~~Hello readers, I'm back with a new chapter.
I don't own anything from Yugioh Zexal.
Only my original characters belong to me.~~
Duel period had just ended.
It was now mid afternoon.
My friends and I were standing in line at the entrance to the lunch room.
We had just invited another kid named Flip Turner into our group.
I was still unable to let Dark Mist come out of my pendent because Astral remained with us.
Letting Dark Mist out would only trigger the mind control spell that was placed on him.
I turned to Flip who seemed lost in thought and asked. "Hey, what are you thinking about?"
"My recent duel with Yuma," Flip answered blankly.
"Why? I continued with a curious look.
"I just didn't expect to have my whole life instantly changed by one particular duel," he answered thoughtfully.
I put my arm around his shoulders and said proudly. "I'm glad you had a duel with Yuma. That event helped you discover a good way to live your life. I'm proud of you for turning over a new leaf. You're already "becoming a better person."
"Thank you Sioku," Flip replied with a bright smile.
I playfully ruffled the boy's hair in response.
Yuma casually strolled up to us with Astral floating behind him.
He stopped directly in front of me and asked in a playful manner. "Hi love birds, are you two going to sit with us?"
I blushed while staring at Yuma and answered. "Please don't call us that. Of course we're sitting with you guys. Flip and I wouldn't just abandon our friends during lunch. By the way, did Caswel ever apologize to you?"
"You don't have to worry about that. Caswel and I are talking again," Yuma assured.
I breathed a sigh of relief and replied protectively. "Thank goodness, I was about to challenge Caswel to a duel if he didn't apologize."
Yuma grinned at me in response.
"Take it easy Sioku," said Astral.
I smiled brightly at the celestial being and replied. "Don't worry Astral, I'm not mad. I was just joking around with Yuma."
I paused and turned around as I spotted Bronk calmly approaching me.
"What's up Bronk?" I greeted.
Bronk placed a hand on my shoulder and spoke calmly. "Sioku, I'm really sorry for bringing up this uneasy topic right now. Did that academic assistant of yours ever show up?"
I began to tremble slightly with fear.
Chills rapidly crawled up my spine.
"No... I haven't seen her at all this morning. Julie would have found me at the arena after duel period ended," I answered quietly.
Flip stared at me in confusion and interrupted. "Pardon me Sioku, but who is Julie again?"
"Julie is my academic assistant," I whispered to him.
Flip ggave a simple nod before he turned away.
My phone began to ring inside my pocket.
I pulled the object out and answered it. "Hello?"
Vector spoke to me on the other end. "Hi Sioku, where are you?"
"My friends and I are at the lunch room right now," I answered.
"I'll meet you there soon. I have an important message for you," he replied urgently.
"Bye for now," I said before I hung up the phone.
"Who was that?" asked Yuma.
"Vector," I answered briefly.
"Are you talking about that new kid?" added Tori.
"Yes, he went home for a while to take care of business," I answered.
I then turned to Yuma with a curious look and asked. "Do you have any idea what Shark has been up to lately?"
"Not really," Yuma answered briefly.
"Maybe Vector might know what happened to Julie," Tori said hopefully.
I lowered my head and sighed heavily.
"Are you all right Sioku?" asked Flip.
I only shook my head.
A scene from my recent nightmare entered my mind.
~Flashback~
The officer had just forcefully led me into a hospital room.
My ears were immediately met by the constant sound of beeping machines.
I stood silently next to Julie's bedside.
Julie lay still with various tubes protruding from her body.
She took a deep shallow breath every few minutes.
~End Flashback~
Without warning, I fell to my Knees while shivering violently.
Sweat dripped down my face as I panted heavily.
My heart pounded rapidly in my chest.
Flip noticed me and gasped in terror.
"Sioku! What has happened to you? Please tell us!" he hollered frantically.
I let out a nervous yelp in response.
"Flip, you need to calm down! That is no way to handle this situation!" yelled Bronk sternly.
Flip paused abruptly as he stared sadly at me.
My flashbacks were completely new to him.
