Through the Night

Green Eyes Near Midnight

I swear to God, how did I get lost when there was a god damn path? My sense of direction must be getting worse. I sighed, irritated at myself, add on to that, I was bone tired. I couldn't see very far in any direction. It was a cloudy night and the moon wasn't getting through. Even if I did have a map, I wouldn't be able to read. Just my luck. I knew I shouldn't have gone off of campus so late for a lottery ticket.

"Ashes to ashes.  Dust to dust." A trilling voice breaks me out of my self-pity for a moment, and I seek it out immediately. It sounds higher up, and little bit to the left.

"In a desolate forest of steel, I dream of brass sheep..." The haunting sound of a violin only adding to it's melody of despair. I take more steps in it's direction, eyes widened at the melodic sorrow that surrounds me.

"...that ring like applause. The echo of a brilliant sound loudly crosses the ocean and steps forth in the world." The violin gets more desperate as the voice gets more hopeless. More and more and more steps in that direction until a black haired girl comes into view. She is standing on a balcony of a small house that I've never seen before. The moon comes out behind her as she comes into view, and she starts swaying ever so slightly to the song that means oh so much to her. 

She suddenly stops moving, bringing her violin to her side, and her eyes flutter open, revealing two perfect iridescent green eyes. Her black almost see-through now dress is embroidered with the same green as her breathtaking eyes. Her hair hangs a little past her shoulders. I notice the violin is the same, black and green.

"What are you doing here?" She asks, voice a little lower than I would've thought from her singing.

"I got lost." I respond, managing to keep it together. I wonder if she noticed the slight waver in my voice.

"That would explain a bit more, blonde stranger." She calls as she retreats through the glass doors, only to come out a moment later, violin gone from her hand. Her skin is darker than mine, but still fair.

"I forgot a map, plus if you hadn't noticed, it was pitch black and I couldn't see anything." 

"Why don't you come inside for the night?" She asks, motioning to the door below. "It's open." 

"Isn't that a risk?" I ask as I step inside, hearing her footsteps on the stairs.

"Not one I wouldn't want to take. Nobody really cares about me here." She said, twirling into the room, the fabric of her dress sparkling in the moonlight that filtered into the room.

"Not a one?" I ask breathlesly, to amazed by how sweet she looked twirling around in that dress.

"Not a one." She replied, facing me with her green eyes wide open.

"You must have someone who loves you." I retort, and she looks down, biting her lip.

"There is one, but he almost never visits me." She murmurs, and I want to kill whoever it is, leaving such a nice girl out here by herself.

"He?" I mumble and look down at the floorboards.

"Ah, he's like a father to me, in a way." She explained, steeping lightly to the side, motioning for me to follow. 

"Uh, don't you want to know my name first?" I ask. She glances back at me, hesitating. 

"Sure."

"Mikaela Hyakuya, but you can call me Mika." I said, introducing myself to her.

"One hundred nights, huh?" She asks softly after a moment. I startle and she gives me a small, tight smile. "Sounds like a name someone like me would have, instead I have Ichinose."

"Oh, your last name is Ichinose?" I ask, trying to keep the conversation going.

"Yes, my name is Yuichirou, but you can call me Yuu." She says as she continues up the stairs, me following close behind. Her house is small, really it's just a guest cottage with a a small living room, a kitchenette, a bathroom and a bedroom. It has two floors, and when I get upstairs there is an ornate bed alone one wall, and it's mostly filled with unfinished paintings and paint.

"Don't mind the paintings, I only do those when I'm bored." She explained, motioning around. There were paintings of larks, flowers, the night sky, and even a few of people.

"They're really good though." I pointed out, and she gave me a disbelieving smile. 

"No, they aren't." Yuu moves her face so I can't see it. 

"Whatever you say..." I murmured as I took in each of the paintings. One was of a man with black hair and purple eyes next to a silver haired man with blue eyes. I recognized him as Shinya Hiiragi, an art professor at the university.

Another was of a group of people, a boy with  brown hair and a kind look in his olive eyes, a stoic pink-haired man wearing glasses, a purple haired girl with a bow and a mischievous spark in her maroon eyes and a blonde haired girl with purple eyes. They all look happy, but there was an open spot, one that was empty.

"Hey, Yuu, do you know these people?" I asked, not turning around.

"I used to." Her voice floated in from right behind me. I jumped and turned, looking for her. She was there, standing silently, a forlorn look on her balanced features.

"Used to?"

"Yes. They were my friends. But then they weren't." She said shortly, tiptoeing over to the bed. She sat as I continued looking at the paintings. A little girl with dusty red hair, a man with brown hair pulled up in a ponytail, and a last painting that looked entirely too familiar. 

"Is that my dad?" I blurted. His silver hair was done up with his favorite black ribbon, his red eyes gleaming with pride as he stood next to his petite pink-haired wife, her eyes glimmering with happiness. In her arms was...

"I painted that years ago for a family as a gift to the mother. Krul, I believe her name was. She helped me with something, and I just wanted to give her something as a thank you." Yuu explained, looking at the floor.

Years ago? Krul, Ferid, and... me?

"Hey, Mika?" Yuu asked, her voice slightly softer than normal. I turned, and saw she was crying. The tears streamed down her face, but there was a wide smile there. I noticed I could see behind her, through her. I startled.

"Y-yes?" I answered, my fear immediately draining away.

"Find me." Her voice fading.

"Find you!? Wait!" I screamed as she continued fading. I ran over, grabbing her face with both hands. She smiled up at me, still fading. "Where!?"

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you." She murmured, her voice catching several times.

"Wait! No! Don't leave me!" I yelled, tears streaming down my face as well. 

"It's okay. It's supposed to be this way." She said. I couldn't take it anymore. She had to know how irrationally I felt.

I leaned down, meeting her lips. She let out a soft gasp of surprise, before disappearing completely. 

I fell to my knees, the tears flowing freely right until I blacked out.