I woke with a start, quickly looking left to right. Last night’s events washed over me like a waterfall, and Dizzy was nowhere to be seen. It was no surprise; I did end up attacking her, acting out my nightmare, meaning to cause her no harm and still making her my target of aggression. I bit my lip at the thought. She had done nothing wrong and I got her mixed up in everything. My emotions, my thoughts, my problems… She shouldn’t have to bare any of that.

 

The sun shone faintly through the curtain on the window, letting in just enough light to brighten the dimly lit room. I remember after hurting Dizzy I couldn’t really fall back asleep, so my eyes adjusted pretty quickly after tossing and turning most of the night, opening my eyes to see if Dizzy returned or not.

I through the covers off and swung my legs over the edge of the bed, swallowing hard. I had to apologize to Dizzy, now more than ever. It wasn’t just a single slap this time… Throwing on a dark blue tank and ocean blue jeans, I walked out the room, ready to face the music.

 

The living room was going to be my first spot to search for her. But when I got there, expecting to find Dizzy lying on the couch, much like before, an innocent look across her face, she was gone. This time she wasn’t there. The first thought that shot through my mind was that she left, even though she didn’t really have anywhere to go. She wasn’t happy living with her family and I don’t think she had any friends…I dismissed the thought, turned on my heels and headed toward the bathroom. If someone were in there, the door would stay shut till it was opened from the inside, letting me know if she were in there. When I got to the door and it didn’t open, I lightly knocked on it, hoping deep down for a response.

 

“Dizzy, you in there?” I called.

 

Seconds after, the door slid open and Tipsy came walking out, flinging her tail from side to side. Ignoring her for the moment, I gazed into the darkened room, hoping Dizzy was somewhere within.

 

“Tipsy, was Dizzy in there?” I asked, hoping for a yes.

 

“I’m sorry, Miss Random; but I have not seen her since yesterday.”

 

Her response worried me even more. I wanted to make sure she wasn’t in there so Itook a look around the bathroom. Sure enough, she wasn’t there. My heart beatbegan to pick up, pounding against my ribcage. Where could she be? I headed for the kitchen next.

Flipping the lights on, I did a quick glance around the kitchen. No one was there. It didn’t even look like anything was touched since last night, everything looked clean and spotless.

 

“Dizzy… where are you?” I whispered to myself, turning toward the living room.

 

If she never came back it’d be my fault and I’d never forgive myself.

 

Taking a seat on the couch I took a deep breath as my eyes passed over the room.  Three years of work was put into this place; repairing old wires, automating most everything here. Then Dizzy came along and messed with it all. I was so mad at her then, coming in and taking control over my home. It was just like Aurora…

I shook my head, trying to block out the thoughts. Dizzy was nothing like Aurora. Sure, she fixed up things here and there and may out do me in almost anything, but she at least did it in front of me, without really trying to show me up or belittle me. It impressed me how much better she could make anything in this house, and I guess it made me a little jealous. I hoped it wasn’t my jealousy mixed in my dreams that chased her away.

 

I had a natural talent for making various machines, gizmos and gadgets. More so than anyone in Hitomi, which I guess made me feel superior to everyone in some way. But so did she; someone I’ve never even known about. She’d take my kitchen of buttons and give it voice commands. She’d take my simple buttons in the shower and add settings to the nozzle to allow any degree of pressure, form small patters of water to full on torrents. In a way, I respected her, even after I yelled at her countless times. It felt like a sister messing with your things and you just wanted to yell, but in the end she always helped you out. She made this place better and more controlled than I would have ever been able to do living on my own. Dizzy was a genius, and I wasn’t using the word lightly; the girl was gifted beyond recognition. The golden gear lost in the twine of yarn from yesteryear.

 

I didn’t notice it at first, but a tear hit the floor in front of me, wetting my bare feet. I then found myself leaning over the edge of the couch, crying, my tears sliding down my face and onto the floor. That’s when I realized it; I was sad. Sad that Dizzy was gone, sad that she wasn’t here, and my body had finally caught up with it. Even for just the week she was here, my life felt like it had a little more excitement, like I had family, a sister. Not that Cocoa wasn’t able to fill that role; she always felt like a best friend, a sister, a true sister. But Dizzy was someone I could relate to on a more intellectual level.

