3) For Whom the Haunted Bell Tolls

Part 5

Matt opened his eyes only to be standing on a freeway bridge close to the edge. Cars were passing by him, going at 55 mph.

Then he spots a silver car about a mile away from him that's familiar to him. It was the car that his mother and father in it. "This feels familiar…" Matt said to himself as he tries to recall this scenery. Then behind his parents' car about 400 feet away is a dark green pickup truck that's going about 80 mph passing every car. "That pickup truck is going pretty fast." As Matt's parents got closer to him, Matt spots his mother holding something in her hand. He observed them carefully and what appeared to be plane tickets. "Plane tickets?" Matt paused a moment,

then in a quick jolt, Matt realized what this scene is. This is the scene where his mother and father fell off the freeway bridge. The pickup truck was right close to his parents, and right behind the truck is a couple police cruisers chasing it. The criminal in the pickup truck wants to lose the cruisers, so he cut right in front of his parents' car. Matt's parents' car skidded and went out of control. "Mom! Dad!" Their car was heading toward the edge of the freeway bridge just about 30 feet away from Matt. "NO!" he cried and sticks out his left hand out to them. Their car broke through the bridges' wall and fallen straight down to the river below the bridge.

SPLASH!

"NOOOO! MOM! DAD!" Matt rushes to the broken wall and looks down at the wrecked car. "No…" Matt started to make a tear.

Crack!

Matt heard a noise and wonder where it came from. What he didn't know that what he's standing on is a concrete piece of the bridge that's about to break off. Without noticing it, the cracked cement piece fell, and Matt fell along with it. Matt screamed as he reached his right hand and grabbed the edge of the broken bridge. Matt struggles as he looks down below him and tries to pull himself back to the concrete bridge.

Crack!

Matt heard another cracking sound. He looks up, and, in a scary shock, the concrete piece he's holding was breaking off. "NO!" Matt screamed as he tried to pull himself again. But the piece broke off, and Matt fell. "NOOOOOOOO!" Matt looks down and below him were sharp rocks sticking out of the surface of the river. This was Matt's sad and horrible fate as he got closer to the rocks. "AAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

"AAHHH!" Matt screamed. He was breathing heavily, and he is hot and sweaty. He looks around, and in relief, he is in Asuna, Konoka, and Negi's dorm room, all dark with the moonlight shining from the outside.

Matt touched his chest, feeling his pounding heart. He took a deep breath and exhaled. "Whoa, what a nightmare," he said while feeling shocked. He looks at Konoka, who is still sleeping in her bed. Then he looks at the clock sitting on the table next to the window that says 4:48. "Well, I'm glad I didn't wake anybody up." He looks down on himself in a sad look. "Mom, Dad… I miss you."

Matt turns his head towards the bunk bed, and then towards Negi's sleeping bag, which again is empty. "Oh no, come on, not again," Matt said in complaint knowing where Negi is. And of course, Negi is sleeping with Asuna in her bed again. As usual, Matt carried Negi back to his sleeping bag. "This is getting ridiculous. Next time this happens, I better tape him to the floor or get a fishing line on him to pull and stop him."

That morning in Negi's class, everyone is packing up their school utensils and books. Negi put his paperwork away until Evangeline and Chachamaru showed up next to him.

"So later today, we will meet this Matthew Oda at this club he has," said Eva. "By chance, do you know where the club is?"

"Yes, here's the flyer that has the address on it," said Negi as he gave a flyer to Eva. "I have to go now, I'll see you at the club."

Negi left as Evangeline and Chachamaru watched him exit the class.

Some of the other students saw Eva got a flyer of the Mystery Club, and they were a little bit surprised.

"Eva got one too?" Fuka whispered to Natsumi, Sakurako, Kazumi, Sayo, and Fumika, all together in a circle.

"Just who is this Matthew Oda?" Fumika asked.

"Well, he is certainly attracting more girls," Natsumi replied. "But wouldn't that affect his fear of girls?"

"I guess," Kazumi answered, "but we may never know. I sure wish to see him again."

"Yeah, I know what you mean Kazumi," said Sakurako happily.

At the end of the classroom are Haruna, Nodoka, and Yue that heard from the small group of girls and seeing Eva holding the flyer.

"We should definitely see this Matt Oda," said Haruna. "He really is drawing a crowd."

"Right Haruna," Yue replied. "As soon as we're done with our clubs, we will go directly to him, right Nodoka?"

"Uh, yeah, right Yue," Nodoka replied quietly, holding and scrunching the Mystery Club flyer in her hands.

Later in the afternoon, Negi, Chamo, and all of the members, including Evangeline and Chachamaru, who volunteered to help, are listening to Matt's plan on the investigation at the clock tower tonight. Everyone paid attention to Matt as he draws on the chalkboard and talks at the same time.

"Okay, here's how this is going to work," Matt said and started to explain. "According to our good samurai swordsman, uh… swords-woman, Setsuna, she has these magical paper golems that whenever you write name on it, a doppelganger of you magically appears. Will use these as bait to lure the thing or whatever that's pulling and capturing the victims in the clock tower.

Since the victims walk into the tower, we'll wait until our bait gets close to the doors before they close on us, and that's where we make our move. We'll chase down this culprit and put an end to this haunting clock tower case. Once we captured the culprit, we'll save the victims, and we're home free and done." After Matt made the last sketch, he puts down his chalk and turns to his members. "Any questions?"

