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It was a familiar sight to Mizuki.
Every night, they would open their eyes to the familiar sight of a marigold field. The array of yellow and orange flowers stretched out as far as they could see, bearing no end no matter how far they walked.
Mizuki had been seeing the same fields for as long as they could remember, instead of dreaming like how they assumed normal people would. Though the world around them remained the same, they soon learned of the small differences that would occur every time they visited. They’ve taken the time to walk around, counting and taking note of every inconsistency.
Every different coloured flower, every wilting patch, every missing flower in the recognizable path.
Mizuki once wondered about these small, inconsistent changes. One day, they would show up, only to disappear the next day. Followed by a different change the following week. At first it went over their head that these little abnormalities even occurred, as the fields merely appeared new to them.
They had realized this one day in their middle school years.
The flowers around them bloomed more than ever, nearly suffocating them, tying them to the ground.
Keeping them trapped in one place for so long, they nearly forgot to breathe.
But the next change happened as soon as the last, where Mizuki found a new path to take. The flowers died down, being merely reduced to patches of flowers rather than a field. It amazed Mizuki, having never seen their place of solace—as they chose to call it for the time being—be so barren .
So devoid of life.
Even though Mizuki found something to strive for in their everyday life.
But they’ve stopped making sense of the changes in their fields, as it soon grew back to the familiar, marigold-filled lands that they knew since the beginning.
I’ll be waiting for you, no matter how long it takes.
Those words echoed in Mizuki’s head as they opened their eyes to the sight of the flowers once more.
The past few days—or rather, months— had been suffocating for the pink-haired teenager, as the marigolds clung to them night by night, creeping closer to entangle them with their leaves and stems. Mizuki could barely move, from the moment they wake up to the moment they fade away into the next morning.
But they managed to break free that evening, allowing them to once again take a step forward. The marigolds had wilted once more, releasing the bind that held them down. Mizuki took a deep breath, eyes wandering to see if any other changes had happened.
To their surprise, there had been an…anomaly that they were not quite familiar with.
Before them, the field of marigolds finally came to an abrupt stop, only to be continued on by a different type of flowers after a small gap—gerberas, they deduced.
The red and pink hues of the gerbera flowers blended so well with Mizuki’s marigold flowers, yet at the same time contrasting them enough that they stood out from one another. The difference in petals captivated Mizuki, and the mere sight of the fields extending far beyond their vision amazed them.
But the anomaly only went on.
Mizuki caught sight of a patch of brown, a figure clad in black and orange standing among the flowers much like they were. Just as they were moments ago, the person had also been bound by the legs, the stems of the flowers coiling around her in a gentle embrace. Her chocolate brown eyes stared back at them with feelings of hope and concern mixing.
“…Ena…?”
Unknowingly, Mizuki’s strides grew in an attempt to close the gap between themself and the figure who could not hear their voice calling out to her. “Ena…!” they repeated, nearly breaking into a run as they closed in on the gerbera fields, caring little for the damage they’ve caused to their own marigolds.
Yet they were stopped by an invisible force.
The teenager nearly fell back from the shock of the sudden push, but managed to regain their balance. The invisible force prevented them from marching forward to reach the gerberas, the division merely marked by the gap between the flowers.
“Ena! Hey!” Mizuki called out once more, making another attempt to push forward, only to be pushed back once more. They banged on the invisible wall, trying to catch the older girl’s attention to no avail.
Instead, Mizuki only looked at the growing stems, further keeping Ena in entrapment as the girl made no move whatsoever. Her eyes still remained ever so hopeful, contrasting the predicament she had found herself in.
Ena’s gaze merely burned a hole in Mizuki’s heart.
Why do you look at me with those eyes?
Mizuki, on the other hand, kept banging on the invisible wall, hoping to make some progress with breaking it down and reaching Ena. Desperate to reach her and know why she would always look at them with an overconfident sense of hope. The need to aid Mizuki is all too prominent in those eyes of hers. It…suffocated them to know, but Mizuki tried to persevere.
Yet the more they pounded at the wall, the more the marigolds around them grew, first clawing at their legs, before they tangled around their body and arms.
Attempting to pull them down and away from Ena.
Ena’s loud gaze never changed, but she finally moved. Uttering a single sentence that had been muffled by the division between them. But Mizuki, knowing what her words entailed, heard it all too perfectly.
“I’ll be waiting until you’re ready.”
Ena’s following smile nearly blinded Mizuki, stunning them enough to let the marigolds overtake them. They fell back, the stems of the flowers acting like vines as it engulfed them rapidly. Ah, they thought, seeing nothing but spots of yellow and orange as Mizuki’s strength gave out on them, losing hope in ever reaching their fellow circle member. I never had a chance, didn’t I?
A simple lie they had uttered when Ena said those very words, now echoing in the world they were in. “I can’t talk about it now, but when I can, would you be here to listen?”
Their own disgusting voice rang loud and clear in the atmosphere, further filling Mizuki with despair.
I’m only going to keep Ena waiting….
Mizuki’s bitter smile faltered, their vision slowly dimming as they suffocated from the flowers that now strangled them, cutting them off from the world completely. They’ve given up trying to break free, though it wasn’t as if they even fought their own overwhelming despondency to begin with.
Mizuki was hopeless from the start.
The marigolds made them cough out their last breath, the world around them flashing into abrupt darkness.
I’m sorry, Ena. Please don’t hope for a liar like me….
Mizuki’s eyes opened to the sound of a light ding.
Another day….
They begrudgingly got up with a sigh. Another day had started, they thought. Another day of lying to their companions and pretending to be fine so as to not worry anyone. That had been the only thing Mizuki was ever good for, after all.
Though it had been far too early for such thoughts, they realized, so Mizuki decided to check their phone for the notification that had popped up.
Enanan - 10:43
amia get up. new cosmetics dropped at your fave store so we’re going together. meet me at the west exit at 12.
Mizuki let out a bitter chuckle, immediately heading out of their room.
I guess Ena really won’t leave me alone, huh?”
But it was another day, and Mizuki simply decided to have fun for now, no matter how much lying they had to do to not worry Ena.
As they headed to the bathroom to get ready for their day, they passed by a vase that their mother had used to decorate their hallways.
Marigolds.
Since when did we get marigolds?