The Crooked Silhouette

Chapter 13: The Memory Recollection

It took place almost in a blink.

The booming slam which resounded the neighbourhood unexpectedly heard by the three friends. Every pair of eyes shot right at the one lying bloodily on the tarred road. The residents nearby who detected the crash rushed to see what really has happened so that appropriate action could be performed. Whispers and gasps were audible but those three friends froze at where they stood at on the pedestrian lane. Shivering limbs and goose bumps somehow stoned them to the point they could not reply to another friend of theirs when the latter arrived at the scene.

            “Why are you so pale?” Takeru laughed at his friends while lifting his plastic bag full of snacks and cupped ice creams. “Today’s on me, since I lost to the game yesterday.”

            Even so, none of them uttered a word. They fixated at the mournful tragedy before their eyes. It was unavoidable but it did not mean they could not stop it earlier. If only the victim became more scrupulous and alerted to the surrounding, he might be able to cross the road safely.

            “You guys,” Takeru’s smile eventually waned. He trailed to the direction his friends gaped at, and he also did. Incidentally releasing the plastic bag and spilling those cupped ice creams, he dashed to the victim.

            No sound of breaths. No wavy chest as he inhaled. The victim could barely maintain his eyes to remain open. Blood splashed everywhere on the road, indicating the accident happened unpredictably that the victim was initially unable to see it coming. With trembling hands and pounding heart, Takeru grabbed both of the victim’s shoulders, gently shaking them to help him stay awake.

            “Tadashi,” he mumbled while his teary eyes caused him blurry sight, “Why is it you? Why, Tadashi? Why?!”

            “Ta- keru,” Perceiving how destroyed the little brother was, his heart wrenched in massive disappointment, “I’m sorry.”

            “No, you don’t have to apologize! I’m the one who’s at fault!”

            If only he did not leave Tadashi alone, Tadashi would not get hit like this. Tadashi might still be safe with him since nothing approached him while he gleefully went to the convenient store around fifty meters from the playground. He insisted on going alone since he has lost in a race they conducted by themselves on the day before. His three friends unhurriedly moved their feet off the lane and half ran to the middle road where Tadashi lied frailly. Takeru pulled Tadashi into his embrace, crying his eyes out and screaming his throat out in denial. The blood eventually stained his hands, feet, and clothes, but he never bothered.

            The one who is dying is Tadashi. My older brother.

            “Anyone please call an ambulance!”

            The neighbours began to digest in the incident, and the adults attempted on contributing to save Tadashi’s life. He did lose a lot of blood looking from the dark red splatters on the road. The residents were also capturing the perpetrators from running away as he was drunken while he drove. Siren of ambulance resonated hence provided it clear path to get to Tadashi, and Takeru could not leave his brother from being taken to the nearest hospital just alone. He joined the medical team in the ambulance and never thought of letting Tadashi’s hand go while it drifted through the city.

            Kei and Hikari looked at each other, and to the stunned Tatsu. Tatsu literally locked his mouth the whole time. He did not retort to any of the interrogation to him, and he did not seem to be able to reply either. He was the main eyewitness since Tadashi was chasing after him right before the hit.

            “Tatsu.”

            He lifted up his head along with his miserable face. He was purely devastated by the crisis. Hikari and Kei embraced him, certifying him that everything is going to be fine. It’s not anyone’s fault, and no one deserves to be pointed at, but Tatsu cried and hiccupped bitterly.

            “Tatsu.”

            Hikari’s soft voice penetrated into his head. This little friend of him had feminine traits but he was a normal boy. Big glittering eyes and cute lips with fair and smooth skin, plus he was quite thin and had more flexibility compared to normal elementary schooler. His voice was admittedly dulcet just like a girl, only that he did not have the girlish rhythm while talking.

            “Tatsu, wake up.”

            He blinked once, and instantly the view interchanged from the neighbourhood to a forest. He was lying under a shady trees with purplish leaves. This must be a dream, yet he refused to fall back to sleep. It is a very beautiful dream and I’m stupid if I chose to not live in it consciously, he thought.

            “Tatsu, do you hurt your wound?”

            Am appealing face came into his vague sight. His mind was still ingesting the situation as sedated as he could while he blinked to avoid brightness emerging hastily into his eyes. “Hikari?” he muttered.

            As Tatsu concentrated his focus more, he just noticed it was the world where he was brought to by someone – or something he firstly hypothesized as a titan. His pupils shifted to find the creature, and he found him staring intensely. At his side was another creature, much smaller but he was still taller than Hikari despite having thin body too.

