Chapter 3.5

As I opened the basement door, I said, shocked, I took a small step back and a creak sounded, my eyes wide open,

"Kaito.? I-Is that you? Why are you.."

"Miyuki-san.. I warned you.. Not to come."

He smiled and looked at me with tears flowing down his eyes as a dark shadow engulfed him and he was taken away..

His screams echoed through me as I clenched my hands to my chest. Knowing I'll find him.

Those words echoed through my head, a mantra against everything I have ever hoped for rushing through me.

Every nerve I had told me to leave, run, scream and disappear from this nightmare basement.

But, I couldn't

"I Needed to Find Him!" I screamed, getting my emotions to take over me.

Kaito-kun needed me.

As my feet moved closer and closer to the exit , each trembling step a small act of defiance.

I wanted to get out. My body wanted to get out.

Through all the fear I was experiencing that moment, I pushed through and fought as hard as I could.

I pulled myself together and ran in to the basement, where Kaito-kun originally was.

I find a flashlight on the floor and eagerly start searching, I remembered he dropped something as he was being taken.. Could it be that it's a clue.?

In other words, I gotta find it.

As I search deep in the basement, slight sounds of boxes and objects moving echo through the walls. Giving a soft but eerie noise. My heart pounds in my ears as I thought to have heard footsteps behind me, it beat faster, drowning the sounds of everything around me. I bring myself together and manage to look back and shine the flashlight, eyes almost closed to fear.

Nothing was there. Except some cobwebs and a rat. I then noticed how the flashlight is going dim. But, just as I was gonna keep searching, I accidentally point my flashlight towards the left side of the room. The light slices between the pillars.

And there! A Shiny metal object beneath a stack of boxes!

I run towards it and trip. I crawl through and fight the pain. The hard cement scraping my knees giving me bruises everywhere. I manage to hold back my screams of pain, could just be my adrenaline.

I find it and grab it. It's a small charm, a necklace perhaps.

A heart shaped one.

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There's a word carved on it. The dust making it harder to see..

Hirath? What? Could it be a name or some sort.? Why does he even have this..?

My hands tighten around the necklace. Almost crushing it from the weight.

Ahh!! It might just be a necklace, but for now. I can use it to my advantage.

But, theres one thing on my mind.. "Why would Kaito-kun have this.?"

And this.. "Hirath".. What exactly is he trying to tell me..?

While I try to remember, I thought I saw the purple haired girl from the corner of my eye..

"Huh? What.? Who's There?!" I say, feeling discomfort. My breathing shaky.

"It's me, Hirath." Shocked by the sudden reply, I corner myself to the wall... Thinking it'd protect me, giving me no chance of escape. I cross my arms on my chest forming an X-like shape. I noticed she crept closer.

"Do not be afraid, I know what happened. " She said, unfazed.

As she moved closer, I shouted, " Why and how should I believe you!?"

"I am Hirath. Have you forgotten about me, Miyuki-chan.?" She asked.

Huh..? Now that I think about it.. There was someone who looked like her in my dreams, no my daydreams..

"Her Voice is soft too, with a strange echo around tje basement walls. It's as if there are many layers of secrets that I couldn't find out about yet.

I feel dizzy... The basement seems like its rotating and tilting.. And before I knew it, I passed out from fear.

The last thing I remember is the girl who calls herself "Hirath" was wearing a long

— tattered white dress. It's as if she was some ghost from a horror movie.

As the darkness of my eyes and the basement consumed me, I felt something, a type of jolt not from pain, but from an entity. Had she touched me, or maybe, had she started carrying me.?

This world, is truly cruel. I feel nauseous..

"Hey, Miyuki-san.. Tell me, what do you see in your dreams? Can you see me.?" A soft voice enters my ears..

Her voice was somehow clear through the sharp ringing in my ears..

Dreams? Kaito's disappearance and that weird and terrifying nightmare all circled through my head..

My breath froze, caught between a sob and a slight scream that I couldn't voice out.

Her words were like a knife stabbing me in the heart.

I struggled to get even the last of my voices out, "Hey — who are you.? What even are you?" My voice trembled.

Not even the slightest of whispers could be heard.

A light was seeping through my eyelids — could that be her? I tried to cover my eyes but my body refused to move, struggling, I got my last ounce of strength and pushed myself up, away from her.

However, my legs just refused to move. Only my hands, leading back to my coma like state.

She crouched beside me, saying with a soft worried voice, "You shan't be afraid of me, Miyuki-chan. There are many things you haven't seen yet, and many you must understand."

She reached her hand out and brushed a strand of hair away from my face.

That's when I saw it — The necklace! It was dangling in my pocket, about to fall!

Hirath's touch was unnaturally freezing, has she somehow noticed it?

"No, theres no way — why can't I.. " I say.

"Shh.. Don't believe what happens after. It will be a lie. So I want you to make careful decisions. " Hirath tells me.

I then pass out from everything that happened...

"Miyuki-san!!" I hear Kaito-kun's voice and I feel water dripping on my hand..

"Huh.? Kaito-kun? What happened?" I asked, realizing I was drenched in sweat.

"You were having a nightmare Miyuki-san! You kept moving and you wouldn't stop sleep talking!" Kaito-kun's voice trembled as he said that. It seemed he felt relieved too since he held my hand tight.

"My hand.. Kaito-kun. " I told him since it started to ache.

"Oh! Sorry.! I didn't mean to, I just felt relieved." He quickly takes his hand off and puts his index finger below his eye and nervously chuckles.

"Sorry, just glad you're fine." There was something off about his voice, a hint of depression or desperation?

Was this normal?

Pushed myself to smile, "Y-yeah, I'm glad too." But, some part of me still felt dread and clueless. Like as if I didn't want to believe any of this.

Had Kaito-kun rescued me or Hirath took me here.?

"Miyuki-san I'm gonna go take a shower, you should go after me. You're drenched in sweat. I can see your —" I interrupt him, embarrassed, " I know! Just shut up.." Blushing extremely, I say, "Sorry.. Y-you can't just say t-that.. "

After a bit of hesitation, "Yeah, sorry Miyuki-san. I didn't think about it. " he smiles and walks to the shower.

THE END OF CHAPTER 3.5

By spix54 & 54Kamikal of the 54 Writing Clan