The sounds of strumming strings echoed from beyond the door at the end of the chatter-filled hallway as Mako tried to catch up with Reese as he skittered through the crowd. "Reese! Wait up!" Mako tried his best to not draw attention to himself, for he hated crowds. The way people shuffle along around him aimlessly made him nauseous to the core. The constant pushing and shoving, the indiscriminate shouting, they were all filled with...chaos. But at least it was better than having to go through the abandoned hallway where he had that unique encounter. Mako was frightened, but he wasn't ready yet to tell Reese, deciding to keep it to himself for now.
The bell rang just in time when Mako and Reese got to room 2-b. As they entered, they were greeted with the elegant tunes combining the sounds of guitar and piano. The sound was harmonic, but the song was clearly sad, making those who can hear it generate senses of self-dissonance and utter melancholy. The boy behind the piano stopped playing as soon as he saw the pair enter the room. He looked up, waving his hand. The light from the windows outside shone against his face as he spoke in a calm yet enthusiastic manner. His smile radiated confidence as he picked up a bar of chocolate beside him, unwrapped it, then bit into its hard chalky texture. His brown hair folded nicely on his perfectly sculpted facial features, highlighting his hazel colored eyes. His name was Accel, and with his characteristics, he more than qualifies as the cool kid around their parts. Yet for some reason, he wanted to stick with rats hiding in the shadows--rats like Mako and Reese. And so he was also considered an outcast for hanging out with the weirdos.
A tall girl next to him patted his shoulder softly, her long straight brown hair glided smoothly over her back and shoulders. She had a long slender body that bent with finesse as her lips gently parted to release her breath. "Venus"--It was the name which held the looks that charmed those around her, bewitching them into a trance, however recently, her ability had suddenly vanished as if it had evaporated in broad daylight. Rumor went around that she was in a relationship. And her pats that soon turned into a massage, then into an intimate hug session with small kisses with Accel was solid evidence for that fact
The girl playing the guitar looked at them with what Mako thought was disgust on her face. She spoke with words filled with angst. "Get a room." She wore all black... as usual. Her hair spiked up wildly, bouncing with every move she makes. Her thin, asian eyes were covered in black eyeliner, her lips black, and of course, she wouldn't complete the look without a classic choker, which is also black. Sora was her name. She picked up her guitar pick and looked away, and was soon strumming wildly once again. Despite her looks, she played intricate melodies on her guitar, charming those who are unaware, feeling them to a lullaby-caused slumber.
Reese dropped his backpack on a nearby arm desk as he sat down and slumped over, waiting for the session to start. Everybody in the room usually takes five minutes after the bell rang to settle down. Mako looked at him, about to seat beside Reese. But Reese stopped him, jerking his head sideways, gesturing for Mako to go to her. Mako shrugged and turned around, looking at the corner of the room where a girl with jet black hair adorned with beautifully made braids sat. The way she sweeps the tiny stray strands away from her eyes as she silently reads her book masks the utter chaos flowing around her. Beaming with an aura with the shades of something with august and utmost sacrascance. Her expression occasionally changes as her hidden smiles shine elegantly, reflecting the golden colors shining from outside. Aside from Reese, she was the only the one Mako can talk to with ease, among all the other members of their group. He walked towards her seat anxiously, calling out her name. "Anne."
The two of them were the most introverted in their group, making them the most shy as well. Usually being covered by the front faces like Reese or Accel, they mostly hid in the back, away from the attention, and away from the noise.
As Mako neared, Anne looked up, a little smile formed in her face. She spoke in a small voice that may even sound "squeaky" to others. "Afternoon Mako." She covered her face as she finished speaking, as if putting away her voice like a toy who had served its job and is meant to be locked away, forever waiting for its owner to play with it once more. She tapped her fingers at the empty seat beside her, meeting Mako in the eyes. He nodded in return and went for the seat, carefully trying not to bump into anything on the way due to the messy room. As he sat, Mako couldn't help but give in to the aura she had as everything around them slowly blurred in his eyes, the noise outside became muddy as he lost his senses, only focusing on the other person in front of him. Fidgeting with his own fingers, Mako's eyes searched below to try and see the book Anne was reading, trying to make out whatever words he can see.
