"My balloon!!" a child reached into the late afternoon sky, too late as their red balloon drifted further into the air. Luckily it was caught in the black gloved hands of a young woman in a gray hoodie and blue jeans.
"Here you go." She handed over the balloon with a gentle smile, still hiding her face within her draped hood.
The boy smiled happily. "Thank you, mis-" He stopped. Unknown to the women the boy could feel a terrifying aura coming from her. Tears welled from his eyes and in that moment, he ran away, screaming in terror.
The woman was left to look on sourly, biting her lips. "I-I just…"
"H-h-hey! What are you doing here!!" A man suddenly shouted.
The woman jerked her head and found the local store manager shouting at her with a terrified expression.
She bolted away, releasing the balloon as she did.
"I-If you come back here, I call the police! Ya here!! Megumi!!!"
The hood freed itself as the woman ran through the sidewalk revealing a beautiful face from beneath it. With this new freedom her lush brown hair with three long bangs wildly danced in the air. All the while she could only continue running, teary eyed.
She quickly wiped her pure red eyes. "It's alright, I just have to meet him by the park…"
********
Later that same day Megumi wandered along the park's path. She enjoyed the chirps and croaks of the birds and the frogs as they sang their songs to the spring season. She enjoyed the peace it gave. But the best part was that rarely did anybody come by.
Walking along a side path, hidden from view, she followed it, finding their favorite secluded spot by the pond. Megumi sat herself on the nearby bench in front of the now sparkling pond.
She fiddled her hands and fingers, looking around. Fidgeting like a child, unable to hold their anticipation.
Watching the ducks swim by, became tempting enough for her to leave the safety of the bench for a closer look.
She paddled the water with her fingers, watching the ripples clash against the ducks. But upon reaching out, they became alerted to her presence. Frightened, they immediately fled into the sky, far from her.
She frowned and looked at her hands knowingly. "Why is it always like this…?"
"Heya Megumi!!"
Megumi jumped, almost falling to the pond. She looked back, irritated and pouted at her friend. "Eric!"
Before Megumi stood a young man with black hair and brown eyes dressed casually within his blue jeans and red buttoned-down shirt with a white t-shirt underneath. He held a paper fast food bag and plastic store bag in one hand. and in the other, he held fast food cup.
"Hahaha… Sorry bout that Megumi." Eric offered the cup of her favorite soda. She forgave him at that moment, taking the cup in hand and thanking him.
They both retreated to the bench behind them where Eric ripped open the fast-food bag. The fresh scent of fries and freshly seasoned chicken wafted Megumi's nose.
She practically leaned over the food in anticipation. And as if by instinct, she quickly grabbed her leather gloved, putting it back on.
"Now! For the limited edition, specially spiced chicken sandwich! All secured in their homemade butter bread, with secret sauce to boot." Eric handed the food to a giggling Megumi.
She took her first small bites of the sandwich with a smile.
"So… How is it?" he asked.
"Nmmm… It tasht like the lasht one."
Eric laughed hard. "I know right! That's what I told them too!"
"Mm. I think the sauce is pretty ok. But I think this one is on the lower end."
"Yeah. that's literally the only thing that holds it together." Eric continued to laugh with Megumi, simply enjoying his reaction. "What's the point of having something that's limited edition if all of it is mostly samey. I bet all they did was add a little extra paprika to their mix." he joked.
Megumi giggled hearing this, agreeing with his statement. They both enjoyed the little joy that was there. And slowly, it died back down with Megumi taking a few more bites before taking a sip from her drink.
"By the way…what did they say?"
Megumi stopped. She took her lips from the drink and looked sadly upon the shimmering yellow pond before them. "I-it's fine. Don't worry about it."
Eric could instantly tell by her face that she was lying. "C'mon. You can trust me. We're friends, remember."
Reluctantly she finally confesses. "They're going to kick me out of the house. I have a week left to get my stuff together and leave."
Eric looked on in shock. 'But that makes you-"
"I-I'll figure something out… I always do…" she lightly squeezed her drink. " E-e-even if everyone else is scared of me, I-I'm sure I can figure it out… I… I just need time to think…"
"Is this about your supposed curse and what happened the other day?"
