Takumi Takahashi

Kathleen only stared at her best friend, there being nothing else she could do, ignoring the cold sweat that beaded her entire body, ignoring the terror that held her heart in an icy fist; can believe nothing of what Samantha is saying. But looking at her while saying all of those with a devilish smile on her face, everything just seems to make sense.

"I no longer deserve to live, Kath. I've done so much cruelty and I need to pay for it. Forgive me for keeping this as a secret from you. I am so scared that if you knew, you'll leave. I just can't lose you either."

Samantha bit her lip and tears started storming down her cheeks as her grip started to loosen.

"W-what are you doing?!" Kathleen stuttered when Samantha started walking backwards to where a familiar little girl is waiting for her.

"You!" Kathleen shouted when the girl held Samantha's hand and led her towards the dark, away from her.

"No! Shane! Stop right there. Don't go with her!"

Kathleen shouted but Samantha only looked at her for the last time and smiled before completely vanishing through the dark.

"H-hey!! NO! WAIT!" Kathleen tried chasing after her but her body froze like a statue.

"This is the only way to stop the curse so, please don't come and find me."

Kathleen broke into a loud cry when Samantha's soft voice echoed through the empty spaces of the dark place to where she's now standing blankly at.

"No! I will come." She finally managed to shout. "I will come no matter where you are! We promised each other we will be there for each other through thick and thin, right?! Right?!"

Kathleen bawled when she could no longer hear any responses.

"NO! NO! DON'T LEAVE! PLEASE! SAM!!"

Kathleen gasped and opened her eyes to find herself drowning in her own tears.

"Love! Love are you okay?"

She looked beside her and saw Christian. Behind him is Kim and Junel. They all looked so worried.

Goosebumps crawled in Kathleen's whole body not because of the cold. She's never considered herself so imaginative and that dream, just now, felt so real.

"Where's Samantha?!" She immediately asked.

Everyone's mood nose-dived.

"You were the only one inside her car when the rescuers arrived, Kath." Kim muttered.

Kathleen caught Christian staring and dropped his gaze in gloom.

"What do you mean?"

"You were asleep for three days now, love."

"S-so Samantha's gone for already three days?" Kathleen shouted. "Is Scott and Kaiser looking for her?" She asked but none of them said a thing so, she looked at Junel and his eyes widened.

"W-we don't know. We haven't seen him s-since they broke up."

Kathleen's jaw clenched, scrubbing her hands in anger.

"That piece of shit!" She groaned and pushed herself up in one hand.

"How heartless can he be?!" Her curly, dark brown hair, fell into her face as she eyed her huge black leathered purse placed on the bedside table.

"Hey! Love, stay still! You're not fine yet." Christian tried laying her back down the bed but she fought and even pulled the IV away.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? STOP!" He yelled, grabbing her hands. "Love, please calm down."

Kathleen only started at him, feeling blood creeping down her hands.

"I can't just sit here and wait for an update to what happened to my best friend." She cried. "I'm all she has now."

Kathleen pulled her hands and wiped all the blood with the blanket. Despite her head turning, she managed to stand up and stepped out of the room. Kim and Junel helped her walk while Christian went to talk to the doctor.

"He's been seeing his ex-girlfriend behind my back quite some time now." Kathleen sagged against the wall, emotions weakening her knees.

"All of them knows: Kim, Junel and Kaiser. But none of them said a thing.

"She looked at Junel and Kim, tears falling down her cheeks. Both of them watched the thought cross Kathleen face and looked down.

"I'm so sorry." Kim broke into a soft sob. "I didn't know this would happen. I-I just don't know how to tell you-I don't know how to tell Samantha. A-all of you are my friends and I cannot seem to side anybody so we remained quiet. I-I should have done something but now she's gone... I don't know what to do anymore."

Kathleen's lips thinned, sighed and slowly walked away. Christian found her sitting beside her car when he reached the parking lot. She never said a thing until they reached home and spotted Christian scrolling through a familiar Facebook account. He looked at her with a frown.

"This might be a wrong timing but I think it would be better if you know earlier."

Kathleen looked at him as he handed her his phone and her body shook in anger. Scott is engaged with his ex-girlfriend just an hour ago. Tears suddenly dimmed her vision once again.

"So, the reason why he didn't even show up because of this? Ha! I'm seriously out of words." She covered her mouth in disbelief.

"Just like that? J-just like that!! How can he do that to my best friend?! What a joke!"

"I'm so sorry, Kath! I'm sorry you have to go through this because of me. Please take care of him for me. I love him so much. Very much!"

Kathleen bit her lip when she heard Samantha's voice resounding her mind out of nowhere. She held her head when she remembered the dream she had earlier.

Everything's so vivid. Everything felt real, or are they? She's bewildered. But what she's certain of is that Samantha is in danger and needs her help.

Kathleen rested for hours and waited for Christian to leave for work so, she could sneak out. She only wore a SpongeBob oversized shirt, fitted jeans and yellow converse and went out. She's about to lock the gate when a guy approached her. He's wearing all black. From his tic-tac shoes to his jeans, to his shirt and to his lathered jacket.

"Hello."

"Ah... hi?" Kathleen answered in unsure.

"You're Kathleen, right?" He asked.

"Y-yes"

Forehead furrowing, his lips thinned into grimness.

"My name is Takumi Takahashi, Samantha's senior psychiatrist. A-and I have s-something to tell you."

"About what?" I saw his Adam's apple rolled.

"A-About Samantha."

[Takumi Takahashi]

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