@furetakunai ac_unit
Ten: Why did you leave us?
(Warning: if this is bad, my excuse is that I wrote it while tired lolol.)
Haruki lied in bed and stared at a picture of Her. It stood on a nightstand in a frame, back leg supporting the full image. In the photo, she stared right back, a golden eye stabbing the eyes of all who dared glance at her, and a beautiful, intricate flower on the other eye, a reward to all eyes that dared to stare.
Haruki's eyes stuck onto every feature of her. Her short, jet black hair, the flat line that the space between her chapped lips made. Even the ruffles on her Brunswick-green blouse. One could say the way he stared was creepy. Well– at least, ones who didn't know why he stared. But the reason, even to him, was quite unclear. Regret, resentment, remorse– he could hardly tell the difference between any of the feelings. And after some time of staring, he dropped the contact he made with the photo.
He tossed to the side a bit, his back making full contact with the bed he lied upon. He stared at the ceiling, which he was completely able to do, with it being daytime. His eyes moved to all corners of the room while in thought, and once he caught all the corners, he just did it again. His mind pondered all sorts of things. The people he had hurt, friends who swore they'd never leave but did anyway, happy times in his childhood… and not so happy times too. He wondered whether he could even get out of bed to work that day, and if he could do it again and again, until the day he'd meet the back of his eyelids one last time. And have a conversation with them, forever. Words flew into his mind:
'Can you imagine just floating in the arms of anti-gravity, sleeping?'
He decided sharply, before his mind could wander any farther. The answer was yes, he could get out of bed. And with this decision, he sprung himself up and got ready for a day at work. He had told himself already that there was no possible way for it to be too dreadful. He worked in a community park. So the likelihood of some big disaster was slim. And with all this preparation, mental and physical, he walked out the door, sat in his car, and set off for work. Soon arriving to the scene.
Yet another day, the park remained unchanged. People walking the trails, some with their dogs, some with family, some alone, just taking in the nature. And on the topic of the nature, the trees looked strikingly close to the same as they did every spring. Almost as if the leaves they shed in the autumn floated back up to them, like a heaven in the world of nature. Though Haruki preferred to put it more simply, as 'heavenly nature'.
And as he approached for another day of work at the aforementioned place, he breathed it all in, and smiled. He thought to himself, 'Today is a good day,' and strolled in.
Some people smiled at him, treating him like a friendly face. And others smiled at him, treating him as a stranger, or some who they'd never wish to make the acquaintance of again. He took both in accordingly, with salt and pepper, and pushed on through his shift. Asking if people needed assistance or guidance.
He was helping a kind young woman with short black hair find her way back down the trail, when he heard a bark. A husky came barreling down the trail, yanking Haruki by the sleeve. The girl reached her hand out as if she wished to stop the dog, though she did not make chase.
Haruki struggled to keep up with the dog, backpedaling and hoping not to lose his footing. The dog, who was practically dragging him along, sped down the dirt path, whipping around corners, wagging its tail the whole way till it abruptly stopped. It spat out Haruki's sleeve and barked a few times, enough to convince the boy to turn and look at where the dog brought him.
It was a patch of flowers. White peonies, to be precise. Haruki walked up to the plants slowly, knelt down, and snapped the head off one. He held the head in his hand and stared at it. The petals were beautiful, and intricate. It made him feel almost as though he could stare forever.
His eyes stuck on to every feature of it. One could say the way he stared was creepy. At least, all who didn't know why. But the reason, to him, was quite clear. Regret, resentment, remorse– it was none of those things. It was relief. Relief that even though he never got a chance to say goodbye, or one more 'I love you', that She was somewhere where she was okay. He looked up the sky, a single tear falling, tapping on a petal of the flower like an innocent poke.
The dog barked once, loud and clear, and Haruki knew it wanted him to follow it back. That time, he followed the dog willingly, not desperately trailing behind on his heels. He soon arrived back to the girl. He offered her the flower, which she took with a great smile on her face. As originally intended, they walked back down the trail together, their path lit by a lemon-green sunlight through the leaves. Though, somehow, their bond was somewhat greater than when they initially met. Not too long ago.
The dog watched the two journey off, tail wagging, and wagging, slower and slower to a stop. Once the two were gone from sight, the dog stared for a moment, wanting to follow, before nevertheless heading back down the trail the other way.
It met the place where it led Haruki once again. It lied down, and curled up where the peonies stood. Two of their heads were missing.
