"Run! Run! Keep running!"
We all panted as we dashed toward the bus station after Wendy and I finished our shift. As soon as the bus arrived, we hopped on. Since the counselor wasn't answering her phone, we had to go to her ourselves.
"No one's chasing us, right?" I glanced behind the bus, but there was no one in sight. No sign of Mary. Phew.
"...Ugh...!"
Valentino groaned from the corner with his annoying voice. He looked stressed. Yes, we were all stressed, but he seemed like he was having a total breakdown. I thought he liked those 'dark' stuff. I guess he hates it when it becomes real.
We all just slumped into the bus seats without saying anything. We were safe, for now. Well, at least until the bus arrived at the elementary school.
The counselor, Ms. Ryu, was currently working at Newtonfalls Elementary, a new school near Gravity Falls. The bus was arriving in a few minutes. I needed to make use of this time wisely.
...Why? Why is this thing so strong? Who sent it? Is it the eye cult? Or Bill?... At first, I thought this was something to do with the cult, but... I refuse to believe that the cult is this powerful. It's just not possible. If the cult is this strong, then I shouldn't have stood a chance against them.
But... again, I know barely anything about the cult in the first place. I don't know what they truly want. It feels like the cult is a tool-like thing for the leader of that place, but... the size, the objective... everything's a mystery.
If this is Bill, I guess it makes sense. Bill's recent attacks were... weak. And I think he hasn't attacked me for a week by now. Still, it's no better since... I don't think Mary's the strongest one Bill can send, but she's already giving me a lot of trouble. The doppelganger was better compared to this anomaly.
The bus soon arrived at Newtonfalls Elementary. We all rushed out and ran straight past everything, into the elementary school. Luckily, no one was guarding the gates.
As we arrived inside the main hall, we panted and checked if anyone was following us.
"Th... There's no one, right?"
"I can't see anyone yet, but... The main thing we should be worried about is the fact that we can't do anything against it when it catches us. We should just act faster."
We carefully checked the school map and guided ourselves into the dark corridors of the school. The lights were off, probably because it was summer vacation. And after wandering around a bit, we finally arrived.
-The Counselor's Office
The office was located right next to the nurse's office. The metallic sign on the top glimmered in the lights of the sunset. We all just stood there for a minute, unsure if we were allowed to go in.
"...I'm going in."
"Hey! Wait...!"
As I tried to open the door, Wendy stopped me. She looked quite startled, not as much as Robbie though.
I could see the light was on inside the counselor's office, and could also hear some rustling noise as if someone was moving inside there. It's most likely that the counselor's inside there.
"...We should get in, Wendy."
"Wait."
Wendy held the doorknob, stammering. It was unlike her usual self. She was always so chill about stuff, but... She looked like she was caught in memories. Yes, I heard that this counselor was an important part of her life during the first few years of elementary, but... We didn't have time.
Valentino, who had already lost his patience, tried to shove Wendy aside.
"Wendy, we need to get in! Open the door!"
"Okay! Okay! It's just..."
That moment.
[Who's there? If you have business with me, you can come in.]
I guess she heard or felt our presence near the door. Her kind voice echoed through the hallways. Wendy, without any other choice, closed her eyes and opened the door to the room.
"...Hello, Miss."
The kind-looking woman with probably an Asian heritage and about 30 years old looked at us with a polite smile and glanced around us. Her gaze stopped at Wendy's face.
After a few seconds of silence, she smiled again.
"Well, well. Look who's here? Our troublesome princess."
"...Miss Ryu, please..."
"Oh, and there's Tambry too! Well, this is a surprise."
"Hello."
Wendy stammered as if she were being shy. Wow. I never thought I'd see her being shy in my life. Tambry didn't look too impressed, though.
After a brief talk about their recent states, a small uncomfortable atmosphere was created.
"Come in, all of you. Don't just stand there."
"Thanks, miss."
