The Forgotten of Kenopsia

Chapter 1 - Reflection

            The sensation of cold snowflakes falling on top of my nose made me wake up with a sudden jerk. I opened my eyes and looked around to find myself napping on the wooden bench, covered in snow, beneath the tremendous pine tree near the house where I lived in.

       I've been living on my own for almost a year after my family's sudden disappearance. I stayed at home for the  most part and survived on instant food my grandmother used to store inside the house. Even though most of the vegetables grown in our back yard had died down due to the unnatural winter weather, I was capable of maintaining the plantations which withstood the frost and the cold. However, I was never capable of anything close to cooking. But because of the absence of anyone to take care of me, I had to learn several survival skills to keep myself alive.

At times, life itself seemed futile living by myself, since I haven't seen nor encountered a single living human being for the past entire year of my life, ever since the day everything changed. I was living in a world that only I owned for myself, selfishly, yet with no desires, I continued living on a whim. In hopes that things would change one day. However, I had already given up on all my attempts on searching for an existence besides myself. Maybe I got too used to living on my own. Even though, internally, I knew that this feeling will forever be unfamiliar to me, something that I would never wish for.

      The temperature started to drop rapidly as it started to snow again. It was probably only a couple of degrees below zero, and yet the chilly breeze started to freeze my nose. I put my hands inside the pockets of my leather jacket and stared at the unshaken white torenias in the front yard. For some reason, it appeared to be purer than snow and undoubtedly prettier. I covered my mouth with my hands and breathed into them in order to keep them warm. For as long as I can remember, it's bee snowing since last September and it was already July. Even if the city of Tokamachi is known for its excessive snowfall during the winter season, it only lasted from around November to March. It was very unusual for the winter to last this long but I didn't really hate it since I never liked the warm weather in the first place. I was more accustomed to the winter ever since I was a child and the snow put my mind at ease.

   When my face started to feel numb, I realized that it was time for me to go back inside. I wiped away the snow on my clothes and started to back track by stepping on the same footsteps I took to come outside. The snowfall this year was higher than the past couple of years. Whenever I stepped on the snow, my foot sinked deep and I had to exert  some force to pull it back up. I slowly passed the front isle and closed the door after myself. It was much warmer inside since the fire place was lighted and the small pieces of ice on my boots started to melt as soon as I stepped in.         

"I'm back home!" I uttered a little loud as a habit even though I did know that it was just me home.

  I grabbed a small towel from the closet to wipe off my drenched hair, before I could catch a cold. Then I walked upstairs to my room with the towel wrapped around my neck to be welcomed by my only friend "Phony". A couple of months ago, I discovered Phony, a baby nestor, in my back yard during a snowstorm and I decided to take care of it. To me, Phony wasn't just a bird but a life companion since it not only lightened up the house but also gave a reason for my existence. The bird's chirping sounds made my heart a little less heavier and eased my mind.

I picked up the half finished bowl of noodles that I had left in my room before I stepped outside. The noodles seemed a little cold and soggy but my hunger overlooked the condition of it. It had been a while since I had eaten a proper meal myself. It wasn't the best thing I could've eaten but I managed to fulfill my hunger with it.

After that, I sat down on the edge of my bed and stared outside through the trails of melting snow on my window. I stared into the white streets and trees and all the places that used to be filled with light and people when I used to stare outside from this window as a child. I remember going to the snow festival in the Tokamachi city with my Mother when I was a little kid. The streets lit up with colorful lights and they were filled with stalls and people. My mom always bought me my favorite Okonomiyaki pancakes when we went to see fireworks together. And I always looked forward to having fun with my Mother during the festival. But after my Mother passed away, I never once went to a snow festival again. Instead, I stayed home looking after my ill grandmother. And I will most likely repent my decisions back in the day when I thought I had so much time on my hands. I will miss seeing the lights and the old Tokamachi city from back then. But it was no longer the same town. It was a forgotten town, abandoned and unappreciated.

    I was lost in my own thoughts that I failed to realize that the faint opening in the window let in a chilly breeze. The weather was getting bad by the second with the increasing snowfall. I stood up to close the upper window and stared into the distance.

  As I scanned through the snowfield one last time, something strange stood out in the corner of my eyes. It seemed unexpectedly sudden, yet I couldn't seem to believe my own own eyes. I could see a certain figure standing across the snowfield. I tried to take a closer look by peeking through the window and I could clearly see a female figure. She seemed somewhat pale, wearing a white dress in this extremely cold weather.

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   I was dazed to see a person other than myself in this isolated place. I found the urge in myself to run for her. In the next split of a second, even before I could realize it, I started to sprint downstairs as fast as I could. Without any delay, I grabbed my jacket and my red knitted scarf with an umbrella in my hand. I stepped out of the house as I was trying to put my boots on and started to jump over the snow, making my way through. When I made it towards the field, I  started looking around to spot where she was now. I could see her, still standing on the snow with bare feet, seemingly unaffected by the weather. It was more than just strange but there was no way I could go back now. Maybe if I reach her, I might be able to get a little bit closer to the truth to know what was going on. I was not about giving up. But for some reason, she seemed strangely impossible to reach. I already knew that getting across the snow was hard enough but I couldn't seem to be able to move forward. Even though I tried my best to fight the strong wind, both my umbrella and my scarf managed to get blown away in the next moment. I took a look back, but my scarf was already flying across the field towards the trees. But I had to keep moving on. I took another step forward but gradually, with each step I took, I lost the strength in my legs.

       I slowly lifted my head up to take another glance at the female figure. She was there, staring right back at me. Why did she suddenly seem so familiar? That long black hair and the smirk on her face- it all seemed too familiar to me. But who was she? I had to find it out, but in the next few moments, my legs completely gave in and my knees lost all strength to get slammed on the snow. I felt desperate. I could still see her, but she was now turning her back on me trying to walk away from me.

"Wait!" I used all the strength in my voice to scream for her to be heard. But why didn't my voice come out? Why didn't it reach her? I felt extremely cold. I could feel my whole entire body getting numb by the second and my vision of the female figure walking away slowly started getting blurry. I was unable hold up my head high anymore. My body collapsed on the snow even before I could realize it.

"W-Who are you....." I mumbled to myself before I closed my eyes.

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🦋[ Author's Note ]🦋

I sincerely apologize if the introduction of the character seems too rushed! Also, there aren't any dialogues in the beginning chapters. But thank you for reading anyways!! I might edit bits of the chapters to extend it further. Hope you enjoy this story!! Look forward to the next chapter which will reveal some of the Hidden past of the Character!!