***Re-uploaded from my old AFF. I wrote this fic in 2007, so it's one of my earlier works. I hope you enjoy it all the same! The chapters are long as well.***
Disclaimer: I do not own Saiyuki or its characters. This is a story just for fun and I am not making a profit off it.
This story will have accurate historical themes but some may be tampered with for the sake of the story. If you do not like that, then please do not read this fic. I will do my best to keep the facts in the best order I can. Towns and street names have been made up except for the historical ones that will appear throughout the story.
This story will have mature adult themes and strong language.
Please read on and enjoy!
Chapter One
The rain fell hard on the windshield of Gojyo's Ford pick up truck as the wipers swept rapidly back and forth. He cursed under his breath at the weather and reached into his back pocket for a pack of cigarettes. Flipping the top open, he frowned as he saw the pack was empty. He crushed it in his hand and tossed it on the floor of the passenger side seat.
"God damn it, this day just keeps getting worse and worse." He mumbled to himself as he continued to drive down the slightly deserted road. "This place better not be run down to that of a shack." He sighed and looked at his paper with directions to his new house.
Gojyo had inherited the house from a distant relative he did not know existed. It was left in both his name and that of his half brother Jien, but Jien already had a house of his own. So Gojyo got to keep the house in just his name, which to him, was much better than living in the house he grew up in. For Gojyo, too many sad and haunting memories laid in that house, and any place was better than there.
It was not long before he had entered the small town of Sunnyside, Massachusetts, which consisted of old colonial houses and recently built ones. The street was narrow, Gojyo noticed, as he drove slowly to not hit the cars parked along side of the road. At a red light, he quickly took a look at the address again and glanced at the street signs.
"So Locus Street should be this way?" He said to himself as he made a right. He continued straight through the town until he started to make his way on the outskirts, where he found Locus Street. "Alright, it shouldn't be too far off now." He slowed down a bit to count the houses until he found number 97. "This is it." He pulled into the muddy driveway and up to the side of the house. "It's a bit smaller than I thought." he frowned, and then figured it might be the rain covered windows hindering his view.
Quickly, he jumped out of the truck, pulling two suitcases from the back and running onto the front porch. The rain seemed to fall harder as he fumbled with his car keys, trying to find the one that unlocked the door. With a curse, he found the key and pushed it in, but found it was slightly jammed. "Mother fuc-" he swore softly under his breath as he jiggled the lock until it finally opened. With both suitcases in hand, he pushed the door open and entered, finally coming out of the rain. "It never fails to rain when I leave for somewhere." he said angrily and dropped his bags.
The house was dark and chilly, with hardly any furniture in sight. He swore under his breath and walked over to the tall lamp in the corner of the living room. The walls were white and a bit cracked in the corners; even the woodwork was chipped. The floorboards creaked in a few spots as he walked around the room, looking it up and down. His distant relative kept the place clean, but did not fix it up. Gojyo noticed that most of the furniture left looked old, almost antique. He figured they were left over from previous owners and in the good condition they were in he would keep them.
The kitchen was small with an old refrigerator, slightly crooked cabinet doors, and a sink. He tested the stove to make sure the real-estate agent sent word to have the gas and water turned on. When a blue flame popped up after one or two clicks, he let it run for a bit as he checked the water, which was clear. He smiled and turned off the stove, seeing that everything was in working order.
"No dishwasher though." he frowned and slipped his hands in his pockets as he checked the next room, which had an old piano and a desk, along with a scratched up rug and lounge chair. A fireplace was in the center of the wall, cleaned of any ashes. Gojyo looked up the chimney to see if it was opened or closed off. It was opened, which means he could get a fire going whenever he wanted. When the moving truck came with his stuff, he could put his futon couch in here so he can sleep in front of the fire, to save money on heat. He did not need a lot to live on, just enough to live.
Next he headed up the stairs, which creaked with every step. There were only about ten and the railing stopped half way up, leaving just the walls. The upstairs hallway was small, with only three rooms. One room to the right had a bed and a bureau, with a chest under the window. The wall was bare and there was a small door next to the bed. Curious, he bent down and opened it, seeing nothing more than a tiny crawlspace. He rolled his eyes and closed it, heading to the larger door on the opposite side. He opened it up and it was an empty built in closet, with a box of mothballs at the bottom. Gojyo made a mental note to get rid of that box when he started organizing. This would be his room, since it was the biggest.
The room next to it was a smaller room, but was empty except for a coat hanger and another little door in the corner. Gojyo walked over to it and studied it, seeing that it was not as small as the crawlspace. The doorknob was old and he had to jiggle it to get it to open. He was surprised to see a small, narrow staircase leading up into what could only be an attic. He smirked and walked up the tiny steps, having to duck his head at the entrance. The roof came just inches above his head and he looked around. The room was too dark to really make anything out, and there was no light switch or light bulbs anywhere. He could hear the rain falling down hard on the roof above him as he left the attic and closed the door.
The final room, which was completely empty, had the most windows. Gojyo walked in and looked out the back window. He saw something in the distance and had to scrub the fog off the glass. Squinting, he could make out a graveyard but it was too far away to judge if it was big or small.
"Just great, I'm living next to a bunch of dead people." he leaned against the wall and sighed. "Well, guess it's better than the living. Can't complain about my neighbors making noise." he said with a chuckle and left to check out the bathroom, which was the last room in the house. The toilet and tub looked to be new but Gojyo flushed the toilet just to check. He then checked the showerhead, which also worked. "Perfect."
He went back down to the living room where his bags were, noting that he had to get a television and cable. He opened one of his bags and took out a pack of cigarettes, smoking one. He sat back lazily in the chair and looked up at the ceiling with a peaceful smile.
"No car horns, no gun shots, no sirens-" he sighed "I could get used to this." He closed his eyes and thought about what he was going to do with all his things when they arrived. He was looking forward to setting up his new 'pad' and with that thought, he got up and put the cigarette out in the sink. He put his hands behind his head and sighed peacefully, stretching. "Some peace and quiet."
But what he heard next made his eyes shoot open and his body freeze. The music from the piano began to play a tune! Gojyo ran and looked at the piano, but it had stopped. He raised an eyebrow and went over to it, touching one of its keys. The key made a deep toot, showing that it was old and broken. It was definitely not the music he just heard. A thought suddenly crossed his mind as an answer to what just happened, but he laughed at himself.
