Time Flies

The wind seems to be getting colder as the days go by, especially now when it's so early in the morning. As I walked along the near-empty streets of Kunisaki, local stores were just now turning on their lights and declaring themselves 'open for business.'

It is now ten past seven in the morning. Not a particularly great time to be waking up when today was supposed to be our break day, but I couldn't help myself. Now that loneliness is such a scarcity in my current life, I like to indulge in it as much as I can.

I took a peek through one of the stores and scanned the many items stashed on the shelves. From random decorative ornaments to the most novelty baubles that don't seem to have any functionality. A trinket shop? Or perhaps an antique shop? Either way, the contents looked interesting enough for me to walk through the doors.

"Welcome in!" a kind young lady greeted me.

"Hello," I said, though it wasn't with the same enthusiasm.

"Anything specific you're looking for?"

"Not particularly. Just passing by the area and taking a look around."

"Ah, I see. Do let me know if you require any assistance."

"Will do."

Peeking in from behind the window was bad enough when it came to what these things were supposed to be. Now that I'm actually here and gauging the items right in front of me, I'm even more confused.

I picked up a necklace with a tiny centerpiece that depicted a lotus broken in half. Not to say that it was cut in half. It is still very much intact. There's just an uneven mold running down the center. Had it not been for that, this would've been a perfect lotus.

Alice would unironically like this. I'm not sure what it's supposed to symbolize, but she likes things with cryptic meanings. Being the omnipotent goddess she is, there is very little that she doesn't immediately understand the meaning of.

Maybe I should get something for Chloe and Lana too. They would surely get angry if I only attended to Alice.

From the corner of my eye, I spotted a bracelet with many charms hanging from it. One of them that caught my attention was a molded bunny. Chloe always liked cute things, especially tiny animals.

Sitting on a shelf right next to it were a bunch of hair ties, all in different colors with accessories attached to them. One had some shiny beads while another was decorated with small trinkets that I'd normally find on a bracelet.

Lana is the only one out of the girls who ties her hair back, so this is perfect.

I brought the items to the cashier, and she happily packed each of them up into nice little boxes. She then carefully rested those boxes in a small bag.

"That'll be seven thousand yen," she said.

I handed her the necessary amount and took the bag from the counter. These things look way too official. It might seem like I'm proposing to the girls.

"So, who's the lucky girl?" the cashier grinned.

"It's not just one," I scoffed. "They're a couple of friends who came with me here."

"But those friends are receiving gifts from such a handsome young man like yourself."

"You exaggerate. I'm not someone who can be with people like them."

"Like who?" said a voice from behind me.

I instantly jumped back while a sudden chill rapidly rode up the back of my spine.

"A-Alice-chan?!" I yelped.

She stood there with her upper body tilting forward, arms behind her back, and her head twisting towards me with a huge smile on her face.

"Oh, my!" the cashier exclaimed. "What a beautiful girl! I'd say you might be the lucky one, sir."

"Y-you're not helping, ma'am," I mumbled. "Anyways, how did you even find me?"

"I couldn't find you in your room, so I went around trying to look for you," Alice replied.

"Was there something you needed?"

"Nope."

"So what, that's all?"

"Yup."

Just when I thought I had a moment to myself, it gets interrupted. I'm a bit disappointed, but I'm not in any position to complain.

I turned to the cashier with a friendly smile. "Thanks for your help."

"Not a problem at all," she bowed her head and said.

As we left the store and made our back onto the streets, which were now slightly less empty than before, Alice kept her gaze fixed on me the whole time.

"What?" I said.

"Seems like you met a charming young lady there," she muttered.

"We were just talking for a bit."

"You were surprisingly friendly... almost unnaturally so."

"Am I not allowed to be?"

"Not with anybody else, you're not. You belong to us, remember?"

"So you say."

Just a little conceited, no problem at all. I never would've imagined that I'd be happy to hear those kinds of words.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out one of the small boxes I got from that shop. When I confirmed its content, I handed it over to Alice, who stopped in her tracks to stare at it. Those shocked eyes froze like the rest of her body.

"What's this?" she asked.

"I bought it for you," I said. "Take it."

Hesitant as she was, she took the box from my hand and opened it. The way her eyes grew so wide made this all worth it.

"It's a broken lotus," I said. "I don't know what it means, and I remember you liking things with mysterious meanings."

