Chapter 5: I See Dead People
1 year later
The week after Kito died, Morishige was placed on trial for homicide. Morishige argued he was only defending himself and Mayu from imminent danger. The other
students, including Kito's friends, testified that Kito had assaulted Mayu and that he was planning on killing Morishige. Kito's friends admitted to bullying Morishige and
allowing Kito to attempt to rape Morishige and keeping his medication from him and they had video footage of the incident on their cellphones. Kito's friends also
admitted to knowing about Kito committing a homicide and not reporting it. Further investigation revealed the murder victim to be Naotaro Morishige, much to Shig's
dismay. The bullies were sentenced to attend a reform school until they were 19 and Sakutaro was declared innocent. Morishige finally felt safe in school, yet he didn't
feel any better about what he had done. His guilt began to become a cumbersome burden that consumed his mind. One day in the middle of drama club practice,
Morishige saw Kito watching him from the seats. He thought his guilt began messing with his brain, until Kito showed up more and more. Kito even began to speak to
him as well his grandfather. Kito kept encouraging Morishige to kill himself while Naotaro ridiculed his grandson for not defending him from his assailant. Of course, Shig
never told anyone because he knew no one would have believed him and Kito threatened to kill Mayu and his parents if he told anyone. This particular day of 7th
grade was an anxiety ridden day. Mayu could even see something was wrong with her friend. "Hey Shig, bro. Are you alright? You seem really tense." her concerned
green gaze caught his attention. "No, no, no! I won't tell!" he yelled. "Shig, what's wrong? I'm your friend. You can tell me anything." Morishige really wanted to tell,
but Kito interrupted his thoughts. "I'll kill her if you tell! Don't want anything to happen to her do you?" he sneered. "Of course not. What was I thinking?" a nervous
Sakutaro told him. "Who are you talking to?" Mayu wondered. "I won't tell! Just go away!" Morishige screamed. "Shig, you're scaring me." Mayu cried. "I'm sorry Mayu.
It's just if I tell you you'll get hurt and I won't be able to live with myself if I were to hurt you." Shig teared up. "Who'll hurt me?" Mayu questioned. "Kito said he would
kill you if I told you that he talks to me and nags me to kill myself." Morishige realized what he had said and grabbed Mayu by the hand and ran to homeroom. When
they got into their basic chemistry class, Mayu pulled Shig by the arm and questioned him further. "What are you talking about? Kito died last year, remember?" Mayu
told him. "I know he did. I'm not stupid. But he found a way to get inside my head and never leave me alone. Grandpa did the same thing too." "Shig, calm down. No
one will kill me, alright? Just try to relax." Mayu soothingly told him. "But..." Shig pleaded. "No. Neither your grandpa or Kito can hurt anyone. Now c'mon. Let's just
have a normal day of school, okay?" Mayu smiled. Mayu and Shig's friends looked worriedly at the rambling boy and tried to help him avoid thinking any negative
thoughts the rest of the day. Morishige pretended to act normal and peaceful but his mind was continuously plagued by Kito and Naotaro screaming at him. "You little
rat! I told you not to tell and you did. Now Mayu must die!" Kito screamed. "Sakutaro, why are you such a disappointment? I'll have to help Kito kill her, the little whore
that she is." Morishige really wanted to give them a piece of his mind but knew he was always being watched by students and faculty. "What's the matter? Can't you
talk?" Kito mocked. The voices were driving Shig over the edge. He wanted them to go away, but he didn't know how and he didn't want them to hurt his parents and
Mayu, both innocent souls. Not only were the voices driving him mad, but his depression was starting to run over as well. Part of Morishige had wanted to die for a
while and the other part wanted to fight until he died, and it seemed the side of him that was obsessed with death was winning. "Fine, I'll do what you want, but you
both have to leave Mayu and my parents alone." Shig finally gave into their pleas for suicide. Kito and Naotaro agreed and Sakutaro was somewhat at peace. On the
way to English class, Mayu fell down some stairs and somehow managed to only break her leg and only in one place. Naomi, Ayumi, and Seiko flocked to her side to
make sure she was alright. "Suzume, can you lift your leg?" Ayumi wondered. Mayu could move it very slightly but not without excruciating pain overtaking her body.
