004 - A Midnight Dream

I get up out of the single bed that he was just asleep on. Then I stroll over to the cabinet on the other side of the room where there is my mobile phone ringing. A smirk appears on my face after seeing that it is from someone I know and not some scam caller.

I then swipe the green button and brings the phone to my ear. The voice on the other end sounds out of breath with a hint of resignation in it.

"Hey, Ash."

The smirk on my face falls as I notice the tone in his voice. I then respond with a concerned voice with.

"Hello…What's wrong?"

There are a few moments of silence while the heavy breathing comes over the phone. A voice of acceptance then comes over the phone.

"I'm doing it."

I just close my eyes letting out a silent sigh. I then say, trying not to have the worry come through my voice.

"I know how your feeling, but do you really think that's what they would have wanted."

There are another few seconds of silence before the voice on the phone responds.

"I'm probably just being selfish, but I want the pain to stop."

After he stops speaking, I hear a small sob come through. I take a sharp breath while I hear the faint blaring of a siren in the distance over the speaker. I then speak while trying to dissuade him from what I can guess he is about to do.

"Nathan, it doesn't have to end this way, does it? The years they cared for you. Loved you."

I hear more sobs come through the phone as they try to formulate a sentence in their tumultuous state of mind.

"No, it doesn't but I want it to. The longer I think about them the more my image of them is warped by their final days. I want to remember them as the one I fell for not what they became."

I just sit on the edge of the bed while trying to create a something. A quote. A saying. A few comforting words. But none come to mind because I know almost exactly how they feel. In the end I realize there is nothing I could do to dissuade them from their current course of action. I then state in a quiet voice.

"Goodbye, Nathan."

I hear a slight chuckle from him as he responds through tears with.

"So long my friend. I knew you would understand."

I then hear something dragging on concrete and then the rush off air before the line goes dead with that artificial high-pitched tone.

I place the phone next to me on the bed. I then cup m nose and mouth while hyperventilating. After a few minutes, picking up the phone and entering the alphanumerical passcode. I then tap the keypad on the phone app and dial Nine-Nine-Nine.

The voice of an older lady comes through the line.

"Emergency. Which service?"

…

I opened my eyes with a jump immediately sitting up and looking down at my hands. Soon, I realize that this is my next life and not my previous.

I let out a sigh before getting out of the bed. My small legs slide to the side as I fold the thick blanket. As I get up, I pull the blanket as flat as possible on the bed. I walk over to the heavy curtain in front of the window.

With a strong tug using all my strength I pull the curtain open. I hop up on the windowsill and lean against a pillow on the side while I bring my knees up to my chest as I look out at the stars. I'd already learnt this was not earth since I couldn't notice any of the constellation from there.

There were thousands of them slowly sailing through the empty backdrop. The odd purple ripple of energy traversed the sky slowly like a wave. I didn't know what they could even be, but it was pretty.

I sat there for what felt like hours unable to sleep, just reminiscing about the past. Eventually I just began to hum to myself which then turned to me singing quietly.

(Due to Webnovel being a Pain I've had to remove the lyrics. If you wish to see them in Japanese please visit this chapter on another site that I've published on. Sorry for any translation errors of the lyrics.)

"(Even when I'm depressed, I find myself smiling)...

…

…

...(It will be in my heart forever, Thank you)."

It was one of his favourite songs growing up. It didn't sound as good as when he used to sing it since this voice had no vocal practice whatsoever, but just hearing the song out loud stirred the emotions he had been bottling up for the last few years. He missed them all so much. He began to silently sob as he lowered his forehead onto his knees as the tears slowly fell.

He eventually cried himself to sleep.

(A/N: The song is: Kirameki by Wacci)