CHAPTER 2: A VOICE IN THE DARKNESS

I felt like I wasn't in control of my body anymore. I could feel every movement I did but it just felt like something else was controlling my body while they whispered in my ears about what they wanted me to do. "They" made me narrow my eyes at the monster.

All I could see now was one giant dot of blackness with scribble-drawn white eyes and a wide smile, drooling over an unconscious boy. Huh? Wait… what was his name again? …Who…is he?

I couldn't recall the boy's name, no matter how hard I tried to remember the moments we spent together (which were very few, I think). He… was just a hazy mist in my mind, nothing more and nothing less.

Kill.

?!

W-who said that?! Show yourself! For just a moment, I felt "their" control over my body weaken, but it didn't go away.

Kill.

Kill? Kill what?

And then that's when I felt it. That uncontrollable, bloodlust feeling deep within my heart. It seemed to flare every time I took a look at the giant dot of blackness and when I do look away, it became more tense, like it was burning my insides.

Kill.

"STOP IT!" I yelled, covering my ears even though the voices I'm hearing is probably inside my head, "STOP SAYING THAT! I DON'T WANT TO!"

Kill. Craving.

Dammit. The burning feeling inside my chest was now even hotter than before, and it felt like it might tear me into two if I didn't find a way to get rid of it. The irrational (?) part of my brain is thinking that I was having a heart burn right now but there's no way a heart burn could be this painful! Plus, that doesn't explain the whisperings either.

"Hehe!"

Huh? Who was that? I uncovered my ears slowly, and strangely, the voices in my mind has ceased, and the painful feeling I felt before also died down. Now it was just a blanket of eerie quietness that seemed to send shivers slithering down my spine. "W-who was that?" I repeated, voice stammering even though I wanted to sound brave, "don't hide from me!"

There was a rustling sound that I could hear on my left but as soon as I turned around, whatever thing that was moving had already ran away. I looked around. The surroundings had changed.

A moment ago I was still inside the classroom with that… giant dot of blackness and a boy I couldn't remember the name of. Now I was suddenly in a black space full of nothing but darkness. Every step I took felt like I was stepping on air. It felt so cold… and so lonely.

"You're not alone."

I jumped at the sudden voice. Who the heck was talking?!

They sounded like they were still in their 17's with a relatively deep slurry voice, and the way they talked made them sound like they were teasing me or something. I started getting mad.

"Look, I'm not playing here, whoever the f**k you are. I don't know if I'm dreaming this right now or not, but I really need to go. Get me out of here," I growled, glaring into the darkness.

Of course I couldn't see anything except for my own hands and a little bit of my surrounding, but for some reason, I had the strange feeling of my body being tugged at a specific direction, like I was connected to something. I waited for the empty black space I was standing in to disappear and my classroom to appear again but no, that wasn't going to happen.

"Don't leave so soon. You just met me, don't you want to know my name?"

Tsk. This person, or whatever they are, they're really getting on my nerves. "F**k no. I just need you to GET ME THE H*LL OUT OF HERE. Do you understand me, you dumb***?!" I shouted, and the feeling of being lonely vanished instantly.

I mean, who could feel alone when they got a dumb*** like this guy with them??

"Hahahaha! Oh, Chiyo, you're the same as I remember… Guess I don't need to tell you my name~"

Now I was even more mad. And confused. How does he know my name? More importantly… my nickname? Wild thoughts emerged in my mind as I stood still, occasionally scanning the darkness to see if anyone was there.

But nothing appeared; the place was still empty and only the distant noises of laughter could be heard… Surprisingly, that noise made me feel butterflies in my stomach for some unknown reason and I cursed at myself for being such a weirdo.

"You really can't understand what I'm trying to say?" I snarled, voice rising, "I WANT TO — tsk, whatever… I'm not even going to continue since you probably wouldn't understand anyway. But… why did you bring me here and how do you know my… nickname?"

