Second Glance

It’s dark and the air is thick. There seems to be shadows dancing within shadows. The constant shifting movement of black is all I can see no matter where I look. No sound inside this abyss either. Not even my own footsteps dare to make a noise. The silence is enough to drive someone mad. Aside from the shadows dance, beneath my bare feet are little ripples of where my feet meet what I assume is the floor of this place. Almost like walking on water. The effect doesn’t change the eeriness to this darkness.

'**Where am I going?'

'What is this place?'

'It feels like a dream but that's immpossible. I don't dream anymore.. not since**..'

 I halt my steps as I realize where that thought was going. Shaking my head to clear it out I start walking again. Looking forward through the abyss that surrounds me. In the distance I can see a small light emerge from the dark.

'Hm?'

Strangely attracted to this new development I grew curious to what it could be. From afar it only seems to be a faint glow of red.

**After a short while of walking I notice I haven't gotten any closer.

'I should have reached it by now.. Right?'

'I wonder if running would make a difference... Probably not**.'

 Coming to this conclusion, again I stop my advances to follow this strange light. Instead I just watch it. Wondering all the possibilities that could cause it. Being lost in thought about it I happen to notice it has drawn closer.

'Strange.. What changed?'

As the red glow progressed, closing in on me, I could tell it was multiple little specks.

'What are those?.. Fireflies? No, they aren't redand the movement is too slow.'

Then I noticed it carried a shadow of sorts, circling elegantly around it’s form. The dark figure seemed to be in the shape of a person. Not wanting to wait any longer for this thing to show up I try to meet it halfway. Only to find it heading away from me. Then coming to me after I’ve stopped.

'What is this.. Tag?'

 I drop the idea of hoping to just go after it or meet it and annoyingly accept that I have to wait. Patience has never been my thing. I hate waiting for anything or anyone. 

Eventually this person and it’s scattered red glow have made their way just a few feet from me. Obviously keeping some distance though. The figure upon inspection seems to be that of a young woman. Her slender form is cloaked beneath what appears to be a robe of sorts. The only features that give way to this idea is her long red hair peeking from under the hood, draping her shoulders. The way the robe clings to her chest is also a dead give away. She wears a smile, though that is all I can see of her face.

'Is she happy to see me?.. But her body language is depressed.. Nothing happy about it.'

Not wanting to startle her, I slowly inch forward. In doing so I gain the scent of something sweet and yet familiar. The sweet smell tickling my nose reminds me of spring. Just when the flowers have started budding.

Since she obviously wasn't going to start speaking first I decided to break the piercing silence.

"**Who are you?" -- She says nothing, just keeps smiling at me.

"Hello?" -- Again nothing**.

Feeling slightly uncomfortable I shift my weight a little at the eerie silence lingering around us.

"**What do you want?" -- Her smile fades she parts her thin natually glazed pink lips to speak. Her lips move but I hear nothing.

"What are you saying? I cannot hear you."

She repeats the soundless words and I study the movements. 'help me?'

"Help me? Is that what you said?" -- SHe only nods ever so slightly, so small of a movement I nearly missed it.

"How can I help you? What can I do?" -- I'm getting worried**.

She says nothing more, just returns the smile from before as a single tear streams down her shadowed cheek, dripping off her softly rounded chin.

"H-hey, why are you crying? I want to help you but you gotta tell me what to do, please don’t cry.”

I take a step forward not realizing and she turns from me. Her steps are light and delicate. The floor doesn't ripple under her like it does for me. Almost like she’s floating, but also silent as everything else here.

 “Wait! Who are you? What do you need help with?! Tell me!”

I start shouting at this mystery person as I frantically try to follow her. But, after just a few steps I find myself bumping into an invisible force.

"**What is this?" -- I place a hand in front of me, running my fingertips over it's surface. --"Is it glass?.. No, not glass.." The surface cracks under my soft touch.

Checking the places where my body had colided a minute ago, I notice the angel hair cracks that are there also. The surface feels rough but appears to be smooth like glass.

I refocuse my gaze on the girl before me but something catches my eye from the corner. It looks like a hole of some sort.

'She's heading right for it!'

"Hey, wait! Don't go that way! You'll fall in**!"

I shout but my words go unheard as she continues. I can feel my heart pounding from in my chest.

‘What do I do?’

I ask myself, slowly losing reason to the panic swelling up. With every step she takes my heart beats harder.

‘It hurts.. I can’t take it anymore.’

I give into the rising adrenaline and start brutally slamming my fists into the glass structure before me. The pain I feel is nothing compared to the pain in my heart. The cracks mimick the rising pain from within. Watching the girl get closer to the edge, fear begins to seep in under my panic.

"Please stop!"

I practically scream as I give the glass one big finale blow with all my strength. The cracks spread like a never ending maze along the surface before shattering into a million pieces around me. I don’t care and immediately kick off into a sprint.

'Please! Let me make it!"

Inches from the edge I out reach my right arm, reaching for anything I might be able to touch. She takes the final step and she slips through my nearing grasp. Empty handed I watched her fall. Watching however was not an option. Instinctively I plunged after her head first. My gaze became filled with shock when my eyes found her. She was falling backwards, and for the first time I could see her eyes. The wind of the fall had shifted her hood away from her face, revealing to me her whole appearance. I feel my eyes round with shock.

‘It can’t be! You're dead!’ I thought.

Eyes stinging from the tears trying to cloud my vision. Her face is still smiling even though she’s falling like this. As my hands stretched out just mere centimeters away from her, I felt something warm and wet hit my cheek. It rushed up and mingled with my own wet eyes.

'What is this?' -- Studying the all too familiar face I realize she’s crying still.