"Pfft…ghosts. What a load shit. Gojyo my boy, you're loosing your mind."
Gojyo started to go threw his suitcases, taking out anything immediate he needed. He figured he would call for take out rather than go back out in the rain. But he could not help staring every now and then at the piano, thinking back to what happened. Gojyo had not been drinking, so it could not have been that. Or maybe it was a big rat? Perhaps a bat or a mouse? Whatever the reason, he knew he could not dwell on it.
It was nearing dinnertime so he figured it was time to put his order in, incase the stores close early in the area. He took the phonebook from under the telephone stand and looked up an eatery. As he picked up the phone, he froze as he heard a noise coming from the floor above him, as if someone was walking. Gojyo raised an eyebrow and slowly hung up the phone. He did not hear the sound again, but chose to go up and investigate, in case someone was actually in the house.
Gojyo, unafraid of whatever thug or robber was present, strolled up the stairs and into the master bedroom. There was nothing there in the open, so he checked under the bed, the closet, and the attic. While he was up there he checked around the other rooms to make sure.
"Shit, I must have rats." He said and rolled his eyes. "Damn old country houses." He shrugged and went back downstairs to call in for his dinner, this time he was not interrupted by a noise. Lighting up another cigarette, he took out his portable radio and put it on the mantle to hear some music. He sat back in the chair and kicked his shoes off. "Guess I'll have to invite frick and frack over soon." He smirked, referring to his two friends.
Bored with the music and lack of cable television, Gojyo reverted to opening up one of his many girly magazines that he brought along with him. He crossed his legs and smirked as he flipped the pages, turning the magazine at all angles. Out of the corner of his eye, Gojyo thought he saw the figure of a person near the doorway and he turned his head quickly to look. But nothing was there. He raised an eyebrow and laid the cigarette in the ashtray slowly.
"What the hell was that?" he thought out loud, rubbing his eyes. "Damn, must be from all that rain and driving. I need a drink…and damn it I didn't bring any." He glanced back at the door where he saw the shadow and he felt a sudden quick chill all along his body. "It's a bit cold in here." he said, thinking that was what the sudden chill was caused by. Little did he know, that he was not alone in the house. A ghostly lithe hand curled around the woodwork of the door and silently tapped its fingers.
About an hour later, there was a knock on the door and Gojyo went to answer it. It was the pizza delivery guy who, Gojyo noticed, had no umbrella and was soaked from the rain. He also noticed that his pizza box was soaked a bit and sighed. Gojyo paid the boy and gave him a small tip before slamming the door in his face. He sat down at the table in the kitchen and started eating his pizza lazily. With all his stuff on the way, he had nothing else to do. He figured that after dinner, he would go straight to bed so he could be ready for all his things to arrive tomorrow. The room suddenly got cold again and he frowned, dropping the remaining pizza back in the box.
"Damn it, I need to make so many fucking calls tomorrow…" he trailed off tiredly. "Damn cold houses." He got up and went to the thermostat to turn up the heat, when he saw that it was already on. Gojyo frowned and scratched his head. "I guess I must have did it already. Boy, I am losing my mind." he smirked and ate another piece of pizza before putting the box into the fridge. He cracked his neck and stretched his back before turning everything off and heading upstairs to his room. He had to check the sheets out first, and found them to be clean. Without a care, he flopped himself down and settled in.
It was not late into the evening when he felt the room get cold again, cold enough to wake him up out of sleep. He groaned and opened his eyes lazily, but he saw something he never in a million years expected to see. A dark figure of a man, only upper torso visible, was by the window of the room but quickly disappeared. Gojyo sat up in bed, his eyes wide and his heart pounding.
"What the fuck-?" he said out loud, turning on the bedside lamp. There was nothing in the room when he looked around, but the event still made him uneasy. It was just like the piano incident from this afternoon, strange and unexplainable. "Damn, I must be exhausted…now I'm seeing things, and I haven't had one drop to drink." he said with a tired chuckle.
He flopped himself back down on the bed but could not get back to sleep, the image still too fresh in his mind. Throwing the covers off, he got out of bed and headed downstairs to make himself something warm to drink. He knew he had brought some cocoa and tea with him. The room was too dark downstairs and he made a turn to put the light on. Once again, something caught his eye and he turned around. What he saw made his face drop, his eyes wide, and his limbs still. He saw the same ghostly figure from his room gliding up the steps, still no facial features or feet. He gulped and nearly fell back into the lamp but managed to catch himself.
"WHAT THE FUCK?! I HAVE GHOSTS!" he shouted and flopped into the armchair, still in shock. His hands trembled a bit as he ran a hand through his hair. "Ghosts….I have ghosts. Not rats, not mice or bats…but ghosts." He thought about it a bit more, and realized that if he told anyone, they would all think he was crazy. He was a grown man worrying about ghosts and magic pianos. "Damn old houses!" he swore under his breath.
After an hour or so of just sitting in the chair, he heard a sound coming from up above him again. He gulped and looked up, but the sound had stopped. It sounded as if someone was walking, but the ghost had no feet. How could they walk then? A ghost is supposed to be quiet, so how can it make noise? All these questions were rambling through his head and he could not think of a logical answer for any of them. Whatever the reason, he did not want to be bothered by it.
"Damn ghosts! This is my place now and I'm not going to have you all driving me crazy! Understand?!" he shouted up to the ceiling, hoping that the ghost, or ghosts, could hear him. "They're not going to scare me! I've been up against REAL bad asses, and I've come through!" He lit himself a cigarette, smoked it to the end, and crushed it in the ashtray. "Fuck this." Gojyo went back upstairs and into his room, giving it a quick look around first. He got into bed and threw the covers over his head. Lucky for him, sleep came right away.
/Ghost am I?/ the 'ghost' said in a whisper. /This is your house you say?/ he chuckled. /This was my house first./ the ghost watched as Gojyo slept for a bit and then slowly faded away.
/
The next morning, Gojyo got a call from the moving company, saying that they were running late and would be there by the afternoon. The rain had stopped and the sun was out, so he decided to sit on the porch instead. He lit his cigarette and looked out at the other houses.
"I wonder if they have ghosts?" he said with a chuckle. "I'm going to name mine." he smirked "Too bad its not a lady, but since it's a guy, I think I'll name him Nesbit." he scoffed "Nesbit." Gojyo turned around and looked up at the house in slight suspicion. He gasped slightly as he saw the figure again from his bedroom window! It was gone as quickly as it had come. "What in-!" he stopped himself. "Nobody said anything about 'ghosts' in the house description!" He shrugged and decided to take a little stroll outside the house.
