Her Trauma. 009

I held it's wing with my right hand for a warm (yes, literally) shake-hand. It wasn't burning hot or anything despite this being a Phoenix's wing. "Very nice to meet you too, Burnsmith." I didn't show a single sign of fear towards this friendly entity.

After some chit-chats and useless talks, Burnsmith vanished leaving behind some dark grey ashes. Makkura never leaves anything behind…Burnsmith does though, I see.

Skipping to the next week; Our school has decided to reopen even though the police officers insist on keeping it closed till they find the culprit. Our headmaster insisted on opening it up as otherwise more and more days in this academic year would get wasted. This case really isn't an easy one to solve for them…eh?

I walked into the school building and inhaled the noxious atmosphere of this school. Jarret View, a school reeking with too many enthusiastic souls. I walked with haste towards my locker, number 278. I bumped into a familiar face. "Sorry, obviously didn't intend on that." I said as I stood back up. 

"Y-You don't really need to apologize." Carrie. The girl who I befriended reluctantly. I never intended to befriend this soul right here. It was all the doing of this necklace I've got right here…

"Oh, Carrie. Long time no see."

"Yeah, you're right. It's been a while."

"You don't seem to be doing fine. I can say at least that much based on what's written on your face."

"S-Something is written on my face?"

"Not in the literal sense, dummy."

"Ah, I get it now. It's nothing actually. Also, heard that you rescued Chi-Chi, I'd like to thank for you for that."

"No problem. Anything for a friend." Anything for a friend? Did I really intend on saying that??? Carrie slowly backed off a few inches away from me as if she is trying to avoid me, as if she is trying to get away from me, escape from me…

"Huh? What's wrong?"

"I-It's nothing, really." Once again, a fake. The fakeness in her wordings started growing stronger and stronger. She suddenly tripped and fell down flat on her bum. Tears started leaking out from her sparkly grey eyes. "I-I'm sorry…" She apologized for no reason. 

"By the looks of it, I can easily conclude that you're lying right now." 

"F-Fine. I admit it, I really am not fine."

"Hmm."

"I've been suffering from some s-serious mental issues ever since that."

"I see. We could perhaps discuss more about this during recess."

"Y-You're right." With that we both took our leave as we parted ways to our respected classes. 

I headed to class and took my seat. Ah yes, the window seat. That reminds me, I've never actually opened and gone through the letter that Mrs. Kendra had given me. How forgetful of me…

You must've forgotten about it as well, I've never really mentioned about it ever since. Been a long time since I received this. I held the letter and started uncovering the folds keeping both my hands underneath my table. I don't want anyone else to read what I'm reading. As soon as I opened it, for some reason there seemed to be some reddish stains which happened to have dried up. They were seen on the edges of the paper and this paper too was not in a good condition. Mrs. Kendra had given me an envelope which the letter was kept in. Dried up blood stains…doesn't sound good to me. This letter too was written by Mr. Fritz himself, I was handed this letter over to by his wife, someone who is close to him and he didn't want her to read the letter...

Something really doesn't feel right here. I started reading through the letter and was left in utter shock. Mr. Fritz has a beautiful handwriting, none of the things he wrote here match with that…

A letter to Keiko A.Marion.  From: Tom Fritz.

I hope you're reading this piece of paper paying full attention to it just like you do in your math classes. What I'm about to say is no joke, believe me. I am not suffering from something ordinary, I don't really know how to explain this but my 'fever' is not really a fever. I've been coughing blood all day and night but for some reason it was exactly five times each and every single day ever since it started. Keiko, I know that you possess a special power deep inside you. Deep deep inside of your human body, you possess something most others don't, I am aware of it. That is why, I wanted this letter to be handed over to you and only you. I haven't found anyone else like you so far and don't worry I wouldn't be able to leak this outside if I ever wanted to because I don't have much time left to live. I've been keeping all this hidden from my wife. A person who is indeed close to me, hidden it all from her. A secret to reveal here, I hold one of those special accessories in the form of a choker. I have kept this with me ever since my college years but just recently have I came across this from my old memory boxes and started using it. It withholds the element of nature. This right here is bloody cursed, I didn't expect it to feed on my life slowly and slowly. I'll you an answer before I pass away, one element user can easily sense and find our another one but this process is neither easy nor hard. Find out how yourself. 

  Signed Tom.

With that, the letter ended. Mr. Fritz is an element user as well? The nature element…I see. So, no wonder the pages have blood stains here and there. 

"Thou've got words about another element user now. I have a feeling that he must've already died."

"You really think so?" I whispered. I didn't get any responses from Makkura. My eyes averted to the scene of Lana slowly walking towards…my bench? She wasn't looking forward upright. Her eyes seem to be facing down with her head bowed down. She then grabbed my right hand placed on the table and looked into my eyes with an awfully bothered look on her face and her sparkly blue eyes seemed to be on the verge of tearing up. 

"K-Keiko. C-Can I have some words with you during recess?"

"Um…sure, I guess? What's wrong?" 

"Uh well…I'll explain later."

"Okay then." Lana, an extremely enthusiastic person seems so sober and down today. Something is definitely not right. Also, during recess??? I was planning on asking Carrie about her problems…how am I going to hear out two depressed looking faces at the same time??? Lana gave me a slight smile, went to her respective bench and took a seat. Mrs. Kendra arrived at our class with a crying face…is it what I think it is? 

Tom passed away this early morning. Came the information. The class was left in an obvious shock. A math teacher's passing isn't going to make most sad as there are a huge number of people who dearly hate on the subject, even worse would be disliking the teacher who handles such a subject. But at the end of the day nobody holds a grudge on a teacher unless and until that teacher is actually a bad person outside of their profession. I could see a few being on the verge of tearing up after taking in the information. Many just couldn't take in the information, they just couldn't accept it. All displayed faces which easily read out how they just didn't want to accept the fact, accept the reality. Mrs. Kendra could not hold back her tears. How could she, her beloved husband just kicked the bucket this early in the morning. I personally didn't like the man myself but his teachings weren't so bad. They were fine in my opinion. 

We did absolutely nothing throughout the entire math period and spent the whole hour in mourning for his death. Don't think everyone spent it that way…some just seemed to be happily chit-chatting with their friends. 

Do I consider Lana as a friend? Do I consider Carrie as a friend? Do I consider Denis…as my friend?

I just happened to run into these people. They come to me, I don't go to them. That's the objective truth.

Recess came around at last after those dreaded five periods filled with boredom. The entire school didn't look the same, happy smiles have been all replaced with fear and pensive sadness in no time. 

I headed to the cafeteria and there awaited two familiar faces seated near the same table. Carrie and Lana. Both were seated in such a way that one was facing the other. There seemed to have been a chair placed in between theirs, reserved just for me. Do these two know each other? 

"You've arrived just in time." Said Lana who seemed to be…doing fine now? I'm only saying this judging by her facial expression. She didn't seem look the same as she did just hours ago…

"K-Keiko. I'd prefer saying it to you privately. I don't wish for anyone else to hear this out."

"No problem. I'll go sit somewhere else and come back after you both are done with it."

"Alright. Thank you, Lana."

"No problem." After that, Carrie faced me eye-to-eye. 

"Look here, Keiko. I want you to be the first and the very last person to ever take in what I'm intending to tell you." She took a deep breath and confessed something which didn't feel very surprising, "What really bothers me is one thing. The ugly mistake I've done which could never be forgiven. I accidentally but at the same time intentionally killed my own father."