Episode 2: The Meeting of M

[SCREEECH-!]

The sound of the car as it pulled over in front of the hospital. Lara got out of the taxi as she ran as fast as she could and be by her bestfriend side. It was a cold night as Lara exhaled turn white. She rushed to the counter, she was having some cold sweat as she asked the room of Rina. The receptionist told her the details and then Lara ran again but this time she slowed down as she thought she could bump into someone. She went to the third floor and saw Rina's Mom. She had a terrible look on her face.

"Auntie! *Pant* *Pant* R-Rina! *Pant* How is she!" Lara spoke in a loud voice as she tried catching her breath. "Lara..Rina, she lost too much blood when arrived here and the doctor said she-" Rina's Mom didn't finish the sentence so Lara burst into Rina's room seeing lots of tubes and machine around Rina. Lara felt her knees became weak. The more she gets near Rina, the more tears running down her face. Its her bestfriend and her first friend lying down on a hospital bed with her eyes close and a face of suffering.

She took Rina's hand and held it near her face. "Ri-Rina\~.. Noo you gotta stay strong! You gotta stay! Don't leave us yet!" Lara burst in tears, her voice got a little rough from the shouting and held the hand tightly as she could. She was hoping. Hoping her bestfriend will wake up and say that she will stay with her. She doesn't want to be alone anymore. She prayed and hope, 'Please!! Open your eyes and say something!' Lara pleaded.

As Lara was crying she felt the hand she held twitch. She opened her eyes and look at the hand but it was not moving nor Rina's eyes did not open. She thought maybe it was her imagination but Rina's mouth opened like she was gasping for air. Lara widen her eyes as Rina half opened her eyes like she was still asleep. "R-Rina!" Lara exclaimed as Rina's mother hear her and came in the room. When see saw Rina opened her eyes she felt ecstatic. "Rina! Oh my girl is ok!" Rina's mom teared up but the tears of joy.

"Where am I?"Rina slowly looked around seeing a different ceiling, different room and lots of tubes. "Your in the Hospital...Do you remember what happened?" Lara asked in worry that it might hurt her to remember. "Remember....Ah-" Rina recalled everything. "Now I remember hehe...Is the kid alright?" Rina recalled the boy as he was crying and scared. "The kid is alright...The ambulance took you both here. Even though your the one in a bloody situation you still think about others. *sniff*"

"Hehe I'm sorry Mom for making you worry." Rina smiled at her as she can't move properly her body or maybe it 'won't' anymore. 'But is that a pun?' Rina only smiled as she wondered that was it intended or not. Soon the thought dissapeared when she looked at Lara staring at her hands. "Lar-", "Hey Rina, what is that in your hands? Stones?" Lara pointed at Rina's hand and then Rina look at her hands and opened it. Three stones..No Three transparent with a colored stripe pill. 'Wha- What are the-' Rina was about to ask what it was but then her head hurt and a white room came to mind. Rina agonized as she remember what happened in that room. It was hazy but she could remember the things they talk, how she was confuse and a small child with a weird...mask.

[After Rina Lost consciousness]

"Nngh\~ Huh?" Rina opened her eyes as she was face flat on the floor. She stood up as she held her head in pain.She looked aroud only to see everything white. Its like she was trap and if she take one step she would fall."Where...am I?" Rina was confuse. She remember the incident but she should be there no here in an empty white space. 'Am I in a dream? How did I get here? What am I doing here? What happened to the kid? What is going on?!' There were several questions in her head that she couldn't answer. But then a sound suddenly can be heard.

"Hmm not bad for a human especially for a girl. You got guts lass." A voice spoke as she look around but saw nothing.'Eh? But no one is here....Is it a.."GHOST?!?'" Rina spoke out loud and became wary as she thought it might jump out of nowhere. " Calm down lass, ain't it rude to call someone a ghost?" It spoke again. Rina looked every direction but still saw nothing."*Sigh* Up here child." The moment Rina looked up, she saw a small child flying upside down in a...weird mask?

A blank questionable look form on her face as the child smiled. "See\~ I am not a ghost. Look properly next time cause you look like an idiot." The child went down as he made fun of her. 'Idiot? Who are you calling idiot?!' Rina was suppose to be confuse with everything but she was tick off being called idiot. ' Wouldn't be the same reaction if someone called out to you but they see nothing...Its completely normal to think of a ghost is talking to you when there is no one around, right?' Rina wanted to say her argument but stop as she felt she would be defeated. "A-anyway what is going on?" Rina asked him.

"Hmm? Whats going on is that your dead lass." The child look at her cutely with a 'Didn't you know' vibe. 'Uwaah way to break the news to me buddy thanks a lot.' Rina is now looking at him with mix emotion. "So this is the....after life?" Rina asked him again awkwardly. "In a way yes...Though this is where souls just pass by after getting there turns to reborn. And I'm the one who manage here." The child show a little illustration, as for Rina's thoughts 'Where did that come from?!...If this child is the manager I bet the others didn't felt real being dead.' She felt like she is just dreaming.

Rina didn't feel good playing the straight man anymore so she let go her thoughts. 'Is he really a child? And whats with that mask? Oh yeah I didn't know his name yet.' Rina decided to ask. "By the way, what is your name?" Rina saw a small table with cushions and tea. "Hmm just call me M." M answered as he took a sip of his tea. 'M?...Masochist?' Rina shook her head since its rude call someone like that.

"So since I'm dead...what should I do?" Rina put her tea down a look at him casually. "*Sip* Haa-... Actually you really are not dead yet but you are already in front of the deaths door and as to why your not dead, your body is fighting but only temporary." M refilled his tea as Rina only listen. "So basically, I'm still alive but dying." Rina did felt that she is not dead yet but...

"Rina, feel your heart if its still beating." M took another sip. "Eh..Ah Ok." Rina put her hand on where her heart is and felt a beating. Rina widen her eyes as she look in M's direction. "Its beating alright but that heart of yours beating is slowly beating less. If it does beat slowly it will hurt you like you are drown in a sea you can't swim." What M said was true as Rina could feel the pain and the slow beating of her heart. " Then what should I do? Just wait?" Rina's face darkens as soon she dies she will never see her loved ones again.

"Well there is that but you can just wake up on your body and say your goodbyes. Well it maybe hard to do so you should just wa-" M was about to take another sip but he got cut off by Rina. "Please let me do it." A firm answer from Rina is what M did not expect after all they'll just wnd up getting hurt saying goodbyes. "Hmph.. How rude to cut me off, learn some manners will you." M took a sip. "Ah then...Please Let me say my goodbyes." Rina asked nice and politely bow a little.

"Well Ok but next time you gotta learn some manners." M crossed his arms and snapped his finger opening a door. "Then if I'm gonna learn some manner, Can I learn from you?" Rina asked as she smiled at him. When Rina smiled at M, he pause for a bit and smiled as well. "Ohh that may be nice and a little company won't hurt."

"Then if your going to be my student, A welcome gift is a just right? Here." M gave Rina 3...stones? "What are these master?" Rina took one to take a closer look. "Its a pill and two of them is the same while the other one is different." M explained how these pills works and as soon as Rina know she teared up. "Hey! Why are you crying?" Rina just shook her head then showed him a smile. It was just tears of joy.

"Then I'll be back Master!" Rina went in the door and the door closed by itself. 'What a weird girl' M thought as he sip his tea.

[Back to the present]

'I remember everything now. Looks like I don't have much time.' Rina looked at the pills and held them tightly. "Hey...Can I talk to you one by one?" Rina look at them with a serious expression. "Sure anything you say.." Lara was about to go out when Rina said the thing she did not expect.

"I....I am dying."

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