"You do, huh?" she sighed contentedly as she softly rubbed the centerpiece with her thumb. "In your world, lotuses represent purity. I guess this necklace symbolizes the loss of purity."

"O-oh... then... should I return it?"

"No need. I quite like it. There was once a time when I was a pure girl. Being the one who had to cut all of those threads... it broke me. In that sense, there is nothing that could define me more. Besides..."

With the sun rising over the horizon behind her, she encased the necklace within her hand and held it to her heart. Her head slowly turned to me, and her eyes lit up like a nebula of the most luscious shades of green.

All I could do was stare as she stood there, looking more stunning than I'd ever bothered to notice.

"It's a gift from you," she finished with a gorgeous smile. "You thought about me while picking it out, right? How could I possibly ask you to return it?"

I quickly tilted my head away. Once again, a warm feeling washed over me as my heart began beating faster and faster.

To be embarrassed is one thing. Being absolutely mortified to the point where I can neither move nor speak is another.

"What's wrong, Asahi-kun?" Alice giggled. "Cat's got your tongue?"

"N-no... I'm just-"

"Alice!" cried a familiar soft-spoken voice.

Chloe came barreling down the road, but she stopped to stare as soon as she saw me. That, however, was immediately replaced with a joyous grin.

"Oh, you found Asahi-kun!" she exclaimed as she ran up to grab my hands. "Where have you been? We were looking everywhere for you."

"I was just... taking a look around," I said as steadily as I could.

"Next time, just tell us that. We were worried."

"Well, this was the reason why I didn't say anything."

I quickly pulled out another box from my pocket and handed it to her. As if it were a foreign object, she turned it around at many different angles to better understand what it was.

"What's this?" she asked.

"A gift," I said. "That's where I've been this morning."

"Eh?! A-Asahi-kun... you didn't have to."

"I just felt like it. That's all."

She opened the box, and her eyes lit up almost brighter than Alice's. Her fingers looped around the bracelet as she studied the many charms that were attached to it. As expected, she fixed her attention on the charm I knew she would like the most.

"A bunny!" she gasped with a massive grin. "Cute!"

"I distinctly remember you saying you liked cute things, so that's why I ended up choosing that one."

She gleefully tied the bracelet around her wrist and pointed her arm toward the sky. When she was satisfied, she lowered it and gave me a grateful smile.

"Thank you, Asahi-kun. Truly."

"And here I was thinking you only got me a gift," Alice scoffed. "Now I feel less special."

"Oh, he got you something too?" Chloe asked. "What did you get?"

"Take a look. It kind of matches me, don't you think?"

As they were comparing the accessories I got them, my mind trailed off once more. I never took the time to appreciate just how amazing they are, but now that I am, I can't stop thinking about it.

Sorry, Teacher. I know you asked me whether or not I thought they truly didn't me like, but the answer isn't what you expected. There's no way they could ever have those kinds of feelings for me, even... even if I might have feelings for them.

I threw my arms behind me and sighed. Do I like them? I know I've been feeling something for a while now, but I still question whether or not it's real.

No matter how hard I try not to think about it, those thoughts keep coming back. It makes sense, right? Even since I met them, they've always been there. Just a bunch of cheerful girls ready to brighten up my day, but... is that really all I think of them?

No... it's not, and my heart is telling me the same thing.

"Hey, Asahi-kun!" Chloe shouted.

"W-what...?" I said.

"Are you okay? That's the third time I called your name."

"Uh..."

She suddenly pushed her palm against my forehead. "Y-you're heating up! Hey, Alice! Did you do something to him?"

"Why do you always assume that I did something?" Alice sighed.

Chloe gently pulled my head down so that she could get a better look at my condition. Her eyes sparkled just like Alice's did just moments ago. The silvery blue turned into a shade of cerulean blue as if it were reflecting a perfect image of an indigo starry night sky.

I had to keep myself from spouting the intrusive thoughts in my head. The way her sparkling eyes were wide with worry—it's...

"... adorable."

"Eh...?" Chloe mumbled.

She lowered her hands and stared at me with those huge eyes.

"Could you... repeat that?" she asked.

"Huh? What do you mean?" I asked.

"What you just said."

"Did I say... some... thing...?"

As soon as I realized it, my heart sank the deepest it had ever gone. My body refused to move save for my hand which was now covering my mouth. The only thing I could do was copy Chloe's exact reaction.

What just happened? What did I just say?! How did something like that leave my mind?!

