The next chapter of Spirit walker is up and running. I'm surprised I'm getting this far so soon...
6/22/16: Again minor grammar changes, just a few changes here and there.
"regular talking"
thoughts from Mai to Allen
Allen talking to Mai
"English"
Summary: Mai is the sweet, idealistic, latent psychic that we have grown to love, but what would happen if Mai had a younger twin brother, a twin who was dead. A twin who managed to live out his life as a spirit.
Chapter 2
Work for a Ghost Hunter
The bell tolled, signaling the end of school. I stood putting my books away, mild frustration evident on my face.
"Oh, hey. Mai, are you going home? Remember Shibuya-Sempai from yesterday? He said he wanted to join us! Don't you want to stay?"
"No, not really."
"Don't you want to see his beautiful smile again!?"
"Really... Just.. Really..." I looked away, face disgrunted, with a sweat-drop running down the side. My brother lazily gazed in my directions, half zoned out. The girls squealed nonsense about yesterday.
"Hey, where should we meet today? It's not as spooky in here."
"Should we meet in the Audiovisual Room again?" They started going back and forth with suggestions.
"Excuse me..."
Stood a few paces away was a girl with glasses and inky black hair tied back in duel braids. She had her arms folded as if we were doing something wrong.
"Oh, Kuroda-san, we were just leaving."
"I heard you guys. What were you talking about?" She pressed on.
"We're gonna tell ghost stories again today. That's what." I answered, my friends indignant cry sounding in the background. It was obvious they didn't want her to know.
"Ghost stories!?" She yelled startled. The fight was momentarily stopped by a soft rapping on the door.
"Taniyama-san, are you in here?" He asked. Not missing a beet Allen abruptly stood up. He turned around and bent his back, his head rolled backwards as he looked at Shibuya with a cat like gaze. It all added up to a really creepy picture.
Floating... he muttered
What?
No answer.
"What grade are you? What are you doing here?" Kuroda interrogated as the girls fawned over him behind me.
"Oh, I'm here to meet with these girls." He answered, impatience evident in his voice.
"A meeting? To tell ghost stories?" She practically shrieked.
"Yes, and..." His eyes flashed as he made to continue. She spun on her heel and turned on me.
"I told you to stop that nonsense! No wonder I've been having headaches since I came to school this morning." She yelled, cutting him off. Allen turned his previously focused on Black attention to her.
"I'm very Psychic, and when the spirits gather I get a horrible headache. I've been having one all day, so there must be spirits nearby. Allen narrowed his eyes, then walked up to her.
Then, you should hear me? He asked coldly. She cracked her eyes open in surprise, then slightly gripped her head harder.
"Don't you know what you're doing? When you tell each other ghost stories, Low-level spirits gather around. When low-level spirits gather, they call for high-level spirits that are more powerful.
Bullshit, they don't call anything. The higher-level spirits come to suck them dry of all energy, essentially starving them. My brother glanced at her then left, his eyes scanning every detail of the hall as he went.
Almost like a video, I saw what he was seeing in my minds eye. He dashed home faster than anything living could possibly achieve then returned, an Oak flute with ancient ruins lining it in his hand. His eyes shifted to Shibuya-san as he stood there holding the work of musical art.
"When that happens, It'll be too late. That's why you shouldn't be telling each other ghost stories for fun. I would expect you to know better, upper classmate. I'll exorcise for you just in case." She continued.
"I think you're just imagining all this." I wouldn't go as far as to say all of it, but Allen would have said something if there were war ghost hanging around in the building across the way, right?
"This is why I don't like dealing with non-psychic people." She spat frustratedly.
"Then tell me..."
"If you're really psychic, do you feel anything from the old building?" Black replied with an unreadable look in his eye, I can't help but feel she is wrong somehow in her previous statement.
"The old building? Oh, definitely." She stood a little taller—lying. "I believe its haunted with the spirits of old war victims."
"War victims? Which war?" He fired, clearly hearing the false pride dripping out of her voice.
"World war II of course." A beat was not missed, "I'm sure there used to be an old hospital there. I've seen the spirits of nurses and patients with bandages." He shifted his form looking as if he already knew that he won the chess match.
"Really? I didn't know there was a hospital there during world war II. I heard that the school has been here since before the war. Could it have been a Medical school perhaps?" Kuroda colored.
"I... I don't know anything about that! I just know I saw them! But those who aren't psychic like me wouldn't understand." She near yelled. I huffed, they really are getting out of control.
In the corner of my eye I notice Allen bringing the Flute up to his lips, but he seems to decide against it and lowers it back down. He then steels his resolve then brings it back up.
With a quick large breath he starts to play, and out comes a feather light melody a few octaves lower than what can normally be played on the flute. The ruins glowed softly as the haunting voice of wind lowered even more and connected in an accented harmony.
'Kinda felt like a song that you would play for a Dracula Esq character. Definitely something you would play in one of those medieval castles.
Kuroda froze again, but this time I joined her. The energy of the entire building physically shifted with every twist and turn of the song. That kind of confirmed my suspicions, she really is psychic to a degree.
