CHAPTER 2 - UNFORGETTABLE
MAY 13th - TWO MONTHS AFTER CLARE'S FIRST DEATH
In the sunny and partly cloudy day, the abandoned building still stands alone, close to the edge of the forest, and the mountains even further away. It is almost all black on the outside from its burns, yet it still stands.
Clare sits on a swing, roped from a high tree. He doesn't move, as the building is the center of his focus. Clare lifts his leg, stretching it. It is healed now. He stands up, not taking his eyes off the building.
Clare suddenly remembers gasping awake in the basement that night. Talking to the Haunter. Then seeing him disappear from the flashlights.
CLARE (v.o.): Did he save me..? I can't remember much about that night. Oh well. It's not like I can talk to him either.
Clare begins to walk back to the town. A soft breeze blows by. Clare stops walking, thinking for a few moments.
He swiftly glances back toward the building.
~chapter 2 continued~
Clare pushes away some boards in front of the cellar door. He finally opens it, the old wood loudly creaking from his entry. He pauses in silence for a bit, looking around.
Nothing has changed, and the Haunter is nowhere to be seen.
Clare closes the cellar door as he enters anyway. The daylight lets in enough for Clare to walk around freely without tripping up. He keeps his hands in his pockets as he observes all around him, walking slowly.
He comes to a stop, looking ahead. The crash spot from where he fell still lays on the basement floor.
CLARE (smiles): Hm. Kinda funny how one thing can look so different in day and night.
Clare looks up through the large hole.
CLARE: Hello..?!
His voice echoes through. No answer.
CLARE: .. Oh wait- if he's a ghost, then I guess he only comes out at night?
Clare glances around the basement. Not much to look at. Dirt, garbage, wood, and concrete. Clare notices a plastic crate. He takes a few steps toward it, and uses his foot to kick it back to where he was.
CLARE: Um.. if you can hear me, I don't mean any harm! I just wanted to thank you for.. whatever you did. Just gonna sit here for a while! Kay?
Again, no answer. Clare sits down on the crate and folds his arms.
CLARE: Okay..
SEVERAL HOURS LATER..
Clare is still sat on the crate with his arms folded, having not moved at all from his spot. It is late in the evening now, and the dim oranges and blues of the sky barely make it into the basement. He is practically asleep, or at least dozing off. He begins to tip to one side. He suddenly awakens, catching his balance.
Clare begins to doze off again. A somewhat loud ringtone suddenly rings, comically scaring him. He reaches into his pocket.
He flips open his phone seeing a text from his mother.
MOM (text): Sorry sweetie, I won't be back til later tonight. Hope you're still resting your leg.
Clare glances down at his leg. He stretches it out and wiggles his ankle. He replies to her text.
CLARE (text): Yup.
Clare closes his phone and puts it back into his pocket.
CLARE (sigh): She wants me home, but she's at work most of the time anyway.
Behind Clare, a ghostly figure floats by, blending in with the wall.
CLARE: I just don't get it..
The sun begins to fully set.
Clare glances up through the hole, seeing the last bit of daylight leave. The wind picks up for a moment, and ruffles through the surrounding trees. It quietly howls through the building. Clare shivers.
CLARE: Guess I didn't really think this one through. I don't even have a flashlight. Wait a sec..
The daylight is almost completely gone. Clare flips open his phone, and presses a few buttons. A light turns on. It works perfect as a substitute.
CLARE: Lovely.
As Clare pans his phone-flashlight slowly across the darkening basement, the light illuminates one of the walls and suddenly reveals a black face suddenly lunge at Clare, sticking out its long tongue and giving a quick shriek. Clare screams from the fright, dropping his phone, and falling backwards off the crate. He panics and breathes quickly, staring at his phone on the floor. Desperate to grab it, he shuffles up to his hands and knees and extends his reach.
He grasps it, and keeping his arm fully extended, shines the light forward and all around. Nothing. The phone dings as an alert. Clare looks at his phone. It reads "Low Battery. Shutting Down".
CLARE: Oh, no- of course- not this! Come on!
The light goes out. Clare begins to try and calm himself down. He shuts his eyes, and remains sat on the floor.
CLARE: Okay- don't run. Just stay. Don't run away. Don't run!
A three-clawed hand begins to create an orb of purple energy that gives off a rather beautiful light.