He then looked at Yuma and asked. "Yuma, have you ever seen Sioku like this?"
"Yes, a similar situation happened to her a long time ago. Sioku had a major panic attack during duel period. She was afraid of a typing program in computer class," Yuma calmly explained.
"How did you help her come out of it?" Flip wondered.
"I stayed by her side and kept reassuring her until she was able to calm down," Yuma answered.
Astral looked down at me as he chimed in. "Yuma, does she have these panic attacks often?"
"I've only seen Sioku have one so far. This is the second one she's had since I met her," Yuma answered with a worried expression.
"What usually causes these panic attacks?" asked Flip.
"Flashbacks or paranoia," answered Yuma.
Bronk carefully knelt down on the floor beside me and spoke softly. "Sioku, this is Bronk talking to you. Can you hear me?"
There was no response from me.
Yuma sat down on the other side of me and added. "Sioku, please come back to us. We are all right here with you."
I still didn't move from my spot.
Tori's eyes widened with shock in response to the commotion going on around her.
"What is happening?" she asked.
"Sioku is having a panic attack," answered Bronk.
"Really? She seemed perfectly fine earlier," Tori replied.
Bronk gently lifted me onto his lap and embraced me.
Being in his warm embrace helped me come back to reality.
I opened my eyes and looked up at him.
"Bronk, what just happened to me?" I said quietly.
"You just had a panic attack," answered Yuma.
"Sioku, do you know what caused it?" continued Tori.
"I probably freaked out when we were talking about Julie," I answered with a look of remorse.
"It was my fault for bringing that woman up," Bronk said sadly.
"It's okay Bronk, you have nothing to apologize for. Julie's disappearance is not your fault," I assured.
"Sioku, do you need to go to the nurse's office?" asked Yuma.
"No, I'll be all right. I just need to clear my mind," I answered softly.
Bronk slowly released me before he helped me get back on my feet.
Flip immediately stood next to me.
I couldn't help but grin at him.
Bronk looked at Flip and warned sternly. "Be careful around Sioku, she is recovering right now."
Flip put his arm around my shoulders and said gently. "Oh Sioku, you had me worried. Please don't scare me like that again."
I hugged him tight in response.
"Thank you all for staying by my side. I wouldn't have recovered so quickly if you guys weren't here," I said graciously.
"That's what good friends are for," replied Yuma.
"We'll always be here for you," continued Bronk.
Astral floated until he was hovering in front of me and said softly. "Hello Sioku, how are you feeling?"
"I'm okay," I assured.
Tori grinned at me and said in amusement. "No matter how many times Flip denies his feelings, it's clear to us that he really likes you. You two look cute together anyway."
"It sure looks that way," Bronk added.
"What?" Flip and I replied in unison as we blushed.
Yuma burst into a fit of laughter at the sight of our bright red faces.
As embarrassed as I was for a moment, I also felt thankful for the distraction.
After ordering our food at the window, my friends and I sat down at a picnic table outside.
Yuma, Flip, and I sat across from Tori, Bronk, and Caswel.
Bronk decided to start a conversation and pointed at me. "Sioku, what is your last class of the day?"
"Unfortunately computers," I answered with a disappointed sigh.
Yuma looked at me confused and asked. "Hold on Sioku, is Flip still in your class?"
I perked up as a memory suddenly flashed through my mind.
"Of course I am," Flip answered.
"oops, that totally slipped my mind. I'm sorry," I said with a look of embarrassment.
"You also have Dark Mist, right?" Tori added.
"I sure do," I answered happily.
Flip stared at me with a confused expression and chimed in. "Sioku, who is Dark Mist?"
"He is my celestial friend," I answered with a smile.
"What has Dark Mist been up to?" asked Bronk.
"He is resting inside my pendent at the moment. Dark Mist has been silent for a while now," I answered thoughtfully.
"Do you know why?" asked Tori.
"He's probably preserving his energy," I responded.
Flip looked curiously at me and continued our conversation. "Sioku, how did you meet Dark Mist?"
