"Ayame!" Kimiko calls for her sister. I chime in.
"Ayame!" I echo her, searching through the dark cinema rooms.
The cinema feels like a ghost town. The walls are adorned with posters of superheroes in vibrant, dynamic poses, frozen in time. I wonder if Ayame and Kimiko had planned to watch one of these movies before everything went wrong.
We find people, still humans, hugging in the darkness.
"I'll search through the east wing!" Kimiko says, "Please… if you find her, she is short and she is probably wearing some nerdy t-shirt."
I give her a thumbs up, and we split up to cover more ground, moving cautiously through the dark cinema rooms. Each room is a cavern of seats and silent screens, the eerie stillness almost suffocating. I push open the heavy doors of one room after another, the smell of stale air and abandoned snacks permeating the space.
"Ayame?" I ask, but nobody answers that name. "Ayame, your sister Kimiko is searching for you."
Outside, another thunder interrupts my thoughts. Shit, not that stupid rain again.
"Ayame!" Kimiko's voice is strained with desperation as she moves through the aisles, peering between the rows of seats. I follow suit, checking each corner, hoping for any sign of life.
In one of the larger theaters, the screen is paused on a frame of an epic battle scene, the superheroes locked in a moment of intense action. The flickering light casts long shadows across the room, making the empty seats look even more desolate.
"Ayame, where are you?" Kimiko's voice breaks slightly, and I can hear the fear creeping in. She is tired and is now leaning against the seats, trying to steady her heavy breathing. "Dammit, I'm not used to walk like this fucking blob… useless!" She hits the chair, her body almost engulfing it fully with her arm.
We move deeper into the cinema, checking every nook and cranny. The concession area is a mess, with spilled popcorn and overturned soda cups. The arcade is equally chaotic, the machines eerily silent with their screens frozen mid-game.
Finally, we reach the storage area behind the concession stand. It's dark and cramped, filled with boxes and supplies. Kimiko calls out again, her voice echoing off the walls.
"Ayame!"
She is nowhere to be found.
I grab onto Kimiko's shoulder, my hand sinking slightly into her form where it isn't covered by her shirt. The shirt acts as a barrier, but she still morphs under the weight of my hand, flattening ever so slightly. The sensation is strange, but I push the thought aside.
"We should meet up with Aki and Sayuri," I tell her, my voice steady despite the bizarre situation.
Kimiko nods, holding Ayame close.
"You're right... I think my sister never made it to the cinema… Can you check my phone?"
She asked me to hold it for her earlier and I still do. I check her phone and show her the home screen.
No calls, no messages.
We make our way back through the labyrinth of darkened corridors and empty rooms until we reach the lobby once again. The scene inside has shifted slightly. The old ladies, still in human form, are now in one corner talking in hushed tones. On the opposite side, Aki and Sayuri are engaged in animated conversation, surrounded by three slime girls in different shades of green, listening intently.
"Did you find her?" Sayuri asks as we approach.
Kimiko shakes her head, her expression sad. "I don't think my sister ever made it here," she whispers, looking down.
Aki steps forward, placing a reassuring hand on Kimiko's arm. His hand goes through her, both of them recoiling in surprise.
"I-I have to get used to this," Aki says, yanking his arm out, his face a mix of shock and awkwardness.
Kimiko manages a small, understanding smile. "It's okay."
Sayuri, noticing the exchange, hops closer to us. "So what do we do next?"
"Next?" I echo, feeling the weight of uncertainty pressing down on me. "We have no clue why everyone turned into slimes, who is behind this, or if there's a way to revert this."
Aki steps in, his face serious. "We need information. The first step is to understand what caused this. Maybe there are clues in the places that were hit first."
"I mean, the entire city!" Sayuri echoes her with a scoff, "it doesn't get easier than that."
"I need to find my sister," Kimiko says. "So I'll do that. Good luck with whatever you decide to do," she turns and stares at me for what feels like forever before leaving, hopping away.
I stay there stunned, outside it looks like it's going to rain soon. It's too dangerous for Kimiko to be walking around.
"Wait, Kimiko!" I call out as I rush towards her, my voice echoing in the empty corridors. I find her not so far away, trying to navigate down the stairs without falling through them. Her semi-translucent form shifts and wobbles with each tentative step. I plant myself in front of her and open my arms wide to stop her. She shakes her head, exasperated.
"I can walk through you with ease," she says, her voice tinged with frustration.
"Yes, you can," I echo her, "But listen, it's going to rain soon…"
"I know! I need to find Ayame and tell her to hide."
"You can't even carry your phone, Kimiko. What if your sister calls you?" I argue, my voice urgent.
She hesitates for a moment, her eyes reflecting the internal struggle. "But I can't just do nothing," she whispers.
"I know, I understand… I have a sister too."
Something changes in her eyes, a flicker of understanding and acceptance. It's as if she finally grasps where I'm coming from.
"We were supposed to watch movies," she says, her thin arms quivering as she speaks. "We were supposed to…"
"I know," I echo her, stepping closer. We don't know each other, yet after the intimate experience we have shared, I can't help but feel connected. "But what if now that it rains, you will dissolve forever? We don't know yet what type of phenomenon this is…"
"So why are you standing outside, talking to me? Surely you have better things to do… Why risk your life for me?" Kimiko asks, her voice trembling slightly.
I pause, trying to find the right words. The truth is, I don't fully understand why myself. Just before this happened, I wanted to rot in bed and let death take me. Now, everything has changed. I feel like I have a purpose – finding my sister, making sure she's doing alright. I can't do that if I'm standing under this rain, and neither can Kimiko.
"I don't know," I admit, my voice soft but earnest. "The truth is, I know how you feel and at the same time, I don't. Before all this, I felt like giving up. I was ready to let go, to let everything just… end. But now, I have a reason to keep going. Finding my sister, making sure she's okay – it gives me something to fight for."
Kimiko looks at me, her eyes reflecting a mix of emotions. "I just… I can't bear the thought of losing Ayame. She's all I have."
"And you won't lose her," I say firmly. "But we need to be smart about this. Standing out here in the rain isn't going to help anyone. We need to work together, stay safe, and find a way to get through this. For Ayame, for everyone."
Kimiko nods slowly, her resolve hardening. "You're right."
"Let's get back inside," I say, guiding her towards the cinema. "We'll figure this out together."
As we re-enter the make shift shelter, the group looks up, their concern evident. Kimiko's presence seems to reassure them. Inside, a screen is glaring all of a sudden – the elder ladies have started the tv in the lobby where now another news anchor is transmitting live.
"Jesus," I whisper.
Behind the news anchor, there are thousands of slime people.