"Please stop crying. I'm here.. Just a little more.."

But once again she’s just out of my reach as the bottomless darkness around us swallows her whole right before my eyes. In a panic at my failed attempt to get to her in time, despair and anger overcome me. Just like it did eleven years ago.

“UKO!”

Accepting my fate in this strange world I close my eyes to hide the never ending darkness before them.

‘Sasori..’ -- A faint whisper echoes through my head.

‘Sasori..’ -- I hear it again.

‘Who’s calling me..’

‘Hey, sasori.. Wake up.’

It grows louder as the world around me slowly drifts away.

“Sasori.. Come on dude.. Wake up. Class is about to end.”

As the world vanishes my eyes slowly take in a new one. The blinding light makes it hard to open my eyes at first. It takes a few seconds to adjust to this bright world. There are plenty of people here, all sitting at their assigned tables. The casual sound of chatting with their partners fills my ears. The air is cold and smells like old paper and ink. Clearly I had fallen asleep in the middle of class.

 “Sasori, if you don’t wake up I’ll have no choice but to molest you where you sit"

The words seep in slow to my mind but faster to my mouth.

 “Like hell you will, Get Off!”

I sit up from my desk, shoving my hundred and ten pound best friend off of my back. Which has just now registered that he was leaning on me, almost as if to attempt hugging me from behind.

“Aw.. you're no fun, Sasori.”

I shoot him a glare as he holds up his hands in surrender.

“Relax.. You know I wouldn’t do anything anyways. I don’t roll like that.”

 “I wonder about that sometimes, Danny.” -- I roll my eyes silently, letting him know, ‘I don’t believe you.’

“Ouch.. How long have you known me? Almost eleven, maybe twelve years now? And you think I actually swing that way?”

“It’s because you're always so touchy with me, is exactly why I question it.. You don’t have a girlfriend, and have never dated for that matter, and you are always playing ‘dirty’ just to get a good laugh. So my apologies for questioning if you're actually gay or not.”

The bell rings, signalling the end of the school day. I get up to put my english books away and Danny follows suit.

 “Oh, by the way, Who is.. U-ko? I think that is what you said? You were sleeping and muttering to yourself and just randomly called the name out..”

I feel slightly embarrassed learning I was talking in my sleep, or sleeping at all in class as a matter of fact. Swallowing it down I look to my best friend. Thinking about it now I can’t really recall the dream.

 “I don’t know. I don’t recognize the name or remember the dream leading to it..”-- I tell him.

all the while a sense of ‘I should know this’ feeling washes through my mind.

‘Why can’t I remember anything?’ -- I wonder

zipping up my black and white messenger school bag and throwing the strap over my shoulder.

“Hmm..”

I can feel my friend staring me down with his ocean deep blue eyes, studying me like a lab rat of sorts.

‘Does he think I’m lying to him?’

 “Anyways, I was thinking about heading over to the cafe. You want to come if you're not busy?”

‘I have a history test to study for tomorrow, but other than that I’m pretty much free.’-- “Sure, I’ll come. Sweets would be nice.”

we walk out the door into the hall. It's busy and crowded with other students trying to get to their lockers and after school clubs.

 “Good. You look like you could use a pick-me-up after that ‘nightmare’ you seemed to have had. What are you thinking of getting today? I hear they have a new special this week. Strawberry sundae topped with macarons and other little goodies. And then there’s the Strawberry cheesecake with a soft drizzle of chocolate. Which sounds better to you?”

Danny always gets excited when Ma Cherie Sweets comes out with new items. He’s a bit of a foodie and has excellent taste when it comes to finding a good place to dine. Ma cherie sweets opened a few years ago and has been our go to place for everything since it’s grand opening. There isn’t another cafe or diner like it anywhere in town. The food is amazing and their desserts are like little pieces of heaven you put in your mouth. Truth be told, and he will never admit it, but aside from his love for food, he actually wants to see his crush, Iris, The daughter of the owner of Ma cherie sweets. Yeah I know, I always make fun of his sexuality but he really isn’t gay. Though he could pass it off if he really wanted to. Perks of being in theater arts/drama since junior high I guess.

Danny is lean, very well toned and muscular, about six foot tall and has surprisingly good locks of curly, jet black hair that he keeps gelled back. Giving him that fresh out of the shower and combed feel when you look at him. Then there’s his chiseled chin, Strong cheekbones, and a small delicate nose that hovers above his thin lips. And the ocean that plays in his eyes, any girl could get lost in those deep blues of his. It’s a wonder how he’s single sometimes with those looks. But I get it.

“They both sound good to me. Why don’t we get one or the other and then split them?”

“You want to share dessert with me? Well isn’t that sweet of you, honey.”

He jokingly says while lifting my chin with one of his slender fingers, forcing me to make eye contact. His other hand falling on my lower back.

'Is he serious! I thought he just said he didn't roll this way?!'

A different type of panic rushes me and I snap my chin free of his, braking eye contact and then pushing him back.

 “Ugh, really, dude!?”

I shake him off feeling a bit flustered and mad. While he just chuckles to himself. Clearly amused by my reaction. I just know my face is red with embaressment. Hopefuly he can't see it. Turning my back to him I take a deep reath to calm myself.

 “I swear, you have no boundaries whatsoever. And it’s not like we are gonna be feeding each other by the spoon. So cut it out.”

"**Awe, you mean you don't want an indirect kiss with your best friend?" -- He pouts a little, looking like a wounded puppy.

"Ugh, NO! If you keep this up, I'll just go home."

" Ok, Ok! I'm sorry. Your just to easy to mess with and your reactions are cute. I couldn't help it."

I roll my eyes again as we exit the school building**.

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