Dark Mist and I met after English class a week ago. He saved my sanity in the nick of time," I joyfully explained.
Yuma paused as he scanned the area.
"Wait a minute Sioku, wasn't Vector supposed to be here?" he asked.
"Hopefully he'll show up soon," I answered casually.
To my surprise, the Baria crystal around my neck began to glow.
I quickly stood up from the picknic table and looked at my friends.
"Please excuse me, but I have to go. I'll see you all sometime later," I said suddenly.
Without giving my friends a chance to respond, I took off in the other direction.
Vector intercepted me by a chain-link fence.
Seeing his adorable face again caused a wide grin to spread across my face.
I threw my arms around him and said joyfully. "Hey Vector, I'm so glad to see you!"
Vector returned the hug and replied warmly. "Same to you Sioku, but you and I have to go to the principal's office right now."
My joyous expression suddenly changed into one of utter shock as I continued. "Are you serious? Why?"
"I don't know Sioku," Vector answered hopelessly.
I sighed heavily in defeat before I followed Vector toward the principal's office.
All of my worries from that incident from yesterday began to pile up in my mind once again.
I tried pushing them away but to no avail.
Fortunately, that officer was nowhere to be seen.
I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that I finally had a break from him.
Vector and I cautiously entered the small room.
Memories of the recent incident flooded into my mind like rushing water.
I forced my fears down in order to prevent this situation from getting worse.
The principal was seated at his desk.
Luckily, he didn't seem threatening at all.
"Good afternoon you two," he greeted politely.
"Same to you," replied Vector.
"Hello sir," I added with a small smile.
"Please have a seat," he said while pointing to the two wooden chairs near his file cabinet.
Vector and I sat down without a word.
To my surprise, Dark Mist spoke to me telepathically. "Hello Sioku, how are you?"
"Okay I guess," I thought.
"Why do you say that? Is something wrong?" asked Dark Mist with concern.
"I just had a major panic attack before lunch. "Now I'm back in the principal's office with Vector," I thought with irritation.
"Sioku, I sincerely apologize for not being there to help you. My energy has been very low lately due to the mind control spell that Don Thousand put on me," Dark Mist replied remorsefully.
"Don't worry Dark Mist, all of my friends were there to help me. I wasn't alone," I reassured.
"I am so relieved to know that you are all right. I would never forgive myself if something even worse happened to you," Dark Mist said softly.
"I feel the same way about you," I thought with a smile.
The principal pointed at Vector and began the conversation. "Since you are Sioku's main witness, I need you to tell me your side of the story."
Vector took a deep breath and stared at the principal.
"This incident happened right before PE was about to start. I was just passing by when I heard a lot of commotion near the gym. I saw Sioku's body tightly chained up with heavy shackles. Julie carelessly dragged her through the walkways. A male officer followed behind them while repeatedly blowing a whistle in Sioku's ears and yelling at her. I could tell that Sioku was in a lot of pain because I heard her crying. Julie and the officer immediately backed off and ran away once I threatened to report them. Then I carried Sioku to the nurse's office," he explained.
The principal wrote down all of the details in his notepad as he listened to Vector's story.
He then pointed at me and inquired. "Sioku, do you know where your academic assistant could be right now?"
"No, I haven't seen her at all today. Julie should have been here at school hours ago," I answered with a worried expression.
Vector placed a gentle hand on my shoulder to help me relax.
I paused as a thought crossed my mind.
"Hold on, do you know if Julie got arrested along with the officer?" I added.
"I don't have any information on her yet," the principal answered.
Vector looked at me with a dismayed expression and chimed in. "Wait Sioku, you haven't seen your academic assistant at all today? When was the last time you were with her?"
"Yesterday," I briefly answered.
Vector thought to himself for a moment before he spoke again. "Do either of you think that Julie is missing because the officer might have done something terrible to her on purpose?"
"As evil as the officer was to me, I honestly believe that he would intentionally do something awful to Julie. He won't give up until I lose everybody's trust for good. I want to believe that he made a video of Julie being sick in the hospital in order to take advantage of my deepest fears. However, I'm just afraid of spreading untrue rumors about people," I answered sadly.
