I just saw her."

"Chiharu's dead," his best friend reminded him. "She fell off that apartment last month." Mikado lowered his head.

"I guess you're right," he mumbled. He looked out the window again. He could've sworn that she was out there. Ever since then, he couldn't figure it all out. Who was that girl he saw days ago? If that was Chiharu, was she doing wandering the streets of Ikebukuro?

These questions haunted him until tonight. He happened to be passing by Russia Sushi when something stopped him in his tracks. Chiharu sat alone at the bar, waiting for food. Mikado blinked at first.

Is that..., he thought. That can't be... The boy walked closer to the window. There she was. Chiharu looked up at the ceiling as she waited. Mikado covered his mouth.

It is her!, the boy thought. But... what is she doing here? He blinked for a moment. Wait, he thought. Is she a ghost or something? But why could he see her? Mikado took a step back.

Is she haunting me?, he thought. But why? I haven't done anything to her when she was still alive! Suddenly, he noticed her looking right dead-on at him. Mikado just froze in a panic.

Oh crap! She saw me!, he thought. Now, what could he do? The boy drew in a sharp breath. Guess he had no choice now. The boy gathered him up and walked inside.

Chiharu didn't have to wait long to talk. She looked up and gave Mikado a little wave.

"Yo," she said. He paused with silence.

"Hi..." he mumbled to her. Chiharu gave him a little smile.

"There, there," she said. "I know what you are thinking." She took a step closer to him. The girl shook her head as Mikado took a step back.

"No, I am not a ghost," she said. "Here, let me prove it to you." Mikado trembled as Chiharu slowly took his hand and brushed his fingertips to her right cheek. Shock raced through the boy's body.

"You feel... warm!" he said in a gasp. Chiharu smiled at him.

"Now do you believe me?" she asked. He couldn't really speak at first; instead he nodded at her. But, how could he be sure that Hashimoto Chiharu and not some type of hallucination that he was having right now?

Moments later, they sat at the bar together. Mikado looked over at the living girl to his right. He just couldn't hold back anymore.

"Hashimoto-chan," he spoke up. She didn't look up at him as she spun her finger around in circles on the surface.

"Uh-hm?" she asked.

"Where did you go?"

Her finger paused in place. "I've been around the city."

Mikado gave her a strange look. "What do you mean?"

"I was there. You just didn't really notice me. I was invisible."

Mikado stared at her. "I'm not following."

Chiharu still looked at the bar. "I died, I came back, and I just turned invisible until you saw me days ago."

Mikado still stared at her. "Okay..." He looked at her again. "What happened to you?"

Chiharu sat back in her chair. "Hard to say, really."

"What?"

"I got into a fight with my brother, I went out, went to the top of that apartment building outside the city, I heard a voice, and the next I knew, I found myself falling to the ground from many feet."

"And you don't know how you got that way?"

Chiharu shook her head. Mikado looked down at his hands.

"Oh," he said. She nodded again. The boy looked straight at her.

"What exactly did you hear before you died?" he asked. Chiharu froze at that question. She looked far away from him.

"This peace will not last long in this city," she murmured to herself. "There are some rabbit holes that humans are not meant to go down in." Mikado still didn't get it.

"What are you talking about?" he asked. "What did you hear that night?" Chiharu tightly shut her eyes.

"Please forgive him," she whispered. "He doesn't know what's he's prying into."

"What did you hear?" Mikado asked. She swallowed a bit and leaned into his ear. She whispered the coldest truth that she heard that night on her death.

"Don't let the devil get me."