《In Love with a Magical Girl》


 Chapter One

    I nearly dropped my food tray the moment I saw her walk into the cafeteria.


    I had a hard time believing my eyes; The ribbons were different, but the twintails were the same. The contrast between the school uniform and the colorful clothes she wore that day threw me off a bit, but there was no mistake.


    I thought I had just dreamed the whole thing up, but then our eyes met, and she let her food tray slip from her hands. I hurried over to pick up her ruined lunch, stiffly vocalizing "L-let me give you a hand"


    She let out an embarrassed smile, and started picking it up herself, "No, it''s fine! Don''t worry"


    "Hey, you can keep my lunch if you want, I''m sorry for¡ª"


    "Don''t worry, I''m sure one of my friends will share theirs with me" she continued apologetically, "I wouldn''t want to leave you without your meal..."


    Our eyes met again, hers diverted back to the floor, mine took in the gentle features of her face as framed by her cherry blossom hair. It hadn''t been a dream; she had really saved me and my family two days ago. My mind was racing with thoughts, but there was only one thing I could possibly say.


    "Thank you"


    The look on her face changed from mute astonishment into a warm, almost motherly smile. She clasped my right hand with her delicate, soft hands and for the first time since we had started talking, she looked me straight in the eye.


    "I''m glad you''re alive"


    I lost myself in the beautiful depths of her rosy eyes, in the gentle touch of the hands that had saved my life. The world around me ceased to exist for a couple of wonderful seconds, and there was only her. Only she could break the spell she had cast on my heart, and that she did.


    In an instant, she had let go of my hand and was hurriedly grabbing her tray. Face as red as a tomato, she stood up and looked like she was about to bolt away from the cafeteria, but right before she went, she turned around.


    "P-please take care from now on, alright?"


    She blundered her way out and disappeared. Yanked away from that wonderful dream and back to reality, I noticed the gawking crowd. Half of our classmates'' eyes had followed her, the other stayed with me. I walked away from there as fast as I could, forgetting my lunch.


    I had so many questions about her, about the... monster.


    Two days ago, I woke up in the middle of the night to a strange noise coming from the outside. I looked out of my window and saw something standing in front of my home, something that looked like a living collage of animal, mechanical and architectural pieces, shifting and coalescing into each other.


    It hurt to look at it, to try and make sense of its twitching shape, but I couldn''t take my eyes away, I couldn''t move at all. I wanted to scream, to run away, but all I could do was watch as it dragged itself closer.


    That thing had also been real.


    School ended and I made my way to the exit. The world seemed like such a strange place now. I wondered if there were more people like her out there, or if it was just her against more of those things. I was looking over the school gates, at the towering buildings in the horizon, I could hear the hubbub of the city, and I wondered how many more living nightmares were hiding out there.


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    "Are you feeling alright?"


    A soft, familiar voice broke my trance. I turned to my right and was greeted by a pair of rose-colored eyes, looking at me with deep concern.


    "Y-yeah, I''m fine, why do you ask?"


    "You were standing all by yourself here in the middle of the road, looking at nothing. I thought..." she stopped herself right before she said too much, "Never mind that, how are you feeling?"


    I suddenly felt really embarrassed, "I swear I''m fine, I was just thinking about, you know..."


    Her eyes widened a bit, she looked quite embarrassed herself. "If it''s about what happened in the cafeteria" she suddenly started, a light flush drawing across her face, "I-I''m really sorry about that. I didn''t mean to make it weird! I didn''t know you studied here too, I never get to see people again after I save them and-"


    She stopped herself again, but this time she had said too much, and we both knew it. My questions kept mounting, but I decided to start with the most important one.


    "What''s your name?"


    "I''m Kaname Madoka" she gently replied, "and you?"


    "I''m Satou Haruto...thanks again for... everything"


    There were too many people around us. She looked very uneasy. Clearly, she wasn''t up for a talk, at least, not in front of this many people. Normally, I wouldn''t have been so bold, but I needed to know more. I didn''t even give myself the time to think things through, I acted on pure impulse alone and just asked.


