----- F5

Hirono felt the metallic cool feeling of her flashlight in her grip, and smiling, drew it out. The darkness was closing in now, constricting and claustrophobic. She sighed and clicked it on.

For a fleeting moment, light flickered from the end of the flashlight before it was extinguished. "Ah crap..." Hirono muttered. "Just my luck."
She reached a hand into her bag and began to search once more. "Where the hell is Kayoko's?" she wondered out loud.

In the darkness, still backed against the tree, Haruka's eyes widened. "Where the hell is Kayoko's?"

The image of Kayoko's crumpled body outside the school flashed inside Haruka's mind. Hirono killed Kayoko... Hirono killed Kayoko...

Haruka felt like she was going to throw up.

She's playing! What if she killed Yukie or... or Satomi or the others? She still could! That bitch!

She gripped the baton tightly in her hand, trying to muster up the strength to rush forward and attack. She had to. She was protecting the others. They arn't strong enough... Chisato and Yuko... they'll never survive unless I protect them!

She cried out, almost a war cry, mostly to try and gather her courage. Hirono whirled around. "Who the fuck?"

Still screaming, Haruka ran around the tree, and towards where she had seen Hirono before. She disappeared into the darkness... still swinging the baton.

Then the moon once again revealed itself.

Haruka stopped. Hirono wasn't there...

----- H5

"Mitsuko!" Yukiko cried again, tears pouring down her face.

Mitsuko's face was set in a predatory grin as the two girls struggled on the floor. Mitsuko was on top of Yukiko, pinning her down with her larger weight and free arm while the other pushed the sickle closer and closer to Yukiko's neck. Both of Yukiko'sarms were up, trying to push the arm with the sickle in back up, but even with one hand, Mitsuko was beginning to win...

"The more you're loved, the more it grows!"

"How old are you? Jesus, still no breasts! what thehell is wrong with you?"

"You can tell me what happened Mitsuko... you can trust me..."

Mitsuko sneered. No... not this time. This time it'll be my way!

"Mitsuko, we can work together!" Yukiko shrieked. "Please! We don't have to play!"

Mitsuko laughed, easily keeping Yukiko pinned down and helpless. "Are you offering your help little girl? I don't need yourfucking help..."

"Don't let them do this to you!" Yukiko pleaded, letting out another high pitched shriek as the sickle's blade was pushed further towards her neck by Mitsuko's superior strength.

"Too late now Yukiko... to late, they've already done it to me. Again and again!" Mitsuko howled with laughter once more. "I've had enough of letting people help me..." They say they'll give, but they take! Take! TAKE! "I'll make it painless if you stop struggling..."

Yukiko whimpered. "That's... my thing." she said weakly.
Yumiko looked confused. "What do you mean, Yukiko?"
Yukiko smiled. "Mimura is good with computers, Shuuya is good at leading people, Hiroki has martial arts. Everyone has a strength. Yours is making everyone feel good about themselves. I just realised what mine is."
"What?" Yumiko asked, looking as if she wasn't really following.
"I don't give up." Yukiko said, rising to her feet, and reaching out her arms for a hug, which Yumiko returned. "Thanks for reminding me." she whispered into her friend's ear.
"Don't mention it." Yumiko said proudly. "You worked it out yourself."

"Yumiko!" Yukiko cried. I don't know how much longer I can go without giving up...

Mitsuko pushed harder, and the sickle lowered once more. Yukiko shrieked as she could feel the metal just skimming the skin.

They take take take! That's why you have to take first!

Suddenly, a loud banging sound filled her ears, and she screamed again, closing her eyes as tightly as she could. The sickle fell to the ground with a clatter to her side, and she felt Mitsuko's body relieve it's grip.

She slowly opened her eyes. Mitsuko's body was lying on the ground next to her. The malicious lustful grin was still there, almost as if carved in stone. She would have looked alive, had it not been for the bullet wound to the side of her head.

In front of Yukiko, Yoji was standing, trembling, and holding the gun, his face steaming with tears.

"Yoji..." Yukiko whimpered. She had no idea what to say. She was half glad that Mitsuko was now dead, but half dismayed at herself for thinking it. Despite the fact that Yoji had just saved her life, she was now feeling frightened of him. He killed her... he's a murderer...

"Yukiko! Hurry, we need to get away from here!"
"Where's Yumiko!" Yukiko cried, tears streaming down her face. "Where is she?"
Yoji avoided looking her in the eyes. "She's dead. Mitsuko must have got to her before she got to you..." he lied.

Yukiko stared at Yoji for a moment, saying nothing. Her head felt empty, completely devoid of thought.

Then there slowly rose her life. Her world. Everything she had done was with Yumiko. Everything she thought, she had shared with Yumiko. Everything that she was. Her and Yumiko, the odd couple. They had been through so much...

The fragile structure of Yukiko's life was totally dependant on Yumiko. And now, it crumbled around her, piece by piece being violently shredded away, ripped from her.

She stared around frantically. "No no, that can't be! You see... we're always together... she can't die without me... no no! There's been some mistake! We have to find her!"
"She's dead!" Yoji cried. "Please Yukiko, before someone else who's playing turns up! We have to run!"
Yukiko shook her head as she shook on the ground. "Can't... can't go without her..."

Yoji sniffed, and wiped away his own tears. No... she needs you now. You have to be strong for her... He grit his teeth, and ran forward, first tucking the gun into his belt.
Yukiko shrieked as he lifted her off her feet, but found she was to weak to resist, as he began to run with her in his arms. Yumiko... I need you... please... "Say it isn't true!" she cried, before bursting into another fresh round of tears.
Yoji couldn't even bare to look down at her in this state. It's your fault...

You killed her...

You're a murderer...

Yoji was running through the forest now, only an occasional whimper escaping Yukiko's mouth. It was dark, and very hard to see. Neither had their bags, so they didn't have their flashlights. All they had was a gun, and each other.

They came into a clearing, and Yoji collapsed. It had finally become too much. The pain of knowing what he had done, and of being with the person it would hurt the most.

Yukiko was already asleep as he laid her on the grass. She looked peaceful now.

Yoji laid back too, sinking down on the soft ground. He felt so drained. So tired. It couldn't be happening... the whole thing had to be a bad dream... Please... let me wake up! Let me wake up! I don't want to have killed anyone! I didn't mean to kill anyone!

Even as Yoji slipped into a quiet sleep, the tears continued to slowly drop down his troubled face.

----- F5

Hirono sneered. Bitch tried to creep up on me! Good thing I heard her! Ha ha, this is just such a lucky day!

She had simply slipped over to the side and behind a small plant once she had heard Haruka, first intending to get away, but when the light had restored itself, she had looked up to see Haruka in the clearing swiping madly at air with a baton. She had a crap weapon, and she looked like afucking retard. What's more, was that Hirono was holding a gun, and Haruka was facing the other way. The tallest girl in the class had now stopped, and seemed to be about to look around. She hardly needed the situation explaining to her.

She raised the gun and fired.

It impacted to the back of Haruka's skull, sending out a grotesque cracking noise of her skull being shattered. Brains and blood exploded outwards from the front of Haruka's face, and she collapsed onto the ground with a light thud.

Hirono stared for a few moments. It was all over so quickly... Was that it?

Slowly, she began to grin.