Personal Demons: The World that Doesnt Exist

I walked slowly past the local church, staring at its large stained glass widows. Mimiru's religious, I remembered, I wonder when if that's her church? I continued towards the bridge at the edge of town.

A dog barked as I passed a fenced yard. I looked over my shoulder, watching the dog carefully. It didn't behave as if it was an average dog barking at a passerby; instead it seemed as if its barking had a purpose, trying to tell me something, to warn me.

I followed the dogs gaze out to the bridge. That bridge lead to a road that can take you to another town…to the outside world, I thought. I couldn't see past the bridge. The road beyond it was covered in thick fog. It was as if this town was hiding the world from me, trying to keep me here eternally, trying to keep us all here forever.

I stepped on the long bridge and looked down at the stream below. The water wasn't as clean looking as usual; instead of being clear, it looked thick and dirty. I heard a small splash from under me. Partly shocked, partly curious, I bent down and hung my head over the edge of the bridge to see underneath it.

There, under the bridge with her bare feet kicking gently in the water, sat Kazuma Mimiru. She looked almost expressionless as she stared down into the mucky water.

“Mimiru,” I gasped, “what are you doing down there?”

She looked up with her sad silver-blue eyes, “…Sassi…”

I leaned further over the edge, “are you ok?” It seemed as if she was staring right past me instead of at me. I felt my left hand slip off of the edge and I let out a loud yelp. The next thing I knew, I was sprawled in the middle of the shallow stream, trying to catch my breathe.

Mimiru didn't laugh. I expected her to laugh, considering that this wasn't the first time I've fallen off of the bridge. She only sat, still as ever, watching me intently as if waiting for something.

I looked up as water splashed over the top of my head, just barely missing my eyes, “Mimiru…are you alright?”

Mimiru nodded slowly and shook her head, “Yeah, I just have a headache…that's all.”

I sat up. My clothes were soaked and my hair was drenched, I was literally as wet as a sponge. Feeling myself start to shiver, I staggered to the riverbank and planted myself next to Mimiru. “So what are you doing out here?” I asked, taking off my shoes and socks.

She took my socks and squeezed the water out as best she could, “I knew you'd come…”

I glanced at her while pouring the water out of my shoes, “that's why you came?”

Mimiru nodded, “I need to be with you right now, Sassi,” she leaned her head on my shoulder, “you're the only one I can trust.”

I leaned my head on hers gently, “is there something wrong? Did something happen, Kazuma?”

“No,” she replied quietly, “I'm just a little…freaked out. The people keep appearing everywhere…since what happened at school, it's like…they're after me.”

I nodded, “they're real persistent, aren't they?”

“Yeah…” Mimiru leaned in to me and buried her head in my chest, “I'm scared, Sassi…”

Feeling a little uncomfortable, I stood up and looked away, trying to hide my face which was now a crimson red, “I-I…have to go…home…and do chores and stuff. I almost forgot…” I lied.

Mimiru looked up with a confused expression, “Umm…ok.” She nodded. I put my shoes and socks on, though they were still soaked, stumbled up the hill and jumped over the Iron Gate onto the sidewalk, and ran towards home.

I felt my body grow cold and my aches from ramming the door returned. I panted, trying desperately to keep going. I'm not exactly sure why I was running, or what I was running from. I wasn't even sure what I was doing down by the bridge. All that mattered was that I kept going. For some reason, something kept me going.

Suddenly, the sky went black. I stopped and gaped in shock as a dark shroud moved in, surrounding the entire town. I inhaled a musty odor sifting through the air, forcing me to cover my nose. I could barely breathe. The smell was so strong that I could almost taste it! I recognized the odor, but couldn't place it. It was something I hadn't smelled in a long time…A rotten stink of dead animal. I had smelled it when camping-there was a bear carcass near our tent site-and now I smelled it here, in the middle of town!

Where was it coming from? I thought, was there a dead animal nearby? I couldn't think-I couldn't even breathe.

I heard a shrill cry from behind me. It was a girl's cry. I spun around, covering my nose with my wet sleeve, “Mimiru,” I cried out, barely able to hear myself, “Mimiru, are you alright?” I saw a figure doubled over appear behind the smog and I heard several cries for help. I ran to her side.

Trembling, Mimiru looked up at me with tears rushing over her cheeks. Her mascara was running, staining her face with black streaks. “Sassi…it hurts…”

I gasped as she rolled up her sleeve and showed me a large cut up her arm…right next to her vein, “What the hell happened? Did you cut yourself?”

She shook her head, “They said…that we've already had our warning…if we don't submit to them, than they'll kill us both…”

I clenched my teeth, “so they're here…right now?”

Mimiru nodded again, “but they'll be leaving soon…for now…”

I put my arm around her gently, “I'm not gonna' give up yet. What about you, Mimiru?”

“I won't,” she said reassuringly, “not now…we need each other.”

“Right,” I replied.

The phone rang. I sat up in my bed and rubbed my eyes, “Ahh…Thursday…” I sighed, “It's only Thursday…” The week had seemed to go so slowly. It had only been about five days since the U.F.O. sighting.

I stepped on the cool wooden floor of my bedroom. I was still in the clothes from the day before, I realized. After changing my clothes, I ran quickly down the stairs, eager to get to school.

I gasped as I turned into the kitchen. There, at my own table sat Mimiru, conversing casually with my dad, who was quietly nodding to himself. She looked up at me and smiled, suddenly ceasing her conversation as if to hide it from me.

“Mimiru,” I choked, “what are you doing here?”

She laughed mockingly, glancing at my dad as if to see his reaction, “I'm just here to help you get ready for school, Sassi…”