Chapter 04
Jole yawned, lazing as Rinko sluggishly sleeps on her own desk. It's not really a good morning for them. There's nothing to do. By next week it'll be November yet their investigate still isn't complete. Two weeks have passed since they've been assigned there but all they can do about the mission was send reports which is making the headquarters anxious.
Rui thought they would sooner or later send other squad to take over their mission and that would be bad for him. Rinko's still the same although Sayako said she seemed to trust her more than before, he still worries about the fact that their bonds will be broken if he'll explain to the raven what they really are. Besides, he knows Rinko's feelings would get hurt if ever she knew the lies around her. But, through those past few years, he knew her enough that he can predict what she'll think or how she'll react. Sayako just stopped him since she secretly worries for him. Akira, unlike Rui, is cooperating with Fuyumi in the mission. Rui told him not to get too worked up because his cousin won't falter in being the vampire lord. Although Akira knows that Rui's in fact worries about Sayako, he just let him do what he wants. From Fuyumi's point of view, things are smoothing for Rina, Sylvon and Maria. They are close the Rinko as she is. Sayako's by their side always, although she denies she's in their group. Rina, unlike before, had been less nautical to Sayako and would chatter with her, sometimes, making the rest of the vampires around them to get envious. Sylvon, being with Rina always, wonders what's with her sudden change.
Their break came and their usual group just stayed, not minding the silence. Rina and Sylvon are both reading books, which are most probably G.A. manga. Maria's on her desk, eating the bento Rinko made for her, sharing it with Jin Kiba, the closest guy to her in their class. Sayako's reading a book, again, yet secretly dropping her head to sleepiness. Fuyumi – who always notice things that others usually don't – noticed Sayako's same dilemma with the others and decided to sleep and give up to the temptation.
Few minutes later, Jole forgot about the common thing and sneaked to Rinko and Fuyumi then softly tapped her palms on the raven's desk, waking her up. Rinko stared up at her, blinking to focus her vision.
"Ne, can you come with me tomorrow? Ri-chan?" she asked, pleadingly.
"For what…?" she asked, sleepily. Jole suddenly cheered up, knowing she'd come.
"AH! F-for the school festival of my younger sister!" she enthusiastically said. Rinko's eyes widened at her. "It will last for three days! And like always, they're the ones who'll organize it. Outsiders with an invitation can come! There's no class this coming Saturday so-"
"F-fine! I'll go, calm down..." she sweat dropped, pushing her a bit back when she cheered up more. "I'll tell that to Fuyumi and we'll-"
"She already knows!" Jole said with wide smile. Rinko just dropped her head and slept again, thinking she'll just eat later.
"Why am I with you, anyway?" hissed Sayako in annoyance. It's Saturday and she's supposed to be sleeping by this time but for Rina's request, she joined them. The thing that the vampire lord is irritated of right now is the fact that Jole grouped them. Rina , Fuyumi and Sylvon; Jin, Raito Bakashi – Rina's another friend, and Khana – from another course; and herself, Maria, then Rinko. "You didn't even tell me what's the event."
"W-well-" Jole uttered but-
"Well what? You're not even one with any of these groups." Sayako glared at her, arms crossed, a foot tapping on the ground.
"My sister just recently asked me to help them in their cafe." she nervously said. "Y-you can enjoy yourselves here." From their backs, Rinko's arguing with Fuyumi whether to go back – for their mission – or not. But since Rui and Akira are left there, they quieted down as they started to move. Jole hurried to her sister. It's unexpected and she honestly wants to go with them but her sister asked her for their sensei was ill.
"Ri-chan!" Rina called out to Rinko. "We'll go there first," she said, pointing a finger to her left and to the right. "Khana-chan's group would start at the opposite side."
"So, we'll go straight first." she replied, glancing at Maria who smiled at her. "I heard there's a haunted room upstairs." and they parted. Rinko hurried upstairs with the two who merely thinking what that 'room' would be. Looking at Sayako now, Maria noticed a faint smile on her lips, probably caused by the childish actions of the so-called slayer who's opening every single door along the corridor.
