The girl looked familiar, from her brown hair to the school uniform she wore. Although she looked like someone who you wouldn't notice in a crowd. Yet there was something that made her stick out. Something that drew him to her.
"You here to pray too?" Madoka asked, earning the girls attention. As she turned around, there was a shocked look in her eyes. But her face showed no emotion at all. Just an empty look.
"You…you. Can see. Me now?" The girl asked, her voice empty. In a way that attempted to show hope.
"Of course I can see you. It would be impossible not to see you standing there. It's not like you're invisible." Madoka said jokingly.
"It's only. Been two. Months…" the girl said. Looking around as if looking for something in the shadows around them. Like she expected for something to jump out.
Madoka looked around almost as if by instinct. His eyes landing on the shrine bells. Watching as they got pushed by the gentle breeze. Noticing that the sound followed seconds later after a delay. It wasn't something one would notice off hand. But the more that he paid attention, the more prevalent the delay became.
"That's weird…the bells have a delay." Madoka said without giving much thought to the words he spoke.
"So you. Have noticed. It too." She said looking up to the bells. "The world. Moving slower. While you're. Moving faster."
"Yeah- Wait, wait, wait. You mean the delay isn't just in my head?" Madoka cried out in disbelief. He had started to believe that he was going crazy. Which with all the stress from school he was under. Was still a possibility.
"You would. Think that. As you. Are meant. To." The girl said pointedly. Wincing in pain soon after those words left her lips.
"What do you mean as I am meant to?" Madoka asked, taking a step back once he noticed that she had gotten closer. Almost as if each spoken word brought them closer to one another. Both metaphorically, and physically.
Nema continued staring at Madoka, fighting the urge to just tell him that none of this was real. That he needed to follow her and get out of this hell. But deep down, she knew it wasn't going to work. She knew the moment she tried. Her patron would punish her for breaking so many rules. And right now she couldn't afford to break a single one. Especially if she could interact directly with Madoka.
Which meant things were about to go from bad to worse. In all kinds of ways. She just didn't know when. Which scared her. To the point that she wanted to warn him. To tell him about the things that he couldn't see or understand. But the more she mustered up the courage to speak. To say something. The more she tried to say something. The less the words came to her.
Almost as if her own body was going against her. Trying everything it could not to break the facade.
"Are you okay? You look a bit pale." Madoka said, stepping closer. Reaching out to her only stopping as soon as he saw her flinch. Prompting him to slowly pull his hand back.
Nema nodded slowly. Taking a step back as a sudden coughing fit struck her. Doubling over as her sides cried out from the temporary pain from the intensity of her coughs. Only gaining a moment of reprieve once she noticed her blood on the ground.
Careful now. You don't want to break another rule do you? Her patrons voice echoed in her head.
"T-that's blood. You just coughed up blood, are you sick?" Madoka said, unable to help the worry in his voice.
In an attempt to respond. Nema found that no words left her lips. Her body was struck by a momentary weakness that made moving nearly impossible.
Now wasn't the right time for this to happen. Especially not when she noticed what was slowly peering out at them from the shadows.
Nema couldn't help but watch helplessly as the creature that walked on its hands snuck ever closer. Going still, waiting for the right moment to strike. Somehow blending into the dark of the shadows. Taking advantage of the delay in sounds as it moved. It's creepy yellowed smile being contained by not wanting to be seen by its prey.
Her mind raced as all manner of thoughts rang through her mind. Watching as Madoka fought with himself to decide the best way to help her as the creature moved closer.
It touched her watching as he tried to look for something to help with the blood trickling from her mouth. When he needed the help more than she did.
And he didn't know it.
Watching as it moved closer to the edge of the shadows. A subtle realization ran through her mind. If the creature got to him and successfully captured him. There was a high likelihood that things would turn for the worst. Something she just couldn't allow.
Still she couldn't help but to watch as the creature stalked ever closer to Madoka, staying well within the shadows, making sure that it didn't make a single noise. Its face contorted into a wicked smile of sharp yellowed teeth. Going even lower once it was close enough to pounce upon him, to bring this twisted cycle to an end.
But in that moment right before its hands left the ground, Nema found strength through the pain, through her own body. To let the words she had been struggling to say leave her lips. In two loud shrill words.
"Behind you!" She yelled through the pain of her throat being torn apart by her words. Coughing up more blood as she watched Madoka turn around in surprise, before diving out of the way in the knick of time.
Madoka watched as the creature soared over his head. Right into the shrine. Dust and debris out from the hole it had just made.
