Chapter 11: So Close, Yet So Far
"Sachiko? Am I a bad helper?" Mayu was feeling doubtful of her capabilities since she and her new friend had looked all over the school and found no sight of her
boyfriend and friends. She looked in every room, every corner, every cabinet and even checked a few bodies to make sure they weren't her friends. "No. It's such a big
place and it's easy to get lost. It's not your fault." Sachiko looked down at the ground and continued. "This place has different dimensions. Like where we are right
now, someone else, like your boyfriend, could be here in another dimension. They can hear cries and talking, but can't do anything about it unless they somehow go to
another dimension. It's really confusing." Mayu gasped and cried at the thought of this. "How can I help anyone out if I can't even see them? What do I do?" Mayu
heard the sound of a boy, maybe around her age, and went to go check it out with Sachiko. He was in a room of what appeared to be a 1st grader art classroom and
looking around for something. "H...hh...Hi." Mayu weekly choked out. "I..I..I...I...I'm Mayu and this is Sachiko. Are you lost here too?" He turned around and gave a
bright smile. Mayu noticed how he was just over a foot taller than her, but his towering height didn't make his genuine kindness any less apparent. "Yes I am lost. My
name is Yuuya Kizami. I'm from Byakuden Senior High School. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I was literally just with some classmates before I wandered off and
got lost." He looked a little sad and embarrassed while Mayu and Sachiko giggled at him. "Why should you feel embarrassed? You were curious. There's nothing wrong
with that." Mayu told him. She grabbed his hand which swallowed up hers and walked him outside. "Did you happen to see a boy named Sakutaro? Glasses. Navy
hair. Most adorable face in the world!" Mayu practically shouted out the last detail because she was starting to regain confidence in her ability to find him. "Yes I did.
He went with another group from my class and I haven't seen him since." Yuuya gently rubbed his arm the way someone would when they're in an awkward moment.
Mayu was a little angry and distraught at him but knew he didn't lose sight of Shig on purpose and invited him to tag along with their group. "So...Mayu is it? Where
do you go to school?" the man asked her. "I'm from Kisaragi Academy and so is my boyfriend Sakutaro." "Oh ho. You're taken? Awww...rats! You're so cute too!"
Kizami smiled down at her. Mayu felt her face warm up despite the cold air that surrounded her. Shig was the only guy who ever felt that way about her until now and
she felt bad because she felt she led him on. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before." "Don't worry. I'm sure you make him very happy. You don't meet many girls like you
two. So kind and selfless. And talk about humble!" "Mayu! Mayu! Where are you?!" The voice crying out for her was familiar and very close by. "Shig, bro? Hold on, I'll
be right there! Stay where you are!" Mayu commanded him. Sachiko and Kizami had to run after her because she ran so fast. She got caught in a stairwell where
she and Morishige kept wondering where each other was. "Shig! Where are you?" Mayu cried out. "I'm right here! You sound so close!" he yelled. "I can't see you!
Where are you?!" "I'm on the first floor stairwell!" "I'm there too!" Mayu cried with massive tears on her face. "What are you doing, Morishige? Who are you talking
to?" Kensuke questioned. "Get away from me! Get away from me!" Morishige screeched. "Whoah! Hold on dude. What's the matter?" "Get your filthy hands off of me!
Stop touching me!" "Shig, are you ok? What's going on? Answer me!" The sound of footsteps drifted away as they escorted Shig back down to the first floor.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Mitsuki scolded him. "I was with Mayu and you took me away from her!" Sakutaro was throwing a violent temper tantrum, fighting
off Fukuroi and Kurosaki who tried to calm him. "I want Mayu! I want Mayu! Give her back! Give her back! Back! Back! Back! Back! I want Mayu back to me!" Mitsuki
roughly smacked him across the face. "Stop it!" Yamamoto was angered and frightened of the boy's psychotic rambling and she didn't want someone who has severe
mental problems anywhere near her. "Why did you hit him? He's clearly very distressed and scared. Get off his back!" Fukuroi felt an anger surge though him which left
a bitter taste in his mouth. "Guys! This is no time for fighting! Let Morishige explain himself." "I found Mayu and said, 'I'm by you!' and she could not see me and I'm
trapped with thee. Let us be. Let us be. Let us be." His green eyes seemed like he was under a trance or some other powerful force and he frightened himself when
he caught on to what he's been doing. "I'm sorry. I must've forgotten to take my medication. I get like this when I forget. When I forget...when I forget...when I
forget." His voice left an eerie echo that sent chills down everyone's spines. "What kind of medication?" Masato knelt next to him while Morishige sat motionless
against a wall. "Anti-psychotics and antidepressants." Shig only followed the three standing students with his eyes, not once blinking or decreasing his stare. "You'll be
safe with us, Morishige. Don't you worry a thing. We'll help you find your classmates." Fukuroi promised. The group of four walked to the second half of the school
where they came into an old locker room where rusty, decayed toppled lockers dwelt. "It smells like humidity in here." Yamamoto whined. "What do you mean?"
Kensuke had somewhat of an idea what she meant but wanted her to be more explanatory. "You know when it's really hot outside and everything feels sticky? It
feels like that kind of day and it's nasty." "Mitsuki's right. The air is really thick here so let's cool off outside and come back in and take the left and see if we can find
anything." Masato wanted to gain control of at least one thing in this place and the outside was made cool by the rain. "Great idea, Fukuroi. I feel so much better!" It
was the first time here she felt calm. *thud* *splat* "What was that?" Her voice became shaky and aggravated. Masato gently grabbed her hand and made Sakutaro
and Kurosaki check out what the noise was and where it came from. Mitsuki's face turned beat red as he slowly approached the two boys ahead of them. "He's holding
my hand? This is..." *thud* *splat* "Again?" Mistuki cried. "And just when I was thinking about him too." she whispered to herself. *thud* *splat* "What's going
on?" Fukuroi demanded. "This guy keeps jumping from the roof or something. It's like he's stuck in an endless loop." Kensuke commentated. Mitsuki was so frightened
and used Fukuroi as a becon of hope and safety. She wailed into his sleeves and he made her feel as comfortable as he could. "Let's go back inside. I can't watch
anymore of this." Morishige pleaded with them. The sight and sounds of the man jumping to his death made Shig shake in his skin. He remembered the day when he
attempted suicide and how Satoshi saved him. Get away from there! Don't you know what'll happen if you jump? I'll be at peace! What about Mayu? "Sakutaro, are you
coming or what?" Kurosaki waved his hand to him. "Yeah, sure." Shig sounded grumpy and Kurosaki took note of that. "Thank God we're out of that filthy locker room."
Mitsuki felt great relief at being able to leave that room. The ground shook hard and the teens all fell over on themselves. "Was that another earthquake?" she
whimpered. "Must've been. C'mon, we've got a whole other half of the school to explore." Shig was starting to become more vocal now and became even more eager
to find Mayu. The school shook again and when the floorboards were tearing away from each other, Mitsuki pushed Kurosaki across and was about to jump over
herself, but the hole was too large and poor Kensuke Kurosaki was stuck by himself. Mitsuki still had Masato Fukuroi and Sakutaro Morishige to keep her company,
although she sorta wished Morishige would just leave her alone.