Another: The Class of 1999

Chapter 26 - The End

When I woke up the next day, I had magically transported to hospital. Later, I was informed that I had passed out on the school trip, and the ambulance had arrived several minutes later to take us all to hospital.

My head was pounding like crazy, and my vision was bury for a few short moments, but over time I gradually regained my memories. I remembered the hotel, the fighting, the killing, and Riku...

Riku...

Recalling the memories was tricky, it felt like the whole ordeal had happened years ago, or was just a dream. But I definitely remembered him. I tried my best to put a face to the name, but it was a lot more challenging than I thought... I just needed to think of one defining feature of him... His hair. It was cut short apart from the long fringe!

No, wait, I was thinking of my aunt...

I was discharged that afternoon after a few more tests, all coming back clear. My aunt Mai was almost in tears, I literally had to prise her away from me, as I felt more suffocated from one of her hugs compared to being in the building full of smoke.

Everyone who survived was doing well and their physical damages and injuries had been fixed up. The doctors were concerned that we had been scarred mentally, though, and they were giving out leaflets and contact details for therapists and councilors. I insisted that I didn't need help, but Mai grabbed handfuls of information.

"You might not realise it, Tsuki," she said as we walked home, "but you may want to talk to someone about all this. I experienced losing a friend when I was your age, and I wish I had been given the opportunity to seek professional help."

"Did you?" I asked. "Who did you lose? That boy we talked about?"

My aunt nodded. "I've been trying to remember more about him. He died in a car crash, I think. It's a part of my life I tried to forget...and now I long to remember."

If only she knew that she didn't need to try - the curse would take care of that for her. Perhaps the curse was getting to me too; it felt like the previous few days were a blur. Unreal. Every few minutes I had to pause and remind myself of what I had just experienced because the memories were fleeting. My mind felt so light, so carefree, like a lifted weight. Even the fact that my own father had died was something that had escaped the forefront of my mind. I tried to picture his face, his smile... Did he ever smile?

The survivors of class 3-3 were meeting at the park that afternoon; I was one of the last to arrive. I surveyed everyone. Apart from Clarissa, everyone had a different part of their body wrapped in a bandage. We were all broken, tortured, yet we were survivors. The scars and bandages proved it. For now.

We all sat on the hill which looked over the town, taking in all the small buildings lined up, and even the funfair which was currently closed due to renovation. The sun was shining and the clouds were pure white. I exhaled deeply, closing my eyes and feeling the gentle breeze on my face. I felt strangely calm.

"So..." Makoto began slowly, "is the calamity for this year over?"

"I think so," Cho nodded, messing with her sleeves. Her voice was hushed. "Is... Is anyone taking those therapy sessions?"

"I'm not," Akira said immediately, shaking his head. "After this year's finished, we'll forget about all this anyway, I'm not having them take my money now."

"I'm relying on the power of God and spirituality," Jiro explained, raising his arms in the air slightly. "My mind is in the hands of the lord. He will guide me. It's so odd, I keep forgetting about the calamity. What was that phrase? Sending something..?"

"Something about death," Akira recalled slowly, like he was deep in thought. But he was unable to produce anymore.

"I'm going to take them for a short while," Yemon told us, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a bag of sweets. He took one before passing them around. "The therapist sessions, I mean. Not for too long, though. I just feel like I need someone there."