FOLLOWED

    Yumeko clutched at Tsubaki’s wrist, eager to draw her attention away from a book Tsubaki had found herself glued to. “Acchi ni ikou!” she chanted, pointing to the souvenir shop across from the bookstore they found themselves in.

     Tsubaki and Yumeko had been traveling from place to place engaged in the day’s excitement. They passed through every possible store they came across, stretching from the weird and quirky, to antique and priceless treasures, eventually settling for the cozy atmosphere of the antique bookstore. For once, Tsubaki had completely forgotten about hardships and stress. But Yumeko had managed to eye a bracelet through the window of the souvenir shop and begged her sister to get it for her. With the Sun beginning to fall behind the horizon and Akazawa’s shift soon coming to an end, Tsubaki figured it was time to bring their adventure to a close. “A promise is a promise, huh?” Tsubaki eloquently sung.

     The two of them headed into the store and grabbed a light blue sapphire charm bracelet off the shelf. With time to spare, Tsubaki decided to walk around the store for a bit longer before racing over to the register. While walking through an aisle of preprinted wooden nametags, a sound caught her by the ears. It was all too familiar, and it sent chills through her spine. That familiar chime, ringing as if being blown by a light breeze. It was the same sound that she’d heard at the station after having been shoved to the ground. Striking her with a chilling sensation.

     Tsubaki scoured her surroundings, looking for anything that would catch her eye.

     Nothing…

     She took Yumeko and walked to the next aisle over. Carefully, she eyed every person that she walked by. Searching for a clue, any clue. Then it happened again. That exact same sound. She stopped where she stood and peered forward. Yumeko was busy filing her hands through the various items hanging on the shelves and hadn’t the slightest clue as to the circles that Tsubaki was running around in her head.

     As she sifted through one person after the other, her eyes nearly jumped off of her face as she was met with none other than…

     Nothing.

     Running her line of sight across the entire store, everyone carrying on unbothered made her feel detached and struggling to stay afloat in a sea of her own rambling paranoia. She knew there was nothing there, that the sound that was now haunting her was clearly all in her head, yet she couldn’t grab a hold of herself, and soon, her self-control slipped through her hands.

     Tsubaki took hold of Yumeko and punched straight for the register. Hurriedly paying for the bracelet, she handed the bag to Yumeko, and they charged out of the store.

     She continually looked over her shoulder, desperate not to be followed. As they approached the set of stairs just past Shinmirai Square they’d first climbed up, her heart began to pace. She was eager to look back, but also too afraid to look fear in the face.

     Growing more anxious by the second, Tsubaki picked up her pace and darted straight for the car. Yumeko tried to call out to her as she struggled to keep up, but Tsubaki’s focus was so absent that she failed to hear a single word that came out of her mouth.

     Having misjudged where she’d parked, they struggled to find the car, quickly making their way up and down the lot in search of the vehicle.

     Every little sound sent Tsubaki jumping left and right and swinging her head from side to side, hoping that her assumed pursuer hadn’t caught up to them yet. As she climbed up to the third parking level, peeking out at the far end, she finally spotted the car. Ready for one last stride, she tightened her hold on Yumeko’s hand and made a run for it.

     More scared than she was tired, and now finally standing in front of the car door, Tsubaki quickly placed Yumeko inside. On her way to the driver’s seat, Yumeko began knocking against the window, only for Tsubaki to find her pointing down at the floor. As she looked to her feet she noticed that Yumeko’s butterfly hairclip had slipped out of her hair. Tsubaki swiped it off the ground and pushed it in her pocket before racing inside the car.

As her head spun in circles, she failed to answer the one looming question.

Why am I running?