Work Text:
The sun finished it's sunset, and the dark blue fade of night began to consume the sky. The winds finally became cool, and every tree rustled in the wind. All but one tree was helpless to the wind. HERO stepped outside from the sliding screen door. He saw KEL, on frozen in the middle of the yard. Just a few feet in front of him was AUBREY, crying for some reason. HERO didn't notice at first until he heard some sniffling, but BASIL and SUNNY were by the back of house. Both huddled together, looking down, too afraid to look up. HERO didn't know why his friends were acting this way, he came home from shopping with mom to barely see KEL and AUBREY run into SUNNY'S house. HERO rushed to KEL, but KEL didn't say anything. HERO was starting to worry immensely, what was wrong? He walked a couple steps to get to AUBREY. HERO focused on her, she was on her knees, and crying. Her breathing was erratic, and her tears were endless. HERO slowed down and knelt by AUBREY, AUBREY immediately clung onto HERO's arms, and dug her face into his chest to hide. Why? Why was AUBREY, his normally fearless friend, crying? Why was KEL, his energetic brother, frozen in place?
"HERO..." KEL said softly.
HERO turned around his shoulder to hear KEL'S first words since freezing. His hand slowly raised to point to something. HERO returned to the darkness in front of him. It was hard to see, especially with all the trees in the background. What was it? A bear? A monster? Did their tree house fall? He quickly scanned everything. HERO looked desperately for the reason why everyone had fear and tears in their eyes.
HERO turned back to KEL to try and get another point, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw something. A touch of white in the sea of darkness. HERO froze, and slowly turned to see what he saw. HERO saw the singular tree SUNNY and MARI had in their backyard. At that moment. His eyes widened. A lump formed in his throat, and dropped to his stomach immediately. Suddenly breathing also became hard. He stared at it a little while longer, hoping he had seen wrong. AUBREY pulled off from HERO to take a small glance at the tree.
HERO slowly got up, while KEL rushed to AUBREY's side. He staggered to the tree, taking every ounce of strength to make it closer to it. With every step, felt like a punch to the gut. He began to focus more, when he knew why he was scared. A familiar white dress, with a usually silky black hair, now frayed and tossed by the wind. A pair of legs dangled out, looking up more was a set of arms, by their side. HERO forced himself to look up one more time, and in between small leaves that got into the now dirty black hair. He could see it. He saw what he thought he didn't. Her eyes laid open.
"MARI..."
No. No. It can't be MARI right? That's not her dress. This isn't her hair. Her skin is not the same. This just isn't MARI. Something washed over HERO, it caused goosebumps to flare, and what felt like a hole in his stomach to form. He looked at what he could of her face. But all he could see was an eye. The wind picked up and finally forced the tree that stood alone to sway. A body hanging by the tree branch softly swayed left, and that body's eyes met HERO's. An eye that HERO has seen many times before. The eyes he looked at while being served cookies. The eyes that teased him whenever a beetle crawled around. The eyes that just greeted him the other day. The eyes of someone too special to him. The eyes of MARI.
"Hey..." HERO softly muttered. He turned around to see his friends look at him. He said it louder.
"Hey. Hey. Hey!" HERO was yelling, he frantically looked around for something to step on. KEL watched in horror.
"KEL! Help me find something to climb! Help me get her down!" HERO stepped towards the tree, trying to find a notch to step onto.
KEL got up from consoling AUBREY, who was still deep in tears. He stood there. Not moving a bit.
"KEL!" HERO yelled at the top of his lungs, it was the loudest he had ever yelled. KEL flinched in fear and looked around for something. HERO went under MARI and held her up. Her skin felt cold. The rope loosened up, but MARI's body still was lifeless.
AUBREY turned to SUNNY and BASIL.
"SUNNY! What happened?! Why is MARI-"
The sound of a screen door slamming the frame could be heard. HERO looked behind him to see MARI's parents rushing into the backyard. SUNNY's mom stood in horror, SUNNY's dad stood in disbelief. HERO's mom also rushed in and came to ask KEL what had happened. Why was everyone screaming, why was everyone crying?
KEL pointed again to HERO, as he was still trying to lift MARI away from the tree. HERO glanced back and saw the adults now here.
"Please! Help me! We have to get her down!" HERO yelled.
HERO's mom walked off from KEL, along with MARI's dad. They walked up to HERO. MARI's dad came up and tried to lift along with HERO, while HERO's mom checked MARI's neck. She stood on her toes and felt for a pulse. She looked back down at MARI's dad, as he tried to help HERO. As HERO tried another strong lift, he saw his mom softly shake her head. MARI's body got heavier, as MARI's dad let go of her. He pretended not to see any of it.
"HENRY there's a bush cutter over there! Go grab it!"
HERO looked over to the side of the garden where the bush cutter was. He hesitated to let go of MARI, but he needed to get her down immediately. MARI's dad switched to holding MARI. HERO ran from the tree, moving past KEL who still was by AUBREY, looking by BASIL and SUNNY's side, where the boxcutter was. He made a dash for the bush cutter, almost slipping. HERO grabbed the Box cutter and hastily tried to cut the jump rope.
The jump rope cut easily, and the body of MARI leapt into her fathers arms. HERO watched as her dad immediately began to untie the rope around her neck. HERO knelt down as he helped loosened parts of the rope. He clutched onto the rope rope when he saw MARI's neck. Her skin was cold, it felt rough next to the rope, and the jump rope left a bruise. MARI's body still lifeless, and empty.
"Honey start the car!" MARI's dad shouted.
MARI's dad picked up her body and ran towards the car. The engine could be heard in the front as SUNNY held open the screen door for his sister. HERO watched, as the silky black hair of his friend went with the wind. A final glance at her face. Her eyes still open, looking at something that didn't exist and her mouth painted with a frown. KEL, AUBREY, BASIL and SUNNY rushed behind MARI's body. Everyone disappeared into the darkness of the house. Soon enough, a car's tires screeched as headlights drove off.
HERO knelt in the backyard. Looking where he last saw MARI before she went inside. His skin flared, and he began to breathe erratically, his hands began to shake and tighten. HERO looked down at the rope in his hand. A cut jump rope, innocent to many. HERO slowly got up which made a tear fall from his face, his eyes began to warm up and tears began to form. Another gust of wind made the branches of a tree rustle. HERO turned around and looked at that tree. That tree. That tree where she was. The tree where HERO found his friend's sister, his friend, his love.
A shiver went up HERO's spine. He sensed something, a presence that was invisible but carried tremendous weight. The wind filled the silence of the growing night. HERO stood there watching the tree, hoping he would wake up.
HERO clenched his fists and fell to his knees. He buried his face into his hands.
"I'm really sorry MARI."
A tear ran down the cut end of the jump rope.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you."