Wonderland Chaos

Chiharu

Halo Twenty: Chiharu:

She grabbed the sides of her head. Chiharu took in slow breaths. Lately, she started having nightmares that she couldn't explain. The scent of blood was strong enough to knock her out. Every few minutes or so, Chiharu would see flashes dismembered body parts. Teeth gnawing at flesh and organs made her stomach turn.

"Chi? Chi? Chi!" someone said. Chiharu jerked her head upwards. Masaomi had his face inches away from hers.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Why are you so close?" Chiharu asked.

"I've been calling you for the past five minutes," Masaomi said. "You looked like you were away in Lala Land."

"Lala Land?" she asked. The girl shook her head. "Never mind. Why aren't you with Ryugamine?"

"He's in his own classroom," Masaomi said. The girl blinked at him. The blonde shogun gave her a strange look of his own.

"What?" he asked. Chiharu rubbed her forehead.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I don't know what's wrong with me lately." She tried to chase out the images of fangs tearing into the skin of a middle-aged torso. Why did she feel like she could taste the iron from the blood pouring into her mouth?

"What do you mean?" Masaomi asked.

"I can't explain it, to be truthful with you. I keep seeing weird things." Chiharu held up her hand. "Sometimes, I see blood on my hands."

Masaomi looked around for a moment before leaning in closer. "Did you kill anyone?"

"No... At least, I don't think so." Her eyes shifted away from the blonde-haired boy. Should I tell him that I see myself eating human flesh? Chiharu moved her hand her to her stomach.

"I haven't eaten in days because of the things I have been saying," she admitted.

"Why is that?" Masaomi asked.

"If I said it out loud, I might vomit," she said. "Look, can we just drop it for now. My skin's crawling just thinking about blood and eating human bodies."

"What?" Masaomi asked.

"Just forget it."

"I will not. Are you saying that you're going to be a cannibal now?"

"No! I won't do that!" Her voice lingered as if asking herself if she truly believed it herself. "At least, I think I wouldn't."

Masaomi took a step backwards. "Uh... what does that mean?"

"I don't know!" Chiharu threw back her head and groaned. That one just had to slip out, didn't it? She didn't even want to see the look on her friend's face.

In the hallway, Junko watched Masaomi and Chiharu talking to each other. The nurse smirked as she had her eyes locked on her target.

"Pretty soon," she muttered to herself. "Soon." Junko reached into her coat pocket and rubbed the small bottle she had kept by her side for eight cycles now. So far, it's never been the right time to use it on her target. Too many times had this game had come unraveled after the fourth gate was opened.

But might this time, they had the advantage. Junko turned and walked back to her office.

-Shadows in the Sky-

Mika had been able to see the shadows hovering in the sky for weeks now. They didn't do anything. But she would see them floating over certain tall buildings, the streets, or even the police station.