Silent Boy

Everyone noticed that something was wrong with Yuki. Toyota, Katsuya, and Annette stood outside the front door. Katsuya knocked on the door. He held his girlfriend’s hand. The friends waited as the door opened. Asuka poked her head outside.

“Oh good, you’re here,” she said.

“How is he?” Toyota asked.

“Not good,” Asuka said. “He won’t come out of his room.”

“Can we see him?” Katsuya asked. The older sister sighed.

“Come in,” she whispered. The three friends walked into the house.

It felt like walking into a tomb. No one said a word. Asuka wouldn’t even look at them as she led them up the stairs. She held her hand to her chest. The friends looked at each other. They all made it up to Yuki’s room. Asuka knocked on his door.

“Yuki-kun,” she said. “Your friends are here!” There was no answer as she pressed her ear to the door for a listen. She could hear rustling inside.

“We’re coming in, okay?” she asked. Asuka didn’t wait for a response as she opened the door. The room was dark inside. Asuka took a step forward. Through the dim light, she spotted her brother sitting on his bed. He had his sheets over his head. The boy sat so still.

“Yuki,” his sister said. “Your friends came by to see you.” The boy didn’t stir. Annette took a step forward.

“Yuki?” she asked. “Yuki, it’s us.” The figure under the sheet started to move. Everyone froze. A hand with a phone came out from under the sheet. His sister and friends leaned in for a look on the screen.

“I can’t speak. I lost my voice,” Katsuya read. He looked up at the blanket. The sheet fell away. Yuki looked worn out in the dimming light.

“What happened to you, man?” Toyota asked. A look of worry washed over his face. Yuki drew back his phone and started typing. His friends looked at each other in concern.

“What do we do?” Annette whispered. The boys and Asuka looked at each other. Yuki handed over his phone.

“I was looking for Shizuma. I went out to that temple. There was this pale woman. I think she took my voice,” Yuki wrote. His friends looked at him.

“Well, where’s Shizuma?” Toyota asked. Yuki looked down and typed on his phone.

“I don’t know.”

A tear rolled down his cheek. Asuka reached over and stroked her hair. She pulled him into a hug.

“Is there anything we can do?” Annette asked. The boys turned to her. Yuki shrugged.

“What are you saying, baby?” Katsuya asked. “We don’t know where he went. We don’t even know where to look.” He tried to reach for her, but she pushed him aside. Her attention stayed on Yuki.

“You said that a strange lady took your voice, right?” Annette asked. Yuki nodded.

“Well okay,” she said. “We just need to find a way to break the curse.”

“And how do we do that?” Toyota asked.

“We are going to have to look it up,” Annette said. She pulled out her phone and started looking up information. The girl turned to her mute friend in his sister’s arms.

“Don’t worry,” she said. “We’ll get Shizuma and your voice back.” Yuki stared at her with big eyes. He wanted to believe her. That just maybe, just maybe, they could put an end to his suffering. But he knows better. He can’t say what he really thinks. He couldn’t talk at all. Annette wouldn’t listen if he could anyway. She would barrel on and help him anyway. Remembering all of that seemed to lift his spirits. Yuki smiled as he put up his hands.

“Yuki?” Toyota asked. Annette didn’t have to ask.

“We will do our best,” she said. Yuki bowed his head and closed his eyes. Katsuya and Toyota pulled out their phones as well.

“What exactly are we looking for?” Katsuya asked.

“I don’t know,” Annette said. “Something about pale ladies and ghosts.”

“Got it,” the boys said. Yuki sat on his bed in Asuka’s arms as his friends did all of the work. No point of making them do the work. He took got on his phone and started looking up information as well.