"Asahi-kun..." Chloe whispered.

"I'm... sorry," I said as I stormed off.

"W-wait! Asahi-kun!"

But I didn't listen to her. I ran and ran with nothing on my mind except for how stupid I was. I really said that to her. That's the reality. I'm so stupid.

I came to a sudden halt when I saw yet another goddess. With her back leaning on a bench, legs crossed, and an arm swung to the side, she was scrolling through her phone until she noticed me.

Her mouth was slightly ajar and her eyes opened as if she had seen something mystical, but it quickly turned into a soft smile.

"What's got you running around like that?" she asked playfully.

"I don't wanna talk about it," I groaned.

"Does it have to do with the reason why you suddenly disappeared so early in the morning?"

"Not necessarily. I'm just... being the dumb little human I am."

"Sit down."

Lana dropped her phone and gave me her undivided attention as I sat down next to her and buried my face in my hands.

"So... What's up?" she asked.

"Have you ever said something that should've stayed in your head?" I sighed.

"Oho, that's rough. What did you say to the others?"

"Something stupid... very stupid."

Before I could let out another disappointed groan, Lana smacked my shoulder with the full strength that a normal human can muster. I can only imagine what would've happened had she used her actual strength.

"W-what was that for?" I muttered.

"For being stupid," she chuckled. "People say weird things all the time. It's how you handle it afterward that matters."

"Then... I guess running away wasn't the best solution."

"Nope, it definitely wasn't."

I sighed exhaustively. Just thinking about how I'm gonna handle it now that everything is said and done makes me nauseous.

"By the way, here," I said as I handed her the last box.

Just like her sisters, she scanned it meticulously. "For me?"

"Yeah. I thought I'd do something nice."

"Wow, what a gentleman."

She opened the box and pulled out the hair tie that was decorated with golden pearls. Her expression was about as much as I expected. It's not like I've ever given her a gift before this.

"I thought about getting one with cyan beads to match your hair, but I feel like that would be overpowering," I said. "So, instead, I got one that contrasted it while matching your eyes."

Her eyes suddenly fell as if she wasn't happy with what she saw. Oh no... did I make the wrong choice?

"I-if you don't like it, I can return it and get you something else," I gulped.

"No," she said with that seemingly sad expression morphing into a pleasant one.

She reached for the back of her head and pulled out her other hair tie. As her naturally long and wavy hair fell, it was as though I was struck with a binding spell.

With the new hair tie around her left wrist, she twisted her hair back once more and tied it, the golden pearls dangling from the side.

"Well?" she asked. "How does it look?"

She dropped an elbow on the armrest and struck an alluring pose. Her eyes slowly loosened as they began sparkling like a topaz galaxy filled with countless stars. Her brows lowered as that smile grew wider.

What's wrong with me all of a sudden? Why can't I stop thinking about these things? In the past, they would come and go, but now... they refuse to leave.

"Oh? What's wrong, Asahi-kun?" Lana giggled. "Are you about to say something that should be staying in your head?"

"S-shut up," I sighed.

Lana slid herself over to me. She leaned over, and our eyes connected. She's... way too close. I can smell her perfume.

"Go on. Tell me," she whispered.

My mouth opened to speak, but I purposely bit my tongue. I immediately broke away from her and stood from my seat. That was way too close. It actually almost slipped out.

"If I say it... I'll regret it," I muttered.

She let out a genuine laugh before giving me that seductive glare.

"No matter what you say, it won't surprise me, Asahi-kun," Lana said. "Trust me. I've heard it all."

I need to keep my feelings in check. I'm just a human. As much as I'd like to, I can't fall in love with them. Not now, not ever.

"Asahi-kun!" someone shouted from behind me.

I turned around to see Chloe running at me with watery eyes, and following behind her was Alice with a poker face.

"Chloe-chan-" I was able to get out of my mouth before she tackled me to the ground.

"I'm sorry," she whimpered as she held herself directly above me. "I'll forget what you said, so please... don't be angry at me."

"What? What makes you think I'd be angry at you?"

"You're not...?"

"Of course, not. I'm more ashamed that I said something like that out of the blue. I'm sorry."

A smile suddenly appeared on her face, but those tears wouldn't go away. "N-no... don't apologize. I'm just happy we're still friends."

Yeah. This is all we'll ever be. I'll have to keep telling myself that so that it gets engrained into my head. We're just friends. Nothing more to it.

