239 The colour of dreams

What is the colour of your dreams?

For me its black and white

My dreams are always black and white

Pale, colourless

Recently even when I'm awake, everything still appears pale and colourless.

This would worry most people, but she wasn't like the others. For her the lack of colour made her feel at ease.

Recently her dreams would start of the same way, her simply laying down somewhere in a field, her room, anywhere. She would remain their motionless. Until she would feel the familiar sensation of someone gripping her throat tightly, until she began to wheeze in pain.

She would open her eyes, and see familiar gold eyes peering at her. His face and white hair drenched in blood, leaking through his white long sleeve onto her bedsheets, or the grass depending where she was.

Today she was in her own bed, and he was straddling her, his thighs pressed against the outside of her own. His lips curved to an amused smile. His hands would trail on her thighs.

"It's your responsibility to face me, but seeing you this powerless." Akishima would bring his lips to her ear. "-does something to me. I

shall enjoy breaking you slowly."

Had Toh not already taken her first time, had the past two weeks not consisted of them getting familiar with each other's body. Then maybe this would have frightened her. But, even as the blood dripped from Akishima's cheek onto her face. Even as he pressed himself against her, she felt nothing.

Her eyes dead.

This world is supposed to be colourless, but there is one colour that still remains. The colour of blood.

That bright and vibrant red.

...…

"Why didn't you kill me?" she asked him one night.

He paused a moment, gazing up at her from the book in his hand. Tonight was different, somehow. He was calmer, and not threatening to choke her or force himself every night. He sat at her kitchen table, his leg lazily crossed over the other as he read.

"The gun was empty," he said simply, returning back to the book in his hand.

Sumire moved into the kitchen, crossing her arms as she stood in front of him. "You still could have killed me. One last corpse before you went."

Why this man spared her from death is something she doesn't understand. This person is 'Akishima' the ghost of Yuhi's enemy that has been haunting her every night for the past few months. She can't quite pin point when he first started to appear before her. But, at some point he must have stopped. Because she hasn't woken up to the sensation of his hands clawing at her neck, until recently.

His lips curved to a smile. "Does Terashima know that your so quick to rush to your death?"

For a minute that question stunned her. 'Toh knows and Yuhi? Yuhi definitely knows.' She quickly regained her composure.

Sumire sighed deeply. "You're quick to bring up Yuhi so casually. I thought you'd be seeking his whereabouts."

A chuckle escaped Akishima's lips. "Oh, I know where he is. Playing idol, and attempting to lead a normal life."

Sumire wanted to ask how he knew that. How he knew that Yuhi's attempts were failing. But, now that she has this chance.

"Then, why do you haunt me and not him?"

"Who says I am ghost?" Akishima chuckled. "Did you not forget that you failed to kill me?"

Right, it was the one mission she failed. She has a ninety-nine percent success rate mission wise. But, that last percentage? She failed to kill this person. Even though she was one of the first ones to discover that

"Considering how you appear out of nowhere, and disappear. I can only conclude that your a ghost."

He chuckled again and Sumire sighed. "Even if I have gone crazy, I wish the ghost I was speaking to was somebody I cared for."

"Not that you have many of those. Those around you who have died aren't precious enough for them to haunt you."

"Then it's stranger that your the one appearing before me." Sumire paused. "I think you were always searching for answers through your crimes. I think you're still searching for answers through me. Or rather, I'm searching for answers through you."

Right, this must be why she keeps seeing this man every single night. There is no other explanation.

"You didn't answer my question. Why are you appearing before me? I'm sure you have a choice on who you haunt." Sumire wanted to sound confident saying those words. But, Akishima must have sensed her hesitation since he closed his book, stood up and closed the gap between her and the table.

Akishima chuckled when she flinched at the contact of his hand on her cheek. She felt nothing but coldness. He must be a ghost. But, the fact that she can feel anything at all makes her doubt it.

"If you must know, I find the present you more entertaining than Terashima." Akishima paused. "I wonder what drove you to change? Or did you already change when you decided ti hunt me down? Was it from that moment I had a gun at your head and you had one at mine?"

Sumire sighed. "So is this just entertainment for you?"

"Hardly, your evolvement truly fascinates me. There are countless people who have claimed they have changed, but the reality is they are the same insignificant worms."

Sumire laughed bitterly. "Are you talking about your pawns that you put against me and Yuhi, and killed once you realized they no longer had a purpose?"

Akishima narrowed his eyes, and he smirked. "I see your very chatty today. It's unfortunate that your not this talkative in bed."

Sumire paused but didn't keep her gaze away from him. "Well?"

"Like you said, they no longer had a purpose. So, why would I entertain them. But your different, your mind works in different ways than theirs did."

She couldn't reply to that. She wasn't quite sure if this is what she wanted to hear. Or maybe it was. Since Akishima was leaning closer and closer-

"You seem very unsettled." Akishima pointed out.

"It's just your imagination."

Yes, she is very unsettled! While she didn't know this man as much as Yuhi did. She went on a few jobs with him. He is a merciless and cold blooded killer. So, why did he not only return as a ghost to haunt her, but now he is saying words that almost sound sweet?

*Unedited*