Kagerou Daze

August 14, I had woken from my comfy bed, and looked to my clock. I was late! I quickly got out and rushed my clothes on, bed hair still springing up from my scalp. It was twelve thirty noon when I left. I ran to the park where she was sat. Her short black hair complimented her hazel eyes, she sat so bored on the park swing, the one next to her empty. “Hey Hiyori” I called, running towards my best friend. I sat on the empty swing next to her and watched as she petted a cat that looked ever so slightly like her own cat, white and small with a puffy tail. I apologised for my tardiness and then we got into conversation. “I don’t really like the summer” She told me, though I already knew, she was always a winter person; I liked fall myself. The cat that had been sitting on Hiyori’s lap the entire time, jumped off and began to run for the street. Hiyori got up to chase the cat, though she wasn’t paying attention as she ran into the road as the traffic light turned red. A truck span into her. Her retching screams came too late and Hiyori fell to the floor, her body unrecognisable. Blood splatted the front of the truck, the road and her mangled figure. I wondered if this was a lie. Was the heat mocking me? Across the road, like a mirror, was a figure who looked identical to myself. He whispered in the wind.

“What you see is exactly what you’re gonna get!”

After that, I saw the blue sky and heard the crickets sing, then everything went black.

I sat in my bed, panting and sweating. On the wall, the ticking clock, the shock will mock my ever-ringing head. I looked to my phone, a blur in my eye. August fourteen, twelve-something noon. I was late! I quickly got out and rushed my clothes on, bed hair still springing up from my scalp. Slightly in the distance the cry of crickets singing sounded in my head, I looked out of my window to see the sun, shining brightly down. I ran to the park where she was sat. She sat so bored on the park swing, the one next to her empty. “Hey Hiyori” I called, running towards my best friend. I sat on the empty swing next to her and watched as she petted a cat that looked ever so slightly like her own cat, white and small with a puffy tail. I apologised for my tardiness and then we got into conversation. I told her about my dream, then asked if we could leave. She agreed, seeing how shook up I was. We walked up to the road, about to step off the path to cross. I saw pedestrians around looking up, gaping, pointing, trying to keep a runaway scream. I looked up and saw the beam. It plummeted down, crushing through her heart, splitting her into two. As more beams fell, they sounded like old wind chimes until they hit the park trees. I wondered if this was a lie. Was the heat mocking me? Across the road, like a mirror, was a figure who looked identical to myself. He smiled.

“Bet you wish you were asleep, but it’s not a dream!”

Everything went black.

I began to realise what was going on through that heated haze. Always August 14, twelve-something noon. The mirrored figure was laughing at me the whole time I was trying to save Hiyori from the horrible fate that she landed in, each repetition of the day. Each death, far more different and much worse than the last. This has been going for the past ten years. Each day I remember so well. We’re trapped in cycles of the same hours, the end is never clear. But a story is a story all the same. And today, like any, has an ending so to say. I will reach beyond that scorching summer day.

I woke up, I got dressed, and I ran as fast as I could to the park. A grabbed her hand and pulled up, the cat upon her lap jumping off. I pulled her to road, about to cross. She stepped out, but I pushed her aside, only to see her dodge a truck. I pain was unbearable. I felt my insides being crushed, everything was slowing down. I watched as you screamed, my blood painting you red. I saw in your eyes, questioning if this was a lie. I saw my reflection, though he didn’t smile, he didn’t whisper.

“What you see is exactly what you’re gonna get!”

Maybe this endless summer day was over. But I don’t know, my part ends here.

August 14, alone cradling a small white cat with a puffy tail, girl. She had just woken up, though already her face was tear stained. She muttered to her cat. “I failed again”.

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Notes:

This piece is inspired by the song Kagerou Days, which in quick summery is about a boy and girl repeating the same day over and over. I used guidance of the English translated lyrics provided by JubyPhonic. I hope in the future to write more short pieces of writing inspired by Vocaloid songs as I feel they provide more of a story than other songs.

Edit- I orginally didn't know the name of the girl, but while watching the nico video, I saw a comment stating a name, then thought about looking it up. So I've changed Zara's name to Hiyori.