    "Can I get your phone number?"


    I said it loud enough to get some people to turn around. I could feel my own face turning red under the scrutiny of all those eyes, "I just want to know more about what happened the other day."


    "Of course!" she said as she pulled out her phone from her bag, she was trying to get it done as fast as possible, "Give me your number and I''ll add you."


    We began walking towards the exit together, in total silence, looking straight ahead as if the other weren''t there. I thought we''d reach the exit together, and then we''d have another opportunity to talk, but three girls were already waiting for her.


    "Oh, but if it isn¡¯t the most popular girl at school!" her friend with short blue hair said with a teasing tone, "Who''s the lucky guy, huh? I''ve never seen him before"


    "Oh, you should have seen them in the cafeteria!" another friend with long, olive-colored hair continued teasing us in a melodramatic manner, "I had only seen such passion in TV dramas!"


    "No, it''s nothing like that!" Madoka was getting really bothered by her friends'' remarks. I didn''t know what to say other than to let out a little awkward laugh.


    Her other friend, a dark-haired girl with red glasses, just looked at us. She didn''t say anything at all, but she looked somewhat disappointed, sad.


    I felt completely out of my depth. I didn''t know if they knew about Madoka''s power. Maybe she wanted to keep it a secret from them, maybe there were all in the know. Maybe they were all the same.


    "E-excuse me" I managed to force out of my throat, "I need to get going. I''ll see you tomorrow"


    "What, you''re not even gonna introduce yourself?" the blue haired girl continued teasing me as I walked away. I could hear their laughter, their attention now turned exclusively to Madoka.


    I got home and immediately picked up my phone. After that blunder, though, I didn''t feel so confident anymore. Still, if I wanted to get to the bottom of things, I had to talk to her. As soon as I arrived home, I got a message from her.


    "Hey Satou-kun. Meet me tomorrow after school at the exit."


    I quickly replied, "Hey Kaname-san. Sure."


    I was wondering what else to say, then I got another message.


    "Please, don''t mention anything. Not at school, not here. Let''s talk tomorrow somewhere else."


    That really narrowed it down. "Of course. Good night". Almost immediately I got a reply, "Good night", and that''s all she wrote.


    I couldn''t catch any sleep that night. I''m not sure if it was the anxiety it caused me to think about that monster, or the excitement of seeing her tomorrow.

 Chapter Two

    I must''ve been the first person to get to the school gates that day. I tried to keep it cool, to not look like I was head over heels for a girl I barely knew, but I could hardly hide my anticipation. This wasn¡¯t a date, but it sure felt like it.


    I kept scanning the people leaving school, hoping I''d catch a glimpse of Madoka''s cotton candy hair. Instead, I caught a pair of bespectacled purple eyes looking at me from afar.


    It was Madoka''s silent friend, the one with the braids, walking by herself. She was giving me a weird look again, something between worry and pity. I looked away, pretending I hadn''t seen her, but I could still feel her stare.


    People kept leaving in droves, but Madoka was nowhere to be seen. I took my phone out to check the time and began toying with the idea of simply calling her. Would it come off as pushy? Creepy? I didn''t have much time to dwell on it though.


    "You must be Satou-san, correct?"


    A student I had never seen before was standing in front of me, a blonde with curly hair and... notorious hug deflectors. A gentle smile was drawn across her face.


    "I''m Kaname-san''s friend, my name is Tomoe Mami, nice to meet you"


    "Nice to meet you too"


    "Could you please come with me? We need to talk about Kaname-san, but we should do it somewhere else"


    "She''s not coming?"


    "I''m afraid not, shall we go now?"


    Her complacent attitude was rubbing me the wrong way. I didn''t know who she was or how much she knew, but there was no choice but to play along. We walked out of the school gates together; she walked slightly in front of me with confident steps. For a while we walked in complete silence, I had no idea where we were going. Eventually we found ourselves walking along a grassy riverbank, very few people around.


    She began speaking without turning around "I heard about what happened in the cafeteria the other day"


    "Yeah?"


