Chapter 2 – High School's a Pain
"Yes, I'll go with you. In fact, it might be better for you if I do. There are many dangers within this place. Some places contain doors that open to reveal a void and if you encounter that, do not enter. You will fall and I don't know if you'll die or not, I've never attempted it while I was still alive," Makoto said. I pressed the call button and soon a shadow creeped closer with each ring.
The shadow engulfed me and I was transported to another location. I opened my eyes it seems to me like I've been transported to a high school. I've never liked high school and it wouldn't surprise me if I ended up not liking this one. Makoto told me the high school is the second most dangerous place within the Mnemonic Abyss, by what I don't know but I should be wary of the three school girls like he told me to.
Makoto appeared next to me and looked around, "We're at the high school. Your friend must have been here." Miki never liked high school either, she always said that it was a waste of time. So it doesn't make sense on why she would want me to come here.
"Can I ask you a personal question, Makoto?" I asked, how he died has been eating at my brain ever since he mentioned that he died in this place.
"I don't mind."
"How did you die here?" I asked, we went out of the room and immediately heard a phone go off interrupting Makoto.
"My friend, Sadao, was researching the Black Page for a story for Samsara Magazine and it led him here. Unfortunately, he became a ghost himself and led me here. I finally found him and his intention was to become partners again so he killed me," Makoto answered. Whoever this Sadao is, I don't want to meet him. I can't imagine what he'd do to me.
"Doesn't sound like a good friend," I said. We walked to where the phone was in the dark, I don't know if there are any flashlights in a place like this.
"He was a good friend, before he became a ghost. Now, it's complicated," he said. He picked up the cell phone and answered it.
He hung up and explained that one of the school girls is on her way. I felt eerie and wanted only to see what Miki would want me here for and leave.
"Here's a flashlight to help you see. I recommend you hide from the school girl, if she finds you she'll attack. I'll hide downstairs while you find one on this floor," Makoto said. I'm glad he had a flashlight for the both of us because being in this school in the dark made me question why I wanted to stay overnight at the high school I attended.
He went away and now it seems that I should have asked how we're going to know if she's gone or not. Or where to meet up if she does. I shrugged the thought off and immediately searched for a good hiding spot.
I found one in a classroom closet and I decided I won't get out until Makoto finds me or calls. I made a decision that would end up saving me. I decided to put my phone on silent and rarely check on it for any messages or missed calls.
I felt a chill down my spine as I heard someone with a breathing problem roam around. That must be one of the school girls. I took a quick peak of the girl through the locker screen. She was overweight while wearing a school uniform and definitely looked like a bully or someone who everyone despised. She reminds me of Suki.
Something in me felt that the girl was gone and that it was safe to leave but I decided to stay in the locker. I quickly checked my phone, I had one missed call and one missed message. A call from Makoto and a message from Miki. I opened the message from Miki since that wouldn't make any sounds.
You shouldn't have come here but I'm not surprised that you'd try to reach out to me. This is the high school I attended and the three school girls that are here were the bane of everyone's existence. Be careful, they are relentless at times and won't stop until you're dead. I see you've met Makoto, trust him. Don't, however, trust Sadao. Makoto still does, but I know the truth. Makoto is blind to his friend's foul doings and will keep defending him no matter what.
If you really want to see me and talk to me I'll try to appear in the library, that's on the first floor.
I called Makoto back and told him about Miki's message. He responded that we'd meet there. I got out of the locker and immediately searched for the stairs. After I found them, I headed to the first floor.
Miki, as wonderful she is, has never been good at telling anyone where exactly a place is. She'll tell you its location, but where it's exactly is she wouldn't tell. So I arrived to the first floor and looked around. There were lockers and a door and a left and right side hallway. I decided to go left and hope for the best that the library was there.
I saw Makoto standing outside a door, which I assumed was the library. He opened the door for me and we both entered. "Miki would have wanted to meet in the library, of course. Libraries was one of her favorite locations. One of her biggest escapes from life," I said. I looked around, hoping to see Miki straight away but only heard a static noise coming from my phone.
"There's a white noise in this room, we can use that to hear what a ghost is trying to say. It may be Miki," Makoto said. He walked over to one of the desks and put his phone on the record setting. I quickly went to where he was and patiently waited for the recording to stop.
