Walking Through Death

The doll in my hand is heavy. Thinking of how much it meant to her makes me want to tear it to pieces instead of doing what I'm doing. I enter the elevator, glad to see that it hasn't got a mirrored side.

A couple of floors down, the doors open for a boy to enter. He stands sheepishly in the hospital pyjamas with a blue jacket thrown over the top. He's checking his phone as he steps in. Going by the attire, I know he must be a patient. He doesn't notice me, brown hair falls into his eyes as he looks for the right floor. He looks up to watch the floor numbers scroll down before turning his head towards me. He steps back in alarm before turning front and centre once again.

We stand in silence. She hated that, silence. She was the talker, I was the listener. She talked about so much, so much to look forward to, so much to live for … so much she can never experience.

He looks at me, noticing I am still dressed in my school uniform. He asks if I am a student at Yomi North. Nervous to speak, I nod slightly, my black hair waving in front of my eye. He sees the button I have highlighted and questions my business on the second base level. I answer with a simple yes.

"But the second basement level is…" he says, realising my destination. I grip the doll tighter, saying that I have something to deliver. I tell him my poor other half waits for me there.

My other half. That's how I feel; like I'll never be whole again without her.

We come to the second basement level and I step out slowly, in a funeral march. My head is bowed as the doll swings at my side. He watches me as I walk away, telling me to wait. I stop, but do not turn. He asks my name.

"Mei," I answer. "Misaki Mei." Yet another cursed reminder of her, I realise. I am cursed to share her name, cursed to be reminded of what I have lost. I walk into the darkness of the morgue, not bothering to turn back.

I walk past the boiler room and mechanical room to the morgue. Past dozens of bodies I tread, never to see the light of day until their burial. I feel as if this room is the only pathway between life and death. I walk through the room of the dead, looking for her. I find her.

Pale lids are closed over dead red eyes. Brown hair falls around her face, the braid carefully placed in front of her ear. I break down in tears for my 'cousin', for my sister, for my best friend – for my other half. No one can see me cry for her.

Slipping the doll under her arms crossed over her chest, I stand. I remove my eye patch as I had done only a couple of nights before. The colour of death surrounds her, swallowing her whole.

I turn and leave, leaving half of myself behind.

OK, so this is a random one shot I thought of when I first saw Another. I was just wondering how Mei felt at her sister's demise, so I thought I'd write my own thoughts!

Shizuku & Cassia x