Today was supposed to be a relatively normal day for you, you know, waking up, brushing your teeth, having breakfast, and enjoying the last day of the week before the damn Monday knocked on the door.
To say that it was a strange day would be an exaggeration, but to label it as normal wouldn't be accurate either. It was on a fine line between neither one nor the other, so you decided to simply leave it as being a bit more unusual than usual.
But what was it that made this day more unusual than usual? The best way to describe it would be a feeling of unease.
You felt very unsettled, it was something difficult to describe beyond that, a profound and chilling unease. It was as if something was intensely watching you from somewhere you couldn't see, and you felt insecure.
Many times you had turned towards a place where you thought you felt the gaze, but there was never anything, and when there was, it was just people who weren't even paying attention to you.
"Am I imagining it?"
That question had been constantly repeating in your head; after all, it was the most logical answer you could find to the situation. It didn't seem to be as bad as a stalker... At least you wanted to believe it wasn't something as extreme as that.
But it felt so real and unsettling...
Something wasn't right.
You let out a tired sigh as you grabbed the chocolate shake in front of you and used the straw to sip its contents. You took the opportunity to look around and listen to what the other customers were doing in the ice cream parlor where you currently were.
Aside from yourself, there was a group of friends ordering their ice creams and chatting cheerfully among themselves... and you wisely decided to keep your distance from that group. How could anyone order mint slush? How can such a... peculiar being exist?
On the other hand, seated on the opposite side of the establishment and far enough away that you couldn't hear their conversation, there was a group of three friends.
And not far from them was a couple occupying another table, who were quietly enjoying their ice cream, lost in their own world.
Finally, there was you and your friend.
In front of you, seated across the table, was a girl about your age. Her hair was light blue, similar to sky blue, and her eyes were equally blue. She was currently playing absentmindedly with a small plastic spoon, completely ignoring the half-empty ice cream tub beside her.
You were concerned about her. usually, your friend is much more lively than this, but lately, she's been low spirited, and you weren't exactly sure why.
You supposed it was time to ask.
"Kumiko," you called softly, watching as the plastic spoon stopped moving and your friend lifted her head to give you a curious look. "You know you can talk to me if something's wrong, right?"
Kumiko stayed silent for a moment, before sighing and setting the spoon down on the ice cream. "Laura... Can I ask you something?"
Alright, that wasn't a good sign. Kumiko doesn't usually start a conversation like that, especially not with a question of that kind. You both had enough trust in each other for Kumiko to ask without fear. In the end, you simply took another sip of your chocolate shake and said, "Sure, what is it?"
Kumiko opened her mouth, but no sound came out, and seeing her expression, you understood that she was thinking. "Have you been having a lot of nightmares lately?"
"Nightmares?" You ask, confused. Were the nightmares responsible for her being so down? "Not more than usual. Have you been having nightmares?"
"Yes..." Kumiko lowered her head, tired. "Every night, and when I wake up, I feel so tired that I don't feel like doing anything." As she said this, she almost slumped over the table. But she didn't, and instead, her gaze turned into genuine concern. "Laura, I... I'm scared..."
Red alert, that was definitely a red flag for you. You set your chocolate shake down on the table to focus completely on your friend. "What are you scared of? If it's something I can help with..."
Kumiko shook her head. "No, I don't think you can help with this..."
"I won't know unless you tell me," you spoke again, then flashed a small smile at Kumiko. "We're friends, Kumiko, don't be afraid to tell me what scares you."
Kumiko returned the smile, tired of course. "Yesterday... Mom found me trying to leave the house." She probably saw the confusion bloom on your face, so she added one more detail. "Sleepwalking. I tried to leave the house while I was asleep."
You didn't know how to respond to that, it truly was extremely worrying, and it was fortunate that her mother stopped her. "I... I don't know what to say..."
"I know, I wouldn't know how to react either if you told me that," Kumiko replied as her hand reached for her ice cream to continue eating it before it melted. "Mom said I was muttering something about having to go somewhere... It's disturbing, especially when I'm the one experiencing it."
You agreed with her; if you were told you did something even remotely similar, you'd probably sleep with one hand tightly tied to your own bed to prevent yourself from leaving, or maybe not, you wouldn't know unless it happened to you. But Kumiko seemed really worried about it. "Do you think it'll happen again?"
"Yes," Kumiko didn't even hesitate for a second when she responded, completely sure. "If the nightmares haven't gone away, what are the chances that this will stop too?" Kumiko let out a tired, deflated sigh. "Mom is already considering the idea that it might be some psychological problem."
That definitely surprised you. "Isn't that a bit extreme?"
"I would believe it too," Kumiko's words sounded surprisingly exhausted and resigned. "But maybe it's true and I'm a bit crazy?"
She tried to make it sound like a little joke to lighten the mood, but all it did was increase your concern. "Please don't say something like that."
"I'm sorry..." were Kumiko's words, a sincere apology that left an uncomfortable silence between the two of you. With Kumiko eating her ice cream, and you lost in your thoughts.
[ ]Talk to her about a fun experience you had recently to lighten the mood.
[ ]Ask her about a series or movie she would like to watch and organize a marathon night.
[ ]Share your own experiences of feeling watched or uneasy, so Kumiko doesn't feel alone in her experience.
[ ]Suggest that, strange as it may seem, she might be experiencing paranormal activity and propose investigating the topic together.
[ ]Write in.
