Marble || Edogawa Ranpo

Case 19

This is more like apocalypse and the rising of brain-dead zombies. You steered and avoid any rubbles or hitting any passerby that shared a similar trait with the one you encounter earlier on the street. This city is really in a chaotic state. When you arrived at the building, you immediately exit your car without looking where you step on. You didn't know you were stepping on a cursed ability that gives you the same blotch mark that appeared on your neck too.

"Ranpo-san!" You opened the door to inform him something bizarre is happening outside but when you enter the office, all eyes that were glued on you were all red with sinister and hatred gaze that you were so familiar with when you grow up.

You can hear it, their voices circling in your mind and giggling at your pitiful self.

And then you were surrounded once again by your own nightmare.

(A/N: Triggering subject of suicide and bully ahead)

*

Splash.

The cold water was dumped on you in the toilet, then you heard the voices from girls outside were cheering and giggling with each of them.

"Ew, do you smell that?"

"What is it, Kanae?"

"That's the smell of someone taking a dump! Not eating alone on the toilet bowl!"

"Ahahahah! My God, that's totally going to be suck. Who even eats in the toilet? Perhaps, that someone's mother should just flush her inside it while she still got a chance!"

They laugh again. Even though you couldn't see their face, but you still can remember their voice. Your bento on the lap has become wet with the water along with your tears that also flowing into it.

"An illegitimate child shouldn't come to our school. Perhaps she should've killed herself instead since her mother failed. Oh, I forgot. Her mother committed suicide because she gives birth to her!"

They gasp but then they laugh again while you are trying to stifle any sounds. It was hurt, it really was hurt to hear that. It's hard to breathe. It pains you a lot in your chest that you once have thought to follow their suggestion. Perhaps dying by killing yourself would be better for everyone after all if you just disappear.

A child unwanted... and abandoned by this world.

When you look up at the ceiling what you see is a hanging rope, the one your mother has used to take her own life. It was inside her room that your grandmother still keeps. Sometimes, she would drag you into that room when you did something wrong and she forced you to look at the rope as a reminder.

"Look at it! Look! This is because of you that Aoko commits suicide! You ungrateful brat! If you say that you didn't want to go to school again, I will lock you inside this room forever!"

You wonder how many times you plead after that and banging the door to be out or how long it was when you have your last meal instead of just plain water. When the last time you see the sunlight instead of staring at the rope that still hanging at the ceiling. As though it was beckoning you, it moves and sways with the breezes that barely was there.

It was your fault.

One step forward.

Perhaps... if you had died instead...

One step forward.

You don't have to be miserable this way...

One step forward.