A Ghost in the Mist Prologue (プロローグ)
(A/N: So for now I'm leaving the identity of Ren's parents a secret. If you've read CLAMP well then you'll know right off the bat but no spoilers please ^^
Basically, I bought Resident Evil around the same time that I started playing Call of Duty Ghosts while I was watching Axis Powers Hetalia, and the whole thing kinda appeared in my head. I hope you enjoy reading this as I enjoyed writing it, and please feel free to leave a comment and or a critique. Without further ado I present A Ghost in the Mist.)
Growing up in England was a huge change from the life that Ren had left behind in America. The skyscrapers that Ren seemed to gawk at in New York City were now replaced with the foggy silhouettes of buildings that greeted the London skyline. Ren was used to moving around, having been born in Hong Kong, staying for only three months before moving to Japan until he was three before traveling to the United States. The family traveled between towns for a couple years until Ren's father decided on New York. Ren's father taught English and Literature at whichever college would accept him. It's not that he was a bad professor, on the contrary he had received many rave reviews from his former students. He simply loved travelling, is what he would tell Ren whenever he asked. Ren's mother also didn't mind traveling; rather she embraced living on the road. She made her living writing novels and giving seminars for aspiring writers. On the subject of the constant moves she'd respond with enthusiasm on the wonders that traveling had done to stretch her imagination.
"Ren you'll understand one day when you start writing your own books, if you do choose that route." said his mother.
Writing had always crossed Ren's mind as a possible career path having grown up surrounded by books, he almost thought of them as his other siblings, especially the books his mother wrote.
"I would be proud, no matter what you choose to be when you grow up." his dad always said.
But Ren was still young and soon consumed himself doing what other 11 year olds were doing, which back then was a new video game console called the Wii. The topic didn't cross Ren's mind again until after he arrived in England. Ren was now 14, and very aware of the world around him. He was taken aback by how different a world he had entered simply by traveling across the pond. It was a daunting task, but one that had been accustomed to Ren's life from his family's constant struggle.
Ren's family, the Ichihara, owned a flat near the heart of downtown. Ren knew that his family was wealthy because of his mom's popular books, but he didn't know how deep that wealth was or what connections his family had because of it. The flat itself was open and spacious with a second story landing with three bedrooms and one master bedroom; its walls were cherry, decorated with intricate patterns made with yellow lining. There was also a huge assortment of elegant red-gold Chinese furniture which had oversized cushions that looked like they could swallow a person whole. Ren noted the many bookcases that were found along the walls, excited by the prospect of filling them with a plethora of books but then another thought crossed Ren's mind. All of their previous houses/apartments were all standard run-of-the-mill dwellings, what you'd see in a Norman Rockwell post card, nothing too fancy. This time around was different, again not that Ren was bothered by his parent's wealth, but he was bothered by the change. His parents had simple tastes and were relatively frugal with money. So what was up with the sudden upgrade? Were they planning on staying this time? Were they planning on moving again in the future? That last thought left a bitter feeling in Ren's gut, but he couldn't eliminate the possibility.
Ren toured the flat again before picking a bedroom. His parents let out a sigh of relief and began to show off the finer details of their new home that Ren may have missed.
Later the family was huddled at the dining room for dinner. Ren was scheduled to start classes tomorrow at the nearby college. His parents were surprised, or so they appeared to be Ren would claim, at how many grades he skipped and the suite of proficiency exams he passed. But they'd always say that he had it in him all along, especially with their combined intellects. Ren would have returned their sentiment but he wasn't giving his parents an ego boost anytime soon. They'd joke about long it would take for Ren to adjust to an English accent or if he'd even develop one. Ren laughed along, he knew his parents would probably fall for the English accent thing before he did, they were dramatic like that.
"Your mom's gonna pick you up tomorrow and bring you over to my school. I've some papers to grade but after that we can take a proper tour of the city. I hope you can appreciate that you'll be seeing the real London instead of literary London." said Ren's dad.
"I'm excited, dad." said Ren with a yawn.
"You don't look excited." said his mother.
"I guess I'm a little tired, we had a long day today. I think I'm gonna head upstairs and lay down for a bit." said Ren.
"Okay honey, get some rest we have a big day tomorrow." said his mom.
After his parents heard Ren's door close they made their way to the living room with a tea set brimming freshly baked sweets and a pot of steaming tea.
"Do you think he's onto what we're planning?" asked Ren's mother taking a sip of tea.
"He's our son, I bet he knows something's off." said Ren's father while grabbing a biscuit.
"It's for the sake of his future…" said Ren's mother starring into her tea with narrowed eyes.
