Chapter 9

Ophelia:

"Take Tamaki and Kyoya with you," I told Charlie.

We needed to make these teams as even as possible.

"Can someone please tell is what's going on?" Haruhi asked.

"I ready told you," I said.

"What, you mean ghosts?" One of the twins asked.

He scoffed.

"Ghosts don't exist," the other one said.

My eye twitched in irritation. I was sick of this.

"They sure as hell are, we've killing plenty of them," Charlie said.

"Oh really? Next thing you know Big Foot is real!"

"Big Foot is just a myth," I said, "Don't be stupid."

In the corner of my eye I could see Charlie smirk.

"Where do you think we got all of our scars?" She asked.

"You said you went hunting," the twins said.

"That is what we do, but we hunt for the supernatural. Why do you think we even came to Japan in the first place?" I said, not bothering to hide the annoyance in my face and voice.

"Come on," Charlie said, ushering her group out the door, "Let's got hunt that fucker down."

We watched as they left, and I grabbed the salt from the duffel, making a giant circle for us to stay in. The twins scoffed and rolled their eyes.

"What's salt gonna do?"

"Purifies the spirit, drives it away, keeps you from getting killed, that type of thing. Now get in the circle."

"Wouldn't the spirit be able to just pass through it?"

"Were you not listenin'? Get in the god damned circle!"

My patience was running very thin if I was using actual curse words. I sighed and shoved the twins inside the circle. Now all we could do was wait for it.

Charlie:
I kept a firm grip on my gun and my keen eyes were on the look-out. Tamaki and Kyoya, as they were ordered (for lack of a better term but ordered inferred that I was firm but polite when in reality I probably used about twenty curse words since they wouldn't listen) were standing close by me with salt. When I thought we got a good enough distance away from the other group to cover the side of the school, I lowered my gun.

Ritsu stood guard as I grabbed the salt from their hands and made a perfect large circle around where they stood- being careful to include Ritsu in the circle, but not myself. I stood outside the circle and pointed the gun at them.

"Move out of the circle and you'll be joining the ghosts. Stay put."

"And just what is salt going to do, assuming that the spirits are real," Kyoya asked.

"For once get your head out of your ass," I muttered, louder I continued, "Salt purifies spirits or shit. Not sure. I just know it works and that's all that counts for me. If it works and it ain't evil magic shit then we're good to go."

Ritsu started to step over the circle and I glared at him. He glared right back and continued to step over the circle. He stood next to me.

"You are not going this alone."

"Uh-huh 'cause you're a knight in armor."

I could tell that the comment stung and I winced. Shit I didn't mean it so harshly... This is why I can't do relationships... If we really are in a relationship...Maybe that's something we should talk about...shit...

"Sorry," I muttered and taking a bold move, I kissed his cheek, causing him to turn red.

"What," I joked, "We practically had sex in the park and a kiss on the cheek's gonna turn you red."

When he stared at me there was something in his eyes- lust. I gulped and turned my attention away from, not wanting to give in to my impulses again.

"Usually I would make a comment," Tamaki said, sulking, "But honestly, I cannot find the energy... Charlie-chan, would you mind explaining everything when it's all over?"

I looked at the Host King in shock- I guessed he could be serious. I slowly nodded,

"Sure...but for now...we gotta wait..."

Then there was screaming.

Third Person:

"No!" Ophelia yelled as she jumped in front of Haruhi. She had accidentally stumbled out of the circle because of the twins, and then the ghost showed up.

Her eyes started to water as the spirit thrust his weapon through her stomach and out her back. Ophelia didn't cry though. She's experienced worse pain. Granted it wasn't physical, but still.

"Get in the..." Oval coughed, bringing up a little blood with her.

Haruhi stared at her in shock before she grabbed her salt knuckles, which hurt a lot more than normal. Before she had even gotten to throw a punch, however, Charlie showed up.

"Oval!" She yelled as she shot the spirit.

The spirit disappeared, leaving the thing in Ophelia's stomach. She ran to her, supporting her weight until she got to the ground.

"Oval, stay with me," she said, on the verge of panicking.

Ophelia coughed up some more blood and smirked.

"Look...Look at that...I've been...Impaled."

"I'll take care of everything else of you take care of Ophelia," she said, turning to Takashi, who was pale, and stood a reasonable distance away so Charlie could have her time with Ophelia.

He pursed his lips and nodded, picking up Ophelia and running out the door, the hosts at his heels. Charlie took a deep breath and turned to Ritsu- the only one to stay behind with her.

"You can go to, you know," Charlie huffed as she started to head outside.

"No," Ritsu said firmly, "You'll need help."

Charlie cocked her gun.

"This ain't my first spirit- I can handle myself."

"It wasn't Ophelia's first hunt either and she got hurt when she was with the others. Imagine what could happen to you if you were alone. So no, I am staying."

"Fine," Charlie growled, "Then make yourself useful... You're in the mafia, if you had to bury a body where would you put it?"

Ritsu paled.

"Why...?"

"The salt only is temporary. I need to find the body of the spirit to salt and burn the bones - only way to get rid of it. Warning you now though, digging up graves ain't as easy as it looks in the movies."

"I know," Ritsu answered quietly and Charlie nodded firmly.