Hikariyume - Age 17
“Yueko, where are we going? Why the hell did you drag me all the way out here?” Iyume kicked a pebble along the abandoned road, bored out of her mind. She scowled at her sister, waiting for an answer.
Yueko calmly glanced around, looking for something. “Yume-chan, I can’t tell you. If I did, then you would freak out. It’s better if you don’t find out until the last second.”
Iyume glared at Yueko. “Sooo… I take it that if you had told me where we were going beforehand, you would have had to knock me out to get here?” She looked around, trying to find something familiar. And she did. She recognized the abandoned houses, each with enormous yards. She identified the placement of the overgrown trees, and knew how they would have looked about a decade ago. Then her gaze fell on a somewhat empty lot, with pieces of blackened wood and metal strewn across it. She wheeled around on her sister.
“ARE YOU INSANE?! Why the hell would you bring me here?! You know how much this place affects my subconscious! Are you TRYING to give me MORE vivid nightmares?” Iyume screamed at the top of her lungs, scared and extremely angry.
Yueko sent calming thoughts into Iyume’s mind, but it had little affect. “Yume-chan, please, calm down. Someone requested to meet us here. He has something to give us. We won’t be long, I promise, okay?” She smiled reassuringly at her younger sister.
Iyume crossed her arms, fuming. “Fine. But I’m only waiting ten minutes. After that, you can wait here, by yourself.”
“I don’t think you’ll have to wait that long, Iyume.”
Iyume whipped around to the new voice. She stared blankly at the boy standing there. He had somewhat long, reddish blond hair and brown eyes. He wore baggy jeans, a long, navy blue vest jacket with a hood and a white T-shirt that had a blue skull pattern on the front. He smiled in a very friendly way at Iyume. “It’s been a while, Iyume.”
Iyume’s eyebrows furrowed. “Uh, do I know you?”
The boy’s smile faded. “You really don’t remember me.” He frowned and made a face that looked like he was about to cry. “That’s so sad…”
Iyume gave a ‘what the hell’ kind of look. “Uh-huh… okay…” She glanced at Yueko, who rolled her eyes. Iyume turned back to the boy. “So… who’re you?”
“I’m Alek…” He straightened up and pulled a small white and purple book from his jacket pocket. “You’re dad told me that you wouldn’t remember me, so he asked me to give this to you. It’s your mother’s journal.”
Dumbfounded, Iyume gawked at him. “You…! You knew my parents?!” She swung around to Yueko, looking for answers. Yueko simply shrugged and nodded, a sign that he was telling the truth. Iyume grabbed Alek by the shirt collar. “Explain yourself, NOW.”
Alek gently removed Iyume’s hands from his shirt and took a deep breath. “The night that you’re parents were killed… well, after your father got you out, he rushed over to my house as a shadow. He gave me this book and simply said, ‘Iyume’s memory of you is gone, give this to her when you see her next,’ or something like that, and left. A few minutes later, the house exploded, with both of your parents inside.” Alek looked at Iyume pityingly. “I’m really sorry. About your parents, I mean.”
“I don’t need your pity, dammit. My memory of YOU? What are you to me? Some kid that used to pick on me or something?” Iyume crossed her arms, not believing Alek in the slightest.
“I was your best friend, other than Nene.” He grinned at the mention of Iyume’s stuffed toy. Iyume’s eyes widened at the sound of her precious, long-gone rabbit’s name. “We met when you were six. I was eight.”
Still skeptical, Iyume scowled at him. “And how do I know you aren’t making this up?”
“He’s telling the truth, Yume-chan. His mind is very open right now. Probably because he wants us to know he’s telling the truth.” Yueko smiled at Alek. “You’re the same age as me.”
Alek nodded. “You must be Yueko, her sister? I’m glad she’s not completely alone.”
Iyume snatched the journal from Alek’s hand. “Yeah, whatever.” She flipped through the pages until she found the last entry. She read her mother’s apology about blocking her memories and the situation she was in as she wrote it. The familiar handwriting that she saw so many times on the notes on the fridge she remembered from so long ago made her start to cry. She wiped tears from her cheeks and grimaced at Alek. “Fine. You’re telling the truth. Is this all you wanted to give me?” She waved the book in front of his face.
Alek shrugged. “Yeah, pretty much. I have to go now.” He smiled. “I hope you get your memory back soon.” He leaned in close and kissed her on the cheek. “I really missed you.” He walked off casually.
Iyume stood there, confused and mortified. She touched her cheek. “Did… did he just…?!” He disappeared around a corner before Iyume could throw something at his head. Her mind raced as she tried to wrap her mind around what had just happened.
Yueko giggled. “Uh-oh, Yume-chan. Someone’s got a crush on you. A very big crush, too...” Yueko poked Iyume in the arm teasingly.
