[OMORI] Four Years Ago Something Happened

Ch. 1 ; Faraway Moving Day

A mother and son sat in the light grey car that made its way down down the rocky road. One drove, and the other didn't sit in the passenger seat, but in the back seat. Neither talking nor sparing each other a single glance, they sat in mere silence. They came to a sudden stop, however there was no red light deeming it time for them to stay where they were.

Sunny was supposed to permanently leave from Faraway when he had packed his boxes and left in the same car they had arrived here in. So why was it that a few months later, he was standing right in front of the house he had once said goodbye to? Standing in the same town he had once said goodbye to? His mind flooded with many questions repeating themselves, however, he could come up with no answers at all.

He and his mom had moved away from Faraway, due to a decision influenced by his mother's work situation, which was never explained about from his mother, though he didn't find himself caring enough to ask about. Sunny couldn't find what the feeling he had in his chest was. Was it anxiousness? Excitment? Was he frightened by the fact he once lived here with his friends?

The moment his mind found its way to the last question, Sunny mentally flinched. That's right, his friends; his friends lived near him. He slowly turned his head in the direction one of their houses were in, taking a small step forward. He should go tell them that he moved in. He should go see how they were doing. He should talk to the-

"Sunny," A familiar voice called out to him, in harsh and cold tone, that almost deprived his knees of all the strength they carried. "Go inside." He turned back around, and met his gaze with SOMETHING's. Coldness prickled at his skin, and he felt obligated to nod; so he did. SOMETHING took his hand in its forcefully, and pulled him in the direction of their own old house. He chose not to struggle.

Sunny walked up the steps leading into the house, hand-in-hand with his elder sister as she smiled warmly while she guided him. He pulled out the key his mom had handed him earlier, pushing it through the keyhole and turning it. It rewarded him with the sound of a click, to notify him the door unlocked.

"Open the door." Mari commanded gently, lifting up an arm to rest it on Sunny's head, stroking it in a soft motion. He followed the command and reached out his left hand to rest it on the dorknob, and slowly turned it. He gently opened the door.

...What did he expect? What he was met with was an empty house, with boxes scattered across the floor that they had never brought with them when they had moved to a completely different area, hours away from where they are currently. His heart suddenly felt heavy, but Mari immediately begun to squeeze his hend gently.

"Don't be afraid," she told him, "I'm here with you." Sunny squeezed her hand back and nodded. He walked fully inside, into where the supposed living room was supposed to be. The smell of dust clouded his nostrils, and he let out a couple coughs.

"Go get your box of things from the trunk, I'll wait here." Mari smiled warmly at Sunny, giving him a small wave. He nodded once more.

Walking back out of the house, Sunny would pass his mom on the way back to the car, and she gave him a small smile as she made her way to the house herself. Once he was at the trunk, his eyes loomed over it as he scanned the boxes in there, finding his own in the pile. He picked it up with his pale skinny arms. He wasn't the strongest, especially since he hadn't been eating right the past couple months - rather, past 4 years even.

The box was light, only filled will plushies, a few books and comics, and a violin that Mari had urged him to get after the old one broke at their old house. He was already 16, turning 17 in a few weeks, but he still loved plushies. He was planning on throwing everything else out like he did the rest of his things, but Mari told him not to, so he didn't.

He felt obligated to always do what she told him to, without reason. It became that way somehow, he couldn't recall when. Does it truly matter? As long as Mari was happy, Sunny felt happy too, and vice versa. Unlike siblings who continously fought, this was their relationship.

He took the box inside, and watched his mom go back out once he did. She had placed numerous in the living room, some smaller ones on top of the coffee table that they had also left there, along with the couch. The TV was gone, however, the rug as well.

"Let's go put this in our room." Sunny nodded and followed Mari past the door frame to get to the area where the stairs were.

Right, the stairs. How could he forget? This is where he and Mari...

He and Mari what? What did they do?

'Sunny, are you afraid?'

SOMETHING's voice boomed, slicing through the thin skin Sunny had on his arms, making him shiver. He lost all the feelings in his legs and collapsed on the ground, his face going cold. The room spiraled into a dark abyss, and he felt his body being grabbed by thousands of hands, chaining him where he was.

I'm scared. Where did Mari go? Why isn't she here?

He trembled and felt his throat dry up, unable to say a word no matter how wide he opened his mouth. His hands lay helplessly by his side as he sat. The hand tugged on his limbs, threatening to pull even harder if he dare give even the slightest attempt to struggle.

'Why are you afraid? What did you do at the stairs?'

The voice was hoarse, dry, as if it were slowly shrivelling away. No, there were no words for such an eerie... such a terrifying voice, that could make one shed all their skin in an instant, or rather, jump out of their skin. But that would be a complete understatement.

I...I pushed the violin..down the stairs, and it broke.

'What else did you push?'

That's right. I pushed....

"Sunny darling?"

He flinched when he felt an arm on his shoulder, and a voice full of concern calling out his name. He immediately turned around, denying SOMETHING's existence entirely. His mom looked at him with a worried expression.

"Go bring your bags upstairs and fix up your room, I'll finish bringing everything inside." Nodding, he made his way up the stairs, not daring to look behind him.

When he opened his bedroom door, he immediately walked inside and turned on the lights. It was just how he remembered leaving it. An empty bookshelf, a bed, an empty wardrobe, and a clear table.

Placing the box on the ground, he jumped into the bed - it had a matresss, yet no covers. However, that didn't stop him from finding it comfortable- it felt like home. It was soft...

It reminded him that he and Mari traded mattresses when they were little, because Mari noticed Sunny wasn't sleeping very much, likely because of the harder mattress. Thinking back, he thought of the nice days he and his friends all spent together outside. So peaceful...

Melting into the bed, he closed his eyelids and changed into a comfortable position. It wouldn't hurt to rest just a bit, right? He had been up early packing and there was the few hour drive here, so he had barely slept. Everything was enveloped in a dark fog, and he felt his consciousness slowly slipping away.

Welcome to WHITE SPACE. You have been living here for as long as you can remember.