“The stars are beautiful.” Caitlin says.

I look up to see a couple stars.

“Yeah, there's a few.”

She stares up, not saying anything for a while.

She makes a pouty face.

“Let's go somewhere where we can see way more stars than this boring city.” She says with bright eyes.

I look towards her.

Her eyes are sparkling.

Suddenly I feel a sensation come across my body.

She grabbed me and pulled me down.

We are both lying down next to each other next to the cemetery tree on the hill.

It didn't matter that the grass was wet.

She sticks her arm up with her hand open.

Caitlin is even more attractive than I could ever think she could be.

I can see the reflection of the stars off of her pupils.

She rolls to face me.

While giggling, Caitlin playfully pushes me away from her.

I play along with her and roll down the hill.

Somewhere along my way down the hill, the feeling of rolling suddenly converted into falling.

It's like the same falling sensation you would get right before being woken up.

Thud.

Part 2

I wake up on the hardwood floor of my room next to my bed.

I feel a pulsating pain on the entire front of my body.

My ribs and face seem to be bruised.

I already knew it was too good to be true.

No one like me deserves to be that happy in real life.

Even if I did, how would I even get to that point with my looks and charisma.

Secretly, I knew all along that it was a dream.

I just really didn't want to wake up so I tricked myself into believing that was reality so I could live in the fantasy longer.

I have these types of dreams often.

The proof is within my underwear each morning.

Caitlin being in one is a new development though.

Usually it is Abigale or the most recent celebrity I have seen on tv who makes an appearance.

I lament the fact that although I got pretty far, this run was a dud.

Usually, I go all the way with the girls in my dreams.

If only I didn't roll off the bed, I would've gone all the way with a new girl.

I'm so thirsty and my throat hurts.

I feel a great pressure in my head.

The pain is bouncing around, disappearing and reemerging in a new spot each pulse.

I look at my calendar hung on the wall adjacent to my bed.

I don't even know why I have a calendar.

That calendar has been there for around 10 years.

I got it back around 3 years ago.

It is my only gift from Abigale so I must treasure it.

This was before she got to know my observatory personality so I think she still thought of me as a good person at the time.

I personally don't have that many events written in it though.

It would be a waste to tarnish a gift from such a beautiful woman with mediocre events.

There are a few events that are far from mediocre that I will happily put onto the outdated calendar though.

One of such events is the annual city anime convention which is conveniently today.

I have to go or I will never forgive myself.

I heave myself up.

My entire body hurts.

I'm seriously not in any condition to go anywhere right now.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

I have been going to that convention every year since I can remember.

It's also the only place where I can get another special edition anime figure so I have to go.

With that in mind I head out.

I don't usually take the train that often because I don't go anywhere that much.

Walking down the steps is especially draining.

People who usually don't look at me usually when i walk down the street are now all staring at me.

It's an unusual sort of attention that I don't want centered on me.

In my delirious state, I see a guy in front of me.

I'm sure it's just in my head.

This guy doesn't look human, so it must just be my mind playing tricks on me.

Firstly, he has wings, so he can't be human.

He's my size, only with bulging abs that look unnaturally large along with all his other features.

His skin is gray and his face reminds me of a bug.

As I'm bumping into countless shoulders, the guy seems to be dodging all of the people while simultaneously walking backwards and talking to me.

I just stare at him.

The figure is the only thing on my mind currently.

He looks like he's trying to tell me something.

His expressions are very human-like.

It's almost like he's trying to figure out how to get me to hear him.

He scratches his head in frustration.

It seems like I'm the only one who can see him.

He extends his massive arm and slaps me with a tremendous force.

This is the hardest slap I have ever felt.

I fell to the ground and hit my head onto the ground.

The people around me are looking at me now.

I look back then awkwardly shuffle away towards the train station.

My vision is still following me.

I try not to make eye contact but he keeps going into my field of view.

I get to the train station.

Am I going insane?

What could I have eaten to make me see things?

At least my headache and body pains are fading.

I'm at a level where I can think about more than just the Rias figure now.

I'm starting to hear the guy in my vision.

I sat down on the bench in the train.

Across from me is the guy.

“Hello? Hello? Can you hear me?” he says while waving his hand.

He is completely unclothed and barely looks human.

Is deformed men with muscles really what my subconscious thinks of?

“I'm in your mind” he says looking straight at me.

wow, so that confirmed it.

I didn't really think I would swing that way, but I guess if my subconscious says it, it must be true.

“You're my host body” he says bluntly.

What?

I kept trying to get rid of this vision, but there might be an actual problem if this vision has persisted for this long.

What do you mean host?

I open my mouth in an effort to speak.

He cuts me off before I can formulate any words.

“I'm in your body, but your brain won't let me take control.” he again says bluntly.

Why can you hear my thoughts?

My heart beats violently.

Something is seriously wrong.

“I can hear your thoughts so you don't need to speak, y'know.” he says smiling.

His grin is huge.

Almost like it was drawn onto his face.

Why?

“Well, that's because I'm near where your thoughts are obviously!” he says it like i should've known this already.

“Can you let me through?”

Seems like bad news if I let him.

Are you a parasite?

There is a hesitation in his movement.

He puts his fingers on his temples.

I can feel something rummaging through my thoughts and memories.

It must be him!

He is going through my brain for information!

“I can read any thoughts in your brain.” he says.

Huh.

I keep staring at him.

A part of me was hoping for him to just disappear.

“When I entered your brain, you were supposed to give me control. So when are you going to do that” he says arrogantly.

I don't know what he's saying but I won't let him get control.

“Okay, let me say this in a way you would understand.” he says, clutching his hands on his temples again.

It seems that he needs to put both hands on his temples to read my mind.

“I can kill you right now y'know.” he said in a threatening way.

My chest starts to tighten.

I'm starting to hyperventilate.

Can he kill me?

How?

“Yeah, I can sever the connection between what you call a brain stem and your body,” he says with wide eyes.

I sit thinking for a while.

If his goal was to kill me, then wouldn't he have killed me already?

He must have some reason to keep me alive.

That will give me leverage.

“Wait.” he says worriedly.

It seems he was bluffing and his reaction tells me everything.

“Well, it was worth a shot.” he says relaxed

He gets on his side and lays his head on a nearby woman's lap.

His hands are on his head and his legs are crossed.

“Okay, so im supposed to be what you would call a parasite.” he says looking up calmly.

So there is something wrong with me!

I need to get medical treatment to remove this parasite.

“I wouldn't do that.” he faces me with a serious face.

“If you decide to kill me, then i'll also kill you.” he says.

Was his previous statement not a bluff?

“I do have the power to kill you, but I would also die, so I can't.” he says in a relaxed tone.

He yawns.

“Okay, I'm gonna go now.” he says, yawning.

The train stops at its destination.

The area is anime themed because of the convention.

Even the train station is filled with posters and people coming and going dressed as characters.

I change sitting positions.

My body reminds me of how much pain it's in.

“Oh yeah, I'm making some adjustments to your body, so it might hurt a bit.” he says too casually.

He walks out of the train waving goodbye to me.

He walks up the steps and into the distance.

I sat in the train stunned.

There is a parasite in me!

In my head!

If what that thing said is true, then I won't be able to remove it using any methods I can immediately think of.

I need to find a way to get cured from this infection.

The train doors close.

I realize the train is going to go to its next stop.

I rush up to go out.

It's too late.

The doors have closed.