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The well that lays in the red house boundary.
Me, Ao-chan and president minamoto made our way into the red house like planned. We were planning to find out what Kako and Mirai had changed.
I scurried over the red houses chains and ignored all the ‘keep out’ signs.
As the 4 of us enters I open my phone and turned the flash on, I was a tad bit worried about this place since all the stories that I’ve heard..
“So.. “ Me and president Minamoto then went off into a short and steady conversation about the clock keepers. Nene and Ao-chan were both looking around for anything,
at least that’s what they were suppose to do..
“Um..”
“But… just what could they have—“
“Excuse me!!” Ao-chan yelled up causing us to look in her general direction.
“Akane-San?”
“What’s wrong?” We asked in confusion. I honestly thought she was planning on talking us out or something like that.
“Nene-chan is gone..”
…
And so we went.. instead of doing something important and actually fixing this whole mess.. We had to search for that lovesick girl.. she’s always getting herself in troubles it’s not even funny..
“Nene-chan where are you!” Ao-chan called out in a desperate and already shaky voice.
“Yashiro-saaannn!” I shouted after her.
Sweat rolled down my face.
“This is weird. The house isn’t that big. Why can’t we find her?” I said holding my bag in one hand, I glanced over at president Minamoto, hoping that he’d find an idea or anything.
He tugged on his sleeve with a shiver.
“Pres..?” I called out in confusion.
“Hm. Oh yeah?”
“What’s wrong. You seem to be spacing out, could you please try to get your head in the game. We kind have someone missing?”
He frowned slightly.
“..does something feel strange to you? It’s difficult to put it into words. But ever since we came to this house.. I’ve had a very bad feeling..”
My eyes narrowed. “I mean, everybody says this house is cursed, it’s not exactly a walk in the park.”
“Right..”
We were suddenly cut off by a voice.
“Akane-kun, teru-kun. Come look at this.”
Tears almost fell from my eyes when she called that good-for-nothing by his first name.
“Is something wrong?” I replied.
She walked up to the two of us holding Yashiro-san’s clips. “I found this on the floor.. it’s nene chan’s..”
I blinked at it, then followed her gaze. “It was in front of that door.”
I stared at the door underneath the staircase.
…
“Was there always a door there?”
…
The three of us ran down the new door, was noticed it was a long hallway. Just like the one in the boundary.
The air grew heavier with each step I took.
As we were walking down the steps.
I saw something,
someone.
Who wasn’t even suppose to be here.
“Ah! Kouhai!” I called out in a panic.
He.. was pulling Yashiro-san towards the well. He stood on top of the well while Yashiro-san thrashed and pulled away.
As I was ready to run forward—
I saw a blade’s lightning flash across the room.
“KOU!!” His brother yelled as he drew his sword.
Everything after that felt like time had stopped.
It felt slow.
Too slow.
Too quiet.
…
Kou was back to normal,
And yet—
He was fading away into pure dust.
I forced my eyes to look forwards at the scene that was playing in front of me.
Nono.. Why was this happening.
Why was this happening to him.
The world around me started to blur, my ears rang. I could only stare at him as the pieces of him scattered like ash in the wind.
“This is just like a bad dream.. we’ll see each other again back in the old world!”
He smiled.
Why was he smiling.
He was always smiling.
Even now.
Even while he’s disappearing into thin air.
I stared as his body soon faded into dust.
This was just a dream.
Kouhai isn’t dead.
This didn’t happen.
This is just another bad dream.
He isn’t gone—
As I soon snapped back into reality I saw president minamoto standing over the well where Kouhai was just standing.
I wanted to help.
I wanted to do something.
Yet, my body felt like it didn’t belong to me anymore.
I forced myself to go by his side. My legs were ready to give out. I ignored all of the weight crushing my chest.
“Stop.” I said sternly as I walked by the two girls. “Stay there.”
My voice didn’t even sound like mines.
I moved myself to stand next to president minamoto. I flashed my phone’s flashlight on once more to get a better view on what was in the well.
The phone trebled in my hand. One wrong move and it would fall down instantly.
I aimed it inside.
Kouhai was lying there.
My Kouhai.
He was still.
Quiet.
He was lifeless.
dead if you would say.
No.
He wasn’t dead.
Cause I can fix this.
I can fix this and bring him back.
This is just another inconvenience.
Just another problem that I can solve.
I shut my eyes tightly and covered my mouth after seeing the sight of him. Holding back the thousands of tears swelling up.
Not now.
Not in front of them.
I held in a cry. And spoke out with the best of my abilities.
“Let’s go back to the school.
I clutched onto the well’s edge for support. “We’re going to use the big clock and rewind this world.”
My fingers dig into the stone.
Why.. was he even here. He shouldn’t even be here in the first place.
He’s only.. 15.. he’s still a kid.
He still has dreams to live through.
He still laughs too loud.
He still gets excited over the smallest praise others give.
He still-
I wish I just had time,
I wish—I just had time to tell him how I felt.
To tell him how much he means to me.
To tell him how much I care about him.
But I didn’t.
I always brushed it off.
I always told myself I didn’t love him. Didn’t care for him,
I always pretended I didn’t look forward to his stories.
—-
‘Did you hear!! Teru-nii said I could be an exorcist!’
‘Ah- really? Your snobby old brother said that..?’
‘That’s ruuddduhh…’
‘Whatever whateverrr! Anyways, tell me more about this story!!’
‘Well.. we were in the kitchen and-‘
—-
I didn’t care much for the story as I did for him.
I just wanted to hear him talk.
I just liked the way his voice filled the gap between us.
I just liked knowing he was there. Alive and well.
It didn’t matter anyways hah..
I’m gonna fix this whole ordeal.
I’m gonna rewind everything.
He’ll come back.
His joyful and sweet self.
He has to.
Because.. if he doesn’t..
Then that smile,
That last smile he gave,
Will be the last thing I ever see of him
And I Don’t think I can live in a world where that’s true.
“It’s okay Kouhai. You’ll be fine.. your not gone..” I whispered to myself for only my ears.
No answer was given
Only silence.
And for the first time..
That silence felt permanent.