The unwelcome thoughts quickly give way to full-blown panic. Without warning, as if my body is acting on its own, I sprint towards Sayori's house and begin frantically banging on the door.
No answer. My heart is now pounding rapidly. "Sayori! I'm coming in!" I shout. Still no response. I open the door and bolt up the stairs as fast as my legs will carry me. Reaching her bedroom door, I start hammering on it with my fist. "SAYORI!"
From the other side of the door, I hear only faint noises. Fearing the worst, I throw the door open and am met with a horrifying sight:
Sayori is hanging from a rope tied around her neck, and she's not breathing! Instantly, I notice her wide, fearful eyes, which indicate that she must still be conscious. I rush up to her, grab her by her waist, and lift her up, loosening the rope around her neck. Her body immediately responds with a large and desperate gasp for breath.
"Sayori! Why?" I stammer, as tears start to stream down my face. It doesn't occur to me in the moment that she's in no shape to respond, considering she wasn't breathing just a few seconds ago. I'm barely able to hold her up high enough to keep the rope loose and allow her to breathe, but I can't reach high enough to get it off of her neck. Frenetically, I rack my brain, trying to figure out how to get her down safely.
Mercifully, as if by the grace of some higher power, I notice a chair sitting nearby on the floor, which is probably how she got up there in the first place. I'm just barely able to reach my leg out and pull it over to where she's hanging. I position it underneath her and let her down, and her legs are able to reach the seat while still leaving some slack in the rope. I step up on the chair in order to reach the rope and remove it from around her neck.
Thankfully, Sayori is still conscious, but obviously in a very dazed state. "I…I…" she begins to stutter, but I quickly shush her.
"It's okay," I tell her softly. I'm starting to feel a bit calmer, now that she's safe, but I can still feel my body trembling. "Just let me help you. Please…"
I slowly ease her off of the chair and onto the floor before helping her onto her bed. Pulling my cell phone out of my pocket, I dial the number for emergency services. As I try to explain the situation in as composed a manner as possible, Sayori lets out a faint cry, seemingly in protest, but she's clearly too weak to make much of a fuss. I place a hand on her shoulder to try to calm her down. "It's going to be alright, Sayori," I tell her. "Please, just trust me…"