Shadow of the Dead

love and hate

Stop it, Utau chan. That hurts. You are hurting me," cried the little girl who was wearing the uniform of Seiyo Elementary. Her face was bruised and her clothes were dirty. She was being hit by a girl of the same age as her whose hair was long and blonde and was tied into two pigtails. She was hitting the other girl nonstop.

"You deserve it. You are the one who told sensei that I started the food war last week. I should teach you a lesson so you will never mess with me," said Utau.

"No, I didn't tell sensei. It was Rima chan," said the beaten up girl.

"Don't lie. You are the only one who saw me. That stupid Mashiro wasn't there."

"But I didn't tell anyone. Believe me."

"I don't believe you, I hate you. I hate people who have everything. I just hate people who think that they are better than me just because they have fathers. You witch, why don't you just disappear?" And with that Utau hit the girl one last time before leaving the back of the school and went to her class.

Utau was slapped by her mother, Souko whose eyes were covered by her bangs. Ikuto, Utau's brother was standing beside their mother who also seemed angry."I am so ashamed to have you, to give birth to you, you murderer," stated Souko in a high tone. "Now I know why Aruto left me. It's because I gave birth to a monster. Why? Why did it have to be like this?" cried Souko now tears in her eyes.

When Utau looked at her brother for answers he answered without looking at her as if he was ashamed to be related to her. "Utau, that girl you so despised. She committed suicide," stated Ikuto.

"What?" whispered Utau.

"She died because she had enough of your bullying. You forced her. You killed her," said Ikuto.

"No."

"No."

"NO."

Utau woke up sweating. It was 4 am. She sat up in her bed. She was now 16 years old, in high school 1st year. Her second term of this year was going to start from that morning. The dream she had was of five years ago when she was in fifth grade. Why would she have that dream now? It wasn't fair. She tried to forget about it many times. She now just wants to move forward from the past and also from the sin.
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"For some reason, I feel like something shocking is going to happen this morning," said Utau to herself.

"Lulu chan, come here. Look, this keychain is so cute," exclaimed a little girl. Lulu, another little girl of the same age walked up to the other girl inside the shop who was looking at some keychains.

"Stop it. You are acting like a child," retorted Lulu.

"But they are very cute. Hey, Let's take two matching teddy bear key chains," said the girl happily. Her eyes were bright golden. And they seemed to be radiating sunshine. Lulu blushed a little when that girl gave her a light pink teddy bear chain and kept a golden her to herself.

"Do you like it, Lulu chan?" asked the girl.

"Y..Yes," replied Lulu. "And stop calling me Lulu CHAN. It's annoying."

"Why?" asked the other girl clueless.

"Be..because I heard that you aren't suppose to use honorifics with your best friend," stated Lulu without meeting the other girl's eyes.

"Best friend?"

Lulu knew she shouldn't have pushed her luck. This girl was her only friend. They became friends only two weeks ago. So best friend was a little too much.

"Lulu," said her friend. Lulu looked up only to see the golden eyed girl to smile more radiantly. Then realization hit Lulu. Her friend dropped the CHAN.

"We are best friends, right? Best friends till the end of the world," said the sparkling eyed girl.

"Hun," nodded Lulu.

Lulu just came back from a talent competition and of course she won. "I just can't wait to see her expression. She will be so happy," Lulu said to herself while dancing around in her room.

"Lulu," her mother called.

"What's the matter, oka san?" Lulu asked seeing her mother in a pained expression.

"Lulu, your friend..your best friend, she..she is no longer in this world. She ..she died."

"No, you are lying. Don't make fun about such things. Please stop. It hurts to even hear it."

"Lulu, I am not joking or lying. It's the trut.."

"NO, STOP."

Lulu suddenly opened her eyes and was met by darkness. She was sweating and panting heavily. She turned on her bed side lamp and saw that it was 4:05 am. "Remembering about her really hurts. I am so useless I couldn't even detect her sorrows or stop her from suiciding." Then she glanced at the photo frame where there was a photo of two smiling girls. One was Lulu and other had bright golden eyes that seemed to glow even in the darkness. "Best friends till the end of the world? Don't joke about such things," said Lulu and went back to sleep unsure of whether she could sleep or not. Beside the photo was a pink teddy bear key chain.