I rubbed the back of my hands against my eyes, trying to stop the tears. I had to find Dizzy, no matter what. I owed it to her.

 

I took another deep breath, got up, and grabbed the cordless phone hanging on the wall. I immediately went to dial Cocoa then stopped myself. We weren’t on the best of terms right now and I didn’t want to escalate that further, especially over the phone. My head then did a double take and I tried to think of another number to call. Almost instantly, Cody came to mind. Thankfully my phone stored numbers of anyone who called, as I don’t recall ever taking his number down.

 

After dialing in his number, I put the receiver to my ear and waited, listening to the faint ringing on the other end. On the third ring, someone picked up and my heart jumped, hoping it was Cody.

 

“Hello?” echoed a voice over the receiver. It was Cody.

 

“Cody, it’s Random,” I tell him.

 

“Oh, hey Random, how’s it go-“

 

“Dizzy’s run away,” I blurt out, cutting him off. Silence followed. It then occurred to me that I’ve never really told Cody who Dizzy was. At all. I could have during the week we spent together, but I couldn’t bring myself to, not after what I’d done after the first nightmare… Dizzy, if only I could truly say I was sorry… If I could go back in time and fix my mistakes, all of them…

 

“You still there Random? And who’s Dizzy?” Cody asks, shocking me out of my daze.

 

My mind was racing with things to say, something that didn’t sound like a lie or unbelievable. I didn’t want to quite tell him the truth about the situation; I think he’d find me insane or some deranged criminal, so I decided to just give him a short version; a small sum of a lie.

 

“She’s… the sister of a friend from school. I was letting her stay here because…” my voice trailed off.

 

I bit my tongue searching for the right words. I didn’t want to lie to him, but I couldn’t tell him the truth either. It was all too much to take in right now and I just wanted to have it all end. My head was spinning and wouldn’t stop long enough for me to think coherently. It was like having a nightmare but being awake to fully experience it.

 

“If you need help Random just ask me, I won’t ask for the details. I know you’re smart and everything, but if you someone to lean against, just say the word. Not everyone can handle things on their own.”

 

Hearing him say that lifted my spirits a little; and I managed to continue talking to him, in a less worried voice. But the last part of sentence sounded angrier then I think he intended it to be. Has he been through something similar before? I didn’t bother asking him.

 

“She left some time this morning,” I explain.“I don’t know where she could have gone or how far, but If you could help me look for her I’d appreciate it. I don’t know who else to turn to…”

 

I couldn’t tell if I was in tears or not, but a solid yes from him was the last thing I heard before I hung up the phone, wiping away lingering tears from before. I then went to grab my cardigan out of our room and throw on my pink strapped boots before heading out the door. “Our room…” I murmur as the door closes behind.

 

The place he wanted to meet up at was Oodles of Noodles. Thanks to a large bowl of noodles sign that hung above it, it wasn’t a hard landmark to miss. The buildings loomed all around me as the minutes ticked slowly by. The sun was also shining pretty brightly today with not that many clouds in the sky. A gentle breeze tickled my skin as I looked up and down the street for Cody, hoping he’d be there soon. He told me on the phone to meet him here, but I guess I was just paranoid and thought he wouldn’t show up. With Dizzy gone, Cocoa and I not spending much time together and Aurora on my number one hate list, I realized I wasn’t thinking straight all that much to begin with lately. What happened to my life?

 

Before I could ponder or answer that, I spotted Cody running down the street. From the look of it, he was wearing a tan t-shirt with a jean jacket thrown over it along with matching dark blue jeans and red stripped track shoes. The bright smile that usually shown upon his face (that I loved looking at), was replaced with worry and fatigue. He must have run all the way here, even though I know his house isn’t far from Oodles of Noodles. When he finally reached me he placed his hand on his knees and was breathing heavily, like he’d just run 10 miles. For a guy in such great looking shape, it’s hard to imagine him being winded like this.

