Chapter 1
Rewind Time
Feb. 22, 2046. Thursday. 10 years old.
"Mom! Mom!" Kiyro yelled with excitement, pulling his lovely mother by her hand. Then, he ran into the kitchen.
She was a petite lady with shining light brown hair. Dimples appeared on her round face while she held onto her son's hand. Her figure, for someone so small, was quite voluptuous; what was even more surprising was that she didn't look anywhere near her age. At age ten, Kiyro's mother is still in her mid-twenties. Not a single sign of wrinkles could be seen on her face.
Sometimes, Kiyro wondered how his mother could still look so young. She was his light; he dearly loved his mother just as much as he loved his family. Every day was an endless blessing of happiness and bliss. His stiff father smiled often; his stone-cold face would soften whenever he saw her. Everyone who saw them could tell them that they were a perfect couple, a perfect family that anyone would envy.
Kiyro was proud of that, and he would flaunt it around everywhere he went. These were the times he always believed it would stay like this forever.
"What is Kiyro?" She squats down and gives him a sweet smile.
Kiyro ran over and smashed into his mother with open arms. "I love you, mom!" His hand wrapped around her neck and pecked her on her cheek.
Her soft hands wrapped around Kiyro, scooped him up by the butt, and stood up with a mischievous grin on her face. She then buried her head into his small neck and blew a loud sound, tickling him into a giggle.
"Stop it! It tickles!" Kiyro laughed, pulling away from his mother.
"Oh no, you don't!" Her hands moved up and down onto his side, ruthlessly tickling until he burst into loud laughter.
“Noooooooooooooooooooooo!” He screamed out loud, laughing at the same time. Then, he threw his head back while his hand flailed around him. "Please, no! I'm a dying mom! You're killing me!"
"Really?" She stopped and wiggled her eyebrow. "Then that's even better! Ticklish attack! Rawr!"
"Nooooooo~" He pretended to faint, sticking out his tongue as if he was dead.
"Oh no! I killed Kiyro!" She laughs and smacks a kiss into his cheek. Then, with a fierce blow of air, a loud sound could be heard erupting from her mouth.
To Kiyro, it sounded like she farted. But then, he woke up with a crinkle of his nose and frowned. "Ewwwww. Mom. You farted."
"I did? I swear, I thought it was you." She pretended to sniff him, and then she stopped. Her face turned into partial disgust, and she pretended to smell something horrible. "You did fart. My son farted!"
"I did not." He huffed. His hand rested on his hips, looking into her eyes in outrage. "I do not fart."
"You don't? I swear last time you farted in the kitchen when you were sneaking a cookie away from the jar."
Kiyro turned bright red; his head hung down in embarrassment. "I didn't steal a cookie." He mumbled low, ashamed that his mother found out so quickly.
"Mhmm. I caught you red-handed."
"I-I-I didn't steal any cookies! I was borrowing it for research purposes."
"Now?" His mom gave him a stern gaze.
Kiyro looked up. "Yes, for research purposes." He didn't budge from his answer.
"So, when will you bring back the research material?" His mother placed him down. She raised her hand to her hip and cock her hips to the side. "I'm sure, in your research, you did some field testing as well."
"Yes."
"Taking a couple of bites to see if it's good."
"Yes."
"Maybe even sharing it with your brother."
Kiyro went silent. "Yes?"
"Is that a question?"
“Uh...No.”
"Kiyro, you know it's not good to lie. Now fess up, or you'll not have a cookie tonight."
Kiyro's face went completely pale. The thought of not having any cookies horrified him, especially the delicious gooeyness from the chocolate, oozing out when it had just been cooked. That was his favorite part; he especially hated it when he missed eating his mother's delicious cookies. They were too good to give up.
With a stern gaze, his mother waited. Kiyro withered in her gaze, unable to say anything. His hand slipped behind him; his foot kicked back and forth, unable to hide his nervousness. For a moment, his mouth opened up to tell her, but it quickly closed.
"Come on, Kiyro. I know it's hard to tell the truth, and easier to tell a lie, but that's not a habit you should get into. People won't trust you anymore if you constantly lie. It'll break my heart if you lie to me." She squatted down and brought his head up so they could lock their gaze.
