Ichimatsu staggered to his feet, stumbling down the alleyway. There was a loud screeching coming from far away, and he HAD to find out what it was. The sound was so terrible that he thought he would go deaf.

"Keep on going...keep...going..." Ichimatsu muttered, leaning up against the brick wall, nearly vomiting. He began to sweat, not knowing what was even going on. Everything felt so real.

"The clock is always ticking, Ichimatsu!" a hideous voice cackled loudly behind him.

Ichimatsu jerked around, but nobody was there. That's how it always was. Those voices. The sounds. It was all fake, yet it seemed so real...

"Show yourself!" Ichimatsu spat, only to find himself puking a few seconds later. "So hungry..." he muttered, falling down onto the ground, trembling.

"Everyone struggles, Ichimatsu. But your problems are pitiful, lightweight things compared to what others are going through!" the voice spat. "Stop being so weak!"

"Stand up! Stand up..." Ichimatsu thought, pushing himself back up. Suddenly, the five it's flew down to him, tweeting urgently.

"What?" he spat. "Do you freaking expect me to understand you?! You're wrong if you do! Go away! You're the reason why I'm always trapped! You're the reason I can't help myself!"

"You never tried to help yourself in the first place," Osomatsu's voice laughed inside his mind.

"Yet here you are, blaming it on us! Tragic, my brother, very tragic," Karamatsu said.

"Just follow us, you'll be happy in the end," Choromatsu said.

"Please! Pretty please, Ichimatsu?" Todomatsu asked.

"Ichimatsu nii-san!" Jyushimatsu yelled, running into the alley towards Ichimatsu. His face was troubled, yet Ichimatsu could actually see him. "Follow the birds!"

"Tch...trash doesn't deserve to get better though, right? Nobody like me does. We're this way for a reason, Jyushimatsu..." Ichimatsu said, following the birds.

"Close your eyes, trash!" the voice spat loudly in his mind.

Ichimatsu, for once, obeyed the voice, closing his eyes, and at that instant, he felt his sandals get covered in sand.

Ichimatsu opened up his eyes. He was at the beach now. The birds were flying a little ways down the shore, and the sounds had gotten louder.

Ichimatsu ran with all his might towards the birds. He had a feeling the sound had something to do with all of this.

The birds flew even farther down the beach.

"Why?!" Ichimatsu yelled angrily, chasing after them as he slipped on the small hills of pure white sand.

The sounds grew even louder.

The birds flew even farther away.

"Stop!" Ichimatsu screamed angrily, covering his ears. He felt like he was about to go deaf.

"Keep going!" the voice hissed inside his mind.

Ichimatsu took a deep breath and began to run again. This time, he felt like he was running faster, or the birds were just not flying as fast.

The birds stopped in front of a huge hole on the beach. They hovered above it, chirping loudly and frantically.

Ichimatsu stopped in front of the hole and stared down it.

There was nothing but darkness. It looked like it never ended.

"Don't dooooo it..." an new voice hissed, and at that moment, Ichimatsu felt like someone was pulling him towards the ocean with chains.

"Let me go!" Ichimatsu spat, trying to run back towards the hole. But the more he struggled, the tighter the invisible chains seemed to get.

"Nii-san!" Jyushimatsu cried, running towards his brother.

Ichimatsu reached out his hands, wanting to grab onto his brother and never let him go.

Ichimatsu was yanked into the water, throwing him under into a deep part.

"Help!" Ichimatsu gurgled, flailing his arms around as he tried to get air.

The chains yanked him back under again.

"You don't deserve to be around such a kind person! You're destroying who he is! Leave him be!" the voice hissed, holing him under the water.

Wate shot up Ichimatsu's nose and mouth, filling his lungs with the salty ocean water.

"Ichimatsu nii-san!" Jyushimatsu cried, jumping into the water, looking for his brother.

A few moments later, Jyushimatsu found Ichimatsu under the water. It was almost like chains were holding him down there.

Jyushimatsu yanked Ichimatsu out of the water and carried him to shore, trying not to cry.

"Wake up! Wake up!" he pleaded. But when he felt to see if Ichimatsu's heart was beating, it wasn't there. There were no hopeful beats to show he was alive.
The
Ichimatsu was dead. There was no hope that he would wake up. Ever.

Jyushimatsu hugged his brother tightly, crying into his lifeless body.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" he sobbed.