Dream: Star Glitter

Date: 9/18/2019

I was now a young Asian man named Yosuke. Probably about college freshman level. I had come to this college seeking to reinvent myself. Instead I was pretty alienated there. For me it wasn't abnormal though. Every other place I'd gone to was another step at trying to restart and learning I would be starting out on my own. Despite all this there was a girl. Then again that seems to be a common thing. There was always a girl. Someone proud of their strange look on life who would come up to me and try to be my friend. Usually they would know who I was first. Know that I came from money and try to use it against me. However this girl appeared about as clueless as they got. "You're Yosuke right? Did you know this school is said to be haunted? Pretty neat right?" That was how she started off and when I just gave her what I assumed was an odd look she giggled. "Sorry. I'm Mitsuru. I should have said that first." She extended a hand out to me then and I shook it. She was half-asian is what she'd later tell me but never stated what the other half was. She also wore a necklace that said "Star Glitter" in a bulky font and had actual glitter on it. I never understood her as we went about our days in that college but I wish I had tried harder to. I wish I had gotten more time with her. When our class went on a trip to a ghost town… it was like they all changed. My paranoia had returned and I made certain to not leave any drinks unattended. All my food I made or got on my own. Now I know I called it a ghost town but it was more like this place had little in the way of people or attractions. There were vending machines in some buildings and there was a gas station that had plenty for me to get food and drink from… there was also the hotel we all stayed in… but something felt off. By the fifth night I had become a tightly wound ball of nerves on the inside. Outwardly I was doing everything to make sure my classmates didn't know my level of anxiety right now. I had hidden myself away in a hotel room I'd talked the hotel owner into letting me have on my own. The hotel owner didn't care as it was more money for him anyway. I hid in there now and again to calm down and relax. Yet it seemed I hadn't hidden away well enough. Not moments later I could hear the door shutting behind someone else. I had thought I'd locked it but my anxiety was calmed a bit when I saw who entered. She did. Mitsuru. "You really don't trust people, do you Yosuke?" I shook my head and watched as she locked the door. She looked saddened by my actions. I couldn't blame her. I knew I'd be the only one to blame when she turned on me. Mitsuru gave me a small smile, "Even if the others turn on you… please at least trust me. I truly am here as your friend." She held her hand out to me. Just like the day we met. I felt like a child scared of the dark. Yet here was this bright star to light my way. I took her hand and pulled her into a hug. "Thank you." Those words were the first I'd spoken to her in awhile. They were the first words that felt real. She just hugged me back and tight. She felt like she was ready to burst. "They didn't turn because of you. They all changed because they learned what I am." Her words hung in the air as she pulled back a little to look at me. "What do you mean by that?" She gave a weak smile. "Why settle for the boy who comes from money when you can literally have a star?" I felt my heart actually quake as I realized the gravity of her words. I ran my fingers lightly over her cheeks. "A true light in the dark." I murmured and she just nodded quietly. There was a silence that hung between us far longer than I liked. She was about as anxious as he was now. Yet she kept smiling on. "What's gonna happen now?" I asked her. "If you stay too close to me they'll probably try to kill you. Anything to make sure they can keep me to themselves." She chewed her bottom lip after saying that, "Then they'll lock me away." I sighed and leaned back against the wall. "I'd really rather not die but I'd really rather you not get locked up like some trophy." I lightly ran my fingers across her cheek and gave her a light kiss on her forehead. "We'll get this figured out. For now… stay with me?" Mitsuru actually seemed surprised. She smiled and nodded to that. She hugged me again and buried her face in my shoulder. "I don't want you to die… but I don't want to be taken away either. I want us both to be free to live how we want. Is that selfish, Yosuke?" I shook my head and smiled, "No. It's a beautiful wish. I like it." The night went like that. We headed to bed after sometime. She slept curled up in my arms. I couldn't explain this feeling but I genuinely didn't want to lose her. She was the first true friend I'd had in a long time. Keeping her free meant more than my own life. It was a strange feeling. We slept most of the night away. It was oddly the first peaceful sleep I'd had in a while. Though she had jolted me awake while it was still dark out. I checked my watch and it was about four in the morning. She was fidgeting and had placed her fingers over my mouth to keep me quiet. I nodded in understanding and slowly got up off the bed. We both quietly got our shoes and jackets on. We grabbed our phones and wallets. She put her necklace back on. As we did all of this we could hear footsteps out in the halls. I grabbed my pocket knife and flicked it open. Mitsuru shook her head and looked to me.  "We have to go." She whispered and we headed towards the balcony. A bullet whizzed by my hand as we began moving out to it. I reflexively pulled us back in the room. "Got a better idea?" Mitsuru chewed her lower lip and nodded. She kissed my lips and gained her fingers with mine. I was so stunned by this sudden display of affection that I hadn't noticed at first that we were no longer in the hotel room. We were now in the parking lot. I was really starting to wish I'd driven myself here. We ran through the parking lot. Mitsuru's hand tightly held in mine as we ran. I heard the crack of a whip fling past us and saw sharp thorns on the edges of my vision. I pulled Mitsuru down a bit to keep her from getting hit as we ran off more.  "Can we hotwire one?" She asked me. "If you know how to do that then by all means but I doubt we have too much longer before they catch up to us." I remarked as we ran. The whip cracked again and I saw more thorns fly past me. No. A better look told me those weren't thorns. Those were darts. Deadly and sharp. That, the whip, whoever had the gun earlier, this was definitely no game. "If one of us distracts them… but that's dangerous for us both…" Mitsuru said and pulled me down this time. A dart just narrowly missing my head. "Thanks." I told her and she nodded. "One more." She whispered and kissed me again. We were farther away now. I'd like to say it was the gas station.  I decided when we got free of this place I'd have her tell me about that kiss. Why she had to kiss me to teleport us. All of it. I didn't even hear it that time. I just felt the harsh sting of the whip as it wrapped around my arm. There were sharp thorns on it that dug in as I moved. "Yosuke!" I heard Mitsuru call out. Someone had grabbed her and yanked her from my grasp. I glared daggers at the others. Our classmates. All fighting to take her as their trophy. The star that should have stayed in the sky. "Mitsuru… no matter what happens… you need to run." I told her defiantly. One of the girls from our class pulled a gun out and aimed it at my head. "You're in no position to be ordering her around Yosuke." Only two thoughts crossed my mind. One was that I hoped Mitsuru knew how grateful I was for her friendship. Another was that I hoped she ran far and fast. I heard the sound of gunfire. I awoke after that.