Emotions

Chapter 16: The Shadow

I open my eyes and sit up straight. Half awake, I reach out for my alarm clock, but I can't seem to find it. Confused, I rub my eyes to see more clearly. As I slowly come to my senses, I recall the fact that I'm not in my own house, but at Lido's. I glance sideways to the couch, but Lido isn't present. Where did he go? 

''Hehe.'' A sudden laughter in my ear makes me turn around franticly. 
''Who's there?'' I yell on my toes, but there's no response. Was it my imagination? Still, something doesn't feel right. Lido wouldn't leave without telling me. 

I try searching the house, calling out to Lido.
''Lido? Lido! Where are you?'' My voice rings through the house. But even though I look high and low for him, the house stays dead quiet.  I feel my mind slip into a panic.
"Dude, t-this isn't funny!" My voice starts to break.
"Well.. there is only one option left...'' I swallow nervous.

I open the curtains of the living room to look outside, hoping Lido was playing a trick on me, being in front of the window this entire time. But the scenery was so unexpected it makes me very uneasy. There is not a soul out there. The city feels abandoned and cold. The streets are covered with a slight mist and the street lights are flickering omniously. 

''Okay, now I am really creeped out.'' I feel a chill going down my spine.

As I scan the area, I suddenly see a shadow running towards Lido's house. Is...is that Lido? I squint my eyes to take a closer look. But am suprised to see that the shadow looks like a girl. 
The shadow keeps sprinting, once she passes the window I stand in front of, she laughs. 

''Hehe.'' She giggles as she dissapears, leaving black smoke behind.
Not a split second later, she appears across the street. She laughs one last time before she turns the corner.

''I have to go after her!'' With that urge, I dash out of the house chasing the only lead I have.

After turning the same corner, the shadow comes into sight, but it didn't show any sign of stopping.
"Please wait!" I yell desperately, holding out my hand towards it. I feel myself running out of breath, it causes my speed to drop. ''Please...'' I beg with heaving breath.

It looks like I finally caught the shadow's attention. The shadow glitches and comes to a sudden halt.

Hesitant, I close in on it.
''Who are you?'' I touch the shoulder of the shadow. The shadow turns around, facing me with hollow eyes. Her figure, however, kind of looks like...my sister's?
"R-Rina?" I stutter in disbelief. The dark shadow grins.

Like ink, black drops drip on the ground, revealing my sister from underneath it.

''Ziro!'' Her nostalgic sweet voice makes me to tear up. She looks at me with her twinkling green eyes and hugs me tight.
''Oh Ziro! I missed you so much!'' I'm taken aback. I can't believe it. Could it really be her?
I place my hands on her back, embracing her as well.
''I am so happy to see you again, too!" My tears drop down on the ground. I did it. I finally found her.

As if my thought of peace were the trigger, I hear the sound of something breaking. I observe our surroundings, shocked to find out that everything around us is collapsing. The buildings, the windows, even the ground is breaking like glass, leaving a dark abyss behind. The noise hurts my ears as it becomes deafening.

"What is happening!?" I shout in distress, covering my ears to block out the piercing sound.
My sis clutches my shirt with her trembling hands.
''I'm scared Ziro...'' I feel her shiver.
''I will protect you!'' I reassure her. I remove one hand from my ears to pull her in close, but she pushes me away.
''It's okay. Your big sis will handle this.'' Determined, she steps away from me.
''Don't leave me!'' I beg as I run as fast as I can, but I can't catch up to her, the gap only widens.

In the distance, I can only watch how two staff members of the government appear out of thin air and violently pin her to the ground. One grabs her arms and puts handcuffs around her wrists and the other holds her head down.

"You're coming with us for trespassing private property.'' One says, his voice sounding stern. ''And for having a low level of happiness!" The other adds with glee. 

They then each grab one arm of my sister, wearing a sickly smile, they march away. My sis looks over her shoulder, straight into my eyes.

''Please, Ziro, whatever you do, save as many people as possible from this fate.'' She pleads as she sheds a tear. A second later, she disappears into the darkness.

''No... Come back! Please! This is all my fault. Why... Why did this need to happen?!'' I fall on my knees balling a shaking fist. With a scream, I smash my fist into the black ground.
  
It causes literally everything to break down to just glass pieces. With nothing left to stand on, I fall downward, my tears spilling out into the air. Maybe... it's better this way. Maybe, I should just disappear, too.