He walked around the back and saw the graveyard again. Gojyo took another cigarette and decided to walk over to the graveyard, just to get away from the house for a bit. The graveyard was small, with old rounded tombstones and an age worn iron fence. Most of the tombstones were either broken or sunken into the ground, showing their age. Gojyo hopped over the short fence and walked along the aisles, checking out the graves.
"Sarah Willington, beloved wife and mother, 1748-1774…" the rest of the writing on the stone was worn and scratched, as were many other stones. "Damn…these are all from the 1770's. Is everything old in this area?" he rolled his eyes and dropped his cigarette on the ground, putting it out with his boot before he continued to look around.
He came to a bunch of smaller graves and frowned when he read what they all said. Every grave was that of an infant, none having had made it to a year of life. He touched the writing on one of the graves and sighed. Something else caught his eye as he looked over the baby graves to the thin dirt road. There, away from all the other graves, were a few sunken, small stones. He went over to them and knelt down in front of one, trying to read the words. The letters were worn and chipped, so he could only make out a few words.
"Looks like a prayer of some kind." he said and tried to study the stone some more. "Sinner?" that was the only other word he could pick out from all the others. Gojyo raised an eyebrow and looked at the others, seeing the same prayer, but no names or dates. "This must be where the witches were, or those who brought shame and disgrace to whomever. No wonder they are all the way over here." With that, Gojyo exited the graveyard and headed back to the house. "I wonder if my ghost is buried over there?" He thought and looked back at the graveyard.
When he got back in the house, he made himself some tea and sat down at the table. He sat there long in thought, thinking about all the work he had to do. He had to find a job in the area, call the cable guy, the computer company, organize his things, and invite his 'friends'. He shrugged and took a long sip of his tea, wishing he had some liquor instead.
"So much fucking shit to do." He mumbled and stared down into his tea. He suddenly felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end and goose bumps decorated his skin. Someone, or something, was behind him. Gojyo could not bring himself to turn around to look, fearing that it would that ghost. He closed his eyes tight and held his breath, not knowing what else to do. What happened next scared the shit out of him.
/Hello./ came the ghostly voice.
"SHIT!" he jumped up from the seat, knocking it over and turning around quickly to swing at whoever it was. Once again, nothing was there. Gojyo's eyebrow twitched and he shook a bit, his hands clenched into fists. "Okay…okay…calm down." he said out loud to himself. "It's just a ghost…just a ghost…it's dead. It can't hurt me, it can't do anything other than ANNOY ME!" he shouted. "LISTEN YOU, WHOEVER YOU ARE! YOU BETTER JUST GO BACK TO WHATEVER GRAVE OR SPOT YOUR ROTTING CORPSE IS IN! YOU'RE DEAD AND I'M ALIVE! I OWN THIS HOUSE NOW! SO GET OUT OF HERE AND LEAVE ME ALONE! OR AT LEAST STOP MAKING NOISE!" He panted angrily as his eyes darted all around the area, searching for the ghost.
/That was rather rude!/ came the voice again.
"GODDAMN IT! DON'T TALK TO ME!"
/Well, I cannot help that, good sir. I am a resident here, for this is MY house./ Gojyo growled.
"Fuck you, dead guy! You're dead! You can't live here anymore!"
/But I do live here. I was here first. Have you not heard of sharing?/
"I have, but I don't share with dead people!"
Gojyo gulped as he started to see the appearing figure of a young man come slowly into view. He could now make out all features of the ghost. His face turned white and he held his breath. The ghost smiled softly at him. The young mans' body was slim and he was just as tall as Gojyo, maybe a few inches shorter. He wore glasses and old dress, like something from the colonial period. His feet were visible this time around, and he wore high boots. His entire body was transparent, except for the whitish, almost grayish color filling in his body. Gojyo could clearly see the stove through the ghosts' body.
/Welcome to MY home, Gojyo./ After he said that, Gojyo fell back on the floor in a faint.
/
When Gojyo woke up, he heard the sound of loud knocking on the front door and the voice of a man. He sat up and rubbed his head, looking at the door. He recognized the moving van company and swore under his breath. Gojyo fixed himself up quickly, pushing the 'ghost' out of his head, and running to the door. The two moving men looked at him.
"Good day sir, we have your stuff here." Said one.
"Oh yes, um, come in." he stepped aside and the two men stepped in.
"Where would you like us to pile everything?" The other asked.
"Just bring the stuff in and I'll tell you where to place it." The men nodded and went outside to their truck. Gojyo, thinking back to the ghost, frowned and looked around the room. He had to have been dreaming… why would a GHOST be talking?
"Sir?" Gojyo jumped at the sound of the man's voice. "Didn't mean to startle you, but where would you like the couch?"
"Uh…um, in that room, in the center of the floor facing the fireplace." The men did so and continued carrying in all of Gojyo's things. He stood directing and watching them when he noticed something else to his right in the kitchen. A ghostly hand and a shoulder slowly peeked around the woodwork. Gojyo's hair stood on end again as he looked at the ghost. The ghosts' head appeared and it was watching the movers.
"Sir, would you like the pots and pans in the kitchen?" Asked one of the movers.
Gojyo just nodded and pointed to the kitchen, the ghost still present. The mover walked right past the ghost, but was not frightened at all! Nor had the man seen it! The ghost turned its head to look at the man and followed him with his eyes as he left the kitchen. The ghost looked over at Gojyo and gave a little smile along with a friendly wave. Gojyo just stared at him with a long, shocked frown. The ghost faded away soon after.
Gojyo tipped the men for their labor and stood in the small hallway, looking at the rooms on both sides of him. He sighed as he looked at all the boxes that needed unpacking.
"Might as well start now." He went to work on unpacking the kitchen things first, cleaning off the counter and dusting in various places. He was unpacking the plates when he turned and came face to face with the ghost. "JESUS CHRI-" he shouted and nearly dropped all the plates on the floor. The ghost just laughed softly.
/I did not mean to scare you./ Gojyo was panting and glaring at the ghost.
"Yeah well, you did! I almost dropped my plates because of you! Wait, what the FUCK am I doing?! I'M TALKING TO A DEAD GUY!"