Iyume hit her sister on the head. Then she ruffled her own hair and shrieked, “WHAT THE HELL?!”
Yueko calmly glanced around, looking for something. “Yume-chan, I can’t tell you. If I did, then you would freak out. It’s better if you don’t find out until the last second.”
Iyume glared at Yueko. “Sooo… I take it that if you had told me where we were going beforehand, you would have had to knock me out to get here?” She looked around, trying to find something familiar. And she did. She recognized the abandoned houses, each with enormous yards. She identified the placement of the overgrown trees, and knew how they would have looked about a decade ago. Then her gaze fell on a somewhat empty lot, with pieces of blackened wood and metal strewn across it. She wheeled around on her sister.
“ARE YOU INSANE?! Why the hell would you bring me here?! You know how much this place affects my subconscious! Are you TRYING to give me MORE vivid nightmares?” Iyume screamed at the top of her lungs, scared and extremely angry.
Yueko sent calming thoughts into Iyume’s mind, but it had little affect. “Yume-chan, please, calm down. Someone requested to meet us here. He has something to give us. We won’t be long, I promise, okay?” She smiled reassuringly at her younger sister.
Iyume crossed her arms, fuming. “Fine. But I’m only waiting ten minutes. After that, you can wait here, by yourself.”
“I don’t think you’ll have to wait that long, Iyume.”
Iyume whipped around to the new voice. She stared blankly at the boy standing there. He had somewhat long, reddish blond hair and brown eyes. He wore baggy jeans, a long, navy blue vest jacket with a hood and a white T-shirt that had a blue skull pattern on the front. He smiled in a very friendly way at Iyume. “It’s been a while, Iyume.”
Iyume’s eyebrows furrowed. “Uh, do I know you?”
The boy’s smile faded. “You really don’t remember me.” He frowned and made a face that looked like he was about to cry. “That’s so sad…”
Iyume gave a ‘what the hell’ kind of look. “Uh-huh… okay…” She glanced at Yueko, who rolled her eyes. Iyume turned back to the boy. “So… who’re you?”
“I’m Alek…” He straightened up and pulled a small white and purple book from his jacket pocket. “You’re dad told me that you wouldn’t remember me, so he asked me to give this to you. It’s your mother’s journal.”
Dumbfounded, Iyume gawked at him. “You…! You knew my parents?!” She swung around to Yueko, looking for answers. Yueko simply shrugged and nodded, a sign that he was telling the truth. Iyume grabbed Alek by the shirt collar. “Explain yourself, NOW.”
Alek gently removed Iyume’s hands from his shirt and took a deep breath. “The night that you’re parents were killed… well, after your father got you out, he rushed over to my house as a shadow. He gave me this book and simply said, ‘Iyume’s memory of you is gone, give this to her when you see her next,’ or something like that, and left. A few minutes later, the house exploded, with both of your parents inside.” Alek looked at Iyume pityingly. “I’m really sorry. About your parents, I mean.”
“I don’t need your pity, dammit. My memory of YOU? What are you to me? Some kid that used to pick on me or something?” Iyume crossed her arms, not believing Alek in the slightest.
“I was your best friend, other than Nene.” He grinned at the mention of Iyume’s stuffed toy. Iyume’s eyes widened at the sound of her precious, long-gone rabbit’s name. “We met when you were six. I was eight.”
Still skeptical, Iyume scowled at him. “And how do I know you aren’t making this up?”
“He’s telling the truth, Yume-chan. His mind is very open right now. Probably because he wants us to know he’s telling the truth.” Yueko smiled at Alek. “You’re the same age as me.”
Alek nodded. “You must be Yueko, her sister? I’m glad she’s not completely alone.”
Iyume snatched the journal from Alek’s hand. “Yeah, whatever.” She flipped through the pages until she found the last entry. She read her mother’s apology about blocking her memories and the situation she was in as she wrote it. The familiar handwriting that she saw so many times on the notes on the fridge she remembered from so long ago made her start to cry. She wiped tears from her cheeks and grimaced at Alek. “Fine. You’re telling the truth. Is this all you wanted to give me?” She waved the book in front of his face.
Alek shrugged. “Yeah, pretty much. I have to go now.” He smiled. “I hope you get your memory back soon.” He leaned in close and kissed her on the cheek. “I really missed you.” He walked off casually.
Iyume stood there, confused and mortified. She touched her cheek. “Did… did he just…?!” He disappeared around a corner before Iyume could throw something at his head. Her mind raced as she tried to wrap her mind around what had just happened.
Yueko giggled. “Uh-oh, Yume-chan. Someone’s got a crush on you. A very big crush, too...” Yueko poked Iyume in the arm teasingly.
Iyume hit her sister on the head. Then she ruffled her own hair and shrieked, “WHAT THE HELL?!”