April 11th

[terminalshow]

The weather for the last several days had been rain, rain, rain, and more rain. It wasn't cold out, at least, the rainy season in Okinawa rarely was, but so much rain really could get depressing! School had only been in session for a short two weeks, and those days had been mostly cloudy and wet. In Miho's humble opinion, it was super dreary. There had been a death on campus, and although the police hadn't said if it was suicide or homicide, rumors were already heavily circulating – someone had shoved the elementary school teacher from the roof and to her untimely death. They got the day off, of course, but that was two days ago. Now it was back to school in this miserable weather.

Rumors, actually, seemed to be becoming more and more commonplace over the last few days. It was getting a little scary! Maybe that had something to do with the slightly increased crime-rate Okachi had been experiencing - although the death of elementary teacher had been the worst (if it was even homicide! Who knew if that was true or not).

Fortunately, the school day was over! Well, not fortunately to Miho, seeing as she really enjoyed her classes, but now it was either study time or go home time. She'd just exited the school, one hand on her light pink umbrella, and the other holding up a textbook (biology) to her face so she could study as she walked. Maybe she'd bump into someone on the way out? None of her clubs were meeting today. The girl tilted her head up to cast a hopeful glance around the exterior of the building, hmm.

Comments

[seiyayamada]

"Inside..." Seiya felt as if the whole world was shifting. She gripped her fork, palms shaking a little. "... the mirror."

[terminalshow]

"The... mirror?" Her brows furrowed, drawing together in an altogether concerned expression. Seiya seemed like she had a headache, or was in pain... "Are you okay? Maybe we should go home." One of her hands lifted, to press against her senpai's forehead.

[seiyayamada]

"Do you have a mirror at home?" It seemed like an odd question, yet still she felt compelled to ask. Seiya got up, plopping some yen down to pay for their things.

[terminalshow]

“I have a mirror, yes, but- what, waiittt..” Oh shoot, Seiya had gone and paid the bill and everything. Miho scrambled to get up with her, leaving enough yen to pay the tip. The Tanaka apartment was a penthouse suite, and it was huge. She definetely had some larger than life mirrors in there – not to mention that the elevator of the building was all mirrored walls. Gosh, this city really had a lot of mirrors, didn't it?!

[seiyayamada]

"Then there's no time to waste!" Seiya opened the door, stepping out into the rain. Umbrella or not, she headed down the sidewalk, expecting Miho to keep up with her. "C'mon, Miho-chan!"

[terminalshow]

"A-ah! Ah! Coming! Coming, hold on, don't walk so fastt..!" Miho had to bolt a little bit to keep up with her senpai, and she struggled with her umbrella once they hit the outdoors. The sound of her footfalls were heavy against the damp pavement as she trotted to Seiya's side. "Are we going to my place?"

Fortunately she lived pretty close to school, but what was all this about mirrors?!

[seiyayamada]

"Of course we are." Seiya navigated past pedestrians, darting through the crosswalk while it was red. When Seiya Yamada was on a mission it was best to just let her roll with it. Standing in front of Miho's building, the girl finally paused, looking around for her friend.

[terminalshow]

J-jeez! She was off! "Seenpaaai!" But Seiya had already darted across the street, and by the time Miho got there the cars were going again! It took several minutes for the girl to catch up to her senpai, and when she did she was a out of breath and fanning herself. "F-fudge, okay, hahh. I'm okay! I'm good! Let's go."

She gasped for breath, and then unlocked the apartment door. The inside was spacious and fancy, dark marble with flecks of white throughout shining up at them. It was super quiet, too, save for the sound of their shoes against the floor. Miho lead them forward, and then jammed the elevator button - luckily for them it was already at the lobby! The double doors slid smoothly open and revealed a large elevator space... The walls lined with mirrors. That was promising, wasn't it!?

In they went, though Miho was noticeably nervous. The second year hit the button for the top floor, and the doors slid shut. "It's kind of a long ride, um.. Sorry!" In this enclosed space, surrounded by the very things they planned to investigate, the atmosphere was a little tense. It was eerie, too, in her humble opinion - this was, after all, where the weirdness with G-san had happened.

Speaking of weirdness, Miho was fairly certain she could hear whispering on the edge of audible range. "Um.. Is that you, Seiya-chan?"

[seiyayamada]

Seiya stepped into the elevator, hesitant to lean against the glass. She decided against it, folding her arms. "Is what me?"