Megumi didn't answer.
"Look, what happened wasn't your fault. Sometimes coincidences are just that… Just because you touched Nikki doesn't mean you're cursed."
"But because of me. Now she's dead…" Megumi glanced back at her hand sadly. "Just like everyone else I touched…"
Eric saw that he wasn't getting through to Megumi, so he sighed. "Well… I was planning on moving down south. I have a cousin there that owns an apartment complex there… He owes me a favor… So, if you want… I can probably get us some rooms."
"W-wait… What about the military? I thought you were going to join. Also, won't your dad…"
"Nah! Don't worry bout my old man. He can disown me for all I care. Besides, I don't like fighting wars for other people anyways." Eric laid in head back, nonchalantly.
"B-but this is too much! I… I…"
"Stop it will ya!" Eric sat back up looking straight at Megumi. "You're my friend. And friends gotta stick together no matter what. Right?"
Megumi blushed a little and paused for a moment before agreeing with this sentiment.
"Alright then it's agreed." Eric smiled, holding out his hands. "You still remember our 'promise shake' right."
Megumi chuckled. "But we only used that as kids."
"And? Why not now?"
She grabbed his hands, and they immediately shook up and down. They hunched forward, clutching each other's hand with their thumbs up. Upon finishing this little performance, Megumi couldn't help but continue blushing.
"So, you do remember it!" Eric laughed. Megumi laughed along with him.
A little later they finished eating their food, collecting all the trash into the paper bag to be disposed of. Megumi was ready to leave but was stopped by Eric.
He quickly gave her the plastic back he was carrying around. "This is for you. I think it'll suit you well. Take a look when you get home."
This brought a smile to her face. She thanked him, appreciating the surprise gift.
With nothing left to say, Eric waved goodbye with Megumi doing the same, going back home.
********
After some time of walking and avoiding crowds, she finally made it back home. It was a cozy looking home that blended in with the rest of the neighborhoods. It was certainly a house you wouldn't think twice about looking at.
Megumi crept her way around the back of the house, opening and closing the basement door quietly. And entering her safe domain. Within she carried memorabilia of her times with Eric from childhood to current day, all specifically stashed out of the prying eyes of most people.
She pulled the beaded chain to switch on the dinky lightbulb that hung above. She opened her gift and found that he had bought her a long-sleeved jean jacket that went as far as her hips. This brought a smile to her.
"Megumi!!!" the raspy old voice of a woman yelled.
Megumi jumped, hearing several locks clicking and clacking. The door burst open, and a few luggage cases were thrown down the stairs.
"You've got two days to leave!" The women above shouted.
Megumi hurried to the stairs, seeing that the women had already slammed the door shut. "B-but I had a week!" Megumi retorted.
She was ignored and the locks clicked back into place one after another. Megumi raced up the stairs knocking at the door. "D-didn't you say I had a week to leave!?"
"Two days! You should be happy that we picked up a cursed girl like you back then! Now because of you the whole town will think my family is cursed!"
"B-b-but that was an accident, I… didn't mean to touch her. I… Just wanted to wish her luck…"
"Yeah? And now the mayor's daughter is dead. Because of you! And now everyone will look at us!" the women shouted. "Everyone you try to be friends with dies, days after interacting with you! Everyone knows that! At this point It's a damn miracle you haven't touched me or my family with your death-ridden fingers!"
Megumi is left to just listen just at the door, with her head leaning on it. She knew it was pointless to continue conversing with her adopted mother. She was as hardheaded and relentless as they came.
"Two days!" she repeated to Megumi, as she glumly trekked back down the stairs. She looked back at the jean jacket, which helped bring back a more somber smile.
Returning to the gift, Megumi took off her thin black gloves, freeing her soft hands to feel the fabric of the new clothes.
She began to blush brightly. "I-I'll tell him tomorrow… This time for sure." Now determined, Megumi turned to her drawer remembering that Eric loved to go camping a lot.
She rummaged through the bottom of the drawer until she found an old pocketknife that she found a long time ago. It was still in relatively good condition and practically unused.