 

“Are you okay?” I asked him, leaning over to match his height.

 

“Y-Yeah, I’m g-good,” he says in-between breaths. “Had to get ready before I left and after I did I noticed that the sun was shining.” He gestures toward the sky to indicate the sun. Come to think of it, he was wearing something more designed for fall, not spring or summer. No wonder he was tired and sweaty.

 

“Thanks for coming,” I tell him as I straighten up, him doing the same.

 

“It’s no trouble at all,” he tells me then kisses me on the cheek. Till that moment I forgot we were a couple, and it felt a little strange. “So any idea where she might have run off to? Family, friends?”

 

In the endless ocean of chaos that was my mind I didn’t really think to where she might have gone off to, just where she probably wouldn’t go to. I don’t know how much she left her home, so I don’t know exactly where she’d go. There was the junkyard, where I had once offered her to go to, where she’d just have to tell them I sent her. But she argued how her height was a problem, so I didn’t want to mention the junkyard to Cody but… I didn’t think about, it was too much to hope for.

 

“So, any ideas?” Cody asks, his usual care free expression replaced with a serious look.

 

“Just one… but I want to save it for later,” I turned toward the town, hoping I sounded convincing. If we were going to go to the junkyard, I wanted it to be the last place. “Let’s ask around and see if anyone’s seen her. She’s short for her age, so it should be easy for someone to have seen her.”

With a nod we set off in search of Dizzy.

 

You’d be amazed how big this city is when you’re looking for someone. Never really taking the time to notice, I realize now that all the buildings towered pretty high above the sidewalks. I, of course, was there to witness most of them being built and even helped speed the process along a little. That’s when Cocoa started introducing me around town and showed me I wasn’t just some strange girl who appeared out of nowhere. That’s when I felt like I started to fit into the busy streets and narrow roadways that led to various department or grocery stores. Like I was someone people respected, not someone people feared.

As Cody and I navigated through it, we asked various people in stores if they’d seen a short girl travelling by herself. The first stop was the Hot Chocolate shop, where I asked the owner, Dan, if he’d seen her. He shook his head no.

 

“I get a lot of customers in here, but none like that.”

 

I also asked if Cocoa had been by recently, but he just said he hadn’t seen her for a week. I found that strange and told Cody that she loved coming by here. He didn’t really have an answer for it, but it was nice having someone to talk to, someone to tell all your random thoughts to. We then waved goodbye and continued onward.

We walked past various stores in our search; Shoes o’ plenty, Too many tools, Gardeners dream, to name a few. The street we were on saw the most buzz of the city, with fast food places right across the street from the stores. It was usually jam packed with people rushing in and out of stores, carrying tons of stuff with them. Hitomi wasn’t that large of a town, so it wasn’t hard to get lost in. Even the local highway in and out of town crossed just on the outskirts, alongside a hotel and small shopping district that led right into town. It always felt like anyone who traveled through here always took in the sights, no matter how busy they were. I wouldn’t be surprised though; there’s a lot to see here.

As we walked down Charter Street, we hung a right toward the school. Mostly apartments were set along this road, allowing a fair amount of students to get to school easily. The building itself was made of brick, and housed about 50 rooms betweenthe sides of the roads. Balconies stretched out from the upper levels, allowing you to sit outside on a summer afternoon. Kids were going in and out of doors as we passed by, some staring down from the upper levels, sending chills and old memories down my spine.

When we finally got to the school, it was no surprise it was closed considering it was the weekend. I thought maybe Dizzy would have come here seeking out her sister, even though she showed no signs she really cared about her. I explain it to Cody who nods as we turn back toward the city, obviously not finding out any more here.

 

Getting to spend time with Cody was a plus at least, and I was able to learn things about him I didn’t know before, like how outgoing he was. Most of the people we passed by he went right up to and asked if they saw anyone who matched the description of Dizzy I gave him. Most shook their heads, indicating they hadn’t seen anyone like that. He even went into a few places to take a quick glance, and then came out sighing.

 

“No sign of her,” he would tell me, before kissing me on the cheek, causing me to smile. “don’t worry though, will find her.”