/I am dead?/ the ghost checked himself over. /Oh dear, I did not know that./ Gojyo looked at him in shock, then his mouth dropped opened.
"You mean you don't know?!" The ghost chuckled.
/No, I know I am dead. Not being able to leave the house will tell one that, right?/
"Uh….I guess….um…so you…can't leave the house?" The ghost shook his head.
/I have tried and failed./ He said sadly. /I have been here for a very long time. Tell me, what year is it?/
"Uh, 2007.' The ghosts' eyes widened.
/Oh my…I have been here for nearly 200 years./ The ghost looked over at Gojyo. /You look absolutely terrified of me. Please, there is no reason to be. I will not hurt you./
"This is just, uh, weird. I'm alive, and I'm talking to a dead guy. I thought ghosts were like, not suppose to talk and interact."
/Well, I do not know how other ghosts like me act, but I have always been this way. For a very, very long time this house was empty. There was a man living here previously before you, but he was blind and could not see me. I believe he could hear me, though./
"Uh yeah, he was like, a distant relative of mine. He gave the house to my brother, well, half brother, and I. But my brother has a place already, so I took it instead. I didn't ask for any room mates though." The ghost laughed.
/I am afraid I have to remain here, good sir. In all fairness, I was here first./
Gojyo could not believe what was happening. Here he was, standing in the kitchen and talking to a ghost. A ghost! That was talking to him! He did not know what to make of the situation. He was freaked out in a way, but also somewhat calm. The ghost did not appear to be as frightening anymore. Although the situation was clearly strange. But Gojyo was not one with tunnel vision. If there was one thing he did not like to do was follow the norm. And growing up where he did, there were WAY more things more frightening than a ghost.
"Ah yes, I guess you were." He said, crossing his arms. "So…you owned this place?"
/Oh no. I was a servant here./
"A servant?"
/Yes. It has been so long, that I fear I do not remember much at all./
"Do you remember your name?" The ghost nodded.
/Yes. I do not remember my real name, but I do remember the name my master gave to me.
Or rather, the master's son I should say./ He looked at Gojyo. /My name is Hakkai./ He held out his ghostly hand in a handshake. Gojyo looked at his hand and slowly reached his own out to grasp Hakkai's. However, his hand went right through Hakkai's.
"Sorry man, the dead can't touch the living." Hakkai sighed.
/No, I suppose not./
"So…how did you die?" Hakkai looked at him, blinked, then thought.
/I do not remember./
"Were you sick?" Hakkai shook his head
/I do not know…but I do know that it was something bad./ He looked sadly at Gojyo. /I may have done something wrong./
"Do you remember anything? Anything at all?" Hakkai looked down.
/I remember Mr. Revere warning about the enemy coming by the river…and a battle raging on later in the evening…I was in the battle too./ He trailed off. Gojyo raised an eyebrow.
"That's all you remember?"
/Well, I believe it was at Lexington and Concord./ Gojyo remembered learning something about those two towns in history class some years ago, but nothing more. He was ready to say something but noticed that Hakkai's body was beginning to fade.
"Hey, you leaving?"
/No, I am just very weak right now. It happens when I am in this form for to long. I bid you farewell until later./ He said and faded away completely.
/
Gojyo found himself in the house, but everything was different. He looked around the house, wondering what had happened to all his stuff. The whole place was quiet except for the fire that burned in the hearth. He felt the warmth of the fire as he approached it and stood before it. Looking out the nearby window, he saw that the road was no longer there, and that it was replaced by plain dirt. Even a man, dressed like Hakkai was, rode down the dirt street on a horse.
"I must be dreaming" Gojyo said out loud to himself.
"And you are." He gasped and turned around at the familiar voice, seeing Hakkai sitting cross-legged on the couch. "You are in a dream right now, Gojyo. A dream world that you created. You sure do know a lot about my time, being so much older than yours." Gojyo just looked at him with the same kind of shock as he had done before. Hakkai smiled and got up, walking over to him. This time, Hakkai took his hand and he could feel him! Gojyo could feel Hakkai's hand in his!
"Hakkai, I can feel you!" Hakkai smiled.
"Yes. I entered your body and mind, helping you create this dream state. I did it once with your relative, but he paid it no mind. Let's try that handshake now. Hello Gojyo, I am Hakkai." Gojyo smiled and took his hand, shaking it. Hakkai was no where as frightening now like he was as a ghost.
"Hello Hakkai, my name's Gojyo."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Gojyo. Come sit with me and we can get to know each other more. Since we will be living together, that is." Gojyo smiled and sat on the couch with him
"This is really weird." Said Gojyo, looking around "Strange as hell." Hakkai chuckled.
"Your vocabulary is quite unique." Gojyo raised an eyebrow.
"It is? I wouldn't think so. But I guess words change over time. You talk all proper and polite, no where near like me." Hakkai folded his arms.
"I happen to be a gentleman. We speak politely in company."
"Eh, whatever. Usually, only rich people speak like you do in my time." Hakkai turned his body so he was facing him on the couch.
"Tell me, what is this time like? What are those strange, fast steel things that ride by? They make an awful lot of noise."
"You mean cars?"
"That big thing you came here in."
"Yeah, that's a car. A truck really."
Gojyo went on explaining to him about the various changes of technology. He told him all about televisions and phones, to washing machines and lawnmowers. They even got into a discussion about different types of food and drink. Even so far as to talk about music and movies, and instruments! Hakkai was fascinated by everything Gojyo was telling him, both shocked and surprised.
"Oh Gojyo, the world has come such a long way! Almost everything you have has replaced man power!"
"Yeah well, that's just the way it is."
"I think it is wonderful! When you unpack you must show me all these new, wonderful things! I am quite curious about them. Now, tell me about you." Gojyo frowned at that and turned away from him.
"I rather not." Hakkai blinked and unfolded his arms.
"I will not judge you, Gojyo. I was never one to judge a person no matter the reason. Everyone is human, we all make mistakes and we all have our flaws. Please, I really like you, Gojyo. I have not had a friend in many years. I miss having someone to talk to. If I know more about you, I can understand you better. And besides," he chuckled "Who am I going tell who will not run away screaming?" Gojyo chuckled at that too and sighed. He looked at Hakkai and noticed the honest, truthful smile on his face. Gojyo did not know what it was, but something about Hakkai made him feel secure. He never felt at ease as he did at this very moment in time. Or space, or dream, whatever it was. Hakkai just sat there with a friendly smile, waiting patiently.