    "It must have been quite upsetting for you Satou-san, that whole scene. The entire school is talking about it, rumors are going around. It must be tough."


    I could hear her smiling as she told me this, but I didn''t know what she was getting at. She slightly turned to look at me as she walked.


    "Kaname-san can be really clumsy sometimes when expressing her feelings, I hope you didn''t get any wrong ideas"


    I stopped dead on my tracks, feeling quite humiliated, "It''s not that! I didn''t think anything, I just..." I stopped before I gave away too much information, after all, I had no idea who this person was beyond being one of Madoka''s friends.


    She turned around, her face still smug "Well, that''s good to hear, Satou-san. I was worried that you had misunderstood her gesture. You know why I''m here telling you all this instead of her?"


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    "No"


    "She was afraid she would have to reject you herself. Like I said, she''s really clumsy with people, especially boys. So, she asked me to set things right. I hope you don''t take this the wrong way, she''s just really shy."


    I could feel my heart sink into my stomach. It hadn''t even begun, and it was already over. I suddenly didn''t feel like talking anymore. If this is what this was all about, then I had gotten the message loud and clear.


    "Don''t worry about it" I tried to not sound too dejected "Is that it?"


    Mami didn''t seem to notice -or care about- my sudden mood shift, so she kept on talking "Actually, no. She saved your life, didn''t she?"


    I was jolted back to alertness. Mami dropped her smug little smile and looked at me with concern, "She told me all about it. "


    "Really?"


    "Yes, yes! It''s a very important secret. It''s crucial that you never tell anyone about it, Satou-san" she sounded as if she were talking to a little kid, "Not your friends, or your family, no one!"


    "Yeah, yeah I got it. It was never my intention to tell anyone. I just want to know what was that all about, what was that... thing she killed"


    "I don''t know much about it either. But from what she has told me, those monsters are attracted to extremely negative emotions. Satou-san, is everything alright with you? With your family?"


    I was completely nonplussed. Everything was fine back home, it had to be. But then again, why would that thing appear? Maybe I wasn''t paying enough attention to my family... or maybe this girl was full of it. I suddenly felt really annoyed at her condescending attitude.


    "Why are -you- telling me this? I mean, about the other thing... fine, I get it. I get why she wouldn''t want to see me; I don''t care about that. But this is important! Don''t you think it would be better if she told me herself exactly what the hell that thing was?"


    Mami¡¯s demeanor totally changed, "Who do you think you are?"  indignation showing in her voice, "Do you have any idea what she has to go through? I don''t think you can even imagine what it feels like to go against one of those things. She already has a lot on her plate, don''t you think? She saved your life, that''s not enough for you?"


    I didn''t have anything to say, couldn''t even look her in the eye anymore. Once Mami saw I had totally given up on getting answers, she calmed down but kept going like a nagging mother.


    "Look, I understand that you''re angry because she didn''t show up, but she has her reasons, ok? Don''t take it personally. She''s carrying a really heavy burden, particularly for a person as gentle and meek as Kaname-san. You can understand that, can''t you?"


    I nodded silently.


    "So please, Satou-san, please understand that she has more than enough going on in her life... and keep your distance from her."


    Hearing her talk was grating, tiresome, but I didn¡¯t want to say anything.


    "You have a second chance at life, you know how lucky that is? Keep living your life, live it to the fullest. That''s what she wants, that''s why she fights"


    The point had been made, there was no reason to keep this conversation going. As soon as she shut her mouth, I turned to see her.


    "Negative emotions... got it. I''ll see if there''s something going on back home. I won''t bother Kaname-san anymore, but can''t you help me understand what''s going on?"


    "I know about as much as you do" she said without even considering my proposition, "Kaname-san keeps a lot of things to herself for a reason, but if I ever learn something relevant, I''ll get in touch."


    What a reassuring response, "Sure, thanks."


    There were a couple of blissful moments of silence. I looked at our distorted, elongated shadows on the river. I was about to just say goodbye, but Mami beat me to it


    "Well then, I guess I better go home. I''m sorry if this is too much to take Satou-san, but I trust you will keep to your word. Remember to check on your family as well."


