[Message Log-17/02/2010-%^$&^%]

Sender: Yuki Sakakibara

Recipiant: Miki Anno

YS: Miki are you getting this?

YS: Oh my god please be getting this

YS: Miki i need help

YS: Im serious something happened and i dont even know whats going on and im really scared

YS: Please miki

[CONNECTION ERROR: MESSAGES NOT SENT]

Yuki is my best friend. We've known each other for years, since we were kids going to the same elementary school. She was fun, I was...boring. She liked to party, I liked to read books. But we were best friends anyway. We told each other everything. We shared everything. We had it all planned out, too-we wanted to go to the same university, be each others' bridesmaids at our weddings, raise our kids together...Yuki and I were going to be best friends for life.

Right now we were in high school. Kind of a drag. But everything was fine as long as Yuki was there with me. We sat next to each other in every class we could manage, and snuck our phones in to text each other when we couldn't. We hung out after school pretty much every day, too.

Totally inseparable.

[Message Log-12/02/2010-14:32]

Sender: Yuki Sakakibara

Recipiant: Miki Anno

YS: Hey miki

YS: Whats up?

MA: Not much, just out grocery shopping. Forgot to get milk yesterday :(

YS: Oh that sucks

MA: Yeah. You?

YS: Im at the kids school

MA: ?

YS: Just chilling on the playground

YS: So nostalgic

MA: Haha come on, we're like 16. You sound like an old lady.

YS: Yeah but don't you remember?

YS: Everything was so rad back then

MA: Yeah...good times.

YS: Come over and meet me here

YS: Lets hang out

MA: Okay, but I'm finishing shopping first.

YS: Hurry up

YS: Its really cold

MA: Yeah, it's February. There is snow. Snow is a thing that happens when it is cold.

YS: Man shut up and get over here

YS: all these little kids are staring at me

YS: its mad creepy

MA: You do realize that you're the teenager hanging around an elementary school, right?

YS: No wayyyyyyyy

[Message Log Deleted]

I always had envied Yuki's care and responsibility-free lifestyle. She just did whatever she felt like doing, didn't let herself get guilt-tripped, actually was capable of saying no. But she was a great friend. She would do anything for me.

Would I do anything for her?

I liked to think so.

[Message Log-14/02/2010]

Sender: Miki Anno (MA)

Recipient: Yuki Sakakibara (YS)

MA: Soooo did you give out any chocolates today?

YS: Well i gave some to my dad and my brother and stuff...

YS: But also

YS: This one guy

MA: The one in your chem class? :O

YS: Uh

YS: Yeah?

MA: :D :D :D

YS: You are being freaky come on you gave out like five hundred

MA: It was three!

YS: psh excuses

YS: I mean i thought i was your one true valentine

YS: give me your delicious chocolate

MA: Wow okay, never say that again.

YS: Aw youre kliing me

YS: *killing

YS: Im all damsel in distress over here

YS: Save me miki

YS: From the chocolateless abyss

YS: You are the only one who can help me now

MA: Sorry, my princess is in another castle.

YS: hahahaha okay that was pretty good

YS: but seriously bail me out here

YS: I forgot my lunch today

MA: You forget your lunch like every second day.

MA: I always have to "bail you out". Why do I bother?

YS: Yeah :(

YS: you do it because you da best

MA: ...Okay, fine. You can have half my sandwich.

YS: Yay :)

MA: It's Vegemite.

YS: FUCK

[Message Log Deleted]

It was true that Yuki was way more popular than me. People were drawn to her charm, and she was always being invited to all kinds of things, dragged to all kinds of events with all kinds of people. Of course, I wasn't invited. I wasn't really a big party person, but still...it would have been nice. She always tried to make it up to me, though. I think she felt bad.

[Message Log-17/02/2010-15:45]

Sender: Yuki Sakakibara

Recipient: Miki Anno

YS: Yo i know we were going to hang out but izuru is dragging me to some dumb team party

YS: sorry :(

MA: No, it's okay. Have fun!

MA: Oh, wait, you're still at the school, right?

