“Why…?”

“…”

“…why. Why? Why?”

Small little whimpers, broken by a single word. Why indeed.

Her little fragile shoulders shook, her eyes were hazy. Unfocused even. Her voice, pauses kept up with every repetition. Every question.

“Why? Why? Why?”

Until they didn’t.

“Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?”

Fast. Quick. Speedy.

“Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?”

Strong. Nah, Stronger. Sharper.

“Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?”

Such force, such anger. Such…

Such betrayal. I shivered. How?

I was surprised.

Not by the fact that that was how I had apparently voiced that one word while asleep, over and over. Cracking everywhere, drowning my eyes in tears.

Not by that.

But by the fact that, she was able to act it out so well. And it hadn't ended.

“Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why WhywhywhywhywhywhyWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHY!WHY!— ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Sigh. I’m getting tired."

The girl in front of me -- no older than 9 as she had stated herself -- calmed down from her phenomenal enactment.

"Brotha..." She said. Questioning. You probably understand now, how you sounded while asleep?”

No. Her skill, she probably far exceeded the display of what had actually occurred.

Mana turned around, facing her back to me. Her expression morphed back into her usual poker-face. The light bounced off her head, her hair gleaming in tinted purple.

“…Brothar, I tried to wake you up. Quite a lot actually. But, you just kept on repeating that word—”

Her indifferent, silent face broke. For what? I didn’t know. What did it give way to? What was it forced to express? I didn’t know. She was looking out the sliding window door in our living room.

Or rather, she was probably hiding her face.

“—You just kept on repeating that while crying.” She turned around, her purple eyes meeting mine. Had it been a day ago, I wouldn’t be able read them, understand what they were trying to say. But now, with the amount of memories of my daily life that I had recovered, I knew what they trying to convey.

They were asking. Inquiring.

Ironically, the same question. They were asking the same question.

Why?

Why was I crying?

Why did I repeat those words? Over, and over again. For god knows how long?

A nightmare? A horrifying memory? What came over me?

…a realization?

“Brotha.” Her seriousness took all my attention. She hadn’t kept her hair in twin tails, they were left free. Flowing with what little, comforting, yet cold breeze that flew inside the room.

They cast a dim shadow over her face, adding to her unreadable-esque look.

“Why?” She asked.

Method Acting. A form of acting used by actors to fully immerse themselves in the character they played. Used primarily to understand them, to get into their heads.

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Why did such a information come to me right now? Regardless, sigh. Was that what she used? To replicate me? Her eyes, even through the unreadable shadows, shone with light. As if…

As if they understood me. As if they understood what I had gone through.

The thing is… I didn’t know what I had gone through.

“Brotha.” She interrupted my thoughts. “Should… we talk to Mom about this?”

“…”

We should. Of course we should.

“…”

Then. I gritted my teeth. Then why was I hesitating? Why was she asking me?

She turned around, and began her small little waltz to the window door. To the extended wooden platform on the grass floor.

Her hair, as usual, continued to shine with highlight. Purple, dark. Deep. Almost lik—

Tick.

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

The ground slipped below my feet. Dizzy. Disorienting. I could see Mana pause, and turn back around to check.

“…”

My voice refused to leave my throat.

“Brotha? Wai- Brotha!” Her poker face had been broken again.

“…”

My blue hair covered small bits of my vision.

“…”

My sight abandoned me.

“Brotha! Wait. MOM! …DAD!” I could still hear her calling our parents for help. Where even were they? Ah right, it was still night time.

‘Mi.’

What?

‘Cre-’

Wait. What? Huh?

“…”

My hearing had left me as well.

Touch, taste, smell. The first to betray.

Sight, and Sound, the finale.

Balance, Temperature. Nothing. I couldn’t feel anything.

…I-wait.

My eyes —well, whatever I thought the—!

…!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

‘…’

Fear crept up my heart, worries and terror evident in their wake. Transparent, foggy water splashed and flew beneath my feet.

I was standing. I felt as I was standing.

Without a body.

