Epilogue: A pinpoint of light

Someone rubbed their thumb across the knuckles of his left hand.

“Hika-ri?” he breathed.

But the fingers around his were smaller and smoother than hers had ever been. The pillow under his head smelt like it belonged to a hospital instead of his own bed and various noises formed a steady buzz in the distance.

“Oh, Yota,” said Mrs Oshiro. “You're awake.”

She sounded relieved but also like she was about to cry. Did she know about the monsters? Had they come to get her and the rest of the family too?

“Don't get up,” she told him, pushing him back down onto the mattress when his elbows failed to support him. “The doctors said you lost a lot of blood today.”

She kept hold of his hand so he couldn't check the wound on the back of his scalp. Invisible slabs of concrete pressed down on him from above. His body deflated like a forgotten balloon.

“How are you feeling?” asked Mr Oshiro, his deep voice coming from a seat a little further away than hers.

Had they rescued him from the bottom of the elevator shaft? It didn't make sense for him to survive such a high fall though.

“I'm okay,” he croaked. “What about Juri?”

“Who's Juri?” asked Mrs Oshiro, stroking his hair back from his face over and over again.

She had done the same thing to all of her children whenever they were ill.

“The lady who lives in apartment eighty five,” he replied. “The stone monster broke her foot and –”

“Stone monster?” repeated Mr Oshiro and he sensed them glance at each other. “What stone monster?”

“The one that k-killed her husband and son.” He tilted his head but couldn't hear her in the room they were currently in. “We have to go back for her.”

“Killed her hus – I think you were probably dreaming, Yota.” Hikari's dad laughed uncertainly.

“The doctors did say you hit your head really hard,” said her mum. “Mrs Takeda was the one who found you. It's a good thing she looked back when she did, and if Tomo hadn't been there to help – wait, are you okay?”

She touched his face and her fingertips slipped on his tears.

“The stone monster got him too,” he whispered, shaking his head even though the motion set off fireworks of pain in his head. “We have to tell his family.”

“Do you want us to call the doctor, Yota?” suggested Mr Oshiro. “He said we should if you have any strange – if you weren't feeling so good.”

“Where's Hikari?” he asked, searching the room sightlessly.

“She's – she's not here any more, remember?” Mrs Oshiro sniffled and rubbed the thin scars beneath his bracelet. “Isn't that why you –?”

A pinpoint of light in the distant darkness distracted him from the rest of her question. It drew closer, gradually enlarging and transforming into a new shape.

“Yota, do you want to come back home with us?” asked Mr Oshiro. “Your lease will be up soon. If you need to pay for anything, we can sort that out for you, and we have a spare room you can use too.”

But Yota barely heard the offer. The light had morphed into a familiar long haired figure with features he though he would never see again.

“We can make any adjustments you need as well,” continued Mr Oshiro as his wife tried to stifle her grief in the seat between them. “I've looked into a few occupational therapists already so they can help us set up the house before you move in.”

“We can take care of you again, Yota,” said Mrs Oshiro, her voice simultaneously thick and watery. “Just come back home. The kids will love having you there again and I'm sure Hikari would have wanted it too.”

“No.” He shook his head but stopped as he suddenly felt dizzy. “I'm going to stay with her.”

“Who?” Both Mr and Mrs Oshiro sounded confused.

“Hikari.” He smiled at the person standing at the foot of the bed. “I won't walk away this time.”

“Yota,” said Mr Oshiro. He cleared his throat before he spoke again. “Hikari's gone but that doesn't mean you're alone. You are, and always have been, part of our family. And you always will be, even if she's not here with us any more.”

“What do you mean?” murmured Yota as his head fell back onto the pillow. “She's right here.”

“W-where?” he asked as his wife sobbed against Yota's hand.

“There.” Yota pointed at his best friend.

Her silhouette wavered and her colours seemed bleed into each other every so often but it was definitely her. There was no way he wouldn't recognise her, even if her expression seemed kind of blurry at times. She reached down to pat the head of something sitting beside her. It looked like a big black dog.

“I'm going to get the doctor,” said Mr Oshiro. His chair screeched across the floor and his voice was further away when he spoke again. “I'll be right back.”

“My poor little boy,” wept Mrs Oshiro, running her hands through his hair and avoiding the gash on the back of his head. “Don't worry. You'll feel better soon.”

She didn't know that he felt better already. Although they had both hurt each other, it seemed like Hikari had forgiven him and he was happy to forgive her too. They had escaped the monsters together after all and she had come back to stay with him in the dark.

There was no need to chase her all the way out into the light and he wasn't cold any more.

That was better for the both of them, wasn't it?

The End