MARI'S MENACE (OMORI AU)

CHAPTER 1: a loved one's pain

The next few days seemed to be a blur. All I remembered is him telling us what Mari and he were arguing about. It really seemed to get into his head. He accidentally, in a fit of rage, pushed Mari down the stairs. He told us about how she called him a menace. I remember comforting him. Next thing I knew it was the day of his birthday. I took his gift and neatly wrapped it, before going to Sunny's house. Mari met us at the door and we wrote a note for Sunny when he woke up to meet us at the park. Sunny was never a morning person.

We waited all day, but he never showed up.

We walked back to Sunny and Mari's home to find out if he had ever woken up this morning. His bed was unmade, he woke up. We look around their room and we find a letter from someone. It was scribbled in black pen.

"DON'T LOOK OUTSIDE"

Mari rushed to the outside door and ran outside, we followed her. We checked everywhere. But found nothing. Mari searched the clearing behind their house.

We heard her scream his name. We all went rushing to find him. He was hanging from our old treehouse, and multiple scars from a knife covered his body. His neck had scratches all over, almost as if he suffocated as he tried to take it off. Blood covered the overgrown grass. A message was written in the blood.

"Oyasumi"

Mari begged for this to not be true. Hero was terrified. Kel broke down in tears, Basil started yelling at Mari about how this was her fault. I stood there in shock.

"how... how could he do this to us? To me!?!" I thought

Tears flooded my eyes. My mind raced, and my heart throbbed. But right now I couldn't stop blaming myself.

"I... I promised him." I accidentally said it out loud.

Everyone looked at me.

"Promised him what?" Mari asks, tears still dripping down her face.

I fell to my knees.

"Tha- that I would protect him. No matter what."

My body felt heavy, I couldn't believe that he was gone. It was like a hole formed in my heart.

"...Sunny," I whispered.

I walked over to Kel and helped him up.

"... Hey Kel, why don't I take you home."

Together, we walk next door. Kel's mother opened the door and immediately took him inside. Kel looked back at me. I just waved at him. Basil sat on Mari's porch, looking a bit angry. I walk over and sit beside him.

"Hey, Basil."

Basil looks over at me.

"Oh, hey."

Basil repositioned themselves. Hero and Mari sat down near us.

"Aubrey? Why did you take Kel home?" Basil asks.

"Truth is, I can't see Sunny like this. It hurts too much and I also could see that Kel couldn't handle it either."

"I'm sorry, everyone. This is all my fault." Mari says.

"Yeah, it is," Basil says.

I punch him in the arm.

"Hey! What was that for!?!"

"Don't be rude! Mari, it isn't your fault. I think it's ours as well, we never asked if he needed help."

Hero stood up and asks if Mari was okay for the night.

"I should check on Kel... goodnight guys." He looked like he was on the verge of tears. I stood up and gave Mari and Basil a hug.

"I'm gonna head home. I... have to process what happened."

"I'll come with you," Basil says.

Together we walked to our homes, discussing a few good memories that we had with Sunny. I slammed the door to my house and ran to my room. I grabbed my bunny for emotional support. I broke down, and through my tears, I yelled Sunny's name.

"I'm sorry bun. I'm just... going through something right now."

I put my bunny back into her cage before walking over to my corkboard. I take off my favorite photo of me and him. I go over to my bed and I let my emotions go. I ended up crying myself to sleep.