Ashes and Agony

THE HISTORY

Marui was resting on the couch in the resting area along with a few other people. He was so exhausted and sleepy but didn't dare to return to his room alone.

Yagyuu was assisting the search and Fuji was nowhere to be seen, so Marui chose to rest on the couch beside Shiraishi. Shiraishi was reading a book on the couch and when he saw Marui coming near, he scooted to the side a bit to make room for him.

"You okay?" Shiraishi asked.

"I'm good. Just real tired." Marui chuckled and replied, slumping on the couch, closing his eyes.

"Get some rest." Shiraishi understood that he's physically and mentally fatigue. All of them were.

Marui said nothing and felt his consciousness ebb away gradually. But as he was sinking into a deep sleep, he heard something. Distant, anguish cries were echoing around him, and the sound of flames crackling. The temperature started going up in a fast pace and Marui could feel himself sweating heavily.

"Help!"

"Help me!"

"Please! No!"

Strange and unfamiliar yells kept on rushing into his ears. The cries were shrill and filled with pain, like they were going through a brutal tragedy.

Suddenly, Marui found himself standing in the middle of a burning building. The whole place was smouldering in the fire, smoke blinding his eyes and making his eyes water. The scorching heat caused his skin to tingle in pain as he looked around. Black, skinny figures were sprawled all over the floor in front of him, their bodies emitting thick smoke, their twig like fingers scratching on the floor while they twisted and squirmed morbidly.

The screams were coming from these figures. They reached their crooked arms towards Marui, begging for help, black ashes falling from their crusted skin.

With a yell, Marui sprang up from the couch, breathing heavily. All the other boys in the resting area turned to look at him.

"What's wrong?"

"A bad dream?"

They asked in concern, and Marui took a deep breath before saying: "I'm sorry. I'm fine. Just too stressed out." He left the area to grab a glass of water from the machine nearby. Shiraishi followed and asked him quietly: "What did you dream of?"

Marui watched the water fill the cup and said: "I think I kind of know what's happened here."

"What?"

"I think there was a fire. A real big one and it killed everyone. But I don't know who they are. They're all black." Marui took a big sip of water.

"How did you know?"

"... ...I don't think you'd believe me but I have the ability. To see the scene, of a tragedy that's happened in a certain place." Marui told him slowly.

"Wow. You've had it since you were young?" Shiraishi believed what he said.

"I guess so." Marui said, his voice hoarse.

He thought back to the day he first discovered that he had this power. As a kid, he grew up in a small town in Los Angeles. He had forgotten what the name of that place was since he moved with his family back to Japan at the age of eight.

Since he was four years old, he'd heard about this tragedy that happened in their small town, which led to cancellation of Halloween celebrations. Three young boys were killed on a Halloween night and their bodies were thrown in a bush beside the street. The three boys' eyes, nose and ears were missing when their corpses were discovered.