A Songbird's love

Chapter 25: dream or memory?

Mikuo stared at me, "What?"

I gestured to the door, "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go to the police station."

"My dear little sister," Mikuo started with a little hint of sarcasm, "It's literally almost midnight. The police wouldn't be accepting anything from us right now, their mood would be too foul to deal with even a citizen, don't talk about an assassin. We'll go in the morning, you should get some sleep."

I opened my mouth to retort, "But-"

He glared at me, "Tomorrow."

I growled, and stomped out of the office. I understand why he wanted me to get some rest, but it doesn't mean I have to like it.
I glared at anyone in my way, making them scramble aside as fast as possible.
I got to my room which I shared with Teto really quickly, and slammed the door behind me. Our luggage were still placed messily on the floor, besides that the room was neatly arranged. Bedsheets were neat and smooth, books were all stacked in their positions on the wooden shelves. Unlike Rin's room when I last saw it. Remembering the mess we left behind sprung tears into my eyes. It wasn't supposed to be like that. We were supposed to come back to a neat room with Rin still practicing her song, with Len guiding her on the notes she couldn't hit. I was supposed to treat them to lunch tomorrow, not going to free them from wherever the hell they are. The frustration overflowed and soon books had flown off the shelf onto the floor. I yanked out my hair ties and threw them into the mess, then sank on to my bed and let the tears flow. I left the books in a mess on the floor, the room door unlocked for Teto and just faded into an exhausted sleep with cold tears streaming down my face.

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I watched.

I watched with wide eyes as my father, my very own flesh and blood, taint another with a single piece of metal and a resounding bang. They fell. They crumpled to the ground like chopped trees, except these trees spilled fresh crimson liquid.

There was sobbing, coming from the man in front of my father. He begged, groveled at my father's feet, begging for his life to be spared.

We shouldn't be here.

Mikuo was curious to know why our father was gone for so long. Father had said he was going to get us ice cream. I was against the idea of going after our father, who knows where he went? Mikuo, the adventurous one, had left without me. I wasn't far behind, not wanting to be alone.

Why did we believe our father? When did ice cream vans showed up in run-down places like this?

We had flinched at the first gun shot, I already had a bad feeling about this but of course, Mikuo wouldn't listen. We searched the compound for our father, worried he was hurt. When we rounded the corner, what we saw made us stand still with shock.

Our father wasn't hurt.

He was hurting others.

There was already one on the floor, face down into the grass, staining the dirt red.

Why was he doing this?

Mikuo,always the protective one, had turned around and held me close. He tried to block out the sight of someone dying in front of me.

He didn't shield my eyes well enough though.

I saw.

I heard.

I watched everything unfold.

Tears had fallen without a sound, staining Mikuo's grey shirt. Out of nowhere, Mikuo started dragging me back to the car, tugging me along whenever my feet couldn't move.

Mikuo pushed me into the car, and wiped my tears with his hands. "Stop crying, he'll see."

The car door on the driver's side opened and closed. "Sorry, kids. The ice cream van isn't here, let's go somewhere else."

We were young.

We were innocent.

I hate that we grew up so fast.

It was only a few seconds, but I remembered it like it was yesterday.

My father was a monster.

And he was training us to become like him.

Why did I stay, if I hated it so much?

Where else is there to go?

Miku... Miku...

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"Miku, wake up!"
My eyes snapped open to see Teto leaning over me. She had a worried look on her face.
I sat up and stared at her, "What?"
She waved her hand at the room, and raised an eyebrow. I shrugged as a reply.
She then grabbed a tissue and pushed it in my face, "You were crying in your sleep as well."

The tissue stuck to my face, which proved Teto's point. I hurriedly wiped the tears off while Teto cleared some of the mess off the floor. She picked up my hair ties and grabbed a comb before coming over to me. She started to brush my messy hair, despite hers also in a mess.

"Are you okay?" I knew that dreaded question was coming.

"Yeah. Just a bad dream, is all."

She swiftly bundled up my hair into its two usual ponytails, and affirmed, "You sure?"

"Yeah."

She tied her hair up after she was done with mine. As she was curling her hair she said, "The scans are done."
I straightened, "And?"

"We got their location. I gave them to your brother before I came to wake you up, and I came back to our room in a mess." Sarcasm leaked into her voice as she glanced around the room. 

I looked over at her, ignoring the jibe, "Did you sleep at all?" 

"Well, yeah. After I gave the information to your brother." 

I willed myself off the bed and said, "I'll go ask him. Sorry about the room."

She shrugged, "It's understandable." 

I picked up the remaining books and papers after I was done brushing my teeth to ease my guilt, then went to find my brother. He better be awake, or I'm leaving for the twins without him. 

What kind of a dream was that? It felt too real. I really didn't need to relive the past. Especially last night. 

I needed to be wide awake. 

The twins need me.