Echo, Echo, Echo

#1 - Aftermath

Rune's POV

The cops are still there. Looking.

They're still looking for Phoenix Star. My best friend, Phoenix.

He's been missing for a week.

I was the last person to be seen with him.

The cops questioned me. They asked where I was when he went missing.
I was there with him. I know what happened.

I know where he is, they'll never find him..

He's gone. Forever. I'm not going to tell anyone what happened though. I never will.

I can't. I don't want to think about it. I don't want to relive it.

I'm so sorry Phoenix..

***

Going to school for the first time in 3 and a half weeks without Phoenix is weird, and lonely. We've been friends since we first started school.

That's 11 years of friendship. From prep - year 11.

I still can't believe he's gone. He's never going to be coming back...

Slowly, I make my way inside the school, ignoring all the pitying and sympathetic looks thrown my way from the other students and some of the teachers.

I keep my head down and go straight to my first period class.

Everything is so weird now. There's no Phoenix to cheer me up and make me laugh, no Phoenix to make fun of the teachers with me, no Phoenix to be there as my greatest best friend in the whole wide world.

Forcing myself not to tear up from my thoughts, I keep my head down and do my school work.

***

I ignore each and every person who tries to approach me during the day, and eventually the bell rings signalling home time.

Swiftly, I make my way out of school grounds, heading straight home.

When I arrive home, I go straight to my room and change out of my school clothes, shower and get dressed into comfy tracksuit pants, undies and one of Phoenix's many hoodies that I managed to get from his room, plus the ones I've stolen over the years that we've been friends.

Before everything happened, Phoenix and I used to race back to either one of our houses, steal each other's clothes and start playing video games or play games outside.

Sometimes, during summer, we would even race to see who could get into his family's pool first.

I usually won.

Phoenix loved going hiking. Being outside in the amongst the trees. Exploring.

I used to joke around and say he was half monkey, always climbing up something.

Phoenix used to say; Even when all seems lost, just remember my name.

He used to say it a lot. Mostly when things weren't going well for me.

My parents have been going through a rough half divorce for years. My brother couldn't handle it and started doing some really hardcore drugs.

But Phoenix helped me. Phoenix was my anchor.

My only anchor.

Now he's gone..

Tears run down my cheeks as I curl up into my bed, pulling the covers over my head as my silent tears turn into muffled sobs.

I bury my face in my pillow, trying to stay silent.

Phoenix was my anchor.

Was..

My sobs get louder and I don't bother to silence them anymore.

The only person I could talk to, the only person who listened, the only person who cared, the only person who helped, the only person who was there for me, for as long as I can remember, was gone.

And it was all my fault.