Madoka shot up with the beginnings of a scream catching in his throat. The sound of his alarm blaring the opening theme of his favorite show right into his ears. Sunlight shone through a thin curtain that covered the window he kept slightly ajar to let in the cool autumn air.
Where am I?
That question sounded off feeling like it was the first clear thought he'd ever had, and it didn't feel right. And he couldn't figure out why.
Slowly he looked around seeing that he was in his room. Right where he was supposed to be, in his bed like he was meant to be. But still, something about all of this felt off. Almost like something deep down was warning him. But why?
It felt almost like he himself was out of place. Though it wouldn't be the first time he'd woken up feeling like he was out of place. Or that his room didn't seem familiar to him.
The only thing that challenged the out of place feeling was his room. Filled and neatly organized with his belongings, it was the staple of a Japanese Highschooler.
With his comfortable black futon on the floor which was made of soft tatami. To his right was the desk that had its drawers labeled. Which housed his laptop along with yesterday's homework sprawled out over the desk. With two separate text books opened to pages relating to his current maths assignment. Along with the caligraphy pen and ink he used for his club.
To his left was the small closet where he hung his casual everyday clothes, alongside his light brown fall school uniform. The bookshelves held many kinds of books and other hobby memorabilia. Like the Gunpla models he built in his spare time. When he wasn't studying for his entrance exams or other tests. Which was something most of his time went to nowadays.
Everything was where he put it, nothing was out of place and nothing looked different in any way. So why did it feel wr-
"Madoka! Get up or you'll be late for school!" Naomi yelled from right outside his door. Interrupting his thoughts. Drawing him from his world of speculation, back to the real world where he belonged. Where everything seemed to lock into place. As he recognized that he wasn't alone here.
"I'm up! I'll be out right in a sec!" Madoka called out, looking into a nearby mirror. It was then he noticed just how drenched he actually was. He was definitely going to need a shower.
Grabbing his phone from its charger on the dresser. Madoka frowned as he looked at the screen, noticing that there were 14 missed calls from an unknown number. Had he forgotten to turn his ringer back on?
Letting out a tired sigh, he checked to see if whoever had called had left a voice message. Which they hadn't.
Weird. Madoka thought to himself going back to his calls, noticing that the missed calls had completely vanished all together. Weird.
Finally he managed to force himself to leave his room once he heard his sister's voice a second time. Where he first took a quick cold shower. Feeling the water wash the sweat from his body. And his body and mind fully waking up from the shock of the water.
Once he finished bathing himself. He dried off and got dressed in his school uniform and his hair brushed. He picked up his phone to check the time. Seeing that about ten minutes have passed, and that he had five missed calls.
"Something has to be wrong with this thing…" Madoka said, restarting his phone as he left the bathroom. Which was shared by him and his sister. Since it was the only one with a shower and a bath in their two story home.
Making his way down the hall towards the stairs. He yawned listening to the sounds of pans slamming and something scraping across metal shrilling, giving the sensation of nails on a chalkboard.
"Madoka! Come on! Breakfast is ready!" Naomi called from downstairs. Hesitantly, Madoka made his way down the stairs. Mainly out of fear of who his sister had to fight in order to get their breakfast.
Upon entering the kitchen, he was greeted with the beautiful smells of an American breakfast. Something his sister always cooked every now and then as a nice treat to help power them through the rest of the week. And as a result a delicious lunch to take to class as a result of his sister's tendency to overcook.
This time however, it was almost like she had prepared a feast for multiple people.
"A little over kill don't you think?" Madoka asked, looking over the stacks of pancakes, eggs, bacon, and some fresh fruit. There was even a pitcher of orange juice, which he didn't know if it was store bought or fresh pressed. For his sister's sake, he hoped it was store bought.
"I'm just following the recipe online! It's not my fault they use a lot of ingredients!" She would always say in her defense. Not that it bothered Madoka, he just didn't like having to explain why he had enough food for three people shoved in his bento.
But if this was their ritual that they seldom did for breakfast. Less now after…something had happened. But at least he definitely couldn't say that the Americans went hungry. Especially if they always had this much food left over.
"The recipe that has us with almost 13 different kinds of food Naomi?" Madoka chided jokingly. Taking the plate his sister handed him.
"I may have gone a little bit overboard." Naomi smiled innocently. Turning to face him as she dried a small round bowl. Her gentle brown eyes took in the sight of him absolutely devouring the food. "With how you're eating. Someone could assume you don't get fed regularly."
