AsAThought
Book 1
Chapter 4: The Dream
"Oh God! What do we do? What do we do??" Panic dripped from Miyo's words, her voice quivering like ripples through the air, each pulse matched by the somber tolling of the third bell. Just beyond the entrance to the notorious classroom, she paced restlessly, resembling a headless chicken caught in a vortex of bewildered chaos.
"Miyo … hey Miyo, let’s all just calm down. There must be something we can do," Hana attempted to soothe Miyo, her voice equally unsteady.
“Really Hana? Really?? What can we possibly do? At this point, she might already be...”
“Hey!! We don’t know that,” Hana interjected, striving to temper Miyo's growing desperation.
“In fact, Hana, we do. Remember that guy from the rumour? The one who vanished into thin air? Do you think anyone found him again? Like ever?? Whatever happened to Maaya, also happened to that guy years ago, and I assure you he’s as good as dead, the last time I checked,” Miyo's voice trembled as she conveyed her grim realization.
Although Hana wished fervently for a different truth, what Miyo had voiced was an undeniable reality. The boy was never found after that day. Some claimed he had skipped town, others speculated about kidnapping, but amidst all the conjectures, one undeniable fact remained: he had been declared deceased after those many years of being missing. Yet, Hana wasn't ready to give up. Not that easily.
“But … but we gotta do something. She's our friend, and I'm not just gonna sit around twiddling my thumbs while she might be needing our help,” Hana's eyes flickered with determination. Hana had always believed that reality and truth weren't always synonymous. To her, truth was more about what she believed, even if it didn't always seem practical or was heavily challenged. Regardless, she stuck to her beliefs, and in her truth, she was sure that Maaya could still be saved.
Seeing Hana's resolve, Miyo managed to regain her composure. Her chaotic steps gradually toned down along with the fading bell chime.
"I … I’m sorry, Hana, you’re right," Miyo apologized, although her eyes still held a hint of bewilderment, “What should we do?”
"We... uh, should check out the classroom? Our eyes might be playing a trick or something," Hana suggested as she leaned towards the window.
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Miyo agreed but not without visible hesitation. Hana placed a comforting grip on her friend’s trembling hands and led the search.
In their state of confusion, the two girls leaned into the eerie classroom, hoping to find any signs of their friend, Maaya. Amidst the distant murmurs of neighboring classrooms and the pattering of raindrops against windows, Maaya's once-soothing snores were nowhere to be found. She and her backpack had truly vanished from this world leaving behind only an unsettling void. Other than Maaya's inexplicable absence, everything appeared completely normal. Pens were neatly in place, desks were undisturbed, and other students' bags remained untouched. Everything had happened so fast, and yet it felt as if nothing had happened.
“She’s just ... gone,” Miyo muttered, her eyes eerily fixed at the howling windows.
“Without a trace? Without a clue? How’s this possible? This can’t be real,”
“Is what real?” grumbled a voice from behind, startling both. Granny Satō, armed with her trusty cleaning supplies and her trademark stern expression, stood there ominously. Despite being of similar age to their grandmothers, the old women exuded a resolute strength. Although most of her hair had faded to a silvery grey, her facial features retained traces of the strong woman she once was. A weathered, yellowed scarf affectionately embraced her neck, a vivid contrast to her customary dark grey janitor's overalls. Aunt Satō had been a fixture at the school for longer than anyone could recall, and she seemed like a woman who had weathered more than a single lifetime. If anyone knew what to do about cursed rumours and freaky bells, it would be her.
"Aunt Satō, it's Maaya...the third bell...Maaya vanished!" Miyo blurted out, her words tumbling over each other as she tried to explain the situation. Hana nodded vigorously beside her, seeking confirmation. Having an adult around provided great comfort for the girls.
"Oh hush, she's gone nowhere. Where are the others? Those lazy rascals playing hooky again?" the old lady muttered, scanning the empty chairs with narrowed eyes.
"No, you don't understand. There were three of us. Me, Hana, and Maaya. Maaya was right here, on this desk," Miyo insisted, exchanging a worried glance with Hana.
"And then … and that eerie bell rang, and she vanished, right before our eyes. Maaya disappeared," Hana chimed in, her voice trembling with fear.
"Oh, the bell, you say?" The elder's voice carried a calm understanding as she contemplated. After a moment of careful consideration, she handed her trusty broom to the girls.
The two girls stood in place, unsure of what to do, with only confused glances exchanged as a response.
"Well, don't just stand there. Do you want to save your friend or not?"
The girls nodded vigorously, both reaching for the broom at the same time.
"I only have one broom, so share it, will ya? Now this one, yes, this one's for both of you," Granny Satō said, tearing her dirty scarf in half and wrapping it nicely around the girls.
"Huh, it suits you two. Don't take it off, hear? Where you're headed, that's your ticket back home," the old lady grumbled, then proceeded to cough directly into the same old scarf.
"Um, Aunt Satō?" Despite extremely weird situation, Hana's curiosity was piqued while Miyo wrestled with the elusive broom in the background. "Where exactly are we going?"
Granny Satō’s gaze dawn upon them, her hazel eyes revealing untold excitement as she uttered, “To the dream, my little weasels. We're all going to dream.”
Chapter 4: End