"The principal mentioned that he's upset because the spirits in the old building are preventing him from demolishing it. Why don't you exorcise the spirits for him with your 'psychic power?'" He finished. Considering Floaty just validated that she has abilities, it sounded kind of cruel, but he might not know that so...
"Excuse me... Shibuya-sempai, can I cancel this evening?" Michiru interjected.
"Me, too. I don't really feel like telling ghost stories any more." The others mirrored.
"No problem. We'll do it again some other time." He shrugged if off all to easily. The girls apologised as he moved to leave, but not without Kuroda yelling whatever.
"Oh, ah, Taniyama-san..." Darn.
"Yes?"
"Can I talk to you for a sec?" I froze for a second debating whether or not to make a run for it, but the steely glare he fixed me with made me decide against it.
"Sure..." I muttered wondering how he will decide to kill me.
"... Is she one of your classmates?" He asked after a few good moments of walking.
"Yeah, but... I've never really spoken to her before, all she would ever do was sit in the corner alone."
"I wonder if she's really psychic..." he pondered.
"I wouldn't doubt it, she is probably just overestimating her abilities, she wasn't wrong up until she got flustered and started spewing stuff about the war. By the way, is your friend from this morning OK?" I asked lightly.
"I wanted to speak to you about that, too. He sprained his left leg pretty badly and won't be able to stand up on his own for awhile." I blinked, does he have a concussion too, because I'm pretty sure he was bleeding from his head.
"Oh... I feel terrible, how do you know him?" seemed a little old to me.
"Assistant." One word, thanks a lot.
"Oh... but I didn't mean to do it, honest! Your boss startled me..."
"The other way around." He swiveled on his heel. "I'm his boss. He's my assistant."
My mind blanked for a second as I noticed Allen was still in the room just standing there idly.
"So now... I have a problem, because my assistant is too injured to work. Don't you think you're responsible for this, Taniyama-san?" What.
"Wait a minute, do you remember anything from yesterday!? He didn't have to save me, if he didn't scream at me startling me then the shoe things wouldn't have fallen anyway! If anything I'm a victim!"
"He got hurt... What happened to you?" He rebuked. "And you broke my camera, too. Lin was... He was only trying to stop you from touching the camera. As a result this is what happened."
"You may choose to pay me back for the loss, but..."I leveled a glare than lowered my stocking to reveal bandages tightly wrapped around my calf. I had cut myself on the fall, but didn't notice until I got home, thinking it was nothing.
"Its not like I did it on purpose. Who puts a camera in between standalone large pieces of furniture under the middle area of a roof. Its an old building, you have to take things into consideration." I hold my gaze for a second than sigh.
"How much was it..."
"In Japanese yen, approximately one thousand man yen." My eyes widened slightly, no way I could afford that!
"How on earth is it that expensive!?"
"It was custom made. From Germany, I can show you the warranty if you like?" Stupid German engineering. I silently wondered how many large orders of french fries that would get me.
"If you can't pay me back..." I looked up sceptically. Warranty..? Wait..!
"Would you fill in as my assistant?" That's it? Suddenly Allen was right next to me.
Do it, I want to see what it is like in his job. Bring it on little ghost hunter.
Ghost hunter? He said warranty, if he has a warranty shouldn't it cover something as simple as it falling? By the way, what was with you earlier?
Little ghost hunter is sending off waves of energy and it disoriented me for a second. I managed to help right? I tested to see if Braid was really psychic.
Yes, little brother, you helped plenty.
"So I'll be your assistant...?"
"Right. Did you not hear me? It's no problem if you don't want to. Just make sure you pay me back for the camera."
"I guess it couldn't hurt." My voice sounded all too fake cheery than I had anticipated. He gave a grin and I felt my temper skyrocket.
"By the way... What do you do, Shibuya-san?
"Ghost hunting." Little ghost hunter it is then.
"The literal translation would be to eliminate evil spirits I guess. I'm with the Shibuya Psychic Research center hired by the school to do research on the old school building."
"A Psychic research center..." He took the soft tone of my voice as a question.
"Aren't you taking English." I stare at him.
"I already am fluent in English, probably the only one as the teachers are no better than beginners." For the record I only know it because of Allen, he is fascinated of cultures from the west. Its not the only language I know too...
"It's a research center studying psychic phenomenon. And..." Que pause for dramatic effect.
"I'm the president."
"One week age, the school principal came to hire us to work on this assignment."
"He asked us to look into the phenomenon that a rash of accidents always happened when they tried to demolish the old school building."
"So you said you transferred in to hear about the ghost story about the old school building."
"My goal was to gather information among the students. And did you talk about it?" He asked
"Yeah. Michiru told us the story. Ummm..."
"Wait." He pulled out a tape recorder then told me to start.
"Well..." I recounted the entire story with Allens help to the finest detail. After I was finished he clicked it off and muttered something along the lines of 'I see'.
"So how much of Michiru's story do you think is true?" I asked.
"I know it's true that there were many people who died while the old building was in use." He flipped through his little black book. Allen hovered over his shoulder for a second.
