Nightmare 10 – Our dream has just begun (first part)

The sky was already dark when I got to our neighborhood and I was surprised to see both Masayuki and Yuka waiting for me just before the gate of my house.

“Why are you two here?” I asked, honestly bewildered.

“I’m pretty sure uncle and auntie are furious right now. They called me many times asking if you were with us earlier,” Masayuki explained. “So we’re here to help you with that… If you don’t mind.”

“Oh right.” I checked my phone, which was relatively new since my old phone was crushed in the incident. Sure enough there were missed calls and messages that seemed to continue even after scrolling down four times already. I smiled at them. “I’ll appreciate it if that’s the case.”

“…Reiji-kun,” Yuka muttered as she looked at me worriedly. “Do you remember…everything now?”

Yuka and Masayuki seemed to be still awkward around me even though I tried to talk to them as casual as I can. I walked the space in between the two of them, who were nervous the whole moment. When I was behind them, I turned around and then practically threw my arms on their shoulders, surrounding their neck.

Both were surprised as the action I had done was something that I had always did back then.

“Yep, I remember everything now,” I wholeheartedly said. “And you two doesn’t have to worry about it. I don’t mind it anymore.”

“...It seems that the Reiji I know is back.”

“Mhmm. Thank goodness.”

Not all had been solved of course, but it was definitely a step forward again.

All three of us entered the house and my parents greeted me with anger. Masayuki and Yuka helped me calm them down by saying we were together all the time. They understood the situation but their anger had not completely abated.

It was then when I thought of telling them that I recovered my memories.

“Is…that true?” My mother asked shockingly.

“Yes.”

That alone made my mother cried while my father stood still as if forgetting all his anger earlier. He hugged me gently. “I’m glad, Reiji. Thank god.”

It was kind of embarrassing actually being watched by my friends like this and it took them for a full minute before calming down. It was then when my two friend said that they would go home since it’s late but my mother stopped them telling that they should stay for the night. And my father insisted too, surprisingly.

They were about to refuse nonetheless but then I spoke. “Maki, Yuka, will you two stay the night?” It was not a question, it was a request. Both of them were a bit surprised but it seemed soon finally agreed. They told their respective parents on the phone and explained that they were staying over in our house.

My parents had wanted to celebrate the occasion but I insisted that we should just do it tomorrow instead. And then soon, I faced a problem. Somehow all three of us, me, Masayuki, and Yuka, ended up sleeping in my room. We had done this many times when we were kids but we were now young adults.

Yuka ended in my bed despite her refusing earlier. And us, guys in the futon spread on the floor. As soon the light was turned off and we were in our own sleeping space, Masayuki asked.

“Hey Reiji, why did you invite us to stay over?”

From atop the bed, I could hear Yuka shifting her position to hear us better.

“I will try to wake up Yume,” I said, still in my futon, as I thought of explaining everything to them. “In this past three nights, I have met her in my dreams. Tonight, I will probably meet her again.”

“…Seriously?” Masayuki asked. I knew them long enough and the opposite was also correct. They knew that I wouldn’t lie in this situation.

“Yeah. It is unbelievable but it’s the truth. I can meet her, and speak with her through dreaming.”

“So basically your mind is connected to hers?”

“Maybe?” I laughed a little. “It is incredibly realistic too. The places where we met were those inside my memories and I could still imagine the vivid image of the cinema falling apart. And also, I could feel pain and such.”

“A dream where you could feel pain?” This time it was Yuka who asked, seemingly taking interest to the phenomenon. “…Your mind connected, so you two must be both dreaming… it’s not like your mind and her are physically connected so…”

“Wow class rep,” Masayuki interjected.

“Yeah… There she goes again.” I knew in the past month and in my previous memories that Yuka was an honor student but she had a quirk of thinking quite extreme while voicing her thoughts out loud.

“Probably your consciousness travels—kind of wireless—and then meet with Yume’s mind? Or both of your consciousness goes somewhere like a space for thoughts and then meet with each other.”

It was interesting to listen to her like this as she seemingly forgot the awkwardness they had earlier.

“Or perhaps their souls meet together,” Masayuki once again interjected but this time, Yuka didn’t ignore him as I could see her staring at the person in question. “H-hey what’s wrong? I’ve read into some manga that psyche or mind is something like the soul. I have a basis, you know.”

“…Souls.” Yuka muttered. “Astral Projection?”

“What does that mean?” I asked, staring at the dim ceiling.

“It means an out-of-body experience or what could be describe as soul leaving the body consciously. Yours isn’t exactly like an Astral Projection but it would explain why you feel pain since it was not your consciousness that interacts but your very soul. And also it seems that some people who had experience this phenomenon had a near-death experience before.”