Mayu left early so she could go to the hospital and get a cast. Morishige saw the whole thing play out and went into the nearest bathroom to curse his grandpa and
Kito. "You assholes promised you wouldn't hurt Mayu!" he yelled. "So sorry, but you did promise to not tell anyone about our secret and you did, so that little bitch just
got what she deserved." Kito laughed. "FUCK YOU! SHE'S NOT A BITCH!" Morishige screamed. He ran out of the bathroom and up to the top floor. "Hey wait up!"
Satoshi pleaded. "No! I'm going to the roof! I can't take it anymore!" Sakutaro bellowed back. "The roof?" Mochida contemplated. He realized then and there that Shig
was going to kill himself if he didn't stop him. Everything around Satoshi seemed like a blur but he refused to stop. He wouldn't let anyone die on his account. When he
got to the roof, Mochida saw Morishige leaning on the edge of the perimeter of the roof. "Get away from there! Don't you know what'll happen if you jump?" Satoshi
pleaded. "Of course! I'll be dead and their voices will finally leave me alone. I'll be at peace!" Sakutaro tearfully told the brown haired boy. "What voices? What are you
talking about?" "Kito and grandpa want me to die and I'm gonna do it so they'll leave me alone!" Satoshi knew he had to think fast since Shig could jump at any
moment. "What about Mayu? Didn't you think what would happen to her?" Mochida contested. Sakutaro removed his feet from the edge in order to face his friend. "If
you kill yourself, Mayu will be devastated. Didn't you ever consider her feelings?" The boy looked down at the ground below him with shame on his face. How could he
be so selfish? He would never want to hurt Mayu. Satoshi wrapped his arms around the sobbing boy as the ambulances rolled into school. When Shig got to the
hospital he was placed in a very secure observation room made especially for dangerous patients. Kumiko and Shoichirio rushed to the ER as soon as Satoshi had
called them. "Where's our son?" Shoichirio said, practically yelling at the chief of emergency psych. "Are you the Morishiges? If so follow me." he told them. When they
got to where they were being taken to, they saw through one way glass their only child crying in a corner of the padded room. "What have you done to my baby?"
Kumiko cried and shouted simultaneously. "Please, have a seat and calm down..." the doctor persuaded before Mrs. Morishige cut him off. "CALM DOWN?! How can I
calm down when my little boy is in there crying because he tried to harm himself?" "Ma'am please try to relax. I understand this must be difficult for the both of you, but
right now I need the both of you to stay strong and confident for your son." Shig's mother grabbed her husband by the arm and forced the both of them into the
chairs. "What's wrong with him?" Shoichirio questioned. Actually it more like interrogating the poor doctor. "Has your son ever witnessed any sort of traumatic event?
Death of a loved one? Extreme bullying?" he asked the worried parents. "He was bullied for a long time and he tried to protect his friend from his bully and wound up
killing him. Before that, I had told him that someone murdered his grandfather. He's always had some issues but none of it was very troubling or disturbing. He's
always so very quiet when he comes home from drama club. He just goes up into his room and plays on his computer and sometimes talks to Mayu." Kumiko replied.
"Is Mayu a friend of your son?" the doctor wondered. "Most definitely. They've been friends since kindergarten and they're practically inseparable. We even think he
has a crush on her." they smiled, finally able to be genuinely calm. "Alright then. We think your son is suffering from depression mixed with paranoid schizophrenia. He
keeps saying that the voices in his head are telling him to kill himself and he's convinced that if he told you that the voices would kill his female friend and the both of
you. It would explain why you may have not heard him saying or doing anything out of the blue because he's terrified of the consequences." the doctor paused and
continued. "Is he currently taking medication for mental illness?" "No. He's epileptic so all he takes are his pills for seizures. Why would that have anything to do with
anything?" Shoichirio scoffed. "Depending on the length he's had this condition and the severity, it's probable that the seizures may have altered neurotransmitter
balance or even the structure of his brain." The boys parents sighed and asked what else they needed to know. "We're going to prescribe your son two medications.
300 mg of Seroquel and 60 mg of Prozac. Make sure he takes both once a day and make sure that he knows what they do and how to use it. Here are things you
should look out for." the doctor smiled. "When can he come home?" his parents asked. "Tomorrow hopefully. That is if he passes a psychiatric evaluation."