A Feverish Midnight
Rain. Rain. Rain. The sensation filtering through my hazy consciousness was [burning].
My deeply sunken body could only register fragmented sensations. Hot. So hot. My ragged breathing grew heavier. Even the breath escaping my lips felt scorched.
Slurp. Following the heat came wetness. Then stickiness. A soft, squishy texture. A chaotic jumble of sensations swirled together. Frowning, I brushed a hand over the nape of my neck. When my fingers touched the spot where something had just lingered, they came away wet.
"Ugh..." A groan escaped my lips, echoing faintly in my ears. My submerged consciousness slowly drifted back to the surface. Blink. My vision wavered as I opened my eyes, catching the faint glow of the star stickers we had pasted on the ceiling.
Slurp. A strange sensation tickled the back of my hand. I shifted my arm. "Mmh..." Squinting through the gloom, I examined the back of my hand. A faint, reddish mark was stamped there. Along with it came a familiar, subtle scent. A trace of saliva carrying a hint of chocolate—it was unmistakably Shine's.
"Shine..." I mumbled her name, my voice thick with sleep. I still couldn't tell if I was dreaming or awake. At my call, Shine began to move. Rustle. The heavy weight pressing down on me slowly lifted. It felt like something had been draped over my body. Something... or someone? Shine?
Threads of white hair, like spun silk, brushed past my blurry field of vision. My mind grew clearer. Frowning, I pushed myself up into a sitting position. The blanket that should have been covering me had been kicked far aside. Yet, my body was burning up. I felt hot, sticky, and strangely unfulfilled. It wasn't a particularly pleasant feeling. It was like being cut off right in the middle of something, leaving me utterly teased. I wiggled my toes and let out a yawn.
"Haaawn~" Squinting at the wall clock, I saw the hands pointing to four in the morning. Having checked the time, I scanned the bed. Shine was fast asleep, while Rain was shivering like a leaf. Amy was nowhere to be seen.
"Hey. Rain?" At my voice, Rain flinched violently. "Weren't you asleep?" I crawled closer to her, checking the back of my hand again. There was a deep mark left behind, looking almost like a bug bite. Given how strongly it smelled of Shine's saliva, she must have been using my arm as a pillow—or a chew toy.
"It's so hot..." I muttered, crawling toward Rain while flapping the collar of my dinosaur pajamas. I must have been sweating quite a bit, because the draft of air I kicked up felt incredibly refreshing against my neck.
"Rain...?" When I got close enough to look, her face was flushed beet-red, and her eyes were squeezed shut. She was curled into a tight ball, trembling all over. I reached out a finger and gently poked her cheek. "Why are you pretending to be asleep?"
At my question, Rain's eyes fluttered open. Her gaze darted frantically around the room. "M-me? I was sleeping!" she stammered, her blue eyes shaking with panic.
"Aren't you hot?" I asked, shifting to sit on the edge of the bed. I touched the sole of my bare foot and realized something. Ah, I got bitten on the sole of my foot too. Fortunately, it didn't itch or hurt. The angry red mark was just a bit annoying. I yawned again, thinking to myself. It's a little wet. Wet and hot.
I stumbled out of bed and made my way to the refrigerator. Pushing aside the rows of green juice that packed the shelves, I grabbed a small bottle of water hidden in the back. The icy chill against my fingertips felt amazing. There was truly nothing better than a cold drink of water right after waking up.
I twisted the cap off and chugged it down. A pleasant shiver ran through my body as the cold water rushed down my throat. "Ahhh~" As I was savoring the refreshing taste, Rain slowly pushed herself up. I waved the bottle at her. "Want some water, Rain?" "N-no, I'm okay."
The flush on Rain's face showed no signs of fading. Was she running a fever? Watching her with concern, I opened the freezer, grabbed some ice, and headed to the kitchen counter to scoop them into a small plastic bag. Rain's eyes darted back and forth between Shine and me. Sensing her gaze—which felt strangely charged with some sort of excitement—I walked back over to her.
With every slow step, my oddly damp soles stuck slightly to the floor. Stumbling over, I grabbed Rain by the shoulders and gently pushed her back down onto the bed. "Ah..." Startled by my sudden move, Rain's face went blank with panic. But then, as if resigning herself to her fate, she tightly shut her eyes.
I stared down at her trembling form before reaching out. As my hand cast a shadow over her face, Rain slowly opened her eyes. Her blue pupils gazed up at me, filled with a strange, unspoken anticipation. Chuckling softly at her reaction, I pressed my palm against her forehead. Just as I thought, she was burning up.