"I sure hope he sees it that way." his father said glancing in the direction of Ren's room.
-A Ghost in the Mist-
Ren woke with a start. He was covered in sweat and his heart was racing a mile a minute. Ren raked his hands through his disheveled brown hair, now sticking up in random directions. To say that he didn't sleep well was putting it kindly. He squinted through the glaring morning sun to examine his surroundings. He was still in bed, still in his room, and still dressed in the same clothes from yesterday.
"What am I still doing in these?" Ren made his way across the room and began rummaging his drawer for a new shirt and a pair of pants. While putting on his pants, Ren turned his attention the alarm clock near his bed and his heart sank.
"Crap, is that the time?" It was quarter past nine.
"Ren, honey! If you don't hurry up you're gonna be late for school."
"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!" yelled Ren. He quickly straightened his hair to the best of his ability, before stuffing books into his messenger bag. He ran through his mental checklist of things he needed for his first day, making sure that he hadn't forgot anything before bolting out of his room and quite literally flying down the stairs. His mother greeted him with a Cheshire grin and gave him a quick kiss on his still messy hair.
"Here's lunch, I hope you can eat breakfast in between one of your classes." She handed Ren a brown paper bag and a thermos of oolong tea.
"I'll try, there should be a nice tea shop on campus I could grab a bite." said Ren, hopping on one leg while attempting to put his shoes on. His mom laughed at his antics, while Ren made a face that said "I'm tired, I'm hungry, now's not the best time mom."
"You're just like your father, you know that?" said his mother lovingly.
"If you mean that dad was good at hopscotch then yeah, I'm exactly like him." Ren joked.
"Today more than ever you'll need to be like him… and me for that matter." Ren's mother once again ran her hands through Ren's hair trying to smooth out his ferocious strands.
"What do you mean mom?" said Ren.
"You'll see later today…" The Cheshire grin back on her face which made Ren slightly uneasy. Then again, this was nothing new: Ren's mom usually made a habit of letting people figure things out. She'd give the most ambiguous hints or double sided comments and would leave people to arrive their own conclusions. Whether or not they were right in the end was another story. She did the same with the characters of her books as well. Her books were the sort of drama where the main character either messes up a relationship or does something incredibly selfish that ends up hurting the people around them. The main character would either, realize the error in their ways and try to fix it, or the reader would see it, while the main character meets a gloomy and bloody end. Her books were not the fluffy happy go lucky books, and she was okay with that. Reality, as she would say, never sympathizes with the hero, so why should she?
Ren dashed out the door heading straight for the bus station. It took a five minute dash to the bus station from the flat. It didn't take long before Ren was seated, ticket in hand, waiting for the bus. Public transport was the way to go in a city as big as London. The subway could take you to any street you wanted in good time. The buses all connected to the famous landmarks as well as to the major business hubs and universities. Ren was glad that he wasn't driving anytime soon, but he knew that the English driving system was completely different from what he was used to in New York. The bus announced its arrival with a loud screech as it pulled into the station. After everyone had boarded the bus, it roared back to life and they were on their way. Ren had some time at the station and in the bus to regain his breath and to also prepare his papers to hand in to his professors. It wasn't very likely they were going to believe that a 14 year old was going to be attending their classes without the proper paper work. Ren wasn't intimidated. He had dealt with a variety of people who hated his guts or who didn't think that a "child" should be in college. Ren scoffed at their comments and had his witty remark to make that often silenced them instantly. Knowledge is a powerful thing indeed.
Ren glanced out the window at the blur of trees and buildings that passed them. One of them he instantly recognized as the British Library. He knew he'd be begging his dad if they could swing by later. Out of nowhere a strong tingling sensation traveled up Ren's arm and down his back. Ren felt his body switch to a guarded stance in his seat, which surprised him.
What's going on? Why do I feel so nervous? thought Ren to himself. He was scared at how his body acted on its own accord. He grabbed his arm and examined it making sure he hadn't pinched a nerve on accident while he was sitting down. Everything was fine, or so Ren thought. He didn't have much time to ponder on the issue before the bus screeched again to a stop. Ren peeked outside the window and saw the big golden letters of his college and a frenzy of people moving in all different directions.
Ren had two math classes for the morning, a science class after lunch, and two literature courses before four in the afternoon. The day flew past Ren in a blur of people, papers, and books. For the most part Ren liked his professors, who walked around with an air of sophistication. They understood his situation and welcomed him into their academia with open arms. His classmates were another story entirely. Some of them avoided him like the plague, others who were none the wiser mistook him for a lost child looking for help. Ren bore it with an irksome expression; there really wasn't anything he could do about it right now. He'd have to earn their respect and acceptance or he'd ignore them, both requiring equal effort, as Ren saw it. Eventually, his last class ended, but Ren was still full of energy, excited from the prospect of touring London with his family later that night.