Since it was Valentino's and my first time meeting her, it was kinda awkward being here, but I had an objective. I walked in and sat down on one of her seats. It was small, probably made for an elementary school student.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Wendy's friend."
"And I'm her boyfriend."
"Oh! Well, nice to meet you all."
She smiled again and sat down on her chair.
"What a surprise. I never expected this place to be filled with four high schoolers. So, what's the issue, kids?"
It was fortunate that she was willing to answer our questions. A small smile crept onto my face; maybe I wouldn't have to die. With the information we gleaned from her, we might be able to neutralize Mary with ease.
"Do you kids need some snacks? I have some over there. Wait for a second, will you?"
"Ah, yes, please..."
She walked over to the corner of her room, separated by a curtain. It was common for counselors to have snacks in their rooms for elementary school kids who needed help.
"So, what's the problem, really?"
Her kind voice came from behind the curtains.
"I never heard from you again after I moved here, and now you're here with all your friends, Wendy."
"...Because of..."
Wendy glanced at us, then answered, stammering.
"Because of... Mary."
"Mary?"
"Yes, Mary Robinson."
"..."
After the soft clinking of mugs and plates echoed through the room, the counselor returned with a bunch of small biscuits and four cups of tea. She sat down and left the snacks on the desk.
"Mary... Wow. It's been almost seven years or more since I heard her name."
Phew. She seemed okay. She hadn't forgotten about Mary like Wendy's other friend, nor was she being manipulated by memory that she was around Mary recently.
"So, what about Mary?"
"That's... So..."
Wendy kept stammering, seemingly unsure of how to explain the situation to Ms. Ryu. She could've simply asked her if she wanted to know what happened to Mary, putting aside all the anomalies. For some reason, Wendy seemed extremely apprehensive.
Valentino picked up his tea and downed it all in one shot. Tambry started nibbling on the biscuits and sipping her tea while scrolling through her phone. I guessed they were trying to calm themselves down. I held the tea, but... it was milk tea. I don't like milk tea, so I left the mug untouched. I grabbed one biscuit, but... hm. Too sweet.
"...I... I don't know how to explain this, but..."
"What's wrong, Wendy? You used to say anything you wanted back when you were young."
I sighed and whispered in Wendy's ear.
"Just tell her you want to know how Mary's doing nowadays."
"...Okay..."
Wendy nodded and began to speak.
"I... wanted to see if Mary is doing well."
"All of a sudden?"
Ms. Ryu tilted her head in confusion, then shrugged.
"Right, you didn't have a phone back then, right?"
"Yes."
She nodded and thought for a moment before smiling and launching into unrelated chatter. Not just with Wendy, but with all of us. I mostly stayed quiet... for some reason. Even Valentino, who was nervously fidgeting, started to join in the conversation. She really knew how to engage the kids in conversation.
It was heartwarming to see a teacher and a former student having such a lively conversation, but it was time to get to the main point.
I gently poked Wendy's shoulder, and she nodded at me before turning back to Ms. Ryu.
"...Ms. Ryu. About Mary..."
"Ah, right. Mary. What about her?"
Ms. Ryu said as she poured more tea for those who had finished theirs.
"Is... she doing okay?"
"..."
"You told me she went to a special school."
The counselor sighed and lowered the teapot.
"Mary..."
"..."
"Mary, she..."
Her face darkened, and she looked upset. Why, though?
"Mary... went through a tragic incident at the school she attended."
"A tragic incident?"
Ms. Ryu nodded sadly.
"Yes."
Everyone, who had been happily chatting, fell silent, feeling the uneasy atmosphere. We were nervous again. Wendy, sensing something was off, asked for more details.
"What kind of tragic incident?"
"...Well..."
She sighed and looked around at us, especially me and Valentino.
"...Um, well... Are you two familiar with Mary? It's not exactly an easy topic to discuss with people who don't know her."