"Well…I'm a love child. My father cheated on his wife with my mother, and I was born. Apparently, my mother died in childbirth and my father was left to care for me. His wife, my stepmother-" he paused as he tried to find the words, although it was painful. "My stepmother disliked me. She hated me. Every time she saw me, she would glare…she hated everything about me. My half brother cared for me, as did my father. My dad said that he would make up for her love as much as possible, but he died when I was still young. He got sick and passed away. I was only seven or eight at the time. So I was left with my stepmother. She used to beat me a lot, and yell at me, throw things…but I never blamed her for any of it.
It was all my fault. She went crazy because I was born, from a woman that my father loved more than her and she knew that. I'm all my mother, and she must have seen her in me every time she looked my way…So I got old enough, got out of high school, dropped out of college, worked long hours at grueling jobs, and paid my way through life…mostly by pocketing some gambling money."
Gojyo realized how much he was venting, and he did not notice it at all. He got caught up in his life story, letting Hakkai in on a little too much information. It had been a long time since he talked about it and it must have just rolled off his tongue. Gojyo was surprised when he felt a pair of arms encircle him. It was Hakkai.
"Oh Gojyo, that is a horrible story. It is a terrible thing for a child to go through. Yet you survived, and you have remained gentle. You are not a bad person at all. Even if you think that way, I do not believe it! You are a good person at heart! I can feel it! I may be dead, but I still remember the feelings of being alive. I feel your pain now, because I have taken this form in your mind. Oh Gojyo, I can only imagine how hard it must have been for you" Gojyo did not know what to do. Here was a ghost hugging him, and telling him what a great person he was. He could not help but smile, but could not bring himself to embrace Hakkai back.
"It's okay. I made it through the rain, right?" Hakkai pulled away and smiled with a nod.
"Yes, you have."
"Okay, now tell me about YOU. It's only fair that you tell me about you after you heard my story." Hakkai sat back in the couch.
"I am afraid I do not remember much, Gojyo." He said sadly. "I would love to remember everything…but I just can not…not at all."
"Not even a little? Anything at all?" Hakkai took a few minutes to think hard.
"I remember some things…I was an orphan. I never had any parents of my own. I grew up with the sisters at a church…then somehow I became a servant here. I remember something about it…how hard those times as a servant were. And there is…something else…that I cannot quite remember. A person…a good person…I…I cannot make out who they are, yet they feel so important. I already told you about Mr. Paul Revere…and the battle…but everything else is a blank. I am sorry Gojyo. I wish I could tell you more."
"Hey man, it's cool. Maybe you'll remember soon. Uh, just think really hard I guess. Say, speaking of guessing, maybe I can suggest some stuff that might ring a bell and make you remember!" Hakkai blinked slowly.
"Um…all right." Gojyo sat in deep thought.
"You said you weren't sick?" Hakkai shook his head "Were you in an accident? Like, being thrown off a horse?" He shook his head no again. "Did you, like, fall off a ladder here or something? Wait, you did say it was something really bad…" Gojyo thought again. "Were you…murdered?" Hakkai sighed.
"Gojyo, this is not working. Nothing you are saying is opening up any windows of memory to me. I am sorry, I know you are trying." There came a sudden loud, huge echoing banging that shook the whole house.
"What the fuck is that?!" Gojyo shouted.
"I believe someone is at the door!"
And with that, Gojyo sat strait up in bed. He clenched the sheets and was breathing heavily as a heavy pounding was coming from downstairs.
/
Gojyo quickly threw on his shirt and hurried downstairs to the front door. He fixed his hair a bit and opened the door. A young boy, about twelve years old, was standing there with a large bag filled with papers.
"Good morning, sir! I heard you are new in town and thought you'd want to get a newspaper. Its only thirty-five cents a week!" Gojyo rubbed his eyes and yawned.
"Geez kid, it's too early for this kind of stuff. But whatever. Sure, I'll take a paper. Sign me up for one everyday."
"Thank you sir! Here you go!"
The boy handed him the paper and skipped off, whistling a little tune. Gojyo closed the door and looked at all the boxes in the living room and kitchen he needed to unpack. His eyebrow twitched at the thought of all the work he had to do. He still needed to call the cable company, and perhaps change phone services. The phone was already in working order, but it was the bill he was more concerned about.
He looked at the clock and gasped at the time. Seven o'clock was WAY to early to be up and about. Gojyo debated on going back to bed or getting started on his unpacking. After a few minutes, unpacking won over. He tossed the paper on the couch and went to work first in the kitchen, unpacking pots and pans and other things. Gojyo jumped when he heard the piano start to play again. He chuckled a bit and ran a hand through his hair.
"Shit, it's only Hakkai. Listen to me. I'm talking about a ghost as if he were a roommate, which I guess he has to be." He walked into the living room, still a little shaken by the keys moving with no one sitting at the bench. "Alright Hakkai, no need to be invisible." Hakkai's transparent body slowly appeared at the piano.
/Good morning, Gojyo. Lovely day, is it not?/
"Yeah, I guess. So I'm assuming you can recognize things like the outdoors and weather?" Hakkai stopped playing and laughed.
/Oh, of course I can, Gojyo! I remember feelings more than memories. I know the feeling of love and happiness, of pain and sorrow. The intimacy of two people, the warm, joyful feeling of being drunk-/ Gojyo laughed, cutting him off.
"You must REALLY miss the last two, huh?"
/How did you guess?/ He chuckled.
"Man, that has to suck. Being stuck here, not knowing why you're still here, unable to do all the things of a living…" he trailed off, seeing Hakkai's fallen face. "Oh, hey man, sorry. I guess I'm just, like, counting my blessings now? I mean, I bet I'm going to Hell when I die." Hakkai gave a forlorn smile.
/It is quite all right. Sometimes I wonder why I can not leave this place and enter Heaven or Hell./
"Maybe you're in Hell now." Hakkai looked at him.
/You may be right…/ he looked down at the piano keys. /Was I so horrible a person that I am destined to remain in this house until it crumbles? Or for the rest of eternity?/ He hung his head /Oh Gojyo, you can not even begin to understand this feeling…perhaps this is my penance./
"Penance? Then you have to look to atone for something, right?" Hakkai nodded.
