Another

Chapter 31: Blossoms

I woke up alone.The room was dark and a smidge lonely, and I found myself looking to the window by my cot. No sunlight shone through the thick curtains. I’m certain that if I were to pull them to the side, only the stars and night sky would greet me. 

I pulled myself up into a sitting position. It wasn’t painful, and the bandages that were wrapped around me were dry and unblemished. It appears that I’m properly healed now. I could think clearly, without that annoying fog that had seemed to settle over every thought when I was hurt. But even now, there was still that strange ringing noise in my ears. It was annoying, and I couldn’t seem to shake it off no matter how much I slept. It was always there. That ringing. 

I shook my head, as if I expected that to help. Perhaps it was stress. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised. I’d been running on nerves the very second Nezuko and I had woken up from our coma, and there were little times for rest between one moment to the next. 

I kneaded my brow as I swung my legs off the cot. The floor was cool and smooth, and it felt so good to be standing on my own two feet. I reached for the ceiling on my tip toes, letting my muscles stretch and joints to crack. The instant relief that followed it was heavenly. 

I shivered, keenly aware of how cold the room was and how little clothing I had on. My clothing was bundled atop the nightstand. I reached for it, suddenly eager to touch my own things again. I fingered the dark fabric of the momohiki. If I recall correctly, they were terribly ruined from my encounter with that girl with the butterfly side pony-tail. Were my clothes even fit to wear anymore? 

I pulled the pants from the stack, flicking it in order to straighten it out. To my surprise, it was completely intact. None of the legs were missing or ripped, and it was clean and unstained. It was almost as if that fight never happened. 

I tugged the cloth up over my hips, letting it rest comfortably around my waist. I inspected each article of clothing before pulling it on, finding that they were all in perfect condition. Eventually, I reached the last piece. Green and black, checkered the same way my father’s orange and black haori was.

I held it up by the shoulders. It was perfect, just as the others were. No jagged holes or ripped seams. No dirt or blood stains. Perfect. I sighed, ignoring the way my heart seemed to pinch painfully as I hugged it to my chest. 

I missed home.  

I shrugged it on, already finding solace in the way the fabric flowed around me. I lifted my arms. The fabric moved with it, the twisting fabric graceful and loose. It was comfortable, and fitted as perfectly as before. 

To whoever stitched up my clothing, I’d have to thank them later. 

I let my arms drop to my sides before walking to the door. The bandages still constricted my waist, but I figured it was better safe than sorry. The added pressure only relieved the muscles in my back anyway. I pushed on the surface, feeling the wood give. The hinges creaked, and, surprisingly enough, the door was unlocked and gave way to the hallway.  

It was fairly quiet here at the Butterfly Estate. Honestly, I expected hospitals to be somewhat noisy, especially one for demon slayers, but only my footsteps echoed through the hallway. Utter silence. 

I rounded a corner, making my way to where I remembered Nezuko’s room to be. She should probably be awake by now, seeing as she wasn’t as injured as I was, and therefore didn’t really need to rest as long. Maybe Urokodaki-san was with her. Hopefully. I didn’t want her to be alone in this place. 

I stood in front of another door. That kakushi from the meeting had carried her into this room. Down the hallway and around the corner from my own room. 

Or, I think it was Nezuko’s room. There was no way I could say for sure. I was practically bleeding out the last time I saw her. 

I honed in on my surroundings, searching for anything out of the ordinary. There were faint breaths of recovering slayers across the building. In the room, a scent of flowers, so strong that I could practically see myself walking in a vast field of purple hues and vibrant red and yellows. It was strange. Nezuko had a calm aura of vanilla and cinnamon. And Nezuko was never one to fawn over flowers. She always poked fun at their peculiar sweetness and delicate stems. 

I yawned. I liked flowers. Such a fragile beauty in a harsh world. The flowers from the room were alluring. So very tranquil, like a tight hug around all my senses. There were flowers of all sorts, blooming together and releasing their whimsical fragrances into one heavy perfume. Snowdrops. Chrysanthemums. Hydrangeas and Morning-glories. Crocus, Daffodils, Tulips, Pansies and Violas. All of the seasons in one single bouquet of breath. A field of flowers. The sun warm on my skin. The air flowing through my hair like a lulling caress. 

 Something poked my fingers. Raising them, red bloomed around splinters of wood embedded into my fingertips like thorny roses. It bloomed even greater with every beat of my heart. I pinched the tips of my talons around the intruding wood and yanked them out. I barely felt it. 

I was abruptly aware of where I was. My back was pressed against the hallway wall, where I had slid down to the floor. I hadn’t even realized I was sitting. But perhaps the most unsettling thing was the fact that Nezuko’s door was ajar. In it, sat a woman, motionless in a chair across from me. With the moonlight shining through the window behind her, her face was a mask of darkness. Her fingers carved deep lines of crimson in her arm, staining her sleeves before dissolving into the air. The odor of blood was absent. Rather, a sweet stench of blossoms permeated the air like white maggots in a crumbling corpse. 

The ringing in my ears seemed to amplify with it. I shook my head. My long hair spilled from the small cord holding it back. It coiled around my neck like a noose. It tightened, and I couldn’t breathe.  

“I’m sorry.” The flower lady caressed my face with a single talon. Her eyes glowed, flicking to meet mine. 

A demon. 

She held me in a tight embrace. My name slipped from her mouth like a cool kiss of death. 

“Tanjiro.” 

~~~~

School started. I hate my life.