            “Ya- Yagi? And you, Mizugame?”

            “Tatsu has woken up!” Mizugame all of a sudden bounced and cheered. His voice cracked from shouting too vociferously and he was a little too thrilled until Yagi had to knock him on the waist.

            “Can you please?” Yagi gritted at Mizugame.

            Mizugame pulled a pout with his arms crossed against his chest. Tatsu felt a hand ruffled through his hair. It was Hikari, gazing at him gently but sorrowfully. Tatsu was about to get up when he realized one thing.

            He has a bandage around his neck.

            “What’s this?” Tatsu bluntly asked while giving the bandage a light tug.

            “You were injured at your neck, Tatsu. The Taurus almost cut your throat open just to prove his childish claim the truth,” Hikari succoured Tatsu to sit properly and lean his back against the tree. “It has been the whole day and night that you passed out. Is it hurt? I’ll ask Yagi to find more of the herbal leaves to ease the pain.”

            Tatsu caressed along the bandage around his neck. The cloth was rent from a shirt or something since the material was different than normal bandage Humans could acquire on The Earth. He barely sensed pain but from Hikari’s countenance and Yagi’s attentiveness, he supposed he has caused them anxiety. He lowered his eyes, drooping and slumping.

            “What happened when I wasn’t awaken?” Tatsu’s question triggered Hikari to shudder, “What happened, Hikari?”

            He saw Hikari averted as he purposely drew his face closer to the latter. Hikari seemed faltering, thus gave him the idea that the answer might be gruesome. He leant back against the tree and waited for Hikari’s compliant leak.

            “Tsuya’s spies took them away,” After merely two minutes of pause, Hikari replied, “There were two Zodiacs. Ite The Sagittarius and Kani The Cancer. Ite quietly kidnapped Kei while Kani took Oushi, doubtfully he is alive by now.”

            Tatsu scratched his forehead. He was unable to talk to Kei since they saw him but they already lost him as he woke up. Since Yagi and Mizugame always reminded them that none of The Zodiacs knew what Tsuya would do to The Humans he instructed to catch from The Earth, he was fidgeting to be informed that Ite, Tsuya’s spy, has caught him beforehand.

            “I was so careless!” Tatsu punched the ground and grunted in rage. “I should be the one saving him!”

            “It was no one’s fault, Tatsu,” Hikari hushed him so that Tatsu would not incessantly incriminate himself, “It happened fast, and we could barely hear him shouting for help at the moment.”

            An uneasiness hit him hard that he did not have the appetite to eat deliciously. Yagi has supplied him plentiful fruits of different colours, and Tatsu ought to only choose. Tatsu necessitated replenishment hence Yagi spoilt him by providing his requirement and Mizugame formed an enclosed hut made by The River of Adam. Since it was entirely water-based, everyone in the hut could see the outer part of it. However, it was a noise inhibitor that one might even listen to his own heartbeat.

            It was undeniably agitating Tatsu that he could not have the chance to accost Kei during their final moment. He could not stop from indicting himself. Kei and Oushi were readily approaching them at first as a pair of opponents, and they were theoretically succeeded in holding Kei and Oushi from running away again. The reason of the fleeing was still unclear, but at least one of their targets was settled.

            “So we need to find Takeru and Koichi, eh?” Tatsu concluded. He was counting with both of his hands, “Then, The Zodiacs left were Ohitsuji and Otome? Correct me if I’m wrong.”

            Yagi and Mizugame nodded. Hikari tilted his head on one side, perplexed by Tatsu’s novel solemnity. Was he constructing a strategy, whereas they both were Humans with technically no full knowledge of The Dimension just yet? The Dimension was a world full of imagination and phantasy which anything might occur out of logic or norm. Who could guess the constellation The Earthlings have been looking at the sky all these while was living creatures on The Dimension? Once they returned home, everyone including their family members certainly would not believe the whole story. They would assume it as a fairy tale with too many plot holes or such.

            “I’m already fine. Thank you for taking care of me, Hikari, Yagi and Mizugame,” Tatsu slightly bowed at the three before him. It was just to show them his gratitude.

            Those three eyed him in confusion. What has gotten into him? Mizugame was about to inquire when Tatsu cut him off. “Let’s find Takeru and The Zodiac with him.”

