Chapter 2: The Nightmare Continues.

the boy opens his eyes in a worried way. Sweat streaming down his face and nape to down his back. He was gasping for air for some reason.

.

He stared at the familiar looking ceiling. He looked around himself while scratching his head and thinks to himself "Where am i- Wait... Isn't this MY room? He was shocked as to why he was suddenly in his room. He thought to himself,

"Was all of that just a dream?"

He lets out a yawn while stretching his arms, as he gets out of his bed. "That was such a wild dream. Almost way too realistic."

.

He rolled down the blinds of his window. He squinted his eye as the sunshine hit his face. He takes in a deep breath of the fresh air as he opens the glass window. The chirping of birds was soothing to him.

"The weather is so nice today" he mumbles in a sleepy voice.

As he was staring out his window, his mother shouts from downstairs, "Sora! Are you not up yet? Hurry and come downstairs if you're ready!"

He looks at his wall clock to see what time it was. It read 7:35.

"Oh shoot! I have to quickly get ready!!!" he exclaims as he hurriedly runs to the bathroom, brushes his teeth, washes his face and runs down the stairs while fixing his tie.

.

"You finally got down? Eat breakfast before you leave. or you're not going to have any energy left for your club!" Just as she said that, she heard a thud and scream from the stairs.

aaAAaaUUuuGGggghhh#$%@#!!!@&**#**!^×)

Sora almost fell down from the stairs and was barely keeping his balance with a single hand.

"What are you doing?? No matter how much hurry you are in, you still have to be careful!" She says to Sora while pulling his ear.

"Ok I got it, I GOT IT!! Let me go now or I'll be late!!" he says as he wears his shoes.

His mother quickly runs to the kitchen and brings a box wrapped in a blue cloth.

"Here! At least take this bento with you!" as she hands it over to him.

He says, "I got it. Thanks mom!" as he places a peck on her cheeks.

"Do your best in school today and don't get into any trouble!!" she shouts as he leaves the house running.

.

He crossed the bridge with a lot of children playing around near the water. The water was clear and was sparkling under the soft sunshine. The grass seemed to wave at him, as they moved with the cool breeze.

.

As I was crossing the intersection, I heard an awfully similar voice right behind my left ear.

"looks like you got late today too, huh~"

I shivered as the person behind me blows air in my ear.

"AH- WHO-"

"It's me! Your bestest buddy in the whole world."

.

It was my best friend of 3 years. Ichiko Akihiko. Age 17. My best friend, and rival in studies. I met him 3 years ago when he transferred to my school.

My first impression of him was the gloomy type of guy who was famous with the girls for no reason. I didn't like him because of his aloofness, not that I'm one to say. He used to compete with me all the time. I didn't know why he did it, but I guess I just didn't care?

.

Whether it be sports or studies, or dating, he wanted to be ahead of me in all of them. Well, I didn't really give much thought to it, because I knew I was gonna top my class anyways.

.

Then how did we become friends you ask? Well, i don't really know either. I guess it just.. happened?

it was the result declaration day of our middle school exams. I had ranked first in our whole school, and Akihiko was right behind me. It was just a 4 marks difference.

After the graduation ceremony, I couldn't find Akihiko anywhere. Of course I was proud of myself for scoring good, but I also knew how bad he must've felt to miss the 1st place just by a 4 mark difference.

I started searching for him everywhere but wasn't able to find him.

The next day I went to his house. A mature looking girl, wearing shorts and a black top with her hair tied loosely in a bun, opened the door and asked "Who're you?"

I answered "My name is, Sora. I'm in the same class as Akihiko. I was instructed by the teacher to give him his certificate, since he didn't come to the ceremony.

"Ah that? Ok you can just give it to me"

I didn't just want to leave like that.

"Um.. Is it okay, if I meet with Akihiko for a minute?"

"Akihiko? You wanna meet him?"

She looked at me doubtingly for a moment, and then said

"Hey, aren't you the kid who was first in the school?"

I replied with a yes. She let out somewhat of a smile and then continued

"Sure. You can meet him. But just so you know, he's a little sensitive right now because of you-know-what".

She lets me in the house and leads me to his room. She leaves right away. I open the door to his room, only to find him playing video games with trash all around him.

I was left searching for words. I was in utter shock as to how a person can even manage to live in such an environment.

He peeks at me behind his shoulder.

"What are you doing here?"

He asked me almost in a hostile tone while glaring at me.

"Why weren't you at the ceremony?"

I asked him.

"Huh? Is that why you came all the way here? Or did you just come here to make fun of me for losing to you again?" He says while giving me a hostile look.

