Raven's Eyes (A Zodiac Story)

Preface

Reina looked at herself in the mirror. She took it all in: her sunken eyes, gawking cheekbones, and tired face. The world seemed to be ending around her and she didn't know how to stop it. Her phone buzzed, causing her heart to jump and raise her blood pressure.

It was them

Not them again

With shaky hands she flipped over her phone and saw the spine-chilling contact name. She held in a sob and unlocked her phone to read the text.

You owe us.

She began hyperventilating, her chest heaving up and down. She knew what to do. She shoved a handful of stuff into her backpack and set out. Her parents were fast asleep as it was well past midnight. The chilly air nipped at her bare legs; she was still in her school uniform and smelled musty from hiding in alleyways and random old buildings. They had been searching for her and now she couldn't take it anymore, always having to look behind her, living in fear, crying every day until her body was too exhausted to function. Her friends had left her, her family was distant. Everything was falling into a million pieces.

She stared at the picture on her phone. Her best friend Kaori lit up her lock screen with a beautiful smile. She searched for her contact and pressed the call button while breathing heavily. After a few moments she had picked up but you can clearly tell that she was nervous.

"Reina?"

"Kaori..."

"Reina? What's wrong?"

"Kaori, I need to tell you something. Can you please come to the rooftop of the school?"

"Why the school? I can just come to your ho-."

"NO! Please just come I really need you right now."

"Ok ok I'm on my way right now."

"T-thank you."

Reina was already waiting on the windy rooftop. She had dropped her bag and stared at the moon. The time had come. She would finally be free.

The door opened, making Reina turn back.

"Reina? Are you ok?" Kaori clearly looked like she came in a rush.

Reina said no words and came to give her a big hug, turning her in circles. She was so happy her best friend didn't abandon her. After a moment Reina separates herself from Kaori and looked her in the eye.

"Tell me what's wrong. I can try to help." Kaori said desperately.

Reina dug through her backpack, pausing for a moment.

"I'm really sorry about this." She sniffled.

Kaori was confused and took a hesitant step back.

Reina stood back up with something glimmering in her hand. It was bright enough for Kaori to identify that it was a knife. A clean and stainless steel knife.

"Reina? What are you doing?" Kaori gulped.

"T-they won't stop following me until I do this." Reina's voice trembled taking a heavy step forward.

"What? Who? Reina please don't!" Kaori put her hands together to beg.

"I can't say. If I tell you they'll kill me!" Reina let out a sob and took more steps forward.

Kaori looked behind her and saw the long fall down, her legs buckling.

"Wait we can talk! I'll help you!"

"Nobody can help me. Don't you think I've tried?" Reina began to laugh nervously.

Reina didn't let Kaori speak again. She charged at her with the knife raised high above her head. Kaori screamed and just as Reina was about to stab her she grabbed her wrist, fighting back.

"Reina! Stop!" Kaori tried bringing her back to her senses.

Reina pushed down harder, the knife only inches away from Kaori's heart. With one final movement, Kaori threw herself to the side rolling away from Reina. She suddenly heard a high pitched scream and a sickening thud. Kaori sat up not being able to fathom what just happened. She looked over the ledge and saw Reina in a pool of blood, appendages bent in awkward angles.

Kaori covered her mouth and suppressed the feeling of wanting to throw up. She had to do something. She grabbed Reina's backpack and rushed down the stairs. It was even worse up close. The scarlet blood seeped into the cracks of the cement, guaranteeing a stain. She still had her eyes open, a sign of sudden death and the knife was lying a few feet away in the grass. Kaori took her jacket sleeve and gently pushed Reina's eyes closed and then grabbed the knife, tucking it in the bag.

Kaori saw that Reina's phone was still in her backpack. She took her phone, making sure her hands weren't touching it and dialed the police she told them to come immediately to the school. Then she slammed the phone onto the ground, pieces of it flying everywhere. She took a deep breath and quickly walked away, still processing what happened and why Reina tried to kill her.

Third year high school student Reina has tragically died yesterday. After analyzing the crime scene police have deemed it as suicide. The school says that they had no idea that Reina was feeling this way and promise to pay more attention to the students mental health in the future. There is no suicide note and the only thing that police can go off of is the phone call Reina made before her death.