And now?

End of Winter, Japan 2020

“Maybe it will not be necessary. That is the best way to think about it, right?” It was a male voice.

“Yes, please,” said another voice, “I’m really scared.”

The man laughed softly.

I heard a slight rubbing of fingers twisting a strand - I imagined the fingers stroking the hair.

“It was quite an interesting day for you, right?” he continued jokingly.

The voice laughed with him. The laughter was somewhat bitter. The footsteps went away and I found myself abandoned.

“No! Come back!” cried my distorted thinking.

My mind ran into madness and hallucination, obstructing my perception, and became the source of my distraught:

Water flowed over my face and I managed painfully to keep my eyes open, as it flowed endlessly, preventing me from seeing clearly. My arms were stretched forward, heavy and pulling me down to the ground like magnets. I wanted to throw off my burden because it weighed me down and paralyzed me. I made a move.