Chapter 2: Meetings
Stomachless was about to hit the girls with all his might
"You scumm!" Kei pulled himself together and tried to pull Mayu back, but then he fell to the ground like a broken puppet.
"The pain..This pain.." a whisper filled the air.
"No.. We must hurry!" stomachless called up more priests to come,
"something's happening to Kei!" Mayu almost crushed Mio's arm in panic.
"Mayu, let's step back.. its getting worse!"
The lid of the grave opened and hit the ground. A leg reached out. It was pale as the moon, but it wasn't a ghost. A girl body arose, dresses in a kimono with many robes attached to it. Her hair was shaped and colored as snow,. and her lips were twisted. The eyes were covered with a blindfold.
"Go back to your sleep!" stomachless ordered her.
"What happened to everybody?" she whispered.
"Its all over.. you'd be better asleep.."
"Their all dead aren't they? Itsuki too.. WHY?!.."she cried.
"Isabelle- chan.." he put a hand on her shoulder, while another priest mixed a sleeping potion out of the herbs. But Isabelle pulled away suddenly, and had removed her blindfold. Her eyes remained shut.
The priests tensed up, and Stomachless looked at Mio and Mayu.
"Get out, while you still can.. you're our only hope.."
Mio felt panicked herself, and dragged Mayu to the passage.
"It's all over.. you said it yourself.. there is no hope left!"Isabelle opened her eyes. And all the candles went off.
Mio didn't had the time to look back, but she could hear the screams. .
Only when they escaped the Kurosawa house did she has the time to think things over.
"Uncle Kei.. why did he.." Mio almost cried again, but then, a familiar voice was heard.
"He's not really dead yet."
The twins looked up and saw Sae standing on the bridge between the houses.
"So.. you know what just happened down there?"
"Yes. This means our promise has to wait Yae…"
"ooof! I had it with this Yae stuff!!!"
"..anyway, You must hide somewhere safe until its over."
"We can't! Our uncle is in there!"
"You know, you really are pain in the ass for someone who suppose to kill me."
"I'm a pain?! what about that stupid laugh of yours?! I.."
"Hey! Its not stupid! Itsuki even told me that my laugh can even sooth babies to sleep."
"ya right.. more like slaughter them."
"No It doesn't!!"
"Did too!"
"Did not!!"
(A tear appears on Mayu's forehead).
"OK! So why won't we just go to Itsuki and ask him!" Mio got red from anger.
"why not really?!"
So.. the three went to the same ol' shack where Itsuki looked more troubled than ever. He didn't even call her Yae.
"Itsuki.. I'm sorry about the thing I said earlier.. I." Mio then noticed Itsuki is shaking:"Itsuki? what's wrong?" she got close to him.
"My grandpa. .his presence in the village had vanished."
"What's happening?."
"It doesn't concern you Yae.. you must find Sae and leave!"
"You idiot! Sae's right here---"
Mio lookes to her side and they both were missing.
Sae went to the back of the cellar and removed a sheet whom Mayu and Sae hide behind.
"What is it with you?!"
"I'm so embarrassed" Sae whispered.
"I can't believe this..and Mayu, aren't you over it yet?"
Mayu nodded blushing and got up.
"So..what is it?" Mio was persistent.
"Why can't you understand?!" Itsuki got mad for the first time, "I'm not ready to let you go the same path I've been through! Get out!"
Suddenly. A hoard of screams was heard from a house far away.
"It's too late.." Sae stood up.
"Those screams, from who they come?" Mayu asked frightened.
"They are the village priests."
"But.. they are all ghosts," Mio tried to understand, "Why are they so horrified? That Isabelle girl did look creepy but There's no need to—"
"She's not an ordinary girl.. or human when you think about it." Itsuki interrupted.
"You know her?" Mio remembered the vision from before.
"Yes. She was a dear childhood friend, perhaps my best after Ryozo-san.
"Even I know that story..And I was only 3 years old back then." Sae rose and stood before them.
Itsuki was very confused when he saw "two Saes"
"now you get it?" Mio glared at him.
"I can't believe this… You were a triplet all this time!!"
Even Sae couldn't help but fall halfway to the ground..
"Any way.. I think it will be better If I tell the story than past boy over here." Sae expressed her artistic storytelling with hand shadow theater.
A shadow of a girl and a man appeared on screen.
"Long ago, The rumbled out loud. It was different from usual, and the only solution seemed to be a Kusabi
At that time, an English man and his child came to research our providence. He was perfect. But the child had to be kept busy, so they let her play with Itsuki." Itsuki shaped shadow appeared.
"Hey Isabelle, Lets play and be best friends!"
"oh Itsuki, Its so fun! So difference from the games at home!"
"hahah"
"Itsuki kun, will we be best friend together?"
"of course, that is, until I'll get marry. And then I'll have to give all of me for my beautiful wife Sae."
"Oh I understand, I'm sure she'll be much better wife than me.."
"you ccan bet on..it..ha..hahaha…" Sae let her crazy laugh out. ."hahahahahaahaaahaaaaaaaahaaaahahahahaaaaaaaa!!!!!!"
"Sae I thought we already told you about that laugh!" Mio put her hands on her ears.
"Thanks for reminding me! Hey Itsuki, you told me my laugh was pretty, remember?"
"oh.. so it was a laugh? I thought it was impression of Godzilla.. hehe.."
Sae got depressed and kept quiet.
"Itsuki can you finish that story?"
"Yeah, but Its still clouded. Isabelle was really smart and had high sixth sense. she knew something bad is going to happen to her father. And in the day of the cutting ritual She asked me to help her follow the priests. We did it.. But my grandpa caught us. He threw Isabelle to a cell and hit her while she tried to stop the ceremony with screams…I.. couldn't stop him.."
"don't worry about it now.." Mio patted his shoulder of thin air.
"After that, they took me out. And I've hared many screams. From many people. It was a failed Kusabi.. and everybody believed That day The malice almost broke free. My grandpa stood at the and calmed it with his own life.."
"And the Girl?"
"They told me she died from sorrow after seeing her wounded father. I always believed it wasn't the whole truth, but now I don't know anything.."
"But. It makes no sense! What is this girl, a vampire!?"
"It's worse.."Sae snapped out of her melancholy and turned all dramatic.
"She's not a human, nor a spirit. But She can destroy both.."
"You mean.."
"She doesn't need a Camera to defeat ghosts, or a weapon to kill humans.."