Authors Note: Well, I finally got around to uploading the third chapter, sorry it took so long. To be honest I have gotten a little bit lazy the past several months and the fact that a bunch of great games were coming out didn't really help(namely, Tomb Raider (2013) and ZombiU). Anyway, please enjoy the chapter Oh, and from this point on, it will follow Kagami as the sole narrator.
Chapter #3: Ash
One Week Later, Ryoo High School
It was almost the end of the day. Tsukasa was home sick, so Miyuki, and I were getting ready to pack it up and go home. However, I couldn't stay completely focused. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get Konata out of my mind.
"I'm worried about her, she hasn't shown up at school for the past week and she hasn't responded to any of my phone calls." I said as we finished packing."I just can't understand it"
"Well what can you expect Kagami-san? Her father died only a week ago." Miyuki said while buckling her bag. Though I didn't want to agree, it made perfect sense. I can't imagine what I'd be like if my father had died so soon.
"But to deny all support from her friends?! It just seems odd." I responded.
"Are you saying we should just ignore her?" As I thought that, I felt a little sick. I would hate myself forever if I just abandoned her like that. I turned around and look at Miyuki.
"Either way, I'm going to check on her before I go home, see you later." I said and part ways with her.
When I got off the train, I noticed something was off. There was ash in the sky and the air had a barbeque smell to it. Worried, I ran as fast as I could to Konata's house. Only to my horror, the place was completely burnt and barely standing.
There were firefighters spraying water, and it was clear that the area was off limits. Still, I didn't care. I pushed passed their blockade and rushed into the house.
"Oh, Konata! Please tell me you're alright…" I called out as I frantically searched the remains of the building. I made it to a location that I believed to be her bedroom, though I had practically nothing to confirm that.
"No way…" "If she was in here, there's no way she could have survived this…" I thought, my eyes on the brink of tears. Her whole livelihood. All her novelties, all her Manga, Video games, and anime, gone. Burnt to a dark, soft ash.
"What would make her leave all this stuff behi-"
My train of thought came to a sudden halt when I noticed two figures sprawled out on the floor. Despite being charred, I could recognize them perfectly.
"Y-Yutaka?!" "Narumi-san?!" I screamed out. Laying right before me were the dead bodies of Konata's two cousins. As I stared, I noticed that they had puncture wounds. "Were they stabbed by something?!" Needless to say I got sick at that moment, but I'll keep the details to myself.
"B-but! Who could have done this?!" I thought. As far as I knew, no one had a grudge towards the Izumi family.
Before I could put any more thought into it a hand touched my shoulder.
"Look girl, you have to get out of here, it isn't safe!" A man said before grabbing my arm and taking me outside.
I was told that I should head home, So I did. Of course, that didn't stop me from pondering about the current situation.
Why was Konata's house set on fire? Who did it? Who murdered Yutaka and Narumi-san? More importantly, where is she now? I was lost so deep in thought that I nearly missed my stop. "Blindly searching for Konata in the city isn't going to help me at all." I uttered under my breath as I got off the train and started walking home.
As I made it to my house, I decided it would be best to check on Tsukasa. She was sick after all. I greeted my parents and older sisters and then made my way to her room. There I found her sleeping calmly. It was a rather comforting sight. So much that I almost didn't want to wake her.
"Tsukasa, how are you feeling?" I whispered in her ear as I nudged her a little. Her eyes gently opened and she sat up.
"Yeah, I'm feeling much better..." She said with a yawn. "Sis, I need to tell you something." Her mood suddenly got serious in a way I had never seen before.
"Actually, I have some things to tell you as well." I said before telling her about Konata's house and the fate of her cousins.
"Oh, so you do know about that." She said while looking down.
"Wha-what do you mean by that?" I asked her.
"Well you see, Konata was the one who set her house on fire. I saw it with my own eyes."
I couldn't believe my ears. That just couldn't be right. Why would she do such a thing. Of course I questioned all of this. Apparently Tsukasa had snuck out last night to make sure Konata was ok, only to witness her setting the building ablaze.
"But, does what you're telling me have any relation to the murders of Konata's cousins?" I asked her.
"Actually, that's where things turn even weirder." She responded in an awkward tone. "You see, she was holding a bloody knife in her hand." "She claimed she was finally free before licking it and throwing it towards the fire."
Hearing this made me feel sick again. Naturally I tried asking what she meant by being "free." But She didn't know what it meant herself.
"Well, I guess there's no use trying to figure it out now." I sighed. "Get some more rest ok?"
"Alright, Sis" She replied.
That night, I couldn't sleep. Every time I tried, I ended up getting a nightmare. My thoughts just kept drifting to Konata. Was she alright? I had no way of knowing...or so I believed.
I was suddenly startled by an odd noise. I got out of bed to investigate, and found my house completely ravaged. "Of all nights for my family to go on a trip!" I said to myself as I looked around. I was staring at a broken vase when a scream came out of nowhere.
'Tsukasa?!" I shouted before dashing up to her room. I still wish that scene could be erased from my mind.
That's the third chapter, I really hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. See you all next chapter!
