I texted Haruka through the fake profile, and she answered me back with exact coordinates. I found her in a little garden on the side, where two stone benches stood. The grass was already overgrown; this place seemed nothing short of abandoned.
When she saw me first, she just looked away, but seeing me coming closer, she looked alarmed.
"I texted you over a fake profile; I am sorry. You have to be more careful."
"Who are you?" She really had beautiful almond eyes and short black hair, looking attractive.
"I am Kenny Howard." I said, looking at the grass, not knowing how to start now that I had her in front of me.
There was silence.
"Henrietta talked about you."
"She did?" I looked up again before explaining.
"Do you know what happened to her?"
"That she is dead? Yeah, I think the news will soon bring it as well."
"The school forum?"
She chuckled,
"Can't believe that they haven't shut it down already." She petted the bench on which she sat.
"Come here."
I took a step toward her, checking if it was really alright. I remember being this cautious, looking at every motion the faces of my family made, to estimate whether I could come closer or not. It was always, always, a 'not' with them.
Sitting beside her, I sighed.
"I don't know what's going on; let me just ramble for a moment." She hummed beside me, and I told her.
"I knew Henrietta for a year and saw her up to two times a week. Now she is suddenly dead, and I am the prime suspect; everyone thinks I have a deeper connection with her than I have. Fuck." I didn't know if I could mention the pictures and text messages that had shown up, so I did not. It was lame itself to whine to her.
"I am meeting you because I want to know: how have you perceived Henrietta's character, what did she tell you about me, and do you know why she could have been killed?"
I propped my elbows on my thighs.
"Kenny, you know…"
"Hm?" I looked at her.
"I will answer you. I knew her as someone boring but nice. She didn't seem to sleep or eat well, and she forgot things often; she was a real airhead." She took a deep breath and looked at the sky.
"She told me she met you because she wanted to remember and differ which things and memories are real…"
"Did she have a psychological illness?" That wouldn't explain the pictures and texts through.
"I don't know…she just seemed more confused than sick. She told me you were nice, and she felt comfortable in your presence. Nothing more."
I breathed a sigh of relief,
"So she had never said anything about us being in a romantic relationship?"
Her head whipped to me, and her dark eyes looked at me pointedly.
"She never said that."
I again put my face in my hands, relieved.
"Good."
"Were you two an item?" She asked.
"No, never." I put my hands together and looked at the grass.
"Then why do you ask?"
"Because the police seems to think so." I clenched my jaw together.
"Do you know why she died?" Haruka shuffled a bit closer to me.
"No."
"Did you love her?"
"No."
"Did you kill her?" I looked at her and saw her becoming nervous.
"No." I reached for my cigarette and lit it.
"I am sorry, Kenny." She said.
"You are recording this conversation?" I knew already, still. Hadn't thought it would hurt me a bit.
"Recording and filming, you should have checked what I study." She didn't seem too overly proud, just stating the facts.
"Something with computers?" I asked, feeling a deep disappointment settle inside me.
"Yup."
"Police or news?" I took a deep drag of my cigarette, feeling somewhat lost. Ah, I remember this feeling; it isn't a good one.
"Both. The former because Henrietta was my friend, the latter because college is costly." She looked straight ahead.
"Weren't you scared I would attack you?" I asked.
She turned and smiled sadly at me,
"That would bring even more money."
I hummed, still sitting there and taking a few drags. I know already what would be a problem; it was the question I asked if Henrietta ever mentioned a romantic relationship with me, and my relief at the answer. That made me suspicious. And whatever she was able to cut our talk into.
I didn't dare to ask if she would manipulate the video or audio; I wasn't concerned about that anymore.
"You know about my 'ability' right?" I snuffed the cigarette out, the strange thought coming to me that Haruka could get it and sell it, but who cares.
"Yeah." She nodded.
"Can I touch your hand? I would like to 'read' you."
"Sure." She readily reached out to me, and I took it, flipping the coin.
I slapped it on my other hand and saw that it had turned black. The woman's eyes, ears, and heart were uncovered. Future.
The girl with short hair and almond eyes runs; it is night; someone is behind her. She runs into a forest where she stumbles. She is terrified. He will soon come; he is right behind her.
Her legs shake, but the adrenalin let her go; the dumb thought of it being like in a horror movie crosses her mind, as she just wants to flee. She hears him calling her name; he is near. Her lungs ache, but it makes her feel alive. Soon she will be saved; soon she will remember this experience, along with the last days, as nothing but a bad dream.
But then, as if out of nowhere, something grips her jacket. She shrieks loudly; her heart beats so strongly that her head thrummed.
She is thrown on the floor.
The man with light-brown hair lands on her; he puts his hands around her neck, putting pressure into his grip.
No, someone will surely come and save her.
Soon, it will be nothing more than a nightmare.