    "Sure" I replied without turning to face her. Her shadow receded from the river.


    I took my phone out to check the time, then I opened my contact list. I was going to delete Madoka¡¯s number, but I couldn''t bring myself to do it.

 Chapter Three

    What had attracted that thing to my house?


    Was it my dad, getting overworked to the bone, looking like he hasn''t had a single good night of sleep in years and never even getting a "thank you" for all his trouble? Was it mom, who feels alone and left out because dad''s never home, I''m always in my room and she hasn''t a single friend? Was it me, playing video games all day because I''m afraid of thinking about what to do with my life?


    A nightmare monster had to show up at my home for me to notice how bad things really were, but now I could work on setting things right. Although it felt like there wasn''t much I could do.


    Saturday came, school ended, and I got on the train home, thinking of how I could make the most of this new shot at life I had been given... while pretending I hadn''t glimpsed into some hidden world nobody but a handful of people seemed to know about. One of those people being the sweetest girl I had ever met in my life.


    But there was no point on dwelling on that anymore, I had much bigger fish to fry.


    "Yo! Romeo!"


    A familiar voice pierced through the train car. I didn''t look. It couldn''t have been for me.


    "Romeo! I''m talking to you! Come here!"


    It was one of Madoka''s friends, I recognized her voice, but I still didn''t turn my head.


    "Satou-kun! Come on! Just look over here!"


    I gave in. It was the blue-haired girl, waving from her train seat, Madoka was cowering right next to her.


    "Come on! Get over here!" She kept going, people on the train were visibly annoyed, alternating between looking at her and me. She didn''t mind, but I did. I walked over as fast as I could, trying to not look like a pushover.


    "So, what''s up with you? Given up already?"


    I was dumbfounded, clearly this girl and Mami weren''t on the same page. She kept looking at me with an amused smile, while Madoka clutched her bag and held her head down.


    "We were just talking about you, weren''t we, Madoka-chan?"


    "S-Sayaka!" Madoka finally looked up, first to Sayaka and then to me. She looked really flustered. I found it adorable, but I couldn''t help but feel a little hurt as well.


    We both looked away from each other''s eyes. I could feel my face getting warm and my palms getting sweaty. I was very confused, why didn''t Madoka tell her friend she wanted nothing to do with me? Was Sayaka just messing around with both of us?


    "Oh, I see, I see what''s going on now..." Sayaka abruptly broke our awkward silence and grabbed her chin in mock contemplation before loudly stating ¡°you¡¯re just a couple of mousy little dorks, ain''t ya?"


    She laughed hard, neither me nor Madoka said anything at all. Sayaka suddenly stood up and placed her hand on my shoulder, "I''m about to get off, why don''t you keep Madoka-chan some company?"


    "W-what!?" Madoka nearly stood up from her seat as well, "Where are you going?"


    "I just remembered I got to buy some stuff, don''t sweat it, I can get home on my own... so Romeo, how about it? You''re not going to leave Madoka all by herself on the train, are you?"


    The train was about to arrive to the station "Well, see you later!" she cheerfully told Madoka, then she turned to me "You better sit down quickly before someone else does, Satou-kun".


    The train came to a stop and Sayaka made her way out. People flooded the train in an instant, and before I knew it, I was sitting right beside Madoka. I felt terrible, she probably was dreading every moment she spent next to me, and I really didn''t want to be more of a bother than I already was.


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    "I''m sorry, I''ll just sit somewhere else."


    "You don''t have to do that" she quickly but politely replied, "besides, there aren''t any empty seats"


    "I see"


    I took out my phone and she did the same. I figured we had both planned on ignoring each other until one of us got off, but I was wrong.


    "How have you been? Is your family alright?"


    "Well... it''s complicated."


    "Did something happen?" she turned to face me; I could hear the concern in her voice.


    "Not really, no. But I can''t say that we are alright."


    "I''m sorry to hear that, if there''s anything I can do for you--"


    "Actually yes, what do you know about those things?"