"You're really hot, Rain." "Me...? Yeah... I'm really hot right now..." I tilted my head at her response, then stood up. Since she definitely had a fever, I needed to apply the ice pack. But putting it directly on her skin would be too cold and painful. Stepping away from the bed, I walked over to the drawer where I kept my treasures.
"Wait... Jeff?" Rain's voice trailed after me, sounding oddly disappointed. I gave a dismissive wave. "Just a second. I need to find a handkerchief." "A-a handkerchief?" "Ah, here it is."
I pulled Lucy's magic handkerchief from the drawer. It was part of a gift set I'd received at the theme park a while back. Folding it neatly, I placed the ice pack on top. This would deliver a pleasant, soothing chill to her forehead without freezing her skin. Carrying the handkerchief and ice pack back to the bed, I pushed Rain—who had pushed herself halfway up—right back down. She was so light that she fell back with the slightest nudge. Her golden hair fanned out across the mattress as she landed with a soft thud.
"There." I laid the folded handkerchief over her forehead and placed the ice pack on top. Rain stared blankly up at the ice resting on her head. "What is this...?" "An ice pack. It feels nice when you have a fever." "An... ice pack..." "Yep."
Rain muttered the words "ice pack" under her breath, her mouth hanging slightly open. I sat down beside her, hugging the tail of my dinosaur pajamas. "Hey, Rain." "Yeah?" "You know... sometimes I think I'm a bit weird." I glanced over at the sleeping Shine, keeping my voice to a low whisper.
"Weird...?" "Yeah. Sometimes. Just every now and then, I remember things I shouldn't." "Things you shouldn't?" Rain lowered her voice to match mine. I chuckled softly and continued. "Yeah. Like... drinking coffee, or having a beer. Memories like that."
"B-beer? I mean, coffee is one thing, but..." "It's weird, right? I'm way too young to drink beer. Or rather, I shouldn't even be able to buy it." I stared down at my small hands. I was talking to Rain, but by the end, it felt more like a question directed at myself. Why did I have memories of drinking beer? Shine hated it when I drank beer. And there was no way I would do something Shine hated.
"Maybe you tried it a long time ago?" "A long time ago... Yeah, it feels like I drank it in the distant past. But back then, we were locked in the laboratory." "Oh..." Rain fell silent at my words. That was the problem. Shine and I had been in the laboratory. Right, Shine? I turned to look at my twin sister.
It happened in an instant. A pair of white eyes, glowing faintly in the darkness, were staring straight at me. I jumped in fright. "Whoa!" "Jeff." Those glowing white eyes belonged to Shine. She was supposed to be fast asleep, yet here she was, wide awake. How long had she been listening to Rain and me? I rubbed my cheek, letting out an awkward laugh. "Shine. You're awake." "Yes."
Shine nodded. She sat up in bed, her gaze slowly sweeping over my body. From my cheeks to the nape of my neck, then down to the back of my hands and my feet. After a thorough inspection, a look of satisfaction crossed her face, and she gave a small nod.
"Did you... hear that?" "About you being weird?" "Yeah." "Yes, I heard. But why didn't you tell me first?" Shine crawled slowly toward me. With every wiggle of her hips, the tail of her pajamas swayed gently behind her.
"I didn't want you to worry." "Jeff. I told you to always tell me if something is wrong." I nodded blankly at her words. Her white eyes were gradually darkening, turning black. "Did you?" "Yes, I did." "Okay, I will."
It wasn't a difficult promise to keep, so I agreed. The only reason I hadn't told her was because I didn't think it was a big deal, and more than anything, I didn't want to make her worry. But since she was insisting, I felt a tiny pang of disappointment that she didn't understand my intentions.
"Is Rain sick?" Shine's gaze shifted to the girl lying down. Startled by the sudden attention, Rain nodded quickly. "Y-yes... I think I might be." Her face flushed an even deeper shade of red.
"Come on, Jeff. It's still time to sleep." Shine reached out and gently pulled my arm. I nodded, letting her drag me back down. A long yawn escaped me; my body definitely still needed rest. I tumbled onto the mattress, Shine's grip tightening around my arm. I could feel the intensity of her gaze. Feeling strangely embarrassed, I turned my head away, only to meet Rain's eyes. She was watching us with a look of bizarre anticipation. Or rather, she was staring at the two of us—Shine and me.
"Goodnight, Rain," I whispered. It was time to sleep. "Goodnight, Shine." Shine didn't reply. Instead, she quietly arranged everything to make sure I was comfortable—tucking in the fluffy pillows, pulling up the cozy blanket, and placing a soft plushie in my arms. I was back in the exact position I had started in. I closed my eyes, silently hoping that this time, the bugs wouldn't bite.