The Desperate Voice
"See you soon.."
Harpy gently pulls me back just as I'm about to leave after escorting her all the way to the bedroom inside her cage. "Before you go.. um.."
She rises onto her tiptoes with an adorable little hop and offers her lips. I answer with a kiss, and only then does she seem to relax enough to slowly release my sleeve. Ah.. right.
"Harpy, once you're allowed to go farther outside.. how about visiting Dora then?"
"..."
As expected, she still looks troubled. After all, she hasn't even known whether Dora is alive or dead. "We haven't found her yet, but I'm sure she's doing well somewhere."
I'm worried the words might sound irresponsible, but I believe there's still hope. According to what the Field Team Leader told me, even though we couldn't extract any useful information about Dora's whereabouts from the hospital records, there was also no record of a girl who died from a wild animal attack at any nearby hospital around the estimated time of the incident.
"..But,"
"If it's possible.. I think apologizing, even if it's late, would be good for you too, Harpy. Before it gets any later."
Harpy looks startled at first, as if she never expected to hear that name from my mouth again, but she soon feels grateful for my concern and throws herself into my arms. I was worried she might feel burdened, but thankfully her reaction isn't bad.
"Okay.. I will."
Though I'd barely managed to let her go, I end up hugging her again and stay like that for a while. After stroking her hair the whole time and promising I'll come back soon, I'm finally able to leave her room. Following the Team Leader's instruction to wait in the staff-only room, I head over.
The next counseling subject.. those words bring back a sense of crisis I'd forgotten while growing used to Harpy's gentle, warm atmosphere. But what I end up facing next is..
"It's big brother, right? Hello~"
"Huh?"
A black-haired girl is sitting on the Team Leader's lap, fiddling with the clown mask as if she's about to rip it off at any moment. Her jet-black eyes, like black pearls, turn toward me, and a cheerful greeting reaches my ears. Yet those lightless black eyes make me shiver involuntarily, and I suck in a sharp breath without meaning to.
Feeling guilty for my rude reaction, my hands tremble, but the girl doesn't seem to care. She simply loses interest in the mask she's been touching and stands up from the Team Leader's lap, walking toward me. Her hair, several times longer than her height, drags across the floor as she approaches barefoot. The white lab coat draped over her plain black dress and the name tag on her chest finally catch my eye.
"..Founder, right?"
"Yeah! Come here quickly."
"Urk..?"
The girl grabs my wrist and pulls me over to the table where the Team Leader is sitting. She stands me behind an empty chair, then hops up onto it herself and plops down. My wrist, which she'd been holding, is now flushed red and throbbing. I swallow dryly. What kind of strength..
"Pet my head~"
"R-Right."
So that's why she made me stand behind the chair in the first place. It's not a difficult request. Besides, her hair feels so soft that petting it is actually rewarding, so it's not a loss. Still, I wonder why she's here when she supposedly doesn't come up often. She wouldn't say the next counseling subject is this girl, would she?
"No, the next counseling subject hasn't been decided yet. It's not Founder, so don't worry."
"Aha.."
The Team Leader must have noticed my face turning pale and quickly reassures me. ..Thank goodness.
Swish.. swish..
But if that's the case, I still wonder why this girl was waiting here with me, so I ask carefully while continuing to stroke her hair. "..So why are you here, Founder?"
"Hm? I came to see big brother~ I was going to go straight to you, but this creepy clown girl asked me to wait here with her, so eeeuuu.. this feels nice.."
Though I asked while looking at the Team Leader, the girl answers directly that she came to see me. If she were just a cute little girl, I would've been genuinely happy to hear that and wouldn't feel this anxious. But because she isn't, my mouth goes dry wondering if she has some other intention.
Whether she notices or not, the girl only leans her head further into my hand, her voice turning pleasantly drowsy as I gently stroke her hair. "Euuu.. uu.. feels good.."
Her reaction is cute enough to make the corners of my mouth twitch, but I can't just grin like an idiot when I keep thinking that one wrong move could cost me both arms.
"My little sister would probably like this a loooot too.. I'll definitely bring her next time."
"Your sister..?"
If it's her sister, then obviously.. "Mm.. no, I think I'll just take big brother with me instead. She doesn't want to come out."
"..."
According to the Team Leader, the younger sister is supposedly easier to talk to, but her personality is.. difficult. Worried that I might accidentally tug on a strand of hair tangled around my fingers and lose my head, I shoot the Team Leader a desperate look for help, but it seems even she can't do anything about it.
"Okay~ Big brother! Let's go down together right now!"
"Huh?"
The moment the girl snatches my wrist while I'm still petting her hair and says we should go down..
"Wha..?"
My body, which had been in the staff-only room with the Team Leader, suddenly sinks into the floor as if it were a lie. Startled, I squeeze my eyes shut, and when I open them again, I'm standing in some unknown hallway with the girl.
I remember her saying we were going down, but.. what just happened? Whether I'm shocked by this unprecedented teleportation or not, the girl tilts her head while looking around.
"Ehh..? That's weird.. Where did she go? I thought she was around here somewhere.."
"Ah.. You mean your sister?"
"Yeah! She's my absolute favorite little sister in the whole world!"
If she's this hard to find, maybe the affection isn't mutual.. "Ugh.. She must've run away again because she knew I was coming!"
"..."
My guess seems correct, but the girl doesn't look bothered at all. In fact, she looks even more delighted.
"Well, whatever! This time it's hide-and-seek? Yahoo!"
Humming the familiar tune of "Hide well~ hide well~" in a cheerful voice, she dashes down the hallway barefoot. I stand still and watch until her long hair finally disappears from view, then finally let out a sigh.
"Haa.."
I wish this sigh of relief was just from escaping the girl's grasp, but.. did she really just leave me stranded on some unknown floor? "..."
Apparently so. At least the place she left me is a hallway rather than some other containment room, so that's one small mercy.
"So what floor is this?"
I really hope it's not too deep underground. The Team Leader probably reported it right away, but I still only have clearance up to Level 2 where Harpy is when I'm alone. If I'm caught wandering around the lower levels without permission, a gun barrel might be shoved in my face at any moment. In the worst case.. "..."
Please, please.. I pray the Team Leader contacted someone quickly as I wander the hallway looking for an elevator.
*Sniffle.. sob.. hic.. sob..*
"...?"
There aren't any open safe doors nearby, but I could've sworn I just heard someone crying.. *Help me.. Someone please get me out..*
At first I wonder if I'm hearing things because I'm so tense, but the voice that reaches me again is definitely asking for help. I stop walking and look up and down the hallway, but see nothing. It doesn't take long to realize the voice is coming from inside someone's mind.
*Please.. please... save me...*
This sorrowful, desperate voice echoing in my head.. Rather than someone in immediate danger frantically calling for help, it feels more like.. someone who's fallen into deep despair and is desperately hoping for rescue..
*It hurts.. I'm in pain... Anyone is fine.. Please save me..*
"..."
The pitiful, sobbing voice trembles with such earnestness that I can't just walk past it. Unlike the mermaids who lied through their teeth, this voice is undoubtedly her true feelings.
Drawn by the sound as if entranced, I follow it until I reach a containment room. Beside the safe door is a nameplate.
[RL.4 - GIRL]