Corpse Party: Killing Harmony

Dire Consequences

Implied suicide.

--․° ☣ °․--

His lungs screamed for air but Saihara didn't stop running through the school, ignoring his burning ankle braced by the splint. He puffed and panted, trying to swallow as much air as possible, but he wasn't about to stop just to breathe when his best friend was missing. As soon as they parted, Saihara felt as guilty as someone who stabbed fifty puppies. It made him physically sick again.

The argument wasn't between him and Akamatsu. He didn't willingly say a word that left his mouth. Perhaps a ghost possessed him to witness despair after eons of boredom? Maybe the one in the infirmary? Saihara ran through the entire school calling his friend's name, screaming for her return and begging for forgiveness. When he finally broke from his hysteria, Saihara found himself in a familiar hallway.

He fell to his knees and sobbed into his hands. Saihara missed his best friend, he wanted to see Akamatsu again...

The hallway lights flickered and he gasped. "Akamatsu?" He moronically called into the still school, silently hoping that the walls would answer him. Saihara received a response in the form of a faint thudding. It came from the girl's bathroom.

Saihara stumbled as he raced into the bathroom. A rope peeked from above the stalls and looped through two holes in the ceiling. It creaked ominously as Saihara's stomach dropped. The fourth stall door swung shut and Saihara jumped. He almost tripped over the two neatly placed black shoes. Akamatsu's shoes...

As he stood in shock, hoping that he misinterpreted the situation, the stall door swung open again. Akamatsu's body limply swayed from the noose with her neck rubbed raw. A blue flush spread across her face and fingertips, lungs weakly wheezing for air. Saihara shook his head as he stumbled backward, breathing heavily before he screamed in shock. Did- Was she- Why- "Sai... ha... ra..." The woman whispered so softly that Saihara almost blew it off as the wind.

He gasped when he realised Akamatsu wasn't dead. "A-Akamatsu! I'll- Wait there, I'll get you down!" The man felt stupid, it's not like she had anywhere to go (but purgatory). His mind raced with a million thoughts as he tried to figure out how to save his best friend. It wasn't possible to tell up from down anymore. Saihara reached out to grab her, mindlessly kicking her shoes to the side, but only succeeded in yanking her. When she gurgled harshly, the man gasped and jumped away. "I'm sorry!"

What else could he do? Every second wasted was killing her. Even if he saved her, how long had she gone without oxygen? Was her brain still functional?

There wasn't anything he could use to cut the rope so his best bet was untying it. He couldn't reach the ceiling and the stalls would most likely collapse if he tried to climb them. Saihara remembered seeing many buckets around the school, some rusted, some in pristine condition. One of those unsoiled buckets happened to be in the hallway.

"I'll be back!" Saihara cried as he forced his tears back and ran into the hallway. He spotted the bucket but also noticed maggots eating at what he hoped wasn't human flesh. The man gagged but he chucked the remains away nonetheless. Hearing all of it splatter against the floorboards was revolting, but Saihara would traverse Hell to save his best friend.

He ran back inside, clutching the bucket's handle like the lifeline it was. When he reached the stall, Saihara's soul left his body and he failed to keep ahold of the bucket's handle. There Akamatsu was, eyes rolled back and body swaying back and forth.

Saihara's body trembled and he couldn't feel it anymore. He didn't know if his heart was still beating, or if he existed at all. "No," he whispered, taking an abrupt step back. His eyes wouldn't leave the morbid scene. "No!" The man screamed louder than he knew possible. Clutching his hair tight enough to rip it out, Saihara fell to his knees and continued screaming and sobbing.