"How would the officer know that you're afraid of hospitals?" Vector inquired.
"I'm guessing that Julie told him sometime after Yuma's duel monster accidentally attacked her," I answered fearfully.
I then stared at Vector wearing a saddened expression and added. "I'm starting to think that my nightmare will come true. My other friends were right, Julie might actually be in the hospital right now."
"I'll do my very best to keep searching for her," the principal assured.
"Thank you," I said quietly.
The principal then dismissed Vector and me.
Vector and I quietly walked out the door.
A long period of silence passed between us as we headed to our next class.
The walkways were practically empty because class had already started.
"Sioku, are you all right?" asked Dark Mist.
"No, I'm so afraid of the near future. I think my dream from last night was a premonition," I thought sadly.
"I sure hope not," Dark Mist replied in a worried tone of voice.
Vector decided to change the subject. "Hey Sioku, what is your next class?"
"Math," I simply answered.
I let out a heavy sigh in disappointment as I thought about Julie's annoying daughter.
"Cheer up Sioku, I'm sure things will get better for us. I plan on staying by your side since I don't have any missions to go on right now," Vector said joyfully.
I started to perk up and smiled at him.
"Thanks Vector, I'm glad you're here. You always find a way to make me happy. That is one of many reasons why I love you," I replied in relief.
"I love you too Sioku," he added softly.
Vector and I quietly entered the classroom.
An independent assignment was written on the board.
I quickly glanced up at it.
After grabbing a couple of textbooks off of a shelf, I led Vector to the desk next to mine.
Bronk sat at the desk to my right.
Yuma and Tori sat directly in front of us.
Instead of having a conversation with my friends, I just worked by myself.
Julie's absence really bothered me even though I didn't like her at times.
Bronk noticed my discomfort and put a hand on my shoulder.
"Hey Sioku, you seem to be bothered by something. Can you tell me what it is?" he said gently.
"Julie's absence is freaking me out," I answered shakily.
To my surprise, Dark Mist materialized out of my pendent.
I jumped up and gasped in awe.
"Dark Mist! What brings your royal cuteness out here?" I said cheerfully.
Dark Mist let out a low chuckle before he replied. "I sensed that you were having trouble. I want to help you overcome your fears."
I let out a heavy sigh of exhaustion before I continued. "I know Dark Mist, but I don't want to put you in any danger. Promise that you will keep yourself safe if anything happens to me."
"Sioku, I will not leave your side. I promise to help you get through this frightening situation. You can count on it," the celestial being replied in a serious tone of voice.
I only nodded in response.
Dark Mist then disappeared into my pendent.
I listened to the constant chattering around me as I worked on my assignment.
My concentration was soon interrupted when I spotted Mira walking toward me.
She stopped directly in front of my desk with a glare present on her face.
"Hi Sad Sioku, I had a feeling that I would find you here. You've made your presence noticeable by talking to yourself as usual," she started.
I attempted to block her out by focusing on my assignment.
Mira narrowed her eyes and demanded impatiently. "Come on Sad Sioku, why are you ignoring me? Shouldn't you be acting tough right now?"
I still didn't respond to her.
Mira leaned over my desk and shouted in my face. "I know exactly why you are being silent! You are the whole reason why my mom has been missing since yesterday! Your stupid little body guard's dumb duel monster attacked her!"
Yuma, Bronk, Tori, and Shark threw irritated glares at Mira.
Vector tapped on my shoulder before he whispered in my ear. "Sioku, has this girl always bothered you?"
I leaned close to him and whispered back. "Yes, Mira has been picking on me since the first day of school. She gave me the awful nickname Sad Sioku."
"That's not nice," Vector replied.
I finally stood up and argued back roughly. "Listen to me Mira, that is not true! Your mother is missing for a whole different reason! Yuma had absolutely nothing to do with Julie's disappearance at all! Don't you dare blame my friends for this incident! We are just as concerned about Julie as you are! If you weren't so rotten to the core, I would actually give you all of the details! You should learn to treat others the way you would want to be treated!"