Kiyro could see the love in her eyes, and he felt a tinge of sadness and hurt for what he had done to his mother. "I'm sorry. I ate the cookie and didn't share it with Kyle."
"I know. Thank you for telling me the truth Kiyro." She pulled him into a big hug. "I'm proud of you."
A smile broke out on Kiyro's face.
"Now, why don't we have some cookies while we sit by the fireplace."
Kiyro let go in excitement. He paced back and forth, trying to get a good look at the cookies that were supposed to come out of the oven. Finally, his mother got up and started to open up the oven. A strong wash of delicious chocolate chip cookies hit him in full force. A loud rumble was heard through his stomach; he gripped his hand and leaned towards the fresh batch of cookies in the oven.
His mother pulled them out with a mitten and started to put the cookies on a plate. She then poured two cups of milk.
"Kiyro, help me carry the glass of milk. Go place them on the table near the fireplace." She turned around and handed it to him. "Try not to spill it."
"Yes, mom." He happily took both glasses of milk and carefully walked towards the living room. There he saw Kyle, his twin brother, hunched over on the desk doing homework in front of the burning fireplace. The warmth hit his body, making him feel toasty. With careful hands, he placed the glass of milk on the table. Kyle graciously took the milk from Kiyro and took a sip of it.
"Did mom finish baking the cookies?" Kyle asked hopefully.
"Yep." Kiyro shook his head hard. He then sat down on the opposite side, waiting for his mother.
"Did you finish your homework?"
"Yep," Kiyro stated proudly. He smirked at his brother in a know-it-all smile.
Kyle rolled his eyes and went back to doing his homework. Their mother finally came out from the kitchen, bringing out a large baked cookie on a plate. She walked over and placed them next to her sons.
"Now then. Kiyro, you finished your homework?"
"Yes~" He called out in a sing-song voice, excited to eat the cookie on hand.
"Good. Kyle pushes your book aside. You don't want to put cookie crumbles in your workbook."
"Yes, mom." Kyle listened and closed his book.
"Now, just as you promised. I'll tell you a story of your grandmother and her strange encounters."
Kiyro grabbed a cookie and started to nibble on it. He was waiting all day to hear about his famous grandmother and her crazy adventures. He especially liked her last story, where she came face-to-face with a bear and escaped with her life intact. That was one of the most thrilling adventures of his grandmother Lucy.
"Well then," Kiyro's mother sank into her armchair, enjoying the warmth of the fireplace that spread across her whole body. "Your grandmother was a powerful psychic."
"Psychic?" Kyle asked.
"Think of it as a superpowered human."
"Like Superman?" Kiyro burst out in excitement. It was rare that mother would say something spectacular about grandma. She was already idolized to the point where he wanted to be like her one day.
"Something like that, but only a sliver of his power."
"Eh?" Kiyro cocked his head.
"You remember I told you your grandma defeated the giant black bear?"
Both Kyle and Kiyro shook their heads up and down viciously.
"At the age of 21, your grandma had the ability to control the power of her strength. She was able to pull three-fourths of what no normal human could. A simple punch had the power to create a dent in a metal wall; her energy control was both amazing and fearful. But there was more to her than just a simple punch; any hit from her could damage the inner body but not leave a single mark on the skin. She was a master martial artist, able to fight hand-to-hand, which gave her the edge she needed."
"Can't a lot of martial artists do that?" Kyle was just a little hyped about what his mother had said. "I saw some of the Black Dragon Ninjitsu Masters and other Martial Artists at high levels do that already. There's nothing special about it." He huffed.
Kiyro frowned. "Be quiet. You're ruining the story." He shot an annoyed look at Kyle. He knew what Kyle was talking about, especially since they both had been going into the Academy. Kiyro has heard many mystical events that could be considered unbelievable to the normal human being.
Kyle shrugged his shoulders, and he went back to eating his cookie.
On the other hand, Kiyro dunked his cookie into his glass of milk. Then, with a quick bite out of his cookie, he gave a pleasant smile of bliss.
"What Kyle says is true, but there was more. She was able to see and talk to the spirits. They would come to her seeking help, some to leave messages to their loved ones, others to scare the living, and some are too dark to mention."