Lana helped me up from the ground before giving me a suspicious glare.

"Now I'm even more curious," she said. "What in the world did you tell her?"

"None of your business," I muttered.

"What?! Chloe! Tell me what he said!"

Chloe turned towards me to which I responded by rapidly shaking my head left and right.

"Sorry, can't tell," she smiled.

"Eh?!" Lana gasped. "Alice?"

"Hm? What were we talking about again?" Alice asked.

"You guys..."

We laughed at Lana's defeated expression. She continued to complain to the others when it was pretty clear that they were trying to ignore her. Thank the gods, I didn't say what was on my mind before. She never would've let it go.

"Fine! Whatever! I didn't wanna know anyways," Lana grumbled as she threw herself back onto the bench.

"How about a little shopping to calm you down?" Alice said.

And that was all it took. Within a few seconds, they were already going on and on about what they wanted to buy next. Being rich must be so nice. While they were browsing through an online shop, Chloe and I were standing next to them.

"So, what should we do for the rest of today?" I asked.

"Hm... I'm not sure," Chloe said as she poked her chin. "We haven't had enough time to look around on our own."

"I'm guessing that means we should stay in the city."

"Yeah. As much as I love nature, I'm a bit tired of it after these past few days.

"Then that settles it. Hey, did you guys hear all of that?"

Alice and Lana still had their attentive eyes glued to that phone. What are they even looking at? Curiosity overtook me, so I peeked over their shoulders to look.

One can only imagine the disappointment on my face when I saw them looking at the most expensive hot tubs known to all of mankind. These things cost upwards of a million yen.

"Did you guys not just throw one away a bit ago...?" I sighed.

"Did we?" Lana asked.

"Huh... Maybe that's why I couldn't find the one I bought when I was packing for the trip," Alice replied nonchalantly. "Oh, well."

This is what happens when people have too much money on their hands. I'd be lying if I said it didn't annoy me just me a bit considering how frugal I had to be since I began living on my own.

I took that opportunity to snatch the phone away.

"Hey!" Lana whined.

"The longer we stay in here, the more we're wasting the day," I said.

"Isn't that the point? It's our break day!"

"So what, we're just gonna spend it here?"

Lana's pout was so overly exaggerated that it almost made me laugh. She would surely get mad if I were to let it out.

"Alright, fine," she grumbled.

"Then, shall we?" Alice smiled.

Together, the four of us made our way towards the port. Kunisaki, despite being known for its monuments and temples, is first and foremost a coastal city.

"Guys, look!" Lana exclaimed as stopped at a lookout area near the edge of a small cliffside.

Our faces lit up with the brightest smiles as we stood upon a scenic viewpoint that overlooked the boundless seas and the horizon beyond. Below us, the city spread across a wide range along the seashore with no end in sight.

"How pretty," Chloe gasped contentedly.

"It is indeed a magnificent view," Alice said.

"What do you think, Chloe?" I asked. "Does this beat Mount Fuji?"

She poked her chin with a finger as she lifted her head. "Uh... Nope. The view from the top of Mount Fuji is just so refreshing yet exhilarating at the same time."

"When it's Chloe, nothing beats Mount Fuji," Lana laughed. "She would sooner choose that place over Mount Olympus itself."

"I don't blame her," Alice agreed. "Olympus is too... bright. Not to mention we don't have many friends there. Even Lord Zeus is afraid of us."

"Him? The King of the Gods is afraid of you three..." I scoffed.

Lana leaned her back on the safety rails with a playful smirk. "Imagine if you never got close to us, Asahi-kun. You'd still be that fearful little boy who was trying so adamantly to avoid us."

I laughed as I rested my arms on the railing next to her. "Probably... but I ended up getting closer to you despite my fears. The gods have known you for a long time, haven't they? How could they not recognize how kind and sweet you guys are?"

Again, I've said something way too intimate only to realize it after it has already been said. When did saying those kinds of things become so natural to me? I tilted my eyes towards Lana, who had her eyes shut and a smile on her face.

"Kind and sweet, huh?" she giggled. "That's a first."

"W-what do you mean?" I asked, still a bit embarrassed by my own words.

"We've encountered countless humans across the ages," Alice said. "From the Bronze Age to the Age of Discovery, all the way to now, the Modern Era. They called us many things. Monsters, witches... heh, even devils. Those who didn't fear us called us beautiful, charming, or attractive."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Yes, it was. At least, it was to us," Chloe asserted. "Whether they were flattery or insults, they were just hollow words based on what people saw on the outside. You, Asahi-kun, are the first human ever to compliment how we are on the inside."

