Bayblade Fanfiction

P2; Chapter 11; Fubuki

I gently closed the door behind me. Lili was sound asleep in bed. I hurried downstairs, where Aneka and Rin were waiting. They had been over a lot more, ever since Shu went to America. He was supposed to come back for a visit today, but that was in several hours, so we had decided to do a little game night. Today, we were playing a game called Powergrid. It was complex, but once you played a few rounds, it was easier and fun. I sat down. 

"Lili's asleep, so no yelling," I said and looked pointedly at Aneka. She laughed sheepishly. 

"Hey, don't blame me, I get really competitive." She said, shrugging. "Now, let's get started." We played several rounds without a problem. While we played, they told me about how Shu had stopped contacting them, and how he wouldn't respond to any of their texts, emails, voicemails, or calls. 

"Huh. Maybe he's too busy." I suggested as I placed a house in a city. 

"To busy? How long does it take to send a single text?" Aneka pointed out. 

"True..." I murmured. 

"Do you think he's ok?" Rin asked worriedly. She was now living in Aneka's apartment, as sleeping alone for either of them was weird, so she and Aneka spent even more time together and became closer than ever. 

"Shu knows how to take care of himself," I said. A shiver ran up my spine. Something was wrong. It was too quiet upstairs. I stood up. 

"Fubuki what--?" Rin asked. I held up a finger for quiet and hurried upstairs. Opening the door, I found the bed empty. My stomach plummeted. 

"Lili? Lili, where are you?!" I called out. She didn't respond. I walked into the room and pulled open the covers. She wasn't there. "Lili! Answer me! If you come out, I promise I won't get mad!" Nothing. Panic rose in me. Rin and Aneka walked in and saw the empty bed. Without a word, we began searching in all the places she might be. We went yelling throughout the house. After several hours of searching, I sank down onto the couch in despair, the truth sinking into me. She wasn't here. 

"Maybe she went out the front door? Or the back door?" Aneka suggested, but her voice said that she didn't believe it any more than I did. 

"And just walk past us without us noticing? That's not possible." I said. Still, we had nothing better. We walked throughout the neighborhood, knocking on neighbors' doors, asking if they'd seen Lili. Soon we had half the neighborhood looking for her. There were people calling Lili's name everywhere. Someone called the police. 

"Are you Fubuki Sumiye?" An officer asked, a clipboard in her hand. 

"Yes. My niece went missing tonight, while we were playing a board game." I said, voice wavering on the word 'missing'.  

"Was there any noise? Any sounds of scuffling, or struggle?" She asked me.

"No. Her room was just how I left it, except the bed was empty."  I replied. She scribbled something down on her clipboard.

"Do you mind if we take a look?" She asked, looking up at me again.

"Sure," I said. We walked back into the house with a squadron of police officers. I saw a note on the kitchen table and hurried over to it. Attached to the note was a little necklace. I sucked in a breath. It was the necklace that my aunt had given Lili right before she'd left. Lili always wore it. I picked up the note and began to read, Aneka and Rin reading over my shoulder.  The note said;

Fubuki Sumiye, Aneka Kurenai, and Rin Hinama,
I have reason to believe that you are good acquaintances of Shu Kurenai, and therefore know Emersyn Zanako. I want you to bring Emersyn to me, and I will give you your little friend unharmed and safe. I will be waiting for you in the Snake Pit, so come as soon as you dare.