Things below don't belong to me...
The next day I got up and slid down the banister. I screamed loudly when I saw a dazed Riku standing at the bottom of the stairs. Riku didn't flinch. "Riku what the hell-?" I asked, almost demanding an answer for him scaring me so badly. "Tonight is the anniversary of his death" He said, eyes cold and dazed. "It is?" I asked, wondering how any of that was relevant to why Riku was standing like some creepy statue at the bottom of the stairs.
"Brace yourself Sora, you may hear some things..don't be afraid.." He said eerily, walking out to the garden. I stared after him for a moment confused before running after him. "Hey Riku..how did he die?" I asked first. "You still haven't found out?" He questioned dazed. "..no.." I said. Kinda weirded out by his strange behavior. "The Masaki's used to have a gardener..he hated the Son deeply, for reason's unknown..." He began, still facing away from Sora.
"The Masaki's left their son home at the mansion while they went to work, assuming the gardener would keep watch over the boy...that night was the night he was announced missing." Riku droned emotionlessly. "When in reality the gardener killed him. He poisoned him and to hide his body he shoved it in the wall of his bedroom...when his mother heard the scratching the first time, the boy was grasping on to his last moments of life, begging someone would help him..but his help never came. The rest of those times, it was just his ghost, still begging someone would free him of his fate. Until his parents moved away and sold the house to you all." Riku finished with the same eeriness he began with.
"What noises will I hear?" I asked. "The same thing his mother heard." Riku replied like some zombie. I felt my knees buckle. "Are you that gardener..?" I asked, fear evident in my voice. "No, the gardener's name them was Ansem." Riku answered before walking off into the deep woods. Sora looked back at the house with fear. He just hoped Riku was playing a really bad joke on his all along. He didn't think he could take a real ghost encounter.
"Hey Sora are you okay?" Roxas asked tilting his head. "I guess..." I said with a tone that screamed I wasn't. "What's wrong?" He pried on. "Tonight is the anniversary of his death" I replied, still scared beyond reason. "Oh you mean the Masaki's son? No tonight is the night he was declared missing." Roxas corrected me. "I heard otherwise.." I countered. I trusted Riku with this matter, he seemed to know more about the whole thing than anyone.
"Chill out Sora..I'm pretty sure no ghost is going to attack you." He said rolling his eyes. "I'm not worried about him attacking me just his very presence frightens me..." I said hugging my knees to my chest. "Have you seen him before?" Roxas asked curiously. "No." I responded. I was lucky on that matter. "Then how do you know he's there?"
I looked at him. "You know you're right! This might just be a bad trick! I don't know he exists!" I laughed it off. Suddenly feeling a thousand weights being lifted from my heavy heart. Roxas laughed and ruffled my hair. I smiled.
The rest of the day I goofed off with my friends. The thought of the terror that may or may not happen tonight still lingered in the back of my mind. I ventured home later in the night after hanging out with my friends and went in the mansion. Cloud and Leon were eating Chinese take-out. "Hey Sora, we got some food for you" Cloud said, with a mouth full of noodles. I smiled and ate with them.
I was a bit restless when night fell. Even though Roads' words had comforted me earlier, they did nothing for me now. I was worried about what was going to happen. If Riku was telling the truth. It was about 10:16 already and nothing happened. Until I heard a thump. My heart jumped. I heard another one and I gathered my courage and made my way down the hall. Leon and Cloud were right by me, also wondering what the noises were. "Stay behind me Sora" Leon ordered walking slowly to the stairs, where the thumping was coming from.
I peeked over Leon's shoulder and saw nothing. Cloud and Leon went to go investigate and told me to go back to my room. I complied gratefully. At least I wouldn't be out here where the ghost was. I made my way back into my room and hid under the covers. I was safe.
I relaxed until Leon and Cloud's voices faded. I heard a strangled call for help and I wondered if it was Cloud or Leon. I sat up in my bed and listened for it again. I heard a scratching noise and I almost died from fear. My eyes were bulging out of my skull as I looked over to to the empty corner of my room. "help.." The voice called out weakly. It sounded like Riku,
"It's not funny Riku." I said, having had enough of the joke. He continued scratching the wall. He must've gone far out of his way to play such a dirty trick. "Help...mom.." He begged. Suddenly I heard his voice cut off abruptly and disappear. I frowned. The scratching noise didn't stop. I sighed frustrated. I flung the covers off of me and went over to the wall with a flashlight. I looked carefully and could see the part Riku had cut to get in.
I rolled my eyes and peeled back the wall. When I finally moved it enough to see what was behind there I screamed. A twisted skeleton was jammed in there, and the wall was covered in scratch marks. My brother and Cloud slammed the door open and flicked on the light. "Sora what's wrong!?" Cloud exclaimed before noticing exactly why I was still screaming.
The next morning the cops arrived to take the skeleton out of the house. Mr. Masaki showed up at the scene. He just so happened to be my principal. He looked troubled as he looked at the distorted skeleton of his son. "I'm sorry." I said to him, still creeped out by the whole thing. I swear I heard that damn thing scratching. I knew it wasn't an illusion. No one believed me though.
"I feel so guilty...My son was here all these years.." Masaki-san said, face in his hands. I looked over as they placed his son into a special bag with a tag on the zipper. I went over to read it in curiosity. I looked at the name, wondering why I never heard it before. Then I froze as I read it aloud.
"Riku Masaki." I whispered before losing conscience.
Sorry this chapter was so short but I wanted to end it with the name. Stay tuned for the next addition to the story!!