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Rin sat on a rock in a field surrounded by a dense green-tinted pine forest, her dark brown hair flowing softly in the cool evening air, the orange glow of the sunset cascading across the grassy field. In the background, Liam spoke in a firm but creepy voice. "It likes to take people who wander into its forest~" Rin had long since lost focus on the story though and was instead staring into Kay's hazel eyes. Kay had always been there for her; some of her earliest memories as a kid included Kay.
"Rin," someone said. She didn't hear the interloper and just continued to admire her best friend. Kay had always been there for her, some of her earliest memories as a kid included Kay.
"Rin," someone said again, still, she didn't seem to notice.
"EARTH TO RIN," Liam said louder, as he came into her vision. Rin jumped. "Ah, I'm sorry," she said quickly. As she looked around, Liam was leaning close to her, while Kay looked at her with a quizzical expression. Liam inched closer and whispered in her ear. "See something you like?" he said, just loud enough for Rin to hear but not for Kay to hear. A smirk shone on his face. It took her a moment to register what he had just said. As it hit her, her face started to heat up. "What! No no no, it's not like that!" She said while pushing Liam away.
"Sure it isn't," Liam laughed. Kay, clearly confused, looked between the two of them. "What did he say, Rin?"
"Nothing..." Rin said, then changed the subject. "Why were you calling me?"
"We were about to leave," Liam responded casually. "Oh," Rin said, pausing momentarily. "Okay!" She said as she grabbed her coat and jumped down from the rock she was perched on top of.
Rin looked over at Kay, who had a distant look in her eyes. "Kay, you coming?" Rin asked her. Kay didn't respond. "Kay," Rin said louder, yet still no response. Kay seemed to be getting farther and farther away, the world stretching around them as Rin continued to call out for the girl. "KAY!" she practically screamed, running towards her, arms outstretched as her vision started to fade into a seemingly endless void of nothing.
"Miss Hollaway, are you okay?" Someone said. Rin opened her eyes and glanced around the small classroom. Every one of her classmates was looking at her, and that was when she noticed the teacher, Mr. Patto, a short blonde-haired English teacher, standing next to her. "I...I'm fine," Rin said, shrugging him off, as she took deep breaths. "Listen, I know you and Kay were close. Kay Junpr's disappearance has hit all of us hard if you ever want to tal-"
Rin caught Liam's gaze as she stood up. "I said I'm fine!" she shouted angrily, then grabbing her stuff, she walked out of the classroom without another word.
Rin sighed as she sat down on a bench in the courtyard of Kaelvile Academy. She looked around at the beautifully crafted landscaping from the school groundskeeper. In the courtyard, students were roaming with friends, just chatting the world away. Some had even set up stalls promoting some clubs, like the Dance Club and the Mythical Creatures Club, who were telling people about the Slenderman and the Wendigo today. Rin sat there for a while, just watching the scenery. It didn't seem right to her that the people around her were laughing and having fun when Rin's best friend, one of the two friends she had ever known, was missing. It made her want to scream at them, to make them stop, to get them to help find Kay. She clenched her fists so tight that her knuckles were white. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder; this made her jump. Rin turned to see Liam, sitting down on the bench next to her.
"Are you okay? I saw what happened in Mr. Patto's class," he asked, staring her in the face.
"Not you too," Rin groaned. "No matter how many times I answer, everyone asks the same question!" She exclaimed. "No... I'm not okay. My best friend has been missing for days now; even the police have found nothing... Liam... I'm starting to worry that she may be..." A few stray tears flowed down her cheeks, getting choked up on her words; she couldn't finish the sentence.
For a few long moments, they were quiet, and then Liam spoke. "I don't think Kay'd go and die, just like that. She knows you'd find a way to revive her just to murder her again if she didn't say goodbye." He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. Rin joined him. "I'm already planning on it." Rin clenched her fists as she chuckled; more tears came, and she leaned into Liam's shoulder and hugged him as she cried. He held her there and let her cry until she had fallen asleep on him.
About an hour later, the last school bell rang. Liam shook Rin awake. "Hey," he said softly. "How about we go to the library again and see if we can find anything today? That's right; we had been searching the library and asking around to see if anyone knew anything about Kay’s disappearance. Right before she had disappeared, Kay had been going to the library religiously; she wouldn't tell us why, only that she was ‘On my next big project!’ she would say. “We should ask the librarian what books she was taking out,” Rin said to Liam as they walked down the street toward the library. “You think she would just give out that information?” asks Liam. “She knows we’re close friends with Kay, and given the circumstances, we can say that we’re trying to help find her,” Rin responds as she and Liam come upon an older two-story whitish-gray brick building with beautiful and intricate masonry surrounding the building. With an old heavy oak door at its entrance, it took both of them to push open the door, as they entered their noses were bombarded with the smell of old musty books and carpet. Rin stepped into the library.
The library was a sanctuary of silence, with rows upon rows of books standing like silent sentinels, guarding the secrets of countless worlds. Rin and Liam made their way to the front desk, where an elderly librarian with glasses perched at the tip of her nose was busy cataloging books. "Excuse me," Rin said politely, "we're looking for information about the books Kay Junpr checked out recently. She's our friend, and we believe it might help us locate her." The librarian peered over her glasses at them and nodded sympathetically. "Of course, dear," she said kindly. "Give me a moment to fetch that information." Rin and Liam exchanged hopeful glances as the librarian disappeared into a back room, leaving them to wait in the hushed ambiance of the library. Moments later, she returned with a list of books. "These are the titles Kay borrowed in the last few weeks," she said, handing the list to Rin. "I hope it helps you find her." "Thank you so much," Rin said with genuine gratitude. "We truly appreciate your assistance." With the list of books in hand, Rin and Liam decided to head back to Rin's house to examine it more closely. Perhaps the titles or topics of the books could provide a clue about Kay's intentions or whereabouts. As they walked back, the weight of the situation hung heavily in the air. Rin couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt. She had been so absorbed in her own thoughts and concerns that she hadn't paid enough attention to Kay's recent activities or worries. She vowed to herself that she would do everything in her power to find her friend and make amends for not being there when she was needed. Arriving at Rin's house, they spread the list of books on the dining table. The titles were an eclectic mix, ranging from ancient folklore to obscure scientific theories. It seemed Kay had been on a quest for knowledge that spanned various fields of study. "We should start by researching these books," Liam suggested, pointing to one of the titles. "If we can figure out what Kay was trying to learn or discover, it might lead us in the right direction." Rin nodded in agreement, her determination growing with every passing minute. She knew that finding Kay wouldn't be easy, but she was willing to go to great lengths to bring her friend back safely.
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