Ren's mother signaled her presence with a couple of beeps from the red sports car in the parking lot. Her normally waist long hair was tied into a bun that fanned out on the side of her head and she wore a simple black dress complete with a sleeveless button up top.
"Someone looked like they had a good first day." said Ren's mother eyeing the smile on Ren's face.
"Just the opposite mom, I was happy to get out of there." said Ren.
"Aww… poor baby. Well I certainly hope that you won't feel the same when we go see your dad."
Ren opened the door and took shotgun, tossing his bag into the back passenger seat.
"Mooom." Ren drawled out.
"I'm just kidding honey, well almost. I know you'd be genuinely happy to see your dad."
"Seriously mom, I'm fine. I can handle myself, besides it's not like this is the first time this kinda thing happened."
Ren's mother shrugged her shoulders before shifting the car into drive and speeding down the streets of London. The university where Ren's father worked was only a couple of blocks from where Ren went to school. Ren was adamant about not going to the same school as his father to avoid suspicions of academic dishonesty, and simply because he wanted some degree of independence when it came to academics. His father understood where he was coming from, but none the less was a little sad that he couldn't show off his son to his colleagues.
"How was your day, mom?" asked Ren glancing from the window to look at his mother.
"It was okay, couldn't complain. I got another idea for a book. What do you think of a Yakuza – New York Mafia love story?" asked his mother.
"Well one, I think that would be interesting, but careful about what you put in there, and two, you're writing a love story?" retorted Ren.
"I can't keep being philosophical with my readers. My editor complained that my books were getting too gloomy, said that a love story could brighten up my writing style. But that doesn't mean I don't intend to put my own dark touch." said Ren's mother steering into the university parking lot.
"Mom, you know you're becoming a literal female Edgar Allan Poe right?" laughed Ren.
"Ah, you read my mind! Ren how did you ever guess?" Ren's mom laughed with a mix of sarcasm and mirth.
"Well I am your son." said Ren recovering from his laughter.
"Yeah, you are…" said Ren's mother somberly. Once the car was parked Ren's mother was the first to exit the car reaching for her phone to call Ren's dad. Ren followed, noticing the dramatic change in her behavior.
"Is everything alright?" asked Ren running over to her side.
"Yep! Looks like your dad's finished with class for the day too. He said he'll meet us halfway." And just like that her usual grin was back.
Mom, you scare me sometimes but I'm sure you already know that. Ren thought. The rest of their walk quickly fell into a steady routine with Ren's mother greeting every professor and fan that passed by while Ren marveled at the buildings architecture. If Ren was choosing a school based on design alone, Ren would have definitely picked this one. Ren's father emerged out of the corner of the hall, clad in a tan suit dawning a purple tie and had a sun and moon clasp just above the buttons.
"Honey! Wow you look lovely in that outfit and your hair's up too." Ren's father greeted.
"Just right for a night out on the town." said Ren's mother.
"How was your first day son? Make any worthwhile memories?" asked Ren's father.
"I could have done without the staring and the name calling, but compared to all the other times today was practically a walk in the park." Ren replied folding his arms.
"That's academia for you. There will be people who will support you and carry you when you're down. Then there will be people who talk behind your back and do anything they can to bring you down. I've seen it all before." responded his father.
"I know, I know. So enough about that, what's the plan tonight?" asked Ren trying to change the subject.
"Well I was thinking about hitting the big stops Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, the works. Then go for dinner and call it a night." said Ren's father.
"Sounds like a plan to me! Well what are we waiting for let's go!" said Ren.
"Now hang on there young man, I need to stop by the house to drop off my papers. You should probably take a bath too, you haven't even showered since we got here." laughed Ren's father, mock waving his hand around his noise.
"Well excuse me! I guess I'm still trying to adjust my personal clock since we got here." Ren folded his arms again, hiding a smile behind his pout.
He was surprised that none of them had any jet lag, considering they moved ahead by five hours. They were just an energetic family, Ren concluded.
"Alright! Home it is first! Besides Ren, a little R&R never hurt anyone." smiled Ren's mother as she walked past Ren retracing their route the way they came. She had barely taken two steps before her cell phone rang. She looked at the caller ID momentarily before asking Ren and her husband to be excused saying that it might be the publisher. Ren and his father only nodded and began the walk back toward the exit soon falling into a conversation of where they should eat tonight. Ren's mother waited until they were out of her line of sight before flipping open her phone.
"Hello? Ada, it's been a while…"