Kiyro gulped. "Why did they come to grandma?"
"That is something that not many people know, but the reason is very simple. Once we let ourselves be open to the spiritual world, we allow the spirit to talk to her; she becomes a medium for the dead. The spirit knows when a special person is born, for what they see on the other side differs from what we see on this plane of life."
Kiyro shook his head. Seeing and talking to the spirits, he knew exactly what his mother meant, giving chills down his spine. He opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't. The thought of reliving that moment with the people who came to him scared him.
"What's wrong, Kiyro?" His mother looked at him, concerned.
Like a fish that was opening and closing its mouth, Kiyro couldn't speak. Finally, his mother leaned over and reached for him.
"Come here, sweetheart; I'm here."
Kiyro bolted up and ran into his mother's arms. Kyle stared at Kiyro strangely at his action. Then, with a fierce hug, Kiyro hid in his mother's soft arms. He could feel her warmth pulsing into his body; he always liked that warmth his mother gave. There was something special about it; every worry was washed away in seconds as if it didn't matter.
A bright, unique glow, only he could see, was wrapped around her body. Then, with a gentle golden aura, two pairs of wing-like substances appear from her back, wrapping around their body into a cocoon. He always believed his mother was an angel whenever he saw the pair of wings; even though he told his brother about what he saw, Kyle didn't see what he saw.
When he looked into her eyes, he would see a flash of the color of her eyes turn gold, making him feel even more at home. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a streak of gold and white orbs zipped through the air and danced around his mother. With a slight tilt, he stared at the orbs around her head.
Kiyro's eyes widened in shock; he saw many of these orbs flying around the house every day, but not the color green and gold. Instead, a sweet smell of rose and cinnamon tickled his nose, followed by a strong scent of pine. They were usually red or blue, and he would see black ones dangerously hovering just out the edge of the lawn, especially when he was outside. He had a strange feeling that the black orb meant more harm than good. He could feel it and knew instinctively that the black orb wanted his family dead. Why? He didn't know; they just oozed a dangerous aura.
Sometimes, he would see the black orb shift into a black human silhouette of a man in a hooded T. Even now, when he tilted his head over his mother's shoulder, he could see the shadow man outside through the window. Watching and waiting for them to step out, but mostly to be let into the house.
For a split moment, he felt the gaze of the shadow man meet him. Even though he couldn't see the shadow man's eyes, he knew their gaze had met. A cold shudder went down his body, causing him to freeze in fear. His body tightened, he ducked his head behind his mother, and he started to shake in fear.
Suddenly, the gold and white orb zoomed past his shoulder and raced straight toward the shadow man. At that moment, he saw something amazing. The white orb shifted in form into a dazzling green stag with one horn. He thought it was a unicorn if it wasn't for the strange look. It had scaly green skin, a fiery tail and hooves, and even an elegant body.
The gold orb also changed forms, but this was even more extraordinary. It was a golden dragon that blazed with fiery bright light. He could only see a clear view of its head, large, graceful, and filled with golden feathers. Small wings were on the side of its head, with two large pairs of wings on its back that seemed to blur like the light.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
The stag and the dragon rushed toward the shadow man without remorse. The shadow man ran for his life as if his butt was on fire. All three suddenly disappeared, and he was glad they were all gone. He felt relieved that those two golden and green lights helped chase away the shadow that haunted his family.
"Are you okay?" His mother's voice gently coaxed him back to her.
Kiyro turned his vision back towards her. "Mom. Why is it that Grandma could see spirits? Are they monsters?"
"Monsters?" His mother gave him a gentle smile. "No, dear. They are not monsters but can be humans, animals, and even unique creatures. The world has many secrets hidden from our eyes; sometimes, all it takes is to open and see beyond the veil. Allowing us to see the reality of the true world before us." Kiyro's mother stopped for a moment, taking in a breath. "I don't know why she was given the gift to see, but she helped many spirits with that power."
"What other abilities did grandma have?"
"So you're not afraid anymore?"
"I…"
"Afraid?" Kyle looked strange at the two. "What is mom talking about? Why are you such a scary cat?"
Kiyro gave his brother a very annoyed look and glared at him. "I'm not afraid."