"Whatever Sad Sioku," Mira grumbled as she walked away.
All of my friends grinned at me in approval.
I gave a thumbs up in response.
Once all of the problems had been solved, I stood up and placed my paper into the tray for completed work.
I sat down at the desk with my head down.
No matter what I did or who I talked to, my mind was stuck on Julie's mysterious absence.
The thought of my recent nightmare was literally draining all of my energy.
The sound of quiet footsteps pulled me out of my thoughts almost instantly.
I looked up to see Shark walking toward me.
He stood in front of my desk and greeted. "Hey Sioku, are you all right?"
"I guess so," I answered sadly.
"Did your friend Vector ever get a chance to talk to the principal yet?" Shark continued.
"I sure did," answered Vector.
"Hopefully you two can get things worked out very soon," Shark replied.
Seeing and talking to Shark would usually help me perk up right away.
However, I was too afraid of the near future to let his voice sink into my mind.
Class was dismissed as soon as the bell rang.
After standing up, I waved at Shark before I followed Vector out the door.
There were crowds of people everywhere.
"What is your next class?" asked Vector.
"Computers," I simply answered.
"That sounds like fun," Vector said cheerfully.
I gave him a disappointed look and replied. "Actually, computer class isn't fun to me right now."
Vector stared at me dumbfounded and asked. "What? Why not?"
"I don't like the typing program that I'm currently using," I answered in annoyance.
Vector and I remained silent as we traveled across the campus.
Vector and I stopped at the door to another classroom after we walked up a cemented ramp.
Luckily, there weren't many people in this area.
I looked at Vector as a thought crossed my mind.
"This is our last class of the day. My friends and I usually go home after this period," I informed.
"We could use a break," Vector replied.
The teacher arrived a few minutes later.
She graciously unlocked the door for us.
Vector and I quietly entered the classroom before sitting down at the nearest table.
I stared blankly at the moniter in front of me.
"Type to Learn is going to make my situation much worse," I thought hopelessly.
Vector turned to me wearing a concerned expression and asked. "Sioku, are you okay?"
"Not really," I answered briefly.
"I wish I could make this whole situation go away right now. You don't deserve to be in any of that pain," he replied sympathetically.
"Thank you Vector," I whispered.
A few minutes later, more people entered the classroom.
"Hey Sioku!" hollered a familiar high pitched voice.
I immediately recognized who that cute voice belonged to.
"Flip, is that you?" I called back.
"Of course it is," Flip answered cheerfully.
I couldn't help but smile as he took a seat next to me.
Flip's positive aura helped me relax almost instantly.
His cheerful energy was powerful enough to block out my scary thoughts for a while.
He shined a bright light into my heart.
"Hello Flip, it's nice to see you again." greeted Vector.
"Same to you Vector," Flip replied.
Flip then turned to me with a concerned look and added. "Sioku, Yuma told me that you've been feeling down this afternoon. What happened?"
"Vector and I had to go to the principal's office after lunch," I answered quietly.
"I really hope you can get this whole situation worked out. I don't like seeing you sad," Flip replied.
"Thanks Flip, I don't want to be sad around you either. Your personality is too bright to resist," I said with a small smile.
Flip only blushed at that.
Vector burst into laughter at the side of Flip's pink cheeks.
"You love Sioku," he teased.
My face turned bright red at Vector's comment as I shouted in a flustered way. "Hold on Vector, it's not like that! Flip and I are just friends!"
"Really Sioku? I thought Flip was your love interest," Vector added before he laughed out loud.
"Cut it out Vector," I said playfully.
The Barian only chuckled in response.
I frowned as I stared up at the board.
Our assignment was to resume working on Type to Learn.
"I'm not looking forward to this," I thought with a sigh.
"Stay calm Sioku," urged Dark Mist.
Without a word, I logged into my profile.
I stared at Vector during the typing tutorial in order to distract myself.
