Friends Forever

-SIX YEARS AGO-

In the hallway of a junior high school, somewhere in the United States, two girls met for the first time.

"Hi! I'm Sumireko. What's your name?"

"H-hi, Sumireko... I'm Rachel..."

Sumireko smiled, taking in her new acquaintance. Rachel was a small girl, wearing a cute red shirt and skirt. A red ribbon was in her hair.

"It's nice to meet you! Junior high is kinda scary, huh?"

"Y-yeah... it's not like my old school."

Sumireko nodded her agreement. The junior high only served two grades of children - 7th and 8th. However, it was not a small building at all - elementary school graduates from all over the county came here for their education. As a result, there were many strangers mixed in amongst the familiar faces. Sumireko had one close friend in the sixth grade, but they had moved away over the summer. It was imperative she make a new friend, she felt.

Sumireko and Rachel grew close fairly quickly. As it turned out, Rachel hadn't found any friends yet either. The two of them stuck together, helping each other on tough homework, visiting each others' houses, and generally just being close friends.

But there was something Sumireko had thought she'd left behind in elementary that wasn't finished with her yet.

-----

"Long time no see, geekling."

Sumireko froze in mid-step as she had been crossing the school's sports field to walk home. Behind her, a pair of boys, tall for their age, stood menacingly. The one who'd spoke crossed his arms in front of his chest, his associate keeping his own hands jammed in his pockets.

"Thought maybe you'd moved away. Too bad. Guess we just got set up on different sides of the school. But that's okay. We can play after school instead. Like now, for instance."

Sumireko took a few careful steps away.

"Don't run. You know what happens if you run, geekling."

Sumireko ran anyway, her heart pounding in her chest as she kicked up sand behind her, running into the baseball field.

A mistake. She tripped over home plate, her glasses falling off her face. As she desperately shoved them back on and tried to get up, she heard the thumping of the bullies as they caught up to her. A pair of large hands grabbed her roughly by the shoulders.

"I warned you."

"LEAVE HER ALONE!"

First base, picked up off the ground and hurled at the junior high delinquent. He grunted as the plate struck him in the side, and Sumireko hurriedly scooped up a handful of sand from the field and flung it in her attacker's face. He yelled, and Sumireko was up and running.

Rachel. Now she was running alongside Sumireko, the two of them outpacing the other bully as the first one wiped his face with his shirt to try and get rid of the sand.

"YOU MADE A BIG MISTAKE!" the second boy roared as Sumireko and Rachel vanished from his sight.

-----

A few times a week, Sumireko and Rachel would meet in a secret treehouse after school. Usually it was just to get their homework done so they could spend the evening doing whatever they pleased, but this time Sumireko had a present for her friend.

"So, remember a couple weeks ago when you saved me from those bullies?"

"Sure do."

"...Here." Sumireko held out a small gift box. Rachel opened it and inspected the contents.

"What's this?" Rachel asked, holding the bracelet carefully as she lifted it out of the box.

"It's a friendship bracelet. I found these at the store." Sumireko replied with a smile. "Look, it says 'Best Friends Forever' on the inside. I have one too!" She tugged on her sleeve, revealing she was wearing an identical bracelet. "See?"

"Awww, that's so cute!" Rachel smiled back, then slipped the bracelet on. "Thank you. I'll treasure it."

-----

But a few weeks later...

We met the same as always. Spent time together in school, same as always. Met in the treehouse... then we went home for supper. Nothing out of place.

...

I never saw Rachel again. 

I don't know what happened for certain, but to this day I've felt only one possibility existed: Those creeps murdered her. Their bullying finally went too far.

But there was no proof, no body. A Missing Person search went out, and failed to find anything. There was no trace of her. Her family moved away. And, stranger, those two bullies? They never bothered me again. In fact, they didn't even seem to recognize me. It was really strange... I never saw them act like that ever again. Maybe taking a life was what finally snapped them out of their sociopathy?

I still have my bracelet. I haven't forgotten her. And, you know something? She liked the occult, too... so it's like I can feel her by my side when I make a discovery.

But the mystery of her disappearance... that's the one mystery I've never been able to solve. I searched every inch of the school grounds. The park. The streets. The alleys. I never found a single clue. And after the initial rush of news coverage, everyone just... gave up and moved on. I felt helpless...

But no longer. With the Kobbers on my side... maybe with their help, I can finally learn the truth that's been evading me for six long years.

SUMIREKO PLOT

COMING SPRING 2016