Billowing white steam puffed out of the rattling metal pot. The cook opened the pot and met face to face with a huge slap of heated moisture. He lifted the steamer out and neatly set the shumai onto a small plate. The waitress carried the plate and set it at Kaoru’s table.
“So what are going to do?” asked Toshiya.
“What do you mean?” asked Kaoru.
“Are you going to wait around for Mavros to attack you or are you going to do something?”
“What is there to do? I can’t predict his next thought and I don’t know where he is.”
“I’m actually kinda surprised we made it this far,” said Die.
“I’m still bummed that you guys saw Kyo,” Toshiya pouted.
“I’m ready to pound that guy for ruining my life,” said Shinya.
Kaoru let out a long sigh. The izakaya was empty again except for them and a busy kitchen.
“Mavros should be pretty desperate right now. All his attempts to kill us has failed and we barely escape the Reaper each time,” began Kaoru. “Since I am most likely his next target, he will put his all into obliterating us once and for all.”
“What, ‘cuz you’re our supposed leader?” laughed Die.
“I think he tries pretty hard to kill all of us,” remarked Toshiya. “He probably hates our guts.”
“I actually think the opposite,” said Shinya. “Kyo said Mavros tried to transfer his soul into a toad. I think he just has this sick obsession for torture and possibly collection.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Mavros admitted that,” said Die.
“How are your ribs, Kaoru?” asked Toshiya.
“The doctor said they healed completely. A month flew by really quickly,” said Kaoru.
“Speaking of which, Mavros hasn’t struck since Mari’s murder,” said Die.
“I’m feeling a bit uneasy about it. It’s like he’s got something really big planned for us,” said Kaoru.
“If he wants to hit it with his best shot, we will give our maximum counter. After all, we are Dir en grey. We like living on the edge,” Die smirked.
“No wonder you were the first target,” said Shinya.
“Why is that?” asked Die.
“Your name says it all.”
*****
Back at the apartment, Kaoru collapsed onto the floor. The weeks of inactivity drove him wild. He lit a cigarette and let it burn. The tendrils of smoke rose to the ceiling. Was waiting the only choice he had left? Kyo drifted into the living room and lingered over Kaoru.
“When did you start living here?” said Kaoru waving Kyo away.
“I don’t. I just barge into people’s houses without permission,” said Kyo.
“What do you want?”
“I want you to talk to me.”
Kaoru sat up and tapped the ashes into the glass ashtray on the kotatsu table.
“So, what do you want to talk about?”
“There’s something strange about me.”
“Is that suppose to be a compliment,” Kaoru sniggered.
“I prefer the term enigmatic,” smiled Kyo.
“Ok. What’s the strangeness you find in yourself?”
“I talked to a bunch of spirits. Typically when you stay in this plane of existence, you go haywire eventually because you’re suppose to move on. I thought that the unfinished business with Mavros was what’s holding me back from moving on, but I can’t help but feel grounded.”
“Grounded to what?”
“I’m not sure. I feel like there’s still something on this Earth that I’m still attached to. I’ve been feeling it for a while and it hasn’t gone away.”
“Do you have other unfinished business? Like a debt. Family. Or a relationship.”
“I want to start another band.”
“Jesus, if you had all the time in the world you would start a ton of bands.”
Kyo cackled with laughter.
“You really think I would?”
“Would? I think you can do anything.”
“Gee, Kaoru. You think too highly of me.”
“I don’t know, Kyo. Maybe the urge to destroy Mavros is strong and your will beckons you to stay on Earth until the job is done.”
“Maybe. But recently I have this awful feeling brewing inside of me. I’m sensing something very terrible as if I’m turning into a monster. I think I might be at my limit.”
“No. You’re fine.”
“So you’re a spiritual expert now?”
“I just think if you are ready to crack, you would have cracked by now. Your senses have been pretty accurate so far despite the fact you can’t contact Mavros at all.”
“I don’t know why, but every time I warn you guys about stuff, I get glimpses of what’s going to happening. It’s like little electric shocks of visions. Since when do spirits get visions?”
“Maybe you’re an exception.”
Kaoru tapped the remaining ashes into the tray.
“Why couldn’t you sense Toshiya’s incident? I always wondered about that.”
“I found it strange too. Maybe it was because Colin was the one executing the crime. My so called visions are Mavros heavy. Yet I can never find out where Mavros is.”
“Do you sense anything for me?”
Kyo wrinkled his brow and cocked his head a bit.
“Anything?” Kaoru asked again.
“Nope. You’re safe for now.”
Kaoru let out a long sigh. “How do you expect me to sleep like this?”
“At least you can go to sleep. I can’t. I’m awake all the time.”
“Can’t you ... shut off or something?”
“I can keep reliving the memory of me getting killed.”
“Nevermind.”
*****
Kaoru found himself walking through the white mist. The mossy ground was shrouded, but his legs continued to carry him forward. The rumbling of the earth echoed like the calls of a humpback whale. He could see an old tree in the distance coming into view. Kaoru looked above his head. The sky was a bright sheet of porcelain, but there was no sign of a sun. A canopy of mist obscured it. Just then a loud screech echoed above him. Kaoru caught glimpse of a leathery winged creature. Where am I, he thought.
The ground shook. Kaoru could feel the tremors of something large walking beside him. Sometimes it was a pitter-patter of rustling feet. Later it was a herd of galloping hooves. The large tree was coming into view and the mist lagged behind. Kaoru admired the monstrous growth. The robust trunk was wrapped with dark, serpentine vines. Its majestic appearance towered over Kaoru. For some reason, he felt sad to see the tree encompassed by the intruding vines. It was as if they were suffocating it.
Kaoru reached to touch the bark. He felt a slight rumble from within like a heartbeat. The thickening vines were now coiling around the tree. As they squeezed the tree, it groaned like an old man fed up with the creaks and aches of his life. Even so, the leaves on the branches of the tree continued to sprout. The white mist came to envelope Kaoru and his eyes shot open.
The sun’s rays seeped through the glass. Kaoru had fallen asleep on the floor. His half-smoked cigarette from the night before was on the ledge of the ashtray. Kyo was no longer in the living room. Kaoru pulled himself up and straightened out his fried hair. What was that dream all about? A vision from beyond? It wasn’t nonsensical, but whatever deep message it contained, it wasn’t clear like the threat the band was facing.
*****
BGM: Magayasou by Dir en grey
More hard to follow messages in dreams. Can you recognize what song the dream was based off of? It was originally what I decided on for the soundtrack before I used Magayasou. If you enjoyed this brief moment of peace for our beloved band, leave a comment.
