The borderlands... and him || Alice In Borderland

Before

My phone pings but i don't care. I have to get out. I finish the online escape room with 2 seconds to spare. That was close. With a sigh, i check my texts. 

Chota: Hey Kamiko...I'm not gonna come home yet, meeting Karube and Arisu. Sorry. Of course he is. I love Chota, and I love his friends but I wish my big brother would put me first for once. 

Me: It's fine, I can do my own uni applications, just really wished you'd be able to help. Did mum ask you for more money?  She left the house again. She only ever leaves the house to ask Chota for money and then gamble it all away.

Chota: Yeah... it's ok though I'll figure it out. Sorry again. We're going to get a drink. Do you want to come with us? 

I suddenly get the inexplicable feeling that something bad is about to happen. The whole day has bad vibes but this... this is more than just that. It's different. And I'm sure I'm not wrong. This isn't the first time it's happened, the last time i got this feeling was the day dad realised mum had cheated on him.  

Me: No, it's ok. I have things to do anyways. Tell Karube and Arisu i said hi? And be careful, okay?

Chota: yeah sure, i promise I'll be home by sundown and we can get your applications done or whatever you wanna do :) 

I smile at his text, despite the disappointment in my mind. Chota tries, he really does. I have him to thank for keeping us afloat, paying the bills, making sure mum is eating right... But still. I wish he was here with me while i did this. After i was fired from my part time job (cause i "seemed overworked". What kind of excuse is that for firing a perfectly capable person? I don't care that i was getting 2 hours of sleep and skipping lunch, i needed that money to pay for my sports and clubs and school), Chota was the only person earning money. Anyways. I make a quick mental note to look for another job and then get started on filling out the forms. 

Here at Harvard, we value students with a wide range of abilities. What can you bring to this community?

Hah...where should i start? 1st place chess awards since i was 11? Or maybe a black belt in karate and over 15 awards for volleyball, swimming, soccer and baseball. Each. Academic awards since i was 6 and over than 200 volunteering hours. I do dance and drama and I've gotten a short story published in the newspaper once, but they don't mean anything. I'm genuinely not trying to be arrogant when i list these things on the application. It's not like i can actually get anywhere with them anyways. It doesn't matter how good i am, cause I'm never putting all my time into one activity. I love them all too much to ever give any of them up. Jack of all trades, master of none. My grandpa always used to say. I should just choose something to focus on, but i can't. I barely even know what course i wanna take i uni, but I'm just trying to get a good job. Chota can't always be the only one to pay for everything. 

I think it's time to take a break. I sigh and get up, about to go grab some chocolate. Looking out the living room window, i see fireworks. That's kinda weird, why are the fireworks in the middle of the day? A horrible sinking feeling settles in my stomach. I don't like this. I'm not hungry an anymore, but i grab my chocolate and a bag of chips anyways. When i exit the kitchen, the lights flicker off. 

"What is up with today." I mutter, talking to myself "I'm sick of it. Chota isn't helping me with my work, the fireworks, and now this?" The lights flickered back on as soon as i finish talking, as though the universe heard me and turned the power back on. "Thank you." I mutter, frustrated and going back to my room. I decide to read for a little bit. I love reading. It's escapism and free therapy and disassociation all in one. I read to get away from the real world, because the characters in books are so much better than anyone i know could ever be. Their lives aren't perfect, but they get through it with a happy ending, most of the time. After about an hour later, I realise the sun is setting. That doesn't make sense. I lose track of the time when reading, sure, but it was barely the afternoon just now, I'm sure of it. Why don't i have any clocks in my room? I need to buy one soon. Looking down at the page number, I'm less than halfway through the book. It should've taken me an hour or two, at the most. I know how fast i read. It does not take me the 5 hours to read 200 pages. 

Why isn't Chota back yet? He wouldn't stay out without telling me... would he? I try to check my phone, but the stupid thing won't turn on. It can't have lost power already. I'm sure i'd had 80% just now. Taking a deep breath to calm myself, i go and charge my phone. The breath doesn't work. Today is getting worse and worse, i just wanna sleep. But...something else is off. I live right next to one of the biggest shopping markets in Tokyo, and it's eerily silent right now. If anything, sundown is the busiest, loudest time of the day. Tingles start to appear all up and down my spine. Why... why is it silent. It shouldn't be silent. Scrambling out of bed to look outside the window, i hit my shin on my nightstand.

"OW!" Ignoring the pain, i quickly open the blinds and stare outside. I'm all alone. There's no one outside. The throbbing gets smaller as my panic grows bigger. "Why is there no one outside??" I run out of my apartment and down the flights of stairs, shouting as i ran. "Hello!? Where is everyone?! Is anybody there!" My leg still throbs from the pain, and it hurts to walk outside, outside where everyone has disappeared. 

"HELLO??!! Please someone. Please. I don't know... i can't be alone." My voice silences to less than a whisper, "please."   

A/N

Hey if you're reading this! I hope you've enjoyed it so far, and i just wanted to say sorry about the chapter length 😩 ik it's really short. I have a horrible concept of chapter length and most of the time i make them too short. I'll try not to :) 

Ty if you read to the end of this like I really hope i can make one person feel like they got a little more AIB content, cause that's all i want. Ok imma stop talking now byee

LB