    I just couldn''t contain myself. The question had completely caught her off-guard, but she knew exactly what I was talking about.


    "Satou-kun..."


    "You don''t have to tell me all of it, I swear I will never bother you again, I just need to know exactly how to prevent it, I need to know what those things are. It¡¯s just hard to believe that negative emotions it¡¯s all it takes to make them come get you"


    Her concern had turned into despondency, and she looked away from me. This was precisely the reason why she had wanted to avoid me, but I just couldn''t contain myself, I had to know.


    "I''m never going to tell anyone, I swear. I''m never going to get in your way, I''m just... I''m just scared"


    Madoka was looking down at her shoes with a disheartened look on her face, her voice barely more than a whisper.


    "You must think I''m a horrible person"


    She was clutching her bag, still looking at her shoes.


    "The truth is that I don''t know, Satou-kun. I actually don''t know if it''s just that. I don''t know what they are, I don''t know how many of them are out there... I just don''t know. I''m sorry."


    I could feel a pit growing in my stomach. Mami made it sound as if Madoka had all the answers, but she genuinely looked as clueless as me.


    "And the truth is that I''m also scared, very scared."


    I felt horrible hearing that. I really was an ungrateful douchebag like Mami said. I couldn''t think of anything to say, so I began looking at my shoes as well, wondering what people around us were making of our conversation. She raised her head and began speaking again, her voice more resolute


    "But even if I''m scared, I will still fight. I will never let anything bad happen to you or anyone else."


    She looked at me the same way she did back at the cafeteria, like a parent reassuring their child that everything would be alright. It felt as if a different person had replaced the docile girl who was riding the train with her friend a moment ago.


    "You''re not alone in this, Satou-kun. You have your family, and now you have me. I''ll do my part, so you do yours, alright? Avoiding negative feelings might not be all there is to it, but it sure helps a ton."


    "You''re amazing" was all I managed to say in response. I felt really dumb, but it was enough to make my heroine blush.


    She looked so frail, so perfectly cute that I still struggled with the idea of her fighting anything at all, let alone a monster several times her size. Yet here she was, acting like the mighty protector of the innocent and weak, and living up to it.


    "I''m not amazing" she humbly replied with a smile, still blushing, "if I were, I would have told you all of this yesterday instead of sending Mami-san over"


    "Oh yeah, Mami-san..." hearing her name made my skin crawl a bit, but also made me think about her relationship with Madoka. The more I thought about it, the more I could tell that either Madoka was lying to both of us, or both Madoka and Mami knew much more than they pretended. I really didn''t want to think that no one knew what was going on.


    "I hope this doesn''t get you -or me- in trouble, I don''t think I could handle another nagging session with Tomoe-san"


    She laughed a little, with worry, "I think it would be better if we keep this a secret, don''t you think?"


    I felt ashamed of how easily I had lost my nerves, still, the fact that our mighty protector knew so little of what she was doing was worrisome, that is, if she was telling the truth at all. Just shooting straight questions wouldn''t work; If I wanted to get anywhere, I needed to be much more tactful.


    The train signaled it was about to arrive to the next station "Oh, this is my stop, Satou-kun, guess we''ll have to continue talking later"


    That was music to my ears., "Sure! And thanks again for everything you''re doing, Kaname-san"


    "It''s not just me, Satou-kun, we''re a team now, so don''t give up!"


    A huge smile appeared on my face, I waved at her as she left along with the crowd. It occurred to me that I could''ve walked her home, but maybe that would be overkill. I had to start small and be really careful with what I said and did.


    Even if it was dangerous, I was glad I could be a part of her world.

 Chapter Four

    We never talk at school; it feels too risky. Either Mami found out about our talk on the train somehow and chewed Madoka out the same way she did me, or she suspects something''s up because I always see both of them together, despite being from different grades and seemingly not having any friends in common. Madoka doesn''t even look in my direction when Mami''s around. I really don''t see the harm in being friends, and it makes me feel a little angry at Mami for being so overprotective, although I try not to dwell too much on it since apparently stress could make a witch come to my home and eat my parents.


