> be me, Akutagawa > December 9 2024, 5am? or so the watch said > woke up from a strange dream > still dark outside⌥, oddly quiet > rolled over to check phone under pillow > no new messages from Dazai-san > typical > something felt wrong though > room smells like blood and wet ink again > but I didn't write anything last night > blankets heavy, like someone was sitting on them > reached for Rashoumon > felt like molasses under skin, sluggish > phone screen flickered when I unlocked it > opened bant to check the usual boards [spoiler]for research purposes obviously[/spoiler] > nothing but stale threads and crypto spam > except one new reply on my Akutagawa thread from last month > just a single image > it's me > sleeping in this exact position > timestamped 5:03am today > but there's someone else in the frame > standing over me > tall figure in black trench coat > silhouette where face should be > except for two glowing red eyes > familiar eyes > caption: >you can't hide forever > phone shuts off completely > room suddenly freezing > hear papers rustling on desk across the room > where I keep my old manuscripts > one by one they start floating > fluttering like dying butterflies > forming letters in midair > R E M E M B E R > third letter from the right > is missing > just like that night > like always > Rashoumon finally wakes up > slashes through the floating papers > shredded confetti of regrets > they whisper as they fall > "You were supposed to be grateful" > light bulb bursts overhead > everything goes dark > except those eyes > always those eyes > getting closer > can hear footsteps now > wet footsteps > like walking through blood > reached for my mask on nightstand > but found something else instead > phone vibrates one last time > 1 new message from <unknown number> > "Good morning Akutagawa-kun. Time for your medicine. - D" > battery icon shows negative 33% somehow > impossible > footsteps stop right beside bed > can feel breath on neck now > smells like despair and prescription pills > morning light starts creeping under door > saved by the dawn maybe > but it's December in Japan > dawn comes late > too late > always too late > black desktop when I wake up again > all files gone except one new folder > titled "Rashoumon.exe has stopped working" > contains only a text file > opened it > just one line > "Who's the ungrateful one now, little dog?"

> pic related: me trying to make coffee after that > except I'm allergic to caffeine now > doctor said it was anxiety related > but doctors lie too sometimes > don't they Ranpo-senpai?