The sunset cleared over the distance earlier than usual. The storm
didn't die down and the animals that crawled the earth at night were afraid
to come out of their hiding places.
THE WANDERER'S EYES
(Chapter 6: Screams from the Silver Mirror)
Soujiro slowly and carefully walked to his room. With only one little candle to guide him, he thought about things that usually made people happy. He scratched into his mind what DO people think as pleasant. He did all this to avoid the ghastly bride he met the other night. A fright wasn't what he wanted to have before he sleeps.
The crimson wax dripped on his hand. The burning sting of its heat didn't take any effect on Soujiro other than him dropping his candle. He was frustrated at that and scavenged the floor for it. Suddenly, he saw a flash of shimmering white light not far from where he stood. He felt another cold breeze, the one he got when he saw the ghost and one time when he was out in the rain. He felt another chill in his spine.
"Who's there?" he called "If you happen to have a match, please lend it to me. I'm over here!"
He made a grab for the candle. It almost broke into smaller pieces, but Soujiro was careful not to lose his only candle to his room.
He thought to himself, "This is queer. No one has come back to answer me and it is so early for this place to be very dark. Indeed so queer!"
The echo from his words spread throughout the hall. He was able to gag himself before he was able to say another word that can wake up the children in the house. Another flash of the same kind of light appeared. It went up to him in a zigzag and he crawled backwards with his hands on the back to avoid whatever it was.
He heard awkward whispers in the air. It accompanied the raindrops' melodies and the thunder's loud roar. He heard many different ones:
"I heard she was gifted..."
"A Brahmin! A Brahmin!"
"Well, I thought of her as a psycho. Can't you see how she's able to move things with those ghastly eyes..."
"She's not pretty at all. Those bruises..."
"Why don't we put a little surprise in that soup..."
"Sai-chan, why don't you do it?"
The last one haunted him. He was unsure whether Sai had been part of the murder she was afraid of. Then, the inevitable whisper was deafening. To him, it was a whisper that can be a scream. It was a loud screech of help. The poor soul...
Suddenly, his back was up against the wall. There was no other way to get out of the way of the light. Then, the flashing stopped. His heart beated loud, louder and LOUDER... He heard it clearly, until it stopped.
"HELP ME! HELP ME!!"
Soujiro was scared out of his wits. The sudden holler of the figure, the one before that was dressed in a bride's gown appeared.
"Help me.. Help me, Gyenri. Call Nagi-chan.."
Soujiro made a scream that made him feel as if no one can hear him. He panted and thought, "Why isn't Kirashime-sama coming here to see what's wrong?! Can't he hear me?!"
He jumped up and ran to the hall in his right. He recalled having been there the day he was treated. The rooms were dim and light never seem to fall on their floors. That's because there are no rooms in that hall...
"Gyenri-kun... Why don't you help me?! I know she's out there, somewhere. We can find her! Don't tell Kitsune and Yuri. They'll try to trick him again..."
The ghost chased him. This time, her face was much lighter and less gory. You can actually look at her and say she must be the most beautiful woman you'll see in a quiet country town. Soujiro nearly scrambled on his heels trying to run fast. His Waragi's lace/shoelace was broken and tripping was one thing he did most. He wondered why the ghost kept telling him to help her, even if he didn't have a clue who Gyenri is, or was. Then, he came to a halt, for the ghost and he were face to face.
She extended her arms to him, "Gyenryu Maten... Why don't you help me?.."
Then, her misty appearance was blown away. A scream louder than Soujiro's came from a room he stood beside in. Strange enough, the door was made out of silver and it reflected the outside of it. Dr.Kirashime rushed to it and saw Soujiro, more terrified than he was before.
"What's this all about?" he said "Why are you not in bed yet?"
Soujiro stammered, "D-D-Didn't you hear m-me screaming? I-I saw it. I saw her again!"
"If you were screaming Sou-kun, then I would hear you. This one isn't you. It's Gen-san."
"Who do you speak of, master?"
"He was here ten years ago and out three years after because a long- term case of German measles. Now, he's back with anemia. His name is Gyenryu Maten."
Soujiro was petrified in his steps. The ghost led him there for a reason, he thought. There would be no other reason for that other than help.
"If you think you've heard of that same scream, he was the patient I attended to when I mended your wounds."
Soujiro nodded. It was the very same tone he heard. The eerie torment of the ghost was still present. He felt something moved behind him, but he daren't move a muscle.
Dr.Kirashime went inside Gyenryu's room. Soujiro closed his eyes shut. "Go away. Please, whoever you are, go away."
He turned around and saw nothing. The relief he felt was almost unreachable. The feeling of loneliness was different inside the dojo than the kind you feel outside. It was a dangerous thing to be alone during the night in there.