"Rina, you're sure you're fine?" Sylvon asked in a low voice. They've been alive for just a century or more. They just recently knew that they can now walk under this bright sunlight without burning or turning to dust or even the fear that they might lose they sanity and become blood-craving monsters more than they already are without their control. However, this topaz eyed girl suddenly felt dizzy being under it for some minutes that they hid under some shadows. Fuyumi on the other hand tried to buy some lemonades from some stalls.
"I'm just...not yet used with the sunlight." Said the girl.
"Then you should shelter under that tent," said Fuyumi who just came back from behind him, plastic cups of lemonades in her hands. They both tensed. Judging from what she said, she heard everything. And remembering what Sayako told them, he stood defensively.
I came with them for Sayako-sama...not to be with these guys...Khana said though no words came out from her mouth when her lips parted. Raito and Jin tried to play some tricks in one stall. Her worries faded back when she thought they'd all meet up at the cafe of Jole's sister. She only needs to be patient and trust Sayako. That girl, Rinko, maybe a slayer but Sayako's their lord...wait...Maria's with her...she'll become a shield to her...the things won't be easy for- "What are you thinking?" a male's voice asked, shoving a cold bottle of water to her cheek making her winced from it in surprise.
"R-raito..." she muttered and grasped the bottle and twisted its cap then drank. "Nothing in particular." she said as she wiped off the liquid from her thin pale pink lips and smiled at him.
Walking along a maze-like path, Maria clings to Sayako's clothes. They say that the person in between dies in a picture so to calm her, Rinko secretly moved in between the two. The haunted room is like their auditorium. They only made some walls from boxes to make it look like a maze, where scary thing will surely pop up to scare the guests who'll come.
There were some cobwebs in some corners and the horror thing was only emphasized with the background music and especially their surrounding, which were tainted with red substance looking like gore. They don't know what those are but the room was, as expected from something haunted, filled with eerie things.
"I wonder how much yen they spent on this room," Rinko calmly said, looking around, examining every corner to find some ghost."
"What are you doing, aho?" Sayako coldly. "We're not here to ghost-hunt, are we?"
"Well..." and paced faster, catching up to them. "If this were. really 'haunted', then there would be some ghost or creepy things, ne?"
"You're creepy enough."
"Speak for yourself." they glared at each other and probably would quarrel if Maria didn't gasp. They glanced at her in unison. "What is it?"
"T-there..." she pointed a finger in their front where a well that's about a bit distant from them stands creepily.
"Isn't that Sadako's?" Sayako smirked, teasing her.
"S-Sayako-san!" she whimpered, tears welling up as if she'll cry. Laughter chimed up from Sayako and Rinko. "O-oi~!"
"Let's go there and know!" Rinko suggested. "This is a once in a life time experience!" and she strode there. Sayako strolled with Maria, who was still clutching on her clothes. For a moment, Rinko didn't move as if she's seeing something. "S-Sa-chan?" she nervously asked.
"Hmmm?" they got to her side. "Being wimpy now? Want to go back?"
"It's not like that...Sadako also has a face..n-n-n-n-ne?" she slowly turned to them. Sayako thought she was paler than usual. Maria loosened her grip and took a glimpsed of what's behind the girl – it's the antagonist of one of the legendary horror movies of all time, Sadako with her long black hair...and head without a face.
The other guests at the door heard their uncontrolled screams and made them back out and go to the other room, which unfortunately, can't be done by the three anymore since their already in the middle of the room.
"Fu-chan!" Rina called, of what happened some tensed minutes ago are completely forgotten. "Look! Look! I won this from that stall!" that stall refers to the one where Sylvon is still is. They exchanged smiles as the said guy got back to their side. Rina's eyes focused on the teddy bear that she cuddles. They've got to a lot of stalls and the most recent made her especially happy. Despite the fight that was just about to tart a while ago, if they didn't listen to Fuyumi, it's as if it never happened now.
