Yui stared absently at the floor of her room. She crouched in the corner and held her ears closed, while her body was shaking. It was impossible for her to move, no matter what was happening around her. She only remembered the screams. The horrible screams, that were constantly persecuting her. Yuna had disappeared through the door, and from then on it was getting worse. The younger one waited anxiously for her sister's return, but it was in vain.
When the blonde heard the shrill cry of the older girl, she panicked. She opened the window, rushed out into the garden, and ran as fast as she could.
She ran until she was stopped and since that moment she couldn't move anymore. She endured everything. All the interviews and investigations. At first she was afraid when the black-haired man began to wash her, but now she liked it. She didn't want to go back. Here, she was safe. If only the screams would finally stop.
She was stroked over her head. She blinked and looked for a face in her field of vision. A man with half-long, brown, stunted hair was standing beside her. Her 'uncle' visited her. The last time they had seen each other was on the evening the dragons had attacked.
"Hey, little brain." He smiled gently.
"Yoshiro. What's going on here?"
"Everything is fine. You're safe."
"As if ..."
"Yuna is still alive. She's also not responsive like you, but you both still live." Her 'uncle' collected his thoughts. "I don't know what to say to you. I'm so sorry. I will do everything in my power to help you."
"Then help me. Make the screams disappear."
"I have to go now, but I'll come back, Yui."
"No! Wait! Don't leave me alone!"
Yoshiro was gone again.
***
"Hey Yui. How are you?"
"Uncle!"
"I have good news. Yuna woke up. She is fine, considering the circumstances."
"Thank God. I'm so glad."
His gaze slid over her body before he looked back into her face. "It would be nice if you would return to us too, Yui."
"I can't. I'm too scared. The screams. The dragons."
Yoshiro put his hand on Yui's head and gently stroked her blond hair. "The doctors say you can hear us. Whatever you are going through, we can get trough this together."
"You don't know what I know. You didn't hear them. What about mother and father? Where are Mai and Ayu? Where are they?"
Her 'uncle' sighed. "I'll take care of Yuna. She needs me now. The doctors tell me when you wake up. Dream something beautiful, Yui. Come back soon."
"I can't. Why don't you understand?"
***
"Sister ... Sister ... Yuna! ... Can't you hear me?" Yui could see the blue hair of her sister. She wanted to look into her eyes, but her body didn't obey her. "Help me."
The blue-haired talked to the man, Takashi, who pushed Yui's wheelchair. Why couldn't the blond girl make herself noticeable? She blinked slowly as she heard the screams ring in her head. The screams of her family, who were constantly persecuting her. She shuddered, but her body seemed to be without life.
"Make it stop."
Yuna disappeared, but the nurse continued to speak to her. Finally, her face appeared before Yui. What had happened to Yuna's eye? The younger one stared at the thick bandage above the right eye.
"I'm glad you're still alive," said the blue-haired.
"Yes. But what about the others?" Then Yuna was gone. "Don't go!"
***
Yoshiro sat down beside the bed on a chair and groaned. "Phew. Your sister is a real pain."
"What did she do, Yoshiro?"
"She keeps me very busy. I'm not sure if I could handle both of you, little brain."
"Come on ..."
"Though ... you're much more reasonable than her. I can talk to you. You listen and understand. That's why you're my little sweetheart." He stroked her forehead lovingly.
"I know, but you shouldn't have a favorite."
"Of course I can never confess that. Don't tell your sister." Yoshiro grinned mischievously.
"I can't laugh about that, uncle. Well ... a little bit."
"I'll be away for a few days. If you should wake up, I apologize for not being there right away. I love you, Yui."
"I would love to ask you what happened to my parents. Are they really dead? And Mai and Ayu, too?"
"Until then, my little one."
"Yes. See you."
***
"I'm sorry, I didn't come sooner. I hope you're not mad at me," Yuna greeted her sister.
"Finally you're here! I'm so happy!"
Yuna continued talking to her until they were disturbed. Yui didn't really get what happened, but then her sister was back with her.
"I brought your favorite book along." The older one held it high so that her sister could take a quick look at the book cover.
"You made fun of me for reading it again."
The blue-haired grinned tormented as she turned it back. "I know. You've read it at least four times, but I couldn't come up with anything better."
"That's fine. I love it."
Yuna opened the book and turned to the first page. She swallowed, took a deep breath and began: "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit."
"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit," Yui thought synchronously to Yuna's lecture.
***
The blue-haired approached the bed and took Yui's hand. "I've killed Tirr. It's over, Yui. You can finally come back."
"What are you talking about, sister? What's happened? The last time you were so strange."
"It's fucked up. I avenged our family. I've saved everyone. And yet I feel bad. I've done terrible things, Yui. But this is over now. We leave it all behind us. We can live in peace. You just need to wake up."
"I don't understand what you're saying. What happened, sister?"
Yuna continued reading to her from 'The Hobbit'. There was a knock and a young man with a guitar visited both of them. The older girl introduced him as Wataru, her boyfriend. She had already told Yui about him. He looked a little bit sleazy. He could use a proper shave. And a haircut. They talked briefly, then the blue-haired read on.
For a short moment, Yui thought of Ayumi, the red-haired roommate of her sister, who was with her in the hospital yesterday. Apparently, Yuna lived with these people in a pension. Where was Yoshiro? He hadn't come to visit anymore and her sister hadn't told anything about him.
"Thank God, Bilbo said, laughing, and handed him the tobacco can," Yuna finished, staring at the last sentence of the book thoughtfully. She looked at her boyfriend and nodded.
"Oh misty eye of the mountain below."
Already the first line of the song let Yui listen up. She loved this song almost as much as the book. It was really a special surprise Yuna had come up with for her. The blonde wanted to sing along, but her voice failed.
"No. I will not take this any longer. I want to get out there. I want to go back to the world."
Yui stared tensely in front of her. How did that work again? How could she move? The chorus of the song penetrated her ear.
"Come on, Yui. You can do this. Do you want to stay here forever?"
No. She didn't want that. No more. She had run away long enough. She wanted to be free. She wanted to live. The blond girl gathered all her willpower to accomplish any motion. Her chest lifted slightly more, and additional oxygen flowed into her lungs. Immediately she felt the invigorating effect of the gas. She squinted a few times quickly, then she reached for her body, which had been her prison for so long.
Her finger twitched.