CITRUS ~ A Long Way From Home / Trust

Chapter 17

DAY 1

<<Speaking English>>

A room with a white haze with bright lights coming from blurry windows, all around a large conference table with no one else sitting down.

Mei was the only one at the table, trying to look through the haze as she saw distorted figures moving about. Voices that she almost couldn't make out except for a few. She couldn't understand what was being said, it sounded like mumbling in all directions.

She saw papers in front of her, but she couldn't understand what was written on them. She grabbed one page at a time, but they weren't legible to her. She felt confused as to what she was suppose to be doing.

Then through the haze, she saw a podium with someone behind it. The language was unintelligible, almost like it was muffled.

"... Who's there?" she tried to say, but there was no sound. She grabbed her mouth as she was surprised at the silence from her own lips.

"Aihara Mei?" came a deep familiar voice from behind the podium, but she couldn't make out who it was.

"Why are you here?" said the voice louder, which startled her.

"... I'm here to repres-" she tried to say, but again she couldn't make a sound.

"... I said I'm here to-"... again there was no sound. No one could hear her. She tried again and again to speak, but it was no use.

"How disappointing" said the voice as the person behind the podium moved closer. In her astonishment, she recognized who it was.

"... Grandfather?" she gasped as she saw him shake his head in disappointment.

"I thought I could count on you" he said. "I believed that the family name was in good hands. And yet, you let yourself be used by someone.

"It's not the kind of mistake I would have made."

"... No grandfather..." she tried to yell, but with barely a wispy. "... It wasn't my-"

"Excuses?!" his voice echoed around her. She found herself gasping from his tone. A feeling of sadness moved through her, knowing of his disappointment he had in her.

"What a fool I was. I should have known" he said as he and the podium faded away.

"... no wait! Grandfather wait! I can explain!" she strained to say, but there was no one there.

<<Don't worry Mei>> said another voice beside her as someone grabbed her hand. <<You still have me. I believe we can work well together.>>

She tried to turn her head, but she couldn't move. Her body felt like it was tied down as she began to shake.

But she knew the voice.

"... Mr. Mills?!" she struggled to say. "...What are you...?! Get away from me!"

<<But we can work well together Mei>> he said as he moved closer.

<<You'll see. Everything will be just fine with my help>> he said as she felt his breath next to her face.

Mei wanted to scream, but she still couldn't make a sound. An overwhelming sense of fear and anxiety made her body shake. She struggled to breath as she used all he strength to push away from the table, falling to the ground.

As she looked around, she could see that the haze was staring to turn grey. The table, chair and Mills were gone. And the voices around her were now changed to the sounds of girls walking by.