YS: Yeah

MA: I think I left my homework in my locker. Can you grab it for me on your way out? It's due tomorrow.

YS: Sure thing

MA: You remember my locker combo, right?

YS: Hahahaha yeah how many times have i broken in there already?

YS: Come on

MA: Sheesh. Just checking.

YS: Well dont

YS: Havent we already established how fucking boss I am at pretty much EVERYTHING?

MA: Sheeeeeesh.

YS: Haha ok ill drop by your place later with the goods

MA: You better not forget!

YS: Oh hey by the way

YS: Were doing this paper charm doll thing

YS: looks kind of cool its called

YS: hold on

YS: "Sachiko Ever After"

YS: Look it up it we should do it later

MA: Ooh, charms. Sounds fun! :3

[Message Log Deleted]

It was raining outside that night. I couldn't be bothered to walk back over to the school to get my homework. Looking out the window of my room, I sighed, flopping down on the bed. I really did want to hang out with Yuki today...maybe I should have said something. But no, I shouldn't ruin her fun just because, unlike her, I was too much of a loser to make more friends. I re-read the conversation, feeling discouraged. Now what should I do? My eye was caught by one of Yuki's last messages...the "Sachiko Ever After" charm. What was it? I brought up Google on my phone to check.

Aha...A charm performed to bind people together so that they always remain friends. I smiled. Yuki must have suggested it to make me feel better. I rolled over onto my stomach and looked at the clock. It was 5:30pm. And I didn't have my homework...I groaned and stuffed my face into a pillow. Might as well take a damn nap, I thought grumpily, and closed my eyes.

I woke up with a start to the sound of my phone's text tone, which was set to the old Window's "error" sound effect for some reason I couldn't remember. I squinted at my clock. 11:43pm. Damn. Had I slept throught the whole evening? My brain blearily struggled through the decision of whether or not to go back to sleep, eventually deciding that it would be too much of waste after snoozing away all that time. I opened my eyes and lifted my phone up in front of my face, wincing as the screen lit up in my eyes. There was a single message in my inbox.

[Message Sent 17/02/&*^*)8^*&^}]

Sender: Yuki Sakakibara

Recipient: Miki Anno

YS: Hey miki

I blinked. The timestamp on the display was all garbled. But the message had just come through...why was Yuki texting me so late? We had school tomorrow.

I texted back:

MA: I was asleep, what are you doing up?

The reply came almost instantly.

YS: Im at the kids school

MA: What? It's almost midnight!

YS: Save me miki

MA: Um, what? What are you doing?

YS: "Sachiko Ever After"

YS: Im all damsel in distress over here

I stared in confusion at the screen, feeling an odd sense of deja vu mixed with unease. Something about her messages seemed...off.

MA: Yuki what are you talking about? You aren't making any sense...

YS: Yeah :(

YS: Come over and meet me here

YS: Its mad creepy

MA: It's the middle of the night! We have school tomorrow!

YS: You are the only one who can help me now

A chill went down my spine and I frowned. Something about these messages seemed...familiar. I scrolled back through my previous conversations with Yuki, skimming them for...yeah. There. And there, and there. These messages had already been sent.

MA: Yuki is this some kind of joke? Stop sending me messages you already sent. It's creepy.

YS: No waYSYSYS

YS: Hurry up

MA: Seriously, cut it out.

YS: Come on

YS: Save me miki

MA: From what?

YS: All these little kids are staring at me

YS: *killing

MA: Wait, is your phone broken? Man, I must sound like an idiot, talking back to your dumb phone. Haha.

YS: Psh excuses

YS: Im at the kids school

YS: save me miki

It was the third time that message had appeared. I was beginning to feel really panicked. What if something was really going wrong? What if Yuki really did need my help? I stared anxiously at the screen, chewing a fingernail and wondering what I should do. Should I call the police? What would I tell them? And its not like I knew for sure something was happening. But still...I had to do something! "Im at the kids school", she wrote. The last time she said that she meant our old elementary school. I glanced at the clock. Five minutes to twelve. I looked out the window. It had stopped raining as I slept, and the street was abandoned. I fidgeted on my bed for a few minutes before going to my door and peeking out. The house was silent; everyone had gone to sleep. My phone beeped.