"Sure~"
"I'm not!"
"Okay, whatever." Kyle took a bite out of his cookie, not caring about his brother's tantrum.
"Your grandma could also use her power to combat evil spirits."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Mom, now you're getting a little too fantastical."
His mother chuckled, looking at Kiyro.
"You think so?"
"Yes." He frowned.
His mother gently patted him on his shoulder. "Remember this, Kiyro, Do not be afraid. Fear will stop you from being who you truly are."
"I'm not." Kiyro feigned to pretend he was strong, but he knew he wasn't. He was afraid his mother would say that he might be imagining things, even though she was telling a story.
"I know you aren't." She ruffled his hair, and Kiyro beamed back at him with love for his mother. He was happy that these days would last forever.
#####
July 23, 2051. Sunday. I am 15 years old.
"Sonia! Sonia!" Kiyro's dad was shouting in horror, screeching throughout the house like a Banshee.
Both Kyle and Kiyro bolted out of bed, confused and in fear. Something wasn't right, and they could both feel it in their bones. They were going to high school and right after to the Academy, which exhausted both of them from the training. They were sleeping well until they heard the heart-wrenching yell that gripped their hearts in fear.
They ran towards the sound and saw their father in complete distress, crouched over their lovely mother in the bathroom. His black hair was messy even more than before. Even his large frame, which he usually had, seemed smaller and weaker than before. The once proud father, who always kept his head held up and seemed to know what he needed to do, was no more. He was a broken man who feared the death of his love, that was in his arm, cradling her head back and forth.
Kyle took action; he ran to grab a phone while Kiyro was frozen solid, unable to move and think. He never wanted this. The sweet mother he loved and cared for dearly was down motionless on the floor, breathing in a shallow breath. His father's head was pulled into the crook of his mother's neck, his hand delicately holding her as if she was the most precious thing in the world.
At that moment, Kiyro saw and felt something ominous that he hadn't seen since the day he was ten years old. The human shadow stood in the doorway opposite their parent's bathroom. Fear gripped his heart; he was shocked that the black shadow had made it into the house. It never happened before, until this day. He wasn't sure how it was possible, but he knew this was a terrible sign.
He could feel the intense gaze cast towards Kiyro, and for the first time, he saw the shadow smile. It was a creepy smile that sent a bone-chilling fear in his heart. At that moment, he knew the cause was the shadow that stood before them. In a blink of an eye, the shadow turned into a black orb and disappeared without a trace.
That night the events that happened were a blur. Everything seems to fly by quickly. Kiyro felt half-dead; he followed his brother and father into the hospital like a mindless zombie. They sat in the ER, hoping his mother would be okay.
Never in Kiyro's life did he feel so lost; his love for his mother was one of the things that kept him happy. Even though Kyle was closer to their mother, he still watched over her with eager eyes, making sure that she was alright in his way.
These past few years, he didn't get to talk much with her, but he still had conversations with them. Even still, he regretted not speaking to her more and reassured himself that when she was okay, he would spend more time with her.
Kyle had called Anna, and she booked a flight back in the morning. He was glad that he was seeing his sister, who had disappeared off into another state to venture off into her business deals. Even though she had difficulties in her field, she still struggled and pushed forward, making herself well-known throughout her industry.
With a heavy sigh, Kiyro leaned back. He looked up at the white ceiling walls and slouched, defeated. Today felt way too long; every minute throughout the surgery felt like days. He wished dearly that everything would be over, but he knew he dreaded every minute. He feared what the doctor would say when he came out. All he could do was close his eyes and attempt to sleep, but even sleep wasn't possible.
Help. A young female's voice whispered in his ears. Kiyro snapped forward, confused about where the sudden sound came from. He looked around, but all he could see was a couple of people sitting in the waiting room, half-sleeping. The only female he found was the nurse at the front desk; her shoulder bent forward as she scribbled away at her paper.
Nowhere did he find the person that called out for help. I must be way too tired, he thought. I hear things again.
Please. Someone help me! The girl's voice snapped him to the right. Off in the distance, he peeked to the right, where he saw a lonely hallway with a young girl in a white dress. She was holding a teddy bear on her right while her long black hair came up to her shoulder. Kiyro could tell that she was sickly with her pale skin that was close to white. He stared at the girl for a moment, but when he blinked, she disappeared.