I scoffed, "It doesn't take that much effort."

"It does when it comes to us."

They seem sad. Their eyes were trailing off into the distance as if reminiscing the bygone days. I wonder if this is how the popular kids at school feel. All they do is smile and greet everyone who happens to know them, even if they don't want to.

For better or worse, they are the subject of gossip and rumors. From praise and applause to the most horrendous criticism, they can only sit there as unchanging mannequins for people to judge and compare themselves to.

It wasn't right, but I never cared enough to do anything about it. Why should I? They've nothing to do with me. However, now that I find myself standing here with these girls facing the exact situation I chose not to confront, I feel ashamed.

After a deep breath, I began speaking. "Then let's keep it going. What did I say? Oh yeah... 'Kind and sweet,' but you guys are also very fun to be around, maybe slightly pushy..."

I stopped myself as I thought about all those times they dragged me everywhere they went. "No, who am I kidding? You guys are extremely pushy. Some of the things you guys do are questionable, to say the least, but it's not like I dislike it entirely. I'm just not used to being so close to people, especially girls, so I'm still not sure how to react. Nonetheless, I think I'm okay with whatever as long as it's you guys... even if it is outlandish."

Without thinking at all, I continued. "No matter where we are, I'm always glad that you guys are there. I don't even know why. Maybe it's because you guys are... friendly? Nah, that's not it."

I pinched my chin to think. "Oh! What I was looking for was 'affectionate and compassionate.' I think those two words alone capture... who you guys... really..."

I didn't even realize that I was rambling on until I turned to Lana, who was staring at me with a blank face as tears fell from her unmoving eyes. Chloe's head was tilted down, her hair covering a majority of her face. However, it couldn't hide the tears that converging on her chin. Alice had on a frown while biting her lips as if she was not at all pleased about what I just said.

With a lump in my throat, I croaked. "Was I... being too presumptuous?"

"N-no," Lana grinned while wiping off her tears. "You've done more than enough."

"Asahi-kun," Alice said. "Is that... how you truly feel about us?"

"Well... yeah, it is."

Chloe slowly walked over to me. She took one glance at my face, which was all I needed to see her flooded eyes. She then threw herself at my chest.

"Thank you... Asahi-kun," she sniffled. "Thank you so much."

"But... I didn't even do that much," I said.

"No," Alice shook her head, a smile now adorning her face. "You've no idea how much those words mean to us. Thank you. Truly."

I never meant for it to be any more than just me spilling my thoughts. If my words can affect these girls to this degree, I wonder how it really was for them. How long have they lived without hearing a single word of affection? It's so disheartening.

We kept our silence for the next minute, admiring the beauty of the ocean below. I wish I could do more for them. Maybe it's because I'm just a human. Perhaps it's because I'm useless. The only one that makes sense is for me to stay by their sides, and I plan to do that.

I just want them to be happy. That's all.

"Okay!" Lana pushed herself off the railing and shouted. "Let's keep moving!"

"I'm not okay yet..." Chloe whispered as she fastened her arms around me.

"Get up, Chloe!"

Lana yanked her off me and dragged her down the road while Chloe whined and flailed her arms around. I couldn't help but crack a smile.

"Let's go before we lose them, Asahi-kun," Alice said after a whole-hearted laugh.

"Yeah," I chuckled.

I was never fond of walking around a city for sightseeing. The forest surrounding Kunisaki is different. Nice and quiet, peaceful, and the scenery is beautiful more times than not. On the other hand, the city is full of pollution, lights, and worst of all—people. I despise crowded places.

Kunisaki isn't so bad, though. Being the small town it is, it has been a relaxing stroll so far.

We passed by a traditional building with cherry blossoms all around it. A massive fencepost covered up a large area behind the frontage. Even behind the fence, I could make out the foliage and colorful assortment of floras.

"What's this place?" Chloe asked.

"This? It's an onsen," I said. "It's like a secluded hot spring for bathing. There was one back at the inn as well."

"What?! Why didn't you say anything?!" Lana shouted.

"I figured you guys didn't wanna undress in front of our classmates since that one was a unisex facility."

She jolted as the hair on the back of her head began standing. Yeah, I figured. That's why I didn't wanna say anything. Just the thought of those perverts walking in on them makes me mad for some reason.