"Ah, well, we're..."
Valentino stammered. I was startled too. Right, she's a counselor. Counselors don't usually divulge others' secrets... do they? Hm...
"...Well, we're friends too. We all lived around here, you know. We met Mary a few times."
"...Really? But as far as I knew back then, there was only one elementary school in Gravity Falls..."
"I was homeschooled. This guy too."
Ms. Ryu raised her eyebrows. Valentino quickly nodded in agreement.
Thankfully, she seemed to believe our lie and continued talking.
"Well, the special school Mary went to had dorms near the mountains."
"...Okay...?"
"Naturally, she stayed at the dorm and lived there... but less than a month later, an accident happened. She..."
The counselor started to tear up.
"She... tried to sneak out and get down from the hill, but she tripped and..."
I closed my eyes slowly. She's dead? Really?
"...I... didn't tell you because I thought it might be too harsh for you, Wendy. I'm sorry."
Wendy looked stunned and shocked. Seriously, dying just a few weeks after starting at her new school?
"I thought you'd blame yourself. The lizard incident, the bunny massacre... and other stuff. Also, the one that arranged for Mary's transfer was your interview with the state, so..."
"..."
"I wished you wouldn't blame yourself for what happened to Mary. That's why I didn't tell you... I'm sorry."
Ms. Ryu gently took Wendy's hand. Wendy shook her head a few times as if trying to clear her mind and leaned back in her chair.
"...Then why... do the other kids not remember Mary?"
She murmured quietly, her eyes closed.
"As if she never existed in the first place... nobody remembers her."
"Do you mean the other kids you hung out with? Well, Tambry here remembers."
"She also forgot once. But I reminded her."
"...Well..."
After some thought, Ms. Ryu explained to Wendy.
"If you're talking about them, I suppose they won't remember much about any of your other classmates. You guys always talked to each other and didn't hang out with the other kids. Not to mention that you guys skipped class so often."
"That... is... true."
Wendy frowned, still with her eyes closed, and settled further back in her chair.
Ms. Ryu smiled and released Wendy's hand.
"I need to make a phone call. Wait here for a minute, will you?"
She left the room with a phone in hand.
...Hm. Was that news... shocking? Huh. Well, I guess I'd be shocked too if my old friend turned out to be dead... Anyway, now that we had this information... it implied that Mary is a ghost? Hm...
Argh... My head hurts. I think I've been under too much stress. Where's my Ibuprofen?
"...She's dead? So what can we do?"
...Valentino complained as he lay comfortably on the sofa in the room. Well... I agree. We... know she's dead. So what can we do? Emphasize her death to this... whoever's trying to act like Mary?
Hm... Two questions popped
into my head.
1. If that thing trying to be Mary is the real ghost of Mary, why does she have a different backstory from her real life?
2. If that thing isn't Mary in the first place, why is it trying to act like Mary? What's the benefit?
I don't really know the answers, though... I... can't think as fast as I used to.
Tick!
...Huh. Ticking noises. Does that mean I'm in danger? Is Mary nearby or something? Or...
Tick! TICK! TICK! TICK! TICK! TICK!TICK!TICK!TICK!TICK!TICK!TICK!TICK!
...What? What's happening?
I tried to look around, but... one of my arms suddenly dropped to the ground. It was as if it were paralyzed; I couldn't put any strength into it.
That was when I realized one thing.
Everyone here... the noisy teens... were all so quiet. No questions, no chitchat...
"...Guys?"
"..."
"Agh... Ha...! Ha..."
I could feel... my brain trying to shut down. It felt like my mind was becoming foggy. What is this? A new ability of the anomaly? Or...
...Damn it. I... need to at least kill myself.
I stood up. Luckily, except for my left arm and my dizzy head, the other parts were working normally. But the others?... No.
Valentino was lying on the sofa, mouth open, eyes all white. Tambry was drooling with her eyes closed, and Wendy had fallen on the desk.
