Chereads / Azure Lapis / Chapter 2 - Night

Chapter 2 - Night

A hideous growl , some creature close to me- its seemingly dead eyes are flaming orange and its skin is razor. Coated with a gray and blue fade and black engravings of undecipherable symbols and lines. Its head was reminiscent of an Axolotl , however its eyes were sharp and its mouth had dozens of serrated teeth. Its upper body has a humanoid shape with long spear-like tentacles coming out from its upper back. Each one was covered on one side with smaller - blue tipped angled spikes.

Crimson blood everywhere , I'm facing towards the ground - my shaking creates ripples in it.

A serene azure sky, the clouds covered in a pink hue hovering in the sky. Underneath, a surreal landscape of a mountain range - the peaks covered in spotless , immaculate snow. The clear water in the foreground reflects the colors of the sky and the floating white glaciers colored in a dark blue tint. All this accumulates to a tranquil and distinct landscape.

Blue flashes , strike through the sky - leaving behind a loud , explosive crackling blare.

A blue flame, something is burning close to me , but I feel no heat.

Other - unclear , diluted scenes flash through my mind , giving me no time to understand them.

Light floods back into my vision, and I find myself gasping for air, my breathing rapid and heavy. Although a sharp pain briefly pulsates through my head, it soon dissipates. As I lay on the hospital bed, my gaze fixated on the white ceiling, confusion engulfed me. What just happened? Did I faint? That hallucination felt eerily real, unlike anything I've experienced before. I attempt to recall the strange dream that preceded it, but my memory fails me - leaving me with a flood of unanswered questions. The pain has vanished, my ears are no longer bleeding, and my head no longer rings. I cautiously lift myself into a sitting position, hoping to somehow comprehend the events that transpired earlier . Despite the lingering fear, an indescribable sensation pervades me, evoking a strange nostalgia that I don't understand.

I notice the weight of the blankets pressing against me, momentarily causing my heart to skip a beat. With a sharp intake of breath, my eyes dart to the right , where I find Aika on a chair next to the bed. She is peacefully asleep, her head resting on the bed. I sigh with relief. Still a bit dazzled, I stare in her direction for a small period of time. Doesn't she have anything better to do? Taking a moment to collect myself, I attempt to regain a sense of rationality. If I fainted and ended up in the hospital, it's only logical that the staff would contact my guardians. They could easily find my information in a database, or contact me directly. I suspect they chose the latter option, and dealing with that would undoubtedly be a headache.

It's highly unlikely for anyone to notice me leaving the hospital, as they probably don't keep track of each patient's room. Carefully, I rise from the bed and retrieve my blazer from the adjacent hanger before heading towards the door. However, just as I'm about to leave, my gaze catches a glimpse of a white letter prominently placed on the table. Intrigued, I take a seat on the bed, picking up the letter to read its contents. The letter features a red, flowery border, and my name is written in bubbly text. Any flicker of excitement or curiosity I had swiftly evaporates. Nevertheless, though unmotivated, I proceed to read the letter from this very mysterious sender.

"Hi! It's me, Rose. Man, I heard you scared everyone. Are you okay? Feeling better? Anyway, I've rescheduled our post-school rendezvous for another day..." I internally groan at the thought of this . "I'm writing to you because I'm tied up with something at someone's event, and Aika has volunteered to be your bodyguard! Take your time at the hospital, no rush, and make a full recovery for tomorrow - From your best friend, Rose." I can't help but display a minuscule expression of irritation as I let out a sigh. Reading between the lines, it's evident what they're aiming at, considering it's my 16th birthday today. I approach the door and cast a quick glance over my shoulder before closing it, hoping to go unnoticed. Adopting an inconspicuous air, I walk with confidence, determined to leave the hospital without drawing attention. A multitude of Doctors and people are walking across the corridors in both directions , their footsteps echoing through the corridors. Confused . but thinking nothing of it, i continue onto exit the sliding doors of the hospital

Right now, I want to escape any reminders of my apartment or school, or any place where I visit daily. I need a sound space where I can find some peace and scramble my thoughts together. A third rate city park is merely a 10-minute walk from here, known for its quietude during evenings and nights since it's neglected and there's scarcely anything to do. It is precisely what I need. The sun is setting as I enter the gate of the park, the leaves glisten with leftover droplets from the light afternoon shower. Trees are blending in with each other , overlapping their green petals ; forming a limitless green view. Only the gray path ahead of me is clear along with the small stream flowing beside it. I take in the revitalizing air inside me, feeling as it flows through me, I do my best to not think, However, my thoughts get the better of me

In the hospital room, Aika awakens from her nap. She looks around the room in confusion. A gentle breeze drifts in from the half open window, making her hair sway to the tune it has created. Her eyes follow the evening sun ,leading her to the vacant hospital bed - illuminated in orange . A sense of sadness washes over Aika, her eyes revealing a melancholic expression as she sits in silence.

I am already feeling that I am aimlessly wandering around the park . These past years have been excruciatingly tepid, I would observe how the leaves fall , then grow, then fall again , repainting the ground with an unstimulating kaleidoscope of colors. With each season, the same mundane topics would fade in and out of conversations with me being unfortunately present to listen. Perhaps it's me being pretentious , but I would always want to have something different, something that might not be tangible in this world. This frighteningly real hallucination or whatever it is, all but reminded me of this. That said, even after pondering about it , I can't seem to explain what would cause it or what it was. It's especially weird that I had some sort of allergic or belligerent reaction towards it. Have i already gone insane

It was already pitch dark, the glistening green forest was dimmed out by the setting of the sun. It already wasn't possible to see a meter past the influence of the street lamps. I am already somewhere near the center of the park after 30 or so minutes of walking. It's past 7 pm and I'm starting to feel weary. Walking past the adjacent corner of the intersection near the information board, gave me a glimpse of a bench. The bench was bathing under the buzzing white light of the street lamp. It stood out from the other benches, since it was singled out in a secluded area devoid of other benches. It's just like begging for someone to take a rest on it. Fulfilling that, I lay back and allow the bench to eat me whole. I'm terribly exhausted, perhaps more mentally than physically. And so I let it steal my time.

While the street lamp was buzzing, the sound of the wind sprinting through the forest trees and the insects singing in an orchestra around me overpowered it. My intrusive thoughts told me to spend the night in the park. That said , there are places I need to be , none of which I really want to be. in. Will times become simpler.? Avoiding any more self reflection, succumbing to the weary atmosphere and voiding my mind. I close my eyes and try to find peace with the fleeing winds. Some time passes, I'm not sure of how much , but it feels like 5 or so minutes. It might be my head playing tricks, but it seems like the buzzing of the streetlamp is progressively getting louder. It began to overlap with the sounds of the insects and chimes of the wind.

I feel a heavy vibration on the bench, which I find extensively strange. Is someone else also walking at this park at night during a Thursday night. I open my eyes and take a look to the right. At this time, my memory just clicked. It wasn't the first time I met with the thing at school. It has been with me all the time, in middle school , in my sophomore years in highschool. It has been with me everywhere, At home , at school, at the restaurants. It's just like a stalker, even if you can not see it - it's still there. There on the bench, I was not alone. Ah... Is this what it comes down to? The monster with the white mask was staring at me, its presence was sharp and unnatural. The mask has an opening revealing a grotesque open mouth - outlined by layers of sharp jagged teeth. I can't even react, it engulfed me.