Wait, why is this making me mad? What does any of that have to do with me? Whatever happens to them is their own business, and they're more than capable of handling it by themselves.

"Come on, come on!" Lana shouted with enthusiasm.

"But... what about Asahi-kun?" Chloe asked.

"Don't worry about me," I scoffed. "Onsens aren't my thing."

"Are you sure?" Alice said worriedly. "We wouldn't want you to be left out."

"I'll be fine, so just go."

They seemed reluctant to let me go until I pushed them in myself. I've always felt left out, so I'm used to it. It's not necessarily a good thing. In a way, it's more like they don't need to worry about me feeling that way.

"Just go already," I chuckled.

"Where will you go, Asahi-kun?" Chloe asked.

"I'll be somewhere nearby, browsing the little shops. Who knows."

"Don't stray too far," Alice said assertively.

"I won't."

Just like that, they disappeared into the corridors. I've never been inside of an onsen before. I can only imagine how nice it must feel, but I'm not one to get naked in a public place.

Despite Alice's request, I made my way out of the city and into the forest. As if I were the conductor, the winds picked up, the curtains were drawn, and the sounds of the forest sprung alive one by one.

First, the rustling of the trees followed by a small stream burbling to the side. Chirping from nearby critters came and went, along with the birds singing above. Never in my life did I think I would be enjoying a lonely walk through the forest. Looking back, I never really took the time to appreciate how beautiful the world can really be. I've been too focused on how ugly it was.

Eventually, I stumbled upon a lonely grove at the top of a stone staircase. Beyond a red gate was a small round table caked with fallen cherry blossoms. There were no buildings. Instead, a small red shrine sat behind the table with three statues of hooded women standing right next to each other.

One sat down in front of a spinning wheel, one held a rod, and one held a pair of scissors.

What the... These are statues of the Moirai. Aren't they Greek goddesses? What is a shrine dedicated to them doing in Japan?

Suddenly, a red thread appeared in front of me, drifting lightly through the air around the statues. I slowly crept up to it, and, to my surprise, it was still there. At that moment, a surge of anxiety washed over me.

What's going on? Before, these threads would disappear just as quickly as they appear, so why is this one still here?

Before I even had time to think about what to do next, a second thread shot out from behind the shrine. In the cherry blossom trees above, another one fell and twisted around the branches.

Strands upon strands of red threads began to materialize and float all around the grove. Thankfully, they were maintaining a fair distance, but it wasn't enough to alleviate the uneasiness weighing down on my mind.

My heart then made the most violent beat I've ever felt in my life. I caught myself right as I was about to tip over. Every gasp of air felt like I was inhaling poison. Subtle numbness followed by sharp pain began in my fingers. It slowly made its way up my arm before stopping at my chest.

I took one step, and it felt as though the weight of the whole world was falling onto my shoulders.

I took another step. My vision was blurry.

My head hurts, but I can't even think about how much it hurts.

Every blink sent a painful vibration throughout my entire body. Every breath felt less fulfilling than the last. Every thought I had would come and go in a matter of seconds.

When I tried to take another step, my legs gave in, and I fell to my knees. My heart feels like it's exploding, and my head won't stop pounding. A burning sensation irritated my throat. When I coughed, it felt like I was being stabbed.

I lifted my hand, only to see the tip of my fingers slowly fading away. The skin that was once there was replaced by a transparent layer of a starry night sky.

A single thought suddenly appeared in my head. Alice once told me something about this. The more I involve myself with them, the more likely it is to experience a 'twist of fate.' This must be it.

I'm... disappearing. I wanted to scream, but I couldn't. And so, I simply watched. Another dreadful cough forced its way out, and I fell to the ground.

Where are the girls? They said they would save me if this ever happened. Do they even know where I am right now?

Memories of these past couple of months flashed in my head like a presentation. From the day I first met them all the way to our trip to Granny's shop. That was the day they first began calling me by my first name. Then there was the fall festival. I still can't believe they all kissed me. So many things happened... so many moments where I was glad I wasn't alone anymore.

Somebody help... I'm scared... I don't want to die. For the first time in my life, I was starting to have a little bit of fun.

I feel so weak. My body won't move. I can't breathe anymore. With every blink, it became harder and harder to keep my eyes open. Despite my best efforts, they succumbed to the darkness.

It's cold... so cold.