Staring at the little lights on the button panel, she felt this incredible urge to look into her reflection. Feeling watched, she bit her lip. "Quit looking at me."

[terminalshow]

This was starting to become a whole new level of eerie, as the elevator slowly and silently made its way up the luxurious apartment building. Apparently there was no one else on any of the other floors that needed to use the damn thing, ‘cause it wasn’t stopping! “Quit.. what? Me? I’m not, though!” She’d been staring at her feet, actually, feeling oddly too nervous to glance up at the endless reflection the mirrored walls were causing. Standing between two mirrors had never been this creepy before.

“We should be there s-soon, humm..” Each floor seemed to roll by with a torturously slow speed. They made it to thirty before the fluorescent lights above them flickered and then cut. The elevator stopped, sitting silent and dark. “…Seiya?”

[seiyayamada]

Seiya's eyes widened as the power suddenly drained from the elevator. Instinctively, she reached out for something to steady herself, hand resting on the cool mirror surface. It didn't stop there. As Miho called her name, Seiya's fingertips sank into the glass, rippling it as an odd light cast an eerie glow on the two girls.

She just stared in absolute shock before jerking her hand back, the light vanishing.

[terminalshow]

The girl was shifting her weight back and forth between her feet, squinting against the darkness in a vain attempt to see anything when the eerie white glow momentarily illuminated the elevator. It cast odd shadows against Seiya and Miho’s skin and then was gone quickly as it came. The second year continued to stare, however, eyes wide. “D..did your hand- did your hand- what?! Whaaaaat?”

Seiya’s hand had been in the mirror, hadn’t it?! The glass had rippled as if it were the surface of a pond. She wasn’t just imagining that?! Maybe all the studying was getting to her. Maybe she was finally losing it. The strange whispers that had been on the edge of their hearing increased just a tad. “Oh, oh, oh gosh, what’s going on?!”

[seiyayamada]

I am thou, thou art I...

It was a soft hush of words that came as Seiya slid down to her knees. She stared up at Miho, scared and confused. "Do you hear it...?"

I am thou, thou art I... The voice warped, and a high pitched buzz tingled in her ears. I am a shadow, the true self.

Seiya covered her ears, "NO!"

[terminalshow]

What was going on? Miho couldn’t hear the voice Seiya was hearing, true, but there was an odd little whisper on the very edge of her consciousness, and it wasn’t a very pleasant one! Plus, her senpai was freaking out, and the power was still off and… What was going on!? She whirled on her heel, groping along the elevator doors until she found the control panel at the side. Once found she started jamming the heck out of that ‘36’ button. There was an electrical buzz – perhaps the power would come back on soon?

[seiyayamada]

Seiya curled up, covering her eyes. It was all too much, and poor Miho was dragged into it now. "S-Stop! Where are the lights? Please turn the power back on!!"

[terminalshow]

“W-why isn’t it workinggg---?!” As she jammed the button once more, and as Seiya curled up, the fluorescents above them abruptly flickered back on. The comforting hum of electricity started to ring in their ears again, and the elevator slowly started ascending once more. Heart pounding in her head, and her eyes wide, Miho darted to Seiya’s side. “Are you okay? What happened? Ohg-gosh, are you okayyy?”

[seiyayamada]

"I-I'm fine." Seiya, embarrassed to be seen like this, quickly sat up. "I didn't just... that really happened, didn't it?" She shakily stood, knees wobbling a tad.

[terminalshow]

"You don't really look fine.." Said with a pout, as Miho was still crouched by her side. The elevator stopped moving and the doors quietly slid open to reveal the hallway of the 36th floor. She glanced toward it, breathing a sigh of relief. "Let's get out of here?"

[seiyayamada]

Nodding, she stood, grabbing Miho's hand instinctively. Shakily exiting the elevator, she looked around, half expecting something else horrible to go wrong.

"Does that happen... often?"

[terminalshow]

Behind them the elevator silently closed without another tremor. Miho looked visibly shaken as well, and shook her head with some insistence. “Never. That's never... Except for the once, with G-san. I don't understand..”

[seiyayamada]

Seiya paced a bit, still holding Miho's hand. She'd just drag her along, glare focused at her feet.

"I just don't understand-- wait, it happened with him too?"

[terminalshow]

"Um..! Yes. The last time we went up here. I'm starting to develop a phobia of elevators, heheh." She rubbed the back of her neck with her free hand. smiling now that she was calm. "Wanna make some hot cocoa? Or tea? To help calm down? That was really scary.."