 

As we continued down the busy streets, I was thankful for the light breeze as the sun beared down our backs, making it feel like a sauna. Cody even took off his jacket and slung it over his right shoulder, holding it like you’d hold a backpack by one strap. I told him at the main crosswalk, where the most traffic comes through with it being the center of town, our next stop should be the park. I know I went there a lot when I was rejected by people, and I thought maybe she’d be no different. It was the only place far away enough from anyone and anything where I could think clearly. I didn’t tell Cody this and, thankfully, he just nodded. Only Cocoa knew of that part of me.

 

Turning under the brick archway that led into to the park, we both agreed to split up to look for her or ask anyone if they’d seen her on our own. Cody went to check around the lake and the play equipment. I took this chance to go to the spot in the forest where I could relax, think clearly, and hope to find Dizzy. No such luck.

When I got there the flowers were in full bloom, the leaves rustling overhead. The wind blew gently in-between the trees, just brushing against the flowers and my warmbody. The area was circular, and wide enough for a few people to sit around and have a picnic. It was almost something you’d picture out of a fairy tale. Maybe that’s why I always enjoyed coming here.

 

Sitting down on the grass I got to thinking about my parents and how they were. If they were alive or dead, if they were looking after me from behind the scenes or letting me live on my own. I often thought about how the dream with the wolf affected it all. They only time I really dreamed about them was as silhouettes, and there was a wolf attacking them and other silhouettes. Then my mind switched over to Cocoa, and how we grew up together for almost 4 years now. After all we’ve been through together; I didn’t think I’d ever lose her. All the walks we took, things we shared, stuff she’s done for me…

After letting the nostalgia pass, I got up and went to find Cody, taking one last look at the familiar place.

 

“Find anything,” I ask, stepping past some ducks. They were waddling back to the pond after some passerby’s gave them a bit of bread.

 

“Not a clue,” he tells me, looking after the ducks, his gaze lingering.

 

I offered to help him look and he shook his head. He looked exhausted already, but he didn’t mention it if he was. He told me he checked throughout the park twice, and asked anyone else who came in after us if they’ve seen Dizzy. I bit my lip. That girl was cunning and good at not wanting to be found if she was gone.After combing through half the city, you’d think we’d find her.

We decided to try the northern hotel by the highway next. Halfway there though, something tugged at my stomach, causing Cody to stop and turn around when I started falling behind. I turned to look across the street and noticed Aurora and Cocoa together. It looked like Aurora had Cocoa carrying a box, of what I couldn’t tell. But out the corner of my eye I caught her glance my way then offer to take the box from her. Was she using her like a pack mule?

 

“Random, what is it?” Cody asks, causing me to shake my head clear of the thought. I didn’t want to bring it up with him.

 

“Oh, it’s Cocoa and Aurora,” he says, following my gaze.“Do you think we should go and ask them if they’ve seen Dizzy?” I looked at him with a quizzical look on my face.

 

It wasn’t a dumb idea; it’s just that neither of them knew who Dizzy was. Cocoa I may have explained the situation to, if we were on speaking terms. Aurora, however, wouldn’t know nor would she care. She never took interest in anything I did. Even watching them I felt a tinge of jealousy from them talking, giggling and then laughing. Last time I’ve seen them together Cocoa looked miserable and Aurora looked how she always did; serious and emotionless to some extent. But now they were buddy buddy all of a sudden and I couldn’t stand it. I wanted to go over and slap Aurora across the face but reframed from doing so. I didn’t want Cocoa not talking to me for even longer or for Cody to think something was mentally wrong with me.

 

“Random?” Cody says, sending me out of my daydream. I almost forgot he was standing next to me.

 

“Yeah, yeah, let’s go,” I tell him, albeit distractedly. He didn’t argue and just agreed to continue toward the highway. I cast one last glance back toward Cocoa and Aurora and notice her practically shoving the box back toward Cocoa after she probably thought we finished watching. It made me madder than a, lunar wolf losing its meal under the stars gaze. But I bit back the pain and continued on, trying to return my focus to Dizzy and if she was okay or not.

 

Nothing else mattered right now.