That female robotic voice didn't sound as terrifying since I had two of my friends around.
I also had Dark Mist watching over me from inside my pendent.
An hour had passed, and I completed 15 more typing lessons.
Class was dismissed as soon as the bell rang.
My friends and I let everybody else walk out the door as we packed up our belongings.
I gave Vector and Flip a hug before I stood up.
I'll see you two later," I said as I headed toward the door.
"Have a good night Sioku," replied Flip.
"I'll see you tomorrow," added Vector.
I exited the classroom and headed straight toward the train platform.
Unfortunately, I was intercepted by Mira and two other girls along the way.
Mira grinned at me and called out. "Hey there Sad Sioku, I want to introduce you to my friends!"
"No thank you," I simply replied.
I walked away from them as quick as possible, but the three girls caught up to me in no time.
They furiously cornered me by a brick wall and glared daggers at me.
Glaring back, I straightened myself up and demanded. "What do you brats want?"
Mira's grin faded revealing a look of burning hatred as she answered. "You know exactly what I want from you Sad Sioku. Tell me what you did to my mom! Now!"
I shook my head roughly and shot back. "Listen up Mira, I will only say this once. I did not cause Julie's absence! If you want to find out what happened, go do your own research!"
"You little brat..." Mira growled while pulling out her phone.
She then pointed at me and added. "Fine... we'll do this the hard way."
I watched as Mira played a video from her camera roll.
Much to my horror, the video looked and sounded very familiar to me.
I gasped in terror as I saw myself being dragged around in those shackles by Julie.
The piercing sound of that officer's whistle rang throughout the entire space.
Sweat dripped profusely down my forehead.
My heart pounded rapidly in my chest.
I began to breathe heavily as my body trembled violently.
Tears poured from my eyes as I tried not to sob.
Mira glared at me and demanded. "Quit your crying Sad Sioku! Get on your knees and give me the details."
I was on the verge of collapsing when I suddenly heard a male voice enter the space.
"Officer! A girl is being harassed behind a building!" he shouted.
I curiously looked behind me to see a grey haired boy running toward me followed by a female officer.
Mira and her friends began to freak out when they saw the officer approaching us.
"Brat! I'll get you next time Sad Sioku!" screamed Mira as she and her two friends took off in the other direction.
The boy with spiky grey hair calmly approached me and said smoothly. "Hello mis, my name is Duman. Are you okay?"
I timidly backed away and answered. "No sir, I'm so afraid."
Dumon kept his distance and continued gently. "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you. Can you tell me your name?"
The softness in Dumon's voice allowed me to relax a bit.
I stared up at Dumon and replied shyly. "Thank you for saving me. My name is Sioku Marie."
"That's a pretty name," Dumon complemented.
I gave a small smile as I cautiously stepped closer to him.
Dumon reached a hand out to me and said. "Sioku, do you remember where you were headed? I can take you there if you want me to."
I thought for a minute about Dumon's offer before answering. "Sure, I really appreciate your help. I was headed to the train station when those bullies cornered me."
I gratefully accepted Dumon's hand, and he protectively pulled me closer to him.
Dumon's touch almost instantly sent me to a world of serene relaxation.
Both my heart rate and breathing returned to normal.
"Sioku, what did those bullies do to you?" he whispered.
I let out a fearful sigh before I explained. "One of the girls named Mira is my academic assistant Julie's daughter. She showed me a terrifying video in order to make me tell her what happened to Julie. The truth is... I don't know why Julie has been absent today. My friends and I are trying to figure it out. Mira thinks that her mother's disappearance is all my fault."
A brief moment passed between us as we started walking toward the train station.
Dumon placed a hand on my shoulder and reassured. "Don't worry Sioku, I highly doubt that you would purposely do anything to hurt somebody. Julie's mysterious absence is not your fault. I'm sure you and your friends will come up with a solution to this problem very soon."
"Thanks Dumon," I replied softly.
Dumon released my hand and said. "Good bye Sioku, it was a pleasure meeting you. Hopefully I'll see you again sometime."