    We''ve been texting a lot this week, though. I''ve learned a lot about her and the "witches" she fights. I''m doing my part in fighting them by cheering my parents up with gifts, talks, and even organizing a small family trip (the latter was her idea, actually). She also gives me tips to improve my mood, but I really don''t need any cheering up, though. I feel like I''m floating anytime I get a text or she smiles at me when we''re at school.


    We''re friends... I''m friends with a magical girl. It''s like a dream, and it feels wrong to think we can be anything other than that. It feels like abusing my luck, and I feel undeserving... but I can''t help but think of her gentle face, like a delicate porcelain doll. The way she moves, so graceful and fragile, yet there''s a hidden strength beneath her shy and tender demeanor. She''s unaware of the power she holds, but it captivates me completely.


    My phone rings, and my thoughts are pushed to the side. It''s a text from her.


    "I think I''m gonna fail math >_< How did you do?"


    I don''t know how she keeps caring about exams and school at all. I can hardly focus on anything other than her and the fact that magic and miracles are real. I try not to be judgmental, but if what she''s saying is true about her getting her powers in exchange for making a wish, and that wish being resurrecting a dead cat, well...


    "Same, I actually didn''t study at all lol."


    It used to take me a while to reply to any of her texts; the words just never felt right. They still don''t, but I''ve grown numb to the feeling of looking like an idiot, and I just want to move on and keep talking. I wish we could actually talk too. I want to hear her voice, but if she doesn''t call first, I don''t think I should call her... or should I?


    Another text, "That''s not good. Guess I''ll be seeing you at remedial classes then x_x."


    She''s clearly not busy right now, so why not? She''s really shy, maybe that''s why she''s not calling. If she didn''t want to talk to me, she wouldn''t be sending messages, right? And yet it feels wrong to think about it. Overthinking such simple things makes me feel like a miserable coward. I hesitate so much to do simple things like this while she''s out there risking her life.


    With trembling fingers and my heart beating hard, I begin typing out a short message, carefully choosing my words as I fight back against my self-doubt.


    "Hey, can I callyuo?"


    I hit the send button before I correct the horrible typo, and I cringe. Now I really look like an idiot. Usually, she replied almost instantly, but not this time.


    I begin nervously fidgeting with my phone, waiting for a reply, any reply. The minutes begin feeling like hours, and soon 15 minutes have passed without any reply. Maybe I had overstepped my boundaries. I thought about sending another message, but what would I even say? What if she suddenly got busy with something?


    A cold chill ran down my spine when I realized that that something might be a witch.


    I needed to calm down, let my head cool. Video games and the internet wouldn''t do. I needed fresh air.


    It was dark when I went out. My parents weren''t home, so I wouldn''t need to come up with an excuse. I began walking in a random direction, gripping my phone anxiously, wondering if she had even read the message at all. I almost forgot that she and I existed in different worlds, and hers was brutal. I kept going and going, and there was no reply. My anxiety got the best of me, and I had to sit down on a park bench to think.


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    I really was going crazy over an unreplied message. It made me feel embarrassed and creepy. I needed to calm down, but I was already struggling with a bunch of different anxieties: Was she alright? Did she feel upset somehow? And most importantly, why would she hang out with a neurotic coward that goes crazy over not getting an instant reply? I needed to get a grip.


    I kept sinking deeper and deeper into my thoughts beneath a starless and cold night, everything quiet except for a handful of people walking by. They were all walking in the same direction, dragging their feet and looking straight ahead in complete silence like zombies. I didn''t give it much thought until I recognized one of them.


    It was one of Madoka''s friends, the one with olive-colored hair, still wearing her uniform. She was walking like the rest, her eyes fixated on nothing in particular but with a quiet smile drawn across her lips. She stood out from the rest because she was the youngest. Something about the scene rubbed me the wrong way, so I approached her.


    "Hey, uh, hi."


    She turned to look at me, a hint of confusion flickered in her dead eyes before a lazy smile drew across her face. "Oh hey there, you''re Kaname-san''s cafeteria friend, aren''t you?"