After finding the knife she sat on her bed and stared back at the pocketknife in hand opening it up. Her thoughts drifted to what could be. Thoughts of leaving their small town in pursuit of a much happier and calmer life. And all of it with Eric. she could only imagine it.
Soon she returned to reality looking back at the luggage scattered on the floor. With great reluctance she began packing her clothes and memorabilia that she holds so close to her heart. This continued throughout the night until she finally decided to retire for the night.
Closing her eyes and drifting to sleep, she found herself within that same dream she always has. She looks at her own back as she is surrounded by the dead bodies of people she knows. At this point she became accustomed to this sight. After all, it was simply like looking at a piece of art someone drew. Nothing happened. And no one moved.
But this time it was different… For some reason the copy of herself turned around, and suddenly looked straight at her with hollow black eyes. Her heart sank when her clone curled a sinister, yet knowing smile. And just as her clone was about to talk… she woke up.
Megumi felt her head, confused. "That was weird… What was that about…?"
Suddenly a text appeared on her old flip phone. She looked at it, finding that Eric had texted her with news and wanting to meet up back at their secret space.
Megumi glowed seeing this and practically hopped at the opportunity to get ready. She prepared herself the best she could, wearing her new jean jacket with her favorite striped, magenta tank top. She even tucked Eric's new gift within her pocket as she rushed to leave the basement. Unfortunately, within her own excitement. She had left behind her hood and gloves…
********
Much later she approached the park in the town square. But as she passed a huge store window, her heart leapt, catching a glimpse of her reflection. She finally realized she wasn't wearing her hoodie.
"O-oh crap!" She darted her eyes around, finding that nobody else was around. She looked across the street where the park waited and ran across without thinking.
HONK
HONK
Megumi looked to her left, finding a huge gas truck heading her way fast! Her heart sank so far, it was practically non-existent.
"MEGUMI!!!"
A hand pushed her out the way as she recognized that voice. "Eric???"
A sudden screeching of the wheels and a hard impact of someone getting hit. Megumi fell on the other side of the street, quickly looking back to find the gas truck tipping over and the proceeding cars' attempts to stop in vain as one after another crashed into each other!
Megumi panicked, looking around for Eric whose voice she heard.
"E-Eric. Eric!!"
After frantically looking around, she finally found a maimed and bloodied body of Eric. She hurried next to him, grabbing onto him. Explosions rang and fire flooded the streets nearby. She quickly pulled Eric as far from the disaster as she could.
She could still hear his shallow breathing as another person called for 9-1-1.
Eric! Eric! Please stay with me! P-p-please. J-just hold on"
********
Within the small-town hospital, Chaos reigned as a flood of patients entered the new hospital beds. patients put on respirators, others getting bandaged while the worst had to be sent for emergency surgery.
"This is crazy, over 20 cars were wrecked!?" One of the doctors whispered to the other. "How does that even happen!???"
"I don't know but I'm sure the intersection at the park didn't help. And from what I understand it's a busy road at the downtown square."
"No Kidding…It's a miracle some of them are still alive…"
"Don't get our hopes up just yet. Judging from some of their injuries, I doubt that even half will even survive… it's probably the work of that woman no doubt."
The doctor, listening was taken aback. "W-wait d-d-don't tell me she's involved. S-she isn't here is she?"
The second doctor leaned closer and pointed. "She's in that room there. I would stay away from that room if possible. At this point, even that poor kid in there is destined to die…"
A teen girl with dirty blond hair pushed through the crowd of people, entering the very room with Megumi. The girl looked at Megumi as she stood over a severely injured and bandaged Eric.
Hearing the girl enter, Megumi looked up.
"What are you doing here?" Megumi asked.
"Mom, heard what happened. Since you blocked her, she told me to tell you not to come back. The door's locked and your stuff is… outside." The girl averted her eyes feeling more awkward as she backed off a little.
"F-first it was a week. Then it was two days. A-and now it's today?" Megumi's emotions began to boil over.
"I'm sorry. That it had to be this way."
"S-sorry??" Megumi took a step, frightening the girl.
"Stay away!" she blurted.
The girl immediately recomposed herself. She shakily reached into her pocket, pulling out a wad of money. She at first tried to hand it to Megumi directly but saw that she wasn't wearing gloves. So, she threw it to the ground instead.
