G. Shinazugawa x Fem!Reader

Chapter 16

   A frail woman with slightly yellowing skin tied a rope to (Y/N), the people she came with doing the same to her companions, before she sat across. It was a slight struggle as the one with the boar mask had draped himself over her and her blond friend's lap but she completed the taste none the less. She sat across from them and tied the other end of the rope to her own wrist.

   "Close your eyes and count up to fall asleep so we can all have good dreams," a man said. His skin was a ghostly pale and his cheeks were hollowed. The only people awake nodded, having all tied themselves to one of the slayers. The woman connected to (Y/N) counted to herself before drifting off somewhere around eight.

✩☆★☆✩

   "Where am I?" (Y/N) thought to herself. She was sat in a meadow with a small pond in it. It was somewhat swampy, she noted, as she looked at the lilly pads decorating the water's surface. She looked at the ground around her. The grass was over grown and tickled her bare ankles. Daisies, cornflowers, and poppies sprouted near her. She plucked a cornflower, holding it in her hand and examining it. Her brow furrowed. These hands looked strange.

   "Didn't I have callouses?" she mumbled, "No, I guess not. What would they have even been from?" She looked ahead to see a few patches of catmint before the meadow met a forest. The shrubs and foliage near the base of the trees nearly completely covered the floor save for a small pathway. She couldn't name why she didn't like the forest. It was where she'd grown up so why was she so uneasy?

   She looked up. The sky was a soft peach, sunset. She frowned. It was a dangerous time, she should prepare herself for the night, but why? She shook her head. It was a peaceful meadow, why should she fret? The sound of footfalls rang out as a few crickets began to chirp. The sun was descending rapidly. She clutched the stem of the plucked flower as anxiety coursed through her. She stared unblinking at the pathway.

   "Sissy! Did you get the flowers so we could make a crown?!" a young voice said as her younger sister ran out. An even younger boy followed behind with equal excitement. Her brother. That's right. She had come to gather flowers to make her sister a crown. How could she have forgotten?

   "Eh?! Was this all you got?!" the young girl said, pulling the cornflower from the girl's hand. It had withered slightly from how tight she had been gripping it prior. She looked at the young girl and then to the boy before standing.
   "O-Oh. Sorry. Why...don't...you two help...me," (Y/N) mumbled. Her sister smiled while her brother rolled his eyes.

   "I'll help you guys but then you've gotta help me catch the lightening bugs, okay Sissy?" he asked eagerly. He clung to her clothes slightly. She forced a smile and nodded. This wasn't right. The flowers they ran around collecting shouldn't be in bloom this time of year. And the fireflies weren't active this time of year yet she was already starting to notice some glowing as the sun fully disappeared behind the horizon. Had she simply not realized it was May already?

   "Where's-" the teen started but stopped. Her siblings looked at her confused.
   "Where's what?" her sister asked. (Y/N) looked at her with a frown.
   "I was looking for someone...? No. But who was it?" she replied. She kept mumbling to herself before eventually seeming to land on something.

   "My other brothers!" she finally said, looking at the two confused faces before her. Her brother shook his head.
   "I'm your only brother Sissy..." he said solemnly, taking a step towards her and attempting to grab her hand. She stepped back, confused once more. She shook her head somewhat aggressively at the notion that the two small kids were her only siblings.