Null Life: Last Day

Chapter 7

It all made sense after the recounting last month. Except this time, they were able to remember the young girl in question; the younger Hisako that sat between Asahi and Hori. It was decided to ask the current Hisako about it, and even about their friend, Shimura Takahashi, somehow knowing that the younger one was targeted by her future self, for whatever reason. They pondered together over him, as he had been missing ever since that strange day.

The answer given in the present here, giving them an inkling of her intentions. Then again, simply saying she had taken her younger self out of the picture for the sake of everything right here and on the surface didn't make any sense at all. This was becoming ludicrous to them, and now they were beginning to want to get out of here and find an actual safe haven. Hisako didn't feel like someone sensible to be around. If it were possible, they would find Shimura during the search for a different and more human safe haven.

The hospital, occupied by the SDF and A.E.F.

But she first needed some form of information about the current state of topside. She paused the game, and quickly switched over to the News. Asahi and Aiko both gave the look of annoyance. "This'll only be a moment, you two." Hori said.

And there it was. Fourty-seven percent of their city, including the suburbs, were already turned and almost filled with the roaming undead. It also felt surreal for them to see a city road filled with so many people, albeit loud and panicking, being escorted by the newly A.E.F soldiers. Yet the roads and paths nearby their homes were as quiet as ever, until the zombie activity, and that monster Hisako mentioned. That acronym for this force clad in blue flectarn never reached their eyes and ears until now. It wss a sure mystery on what their past deeds were, if there were any at all. Something else came to mind for Asahi, although it was probably unnecessary to ask.

Something in him desired to know the answer still. "Hori, what happened with that poor dog?" He said.
"I managed to... kill it, why?" She replied. She then began to look around at everything confused, sensing something terrible yet unseen.
"Hey, you okay?" He shook her to get her to respond, but she was seemingly out of it. Everything was happening so suddenly, so fast and always at the most unfortunate times.

Everything in front of Hori flickered before she even blinked; she suddenly found herself still in the underground facility living room, but this time it was almost dark, dim even. The lights were now off. Within the darkness, she made out her two best friends lying face down on the couch and floor. Both Asahi and Aiko both had a bloody knife stuck in their back. The nightmare she never wanted to see in reality, ever.
"There's no way I just killed them... What the fuck is happening?"

Her head began to feel like it was going to burst from a burning sensation within. She then held her head firmly in hopes of holding the pain at bay, but to no avail, as she suddenly lost the muscles to stand. "So, you've finally stopped talking to the air." A familiar voice. It was that of Hisako's. She spoke from somewhere within the surrounding darkness. Even in Hori's confusion and pain, Hisako's voice was still recognisable, and now, it was unwelcome.

Every thought was becoming completely scrambled with a tornado of new yet familiar memories overlapping each other. Memories of violence that would only make anyone feel like they were losing their sanity. She felt she was everywhere else in this world, but only here in this very room at the exact same time. This looming feeling was like her inner self being dismembered not by blades, but by countless hands. She tried to mentally push thtough all of it, to let coherent words escape her lips. "What's... happening..." These two words were all that could be mustered as she fell onto her arms.

"Perhaps the other you did overlap this space." Hisako said when kneeling down in front of Hori. "I can tell your consciousness is colliding with what happened just now, but you yourself didn't kill them at all..." With these words, Hori repeatedly told herself in silence that she didn't kill thrm. Then, another familiar voice was now present. Amiko Sato.
"I have finished cleaning myself, Mother." She spoke with a harshness.