Dusk

by PeryFire

Witness

It had been a week since Sonata had stumbled upon the body of her friend, Vinyl Scratch. She still didn't believe what she saw, but it had sunk in. Sonata found her mind drifting to the image frequently: When she was watching mindless trash TV, eating dinner, trying to do math homework. She would just zone out and relive the whole ordeal. She hadn't been on a walk since then. She was afraid that if she did, she would wake up in the middle of another murder scene.

It had been a week, and she was itching for one of those long walks. Her mind would just go blank on those walks. She wouldn't have to think about anything. She could escape from the bloody images that were stained onto her retinas.

The funeral was yesterday. It was a closed casket funeral. This was relieving to Sonata, but also stood as a harsh reminder of the gruesome details on the night Vinyl was killed. The knife was particularly disturbing to Sonata. She wasn't sure if it was because it had been shoved into her friend's eye, or the fact that it was left on the scene. Something that belonged to the killer was left there. She saw a piece of the killer. She shivered at the thought.

It was now nearing ten o clock. The sky was dark. Twilight, Adagio and Aria were coming for a sleepover. They promised to bring fun DVDs over to watch to try and get Sonata to have a bit of fun and forget about the tragedy for just a while. They were supposed to show up at nine thirty, but there was no sign of them yet. Sonata didn't feel too hurt about being forgotten. She wasn't particularly looking forward to the sleepover anyways. However, the thoughts invading her mind were starting to make her restless. She found herself pacing in her room, or getting up to go to the kitchen for no reason.

After struggling for a few more minutes, Sonata finally gave in and decided that she would go out on a walk. She needed the relief that came with it. The calm, refreshing nothingness that she needed so desperately now.

She tied her shoes, an old pair of runners that she hadn't worn since her last mandatory gym class at school. The wind howled outside, and she knew it would be chilly, so she donned her thick black sweater that was warm enough to serve as a jacket so long as it wasn't snowing out. As her hand contacted the doorknob on her way to open it, she paused, having second thoughts. The last time she went out on a walk something horrible happened. Was she really willing to have a repeat of that?

She eventually opened the door and stepped out into the windy night. She decided that she couldn't possibly stumble upon a dead body every time she took a stroll, and even if she did, how much worse could her trauma get at this point? What's a few more sleepless nights on top of what she already had?

One thought she didn't have was the fear of becoming the serial killer's next victim. Perhaps she didn't care if she became the next headline. She just wanted to escape her racing mind for a few hours, no matter the cost.

---

Adagio's car pulled up to the curb in front of Sonata's house. At first, the three girls inside the car didn't notice that the house was dark. But upon ringing the doorbell several times, and waiting several minutes, the three began to worry.

"Where do you think she is?" Twilight asked, biting her lip.

"Well, we are late." Aria said. "Maybe she just went to bed?"

"She should have woken up with how aggressive we've been with the doorbell, though." Adagio replied, shifting the stack of DVDs in her arms to pull her phone out of her pocket and glance at the display. "I texted her to tell her my car wouldn't start and we'd be late, but she never replied."

"Do you think she went somewhere?" Twilight asked. "I don't think she's home."

"She might have gone for a late night walk." Adagio replied. "She does that a lot. That's how she found..." She trailed off. "I'm starting to think that we should go look for her. If she went out for a walk... well, that's not really safe these days."

"You're right." Twilight said. "Let's split up. Have your phones on in case we find her, or..."

"Need to call the police?" Aria asked, shivering.

"Lets not think about that." Twilight said. "We have to find her."

The three came up with a plan to search the suburban area. Adagio would patrol in her car, while Twilight would check down by the school, and Aria would head in the opposite direction, planning to go past each of her's, Adagio's, and Twilight's houses in case Sonata went looking for them as a result of their tardiness.

The three girls split up, calling out for Sonata every block or so, keeping their eyes peeled for their friend, or any danger.

---

Sonata's mind was blank. She felt as if she were drifting through a grey haze. There was nothing on her mind, nothing to think about, nothing to worry about. She relished in her retreat from reality. She didn't even feel the bitter wind, because it was a part of the outside world. Nothing from the outside could get to her here. She was safe.

Or so she thought.

Something strange started to happen to her. Reality was starting to seep through her mind's barriers. One moment she would be at peace, and the next she would be bombarded by sounds and visions and thoughts. So many racing thoughts. And then she would fade back into the silent nothingness of her mind. It was strange, the brevity of her waking, the fact that she was even waking in the first place.

Through the haze, she saw something. A flash of purple hair. Sonata almost recognized the owner of the hair, but her mind suddenly faded into emptiness again.

There it was again. Aria. What was she doing out here? It wasn't safe. Nothingness.

Aria was walking away from her. She must not have seen her yet. Sonata tried to call out to her, but the haze swept over her again.

There was someone behind Aria now. Sonata didn't know who it was. They were clad in a baggy hoodie, their back was turned to her, she couldn't see them. She tried to shout in warning to Aria, but her mind stole her words from her and buried her in it's grey depths.

Sonata could see them again, and she ran towards them, determined to catch them before she blanked out again. The unknown figure raised an arm. There was a glint as an object in their hand caught the light of a nearby streetlamp.

"STOP!" Sonata yelled, the word barely passing her lips before she was hit by another wave of nothingness.

She was woken by Aria's screams. Sonata saw her friend on the ground, shielding her face against her assailant with her arms, shouting for help. Sonata leapt into action and started running towards them again.

They were so far away. They were so, so far away, but she could see every detail. The fear and pain in Aria's eyes, the serrated edge of the knife in the murderer's hand, the drops of blood that ran down Aria's face, blending with her tears. Yet they were so far away. Surely Sonata couldn't reach them before...

The hooded figure was stabbing her. Aria's screams became gurgles. Sonata was getting so close. Aria made eye contact with her, her eyes shouting at her to save her. Sonata was almost there, she just had to...

Sonata was behind the assailant. She didn't hesitate to grab a handful of their sweater and yank them away from her injured friend. She spun the murderer around to see who it was, and saw....

Sonata was kneeling in a pool of blood, cradling Aria in her lap. Her friend was still alive, but they both knew it wouldn't be for long.

"I'm sorry Aria." Sonata whispered, her tears threatening to drown her. "I'm sorry I wasn't fast enough." She spoke to her, crying, apologizing over and over again through a blur of tears. Eventually she lifted an arm to wipe her eyes, and clear her vision. She looked down. Aria's eyes were glassy. She wasn't breathing. Sonata threw her head back, and screamed in the agony one can only feel watching one of their best friends die.

Author's Note:

Here's another chapter to make up for last week's absence. The story is going to wrap up soon!! Thanks for everyone who's been following along, dropping a like, or interacting with me in the comments! It's been really motivating!

Comments

[Rock-Mint-Swirl]

That was so intense! Winder who the murder is... Last chapter started making me think maybe it Sonata while she was all dazed out, and just didn't remember what happened this proved me wrong... ~ Mintstar

[PeryFire]

8691106
Glad you're enjoying it!

[King of Madness]