Not Just The Side Character

Ch 22/Christmas Special Part 1/2: I Know Who You Are

First of all, I just want to say merry Christmas everybody! I hope you all got something you wanted and that you will enjoy this Christmas movie! Er, book. Book movie? A really long chapter! Enjoy!

Robin POV
Dreaming of an introduction

Dreaming...always dreaming...where am I now? What is going to happen to me this time? Today I find myself fully submerged underwater yet it's not the water that's suffocating me, it's the fear of the snow above that's slowly freezing the water.

Memories...always remembering...an image I cannot forget, but would I if I could? No, for it would mean forgetting the one I cherish the most, and her smile that shined brighter than the star on the Christmas tree back at home.

I can breath again.

I begin to float upwards as the snow stops and the water stops freezing. Finally my head breaks the surface and I find myself with only the starry night sky and water surrounding me.

Somehow I continue to float upwards and I end up standing on the water's surface. When I look down to see what I'm standing on the water looks like glass, and underneath it is the bottomless depth of the water.

And on the reflection is the beautiful night sky.

It begins to snow again and I spot a figure in the distance, they're walking towards me but something more alarming appeared nearby. It was a familiar dark street, one I couldn't bear to walk on.

There was a girl wearing a school bag walking along it and every fibre of my being screamed at me to chase after her.

But I remain in place.

After so many dreams like this, I've learned how to control myself so long ago. But remaining in place was drowning me in helplessness.

Drowning me so much that air bubbles started to come from my mouth and nose. I was holding my breath for the same effect that comes from planking, time slowing down.

Even though I'm helpless, I pointlessly try to do something that will not have any effect. Natalie turns to me, with her bright smile that always managed to make me smile, and points behind me.

I turn my head as I continue to hold my breath and there behind me is the people from this world that I care about. They didn't seem to see me but their side was like a beacon of light.

Unsure of what to do, I turn back to my sister and see her mouthing me her words.

Natalie: "Thank...You...Goodbye..."

Is what I make out.

At some point, those words were the things I hated hearing the most in my life and always pushed them away, but now I've come to cherish those words like precious memories.

So I open my mouth and allow all of the air to leave my lungs through the exit of my mouth and become bubbles in this water filled world.

Back in that room, the words I said didn't count since she wasn't there at the time. At the time, I felt content with saying goodbye to the open air. But now, even though this isn't real, I wanted to show her that I had the strength to move on.

With empty lungs and an aching heart I repeat the word I wish I never needed to say.

Robin: "Goodbye."

And I turn around to face my other life.

But instead I find that the figure from earlier had almost reached me. Her unfamiliar appearance seemed to be coloured only by her surroundings and I sensed that her real self was different.