I gestured at the empty space I was in. Now that I looked closely, I realized that I wasn't actually standing on solid ground at all. Whenever I moved or spoke, ripples on a water-like black surface underneath my feet would appear and depending on how high/low or low/short my movement or voice was, they would either be small or big ripples that lasted a few seconds. To be honest, I was actually quite fascinated of the place, but perhaps I showed it on my face too much that the annoying "thing" started laughing again.

"Hehe, you like it? We made this together… Oh, don't give me that look, Chiyo, you're the one who called me and told me your nickname."

We made this together? I called "them"? I told "them" my nickname?

…WHAT IS THIS BULLSH*T?! I DON'T EVEN KNOW THEM!!

"SHUT UP!! I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO YOU ARE. WHY WOULD WE BUILD THIS… H*LL OF A PLACE?! AND, WHAT? I CALLED YOU? Excuse me?! I never even MET YOU. And HA! Me telling you MY NICKNAME? Dumb***, the only person who I ever told my nickname to was my BEST FRIEND and NOW HE'S GONE!! SO STOP MAKING IT LOOK LIKE I EVER HAD ANY BUSINESS WITH YOU."

I was so worked up at "them" saying things that weren't true that I blurted out something I shouldn't have. And I regretted it as soon as I said that.

"Dammit. He's gone. My best friend… h-he — he… HE'S GONE. HE'S GONE HE'S GONE HE'S GONE HE'S GONE HE'S GONE HE'S GONE HE'S GONE HE'S GONE HE'S GONE HE'S GONE HE'S GONE. And I couldn't do anything to save him… I'm so weak."

The ground below my feet began to split as little cracks appeared on the now ice-like surface, and further cracks appeared on the black walls. It felt like I was trapped in a tiny box, unable to move or even breathe. I wanted to get out. I didn't want to be in here.

"Shh."

Something slimy and wet wrapped itself around my arms and I cried out in shock when I felt its coldness against my skin, "GUAH!!! WHAT IS THIS?! LET ME GO!"

It looked like black tentacles but without the sucker cups on the underside of them, and I shuddered as they wrapped further up my arms. Everywhere it touched made me feel hot inside despite it being so cold, and I found myself longing for more.

"Being angry about that is already too late, you know that right? So calm down."

I didn't like the tone of "their" voice, making me feel all helpless and full of guilt that my best friend was gone. But… he was right. That unfortunate incident happened years ago, it should be about time I just let it go.

I don't know why but the next time "they" spoke, it seemed to calm my nerves and made my thumping heart slow down, like I was being soothed. But the words "they" said weren't soothing at all. In fact, they were cryptic. They were words I couldn't understand… yet I had a feeling I did.

"You have forgotten about who you are but you will remember again. I'll be waiting for you, Chiyo, in this world we have created together for your good news. And don't forget…

WHAT BELONGS TO ME, RETURNS TO ME!!"

I tried to yank the tentacles wrapped around my arms off but they just gripped harder, making me wince in pain as the crazy laughter of "them" echoed in my ears. "I KNOW WHO I AM! I AM CHIYOYE TANAKA, A STUDENT AT SAINTS FALL COLLEGE! AND I DO NOT BELONG TO YOU!!!"

I shouted angrily, fiercely tugging at the slimy tentacles and to my relief, they seemed to let go just a bit. Since they were wrapped around my arms, it was really hard to just pull them off so I tried scratching them with my nails instead, which barely worked since they were so slippery (but still gripped on my arms with bear strength somehow). I grumbled, giving the darkness a death-stare look before suddenly, the ground beneath opened up beneath my feet, making me gasp as I felt myself falling. I thought the tentacles would stop me from falling but at that moment they retracted, and where they had touched left angry red marks that looked like first-degree burns. "MOTHERF**KER!!!" I roared at the top of my lungs while wind batted at my face and played with my hair, "YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!!"

The last thing I saw before I blacked out was two, glowing golden eyes with pupils that were slits staring down onto me. I could feel that the eyes belonged to "them", but I still didn't know who they were, or why they knew me. What I did know, though, was that they were spying on me:

"Oh, and one last word of advice.

Stay away from HIM. He will bring you nothing but pain... Hehe, that's all, goodbye now! We will see each other again soon~"

...........

"CHIYOYE!!"