Notes: Early update of the longest chapter yet, will be taking a break until exams are over. Around next week.
Tiriel found it in the gap behind the cupboard. "It's here. You really did hide
it. "
Simon looked at the things. The receipt for the photos, two copies from the
Yard Mall. A book on chocolate shaping and a roll of the same sticker
photos with the first one taken out. And the receipt for both the chocolate
and the book on chocolate.
Floe nudged Simon suggestively, "Ho… you were even going to make the
chocolate for her! "
Simon nodded, "There is no doubt now, right? Everything revolves around
the disappeared girl. "
He was quite surprised when Floe pouted and complained with a
mischievous tone, "It's no fun teasing you, there's no response at all. "
"Well, then," Thomas cut in, "The game's over, you've got the solution and
proof. Are we going to the police with this?"
Simon shook his head, "No. They won't believe us. The proof we have is
only inconvertible to me, who knows myself and the victim very well, and
you guys, who know me well. To anyone else, it looks like we're playing
games. "
They stared at him before Floe shrugged, "Whoever thought Simon would
admit other people think his schemes are stupid? I guess we can go back
to being normal middle school students if we're stuck. After all, Tiriel here
has to be better than this forgotten girlfriend right?"
Tiriel shot her a Look, while Simon considered his options. "No. What we
need is more proof. "
Thomas rolled his eyes, "We don't need more proof. Floe was right when
she said you should stop playing these games. There are things that we,
as 14 year old children, should not be playing around in. "
Tiriel looked a little intimidated at the somewhat harsh critic of Simon's
actions, though she said nothing. Floe picked up on it and nodded to
Thomas, "I need to talk to you outside. "
Thomas looked at Tiriel and reluctantly agreed after seeing her expression.
She must feel like we're excluding her by our familiarity with each other. He
and Floe left the room to the two of them.
Simon looked at them leaving. I don't understand why Thomas would
suddenly change his mind. He was agreeing with me when we argued. Now
he's saying I'm playing a game…
"Um… Simon?" Tiriel began timidly, "You know them very well right?"
Simon nodded, "Yes, of course. They've been my friends since primary
school. "
They settled into an uncomfortable silence for a while. The muffled
sounds of Floe talking fast came through the door.
"Do you really have to investigate this?" Tiriel asked, still hesitant.
Simon frowned at her. He had never thought about that, if anything
seemed wrong, then he would investigate. It had always been second
nature to him. "Er… I don't know. I suppose I don't have to. It troubles
you that I'm investigating this?"
Tiriel nodded, "I don't want to lie. Why would you go so far for this
disappeared girl? Can I ask? Do you still love her, even if you don't
remember her?"
Simon shrugged, "Who knows? Does anyone really understand all their
own motivations?"
Tiriel considered it for a while before smiling, "Ok then. It doesn't matter.
You should go look for her. " Simon failed to pick up on her slightly forced
tone and frowned in confusion.
"So what did you want to say?" Thomas asked, feeling a little peeved. He
knew Floe was giving Tiriel a chance to talk, but he didn't like her
supporting the investigation.
She rounded on him, "Why do you say these things? Someone has made
to disappear, from everyone's memory and all records! It's a grand case
of murder! How do you just let this go?!"
"Wait… do you realize what you're saying?" Thomas held up a hand to
stem the flow, "You want us to go up against these guys who did this?!"
She paused for a while, "We can't just let something like this go. Would
you stop investigations just because of danger if I was the one who
disappeared?"
Thomas winced. "You fight dirty," he muttered after a while, a hint of a
smile on his face, "I wouldn't drag other people into this danger though. "
"And yet…" Floe paused, looking at the door to Simon's room. Tiriel's voice
floated out, a little muffled by the door, "…It doesn't matter. You should
go look for her. "
"That idiot," she muttered under her breath and opened the door,
"What are you saying Tiriel? I thought you didn't…"
Tiriel looked at her in surprise and Simon turned around to say, "Oh,
you're done? That's good. We can go…"
Thomas held up a hand, "Wait.. everyone stop talking at the time!"
He waited until there was silence. "All right, first things first. Floe, you're
just confused. You want me to stop saying we shouldn't investigate but
want Tiriel to stop saying we should. Make up your mind whether you
want us to investigate this or not. "
Floe frowned and looked a little confused, "Yeah, I guess I was a bit…
confused. I'm not sure why. "
Thomas waved her down and continued, "More importantly, Simon. I must
advise against investigating this case. Think about it. You said it before;
it's dangerous for us to possibly anger something with so much influence.
It wiped our memories for goodness sake! If whoever did this found out
about us, we're dead!"
Simon sighed and walked over to his window, taking his time to explain.
"Floe just demonstrated exactly why I think it's not dangerous. I've been
thinking about it ever since I stopped Tiriel from leaving with that excuse.
Remember the pieces of evidence. They were the empty seat, class
register, the girl's room, sticker photos, valentine's chocolate and the
bullies. There is one thing in common with all of them. They're all indirect
evidence. All direct evidence that this girl existed is gone.
Why has only our memories and direct evidence vanished? If you were
the person concealing this girl's disappearance you would at least take
away those photos right? The existence of the photos is the major clue
that my deduction hinged on. And if they could wipe all our memories at
the same time and modify all the records, why not take out her address
as well? And steal the letters sent by the school? They're certainly
powerful and far-reaching enough.
If you were directing this operation, you would not leave these things
behind. It just means that people close to her would suspect something
wrong.
The answer to these questions is this: There is a rule that governs which
evidence disappears. They take away her picture, but they do not take
away the frame. They take my memory of the Yard Mall visit, but they do
not take Tiriel's memory of the bullying. I have forgotten about buying and
hiding this book, but the book itself is not gone.
This is where Floe comes in. She has her memories of this girl taken. But
it left her confused as to whether we should continue with this or not.
Floe, why you can't decide whether to search for this girl is probably due
to a contradiction caused by the removal of your memory. Exactly how it
works, I can't tell. Even you might not understand your own motivation
behind this.
My conclusion is this. There is no 'They'. There is no organization behind
the mass altering of reality. If it was done by any form of intelligence, the
evidence I have now would not exist. Her disappearance from reality and
the destroying of direct evidence is the result of a Natural Law, without a
guiding intelligence.
We do not have to fear anything noticing us doing this investigation. The
'anything' doesn't exist. What we need to find out as soon as possible is
the event that caused her disappearance. That is what we need to fear. "
Notes: End of characterization bridge. The second arc can now start with more detective work now that Simon's convinced his friends to help him. If at this point, you disagree with any part of Simon's logic, do please review and point it out.
Especially if you think he's making a conclusion with too little evidence. I can't really tell since I know everything already... =.=