Konoka was the only one who raised her hand in the club. Matt spots Konoka's raised hand and points to her.

"Yeah, just one important question that I want to know," asked Konoka.

"Go on…" Matt replies and listens

"I like your drawing and sketching. Where did you learn that, in Art class?"

Matt makes a "huh?" But everyone collapsed in embarrassment, except for Evangeline and Chachamaru, which they only sweatdropped.

"Miss Konoka!" Setsuna cried as her face is all red.

"What? I was listening to Matt's plan, but I like his drawing too. It is really well organized and planned out." She has to admit it; Matt's drawing on the board is creative. Though he couldn't make a well detailed of him and his members on the board, the way he sets up his designed plan was organized and completely straightforward.

Matt rubbed his head with his eyes still closed. "Konoka, was that necessary to ask?" he said.

"Well, I just wanted to know, that's all," Konoka replied gleefully.

Matt shook his head and speaks again. "Any other questions, besides my art skills?" He looks at his members, and nobody raised their hand. "Does everyone understand this plan?"

"Yes." Everyone said in unison.

Just outside the club and in the hallways of the building are Nodoka, Yue, and Haruna walking toward the Mystery Club.

"I can't wait to see Matt Oda," said Haruna as she was thinking something good. "I wonder what he looks like."

"Who knows," Yue replied. "Maybe he's a handsome guy or a science geek."

"Or maybe he's super strong and all muscles."

"Um, girls," Nodoka interrupted them, "I heard he's just an ordinary and honest gentleman. I think he's a kind and generous young guy."

"Well, whatever he is," Haruna continued, "I really want to meet him."

"Me too," Yue replied.

The trio kept walking until they arrived at the front door. Above it hangs a temporary sign that says the Mystery Club. The trio made a small grin.

"This is it," Haruna stated. "Just like what the flyer said."

Yue turns to Nodoka. "Okay Nodoka, go ahead and knock."

"Uh… okay…" Nodoka feels a little nervous. She slowly raised her fist and moves closer to the door. She stopped for a few seconds as her fist was shaking up and down. She catches her breath and pulls back her arm. Just as she was about to knock, the trio heard the door lock click as it was about to slide open. The trio librarians freaked out and quickly hid around the corner of the hallway. And by peaking with their head out a little, the door opened and saw someone coming out.

Someone steps outside of the club and looks back at the team that is about to come out of the room. The first person to step out is Negi, next Asuna, then Konoka and Setsuna.

"Negi is in the club." surprised Haruna.

"Not only that, but Asuna, Konoka, and Setsuna as well," Yue stated.

"Alright everyone," Matt called to his members, "I know we need to get plenty of rest for our investigation tonight, so I'm closing up the club early. Remember, we meet at the clock tower twenty minutes before midnight tonight. Capeesh?" Everyone nodded. After Matt reminded his team, out of the room came Satomi and Chao, next Satsuki and Chisame, and finally Eva and Chachamaru.

"Wha…? Satomi and Chao?" Nodoka questioned in surprise.

"And Evangeline and Chachamaru?" Yue followed.

"Even Satsuki and Chisame?" Haruna gasped.

Matt then finally comes out of the club room. He locked the club's door and makes sure the door is locked tight. He turns back to his team and gives out his last words. "Okay, we'll all see you each other tonight."

"Don't worry," Satsuki replied, "We'll all be there at the tower, Matt Oda."

Nodoka, Yue, and Haruna flinched a little to their surprise. "That's Matt Oda!?" the three quietly shouted in unison.

Nodoka carefully stares at Matt Oda. "He looks so… normal." Nodoka thought in her mind.

Matt and his gang went down the hallways in the direction where the librarians were hiding around the corner. They passed the trio girls without noticing them and exited the building. The librarians came out in the open and were amazed to see Matt Oda in real life.

"Wow…, so that's Matt Oda," Haruna said in amazement.

"Yeah, I never expected him to be so plain and average," said Yue in a little surprise.

Nodoka puts her hands to her chest. "He… he really is sweet," she said to herself.

"Awww…, you really like him?" said Haruna being so cheeky on Nodoka's feelings.

"Haaahhh! No! It's just that, he doesn't look special, but I think he's a sweet guy."

"You're maybe right Nodoka," Yue replied.

"They said they are going to investigate the clock tower tonight," said Haruna as she put her left hand on her chin and closed her eyes. "Maybe we should check it out with them as well."

"Um Haruna," Nodoka responded, "I think we shouldn't be involved in their work."

Haruna slaps Nodoka on her back. "What are you talking about? I really like to see him again. I think he's the one for me."

"Haruna, don't be such a trouble maker," Yue replied in little irk. "But I would like to get to know him more."

"What do you say, Nodoka? Just this one time to meet this guy?" Haruna winked at Nodoka.

Nodoka looks down with her bangs covering her eyes. She shakes a little and made a shy reply, "Um… okay, just this once."

"Then it's settled," said Yue lifting her right thumb up. "We're meeting this Matthew Oda tonight at midnight at the clock tower." Haruna raised her arm in the air and makes a cheer, but Nodoka slowly raised her arm halfway and quietly cheered.