"The unnamed mice" Anne spoke up, noticing Mako's curious little eyes as she meets them with her own.
"I've actually finished it already." She giggled, before continuing what she was saying.
"It's about a kid who lost himself in the darkness. Now he is in there running around, desperately trying to get hisself back before it's too late."
Mako withdrew his eyes, trying to search for something else to look at. "Before it's too late huh? How does it end?" Mako was almost whispering.
There was a slight pause before a reply could be heard. Anne closed the novel, revealing the mysterious cover shaded with black, and a large title in the center. She glided her fingers through her forehead, sweeping away the drooping hairs back to their original place.
"Well… He met insanity before he could have saved himself." Chuckling a little, she bit her lip.
"Listen, I know I already said the ending but I promise there's more to it than that." She slid the novel onto Mako's side.
"It's a good read. Plus, I know you like stories like this."
Mako smiled, his eyes finally beckoned to hers. "...Thank you."
Before he could say anything else, Anne closed her eyes, slowly leaning her head sideways towards mako's shoulder. She was a humming a gentle song that oddly reminded Mako of something warm and fuzzy. Resting against Mako's head, they gazed upon the vast skies beyond the glass windows at their side. The afternoon sky glowed a golden yellow hue that engulfed everything it touched in the horizon. The clouds slowly passed inch by inch like gentle animals grazing upon a warm field. The sun herself hid her face behind the streamline of the earth, blushing like a dame that was perched atop a majestic azure shrine.
Anne turned her head slightly, purring softly into Mako's shoulder. She looked at him in the eyes, speaking in her deepest demeanor.
"How about you? If you ever get yourself lost, would you try to find yourself back?" Her fingers approached Mako's neck as she continued to gently fiddle with him. Mako let out a deep sigh.
"To be honest, I wouldn't mind getting lost out there. I don't have much to lose here anyway. I've… given up my faith in this world" He leaned his head back, feeling the cold cemented wall behind them.
"Mmmm…" Anne blinked, whispering something under her breathe. Mako tried to make out what it was, but couldn't. Anne leaned up, her eyes refused to let go of Mako's face.
"You don't believe that there are still those who would want you around?"
Mako froze from Anne's question. He kept asking himself if he knew what she meant. Her smile tempted him to stay, to rest, to give the world another chance. Looking at her like this, he wondered what she really meant. He couldn't help but chuckle a little. He only smiled in return.
Anne continued to rest her head against Mako's shoulder, disregarding his silence as an answer, and it was because they've probably hanged out long enough to know that it would be the same for her as well, even if she didn't want to admit it. She clasped her hands against Mako's eyes, seemingly shutting them, forcing him to doze off away into a sweet world where both of them could not be seen; a world where they could disappear; a world where they could get lost.
A loud continuous bang sounded in front of the classroom. Mako and Anne opened their eyes, seeing the club president standing on a wooden platform. After a few words of instructions, they commenced the activity discussions, with everybody going to their respective groups, including Mako and Anne. They sat in a circle, Mako, Reese, Accel, Venus, Sora and Anne.
Having trouble making friends, the six of them grouped together, and through their years in school, they survived by being with each other, and they planned on staying that way for as long as they can hold out.
They were always the group to perform last, and so they did. They each carried out their monologues elegantly and with grace and passion, especially Mako, who had practiced his for hours and hours, boring Reese to death everytime he heard it.
The class continued and ended, leaving Mako with a longing to further remain in the darkness; in his darkness, inspiring him to isolate himself in the world he wanted to sculpt for himself. Not at least until he stepped out of the class, as everything around him reminded him that he lived in the real world, and that he was slowly growing insane. He sighed, walking along, not noticing the tall shadow in the corner stalking him in a still, unnerving manner.
The six of them scattered as they neared the entrance of the school, readying to go wherever they have to go. And Mako was left alone with Reese once again. Reese patted Mako in the back, commending him for the exceptional performance he did earlier, even though he admitted that he understood absolutely none of it. They laughed together, it was one of the moments Mako cherished in his life. "Friendship" he thought to himself, was it really worth saving?, worth getting back to?, if he ever did lose hisself, would he remember having friends? He would think about it, but probably for another time.