/Yes…but how can I atone for something I have no recollection of? I do not know why I am here./
"Um, hey! I'm ready to start unpacking, so why don't I show you some of the cool things of the 21st century?" Hakkai smiled.
/Sure, why not. No use dwelling on this./
Throughout the day, Hakkai floated next to Gojyo as he unpacked and placed things up how he wanted them. Hakkai was more interested in the electronic kitchen devices such as the blender and toaster. He could not understand the loud, booming music coming from Gojyo's stereo, which seemed to rattle the windows. Hakkai preferred the soft, smooth music of his time. His eye twitched when he saw the various posters and framed magazine covers of half naked women go up on the wall. A few of the porno magazines that Gojyo had, thrown in the pile for later organization were opened. Hakkai shook his head at the sight of the women.
/Gojyo, honestly. What in the world do you call these? Are they prostitutes?/ he asked, crossing his arms. Gojyo laughed.
"Well, not really. They're porno stars."
/Porno?/
"That's a today term for sex, mostly on video and magazines. I have some videos too if you want to watch some later."
/No thank you. It is very disgraceful to women and you should be ashamed of looking at such things!/
"Are you serious?" Gojyo said with a smug grin. Hakkai looked firm but his lip started to twitch a bit and he turned his head to laugh politely.
/Well, it is disgraceful, but if they are WILLING to pose, then I do not see a problem in it. Can I see some more? I am curious as to how women have changed over time./
"Speaking of women. Once I go out on the town and pick up some lady company and bring them back here, I want you to stay put. Got it?" Hakkai smiled.
/Worried that I would scare them away?/
"Yeah, and also, I don't want you bothering me when I'm doing the deed." Hakkai laughed at that.
/Gojyo, I understand completely. Remember, I am a man too. A dead one, but I am still a man. No man wants to be interrupted during the 'deed'. However, I believe I have more respect for women than you do. Very rarely would I take a woman home. You have to understand that only prostitutes went home with men, not good, honest Christian women. The women of your day seem to have no modesty or respect for themselves./
"Yeah, today's world is completely different. It would take me a long time to explain it to you, but things have changed drastically. Wait until you see television! I'm going to call the cable service right now, so don't bother me when I'm on the phone. I need complete concentration while on the phone." Hakkai just rolled his eyes and disappeared.
Later in the day, after Gojyo had made all the necessary calls and unpacking, he flopped down on the couch to take a rest. Everything was out of the boxes, but still scattered about. He was just dosing off when he heard his cell phone ring from his pocket. He mumbled something incoherent and answered it. Hakkai had just appeared, sitting on the arm of the couch. He was curious about Gojyo's electronic devices. Gojyo noticed him but continued to talk on the phone and seemed annoyed. After a few more insults and a goodbye, he hung up.
"God damn it. So much for my pad!"
/Who were you speaking with?/ Hakkai asked and floated above him. Gojyo just looked at him with a slight glare.
"Dude, just sit on the arm or something. You floating above me is a little-weird." Hakkai sat on the top of the couch, crossed legs, his feet disappearing into Gojyo's body. Gojyo just looked from his feet up to Hakkai. "Excuse me, ghost or not, can you get your feet off of me? Or rather, OUT of me."
/Well, someone is in a nasty mood./
"Damn right I am! That call was from two guys I went to high school with and surprisingly still keep in touch with. They got evicted from their apartment. I told those two they would never make it."
/Ah, I see that money and public policies have not changed much./ Gojyo smirked at that.
"Nope. Still taxing you for everything."
/And kicking you out when you cannot pay. Or worse, you go to jail./
"Yeah, that happens too. Anyway, those two I just told you about are coming here to stay for a bit until they can get back on their feet." Hakkai smiled.
/You are a very good friend./ Gojyo rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah. Now go walk through walls, or something. I want to rest a bit." He said and closed his eyes.
/You certainly are a lazy one./ Hakkai said before fading away.
/
Gojyo was back in his dream state again, seeing the same colonial man riding the horse outside the window. Only this time, the area inside was filled with all his stuff. He smirked and flopped on the couch, resting his arms behind his back. Gojyo noticed that he did not see Hakkai anywhere so he called for him.
"Hey Hakkai! You here?" Sure enough, Hakkai came walking out of the kitchen with a loaf of fresh baked bread. He smiled when he saw Gojyo.
"Oh, hello again, Gojyo."
"You are in my mind again." He sighed "I can't blame you. You've been alone for over 200 years, you must want to talk." Hakkai placed the bread on the opened window frame to cool.
"I guess I am a little. I know I was always one to stay my distance from others and keep to myself. But from what I have gathered about you, Gojyo, is that you need someone." Gojyo scoffed at that.
"Get the fuck out of here! I don't need anybody! I'm fine by myself." Hakkai sat down next to him.
"I do not think that is the case." He smiled softly. "I believe at one time I thought just like you did, but something changed me…I just do not know what. I think that deep down you are looking for someone Gojyo. Someone who will accept you for who you are." Gojyo looked at him in shock and suddenly stood up to tower over him.
"I think you are going a little to far into my head! It's not possible that you could know all that stuff without digging deep into my head to figure it out!" Hakkai stood up and faced him, not backing down.
"I did not pry into your mind, Gojyo. You let me in, whether you wanted to or not. I just know the type of person you are, Gojyo! Like I said, I believe I was once just like you but I changed!" he took his hands. "Listen to me, Gojyo. I am not judging you, nor am I trying to find out all your secrets. I just…recognized what you are feeling in here." He placed his hand over Gojyo's heart.
"Get off of me!" Gojyo pushed him away. "Your ghostly shit might make me have a heart attack or something!" He stormed away from Hakkai, heading up the steps. Hakkai followed him into Gojyo's room.
"I do not understand why you are so mad." He said to Gojyo, who had his back to him and looking out the window. Gojyo did not answer him but continued to stand there. "Gojyo, I really do not understand." He walked up next to him. "Are you afraid of something?" Gojyo still did not answer him but glared at the outside. Hakkai looked out the window too and they both stood in silence for a bit until Gojyo spoke.
"Hey…going back to what you said earlier…you don't come off as a bad person." Hakkai looked at him. "You said you think you were a bad person, but I don't see how that can be. There must be another reason." Hakkai closed his eyes and smiled.
"Perhaps you are right, my friend. You yourself think you are a bad person, but you are not. I guess in some ways, you and I are the same." Gojyo finally smiled.