I stood there silently and just listened to what he had to say.

"It must be fun for you to trample all over me right? It must feel amazing to you knowing that no one can beat you right? Just you wait and I'll rip that pride of yours away with my own two hands" He said in a very teary voice.

just as he was about to say something, the girl from before came in with some snacks and tea in a tray.

"Here, you boys can have these snacks while talking."

Akihiro was somewhat angry and embarrassed.

"Can you not knock before you come inside someone's room, mom?"

At this point I was super confused.

I asked, "Wait- MOM?" this is your MOTHER??"

Both of them looked at my confused face.

"The mature looking girl was actually his mother?" I thought to myself.

There was a minute of awkward silence. Suddenly, she broke into laughter.

"BWAHAHAHAH you thought I was his sister or something?? hahahah"

"Well actually, yeah. I did." I was so embarrassed at this point that I wanted to hide in a hole.

They both looked at me, then looked at each other and then started wheezing at me. I think this was the first time I saw Akihiko laughing.

.

"Um.. ahahaha.. I think I should just leave now.." I said as I was too flustered to have a conversation with Akihiko now.

Still laughing, his mother insisted me to stay. I couldn't refuse her so I stayed in his room, and she left. Still laughing.

After she left, the room became really silent. It was painfully awkward to sit there.

I took a peek at him, and he looked equally awkward as me.

He suddenly let out a chuckle and exclaimed

"Man, how am I supposed to hate you if you're this adorable, ahahaha!"

"Wha-What did you just call me?!?" I became so flustered that my cheeks turned red.

.

"adorable I said" he says as he smirked.

"what- how can you say such weird things with a straight face-?" I was really embarrassed.

Why would he call another guy *adorable*??

.

Anyway, after that day we became really close and the best of friends. And now back to the present.

.

Teasing me has always been a hobby of his. He would tease me any chance he could get.

.

"I told you to stop doing that!" I said as I moved away from him.

"You know I can't do that hehe" he said as he moved in closer to me.

"Ah seriously you never change" I say fully knowing that he will never learn. But then again, I didn't really mind. Because he was my first genuine friend ever.

Everyone in the past would always use me to get what they wanted. He was the only one who had never asked me foe anything. I hold him dear to my heart.

"So anyways why are you late today" Akihiko asked me as he put his arm on my shoulder.

"Nothing. I just woke up late today. And can you move your arm? it's heavy" I said as I removed his arm from my shoulder.

"Now, now. No need to be so cold!"

he said as he put his arm on my shoulder again.

"Jeez you never learn, do you?"

"Aha you got me hehe" he said teasingly.

.

Everything was going well. My life seemed to have gone back to normal, and what had happened seemed all like a nightmare to me.

"Thank goodness that was just a dream"

I said as we walked together to the school.

"But it wasn't though?" Akihiko said.

I was taken aback for a moment. My body froze in place. I looked at him in horror.

"What did you just say?"

"What you heard. And I think its really about time you woke up, don't you think?" He said as nonchalantly as ever.

cold sweat began dropping down my face. even though the wind was cool. My heart dropped.

.

"No- You're kidding right? There's no way that was true right?...right?" I asked him as he just kept staring at my face.

I was in complete shock. "What's happening right now? Isn't this the reality? Wasn't all of that just a dream?" I desperately asked him.

Akihiro chuckled mysteriously. I was completely flabbergasted.

"Was it though? Do you even know what the date today is? You don't right?"

I knew the date. it was 27th December 2022. but I took out my phone and checked what date it was.

.

I was in utter disbelief. I stared at my phone dumbfounded. it was 15 April 2020. My phone fell from my hand to the ground. Tears started rolling down my face in horror.

.

"Now, now. You shouldn't cry, for what's about to happen next is gonna be much more frightening. You must prepare yourself yknow?"

I was very confused at what he said.

Thoughts like "What is happening? Why is it happening? And why is it happening to ME?" started going around my head.

.

I fell to the ground crying and gasping for air. I think I was having a panic attack? But the more surprising part was that Akihiko just stood there.

I saw a girl running towards us from behind Akihiko.

I heard the voice of a girl. It sounded very concerned, scared and desperate. The voice in my head got louder and louder everytime she got closer.

"Wake up.... WAKE UP"

And suddenly I collapsed.

I started hearing the girl's voice all around me. It seemed to me as though my ears had started ringing.

"Just shut up.. PLEASE SHUT UP" I screamed as I opened my eyes.

...and just like that.....

...I was back in the forest.