They were already at the entrance when Mako suddenly remembered that he left the book Anne gave to him in the classroom. He told Reese to go on ahead and he'll catch up later. He ran back, skidding along the already emptied hallways of their school. And that was the time when he saw it again. But this time, it moved, even if it was subtle, it moved. The shadow at the end of the hallway steadily grew as Mako slowed down to a stop. Then this time he heard something that he didn't hear earlier.
Footsteps.
Like the clinking of high-heeled shoes against a glass floor, it became louder. Mako stepped back, his heels ready to turn and run. The lights above started to flicker as his breathing constantly become heavier by the second. The air came down to a chill once again as the noise felt like it was already inches from his ears. Then finally everything stopped, like time freezing in place just before a grand climax. The lights went out, the footsteps ceased, the shadow shrunk to a mere puddle of blackness. And around the corner, a girl showed herself.
She stood tall and slim in front of Mako, her face expressionless. Her purplish long hair glowed like little wonders in the dark, being hindered at the top by a lavender lace ribbon, seemingly trying to lure others like a lantern to a moth. She was dressed in a plain-black wool sweater that ruffled against her movements. Her black pleated skirt cascaded down to her knees, covering her otherwise pale legs, fitted in knee-high black socks. She looked about the same age as Mako and everyone in his class, and she actually reminded Mako of Sora due to the color of her clothing. Her eyes sparkled inside her elegant and graceful aura, almost looking like a mysterious death charm to Mako's eyes. She was no doubt pretty, beautiful even, and Mako's heart within couldn't help but race as he felt a sudden surge of newfound euphoria through his body. Yet he still knew that something was amiss, he greeted her, half expecting that she would turn into some kind of ghost-corpse that would creep behind Mako with cold, sullen hands.
"We found you". Those words dug into Mako's mind, playing over and over again like a broken record. He shook the thought and finally decided to say something.
"Isn't it a bit late to be staying here alone?" Mako chuckled, a desperate move in making small talk. But he was relieved that she replied quickly, like a normal person and not some kind of ghost. However, instead of answering his small talk, she replied with her own question.
"Your name is Mako, am I right?" Her expression turned into that of a hunter that just found prey under her trap.
She knew his name. Mako had never talked to this girl, much less seen her and for some reason, she knew his name. Before Mako could think of anything else, the girl lifted her arm, something was in her hand, "You forgot this." Mako's eyes widened in surprise, it was the book Anne gave to him. He couldn't see it clearly from afar, but the mere fact that this girl knew about it made Mako just a little bit tense. He was positively sure that there was no girl like her in any of his classes.
"Well, aren't you going to get this back?" Her voice dug into Mako like frostbite. She was enchanting, dangerously beautiful, like an expensive antique that came straight out of an old shop.
"Uhh, yeah. Thanks." Mako stepped forward, laying a finger on the book.
The moment he gripped it though, shivers went down his spine. And then as if seeing everything at once, something behind the girl caught Mako's attention. Just inside the range of his peripheral vision, just within the shadow's reach, small blobs of blackness gathered, forming distorted faces that constantly changed expression. Anger, despair, pain, and other faces Mako couldn't recognize. They were all looking at him. Frightened, Mako quickly took the book from the girls hands and stepped back. Her panther-like eyes gazed upon his, then slowly moved somewhere else. Observing Mako's actions, she smiled cutely. Then she herself stepped forward, as if on sync with Mako. Leaning towards him, she poked his chest. "It's nice to meet you Mako, my name is Lia." Then she stepped aside, keeping her steps light and calm. She circled around him and went for the exit behind Mako. She looked back one last time, a charming smile on her face. "Well I hope we meet again." she said, before walking away.
Mako stood there, speechless. This wasn't anything like that experience he had earlier. He wasn't afraid of her, instead, he felt something new inside him. There was something about the girl Lia that made Mako drew closer.
He blinked once. Twice. He was alone in the halls once more, the book Anne gave him still in his hand. The title "The Unnamed Mice" shone with its golden font as the lights above him went back on.