Clare reluctantly glances up. He sees the light growing in brightness. It reveals the two triangular eyes of the black Haunter. Still a bit dim, the ghost extends his purple light hovering in his hand to Clare, who is hesitant to do anything at first.
CLARE: F- for me..?
The Haunter just stares at him, slightly tilting his head.
CLARE: .. It's not gonna explode if I touch it, right?
The Haunter lightly chuckles to himself. He extends his purple light a little further. Clare still hesitates.
CLARE (v.o.): People say that in a full lifetime.. we only get a few unforgettable moments. This one was mine.
Clare reaches his hand underneath the ghost's three-claw hand. The Haunter slowly removes his hand, and the orb remains floating over Clare's. Clare smiles and lightly laughs in awe at the sight. Being a boy who hardly ever spent any time with Pokemon his whole life, this was certainly an incredible experience to him.
Clare stares at the light with a smile.
CLARE: When I was much younger.. I always wanted a fire-type Pokemon.. but ya know something? I'm beginning to change my mind.
The Black Haunter just stares back.
CLARE: .. Say, uh.. I'm not exactly a Poke-expert here, but uh.. Aren't you suppose to be purple in color?
The Haunter tilts his head and raises an eyebrow.
CLARE: Uh- sorry! I don't mean anything rude by it, it's just- I don't really know all that much.
The Haunter has frozen himself in his raised-eyebrow position.
CLARE: Okay.. so you're a Haunter right?
HAUNTER (smiles): Haunt, haunt haunt!
Clare is a little surprised, but still doesn't know what that meant.
CLARE: O..kay.. Uh, how bout this? Since you can understand me, but I can't understand you.. we'll have to make up a system of communication, alright?
HAUNT: Haunt..
CLARE: So.. if I ask a question, and you wanna answer "No".. you just cover both your eyes with your hands. But.. if it's a yes- just cover one eye. Sound good?
The Haunter laughs with happiness and quickly floats around the room. He returns to his spot, and looking at Clare, covers one eye with his hand. Clare laughs.
CLARE: So.. have you been living here long?
Haunter doesn't know how to answer that question. He points his finger under his chin in serious thought. He then does a comical waving gesture with his hand.
CLARE: Sort of..? Hmm.. I once read that Pokemon use to love human interaction. If that's true, then I guess it must have been pretty lonely, huh?
Haunter smiles with closed eyes, as if to keep himself cheered up. He covers one eye. Clare pauses himself from speaking for a bit. His eyes are filled with understanding. Clare stands up to his feet, still holding the light orb. He extends his other hand to Haunter for a handshake. The Haunter recognizes the gesture, but is surprised by it.
CLARE: My name's Clare.
Clare closes his eyes and gives a big smile. Haunter is still surprised, and hesitates himself. He feels almost honored by such an act. Haunter reaches out his three-claw hand, gently grasping Clare's.
CLARE: It's nice to meet ya.
Haunter, still seeing Clare's true smile, tries to mimic it, revealing his own enormous smile and closed eyes. He laughs a bit, saying his own name as they shake hands.
CLARE (v.o.): I never would have guessed that this was the beginning of one heck of a journey.
~chapter 2 continued~
Clare's mother enters the house, wearing a long coat. She lets down her hair as well as a sigh of exhaustion. She tosses a set of keys down on the shelf by the door, and then places her hands in her coat pocket, letting herself fall to lean against the wall.
MOM: Clare..?! I'm home. Did you eat anything?
Upstairs, down the hall, Clare's bedroom door is already open. His light is off, but a flickering light comes from a television. He shouts back in reply.
CLARE: Uh.. no, I forgot.
MOM: How can you forget something like that?
CLARE: I'm watching a movie.
MOM: Well come down in a bit, I'll fix you something. I want to talk to you about something too.
Clare is lid down on his stomach with his blanket over his back and head as he glances his view away from the tv. He is curious as to what his mother wishes to talk about.
~chapter 2 continued~
Clare and his mother now sit to a small table in the kitchen. They each have their eyes closed and hands up in prayer while a small and unclear picture of Clare's father stands on the table in the empty spot. His mother opens her eyes and lowers her hands.
MOM: Okay, you can eat now.
Clare swiftly lowers his hands and snaps apart his chopsticks, almost immediately eating. His mother smiles in surprise.
MOM: Wow, you really did forget to eat, huh? What were you up to all day?
Clare freezes himself for a few moments, not knowing what to say. Clare swirls his chopsticks in the air with a slightly nervous smile.