"I think you're right. Sorry I got so mad before…I was just, surprised I guess. Surprised that you hit the nail on the head…even I didn't really know that about myself until you said something. Guess I just kept it hidden all this time, or didn't want to admit it." Hakkai wrapped his arm around Gojyo's shoulders.
"Let's really be friends, Gojyo. We both need a friend."
"Yeah, we're friends." He wrapped his arm around Hakkai's shoulder. "I guess I don't have to worry about you going anywhere, huh?" Hakkai chuckled.
"Nope. You are stuck with me, my friend."
The next day, Gojyo was finishing up decorating the house and putting the smaller things in their proper places. He was finished by mid afternoon and left Hakkai to guard the house while he went to pick up some groceries. He had to drive around the town for a bit until he came to a general store, which seemed to be the only food market in town. Parking the truck in a hopelessly small spot, (hoping no one else will park near him) he went into the store and looked around. No one else was in there except for the cashier.
"Hello sir. Haven't seen you around here before."
"Yeah, I'm new. I just moved in a couple days ago." Gojyo replied as he walked up to the counter, seeing cigarettes behind the cashier. "Got any Hi-Lites back there?"
"Yup, we got them."
"Okay, I'll get them when I'm done. Hey, are there any, like, supermarkets around here?" he asked. "I saw a liquor store, but it looks pretty small." The man laughed.
"You must be from the city. The only supermarket we have here is a bit ways out of town. That's the city area, you're in the country. But my stuff is just as good! My produce is always fresh! And my prices are cheaper too!" Gojyo grinned.
"That's always a good thing."
"Yeah, I keep my prices low for honest reasons. So where do you live?"
"I live out on Locus Street. House 97." The mans' eyes widened.
"You live there?" Gojyo frowned.
"Uh, yeah."
"They say a ghost haunts it!" Gojyo rolled his eyes. He knew the ghost they were talking about was Hakkai, but he was not going to let on that he knew.
"Well, I haven't seen any ghosts. You guys just live in an old town with old stories." And idea suddenly hit him. "But don't you guys, have like-uh? Legends and stuff?"
"You mean the one about your house?"
"I guess, since you said a ghost haunts it. There's always a legend behind these things." The man scratched his head.
"Well, no one really knows. The only way to find out would be to look at the towns old records from when the place was built." Gojyo's eyes lit up.
"Hey, where can I find them?!" The man was surprised by Gojyo's sudden enthusiasm.
"Uh, you can't access them. They're behind closed doors at the library. You'd need special permission from the town community leaders. And they're a bunch of assholes and won't grant you that privilege."
'Shit!' Gojyo said to himself. "Alright, thanks man. I'm gonna go take care of my shopping now."
Gojyo picked up what he needed and paid the clerk. He thought about the records as he was packing the bags in the passenger side. Where there is a library, there is a librarian. And since most men are not librarians that means there is a woman behind the desk. And if there is a woman, there is room for Gojyo's charms. He grinned to himself and hopped in the car to find the library.
After a few constant circles and same trees, he managed to find the tiny library. Once again having to park in a small spot and cursing old-fashioned parking lots, he entered the library. He had to duck his head because the door was a bit too low for his height. The old floorboards creaked as he walked up to the desk and sure enough there was a middle aged woman there. He put on his charming smile as she looked at him over her glasses.
"Hey there, young lady." She looked unimpressed by his words and looks.
"May I help you find a book?"
"Yeah, I was wondering if you had any old books and records about this town. I'm new to the place and I'm curious about how it came to be." She tapped her pile of papers on the desk.
"Sorry young man. Those books are under lock and key. We have a small article about the starting of this town on the wall there." Gojyo folded his arms on the desk and smiled.
"Aw, come on don't be like that. Is there something top secret in those books?"
"I'm sorry sir, but you can not see those without papers from the township committee. Good day sir." She put her nose up. Gojyo's eyebrow twitched in frustration.
"Yeah, yeah." He said and walked out, spitting on the sidewalk as he went to his truck and headed home.
/
Gojyo wobbled into the door with his numerous grocery bags, refusing to make more than one trip. He managed to get them all on the kitchen table without dropping anything. As he was putting the food away, he thought back to the library and how close he had came to getting those records. He was even more pissed at himself for not being able to charm the old hag. Everything about Hakkai's past and death was a pure mystery to him and he was curious about it. Even more so now that he knew all these 'records' were behind closed doors.
"Hey Hakkai! You there?"
/You summoned?/
"I came THIS CLOSE!" he showed him with his thumb and forefinger "THIS CLOSE to learning about your past!" Hakkai's eyes widened at that.
/How did you ever manage that?/ Gojyo told him about what the shop keeper said and what he did to try and receive the records. Hakkai sighed sadly. /I see…I guess you can not just go up to the committee and say 'I have a ghost problem and would like to see what happened to him'./ Gojyo chuckled dryly at that.
"Yeah, guess not."
/Oh, your, what is it called- oh, cell phone! Was ringing while you were gone./
"It's probably the prick and the monkey saying that they're on there was and can't find the place." He sighed miserably and checked his voice mail, giving a dry smile. "Yup. I was right. Fucking bastards…"
/Oh Gojyo, a car just pulled up next to your truck./ Hakkai told him from the window. /It looks like something took a mallet to it./ Gojyo laughed and went to the door.
"Yup, that's them. You better go hide in a wall, or something." Hakkai pouted and faded away.
Gojyo stood on the doorstep, tapping his foot as Goku was struggling to carry their backpacks. Sanzo walked a few steps ahead of him, smoking a cigarette. Goku was whining at Sanzo as they walked to Gojyo. Both men stopped and looked at Gojyo, Goku with a smile and Sanzo with a trademark frown.
"Whoopie-Fucking-Doo! Look what the rats dragged in!"
"Fuck you, you worthless waste of skin." Said Sanzo, straight faced.
"Hey Gojyo! Nice house! Thanks for letting us stay here! Hey! I see grocery bags on the table! That means food! FOOD! FOOD! FOOD!" He dashed passed Gojyo, dropping the bags and running into the kitchen. Sanzo just muttered under his breath and pushed passed Gojyo. Goku was rustling through the bags until Gojyo pulled him by the back of his shirt.
"You haven't even been here for more than a minute and you're already eating all my food!"
"WAH! But I'm hungry! Sanzo didn't feed me today!" Sanzo was too busy looking around at the house, frowning at the framed model pictures on the wall.
