Part 19: Where Home Lies

The place that I lived at was not too special. Not that I hated it or anything, but going back here always made me realize that things weren’t necessarily how they used to be when I was younger. This was a literal fact, especially knowing how distant things got between my parents. Rather than there being some sort of argumentative atmosphere, everything was both quiet and oddly unsettling all at once.

I had a key which I used to enter into our household which was always dark inside when I came from Dream Academy. Like nobody lived here. Of course, I already knew better than to assume that. Saying anything at all to them at this time gave me no responses if I even tried. It wasn’t too late either. Past 6:24 PM. I had plenty of time to study and do my homework. I had to finish these seven assignments for tomorrow.

As I started my way up the steps to my room, feeling groggy from the lengthy walk back, I felt that twisted pain inside my slim stomach. My mind left me with this aching sense of dread. I knew there was not much in the refrigerator. Or the freezer. Just a few spices, sauces, and green tea bags. I understood as much as anyone else that if I could, I would have wanted to get that summer job as a maid.

My desperation and this school was the only thing keeping me from going insane. I was imagining the day when that would happen. Unfortunately, it wasn’t that way. I couldn’t even think about working a job that could slip through my curfew at the current moment. Especially with the work I had to do to get good grades, I didn’t want to test that idea.

I closed my bedroom door behind me and decided to raise the windows because the air was still pretty breezy outside and I felt very hot. I needed to stay awake as much as possible until I could get some rest for the next day. Sitting down at my desk and unpacking my books out of my backpack, I started to feel a bit sad.

Something didn’t feel right. The only good thing about today was talking to Cherry. I wanted more times like that. Where I could enjoy being myself and live in the moment. Instead, I got dealt a cruel joke. Every day passed by and I started to wonder about something. Specifically about the Frightening Five’s second story where Edahoshi talked to Nachi, asking if he could name one person that hadn’t given up on their dream because everyone told them to.

My blank stare at a pale wall made me quickly realize how deep I was into wanting to help the people who died. To tell them that they could get a second chance at everything. To stop this terrible game the murderer was playing with its victims. To do so many things besides… Well… This…

However, realistically, that thought process was a risk in itself. If I wanted to get that summer job later on, I needed to pass this first year. It felt like a long time away and it hurt not only me, but my separated parents who also had to wait for that to happen. Autumn was here to stay for me and I had to accept that for right now.

If I wanted to stop the curse, I needed to create a real plan. I wasn’t giving up anymore. If it took me until the morning to finish it, I would do it.

I had to make tomorrow count.