The only presence of someone there was the flickering light that buzzed on and off erratically. She was completely gone. Kiyro rubbed his eyes to make sure that he didn't see things. He blinked a couple more times and saw nothing. With a sigh, he returned to his seat and made himself comfortable again. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back onto the headrest.
Please, help me. The girl's voice was now loud and clear to the point where he felt like the girl was in front of him.
He bolted up onto his seat. What he saw next startled him to the point where he fell off his chair. Standing up over him was the girl that called out for his help. He could now see something was seriously wrong with her; a red blister formed on her porcelain skin with many erratically forming dots. Her hand reached out towards him in an attempt to grab him.
"Stop!" Kiyro threw up his arm, fearing that whatever disease would transfer over to him. Not only that, he felt there was something about this girl that unnerved him immensely.
"Are you okay?" Kyle tilted his head over; he looked at him like an idiot.
Kiyro opened his eyes from behind his hand and saw no one present. Instead, he saw quite a few
bystanders looking at him in confusion and curiosity. His mouth opened to speak something to Kyle but was quickly closed. Then, with clammy hands, he reached up towards the chair and brought himself back up.
"I'm fine. I was just startled from falling off the chair. Did you see a girl here?" Kiyro made himself comfortable again.
"A girl? No. There was no one here."
"Oh. Uh. Never mind."
"You need some sleep, or you'll start having delusions again. We have been here for over nine hours; I wouldn't be surprised if you're tired."
"Yea." He stretched, understanding what Kyle said. "What about you?"
"I'll be fine." Kyle was also extremely tired from the whole ordeal. He could tell that the waiting stress was also eating him up.
Suddenly, the lights in the emergency room turned off, and the doctor came out. His father, Kyle, bolted onto their feet and rushed over.
"Is she going to be okay?" asked the father.
The doctor pulled off his mask. Kiyro could tell they were deep furrowed lines on the doctor's fresh, clean face. "That depends."
"What do you mean, that depends?" Kiyro's father's voice went up an octave in fear. He gripped his other hand, causing it to turn slightly red.
"Her Right Coronary Artery, one of her heart veins, had ruptured, and she lost quite a bit of blood. Right now, she's in a critical state for the next twenty-four hours. After that, she could go into another cardiac arrest. The chance of her dying is high."
All three of us gasped. Kiyro's hand turned into a fist, making it completely red. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. His mother could die any minute now, and it frightened him. The doctor didn't sugarcoat what might happen; he could tell that his words were still lightly peppered with false hope. Something else was bothering the doctor, and he could read it on his face like an open book.
"There is something else wrong with our mother, isn't there," Kiyro spoke to the doctor. The doctor turned around, slightly startled by what he had just said. A slight fear and sadness in his eyes made Kiyro even more curious about what the doctor had in mind. "Please tell us. What's wrong with our mother? I know you're hiding something."
The doctor crinkled his eyebrow. Creases formed on his lips as he stared at him. There was a temporary struggle between telling them or not until he finally gave in. "There is a high chance your mom will die tonight. We don't know what is causing your mom to have faltering heartbeats, but it's becoming so sporadic that it's unusual. It's as if she is struggling to stay alive, but something else is trying to snuff her life out. That's the best way I could describe it. We fixed every problem, but nothing else we have found is causing the issue."
Kiyro froze. He knew then and there that they were something more to this than he thought. The memory of the shadow that stood in the doorway when she fell on the floor unconscious. Its sinister smile that spread into a creepy grin made him shudder again. It was the shadow; he knew it was the shadow that kept Kiyro's mother at death's door.
"There must be something else that you can do?! I can pay for the surgery; please save her!"
Kiyro's father grabbed hold of the doctor's shirt. He shook with fear, desperation, and worry. He never saw such a side to Kiyro's father that it stunned me.
"I'm sorry. This is the best we could do." The doctor pried away his fingers.
"No! That can't be true! You're lying!" He cried out in hysteria.
People turned to see the scene that Kiyro's father was causing. Kyle reached over towards their father, pulling him back.