YS: you are the only one who can help me now

YS: You do it because you da best

My mind was made up. I was still dressed from when I fell asleep on my bed earlier, so I just pulled on a sweater and fished around on the floor for my socks. I stealthily opened my door and tiptoed out, pausing to listen at my parent's door. From inside, I could hear my dad snoring. All clear, I thought, as I let out a breath of relief. I snuck through the hall, and crept down the stairs into the living room, where my dog was sleeping. I stepped past his bed, trying not to make any noise...and then my phone bleeped.

YS: Seriously bail me out here

I texted back quickly.

MA: Ok I'm on my way! Hold on.

When I looked back up, my dog was staring at me, ears perked. "Shh," I murmured as I edged by, "go back to sleep." He tilted his head and stood up, shaking himself and jingling his tags. "No! Shhh! Sleep," I demanded.

My phone went off again.

YS: Hurry up

I felt like stomping my foot and shouting for everything to start making sense right this minute and for her to just hold on and tell me what was going on, but that wasn't about to happen. Instead, I swallowed my rising frustration and unease, and took a deep breath. "Stay," I ordered my dog severely. He sat down. "Good. Stay," I reiterated, and made my way to the door.

It was dark outside, and far too quiet. I shivered at the cold in the air, and the chill that ran down my spine. What was I even doing out here? I set off down the sidewalk walking quickly and trying to keep my head down. I had never been outside this late before, and it was making me extremely nervous. Stories of rape and murder and kidnapping raced through my head, and as my phone chimed again I jumped, heart beating wildly.

YS: FUCK

YS *killing

YS: save me miki

I felt like I was going to cry.

MA: I'm going to the school! Yuki, what's going on? Please tell me!

YS: sorry :(

I sped up, practically running now. In my room, this had all seemed like it could have been a prank, or some stupid situation Yuki had gotten into. Outside, in the dark night with nobody around and a haunting silence in the air, I felt more scared than I ever had in my life. What if Yuki was hurt really badly? What if she had been kidnapped? By the time I reached the school building, I was frantic with worry. There was nobody parked in the front parking lot. All the windows were dark, like horrible eyes watching me from afar. I rushed around to the back, where the playground was. Where Yuki should have been.

Except she wasn't. Nobody was there. The playground was completely abandoned; although I had spent so much time playing there as a child, it looked so terribly foreign and threatening there in the dark that I felt like an intruder. The last time I had come to meet Yuki here, she had been sitting on the swings, where we had always spent our lunchtimes as kids. Now, the swings hung deadly still, not even swaying in the dead air.

I felt shaken, lost. I didn't know what to do. What...was I supposed to do? Yuki wasn't here. There was no sign of her. I got out my phone, looked over the messages. It was the same as before. Nothing new.

Tears of worry and frustration were building in my eyes.

MA: Yuki WHERE ARE YOU?

YS: Im at the kids school

MA: I'm there now! Where?

YS: Yeah but dont you remember?

YS: "Sachiko Ever After"

MA: What does that mean?

YS: Im all damsel in distress over here

YS: save me miki

I really, really didn't want to be there. The shadows were too dark, the air was a little too empty, and I was getting creepy messages on my phone from my best friend, who most decidedly was not here.

MA: Yuki what do you want me to do? I don't know where you are, you're not making any sense!

YS: save me miki

I had to go home. I couldn't just stand there all night. I had no idea where Yuki was, no idea what she wanted me to do, no idea what to do. It's not like I could drop by her house and knock on the door. It was past midnight. I couldn't call the police. What was I supposed to say? "Hello, officer, I keep on getting weird messages on my phone, can you please find out where my friend Yuki Sakakibara is?"

I stared at my phone. Now what? I stared and stared, and suddenly it occurred to me to try something I hadn't yet. Desperately, I punched in Yuki's number and hit the call button. There was silence. I held my breath. It rang. Three times. And then...click.

"Yuki?" I breathed. "Yuki, are you there? Answer me!"

