Zombies aren't real, and yet Makoto is haunted by the dead.
It started off with nightmares about his bathroom being haunted.
It felt ridiculous, really, so he kept quiet about it.
The doorknob jiggles at night now. Sometimes he sees splatters of blood in the shower, that are gone in the blink of an eye.
Sayaka leaves him messages in the condensation on the mirror. 11037. 11037. 11037.
Some days, he's terrified that he'll see her corpse again.
The knife she used turns up at his door sometimes. It's always gone in the morning. He's woken up to his room in disarray, looking the same it did on the day that Sayaka died.
One night, there was a frantic knocking at his door.
It was Leon. Broken, battered, and bruised. He reeked of stale blood. His limbs were bent in ways that shouldn't have been possible.
Makoto let out a strangled cry and shut the door, and stayed under the blankets for the rest of the night.
Leon's visits became more frequent. He never said a thing, never moved, only stood at Makoto's door. He never left a trace.
When he's alone, Makoto sometimes glimpses Chihiro down the hallway. Despite the distance, he's always able to make out his caved-in skull.
He walks with a hand on the wall to balance himself.
"I'm looking for someone strong."
The extension cord remains wrapped around both his wrists, circling around his neck.
Chihiro's entire face is bloody. He's in his blue tracksuit. He shuffles along quietly, repeating those words to himself.
"I don't want to be weak anymore."
If he's not in the hallway, he's in the warehouse. There's always a trail of blood outside the door to warn Makoto of his presence.
Nobody else comments on it, so Makoto assumes they haven't bumped into Chihiro yet.
Mondo and Taka come in pairs.
Makoto won't ever grow used to the wailing he hears that comes from Taka's room. He won't ever grow used to the static-y feeling that makes his hairs rise when he passes by. The smell of ozone is always thick and heavy in the air.
"Does... anyone else ever hear someone crying and yelling from their room..?"
"Don't be ridiculous, Naegi. The dorms are soundproof."
Makoto didn't bring it up again after that.
Hifumi's presence lurks in the art room. Nobody else goes there.
He takes out the paints and brushes, but never makes anything with them. Makoto always cleans up after him.
He doesn't know if Hifumi's trying to make art like he did when he was still alive. All he knows is that Hifumi's efforts seem to be in vain.
The kitchen always smells like burning cloth and flesh. Sometimes Makoto can hear sirens, but he's certain he's imagining them.
Celestia doesn't show herself other than that, and honestly, he's afraid of what she'd look like if she did.
The ground seems to shake around the gym at all times.
Makoto peers inside, but it's empty.
Is Sakura's spirit still fighting? It's the only explanation he can come up with.
Sometimes, a pale green glow comes from the dressing room. Makoto can never find the source.
The light is soft and reassuring, though, and it doesn't bring the scent of death with it like all the others.
Alter Ego, he assumes.
Mukuro only started to manifest after the trial for her death. Makoto spots her in the greenhouse; a quick blur of dark hair and a white shirt, before she's gone.
She always hides when he visits. The only reason Makoto even knows that she's around is because even though he can't see her, her presence lingers.
And so does the smell of burning flesh, blood, and metal.
The worst comes after Junko's death. Her malice follows him everywhere, threatening to pull him down into the depths of despair, to drown him in it.
Sometimes he can feel her nails on his cheek.
Sometimes she wakes him up in the middle of the night, leaving him unable to move. He can see her shadow standing at his bedside, her eyes icy and cold.
All he can do is squeeze his eyes shut and try to ignore her whispering.
All he can do is remember that things will get better.
As the doors to the outside world slowly creak open, a gust of wind comes from deep within the school.
Makoto likes to think that it was the spirits of his friends, finally being freed.
Finally at rest.
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