Human

Chapter One

I remember the night terrors.

At first, I was determined to deal with it on my own. I'd shut Gene out and I didn't want to worry everyone else from SPR. Naru and Lin were back in England with Gene's body, so asking for their professional help was out of the question. I wouldn't have been able to talk to Naru after my confession anyway.

All of the night terrors dealt with Gene's body being pulled out of the lake. Every time I dreamt of it, I could feel Gene beating on the walls that I'd thrown up against him, but no matter how terrified I got, I never let him in. I couldn't face him. Not with so much doubt pestering my thoughts about the two of them.

'Me or Gene?'

He'd confused me so much with those simple three words. It wasn't until them that my mind registered that Gene was the one in my dreams, not Naru. He was right. Was it him or Gene? It would make sense for me to fall for Gene. Gene was just as mysterious as Naru, just nicer and genuinely kind. Naru had fake smiles while all of Gene's are real. Naru was rude while Gene was a gentleman. Naru had this knack for pointing out every one of my flaws while Gene had the habit of encouraging me.

Naru had made me doubt my own emotions and thoughts. I wasn't sure whether to be angry at him or congratulate him for being able to prove me wrong on the one thing I thought I knew best. It was like something in me had shattered. I'd held myself in such high regards when it came to my own emotions. I'd thought that I was completely reassured in my feelings towards the ice glacier of SPR. However, it appears I'd been proven wrong once again.

It wasn't until I'd fallen asleep in the office and was caught in the middle of a terror that I was able to fix myself.

***

The body is slowly raised from the lake. I watched as the faded yellow blanket dripped and the weeds dangle off of it, as if begging to be put back in the comfort of the water. Certain places on it had holes, but all in all, it was well put together. The body was placed on the ground gently, and people were gagging from the smell, but I wasn't. I'd smelt it before. A flash of my mothers mangled and rotting corpse flits through my mind before focusing back on the issue at hand.

Naru walks over and pulls back the blanket. Gene's rotting face is permanently engraved in to my mind. But instead of Naru justing turning away (like he'd done before) he continues to stare at the rotting body of his twin brother. My heart pounds as Gene begins to move. He slowly sits up and turns to me. A twisted smile stretches across his tattered and wither face.

A scream lets loose and them I'm shook awake.

***

Madoka is staring down at me with a serious look on her face. She lets out a sigh, "How long have you been having these nightmares, Mai?"

I quickly sit up and smile innocently, "What are you talking about, Madoka? It was just a random---" My face is jerked to the right from the force of the slap. Tears spring to my eyes as my cheek begins to throb and I lift my hand to my face.

"Do not lie to me, Mai Taniyama." I'd never heard her this angry before. Actually, I'd never seen Madoka with anything but a smile on her face, that's why shock floors me as I watch the tears in Madoka's eyes begin to make their way down her face, but instead of sorrow, all I see is anger. "I know you better than you think, Mai. I know that you don't get any sleep since Oliver left. I know that you have nightmares about Gene and I also know that you're blocking Gene out." My face was now bright red from being found out, with snot and tears streaming down my cheeks and hiccups leaving me. She sighs and swipes at her face, erasing the tears, "Lin left shiki with me. I can control them as well, Mai. I had some of them check on you shortly after the men left, and they delved in to your dream. They saw it all, but I'd thought it was a one time thing. Obviously, it wasn't." She glares harshly at me, "So don't lie to me."