The Bad, The Bidder, and the Daughter (KBTBB)

Ota: Nine

A lone girl sat a swing with a flower in hand, a string of events that occurred within less than a minute replaying in her mind.

"...heh. Haruki. Haru...ki. Ki...Haru?"

"Asuka... You've been saying variations if my name for the past twenty minutes. You're kinda freakin' me out here."

She gasped and looked around, but there was nobody in sight.

"Hearing things... man I'm going crazy..."

Asuka rose from the swing set and traveled to the slide, "whoosh," she said as she went down it, however, she ate a mouthful of sand as she fell on her face somehow.

She didn't get up, she lied there face down in the sand, crying on the inside and surprisingly not on the outside, considering there more sand in her eyes than face.

"Um... Miss? Are you alright?"

"Life is meaningless and we're all going to die someday with no real purpose or meaning to our existence."

"Well, that's one way to look at things. Here," she helped Asuka up and handed her a damp handkerchief, "I also have eye drops just in case."

"Thanks," Asuka wiped her face and managed to blink all the sand out of her eyes.

"So why were you kissing the sand?"

Asuka stiffened, "I, um... was having somewhat of a mental breakdown."

"And why is that," asked the girl, "if you don't mind telling me, that is."

"It's fine, I guess... I got back from my best friend's funeral about an hour ago."

The girl's eyes widened, "I am so sorry! I shouldn't have pried."

She shook her head, "it's okay, how were you supposed to know? He and I used to spend a lot of time in this park, so I don't know why I decided to torture myself like this," she laughed dryly, "I think I'm doing very well on the outside, but on the inside I'm seeing his death over and over again and it's causing a lot of guilt and anxiety."

Her eyes widened even more, "you saw your best friend die?"

Asuka nodded sadly, "Haruki... it's all my fault. We ran off to a park and I... tripped and fall onto him, causing him to snap his neck on the wooden railing," tears began pouring out, "I killed him! I'm responsible for his death! It was my idea to go there, and it was me that fell on him!"

The girl took Asuka in her arms and rubbed her back, "shh, it wasn't your fault. I'm sure Haruki wouldn't have wanted you to beat yourself up over this. It was an accident."

"Accidents have consequences, and this one killed my best friend! I couldn't even look his mother and father in the eyes... the grief I've caused them... and his little brother..."

"But do they blame you?"

"Well, no... his mother held me while crying and said she always hopes I would become her daughter... and that she could never blame me..."

"See? It wasn't your fault."

"I..." Asuka wiped her tears, "after playing here one last time I was thinking of going to go back to park and jumping into the water."

The girl held her tighter, "that isn't the answer, and I think Haruki wouldn't like seeing you so soon."

Asuka chuckled, "he'd give me an earful... I don't know... I.." she pulled away from the girl, "I'm sorry, I don't even know your name and I've probably stained your lovely shirt with my tears."