Dead Man's Game

She looked up, up, up towards the sky. Despite seeing nothing, she kept looking. The same old boring gray sky, the same it had always been. Gray like the rocks on the mountain, without colour, without feeling. Sometimes, just sometimes, she wondered wether it had ever been any other way. In the kind of world she lived in, however, she could only wonder sometimes. Because she wasn't allowed anything else. By herself, by her friends, and by God.

Mi Cha walked into her classroom, expecting it to be filled with laughter, like it usually was. She did, however, find it empty. Looking at the clock, she saw class would start in another half-an-hour. It wasn't planned, being earlier than usual, but somehow she had walked faster. No quite sure why, she simply shrugged it off. Sometimes it was better not dwelling on small things. She sat down next to her desk, merely waiting. Letting her thoughts go as they pleased, only to find they would go nowhere. Taking her iPod up, she started listening to slow, sad melodies, meaning things only to those who let them. Beyond the night sky, in the end of horizon/The dawn light spreads, shine on me. They meant nothing to her, becuase she would not allow it.
«Hello, Mi Cha» She could hear it clearly, the voice that was meant for her. Hyun Jae walking in, calmly, full of confidence and yet kindly «They say there will be a storm today.»
Mi Cha looked at her friend, finding herself impressed with how she was able to always keep her uniform so tidy and clean.
«Really? But the sky is still the same.» Mi Cha found herself looking out of the window, up at the sky.
«The sky is always the same. I don't think it will ever change.» And Mi Cha had to agree. It would surely never change.

Mi Cha soon found herself sitting in the cafe close by the school, with a storm raging outside. Her friends were all there, but not all were really interested in being so. She smiled at Ye and Young Il, being in their own world.
«Mi Cha, did you know? They say we were made to live the life God was unable to.» Sojun, a classmate and close friend, said brightly.
«Really? How come?» She heard her own voice ask, despite not thinking of such a question. Sojun looked at her, still bright.
«Did you know that in some religions God is dead? Because a person who can't feel is unable to rule.»
Mi Cha wasn't sure how to answer, and was relieved when Ye answered for her.
«Yet a God that knows how to feel wouldn't be able to rule either.» Despite being fairly surprised that she even bothered speaking at all, there was a power in her words that Mi Cha wasn't quite able to catch. Sojun smiled for a moment, before speaking up again.
«But if God can't feel, how he choose who needs help the most? How can he choose who deserves and who doesn't deserve to go to heaven?» Sojun questioned. Mi Cha knew it would be a long discussion, but it might end up being interesting, so Mi Cha made sure to stay consentrated.
«A God who knows how to feel wouldn't be able to help anyone at all, because he would feel the hatred and the dirt of humankind. He would give us up and make a flood like the bible speaks off. Only the chosen would remain.» Mi Cha remembered something Ye had spoken about a long time ago, when they were younger. We live because God wants us to, yet we die because humankind wants us to. Life only produces what the owner wants it to produce. She had never really understood it, but then again, she had never really understood Ye either. Being driven away by her own thoughts, she lost the rest of the conversation, but remembering all the small things from her past, somehow felt good.

When the storm finally let go, they started making their way home, Mi Cha walking home together with Sojun. She couldn't help but look up at the sky, the gray sky. Sojun probably noticed, as she stopped up and looked up as well.
«I wonder... if this town is cursed?» she said in a whisper, surprising Mi Cha.
«Why? We can't possibly have done something worse than the rest of the world.» was the quiet answer. She could see Sojun smile on her side, a small smile filled with nothing but sadness. Perhaps she knew something Mi Cha didn't, perhaps she merely tried to mess with her, there was no way for Mi Cha to know.

There had been months since the storm had happened. The same old gray sky, the same weather, not even a storm, everything was the same. She had put on thick clothes, as it started getting chiller in the air. That was the only sign that it started becoming winter. It wouldn't snow, the trees kept the same state the whole year, and the sky would always be gray.
«Mi Cha, you need to go now.» She knew, yet she wanted to stay at home. Then, at least she could act like it was still warm, and maybe even that the sky was blue. Or even black, like it should be in the night. She walked outside, towards the school. Just like she usually did, she stopped a while to look at the sky. She could feel something inside of herself, but couldn't quite place it. It was bothersome, yet it felt welcome.
«HEY!» Mi Cha had been so in thoughts that she hadn't heard the car stopping next to her, and so she was slightly surprised. She bowed slightly to the man who had come out of the car, wondering what he was doing there. As far as she remembered, there hadn't been anyone visiting before.
«I wondered where the closest cafe is. I'm gunna get some food before I drive to my destination, ya'know. So, can ya tell me?» Standing with his hands deep into his pockets, the man gave off a slightly irritated vibe.
«It's just down this road. You'll see it.» She answered him, tone warm. The man's face softened, and he looked down the road.
«Thanks. And, how come it's no snow here? It's like, a metre of snow everywhere else.» he asked, voice loud. Snow? Mi Cha had heard the word before, and remembered that it had been expalined as small white dots gathering to masses of 'snow'. Yet, she was unfamiliar with it all, and was unsure how to answer. She decided on a safe answer.
«There never is.» she said. The look the man gave her clearly said he didn't believe her, but he shrugged, thanked her and drove away. Mi Cha looked after his car, and started walking towards school once more when it had stopped again at the cafe. Maybe, it was this town that was weird after all.

Yet another month passed by, and Mi Cha started feeling empty. She had been happy before, and sad, yet now... How come she felt nothing? Nothing at all. She recognized the faces of her friends as well, empty. She didn't understand, or maybe she didn't want to understand, what happened. Thin shinning fragment of prayers/If they gather, the world will awaken. Somewhere inside, she knew. Yet... She couldn't accept it by herself.

It had merely been a week, but the changes were drastic. The general feel over the city was devasting, the empty faces of the citizens was too much. Suddenly, everyone knew the only answer.

NEWS SHOCKING WEDNESDAY:
Recently, something shocking happened in Nekoyama. On Tuesday something extreme happened. It has been noted that there was a group suicide in the middle of Nekoyama, which was attented by huge numbers. It has been said that only one person was left. We tried to get her opinion, but she only said one thing: «this is why a God which can feel has no right to rule», before she left the scene.

I spread my hand and my ears become clear/Now I remember the song of beginning

NEWS SHOCKING FRIDAY:
There is new news about the girl left in Nekoyama. Her school books and uniform tells us that her name is Li Ye and that she went to Nekoyama high. Investigators, however, has investigated, and have told us that no person with such a name exist. They have tried finding her, but has not yet succeded. If anyone have seen anyone calling themselves with the name of «Li Ye», please note the police as soon as possible.

Wind flies to distant sky/Becoming distant journey

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Note: The Lyrics belong to Akiko Shikata and Tomoko Shinoda. Translation belongs to virusshoujo.wordpress.com