CLARE: Uh.. just movies and video games.
His mother gives an expression of only slight suspicion.
MOM: Hmm. Well, keep it up- if you want to wear glasses, that is.
Clare gives an embarrassed and slightly fake chuckle.
CLARE: So.. you wanted to talk about something..?
MOM: Oh- yes. Well, it's.. kind of hard to actually put into words. I've been thinking about this particular issue for a long time now.
Clare swallows his food, but then gives a look of concern and curiosity.
CLARE: Well, what is it?
MOM: Well.. I've been thinking about letting you go.. to catch up with your friends, that is.
As Clare's mother talks, black Haunter literally enters the room through the wall behind her, but stops half-way, looking around the house with extreme curiosity. Clare notices and freezes in shock, a shiver sending up through his body at the potentially-disastrous sight.
CLARE: Uh- oh, really? That's a rather unexpected change of heart.
Clare lets out another one of his fake-nervous chuckles. Haunter fully enters the room and begins to look around even more, Clare's mother still oblivious to him.
MOM: Well, for you, but like I said, I've been thinking about this for a while.
Haunter finally notices Clare sat down. He gives a huge smile and closed eyes and begins waving to him.
Clare is now in even more shock. He sweats a profound amount, hardly moving at all.
MOM: Clare..?
CLARE: Huh?
MOM: Well, I figured you would have taken this news at least a different way than this.
Haunter glances upward at the ceiling. He then takes the liberty of swiftly floating straight up and going through. His mother glances behind her, but sees nothing. She looks back at Clare, now growing genuinely suspicious.
MOM: Are you okay..?
CLARE: Ya know what- that is great news! I mean- it makes me happy and joyous and- wonderful.. inside.
MOM: .. When did you start talking like that..?
CLARE: Um.. may I be excused for a minute please?
MOM: You've hardly eaten any- wh- why?
CLARE: Think I left my tv turned on.
MOM: .. Fine..
Clare stands up from the table, wiping his face in his napkin. He smiles nervously.
CLARE: Be right back..
Clare power-walks from the table and up the stairs. Once out of his mom's sight, he tries to be as quiet as possible as he leaps each step to his room. He pulls open the door. The tv is playing a movie, and Haunter is comically staring at it, as if hypnotized.
Clare gives an irritated expression and tries to whisper loudly.
CLARE: Ugh- when I said I'll see you later, I didn't mean right after!
HAUNTER: Haaauuunt..
Haunter is still focused on the television.
CLARE: Haunter!
Haunter snaps out of it and turns to Clare. He gives a smile, and quickly swirls around the bedroom a few times before stopping. He eagerly looks at Clare, as if it to be his turn.
CLARE: What, you wanna play?
Haunter gets excited, grabbing Clare's bed blanket, about to make a mess. Clare, swiftly growing in stress, tries to calm him down.
HAUNTER: Haunt haunt!
CLARE: Shh..! Look, we can't play here. How about- how 'bout we go somewhere else?
Haunter claps his hands together, then places one hand over his eye for a "yes". Clare begins to take slow steps toward Haunter, ready to grab him.
CLARE: Okay, good. We'll just.. go outside or something.
Haunter throws the blanket up in the air, and as it falls over him, Clare leaps forward, but falls on his bed instead. The blanket is empty. Clare sees that Haunter had tricked him by vanishing. He lets out a comical sigh.
CLARE: Ghost-types..
Clare's mother suddenly opens his bedroom door.
MOM: What's going on in here?!
CLARE: Ahh!
He swiftly gets back up to his feet.
CLARE: Sorry mom, you startled me.
MOM: I thought you came up to turn off your tv- not to goof around! I swear, you're acting really weird.
In an instant, Clare swipes up his remote and turns off his tv. Yet another fake-nervous laugh.
CLARE: Yeah, I know. I'm a little jumpy today. Too much sugar, I think.
His mother is unconvinced.
MOM: But you said you didn't eat anything until now.
CLARE: Oh- well, uh.. nothing healthy that is..
MOM: Clare! March down those stairs and finish your dinner!
CLARE: Y- yes ma'am!
Clare bolts past her and down the stairs.
Clare quickly scans the kitchen, but nothing. He swiftly steps into the living room and scans there as well. No Haunter. He checks the closet. The laundry room. The cupboards. No where.