"Take care," I replied with a smile.
I watched him until he disappeared from my sight.
Yuma and his friends were already waiting at the gate when I arrived.
I spotted Astral hovering behind Yuma.
The being seemed to be lost in thought.
"Hi Sioku," greeted Yuma.
"Hello Yuma," I simply replied.
Yuma noticed the disappointed look on my face and spoke up. "You look down Sioku, did something happen?"
"Computer class plus Mira happened," I answered in annoyance.
"Oh no... that mean girl again?" said Yuma sadly.
"We all need to give Mira a piece of our minds," Tori added.
"Cheer up Sioku, I'm sure you'll finish that program soon. It won't last forever," replied Bronk.
"I appreciate your optimism," I said with a small smile.
"It shouldn't be long before you move onto something new," replied Tori.
I watched the train as it slowly pulled up to the platform.
"We'll see you guys later," I said as I boarded the train.
"Bye for now," replied Tori.
"Enjoy the rest of your day," added Bronk.
"We will," said Yuma as he waved at them.
Yuma and I sat down in one of the middle seats.
Astral hovered in front of Yuma.
Yuma decided to start a conversation with me. "Sioku, what did Vector need to say to you?"
"Vector and I had to go to the principal's office. He told the principal his side of the story," I explained.
"Do you hope Julie will come back tomorrow?" asked Yuma quietly.
"Honestly yes," I answered with a sigh.
"I sense that something is troubling you Sioku," said Astral.
I stared into the celestial being's mismatched eyes as I replied. "You're right Astral, I don't want my recent nightmare to predict the future."
"Sioku, how would your nightmare be able to do that?" Yuma continued.
"A dream that can predict an event in somebody's future is called a premonition," Astral informed.
"Julie always shows up at school on time. She wouldn't just disappear out of nowhere. Somebody has caused her to be absent for a reason. I have a bad feeling that the officer did something to her," I said suspiciously.
"I don't blame you Sioku, but where did you get that idea?" Yuma wondered.
"The officer probably knows about my uncontrollable fear of medical facilities. He is using it against me for his own pleasure," I answered sadly.
Yuma thought about our recent incident in the principal's office before he spoke again. "Hold on Sioku, do you think that's the reason why he showed us that terrifying video of Julie in the hospital?"
"Yes, The officer most likely did his research on me while he was teaming up with Julie. I had a bad feeling that he had already planned something horrible when I didn't see Julie in the principal's office with him," I whispered fearfully.
"I totally understand where this whole situation is going now. The officer must have either hurt or made Julie sick in order for her to require hospitalization. Then he blamed Julie's condition on you and Utopia back in the principal's office," Yuma explained.
"You might be right," I whispered.
"The negative aura I sensed around that man wasn't a mistake," said Astral.
"I was furious when I saw the officer put his hands on Yuma. I wanted to punch him for that," I replied with a frown.
Yuma and I stayed silent during the remainder of our train ride.
A half hour later, the train pulled up to the platform at our station.
"I wish you the best of luck Sioku," said Astral.
"Thank you," I replied with a small smile.
I gave Yuma a hug before I exited the train with my sister.
Dark Mist quickly materialized out of my pendent as Lynn and I walked down the street.
"I'm glad to see you again Dark Mist," I thought.
"I feel the same way about you Sioku," he replied softly.
"Hi Sioku, how was your day today?" greeted Lynn.
"Not so good, I didn't see Julie at school all day. Julie wouldn't just miss a day of school for no reason. I wish I knew why she was absent. My friend Yuma also got bullied by another kid. I also had a panic attack before lunch," I explained.
"That sounds rough," Lynn replied sympathetically.
Dark Mist floated beside me as Lynn and I crossed the street.
Lynn and I could hear Pegasus barking excitedly as we approached the front door.
I decided to let Lynn enter the house first.
Pegasus immediately bolted toward me as soon as Lynn opened the door.
I giggled at the jingling sound of his collar.
He panted and wagged his bushy tail while jumping on me.