...This... is... not... the anomaly. This is...!
-Creak...
As the door of the room opened, I quickly leaned on my seat and put my hand in my right pocket. I grasped the metallic object I could feel with my fingers. My paper knife...
I opened it inside my pocket and stabbed my second finger. The pain... it hurt. But it made my mind clear...
The counselor walked in, a confident smile on her face. Wendy tried to move her fingers, but it ended with a flinch.
"...Oh, you're moving your fingers after all that tea, Wendy. How strong you are."
She quietly moved me, who was sitting next to Wendy, and sat next to her.
"Can you tell me? What happened?"
She hugged Wendy and carefully caressed her hair as Wendy started to mutter things dreamily.
"Oh, okay... An anomaly? So that's what he calls it. Ray? Interesting... and he told you all that?"
...Why? She... poisoned the tea and biscuits? But... She's the counselor. Why would she do this? And how does she know about anomalies and stuff?
"So that's why you were here, right? It's okay, it's okay. I'm here..."
The counselor kept petting Wendy as Wendy moved her body with an uncontrolled smile on her face. What is this poison...? Some sort of drug that makes people feel good?... Wait, is this... Heroin?... But I thought... it was meant to be injected...
After doing the same process to Valentino and Tambry, she finally walked to me and laid my head on her lap. I grabbed my paper knife tightly, but... heh... I... felt happy. Uncontrollable happiness. A disgusting, disgusting feeling... of being controlled.
"...So, I'm finally here, Ray. Now you're going to tell me everything... even your... deepest secrets."
I opened my eyes drowsily. She was looking at me as if looking at a prey animal caught in a trap, with a small smile.
"...So, you're the hot topic everyone in the society was talking about, huh? I really wanted to meet you, and well... here we are."
"..."
"Come closer, will you?"
I nodded. She... just said that she's from the society of the blind eye, right? I can make use of this. I needed to get more information.
"Do you know who I'd been talking to?"
"..."
"Our leader. One of the normal people in your town. I asked him why some kids from the Mystery Shack came and started asking about a dead girl who was sent to our society's special school... and he told me it was you, Ray."
She petted me on my head and whispered directly in my ear.
"...Then he said that if you're there, you've probably noticed everything. So, I should keep you here. So that the society would send people to capture you."
"..."
"Oh, lucky me. I already prepared my drugs before you kids came here. Well, you know what they say. Luck favors the prepared."
I nodded at her words. My head was feeling all dreamy again, so I stabbed my third finger. Blood dripped out and started to wet my pocket.
"...So, what's the thing with you?"
She moved her red lips as she whispered directly into my ear.
"Why, and what are you trying to do, against us and our god?"
"It's..."
I opened my lips drowsily.
"Just tell me, hm? Just like you told Wendy."
"It's..."
...The blood slowly hardened in my hands. I stabbed once more, and the warm blood washed over my hand.
Wake up.
WAKE UP.
"WAKE UP!"
I quickly took out my paper knife and pen from my pocket and stabbed both of them into Ryu's eyes.
"AGHH! You fucking brat!"
She covered her eyes as blood oozed out. I quickly took advantage and stabbed once more. This time, her neck.
...And after a few seconds, I fell into the puddle of blood underneath the counselor's corpse.
Ha.
...Now there was only one thing left to do before I lost consciousness again. I couldn't live my life as a murderer, right? And I'd hate to be a drug addict.
"...And here I was, thinking I might not have to die... Ha!"
After a deep breath, I grabbed the knife and pierced my neck.
"AGHH!"
It burned, it burned, it burned, it burned! AGhh!
...But...
It soon faded away. The pain, the consciousness...
[Critical user function failure detected. Life signal... Negative. Commencing respawn sequence at the last checkpoint...]
[Calculating the amount of caused time paradox... 0. Expurgation complete. Restoring Data...]
[Restoration complete.]