She just sits upright, her head flopping to one side before she slowly slides a leg from under the covers.Her body twists awkwardly as she slithers from the bed.
Something’s wrong.
Her arms hang loose by her sides, like they’re attached by elastic bands.Her head droops forwards, her shoulders hunched at an unnatural angle.
Fuck.Is she sleepwalking?
As far as I know, Hayami has no history of sleepwalking.So what the hell is this?
She moves to the foot of the bed, her steps jerky, her head lolling slightly, dark hair veiling half of her face.
I lean in, wishing there was a fucking zoom on this camera.
Then, without warning, she runs her hands over her body, stopping at her breasts.She squeezes them, pushing them together, and exposes one of her nipples.
Fuck.
Is this another one of her stupid games?If it is, I’m not fucking laughing.
But no—there’s something strange about her hands.Her fingers look arched, bony, almost clawlike.
Is she dreaming?Is this some sort of sleep-acting?
I don’t feel right watching this, but I can’t look away.Something about her movements isn’t natural.There’s no fluidity to her rhythm, no softness to her touch.It’s stiff.Mechanical.Unsettling.
Her hands leave her breasts as she runs her nails up and down her arms as if she’s cold.Her movements become faster and faster until she’s breaking the skin.
Then her hands creep up to her lips.Her fingers scuttle like centipedes as they burrow between her lips and pull, forcing an inane grin.
I shudder.What the fuck is she doing?She’s going to tear her fucking mouth open.
I need to get to her, but I can’t stop watching.I can’t tear myself away, but I must.This isn’t right.Sheisn’t right.
There’s no sound coming through the cameras, but I hear her scream in my head as her mouth widens and her eyes spring open.
I run.Fucking fly up the stairs as her scream swells through the house.
I fling open the door and grab her.“Hayami, wake up.”
Her eyes are glassy, not focusing properly.I pull her bra back over her breasts, covering her up before she starts to come to.
“What the hell?”Willa appears in the doorway wearing grey pyjamas and an eye mask pushed up onto her head, her gun raised.
Hayami blinks, tears welling in the corners of her eyes, fear overwhelming her.
“It’s okay,” I tell her as Willa sweeps the room, her gun aloft.
“What’s going on, Fenrir?Talk to me.”
“I think she was dreaming.”
“You sure?”Willa looks at Hayami, who’s clad in only her underwear, me holding on to her, and I wonder if she thinks something else is going on here.She takes a step closer and notices the scratches down Hayami’s arms.“Hayami, are you okay?”
But she doesn’t answer, doesn’t take her eyes from me as she grips my forearms.
“Do you want me to take over?”Willa asks Hayami, who appears to snap out of her trance, though her eyes remain locked on mine.
“No.”Her voice is faint, like it doesn’t quite belong to her, but I’m relieved she hasn’t dismissed me.