    "Y-yeah... I''m Satou."


    "I''m¡ª" she looked downcast and stopped herself before snapping back to quiet elation. "¡ªgoing somewhere better. Way better than here."


    "Where?"


    "You wanna come with us and see for yourself?"


    "Do you know these guys?"


    "No, I''ve never seen them before."


    "You didn''t tell me your name."


    "Doesn''t matter, call me whatever you want."


    I would have thought she was high on something, but then I remembered what Madoka had told me about witches hypnotizing people, making them do things they wouldn''t normally do. I went to one of the other people walking weird, a middle-aged salaryman.


    "Hey mister."


    "Get lost, kid," he said without even looking at me.


    "Where are you all going?"


    "What the fuck does it matter to you? What the fuck does any of it matter at all..."


    They kept walking as if I weren''t there. I followed them a bit, and soon there was a crowd. I got my phone out and began texting Madoka. The typo didn''t feel so important anymore.


    "Your green-haired friend is acting weird. I don''t know where she''s going. We''re down in the industrial zone."


    Just as I hit send, it struck me how far I had walked with these people. Now it was only me and them. Most of them looked dejected or in some sort of trance. Madoka''s friend looked overjoyed by comparison. I tried talking to her again.


    "Hey, Why are you following these people again?"


    "I already told you. We''re all going to a better place, but first we need to make a ritual offering. If you come along, you''ll also leave this awful world behind¡ª"


    "That''s crazy!" I stood in front of her and grabbed her by the shoulders. No one around seemed to care or notice. "What exactly are you going to do?"


    "Let go of me!" She shoved me back, looking pissed. "You''re so rude! That must be why Kaname-san wants nothing to do with you anymore."


    That one stung a little bit, even if I knew it was a lie. "I don''t know what''s up with all of you, but you need to calm down!"


    "You know what, Satou? Maybe you deserve to stay behind." She said with punctuated contempt before moving along. I didn''t know what to do, call the police maybe? I was certain these people were going to do something crazy.


    "Hitomi!", a voice called from behind us.


    We both turned our heads. It was Sayaka. She was running at us at full speed, cradling... nothing. It looked as if she were holding something against her chest, but her arms seemed to be wrapping around empty air.


    "Sayaka?"


    "Satou!" She was white as a sheet. "You too?"


    "No, I''m fine, but your friend is¡ª"


    "You need to get out of here now! It''s too dangerous!"


    "Do you know what''s happening?"


    "Oh, you two are incredible," Hitomi interrupted with a sneer. "Dangerous? You don''t know what you''re talking about. You have no idea what will happen tonight... honestly, I pity you."


    "Snap out of it! This isn''t you! Something... something''s controlling you..." Sayaka said with desperation, grabbing Hitomi''s hands. I thought she would shove her like she did me, but instead, she grabbed her hand, and a calm smile drew across her face.


    "Since you''re my friend, I''m gonna give you the opportunity to see for yourself. You can come too if you want, Satou. Everyone is deserving of a second chance, after all."


    "Satou, get out of here, I''ll handle it, but you need to leave!" Sayaka said with agitation. She clearly didn''t have a clue about how to handle whatever was going on, and I had the feeling I didn''t either.


    "I-I''ll call the cops!"


    "Yeah, yeah! Just get out of here!"


    Sayaka and Hitomi walked away with the crowd. They were all going into a warehouse. I called the police as I saw all those people disappear into the building, Hitomi and Sayaka as well.


    I was terrified.


    There was no doubt left in my mind: Inside that warehouse was a witch, and all those people had been hypnotized into doing something horrible to themselves. Sayaka was in there, probably the only sane person left. And she would have to face one of those things... alone.


    I wanted to wait outside for the police to arrive. I wanted to call Madoka and beg for help. The night was freezing, the silence around the warehouses overwhelming.


    Then the roll-up door began lowering. The light from the warehouse slowly disappeared. I dialed Madoka''s phone, and I ran.


    The call connected, but no one picked up. Behind me, the metallic door hit the floor.