…where am I? I feel as if… wait, that's not the right word.

I can't feel anything anymore. Not in the emotional sense, but in the physical sense. Not only that, but I can't see, hear or smell anymore, either. In fact, none of my senses are working. All I have are my thoughts.

Is this the afterlife?

Oh no…

I really am dead, aren't I?

…

This is all my fault.

I should never have killed myself. I'm such an idiot. How could I have been so selfish? I wish I could go back and try again, but I can't. Because I threw my life away. Because I let the rainclouds win. And I can't take it back. I'll never get to go back to the Literature Club. I'll never get to have more of Natsuki's cupcakes. I'll never get to graduate from school, get a job, or start a family. But worst of all…

…I'll never get to see Anon again.

I'm sorry…

My vision and hearing are slowly returning. At first, I can only see random specks of red, green, and blue, flying around with no set pattern, and all I can hear is a loud hissing noise. It's like staring at static on an old CRT TV with your face pressed up against the glass.

Slowly but surely, the colors resolve themselves into familiar surroundings, and the hissing fades away. I'm back in my room. I don't know how, but I am.

Does this mean I can get a second chance at life?

My sense of touch is starting to return. I can feel the rope around my neck. I try to move, to get it off of me, to get down from here, but I can't. I'm completely unable to move.

No…

Just when I thought I could try again… Just when I thought fate was going to be merciful to me for once, it decides to kick me while I'm down. Is this… hell? Is this my punishment for acting without thinking? To be trapped in my own corpse, still hanging from the very noose that took my life?

I hear a knock on the front door. I try to scream for help, but I can't. The door opens, and I hear footsteps approaching my room.

Anon: "Sayori?"

A…Anon?

…uh-oh.

He's going to find me… He's going to find out what I've done to him… and then… I just can't bear the thought of him having to live without me!

His footsteps are getting louder now.

Please… forgive me, Anon… I wasn't thinking straight. I promised myself long ago I wouldn't do this to you, and yet I betrayed you by doing it anyway… I'm so sorry…

I love you.

There's a knock at the door.

Anon: "Sayori? Wake up, dummy…"

I can't help but chuckle to myself hearing that. Or, at least I would if I were able to. Yep, that's Anon, alright.

Still… I've never been this scared in my life. Or afterlife, as it were.

The door creaks slightly as it gently swings open.

Anon: "…Sayo—"

The next sound I hear is a bloodcurdling scream. Time seems to stand still as it echoes off of the walls. It feels as though reality itself is collapsing around us.

An exception has occurred.

File "game|script-ch5,rpy", line 307

See traceback,txt for details.

…

What have I done?

What have I done?!

I wish this were just a nightmare. I really do. But it's all too real. I just want things to go back to the way they were…

I can hear Anon gagging, as if he's about to throw up.

I'm sorry I did this to you, Anon. I'm sorry you had to see me like this. You deserve better than me. I just want you to be happy. That's all I've ever wanted. Ever since we were children, that's the only thing I've ever truly cared about. All those times we've spent together were the closest I've ever been to being truly happy.

I want to start over. I want to go back and try again. But I can't. This isn't some game where I can reset and try something different…

I'm so, so sorry…

I miss you…

…I don't feel too good…

Ê¾Ð¿µ¥ÆØ£»î/Š‰π∫˘≤?◊Ø Ã‚Â£", "Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£", "ÃƒÆ'Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£&q$ß ?Ôæ§}Ç½ŠØ?

sayori,chr does not exist.

He just left, and he forgot about me... again. Why does it hurt me so much? I shouldn't be upset about this. He doesn't have to-

Wait... this has happened before.

Oh God no. Not again... Aren't I supposed to be dead? How is this even happening?

Screw it. I slowly take in a deep breath and call out to him.

$â¥Ø¶î: "H̺͚͍͓̰̭̰̝ȩ̵͉͓͉e̬̹̺e̷̶͇̭̲̭̪̗e̯̗̻̠͈͜é̠̱̗̯̲̯̞̞e҉̨̹̰͓͉̞ę̶̤̙͖̖e̙̮̪͚̹̗̘͕̫͡e͏͙̙̘̲͠y̴̵̻͉̯͍̲̱ͅy͙̬̙͓̼̯͠͡͠!̴̬͎̖͉̬̮̫͙̀!̨͔͍̹͍͙̣̤́͟"

...What the...?

What happened to my voice?

Whatever... I wave my arms around, trying to get Anon's attention.

Wait a minute... where are my arms?!

I look at where my arms should be as I run. I only see disorganized floating masses of flesh where my arms should be.

Anon sighs and lets me catch up to him. He looks embarrassed.

If I'm caught in some sort of Groundhog Day loop, maybe I can tell him... He is my friend, after all. Then again, he probably won't believe me.

But I don't care. I'm desperate at this point. I try to grab him by the shirt, but my... "hands" pass right through him. I'm scared out of my wits... but I have no other choice. I have to tell him.

Well, here goes nothing.

$â¥Ø¶î: "Ḩ̖̘͙É̝͠E̡̱̯̤͉̰̬͓̥͠ͅE̶͇̥̜̺̞͙͍̦͘E̵̙͙͇̬̞̻̜̟͘͞ͅE͔̻̜L̴̥̟͞P̞̖̭͍̬͡ͅ ̴͍̺̗͟M̤̤͚E̬͔̭̱̱͔̟͇E͉E͚̞̳̰Ȩ̨͚̞͇̮̙̮E̶̛͎!͍̜̰̟̗͎͙̗!͓͕̝̣͇̳͚̺͠ͅ"