"Hey buddy," I said as I lifted the little dog into my arms.
Pegasus licked my face in response.
I carried Pegasus inside the house before I closed the door behind me.
Lynn disappeared into her bedroom.
I gently lowered Pegasus to the floor.
Pegasus ran after me as I walked into the living room.
Dark Mist hovered behind me while observing the dog.
I plopped down on one of the couches and sighed heavily.
Pegasus hopped onto the couch beside me.
He curled up in my lap and fell asleep.
I looked at my older sister who was sitting on the opposite couch and watching TV.
"Good afternoon Kara, how was your day?" I greeted casually.
Kara paused the Tv and looked at me.
She had a saddened expression on her face.
"Sioku, I have some unfortunate news for you. Julie is in the hospital," she said sadly.
My recent nightmare was the first thing that popped into my mind.
Julie's shallow breath sounds echoed in my head.
Tears welled up in my eyes as I trembled in fear.
"No... this has to be a mistake! Why?" I replied.
"She is sick, but the doctors don't know what caused her illness. they also said that Julie is in critical condition," Kara answered.
Kara's last statement caused me to become speechless.
My face contorted with terror as I flopped down on the back of the couch.
Tears poured from my eyes like waterfalls as I sobbed into the sleeve of my jacket.
My heart pounded rapidly in my chest.
Pegasus woke up and snuggled against my chest.
I hugged the dog tightly for comfort.
Dark Mist remained still as he watched the scene in front of him.
He had never seen me break down before.
After taking a few deep breaths to pull myself together, I slowly sat up.
I wiped my eyes before I looked at Kara again.
"I was wondering why Julie never showed up at school today. Nobody else knew that she was in the hospital. Does Julie still think that I hurt her?" I said brokenly.
"I don't know, she can't talk right now. Julie is heavily sedated in the ICU," Kara answered.
More tears threatened to sting the corners of my eyes, but I immediately forced them down.
"Julie made a huge mistake by trusting that officer. I have a bad feeling that he might have intentionally caused her to be ill somehow," I said quietly.
"Why do you think he did it?" Kara continued.
"The officer must have done some research on me while he was letting Julie persuade him that I attacked her. He probably knows about my uncontrollable fear of medical facilities. The officer most likely filmed Julie to get some fake evidence for a crime that I never committed. I wouldn't be surprised if he was waiting for me to go see Julie at the hospital," I explained.
"Do you want to go see her?" asked Kara.
I quickly turned away from her and hid my face.
"I don't think that would be a good idea," I answered softly.
"Why? She's your assistant," Kara replied with a surprised expression.
"Last night, I had a horrible nightmare. You and the principal believed the officer's accusations over me. The officer put me in handcuffs and took me away in the back of his car. He drove me to the hospital where Julie was staying. I was forced to go inside her room. Julie was literally on her death bed. I ended up having a major panic attack and broke down on the floor. The officer furiously shook me around by my shirt and dragged me over to Julie's bedside. Julie took a deep shallow breath every few minutes. I woke up after the officer got zapped by an unknown force of energy," I explained.
Kara paused as she took in my explanation.
"Sioku... that sounds like a terrible dream. I won't make you go see Julie if you don't want to. I understand how badly medical facilities can mess with your mind," she said sympathetically.
"Thank you Kara," I whispered in relief.
Pegasus hopped down onto the ground once I released him.
He shook off and began sniffing around.
"Sioku, please take that dog outside. I don't want him to relieve himself in the house," Kara said in a serious tone.
I would usually burst into laughter at that comment.
However, I was too sad to even smile at the moment.
"You got it," I replied as I stood up.
I then led Pegasus through the kitchen and toward the back door.
"Sioku, wait for me!" called Dark Mist as he floated after me.
"Oops, sorry about that," I thought.
Pegasus whimpered in excitement as he scratched on the glass.
"Go out," I commanded while opening the door.
The dog immediately took off outside while barking.
I couldn't help but giggle at that as I stepped out onto the deck.
Dark Mist patiently hovered beside me as I closed the door behind us.