Humanless ➵ DRAMAtical Murder

One

  My eyes cracked opened to the darkness floating around my room. Night. I'm sure I wasn't going to fall back asleep again now that I'd woken up almost fully. My legs stretched out to the floor and I pulled myself to stand. It was wobbly, but I found my balance. The mirror on the left wall of my room reflected my image with messy mint-blue-purple hair. I shrugged at it and walked to the stairs just outside my bedroom door.

  Downstairs was dimly lit and smelled of baked goods as always. I rubbed my eyes to look around with clearer vision.

"Ah, so you finally woke up!" a voice called from the living room. My head popped in to see my mother and Ame sitting comfortably on the couch. Mom's hand was tangled in Ame's long persian cat fur with gentle eyes focused on me. Her smile was warm.

"Yeah, uh, what time is it exactly?" I questioned, kind of confused" Ame's eyes opened at the sound of my own voice. She lept from the couch to perch next to my feet. I remember the day I found her, it was a cold and bleak one. The "only splash of brightness in the dark" I had said. It was awful that she was abandonded, maybe by her previous owner for a newer model of AllMate. I just couldn't let her stay there alone.

"7:30ish, I believe." Mom's answer interrupted my thinking. Did she mean almost 8:00 at night? God, I sleep a lot. I don't know when I went to sleep in the first place. I tried to ignore any other intruding thoughts and leaned over to pick up Ame. The fluffly fur covering her stomach sent shivers into my cold hands.

  I put my forehead on her's and sighed. A lot of people use AllMates for only a few purposes, mostly Internet related. Even for that ever so popular game nowadays called "Rhyme". Me, I feel as though I have a connection to Ame. Like we're bonded at heart, something not many people can feel to an artifically made pet-like friend.

  She's been with me for as long as I can remember. I think ever since I could go out in Midorijima without Mom with me, because Ame was there to take her place. We used to walk around everywhere we could possibly go. I love her like a friend, like family and I treat her like it.

"Bee, are you thinking too much again?" Ame's feminine robotic voice chimed in my ears. Her head was cocked to the side. I lifted my face from her small one and nodded. I felt my face getting warm.

I sat next to Mom on the couch, cross-legged with Ame in my lap. Mom smiled at me and asked if I wanted anything to eat. I responded by shaking my head tiredly. She kissed the top of my head and picked up her own AllMate, Risu-san, who had been projecting the news channel on the wall for Mom to watch. She set him on the kitchen counter and started to wash the dishes piled in the sink.

An 8bit ringtone sounded throughout the dining room and I jumped a little from the sudden loud noise. My Coil rang on the dining table next to my pink spike choker. Ame got down from my lap, grabbing both items in her mouth and dropping them near my feet. I ruffled the fur on the top of her head and answered the pending call.

"Heyo Bee-chan!"

It was Aoba. A smile appeared on my face.

"Hi Aoba, what brings you to call me at this hour of the night?"

"Oh you know, just checking in," There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice. I rolled my eyes.

"Aoba don't play like this! I know you don't just call people for random reasons."

"Right, right, sorry. Koujaku wanted me to ask if you want to come over to his shop with me. You know, just to hang out."

"At this time?! God, he can't get enough of us." He laughed at that.

"Is it a yes or a no, Bumble Bee?"

"I thought I told you not to call me that!"

"Just answer the question before I call you it again."

"Oh fine, yes."

"Mkay, see you there."

"Wait, can we walk together?" I asked.

"Uh, sure."

"Okay! Be at my door in 10 minutes."

  I hung up on him and sprinted up the stairs to my room. I pulled my oversized neon-orange sweatshirt over my head and brushed my hair out to its natural curly-wavy state. I bolted out the door and halfway down the stairs I forgot to put socks on. Sighing, I walked back into my room and sat on my bed, which caused the springs to creak. My socks were laying on the floor next to my nightstand and I leaned to pick them up and slip them over the cold lower halves of my legs. It surprised me that it was summer here in Midorijima but it was still freezing in my house.

  The grey high-top sneakers were on my feet by the time there was a knock at the front door of my house. Mom answered the door and greeted Aoba with an unnecessary hug.

"Aoba-kun! It's so wonderful to see you again."

"Mom! You do this every week, to all my friends, all the time." I half yelled at her. Aoba just shrugged and grinned at me. His outfit was as it always was: his signature cropped jacket, a navy blue undershirt, skinny jeans and blue boot-like sneakers. The pink headphones I see with him often sit around his neck as well.

"Hello Mrs.Mizuno, uh, nice to see you too?" Laughter laced his voice. Mom released her grip on him and waved us out the door. I waved back and we walked out into the muggy, summer night air. Aoba immediately started to talk about a bunch of stuff that I really didn't pay attention to.

  I just stared at his face for awhile. He really hasn't changed since were kids. The brightness in his amber eyes and sky blue hair isn't dulled out just yet. The heart melting laughter that is so common for me to hear exists even after all the hard times he's been through. He's still Aoba, no matter what happens to him. At least that's how its been for the past few years. I don't know if he has a dark and depressing side to his personality. Maybe its because I've never seen it.

-
Whoop whoop first chapter done~

It was more of an introduction type chapter and the next few ones to follow most likely will too. The really good parts won't show up until like the 4th or 5th chapters. But hope you liked it so far! ♡