A week ago, it was business as usual. We see a stray cat or dog, we approach them, and bring them to our shelter. We would bathe them first, of course! After that we take them to the vet. God knows they need it, the illness they caught, the amount of fleas they have, and the horrible conditions they were in. Those poor souls.
That day, Makoto came by the shelter, as per usual if a little late, but with a distraught look on his face. Before we even greet each other, Makoto asked us: "Have anyone seen the cat?!"
'Which cat?' we all thought, and as if reading our collective minds, he clarified: "The black cat I've been seeing! The feisty one?!"
"Oh no…" was what I could only say.
"We were making good progress, so I was planning on taking him to the shelter today, but I couldn't find him on his usual spots! I search all over but I still couldn't find him, so I thought… I thought…!"
"Makoto, take a deep breath. In, out, in, out, there. It's okay, it's going to be alright. Cats are tough creatures. Even more so than dogs, and I'm a dog person! So he's sure to be there somewhere. Let's make a search party, how about that?" I tried calming him down. And it worked. "Okay… okay… yeah, let's."
So we made a search party, eight people for a team of 4. Each team would go into different directions, different places in town, and ask the people there about a certain one-eyed black cat.
Makoto and I were in different teams, so the details may be hazy, but what happened was that he spotted a trail of blood going a different direction from where his team was supposed to go.
The kind man that he is, he couldn't leave an injured soul behind, cat or not. So his team followed the trail. What they spotted at the end of the trail was the cat we were looking for; a poor sight for the eyes, it must have fought with something larger than it.
And it was limping onto an oncoming traffic. They chased after it; Makoto was faster than his partner, so he got to it first. But…
*SCREEECH* *CRAAASSHH*
.
.
.
"We managed to get him to the hospital but…" an unbearably long pause.
"A week...ago..." That was the day I returned. The day... I called him...
"W…what w..was his la..st…" I struggled to speak. And the tears that I thought could not flow any faster becomes akin to a river under heavy rain. I clenched bracelets closet to my face, so close it's practically touching it.
"…He didn't have any, to my knowledge." She claimed, "I'm sorry."
"…What about… the cat…?" I managed to say.
"It was a close call, but we managed to save its life." She said.
"Heh, haha" I couldn't help but chuckle at it all. That damn guy, really had the last laugh. I mean, dying as a hero? Come on, it can't get any cooler than that!
I stood up, and headed to the open casket. Traditions be damned, one of these is meant for you, jackass. So you better wear it. To the after life, and beyond. Or I swear, I will reverse haunt you. I don't know what that means, but I swear! Once again,
"Thank you, Makoto. And…"
I love you, dumbass…
.
.
.
"Hey, heeey!" a petite hand is swaying right up my face, "What's wrong? You've been awfully quiet. Don't tell me, are you having regrets about this?"
"Oh, nothing,Michizuka-sa-" *Glare* "…senpai." *Smiles* "*Sigh*, I was just think of the past." I said with a smile on my face, as I turn my head back towards the window, looking across the clouds, hiding under it an endless blue.
It's been 4 years since then. He's still occupying a space inside my head. And you thought all I care about is nature and shit. Well, think again, jackass.
That said, another space is occupied by that promise. Doesn't matter. Once I'm done with this field trip, I will fulfill. So you look out, buddy! I'm coming for ya!
"The past, huh," shi-, that scared me, I forgot she's still here, "That reminds me! Uh, where is it? No, not here…"
Here we see the eccentric Michizukaensis erikai digging through its numerous amounts of pockets. No doubt in search of a tool to help its search for new prey. "Found it!" and what she found is… a book?
"Not just a book!" Huh?
"And don't think I didn't hear that narration of yours, Aki-kun!" Oh, whoops.
"It's a journal!" she exclaimed.
"Oh, is that going to be a rough draft of your next biography, senpai?" I asked.
"No, silly! It's for you!" she clarified. "For me?"
"Yup, yup!" She gave it to me, "This can help you contextualize your thoughts, allowing you to better absorb the knowledge and experiences in the coming times. And, if you'd want, it can also serve as a rough draft for your biography, if ever you decide to publish it!"
'So it is a rough draft of a biography, just not hers.'
"What should I write in this? Should I start from my birth up until now?" I asked her.
"No, no, no! It would be too long then! Just take mine as an example and write all the stuff you experience day to day starting…Now!" she explained, forcing a pen onto me. "…Okay…"
"Oh and make sure to write it in a way as if someone is going to read it!" she resumed. I gave her a quizzical look, but she already faced away and started whistling for no particular reason…
'Anyway…'
I don't know how this works….
============================================================================================================================================================================
I could hear
-p!
The sound of water droplets
-ddy!
Hitting the ground
-ake up!
And...
*tap tap tap*
"Wake up!"
W…what?
"There you are buddy! Stay strong! Help is on the way!"
Oh…
I was dreaming…
Or... was it…
"Buddy, stay with me, okay?! You hear me?!"
Oh… I see it… between the trees…
I need to…warn him…
"Talk to me! Don't sleep!"
"Mr… Jones…"
"Yes, Yes! It's me, buddy, I'm here!"
"Be…hind…"
And everything
Is engulfed in darkness