"I don't know why. I'm just hungrier than usual." Madoka said, drinking some of the orange juice before he responded.
"Maybe it has something to do with the noises I heard from your room last night." Naomi said suggestively with a raised and curious eyebrow.
"You heard nothing inappropriate! And for your information, I was studying!" Madoka yelled through a mouth full of food. Regretting that as he had a coughing fit caused by a small sliver of bacon getting caught in his throat.
"Oh. I do suppose you have tests to study for that're more important than that." Naomi said slowly pushing aside the current Seinen she was in the process of consuming. More than likely she was reading it while she had been cooking breakfast. This time luckily for Madoka, breakfast hadn't been watered down charcoal.
"I don't want to hear it from you, manga addict." Madoka said, finishing off his plate, before walking over to the sink next to his sister. Rinsing off the dishes he had just used. Even going as far as to wash them to give Naomi less work to do.
"Well that's just rude." Naomi stuck her tongue out at Madoka with a slight huff. Her black hair falling in front of her face. Frowning as she moved her hair so it wasn't blocking her vision. She noticed that her brother looked a bit off. Maybe it was just an older sibling thing.
But maybe it wasn't.
He looked more tired than usual. More tired than she had ever seen him. "Are you okay?" She asked before she could stop herself.
Madoka paused at his sister's unexpected question. Taking a moment to look over himself, even going as far as to check himself out in his phone's camera. "I think so. I didn't really sleep well last night. Why do you ask?"
"Oh you know me. Can't help but be a worry wort." Naomi said with a wave of her hand.
Then came the awkward silence as the two stood there, not really sure what to say next in that moment. Then again, Madoka didn't really talk about his feelings or how he felt. So what he did next was something he didn't do too often.
"Have you ever had a dream so real it made you question reality?" Madoka asked, looking at his sister who seemed as caught off guard by the question, the same amount as by being asked a personal question.
"I can't say I've ever had a dream that's made me question my reality. But I have had dreams that have felt real." Naomi said after a moment of thought resting her hand on her chin as she spoke. "I think it's called lucid dreaming?"
"Well. I had that kind of dream. A dream that felt so real…everything around me feels fake." Madoka started. Struggling to put the words together. Trying to choose the ones that'd get him looked at seriously by his sister. "I was in this train station, there was this girl. Who for lack of better terms. Was featureless, almost like she was some kind of mannequin. I also felt afraid, and maybe the lingering sensation of pain."
"OOOOO. So this dream had a girl in it eh? Maybe it's a premonition from the gods that you'll finally get a girlfriend." Naomi teased. Only to be met with a small glare from her brother. "Sorry, sorry. I'll try harder to be serious."
"Before she showed up. Was when things were at their worst. At least that was how it seemed, I was being chased by these weird creatures being cornered in the train station, the last thing I really remember vividly was one of the creatures reaching out to me. Then, I woke up." Madoka continued, finishing the story of his dream. As he talked, his voice broke almost like he was actually reliving the moment within his head. Each moment seemingly playing out right in front of him. Until they suddenly weren't.
"Did you eat some weird gas station food again?" Naomi asked, her eyes focusing more on her brother. He definitely did look paler than he had the night before. Maybe he was starting to get sick? Maybe school was finally getting to him? Maybe he wasn't reading enough Manga?
Stepping closer to him. Naomi placed her hand upon his forehead. She gasped at how hot he felt. It was a miracle he was even standing. As touching him was almost enough to burn her hand.
"I think you need to stay home Madoka." Naomi said, taking a stern tone. "You're running so hot that you nearly burned my hand."
"There's no way I'm running a fever. I feel fi-" He started, before abruptly pausing. Her touch had sent a shock through his body. One that he was now feeling the deep sensation of cold through his body.
A reaction that added to Naomi's ever growing worry for her brother. And now she wasn't sure if she should press the issue or just let it be.
Maybe he was just sick, and the dream was just the result of his body fighting off some kind of virus. It was flu season after all.
Before they could dwell on it any longer. Madoka's gaze shifted towards the wall clock. Eight-oh-1 in the morning.
"Oh crap. I'm gonna be late, and I can't miss this test!" Madoka said quickly, giving Naomi a hug. Before turning, grabbing his bag and lunch box. "I'll see you later!"
"Have a good day! Don't push yourself too hard!" Naomi called back as she watched her brother run from their home. Looking down at her hand, which still stung from the heat of her brother's forehead.