"How long have you been friends?" Fuyumi asked, still smiling. Rina's lips formed back to a thin line, disappointing the other. She was about to apologize when Rina parted her lips to speak,
"Well...who knows. We don't keep a record of our long lives." she smiled again, but the brunette knows it's a fake one. "Sylvon! Hurry up or we'll leave you!"
Rinko shuddered as Sadako started to crawl out of the well. Without thinking of whatever the vampire lord will say, she run to Sayako's back and hid. The music rung in their ears making it look like they were in a horror film. But Sayako stayed calm as she stares to the climbing freak, not minding the music which threatens the other two. "Weren't you calmly looking for ghosts a while ago?" Sayako blankly asked. "It's right here, before us. Be courteous and at least, say 'hi'."
"To hell with ghost-hunting!" she shouted at her, her voice echoing around the room. Sayako covered her eyes, not scared even a single bit. Sayako raised a hand then waved it in the creepy girl's front.
"Like this." she said then brought her hand down. "Hi." She and Maria walked away, turning to another path, leaving the raven behind. Her jaw dropped. Thinking of how calmly she did that, she raised her hand and waved it-
until Sadako touched her. "GYAAAAAAAHHHH!"
"Khana-san! Khana-san! Look here!" Jin cheerfully called her. He's trying to catch a gold fish for reading glasses he's planning to give to Raito who likes books. "I can't catch it. Can you help me?" She nodded, taking the small net like catcher. Few second later, she caught a fish as Jin smiled at her. They returned the fish back to the water then took the glasses and looked for Raito who just got a book to read. They come closer to him and sat on the chairs around the table he chose.
"Wait up, you old hag!" her voice echoed as she chases them, desperate to catch up.
"Scared already?" Sayako teased, smirking.
"That Sadako..." she whines before her.
"Sayako-san..." Maria muttered in a barely audible voice. "Let's get out of her alrea-"
"Was awesome!" she exclaimed. Sayako sighed at her. She's still trembling. Doesn't she know when to stop?
"What are you saying?" Maria snarled at her. "I nearly got a heart attack when I saw...her gruesome face..."
"Face?" Sayako said, her voice not really in a questioning tone. "Does she have one?" the two shuddered.
"Well...then..." Rinko stayed behind Sayako. Her voice still held its stillness but that contrast to what she's doing. "Let's get moving and get to the end of this maze!"
"W-what if we can't? A-and...we got lost?" Sayako and Rinko both stared at Maria for a moment.
"We'll be staying here until the festival ended." Sayako said, expressionlessly. And they resumed walking.
Why is she always like that? Rinko pouted behind Sayako's back. Maria wasn't clinging to her any more as there are no more creepy things like the last they saw, which was bloody hands on the walls along their path. Rinko and Maria got a bit close to them and the hands grasped. They're fortunate to have Sayako by their side. She's always blank when she's not being teased. She elbowed Maria. The girl looked at her.
"Did that old hag ever get scared?"
"Err..." she paused, controlling a sigh for this girl called her supposedly 'master' an old hag, yet again. "She got surprised a few times."
"Surprised, eh?" she suddenly searched into her shoulder bag that she brought with them and took a camera out, much to Maria's dismay. She's planning something...something more than obvious that it is from the looks of her face. "That's more than enough...isn't it unfair that she was the only one to get to see us scared?" even though, she hates it, Maria can't deny the desire to see that kind of reaction from Sayako and she reluctantly smirked as Rinko did.
"You two," Sayako called them. "don't fall back or I'll leave you." and they followed her, carrying the same vengeful plans in their minds that for the first time, Maria possessed.
As they walked further, Sayako knew how to get out of the maze and if not for the two, slowing her down with their ruckus with every single 'ghost' they encountered, she might have got out the haunted room.
"Sa-chan?" Rinko seriously asked behind her. "T-that...what is that?"
"Hmmm?" she looked in the same direction Rinko's eyes are looking to and saw a guy hanging, rope around his neck. Sayako sighed. "How lame..."
"Scary..." Maria and Rinko shuddered.
"Let's go, greet him." Sayako said, still not scared as the three of them strolled to. It was then that she noticed that guy doesn't has any scent...as if he's not there. Maria and Rinko are hiding from her back. "Quit it, you two."
