It was a bright morning, warm and beautiful. Gentle warm winds were blowing outside the car's window. Sitting at the back seat near the window, staring at the beautiful vista passing before my eyes.
I was enjoying the beautiful view.
I was happy. Even if it was at this moment.
Someone called me in a teasing voice. Affectionate, but still a bit irritating. I didn't know why a small wrinkle formed on my forehead.
Here she goes again, but when I turned to argue, all I could see was… a hazy figure. It felt like some kind of fog was blocking me from seeing her. How infuriating.
"--your small head will blow away."
Hahahaha!
Her melodious laughter filled the entire car like the clicking of wind chimes on a beautiful summer day. Making the entire atmosphere warm. For me, I felt irritated at losing.
I wanted to get back at her… her? Who was she? No answer came to my mind. I rummaged through every meagre memory I could recall in my dreamy state, but there was nothing about her. No clue. It was blank.
It felt terrible. Frustrating.
Damn it! Who is she?
It felt important. Very important. As if finding her identity would resolve the gaping hole in my memory.
I was talking with the hazy figure. Now, smiling. And then laughing at something exciting. Truly exciting.
"What with that evil smile?" She asked me. Her brows furrowed in suspicion.
I held my phone screen up for her to see clearly what I was going to do. Laugh now! Hehehe. Seeing a picture of a very embarrassing moment for her. Her smile was replaced by a grave expression. "Don't you dare show it to him!"
I started fighting with her for my revenge victory. How dare she make fun of me?! Let's see how you will react when he sees it!
Because of our big battle, the car's balance was starting to shake.
"Will you two stop it? Otherwise, we will leave you locked in the room." A gentle tone, but for both of us it was like a command of the highest order.
I turned my head to see from where the voice came.
There were two more hazy figures in front. One on the driver seat, and the other one on the passenger seat. They were saying something at which I grimaced a little and rebelled. "She is the one who started!"
Maybe, my voice was cute because the car was filled with laughter, again. But my sorry self was filled with frustration.
I didn't know why, but seeing the figure sitting on the passenger seat, I felt strange. Warm, a little cold, and greedy. Maybe it was longing.
The lovely figure at the front passenger seat turned towards me–I could not see her face–and said something beautiful and pleasant. I was cheered up, instantly.
Finally, I got my sweet revenge. Facing my nemesis sitting beside me, I showed a very sweet gleeful smirk.
How is it?! Hahahaha.
I stuck out my tongue and said something very pleasant to her. Hehehe. Her expression was like a ripe tomato. On the verge of bursting! I secretly clicked a photo of her. My bargaining chip of the future.
Oh, he will be very happy.
He? I rummaged through my scarce memory again, but the result was the same! Damn! Why could not I remember anything?! How many times have I seen this memory? I didn't know. But…
It is a sweet memory. A single ray of light in mylightless life.
I hoped again and again that it would last a little longer, but all things would eventually come to an end whether it was good or bad, sweet or bitter.
I felt an ominous foreboding. I knew what was going to happen. Still, it filled me with dread. Dread for what was coming in a few moments. I tried to speak, but no words came. As if my throat was clutched by some invisible claws.
Why?! Why can't I do anything?!
I tried again and again. But, the result was same. The immutable chain of actions.
I was trapped in this beautiful memory. A beautiful memory in which I didn't know anyone. Still, feeling as if they were my everything.
I was powerless here. Becoming only a witness to the beginning of my nightmare. And, the nightmare of the world.
Screech!!!
A grating voice filled my head. I shut my ears with my hand in order to get some reprieve. The voice didn't stop, in fact, a strange wave of vibration spread throughout my body.
Ahh!!! Bang!
A sudden pause in the momentum of the car threw me off from my seat. My head collided with the front seat, a sharp pain overlapped the already grating voice in my head. Due to the low speed everyone came out mostly unharmed.
While rubbing my forehead, I stood up. I couldn't make out the voice. It felt… alien to me. Before I could say something, from the corner of my eyes I saw a bizzare scene.
Outside the window, in the sky, a large vertical red line was there.
What is that?
The red line opened like a human eye. Deep red in the outer edges and a dark abyss in the center. As I looked more carefully, I saw something astonishing. I would have missed it if the distance was any more.
From the dark abyss, something came out. As if responding to it the grating voice in my head increased, so the vibrations rampaging throughout my body.
It became nearly impossible to focus on the abyssal crack.
Is that… threads?
I couldn't believe in my eyes. Out of the dark abyss, innumerable strings of red came out. On the backdrop of the sunny sky, it formed a marvelous view. A majestic red flower blooming in the sky.
Wow… Argh!
The intensity of the mysterious voice increased. Now, causing a headache.
I tugged my seatmate to inform her about the mystical view. Although, that was not needed. She was also focusing on the amazing view unfolding in the sky while clutching her forehead. The two people in the front of the car were also the same.
The red strings spread throughout the sky in a startling speed, reaching faraway in the horizon. Due to the innumerable red strings, I could not make out their directions.
Before I could, a strange feeling enveloped myself. The loud grating voice in my head vanished. The vibrations spreading throughout my body became warm. It felt like I was connected to something… warm.
It is like taking a dip in a hot spring.
But, why? Looking down I saw a red string entering my body. I felt a shudder at the unknown element invading my body. Eek! What the hell?!
But it was… harmless. I could feel like the string was conveying that it was not harmful.
Cheehhhhchhhh!!!
Bang!!!
A loud impact rattled the car. I was disoriented. There was something in front of the car. Vile and dreadful.
I could not make out its figure.
***
Neal's eyes shot open. He hurriedly stood up from his rough bed. Clutching his chest. His eyes were red. His breathing, irregular.
Hah!Hah!Hah!...Hah!
He looked upward at the dark sky of the night. His eyes blood red from seeing something terrible. There were beads of sweat trickling down from his forehead. After some time, he started taking deep breaths to even his breathing.
His chaotic heart came to a rest.
"Tomorrow... "
A small spark of resolution ignited in his dark dull eyes.
"...I will find my answers."