"Dad. It would help if you calmed down. Then, we could make a call to other doctors. Right now, this is the best that this hospital can offer." He quickly started, trying to calm his father's outburst. It took a moment for his father to let go.
"You're right. I know James; he's one of the top surgeons in the U.S. I know he could fix this." His father called out in desperation. "I'll call him now." He backed away and hurriedly picked up his phone from his back pocket. His hands slipped and fumbled before he could get a better grip.
"I am sorry. I am," said the Doctor. Kiyro could tell that his words were genuine, but all he could feel with anger and desperation was that his mother could die at any moment. "Please go to the front desk; the receptionist will tell you which room your mother will be in." He spoke to both Kyle and him. He nodded as the doctor went away, leaving behind a depressive mood.
Kiyro shuffled towards the receptionist; he leaned forward anxiously. He wanted to be next to his mother and see how well she was doing. But, on the other hand, he wanted to ensure that the shadow man wasn't next to his mother. The thought of the shadow man terrified him, and he knew he had to do something. He just didn't know what.
"Hello." The young lady receptionist smiled at them. Her brown hair was tied into a bun, her nose wrinkled, and she scanned us. She wore a pink nurse outfit that nicely accentuated her figure, but even still, Kiyro didn't care how pretty this lady looked. Instead, he could only think about which room his mother was in. "How may I help you?"
"We would like to know which room Sonia Koga would be in." Kiyro's voice cracked.
"Give me a moment." The lady quickly typed in the computer. She scanned through the files and gave us a knowing smile. "She would be in room E5. You will need to be going down the hallway to your right." She pointed towards the direction where the blinking lights sporadically went on and off.
"Thanks."
The three rushed through the hallway toward their destination. With every step he took, he felt the weight of his mother's life passing away in seconds. He needed to be there; no, he had to be there.
Please, help me. Once again, the voice of the little girl cried out. He whipped his head and saw the girl standing in front of a half-open door in room E2. There was this strange feeling that the girl was in that room; it was just that he didn't want to go in there to ensure she was real. So instead, he pushed forward, leaving behind the pleading girl. There was nothing he could do, he was no doctor, and all he could do was be there for his mother.
Help! Another strange cry burst out from behind him. Startled, he turned to look over his shoulder. This time he saw an older man bent over with one of his legs missing, holding onto a crutch underneath his armpit. Please, help me send a message!
It didn't stop there. They were more and more ghostly spirits that stood either in front of their door or walked past him when he walked by them. Kiyro did everything he could to ignore them as best as he could. He didn't want to take part in these strange ghostly encounters; the thought actually terrified him.
Who were they? Why did they bother him so much? None of the answers popped up in his head, and instead, he pushed them away as if it was like a plague.
Kiyro.
It wasn't until he heard the musical sound of his mother's voice that made him temporarily stopped. How he suddenly missed them; her voice tightened his heart in sadness.
"Mom?" Kiyro was shocked and prayed that what he heard was just a nightmare.
Kiyro. This time her voice was louder than before. He whipped around to find his mother's voice, but he didn't. Instead, all he saw was his brother and father running ahead of him in a hurry.
"Mom?" His voice squeaked as it was hard to speak.
Kiyro. I've been waiting for you. Kiyro could feel goosebumps appearing on his arms and legs. He felt suddenly uneasy at the voice that was calling him.
“M-m-mom?” This time he was a little more confident in what he said. He turned behind him and saw the same little girl he had seen in the beginning, holding onto her teddy bear.
Her head cocked to her side, letting her black hair spill, allowing her deep black eyes to show. Kiyro knew instantly that something was wrong; the little girl's eyes were completely black, even to the point of filling up the white areas of her eyes.
Kiyro. I've been waiting for you. The girl mimicked her mother's voice. Her head twitched slowly; her lips began to curl into a bone-chilling smile. Kiyro, why don't you come to my mother's?
The last words sounded strained to the point of making Kiyro turn around into a full-out sprint. He ran. His feet skidded on the ground when he took a sharp left, followed by a mad dash through the hallway. The loud thrashing of his heartbeat pounded erratically in his chest; whatever that girl was, he knew she was trouble, and the trouble followed him in every corner.
Kiyro, why are you running away?
