"Let go of them! Stop! Please..." The breathless cries of a young, dark-haired, blue-eyed boy of about 14 ceased as he woke up.
"Koichi! Koichi honey, what's wrong?" The boy's mother was leaning over him. She had been the one who woke him up. She looked into the tear-filled eyes of her son. Her own eyes were filled with concern. "You had the dream again, didn't you?"
The boy, called Koichi, nodded. He sat up and hugged his mother, crying. "It was all my fault," he said. "I could've stopped it."
His mother hugged him tightly. "Then you would have met the same fate," she said gently. She too was crying. "And I could never stand to lose both my boys. Besides, Koji wouldn't want you to dwell on his memory. None of your friends would." She kissed his forehead, then reluctantly let go of him and stood up straighter. "It's late," she murmured. "You should try to get back to sleep."
Koichi nodded and laid back down. His mother left the room. He looked at the ceiling, tears still rolling down his cheek, as he remembered that fateful day, six months ago...
(A very short chapter, I know, but the next one is his memory.)