No answer. Not a sound. Just dead silence. "Yuki, come on," I pleaded. "This isn't funny! Cut it out and just tell me what's going on!"

Nothing, nothing, and more nothing.

"I'm going to see you at school tomorrow, right?" I said, in a very small voice. "I'll see you then, okay?"

Silence, and then the line cut out. I was left staring at my phone's empty display. Suddenly I felt as though I was being watched, and hurriedly glanced around me. The playground was still deathly quiet, not a soul in sight. Thoroughly creeped out, I scuttled across the empty school grounds, desperate to reach the safety of home.

Yuki's phone must be broken, I reassured myself. It's broken, and you're overreacting, and you'll see her again at school tomorrow. You'll laugh about all this.

My phone pinged again. I was too afraid to look at it. I put it on silent.

And when I got home, I went to bed.

I woke up the next morning feeling like my head was stuffed full of cotton. What time had I fallen asleep? For some reason, I couldn't remember.

Blearily, I checked my phone. 4 new messages? What the hell? Practically nobody bothered texting me except for my parents.

I checked them.

[Message Sent 17/02/&*^*)8^*&^}]

Sender: Yuki Sakakibara

Recipient: Miki Anno

YS: Hey miki

YS: Hey miki

YS: Hey miki

YS: its really cold

I stared at the messages, perplexed. Who the hell was "Yuki Sakakibara"? And what was up with the creepy messages? Scrolling back through the phone's history, I scowled at the display, which read "Unknown Number" for the texts that I received through the night. Thanks, Caller ID. I deleted the texts, flopping back on the mattress with a sigh. The clock said 7:41.

That was when I remembered:

I forgot my homework at school yesterday.

Somewhere in the halls of Heavenly Host, a phone rang.

Yuki Sakakibara fumbled with her phone, picked up, and was met by a tentative voice.

"Yuki?

Yuki could have cried. "Miki?! Miki, please, you have to help, I- I don't know what's going on, but-"

"Yuki, are you there? Answer me!"

"Miki, wait, please, yes, I can hear you, don't hang up, don't hang up, just listen, please-"

"Yuki, come on, this isn't funny!"

Could she not hear? Yuki's tone got increasingly desperate. "No Miki—I'm really really scared don't go please don't go..."

"Cut it out and just tell me what's going on!"

"I'm in a school! I'm in a school, it says it's Heavenly Host and there are ghosts, Miki, and they're killing people...I don't know what to do and I want to go home!"

"I'm going to see you at school tomorrow, right?"I'll see you then, okay?" The voice on the other side was hesitant.

Now Yuki was crying. "No! No, oh God no don't go! Miki please you're my best friend, can't you hear me?! I need your help! Please!"

And then they hung up.

Yuki screamed at her phone, sobbing at the dial tone. She gradually came to realize that someone was standing in front of her. It was a little girl, translucent and pale with pigtails and a sweet smile. She said, "Nobody listened to me when I screamed for help, either."

Yuki ran.


Yuki Sakakibara, Shibagami Private Senior High School

Age: 17

Cause of death: Believed in power of friendship until dying breath. Eventually dehydrated.

Also mentioned:

Izuru Ohkami, Shibagami Private Senior High School

Age: 17

Cause of death: Withered away from dehydration


Author's notes: Oops, I kind of vanished for a while...honestly, I have four or five unfinished stories for this series but I just haven't had the will to complete them lately. Anyways, I really liked working on this one, so I eventually decided to finish it. I couldn't figure out what to put in between the "regular" conversations to break it up, so I hope it worked out in the end. And I feel kind of bad putting Izuru on the "Also Mentioned" list, because I literally had her name in it once. But dehydration is a comparatively boring way to go, so I probably wouldn't make a story about her anyways. Assuming it's a her? I'm assuming.

The idea from this one came from me realizing how creepy it would be to get a mishmash of messages that you've already recieved, and also because of the strange things phones do in the game itself (Naomi, anyone?)

Also, as to why Miki has Vegimite in what is supposedly Japan? ...I don't know. I just thought it would be funny.

Also also, if this is difficult to read, I could probably re-format it. Am I just paranoid?