Chapter Text
22:37
Me : Omw home, I think I'll be there in about 45?
Lovely<333 : Kayano, you know I'm still working.
Me : Just letting yk!
Read 22:42
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I smiled and turned my phone off, putting it in my pocket. God, I loved her so much. I had my guitar strapped around me securely, giving me a slight sense of safety.
It was pretty dark, only streetlights illuminating the way home. I considered calling a rideshare, but I decided against it. With all the crime around here, it's a miracle I didn't die on my way to the venue. And just the thought of coming home and waiting for my girlfriend made me so happy. The streetlights were slightly, but noticeably dimmer than a fresh lightbulb, which helped with my view of the sky. If only she was here with me to see it. All I could do was smile and walk towards the train station. Good thing this was a more local concert, I would've had to go on a plane, and I hate planes. My girlfriend's always so busy with her job, which keeps her from home a lot, but I'm so happy whenever she is home because she always makes it so nice. I bumped into someone walking on the same sidewalk as me, then heard a set of keys drop. I squatted down to pick them up, then called out to the stranger.
" Hey, excuse me? Are these yours? "
" Huh? O-oh, yes, they are, thank you. "
" No problem, stay safe out there! "
" You too.. "
I could've sworn I heard them mutter something under their breath after that. Well, no time to waste, I still have to get to my train. I checked my phone and noticed it was on 10 percent. Gotta hurry, then.
Walking on the dimmer side of the sidewalk, I couldn't help but notice a shuffling sound by the pond near me. I held the strap of my guitar and stared straight forward, glancing back towards the pond every few seconds.
Something moved.
I noticed that this wasn’t a pond. It was a river. Huh, never noticed that. I checked the time, 22:55.
3 percent.
I slightly sped up, just missing the figure by the river. I had a terrible gut feeling that something was wrong, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
2 percent.
My heart was racing, my body panicking while I was not. I gripped my guitar strap tighter, then taking it off completely, holding it in a way that could probably protect me. I wasn’t sure, but better with a chance than not trying, right? Shuffling again, this time it sounded closer. I looked to my right, and there was a silhouette of a person halfway between me and the river, walking at the same pace as me. I kept walking, thinking about what I could do better at my next concert, just to take my mind off of this. The shuffling was closer, the person slowly moving closer and me moving towards the brighter side of the street, but staying on the sidewalk. I felt the breeze brush up against my face, and the sky attempting to lure me into a false sense of comfort. A familiar looking house came into view on the bright side. Just as I was about to cross the road, I tripped. My phone fell onto the cement, and the screen lighting up to display the time and percentage.
23:00. 1 percent.
I shivered slightly from the breeze hitting me again, harder this time. I picked up my phone, then suddenly felt a boot collide with my left side, sending me tumbling straight towards the river.
“ What the sh-?! “
I was cut off by my back hitting a tree, and it did not feel good. I saw the same figure walking towards me, my guitar in hand and held by the neck. The sound of it dragging across the leaves was more than enough to tell me that they weren’t just giving it back. I scrambled to get up, and once I was on my feet, I ran across the wet leaves and mud, weaving in between trees. They caught up to me even with my guitar on them. They shoved me towards the river, and I lost my balance, hitting my spine on a big rock.
It hurt to move, even just a little bit.
I felt the vibration of my phone in my pocket. It went off twice. Probably her.
I tried getting up again, then I felt something hard hit me in the side. Again, I was knocked back. I reached into my pocket, pulled out my wet phone and tried to type out a response. It was forcefully taken from me, and placed somewhere else where I couldn’t see it. At this point, I was too close to the river to be comfortable with. My guitar was brought down upon my ribcage. Hard. I felt my ribs break in response to the impact, and it hurt even more than the tree. They kept hitting me with my guitar, and every time I thought they’d be done, I’d be in excruciating pain, and they’d hit me again. They kept doing it until I was coughing up blood and there was barely anything left of the body of my instrument.
I felt weak.
Everything hurts.
It hurts to move.
It hurts to breathe.
I faintly heard the buzz of my phone as someone called. Probably her.
It all just hurts.
Enough to tell me that I’d be dying here.
But I don’t want to die.
She kept calling, but I was in no place to answer.
The red taste of metal wouldn’t leave my mouth, and I was slowly suffocating on my own blood. It hurt to think about it. Everything fucking hurt. I felt the neck of my guitar poke me, harder and harder each time. It ended up rolling my upper half into the river past the rocks lining it. I felt a hand grip my hair and stuff my face into the water. It all happened so fast. Even through the pain, I was thrashing my body around to try loosening their grip, but they kept me in place. The only thing I got in return was a strike to my spine with my guitar’s neck. Everything was getting fainter and fainter, but I was still trying to get out. My movements slowed and got weaker as time went by. My lungs were full of water and blood, and so was my throat. Everything slowly went numb.
I should’ve stayed on the brighter side.
I guess some things never change.
I faintly felt myself drift along with the current of the river. Calmly. Almost as if nothing happened. Then I slowly sank, but still moved with the water. The only thing staying afloat and drifting was my hat. That was it.
God, I miss her.
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23:30
‘ I love you, Ryoko. ‘
<!> Not delivered