"T-take it. It's not a lot, but maybe you can put it to use." Quickly after she took her leave, running off and as far as she could past the crowd of doctors and nurses.
Megumi could only stand, stunned. She bent over, right by Eric's bedside. She looked to the ground, now unsure what to do. Silent listening to the beeps of the hospital machines, that seemed to keep Eric's life intact.
She clutched the bed bar, thinking about her lonely life before meeting Eric.
The boy that gave her hope, that made her look upon life much more brightly. She just couldn't imagine a world without him. A world where she had to now survive by herself.
Megumi reached over, grabbing his hands. She could feel him tightening his grasp, although weakly. "I-I can't do it… How can I go on living without you?"
Megumi attempted to hold her own tears. Tightening her own grip. "You…. You can't die here! I haven't told you yet but… You're the only thing I have left to look forward to each and every day."
"So please… please, please, please… Just come back to me… Eric… I Lo-"
BEEEEEEEEEEEEE~~~~
Megumi's heart sank. "N-no… " Megumi looked back upon Eric with a fear she's never felt before. "E-Eric. Eric, no!
"S-somebody, HELP!!!"
A male nurse entered calmly, entering to simply turn off the machine. Megumi was in shock as they tried to leave.
"What are you doing? What are you doing!?"
The nurse turned around, glaring coldly. "They're dead. There's nothing we can do now."
"B-but y-you can still save him! Why aren't you doing anything!!!" she cried.
"He's under a DNR agreement. He doesn't want to be resuscitated. You're better off just leaving now, I hear that his family just arrived, and I doubt they'll be happy to see you around. Just a friendly warning." With those last words, the nurse left Megumi by herself.
Megumi fell to her knees, practically at a loss for words. Memories of Eric saving her flared through her mind, followed by immense guilt. "This…" She looked back at her hand "I-it's all my fault…"
"W-why!?? W-why does this keep happening to me!?" Megumi reached out to Eric's hand; eyes now drenched in tears. "This…. T-this isn't fair… I-I can't take it anymore! Just what's the point in even living!!!??"
Megumi wailed from the loss of someone so close to her. All those memories. All those good times with him. Leading up to ultimate demise.
Suddenly, the pocketknife in her jacket pocket fell out, grabbing her attention. She stared at it for a while, tears still in her eyes. Slowly she bent down, picking it up in her left hand. She flicked it open, looking at the silver blade.
"Just… What's the point… What is the point in living?"
Megumi clutched the knife more firmly in hand. She brought the knife to her own neck. Hands trembling from fear.
Memories of the scorn, hatred and fear flashed through her mind. Being blamed for the deaths of loved ones that she only wanted to be friends with. Over and over and over again.
She finally calmed her shaking hand.
….
….
….
….
"Eric… Wherever you are…"
...
...
...
...
"Please…."
...
...
...
...
"Just wait for me a little longer…"
...
...
...
...
Slowly a form of Megumi starts to materialize from an ethereal mist. The nothingness she found herself in slowly vanished as her sight soon returned.
"Hmmm???"
Upon collecting her full vision, she was left in utter shock. Before her, she could see her own dead body slumped over Eric's with the blade sitting to her right. 'What the hell is going on?"
"T-this is a dream. Right!?
Slowly a circular wall enclosed upon and through Megumi, closing into the horrific scene she saw until it disappeared. This left her confused. "Huh?"
She was now alone in the hospital room, with no soul in sight… or so she thought… as a deep authoritative voice came from her side.
"How interesting…" it said. "Megumi Scorn. Age, 22. Dead May 7, 2022. At 3:04 PM…"
Megumi could only wrench her head towards the voice, finding an imposing and towering skeleton.
He wore a large black and gray hooded robe with strange black stones tracing the outline of the shoulder pads that edged down twice fold. And his skeleton face with what looked like black steaks marks coming down both eye holes towards his mouth. All the while his cat-like white pupils stared at her.
She backed away seeing this tall monster approaching. "Here you are… dead… And now here I am."
Megumi's back hit the wall. She was forced to look up, trembling in fear.
"W-what's going on!?"