"Rather them be guys, Sanzo?" Gojyo grinned at him as he came from the kitchen, dragging Goku with him. Sanzo just 'hmphed' at him and tossed his cigarette into the stone fireplace. "Remember now, this is MY house. So you HAVE to treat it with respect! My house, my rules."
"Whatever."
"Hey Gojyo! Can we go pick out our room now?!" Goku asked him excitedly, jumping up and down.
"The only one big enough for you two is up the stairs and to the left."
"Okay! I'll go-" Goku stopped and blinked, then shook his head.
"What's wrong Goku?" Gojyo asked him.
"I thought I saw something…" he scratched his head. "But nothing's there…I could have sworn someone was just standing there by the door!"
Gojyo smirked as he had an idea. He was curious as to see their faces if Hakkai were to appear before them. If they were going to live here, it was not fair to Hakkai if he had to stay hidden all the time. Gojyo's smirk grew wider.
"Oh, that's just my other roommate." Goku and Sanzo both looked at him.
"Roommate?" Goku questioned, looking confused. "But you said no one was with you." He smirked again.
"I lied. I do have a roommate. He's older than all of us put together!" Goku was still confused and Sanzo did the calculation in his head.
"That would make him over 60 years old, Gojyo."
"WAAAAAY over 60!"
"So you're living with an old man?" Goku raised an eyebrow.
"Well, PHYSICALLY he's not old."
"What the FUCK are you talking about, cockroach?!" Sanzo hissed at him. He did not like these teasing games of Gojyo's.
"Hakkai! Come on out!" Gojyo called out, but Hakkai did not appear. Both men stared at him as he called for Hakkai again.
/You told me to stay hidden, did you not?/ Came Hakkai's voice from the room. Sanzo and Goku looked around, trying to find the source of the voice.
"I want you to meet your new roommates! Don't be shy now."
Hakkai then did appear, coming out slowly behind Gojyo. Sanzo and Goku just stared at him, their eyes wide and unblinking. Hakkai gave them a friendly smile and a tiny finger wave. Still, the two were left staring. Gojyo started to chuckle at their expressions.
"See? I told you he was older than us! He's from the Paul Revere days!" Gojyo jutted a thumb at Hakkai who gave him a strange look. "He pretty much owns this place and he can't leave, so you have to get used to him. He may be a ghost, but he's a friendly ghost, like Casper! He's harmless."
"Uh…." Goku just blinked and slowly walked up to Hakkai "Are you a…a real ghost?" Hakkai chuckled at that.
/Yes, I am a real ghost./
"Wow! Hey Sanzo! I'm talking to a ghost!" He grinned from ear to ear. "Hey! Can I like, go through you!?" Without awaiting an answer, Goku just jumped through him. Hakkai gasped at the sudden quick movement and his body disappeared where Goku had went through him. "WOW! That was so cool Sanzo! He's all cold and stuff! It kinda felt like snow!"
"Hey Goku! That was rude of you!" Gojyo scolded him. Hakkai chuckled politely.
/Oh, it is quite all right. Children can be curious creatures./
"HEY! I'm not a kid!" Goku puffed his cheeks out. Sanzo came up to Hakkai next, looking him up and down.
"He doesn't bite Sanzo" Gojyo smirked. "What's wrong? Scared of an itty bitty ghost?" Sanzo glared at Gojyo.
"I'm not scared, just surprised. I've seen worse and more frightening things in my time. Can't say that I thought I'd ever see a ghost."
/It is a pleasure to meet you two. Gojyo has told me much about you./
"That can't be a good thing." Sanzo said with a frown.
/He said very nice things about you./ Gojyo blinked
"I did?" Hakkai narrowed his eyes at him.
/Honestly Gojyo! They are not as bad as you made them out to be. You said they were your friends./
"yeah well…yeah I guess" he said. Goku suddenly took his hand and pulled Gojyo away from the other two. "What the hell, man?!"
"Gojyo," he whispered "Can you tell him, like, not to walk through our wall when Sanzo and I are- you know. It would be weird!" Gojyo smiled at Goku's shyness and ruffled his hair.
"No problem, monkey!" He waltzed over to Hakkai and pretended to put his arm around Hakkai's shoulders. "Hakkai, Goku has asked that you not walk through the wall while he and Sanzo are making the bed rock."
"GOJYO!?" Goku shouted, completely shocked. Hakkai threw his head back and laughed.
/That will not be a problem, Goku. I assure you./ He smiled at him. /Gojyo already told me to leave him alone when he is with the ladies./ Gojyo's chest swelled with pride.
"Is he a great guy or what!?" He said with a grin "he doesn't even care you two are fags!"
"Watch your mouth cockroach. You're the one who's in the closet." Gojyo glared at him with an aggravated smirk. "Bragging about how popular you are with the ladies is a way of hiding the fact that you want your little ghost boy there." Sanzo smirked as he lit up another cigarette. He was liking this.
"WHAT?!" Hakkai covered his mouth politely and turned his head away.
/Oh my. That was unexpected./
"Watch your mouth you filthy prick!" Gojyo grabbed him by the front of his shirt. "I can have any man I want, just like I can have any woman I want! I just prefer the ladies! And trust me, if I were gay, you'd be begging for me!" Sanzo pushed him away and narrowed his eyes.
"Oh please, doesn't my choosing of the monkey say anything about this? I choose a monkey over you." Gojyo felt his pride practically ripped in two by that statement. Goku whined at Sanzo for being cruel and Hakkai watched the spat from behind.
"All right that's it! Lets take this outside! I'll whoop your pansy ass!" Hakkai flew between them.
/Now, now gentlemen. There is no need to exchange fists./ Gojyo pointed his finger at Sanzo's face.
"Watch your mouth you rotten bastard. This is MY home!"
"Technically, it's his" Goku added, referring to Hakkai.
/Goku is right. This really is my house, so lets all try to get along somewhat?/ He smiled /I have not had so much excitement in this place for a long time! It is quite refreshing./ Gojyo sighed and flopped down on the couch.
"Yeah, yeah. Goku get your stuff and Sanzo's shit upstairs." Goku nodded and stumbled up the stairs with the bags. Hakkai looked from Sanzo to Gojyo as they were in a stare down.
/Oh my,' Hakkai thought to himself 'Things are going to be getting a bit noisy around here./
End Chapter 1