“Near-death experience…” I muttered. “The incident?”

“Yes…both of you are nearly died.” Her tone was serious but she gradually then loosen up. “It’s just my theory though.”

“I see… Thank you Yuka, Maki.”

“So Reiji, how can we exactly help if that’s the case?” Masayuki beside me asked.

“…I just felt that I needed you guys with me tonight since I think, this will be the hardest dream I will ever have.”

“Ah, I get it. Don’t worry Reiji, we’ll be just here beside you. That’s for the mental support.” He then let out a small laugh. “As for the physical support I could just hug you. Just kidding…. Damn! That’s a gross joke coming from my mouth.”

“…You said it. It gave me chills.” I chuckled.

“Geez, you two are really weird.”

All of us three then laughed silently.

“Reiji-kun, good luck,” Yuka smiled at me atop her bed. “We’ll just be here to support you.”

She then turned her back towards me, as I myself, started to close my eyes.

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Tonight I will meet her again. And I will wake her up from this endless dream

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I was inside a space where there was absolutely nothing. It was just pure darkness. However, there was no need to look for her. Akasaki Yume had been standing before me as if she had been waiting all this time. No, I imagine that it was what actually happened.

She was in this place, all by herself all this time.

Her appearance was not of a white lady’s, it was just a simple hospital gown. Her black hair dripped down on her back while eyes were still hidden by her bangs. Her bare feet touched the dark floor.

“…Reiji-kun, do you remember everything now?” Her voice was no longer modulated, and I could clearly hear her beautiful voice.

“Yes.”

She smiled weakly. “I’m glad I could talk to you before I go.”

“…No, I won’t let you,” I declared. “Just as you wanted us to die together, I want to live with you.”

“…I-I can’t do…that anymore.”

“You can. I will be with you.”

“But…” Her words trailed off and then when she spoke again, her tone became malicious. “But you betrayed me before, didn’t you?”

It was not only her voice but her entire presence was emitting a dangerous feeling.

“That’s a misunderstanding!”

“I wish I can believe you.” It was an earnest desire coming from her. I was sure of it. “But where were you all this time? You promised to be with me no matter what happened right? You promised that you will never forget about me. But all of it was a lie.”

What she said was the truth. I was a pathetic man who broke his promises. I gritted my teeth, angry at myself.

“…I’m sorry.” I could not refute what she said nor do I plan to defend myself. “But still, believe in me once more.”

“…Reiji-kun.” She paused before tears trickled down her cheeks. She was trembling. “I want to be with you. So let’s just die together.”

Before I knew it. A knife was stabbed in my side.

Did she…? No...

Yume just stood there and she had not moved therefore it could not be here. There wasn’t anyone else in this place beside and Yume… It was as though the world itself just pierced me in its own accord. Gradually, my feet brought me down to the floor.

“I won’t let you wake up anymore in the real world.” She muttered, no moving from her position. “This will be our death. We will be together.”

“Y-Yume…” I tried to touch even though our distance was few meters away. I crawled on the floor slowly as the pain made my limbs weak. “Plea…se, believe in…me once…more.”

Please…

Yume wavered. She was taken aback from my desperate plea and she took a step away from me.

“It hurts, Reiji-kun. To see you…like this desperate…breaks my heart.” I could see the tears streaming and falling to the dark floor. She then turned her back towards me. “I will wait… I will wait for you…in the other side.”

She walked away, leaving me alone in this darkness. Her figure was gradually shrinking and when I took a blink, she was nowhere be seen anymore.

…I’m cold. My blood coming out from my wound was never stopping.

This threatening feeling that crushes my chest. This must be despair, and loneliness.

Yume had endure this for months, all alone in this dark place. I could not give up. Not now, and never again. But it seemed that I could no longer move. My mind was hazy…

Then suddenly, I felt a warm feeling touch my wound from behind and then pain started dissipating. I slowly opened my eyes to see two figures that I could not imagine to be here.

“What are you doing Reiji, you can’t give up now.”

“Reiji-kun, do your best.”

Masayuki and Yuka smiled at me. I was confused but more than that, I was happy.

“…How come you two are here?” I asked as I slowly rose up.

They only smiled again.

“This is the best we could do. The rest is up to you.”

Their words were the same and after that, they suddenly disappeared.

Even without their figure anymore, I could still feel their presence in the warmth I could feel within my two palms. I was not sure how both of them were able to go here but I was really glad they came.

“Thank you.”

With that I ran forward to the endless darkness spreading before me. Yume would be waiting for me somewhere there.

“Yume!”