"B-but..." they fidgeted when Sayako touched him.
"See? Eh?" He really seems like non-existent...he just felt like a wind. She looked up and saw the guy's bloody eyes; she gasped in horror and surprise when he held her hand.
Click!
"That's perfect!" Rinko exclaimed, laughing and put back the camera in her bag.
"First time seeing you like that!" said Maria as she laughs with the other.
"E-enough!" Her blood rushed faster, a vein on her temple arched up as a faint tint of pink tainted her cream cheeks. Sayako struggled and let her hand go.
"Let's go. There's the exit." and they followed her, Rinko was still snickering.
Maria took a last glance back - "Eh?" - and was surprised to see the guy gone.
"Where are they?" Jole asked. Only Sayako's group hasn't arrived in the cafe yet. Aside from them there are others who are in the cafe too. They decorated their room in a Gothic style and they even wore Gothic dresses. Rina was cuddling the bear and in the other table, Raito was reading his book with the reading glasses Jin gave him.
"They're coming soon," Fuyumi replied and took a sip of her tea that Jole just served.
Later, the door slid open and the last group came in. Rinko, as she was before, still snickering. Sayako almost lost her control and wanted to smack her. As for Maria...well...still thinking of the guy's sudden disappearance.
"What happened to you?" Jole asked as she led them to their table. They sat down. "I was expecting you'd arrive here first." Mainly because Ri-chan would get hungry and also...because...Sa-chan won't be able to stand her.
"I got a little later for the snacks because we were in the haunted room." Sayako said. "And I'm with these wimps."
"Oh...?" Maria smirked at her, which is the very first time for her. Sayako winced as she felt chills run down her spine. Just what exactly happened to Maria today?
"Sa-chan," Rinko called her.
"Hn?
"That guy was right by your side, ne?"
"Guy?" Jole interfere. She hasn't left yet to take their orders.
"Yeah." Rinko answered. "A guy in the haunted room looked like he committed suicide."
"So?" Sayako glared at her. "Just try to show it and you're dead." Maria smirked wider, snickering.
"Look." She gave the camera to Sayako. She gasped. Maria stopped and proceeded to look at the taken picture too. Jole gave them a suspicious look.
"How did that..." Maria clutched on her jeans. "He's just like a shadow now."
"Is he...a real thing?" Rinko asked them, wide-eyed.
"Onee-chan!" a girl's voice called out. Jole turned to its direction a saw her sister running towards them. "What's taking you long?"
"Err...they said they saw a hanging guy in the haunted room..."
"Oh! That?" she suddenly cheered up. The four of them gave her a questioning look. "There was once a janitor here who lost his family in an accident." The three who were previously fooling around became serious as they shuddered.
"And?" Jole asked, curios. As if she wants to see it for herself.
"He hung himself in the auditorium." her words sent a pang to the three's ears, their heart beats throbbing wildly. "So, it's cleared? Go get their orders, onee-chan!" and she walked away.
"Ri-chan! Sa-chan! Ma-chan!" she enthusiastically looked at each one of them. They paled and sulked knowing what she's about to- "Let's go there!" -ask.
"NO WAY IN HELL!" they exclaimed at her, glaring, much to her surprise. They were enough to scare her.
He felt like wind...smelled like nothing...Sayako thought, her face turning paler, if possible.
He was suddenly gone...Maria dropped her face on her palms.
He barely appeared...in the camera...Rinko said over and over again though there's no voice coming out as she she took the camera back.
"Perhaps..." Maria's voice slightly trembled. "You should just delete that...that must be cursed..."
"Rui, I think that's too much." Akira said as he looks at the said guy. He's in the haunted room with Rui laughing, catching his breath.
"I-it's just okay! She won't know! They believed we're in the university!" he said, again, for the umpteenth time since they got there, as he rolls on the floor. Akira sweat dropped at him. "That's just an illusion spell, anyway..."
You'll be dead if she knew.
[at the school festival~horror experience]