            “Are you sure, Tatsu?” Hikari was indeed a worrisome, “We don’t know their where-about. Yagi and Mizugame don’t know which Zodiac is with him, and we both don’t know the way in The Forest of Eve. It’s not the same as one on The Earth – on our world. We cannot aimlessly stride through the woods or enemies might find us instead.”

            Tatsu pursed his lips. Hikari’s points were absolutely right, however he gripped firmly on one opinion. “Ite, Kani, and Shishi are not our enemies,” he said.

            Yagi and Mizugame ogled at him, while Hikari gasped in disbelief. “What do you mean, Tatsu?”

            “Shishi, or probably Tsuya, was the one assigning us the task to capture those who fled, so we shouldn’t be afraid of them,” Tatsu was gritting but not in anger. He was being strict since Yagi, Mizugame and Hikari had slight reluctance towards him. “Listen. We find Takeru, Koichi, and the two Zodiacs. Then once the spies appear before us, I will surrender myself instead of the three of you. There, I will bring back Kei and we will return to The Earth together.”

            “Are you mad, Tatsu?” Hikari rose on his feet. “You’re saving us, and you’re committing suicide? If it’s true that Tsuya is similar to you, you don’t have to submit yourself. We’re going back to The Earth! Together as a group of five!”

            “But it’s the only way!” Tatsu’s voice resonated till they could feel the transparent wall of Mizugame’s noise-inhibited hut quaked. He avoided shouting but he could not remain fragile like before. Kei was already taken to Tsuya without him having a little chance to have a chat with him. It was purely regretful, thus Tatsu wished to not repeat the same error twice. “I can’t afford to lose any more of you guys! I don’t want any of you to undergo terrible abuse or anything Tsuya could do to us!”

            The dream. How on Earth he got the dream after he has totally forgotten the whole incident in his life? He was fully aware that Tadashi has passed away when they were 10, but the fact that it happened because of him slipped off his mind. The dream recalled the grim event, as if a very retrogressive memory resurfaced. He must not repeat it twice.

            “I don’t want to cause more harm and injury,” Tatsu’s fingers intertwined and he groaned since the memory reminiscence caused his head to spin. “I remembered how Tadashi died. I don’t want Takeru to die. I don’t want Koichi and Kei to die here. I don’t want you to die too,” he poked his index finger into Hikari’s chest. “Therefore, you need to stay together till the end, and I will ask Tsuya to send us back home!”

            “We were the one witnessing Kei being taken away by Ite, Tatsu! And I was the one watching Oushi got injected by Kani’s poison!” Hikari caught Tatsu on the collar. He huffed in resentment. Bemoaning in Tadashi’s passing was not the issue, as long as they could assemble again. “If that Kani was a fake one, we can assume it as Tsuya, which also means he will do anything to satisfy his own desire including killing! We must prioritize our safety and we are going back!”

            “We will return back home!” Tatsu clenched on Hikari’s wrist, the one clasping on his collar, “It’s not that I sacrifice all of us together. I’ll be the only one going, and you stay in The Forest of Eve with Takeru and Koichi. Yagi, Mizugame, and another two Zodiacs will take care of you guys.”

            Hikari shoved Tatsu to the wall, bumping against it until Tatsu cried dreadfully. He might have conflicted his wound on the neck that the sensation stung him awfully. Hikari neglected Tatsu’s toil to free himself, even pressing him to the wall to block him from grappling.

            “You cannot do this, Tatsu,” Yagi stood behind Hikari. He stared into Tatsu’s eyes, begging him to calm down, “I dislike your idea. Even I as a Zodiac never think of surrendering myself to Tsuya. All of us Zodiacs know he’s a good long range fighter. He has psychic which needs the least touch to blow up anyone he wants to. Your similarity won’t guarantee that he won’t harm you.”

            “But didn’t you say that I’m his weakness?”

            “It’s only my assumption. Nothing more,” Yagi was respected for still retaining his composure, “Rather than giving yourself in, why don’t we move together? So that we won’t lose anyone anymore.”

            Hikari immediately released Tatsu from his grasp when he noticed blood spot starting to stain the bandage. He was trembling in fear – he has never gotten into fight with Tatsu, however he almost lost his rationality, thus Tatsu’s wound bleed again. Tatsu fell onto his butt, relaxing his throbbing heart and gently pressing his wound to stop the bleeding. Yagi patted on Tatsu’s shoulder, hinting him to relax. Mizugame around two meters from them was quietly beaming in relief as the drama has ended peacefully.