Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

Time Stopped For Him Then


When you're a little kid and you have a bad nightmare, you can always count on a loved one to appear by your side and comfort you to make you feel better. But when that beloved person is gone forever from your life, everything seems so sad and hopeless, and the nightmare that was haunting you returns, worse than before by morphing into reality. A twisted reality that will never go away...

I waited patiently at the corner of my elementary school building just outside the main entrance gate, for my older brother to exit his last class session on the other side of the campus. Each day after school, we would walk and take the train home together. I wondered what was keeping him that day. Perhaps a classmate was asking him for homework help? Or maybe the teacher wanted to praise him some more before letting him go home for the day? Or could it be that he was purposely arriving late to prove that he was still mad at me?

My mind recalled what had happened the night before. Osamu found me in his room, toying with a strange digital device. I knew I wasn't supposed to touch any of his things without asking for his permission first, but my curiosity got the better of me. He stormed over to where I was squatting and angrily slapped the device out of my hand. The slap hurt, but what stung even more was the fact that he hit me over a stupid gadget. Tears welled up in my eyes as I stared miserably at him. A regretful expression quickly replaced the angry look on his face. Then he opened his mouth to say something, but I chose not to listen.

"I hate you!" I cried, as I ran out of his room. I didn't speak to him again for the rest of the night.

I looked up at the school's clock tower. Almost an hour had passed since the last school bell rang. Osamu was still nowhere in sight. Was he really that angry with me? A sick feeling invaded me and I decided that I didn't want us to stay angry with each other anymore. I just wanted our stubbornness to blow over and for us to make up. Most of all, I really wanted us to get along again...and blow bubbles together from our apartment balcony...

After about fifteen more minutes of waiting, I finally sat down on the pavement to rest my feet. I sighed heavily and stared at the ground. In spite of the bright afternoon sunshine, my shadow appeared unusually faint. The sight was unnerving and gave me an ominous feeling in the pit of my stomach. I suddenly had the urge to see Osamu as soon as possible. I scrambled onto my feet and made a mad dash to the other side of the campus. Where was he?! I wanted to go home with him!

When I reached the other side, I was stunned to see the flashing lights of several parked police cars and caution tape all over the place. A group of officers and a crowd of people surrounded what appeared to be the scene of an accident. As I got closer to those people, a sense of terror and helplessness grew within me and I felt my arms and legs becoming cold and clammy.

Among the bystanders, I caught side of the back of a tall boy with spiky hair. I thought he was Osamu and felt some relief. I made my way towards the boy, but when he turned around, I realized that I had mistake him for my brother. This person stared at me silently...a unnerving expression was etched in his face. I was confused, so I scanned the faces of the other bystanders. They too were looking at me mournfully, and although they spoke in hushed voices, all I could hear was cacophony.

With so many eyes on me and indistinct voices deafening my ears, I felt extremely uneasy and all the more confused. What was going on? Where was my brother?

I pushed my way out of the crowd. I just wanted to get away from everyone. Not watching where I was going, I ended up tripping on a small object and knocking myself into the back of an officer who was crouching low to the ground. I quickly scooped the object with one hand and shoved it into a pocket before the officer noticed what I did.

The officer extended an arm to help me get back on my feet, but just as I was about to grab his hand, my eyes locked on a sickening scene behind him. He noticed what I saw, and in reaction, he shifted his body to block my view, but he was too late. My chest tightened and breathing suddenly felt difficult...because I had seen my brother's body behind that crouching officer.

Osamu laid lifeless on the ground, like a broken doll with his arms and legs horribly twisted and covered in blood and shattered glass.

I tried to lunge toward his body, but the officer grabbed hold of me and covered my eyes as he wrenched me away. I shrieked and thrashed hysterically for him to put me down. As the officer silently and solemnly carried me off, I saw through cloudy tears another officer gently covering Osamu with a white sheet...

Why did you disappear for real, Osamu? I didn't mean it!

I am now at home, curled up on the floor in the corner of Osamu's room, near the balcony, with all the lights turned off. The glow of dusk turns into darkness as the sun completely sets. I can hear my mother and father wailing and sobbing in the next room. If only all of this was just a sick nightmare that I would soon wake up from.

Heavy tears won't stop rolling down my face, and I am still clutching the broken pocket watch. It was the object that I found on the ground near Osamu's body. The needles of the watch had ceased ticking since the half-hour after the last school bell rang today.

Time stopped for him then.

A painful sob escapes from my chest as I trace with my fingers the tiny engraving on the back of the watch. "Ken, I don't always show it, but I love you with all my heart. You're the best brother in the world. From Osamu."

Why did this have to be his parting gift? Time is meaningless without him.

I love you too with all my heart, Osamu. You're the one who's truly the best brother in the world...

Twice as many teardrops are spilling out of my eyes. I can't help myself.

I miss you, Osamu...

When you're a little kid and you have a bad nightmare, you can always count on a loved one to appear by your side and comfort you to make you feel better. But when that beloved person is gone forever from your life, everything seems so sad and hopeless, and the nightmare that was haunting you returns, worse than before by morphing into reality. A twisted reality that will never go away...