Tick.

“…huh. I didn’t expect you to come back so soon. Truly special a creation, I must say.” A manly, yet restrained voice —like mine — spoke from behind me.

I slowly turned around.

Tick.

There he stood.

In all his glory.

There he stood.

Eon.

“Do you want answers?”

My being shivered. What?

Why…?

…why. Why? Why?

Why? Why? Why?

Ah.

A little girl’s face came to mind.

This is what she was talking about.

Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?

Why indeed.

Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?

Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?

Why truly indeed. Why now? Why me? Why… anything? Everything?

Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why WhywhywhywhywhywhyWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHY!WHY—

“Calm down bitch. I can hear you just fine. Oh! Right. You can hear me as well now.”

His voice and words did not match his face. His tone did not match his demeanor.

A gentle, brotherly smile, one that gave off a sense of reassurance. Yet, they gave way to rude, demeaning words.

A stable, kind demeanor, one that gave off a sense of reliability. Yet, they gave way to a terrifying tone, a mortifying voice.

“So?”

So what?

“Ah right. Gimme a minute.”

‘…’

[Right.]

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

……………………………………………….ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-

I can’t do this anymore. I can’t. I just can’t. I can’t. I can’t. I can’t. I can’t. I can’t. I can’t. I can’t. I can’t. I CAN’—-

[Calm down. Bitch.]

My soul kept suffering, kept shivering. Without the warm fire of that purple fog, I felt naked, I felt helpless in front of him.

[Gosh. You were hurting my ears. Ah wait.]

His next words, gave a change in expression. Something…

[Do I even have ears?]

Something that would fit my tone, my voice.

Not him.

Me.

Tick.

[He looked back at me.]

.

.

.

.

‘…’

As I thought.

I can’t deal with—

[OH COME ON, DON’T DO THAT AGAIN!]

‘…’

I feel down to my knees.

Huh? I had a foggy body now.

…Made of purple smoke.

[You can stop narrating shit now. They irritate me enough as is.]

His voice was nice, soothing. Tone, calming. But his face. It had morphed into irreversible ang—

[I think I told you to stop narrating? It’s more of that blonde twink’s preference. I like things straight and to the point.]

‘…’

[So. I’ll ask again. Do you want answers? Mr. Special One?]

Tick.

[Heh… Hahah… Ah. Why the fuck is this so funny? Eh? Mr. Pillar of Specialty?]

‘…’

----------------------------------------

...

It was finally over. I had returned. Away from that amalgamation of contradictions. Away from that amalgamation of madness.

'...'

Darkness gave way, to the blinding, mesmerizing — nearly ethereal — mix of deep gold and black. And brown? I probably failed color theory as a kid. I was a math wiz after all.

An inverted Cross hung on the center of the ceiling. As for the ceiling itself? I found it difficult to gauge its true height. Transparent, — non wetting — water splashed around me, covering up to below my ears as I continued to lay on the marble floor.

Gears shifted, sometimes once. Sometimes many.

I was at the cathedral.

Ah… This feels so serene. Can’t I just stay here?

Without having to think of anything?

Without having to understand the burden of time?

‘…?’

I did not understand the motive behind that last sentence. Why did I say it? Or rather, — I guess — think of it?

I felt the transparent, somewhat still water become turbulent. It came from behind me, near the ginormous gates.

Steps resounded at a fast pace. Many at a time. All with a different tempo, they carried their own weight. The lightest of them all reached me first.

Enough laying down. I lifted my body into a half lotus seating positioning.

The lightweight paused in front of me, her black — purplish tinted — hair flowing to complete the motion. Her gaze bore down on me. Asking.

“Eon…” My mother spoke worriedly, having finally caught up with this unruly child.

I looked towards them, raising my knee to rest my hand. I could have stood up, but I preferred sitting down.

“The more you know…” I spoke.

Dad, I feel like I finally know the meaning of those words.

“The more you know.

The more you wish you didnt.”

I felt like I truly did.

"... The more you wish you didn't."

Especially that latter one.