"We need to move." These were the words of my parents, who decided everything within a second, not caring about my thoughts on all of this. My father was a busy man, not missing a single day of work for twenty years straight. He was being promoted, and this promotion involved being relocated to a city we never heard of. Its name was Selonika.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXZ0wPopal
Selonika, the city of ghosts, is an isolated city in the northeast. It was unknown for the longest time, until an idol named Monika Amare performed there, exposing this beautiful city to the rest of the world. It's not large in size, containing only a few institutional and commercial buildings, a central park, and residential areas.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbjcnQWbrms
"That's bizarre." I said, reading the article online about it. "How does a city stay hidden for so long? I never heard of an idol by that name either. Well, it's not like I ever listen to idols in the first place."30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ000FpJRFaX
I personally don't want to move away from here, but I need to, or my curiosity will kill me. It's said to be beautiful, perfect in every way. I guess it would make sense for someone to start gatekeeping it. A whole city though... it must be somewhere far, somewhere unseen to any neighboring cities, possibly surrounded by water.
I close my laptop for the day. "I guess this is the last day I will see them." I muttered under my breath. I watched as my parents packed away things as I left, walking to school.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ71mFjgpaiE
The streets were quiet, just like any other day. School always started early in the morning, and I mean really early. The sky was pure black, and the only thing guiding me were the streetlamps. Crows were common around this area, and their cries would scare the life out of you after hearing nothing for so long.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFs1vppEyzg
I took my usual shortcut through the nearby alleyway, climbing through the torn down fence. I crossed the threshold, and bang, a door flew open with a man flying out of it.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0YNOq3M1lD
"I told ya already, you don't work here anymore! Not after you stole from my business, you filthy scum!" The old restaurant owner noticed me and chuckled. "Sorry you had to see that, Echo. You're headed off to school again, aren't ya?"
"Yeah, and it'll be my last day as well."30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo62BmabBX3
"Oh, right. Your father told me about that yesterday during his lunch break. I will miss you guys, unlike this one who needs to take the hint and leave!" I watched as the man on the ground got up and scurried off.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxtcJxocUko
"I never saw him work here."
"It was his first day on the job yesterday. I caught him clocking out with a big belly like santy claus. Somehow that nitwit thought I wouldn't notice the weight difference."30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzItZguGEY0
"He must've thought ol' Rusty was rusted."30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡncirqGaXVC
"Heh heh. Yeah, see you around, kid."
As I reached the school's front doors, Kel was already waiting. Kel's the team leader, in the sense that he formed our friendship circle. "Dude, where were you; everyone else is already headed to class."30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxheCrYgyfu
"The shortcut I take took longer than expected. Anyways Kel, I need all of us to gather at the usual spot after school."30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00TDAzYPaX
"Say no more. We can make that happen."30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8nknviivN8
As the bell rung we rushed to our classes. My day went just as expected. A lot of goodbyes to my teachers and classmates. The only part left was telling Kel and the others, and I wanted to do it at our usual hangout spot.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtfdeJrLBZv
The sky throughout the day didn't become any clearer. I took a deep breath before going through the entrance. This pier rarely got visitors, mostly forgotten, due to much better spots opening up. It didn't have much, just an arcade and shopping center.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXAUCw94sft
My friends and I spend time at both the arcade and shopping center, but neither of these is the hangout spot. Behind the arcade is a broken rail, jumping down leads to a thin piece of land that contains an underground room.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBQrAvpxzH
None of us know what this room was used for, maybe a storage room or the arcade's basement at one point. Kel found it by accident, trying to sneak into the arcade at night. I remember the club meeting we had at his house, and how excited he was thinking he found an underground lab, boy was he wrong.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Jbk9yvuv5
Our group came into the place gagging at the smell. I helped him clean the place up, along with his sister, Ellie, who cared more about her friends and family being happy, rather than herself. All we needed to clean was a few dead rodents... and mildew. After a few days, we had our own mini fridge, some beanbag chairs, and board games.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfER3C2Bcgi
There were originally eight of us, but now we are only down to six, with two of them being new members. The oldest members consist of Kel, Ellie, Gia, and myself; the two newest ones are Evan and his cousin, Bailey.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnofyRlouQ2
The newest ones joined a few weeks ago, Evan doesn't talk much but helps out with a lot of things, and Bailey, she is really hyperactive, enjoys taking pictures of everything.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡptmS1TwVMS
Gia, she only joined because Ellie convinced her. She is always winning at board games, which is why most of us have just stopped playing completely. She's the one buying all of them, to the point where we have three shelves full of them.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNR4R2xQq4R
I jumped down from the rail and entered the hangout. I was the last one there, as usual, and Evan threw a soda my way. "I heard you called the meeting today. Is something wrong?" I scanned the room, making sure everyone was present. "Yeah, this is my last day here."30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxtd3vVRBk1
"W-What do you mean?" 30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt641KNyg4l
Kel acted like he didn't hear me, but I know he did. I said it as clear as possible, and the rest of our group only turned away. "My father got promoted, Kel. I don't have much of a choice here."30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfKzELtyPbx
"Y-You're serious."30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWwfG357K0
"Yeah, I'll come back someday, I wouldn't leave you and Ellie alone forever. It's just... I believe there might be something interesting to explore in this new city."30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX2CV4qp73e
"Right." Kel sighed. "It's just the old group is falling apart, one by one. I know everyone is moving on with their lives, but I don't want to be alone in this place."30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡteydAPVcYu
"Hopefully, I can bring back some new members, until then, just don't let this club fall apart, you're the team leader after all."30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC3vzEixMqH
With those words, I hurried back home, just in time to pack everything I needed in the morning. It arrived quickly, as the sun shined through my bedroom window, I made my way to the car. 30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡod1Tocw4KZ
"You'll like it in this new town, I promise."30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejCCIpu6y3
My mother must've thought I would find that comforting, I didn't, not in the slightest.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1FJqR1hL1