"We gotta get out of here!" Madoka yelled, turning to run. Noticing soon after he had created a good bit of distance from him and the shrine. That Nema wasn't behind him. She couldn't still be on the ground right?
That realization made his heart sink from the thought alone of having left her defenseless against the creature that had jumped out of the shadows.
Nema had watched as Madoka wisely ran away. Creating as much distance as he could. Which she didn't blame him for. After all, it was only rational to run away from the monster trying to attack you.
"Heeeee leeeeft yooooouuu~" The creature said in its demonic sing-song. As it moved ever closer to her. Almost as if considering taking her instead of Madoka. A possibility she had never once stopped to consider.
Nema watched helplessly as the creature slowly raised its hand as if intending to harm her. A fact driven home when it drew all five of its fingers into a blade-like motion. Aiming right for her heart.
Right now would've been the perfect time to move and get out of the way of the inevitable. But in her current state. Nema couldn't move nearly as fast as she needed to, to get out of the path of the things attack. Knowing full well the damage it was capable of. Knowing that the moment it touched her. It would all be over.
But this time. The inevitable didn't scare her. This time, she was more than ready to embrace it. Knowing that there would be some kind of peace to surely follow.
Closing her eyes. She was prepared finally for it all to end.
That was until she heard a loud grunt followed by the sensation of being lifted from the ground. Into the protective arms of someone.
Opening her eyes. Nema stared up at her would be savior. Her eyes widening in surprise when she saw that she was in Madoka's arms.
"Please forgive me." He said in a low whisper as he held her close in his arms. Gunning into a full sprint. Struggling against the weight of the memories that surged to the front of his mind. All playing in painfully clear details. Of all the times he had been caught by these creatures. Of all the times the world had changed in some way each time. Of the yellow smile that now seared itself into his mind.
He struggled to move against them, each memory slamming into him with a wave of exhaustion and pain. But somehow he found a way to keep going. He found his way through the streets that remained devoid of life.
Losing your grip on reality wasn't an easy thing to process. Especially while the world seemed to change with each step Madoka took.
Madoka took a deep breath trying to steady himself, to slow the pace of the images and sounds that danced through his mind.
"You need to wake up Madoka. Or else. Those things. Will show. Up again." Nema's voice echoed through the growing hallucinations. Which somehow worked in bringing Madoka somewhat back to reality.
"W-what?" Madoka stammered. His breath catching the moment he noticed the blood that was now beginning to seep not only from her mouth. But her ears and nose as well. Her eyes were filled to the brim with the color red. Almost like they were on the verge of leaking out the blood.
"If you. Don't wake. Up. You will. Die." Nema said frankly. Ignoring the pain that assaulted her Body. Ignoring the blood that filled her mouth. The pain quickly grew more and more unbearable with the more words that she spoke. And the more rules that she broke with each further word and moment of contact. Which oddly enough, being near Madoka made the pain almost worth it. Feeling the touch of someone else was never something she expected to feel ever again. And it was only now did she realize she really missed this feeling. Even if it meant going through all of this suffering.
"W-what are you talking about?" Madoka questioned, his mind racing with all of the words that she had spoken. Each one leaving him much more confused than the previous one had. Which was easy enough given the surge of memories keeping him from forming a complete thought or able to really focus on anything being said.
He didn't know what to do, he didn't know what to say. Especially when he saw the blood that was pouring from her face seemingly without cause. If anything at this moment. He felt bad for her and the suffering that she must've been going through. Especially when he ducked around a corner to catch his breath. Hoping that the grey creature hadn't found it's way to them. The sound of its twisted laugh was all that echoed around the two.
"A-are you okay-?" He started to say her name. But suddenly stopped as he pulled up a blank. Why couldn't he remember her name? How come he could only remember the events that he encountered the creature? Everytime he tried to recall her face, her voice, Or anything about her. He just drew a complete blank Whenever he tried.
And it was something that was starting to worry him. Because he knew deep down that he knew her. Or at least that was his hope
Feeling as if everything was starting to shatter. Madoka could hear his heartbeat hammering as it began to pick up more and more. His panic and anxiety were becoming even more heightened when he realized that the other day had absolutely happened.
"Madoka. Please help. Me." She managed her voice full of the excruciating pain she was going through. Placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Take me. Home. Please"
If it weren't for that, Madoka would've stayed well within his head. His first instinct was to drop his hold on her. But he managed not to give in, keeping his hold on her as he continued to press on.
Nema weakly pulled on his shirt to get his attention. Before she slowly pointed in the direction she wanted him to go. The direction to her home. The only place she knew they would be safe. Especially with the creature now chasing them.