Kiyro saw the corner of his eyes, the girl with pure black eyes standing in the doorway.
Don't you love me?
With a frantic slide, he thought for a second that his body would smash hard into the wall, but he stopped himself just in time. With a push, he ran. So far, he didn't find anyone present, walking through the hallway. The chances of that were close to zero, making this whole run unusual. Even during the middle of the night, at least doctors and nurses were visiting rooms, but so far, Kiyro didn't meet a single person.
Kiyro, I know you can hear me. Come, my son, let your mother embrace you once again.
Kiyro didn't stop; he ran until he could feel the pounding feet slamming into the ground and shaking his soul. Stopping wasn't an option; living was the only thing he could think of. Whoever or whatever she was playing with his mind, twisting his mother's voice into a sinister laugh.
He knew that he shouldn't fear his mother's voice, but something about the evilness in her voice made him think otherwise. He needed to get far away from the girl that had his mother's voice, but for some reason, she wouldn't let him go.
Every turn that he made, she was there. He was waiting with her teddy bear in her hands, ready to call him with his mother's voice, enchanting him to stop. They were a couple of times, and he almost stopped to turn toward the voice, but now he didn't look back.
In the distance, he saw his father and brother entering the room. His feet stumbled, and he tripped and fell onto his knees.
Why don't you stop and be with your mother forever? The girl's voice cracked and turned more low and heavy. He glanced up and saw the toes of the girl in front of him. It slowly started to waver and changed into dark sneakers.
Kiyro bolted upwards, pushing through the girl. He felt a sudden chill run down his whole body, making him falter, but this didn't make him stop. Instead, he ran into the room and slammed the door behind him. Both Kyle and his father turned toward him as if he was crazy.
"What are you doing?" Kyle hissed at him. "Are you trying to wake up the whole hospital?"
Kiyro's father gave him a displeased scowl, but it was quickly washed away as he turned toward his wife. He could see the deep sadness riddled his father's face as his shoulder hunched forward in defeat.
"Sorry." Kiyro breathed out with a deep sigh. He hoped that the crazy demon girl didn't pass through the door any time soon. But, instead, he prayed that she wouldn't. It was becoming a crazy rollercoaster ride of emotions, and he certainly wasn't liking it. Already he could feel himself becoming tired. "How is she?"
He walked over with heavy steps; he stopped at the base of the bed and stared. His mother was ashen white with barely any life in her. The amount of effort she needed to breathe made him wonder if his mother would collapse any second. The thought horrified him.
With quick and dreary steps, he made his way toward his brother and squeezed his way in. He stopped and reached over to his mother; his hand slipped in and wrapped around her lifeless fingers.
"Mom." He squeezed her fingers, bringing her hands up to his face. "Please come back. We miss you already." Tears erupted on his face, bringing down my pent-up emotions. Even my brother was crying silently.
Time flew by slowly; Kiyro slept on one of the chairs on the opposite side of his mother. He was too tired to stay awake, and the thought of leaving her terrified him. So, like his brother, they stayed in the room as long as possible.
That night he dreamed of battling against monsters and being chased by the girl that sounded like his mother. He turned and woke up uncomfortable. The nightmare felt too real, almost stifling to the point where he thought he would get swallowed up in one go.
Sweat dripped down his face as his knuckles turned white from grabbing onto the side too hard. He didn't want to remember, but his vivid memory was still clear. Maybe it was all the accumulated stress he had felt, or possibly the strange event that had happened today, but it was just too much. He wanted a restful sleep, though life seemed to throw him a curveball and give him nightmares instead. He didn't even sleep for an hour when he sat against the desk. It stated that it was 3:33 A.M, making him groan with unrest.
A loud sound of something hitting metal startled Kiyro to turn around. His vision in the darkness cleared, allowing him to see. There was nothing that he could see that caused the strange sound. Instead, he quickly got up from his seat and walked toward his sleeping mother.
Looking down at his mother with love, he felt his heart wither in pain. To see his mother fragile all over again was a cold slap to his face, making his life even more miserable than before. He wished this nightmare was over, but his reality wasn't.
Not even a second later, the beeping sound of the machine flatlined, causing his heart to drop to the floor in absolute terror,
"Mom?!" He called out in fear and desperation.