The writing is written completely in English, specifically in cursive. It's rather neat and from what I've read its completely objective.
That's good to know I guess... If he impulsively writes in English he probably isn't Japanese.
I also noticed as he talks he pauses for a microscopic moment, that's probably him translating to Japanese.
"Until 18 years age when the old building was still being used as a part of the main campus... One to two people died every year." He read.
"It's also true that the roof fell in during demolition of the west wing. However... There's no evidence that any demolition workers ever died. It's also true that five people were injured, but that was caused bu human error. Not spirits." I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Demolition was completed as planned. They demolished one third of the building and that was all. Since then... and this was 6 years ago... The body of a dead child was discovered in the old building." I gasped silently, no kid deserves that.
"She was a 7-year-old Who lived in the neighborhood. She had been kidnapped for ransom. The criminal was caught and arrested one month after her body was found." He flipped the page again, the light from the streetlamp next to the bench he was sitting on casting an eerie shadow on him.
"And it's also true that there was a teacher who committed suicide, but... He suffered from neurosis. They found a suicide note he had left behind." I started clapping while Allen had a grin on his face.
"Impressive! Very good research" I praised. He mearly shrugged it off saying not to underestimate him.
"So what about the 'truck that ran out of control.'" I asked a little peeved that he ignored my compliment. He pulled out a newspaper in reply, and I started to read.
Daytime High School Tragedy
Nine Students Hit.
A demolition truck with a full load of bricks suddenly veered off the road and onto the high school volleyball court. There was a gym class in session and nine students were critically injured, two of the dying soon after the accident. The driver of the vehicle was found to be intoxicated and...
"True, they had to stop demolition of the building because of that accident... But some also believe it was because of the rumors about the building." In seeing the pictures of the students who died. I felt myself growing tired, my emotions shifting sad as Allen looked at me in alarm. Shibuya started to get up.
"But none of these events convince me that the rumors are true. People may believe that the building is ill-omened, but clearly there is an explanation for each of these accidents." His words shocked me out of my zoned-out state.
"My gut tells me this assignment will not reveal anything out of the ordinary."
The professional is using his gut, seems legit.
Shut up specter!
"What exactly do I have to help you with you look like you have it handled here." He only fixed me with a strange look.
I stood there frozen in awe. Lining the windows were high-sensitivity boom mics.
"Take those microphones down and gather them up. I'll get the mike stands."
"What do you use these boom mics for?" He looks at me in mild surprise before answering.
"I suppose microphones are generally used to collect sound."
"That's not what I was asking and you know it!"
He sighed. "It's dangerous to go into a haunted building that you're not yet familiar with. So it's important to first collect as much information as possible from outside of the building. For example, record sound from the outside of set up cameras around the building."
"Oh? So your not scared?" I baited.
"Not particularly." He answered blandly. I then thought of something.
"By the way, why are you doing this at your age?"
"Because they need me." He answers without hesitation.
"There have to have been cases you couldn't solve right?"
"Never."
Allen looks at him, grinning. Looks like the Little Ghost Hunter is here for a reason. Wonder what he had to go through to get so successful at this age.
"How impressive! You're handsome, and on top of that you're capable of getting a difficult job done." I said blandly. He turns around with a surprised look on his face, well at least as surprised as it can get.
"You think... I'm handsome?" Have you seen your face? I rose my eyebrow.
"I'm pretty sure you noticed how all my friends were fawning over you. You're not exactly ugly, though you would look better if you didn't fake your smile. You don't have to hide all of your emotions, no one will think your weak from it, if anything people will take you more seriously because they can tell your not just a kid acting grown-up that way." I ended my long speech.
Immediately he turned around, If he hadn't I would have seen his eyes widen quite a lot. I had apparently hit the nail on the head according to my brother.
Ah the advantages of being able to see from two different perspectives.
"I see... At least you have good taste."
I was shocked. He absolutely looks down on me! Of course both his looks and his title are impressive, but the most stunning thing is... His narcissistic behavior!
That's it, From now on, I'm going to call you Naru-chan.
Narussistic Naru-chan!
Welp, there goes another chapter. If any of you are confused, the flute plays as if it was a bass version, but it is normal size. The sound is about the sound equivalent played by a Bass Clarinet to Clarinet or an English Horn to Oboe. The song was Arystar Krory from -Man OST 2. Its mainly played on Cello and Bassoon. This flute will be something Allen always keeps on his person.
A boom mic is those ovular mics that pick up main sounds—not background—an are used in film on those long poles, though they dont have to be on the poles. They are used to pick up really minute differences in vocal pitch, but can be adapted and are adapted by paranormal researchers in order to do what they dont normally do—pick up background sound.
I remember the Japanese version of the anime used word play for that last sentence there, so I kept it.
When I type in Japanese without capitalizing the 'J', in spell check one of the three options is duckpins. O.o
Hope you enjoyed!
Review If you liked and if there is anything you notice, constructive critisism is welcome.
Broke 3 thousand words. :)
~AzureSkyTower~
