SaiOuma Stories

Untimely Burial pt 2

(Took forever to figure out how I wanted this to go. I wanted to post it on our boi's birthday but I lacked in competence. But! I have another thing I'm gonna post soon after this so, I will soon be redeemed. Enjoy!)

Snow had thrown itself down the mountain side, and all everyone heard was a scream of horror filling the air. That suddenly cut off.

Shuichi stared numbly up at the mountain. He and the rest of the group made it down safely as ever, but the fear and paralyzing realization had knocked the air from his lungs. He wasn't the only one to panic. Everyone was shocked with horrible thoughts.

Avalanche. Avalanche. The word was passed around even though it was right in front of their eyes. Scared shaking voices yelled things to another, and Shuichi only could hope that one of those things was 911, because not everyone made it down that mountain.

"Himiko!?" Tenko shrieked, gathering the attention of everyone and drowning their souls in the idea of uncovering something horrific. Those were weren't in shock had hurried to the miles long pile of snow that wiped the mountain side clean of anyone who could have been skiing.

A groan was heard where a arm was sticking out of the snow, and Rantaro was the first with his backpack off, carrying everything they might need in case of an emergency. He pulled out a put-together shovel, and it wasn't long before the rest of her was uncovered by the snow. Luckily unharmed with no severe bruising.

Himiko was pulled from the snow, she had gotten lucky. The snow was light and didn't crush her at all, though her poles went missing along with one ski. "Himiko," Shuichi looked around panicked one last time. "Where's Kokichi?"

There was a silence that permeated the air into stiff hard thoughts. The girl shaking in the arms of Tenko only swallowed hard. Her eyes were wide, as if considering what they were all thinking.

"Rantaro," Kaito backed up from Shuichi, his thoughts the same as everyone's. "...Call the places Medical team."

Rantaro had Himiko sit down, and at the rate Shuichi's Mind was spiraling downwards, he had him practice breathing tactics too. Thankfully he had taken control of the situation and pat a horrified Shuichi on the shoulder. "...It's alright. You know we'll find him. Knowing Kokichi, he probably found some absurd hiding place to laugh in while we all look."

Shuichi gave a shaky nod. "How... How are you going to find him, wh-when you haven't a clue where he is? He wasn't even wearing a reflector I told him to wear before we went out this morning...!" He squeezed his eyes shut as he imagined Kokichi swallowed up by the snow, crushed and not being able to breath, slowly suffocating the more minutes ticked by.

"N-Nyeh... Shuichi, it's my fault... I asked him to help me down and then all the snow just-..just... slipped out and- I looked back just after he shoved me and I didn't even see him!"

Rantaro gave her a comforting pat on the head. "That means he went under just a couple feet from where you guys paused. Maki knows where that is, me and some kind strangers are going to look. Shuichi, I know you want to come, but can you handle it?"

Shuichi gawked at him. "No, I have to come. I want to." No matter his condition, no matter... Kokichi's condition. He stood to come with Rantaro, he knew it was dangerous, there was a slight chance of a second wave, but the more people, the more chance there is of recovering... something.

They got a trip up by a couple snowmobiles. Right around the area Maki said they last were. They handed Shuichi a shovel while the rescue team scoured the mountain side for a signal with a hand held machine to detect buried bodies. Time was wasting away, and Shuichi could only help Rantaro dig at the area's everyone thought he could be at. The sun melted away, and soon enough, lanterns were set up all over the place. Illuminating any means of sight.