"Something or someone is making it difficult for me to appear so I can only communicate through white noise. I hope this won't bother you, Willow. I know static noises irritate you but this is the best I got," Miki said. I held back tears, it's been a while since I heard Miki speak and it felt good to hear it again.
"I'm going to get straight to the point. I am going to try to give you the location to where I am at, or whether, where I can appear without anyone interfering. Once we meet, we can figure out how to get you back. I know how desperately you wanted to talk to me and see me again, but right now I can't let that happen. I won't allow you to be at risk becoming a part of this dark world. Nothing good comes out of this place, I tried to warn you through the Black Page"
"But I didn't understand that once you enter the website that it's an immediate trap. That was stupidity on my part, but what's done is done. Whoever suggested this stupid website to you deserves to be slapped. Anyways, I need to warn you about another thing. There's this woman who wears the exact same dress as me but it's not me, she's obsessed with Makoto. He can tell you about her, but if she sees you with him then you are in danger. She'll kill you. Just, just be careful okay?"
With that the recording ended. Makoto put his phone away and looked at me. "Your friend is very smart. She's right, there is a woman who seems to be very obsessed with me even when I was still alive. You shouldn't worry, though. As long as you're with me I won't let anyone hurt you. I'm here to help you get out of this no matter what."
My mother always told me to never question someone's help but everyone that's helped me is someone I know. I've never had anyone I don't know offer help at all. I couldn't help myself but to ask him why he was helping me.
"No one deserves to be in this hell. Believe me, not even these three school girls, so I won't allow you to suffer the same fate I have and many others," he answered. We went out from the library.
"Now what?" I asked, Miki didn't give much of where to go next.
Suddenly a piercing noise came from behind us. I turned around to see the same pudgy girl from the classroom I hid in. I tugged Makoto's arm to grab his attention.
"Here's two people to play with," the girl said. Two other girls appeared; one tall and the other small. I felt a sense of dread as Makoto grabbed my arm and started to run.
"We're going to need transport away from here, those three won't stop chasing us even if we go downstairs," Makoto said. I grabbed my cell phone and dialed Miki's phone number, it was better than nothing.
Soon it was calling the number and the shadow engulfed me to yet another location in this godforsaken abyss.
. . .
I looked around to see that I was in Miki's room. It was exactly the way it was before she died; her bed next to the window, a desk right beside it, her dresser near her door, a rug in the center, and a bookcase to the right side of the room, a cork bulletin board right next to the bookcase with the same pictures I had.
"Was this Miki's room?" Makoto asked, I jumped at the sound of his voice. I didn't realize he was right beside me.
"Yes. It's just as it was before she died," I answered. Makoto roamed around observing the room perhaps searching for anything that might help me. I should do that, too so I rushed to look in her closet and other places she might hide stuff.
"Willow, do you know Miki's password for her computer? It turned on by itself so it may be her trying to help us," Makoto asked. I turned around to see Miki's computer turned on to her lock screen. Her background was the picture of her and I in front of our college's entrance, it was our first day of classes after we met in orientation.
"I can tell that you two made a lot of memories together," Makoto said. I nodded and typed her password and hoped that she hadn't changed it before she died. I typed in 'MajorinLife' in the password box and pressed 'enter' and soon I was logged into Miki's computer.
"Miki had a lot of documents, pictures, and saved tabs on her computer so it may take a while for me to find out what she wants me to find," I said. Makoto sat down on Miki's bed in preparation for this situation taking a very long time. I felt a shiver run down my spine and quickly looked behind me, there was a woman dressed in red and I almost thought it was Miki but her appearance wasn't her. This woman had a gaunter face and a different hairstyle but her dress was the same.
"That's the woman in red that Miki warned you about!" Makoto said, and as soon as he said that we both really wished he hadn't because that woman just found out Makoto was here with me. She looked at me and then Makoto, for a second I thought she was going to drag him away and there would go my chance of getting out of here. Instead, she looked back at me and walked to me and the relief I had went away as fast as it came.
Miki told me that this lady would try to kill me if she saw anyone with Makoto. I soon expected for the worst.