Quickly he ran over to the foot of the bed and smashed his fingers down to press the button for emergency. His fingers repeatedly pressed, hoping that the nurse would come in faster. Finally, Kyle bolted up onto his feet and ran over to his mother.
"Mom?! Stay with me!" He cried out in desperation. "Mom!" His voice was like a banshee.
Kyle woke up in a flash; he was next to him, staring in horror. "What the hell happened?!" Kyle shouted, his breath coming short.
"I don't know! Quickly grab the nearest doctor or nurse!" Kiyro yelled. He turned around and raced out of the room with his brother. Both of them split in opposite directions hoping to find a doctor. His feet felt on fire from the desperate run through the hallways. All he could hear was the rapid beating of his heart as he dodged through the lonely hallway.
Kiyro. Once again his mother's voice called out to him. He looked around frantically.
"Mom?" He stopped to see where the voice was coming from; he felt a wash of panic fill his core.
Kiyro. The girl who bothered him initially gave him the most creepy smile he had ever seen. She was standing in front of him in plain white clothes with her teddy bear in hand. His heart froze, and sweat dripped down his face and back. He could feel her dark gaze staring into his soul, wanting to rip him out into shreds. He had to rush past her; she was blocking his path, making the advance much more difficult.
Just when he was about to bolt past her, he heard the pitter-patter sound of feet rushing towards him in a hurry. A doctor and a few nurses were running toward him in a hurry.
Kiyro instantly knew where the doctor and the nurse were running to. They were all in a hurry to get to his mother's room. He glanced around them, wondering if the little girl was still there, but instead, he found no one else.
He shook his head. His mother was dying; he had no time to worry about some little girl. Instead, he ran towards the doctor, filled with panic.
"Doctor! Quickly! Mom just flatlined!" Kiyro waved at the doctor in a hurry. They quickly followed him, understanding the panic that filled in Kiyro's heart.
Kiyro ran with the doctor, but at that moment, he saw the little girl running up ahead. His heart once again turned cold with worry. The girl kept running in the same direction that Kiyro and the doctor ran. Every turn that he made, the girl was there. His heart palpitated, and his worry grew every time she turned in the direction he was running.
It wasn't until the girl ran into the room that his mother was in that his heart dropped to the floor. Absolute terror wrecked his heart and mind, knowing what was to come was dread. He entered the room and found the girl beside his mother's bed. Her black eyes glinted with pure evil.
The doctor ran past him as he started to recuperate from his mother, trying to get a pulse. Kiyro didn't know what to do. He didn't know how to protect his mother against the monster next to her body. But, whatever it was, he felt dark powers coursing through the little girl's hand.
She climbed onto the bed and reached over toward his mother's heart.
"No!" Kiyro screamed, but the little girl only smiled even further. The doctor and the nurse turned toward him in surprise. It took a couple of seconds to snap out as they returned to what they were doing.
They caught a heartbeat, but not even a couple of seconds later, his mother's heart flatlined again. Kiyro watched in horror; the little girl's hand touched his mother's chest, and her hand went inwards towards her heart.
Suddenly his mother's body convulsed sporadically as if she was having a seizure. The doctor and the nurse pinned her down, trying to get a better grasp of her body. Seconds passed by until, finally, his mother stopped and went still.
At that moment, Kiyro heard a crushing sound and knew instantly what had happened. The girl pulled back her hand, and in her hand was a soft golden glow that seemed to radiate with life. It was a soft pulsating light that tickled his heart and gave warmth to his soul. He knew what it was. It was his mother's beautiful soul. The soul shifted and changed; two pairs of wings erupted outwards, forming a creature that Kiyro couldn't tell.
Everything about his mother's soul was dazzling, almost blinding that he had difficulty seeing what she had become. His eyes squinted, and he looked toward her even though it hurt his eyes. He couldn't tear away his gaze at his mother and stare speechlessly towards her and the little girl. All he saw was the little girl morph into a dark silhouette of a man with a hood over his head.
"Mine." He replied in a deep dark voice with pure pleasure. "Mine." He said again with more deadly conviction as he instantly disappeared with his mother's soul.
At that moment, he knew. His mother's heart failed, and she was dead.