His mother is almost to the bottom of the stairs. Clare swiftly jumps back to his place at the kitchen table. He commences eating again. His mother enters the kitchen and walks cautiously to her chair.
MOM: So, anyway.. do you still talk to your friends?
CLARE: Uh, well.. I was. But they've all gotten out of range now. My phone's only local, after all.
MOM: Oh. Do.. you know how you're going to track them, then? Since they're not trainers yet, the routes they take would be random, right?
CLARE: Oh, I'll just do my own thing 'til then. I was planning on getting a new phone when I got to the city anyway.
MOM: Which city?
There is a sudden crash from upstairs. Clare freezes himself again, but his mother reacts totally different. She swiftly glances toward the direction of the noise, as if to possess x-ray vision.
MOM: An intruder!
In only a few moments, Clare's mother had gone to the closet and pulled a shotgun from the top shelf. She loads it with two shells in an instant.
MOM: We're going up! Clare- stay close behind me.
CLARE: Wh- what?! Since when do we have a gun in the house?!
His mother begins to walk up the stairs, while aiming the shotgun forward. Clare gets out of his seat and begins to follow her.
CLARE: Mom, come on- it's probably just a.. Pidgey or something.
MOM: Bird-type Pokemon don't fly at night.
CLARE: Okay- well maybe it was a Zubat!
MOM: Clare, if you're hiding something, you better tell me right now.
They get to the upstairs, and his mother notices a mess of glass trailing out of her bedroom.
MOM: Okay- wait here Clare. Mommy got this.
CLARE: What?!
She swiftly runs down the hall, and kicks her bedroom door fully open, aiming her shotgun.
CLARE (v.o.): Is mom military, or something..?
His mother scans the room, but a fallen vanity and shattered mirror is the only thing abnormal. She notices the window.
MOM: Huh.. window's shut. He's still in the house..
CLARE: Okay- I'm sorry! I gotta tell you something.
His mother is still in the hall. She turns around, slinging her shotgun over her shoulder.
MOM: Well it's about time.
Black Haunter finally reveals himself, directly behind Clare's mother. Clare widens his eyes at the sight. Haunter notices the shotgun over her shoulder and pokes his finger inside the barrel.
MOM: Well..? Just what is going on around here?
Haunter quickly pulls his finger out of the barrel, which makes a hollow pluck sound effect, suddenly grabbing the frozen attention of Clare's mother.
Clare is completely dumbfounded, not knowing what to do. Clare's mom glances behind her. Haunter looks directly at her, but covers both his eyes and holds out his enormous blue tongue. Completely shocked and terrified at the sight, she screams and brings down the shotgun. She pulls the trigger. The gun fires, and Haunter literally explodes into a burst of blood. As if time itself had nearly stopped, Clare widens his eyes at the horrific sight, unbelieving of what just happened. His mother is equally shocked. The blood splatters all over the hallway.
Clare just stares, traumatized. His mother still holding the shotgun, frozen in her shooting position, trembles, not knowing what to do.
The blood then begins to turn black in color. Every bit of it begins to literally move to the floor directly in front of Clare's mom til it makes a puddle. Haunter himself rises from it, forming back to his original shape. He laughs as if it were a simple prank.
He holds out his tongue, revealing the shotgun pellets that were fired at him. He drops them to the floor. Clare's mother is still frozen and shocked.
MOM: Ugh- what is this thing?
Clare has his head bowed down, not revealing his emotions. He tightens his fists.
CLARE: You stupid son of a..
Without hesitation, Clare leaps forward, just past his mom, and soars his fist through the air. He manages to actually punch Haunter in the face, who was still laughing.
CLARE: You scared the hell outta me!
The impact was unexpected to all of them. The hit sends Haunter bouncing all over the hallway floor and walls. After all the rebounds, Haunter gathers his own dizzy composure by rubbing his swelled cheek, while listening to Clare comically let out his frustrations.
CLARE: What was that all about?! If you weren't a ghost-type Pokemon, that woulda killed you! I wanted us to give an amazing first-impression to mom, but you had to pull something like that?! Wow! I heard that you ghost-types were mischievous tricksters, but- what was that?!
Haunter laughs and shrugs.
MOM: Clare..
Both Clare and Haunter glance toward her. She stands, comically looking psychotic with the shotgun in hand and weary eyes of almost every emotion.
MOM: I'd like to talk to you about something..
~to be continued~