Dimension

Part 5

It's almost morning at JUMP house. Ryutaro has already showered as early as 6 am. For some reason his eyes doesn't want to close last night, keeping him awake throughout the silent darkness.

Perhaps part of it is due to his guilt towards Takaki. He tried to call the older boy several times last night, but ended up disappointed. As Daiki had told them earlier the calls were all answered by the automated voice-mailbox. Honestly in his heart Ryutaro feels anxious and worried about what might have happened to his playmate.

The boy plugs on the hair-dryer and start blowing his wet hair. With the cold temperature outside walking around with wet hair will only causes him headache. Takaki told him that- well Bakaki is not all 'baka' after all. Ryutaro looks at the cracked CD on the floor- he is going to return it to the store and get a new one. Luckily he hasn't thrown away the original receipt. The store may see this as an accident and he can easily get a new one with the warranty privilege.

The more Ryutaro stares at the CD the more he feels guilty for saying the horrible words to Takaki. That was unintentional. They just slipped out from his mouth do to the acute anger.

Bakaki will understand. I'll apologize once he gets back and we can start playing the video games as usual.

Ryutaro makes his way to the kitchen once he finished with his hair. His stomach is grumbling like crazy since he hasn't eaten a lot during dinner last night. The annoying look on little Yuya makes him lose his appetite. For some reason he feels like the kid is just acting innocent. Ryutaro feels some secrets are locked behind that tiny mouth of Yuya. Playing goody-boy won't affect him even to the slightest.

I'll find out who you really are Yuya! You can't fool me.

It is still dark outside as the sun hasn't really rise yet. Ryutaro was about to switch on the light but a shadow he saw from the kitchen's glass window stops him. There is somebody in their backyard, awkwardly pulling a huge sack with him in the cold.

Ryutaro gets closer to window, peeking from inside trying to see more clearly on what is going on. A man is pulling- no- actually the sack is floating a few inches from the ground. Ryutaro is sure whatever in the sack is a living thing as he could see the 'thing' inside is kicking and struggling to escape. The brown sack is tainted in red- in which Ryutaro interprets as blood- and it is dripping on the ground too.

Wait. Floating things and blood? This must be a hallucination from not getting enough sleep.

"It's not," a hoarse creepy voice somehow answers to his mind-talk. "What you are seeing now is the real thing little boy."

Ryutaro can feel long-rough-cold- fingers grabbing his entire neck. He wanted to scream but his voice has somehow gone. No matter how hard he tries no sound is coming out from his 'scream'; instead he feels more and more suffocated.

If this is a dream then now is the good time to wake me up!

"You're not dreaming Ryutaro," a lightning strikes Ryutaro's heart as he heard the man mentioning his name. His heart rate is escalating, and cold sweats are pouring down his forehead.

"Where's Yuya?"

Ryutaro couldn't hide his surprise. Is he looking for our Yuya or the little Yuya?

"You know who I am looking for. Answer me or you will be dead!"

"I don't know," Ryutaro replies, putting Takaki's image in his head as now he realizes that this man can actually read thoughts. "He has been missing since yesterday," using the reflection on the glass window Ryutaro tries to recognize his attacker- revealing an unbelievable sight which almost stops his heart.