Soujiro was back at the door of his room, thinking whether he should go and visit Gyenryu the next day to ask about the Nagi-chan that they all speak of. He felt a presence in his room, and he peeked to see who and what was there. It was that girl again. He gathered all his courage and stepped in.
He asked, "What do you want with me?"
"Help," She muttered "Help..."
"I can't help you unless you tell me what to do."
She muttered again, ""Help..."
Soujiro noticed the way she stood. Her arms were raised in front of her, yet one of her spindly fingers was twisted towards the window. She limped towards that direction and her left arm pointed to the very middle of the screen.
Soujiro stated with less courage, "Is there something you want to show me?"
She stared at him blankly. The misty shade of her vanished little by little and she was gone before he can say anything else.
He looked outside the window in a slanted way. A door was open and there seems to be a road outside, probably a back door. Soujiro scratched his head in confusion and heard something fall on the wooden floor in his room. The glass chess set was changed. The pieces were nicely set and the sidings of the board were golden before. From what he saw, the sidings of the board were silver and the pieces were scattered all over the board as if there was a game ended before he came in. He didn't recognize the scent, for it was like sweet perfume that is not strong and can attract bees because of its sweetness. The ghost couldn't have touched it, because her smell was musty and odoriferous. Only diesel oil could be what it can be closely compared to.
He picked up the King that was on the floor. There was no dent or mark on it, but there was a hole underneath its base. There was a note inside. It appears to be that the chess set was used to store messages for simple friends to exchange without anyone except themselves to know. Dr.Kirashime never looked as if he suspected it to be like that, other than a normal set.
Soujiro tapped the base and out came a small parchment. It read:
"Nagi. Look at the siding. It
warning. See you h
-Gyenri
I have. Please, tell me what i"
The rest of the paper was cut off and a drop of blood was on the side where the last word was. Soujiro didn't understand what it meant, but he looked at the silver siding and saw the gap between it and the actually board. A chain of gold was on the floor beside it and was flat and solid. It was heavy too. He scanned it for anything peculiar and to his luck, he found an inscription on it. It said the same thing the wooden box had.
Then, he remembered. Where did he leave it? He didn't bother with it long because he desired to know what was inside that chessboard...
THE WANDERER'S EYES
(Chapter 6: Screams from the Silver Mirror)
Soujiro slowly and carefully walked to his room. With only one little candle to guide him, he thought about things that usually made people happy. He scratched into his mind what DO people think as pleasant. He did all this to avoid the ghastly bride he met the other night. A fright wasn't what he wanted to have before he sleeps.
The crimson wax dripped on his hand. The burning sting of its heat didn't take any effect on Soujiro other than him dropping his candle. He was frustrated at that and scavenged the floor for it. Suddenly, he saw a flash of shimmering white light not far from where he stood. He felt another cold breeze, the one he got when he saw the ghost and one time when he was out in the rain. He felt another chill in his spine.
"Who's there?" he called "If you happen to have a match, please lend it to me. I'm over here!"
He made a grab for the candle. It almost broke into smaller pieces, but Soujiro was careful not to lose his only candle to his room.
He thought to himself, "This is queer. No one has come back to answer me and it is so early for this place to be very dark. Indeed so queer!"
The echo from his words spread throughout the hall. He was able to gag himself before he was able to say another word that can wake up the children in the house. Another flash of the same kind of light appeared. It went up to him in a zigzag and he crawled backwards with his hands on the back to avoid whatever it was.
He heard awkward whispers in the air. It accompanied the raindrops' melodies and the thunder's loud roar. He heard many different ones:
"I heard she was gifted..."
"A Brahmin! A Brahmin!"
"Well, I thought of her as a psycho. Can't you see how she's able to move things with those ghastly eyes..."
"She's not pretty at all. Those bruises..."
"Why don't we put a little surprise in that soup..."
"Sai-chan, why don't you do it?"
The last one haunted him. He was unsure whether Sai had been part of the murder she was afraid of. Then, the inevitable whisper was deafening. To him, it was a whisper that can be a scream. It was a loud screech of help. The poor soul...
Suddenly, his back was up against the wall. There was no other way to get out of the way of the light. Then, the flashing stopped. His heart beated loud, louder and LOUDER... He heard it clearly, until it stopped.
"HELP ME! HELP ME!!"
Soujiro was scared out of his wits. The sudden holler of the figure, the one before that was dressed in a bride's gown appeared.
"Help me.. Help me, Gyenri. Call Nagi-chan.."
Soujiro made a scream that made him feel as if no one can hear him. He panted and thought, "Why isn't Kirashime-sama coming here to see what's wrong?! Can't he hear me?!"
He jumped up and ran to the hall in his right. He recalled having been there the day he was treated. The rooms were dim and light never seem to fall on their floors. That's because there are no rooms in that hall...
"Gyenri-kun... Why don't you help me?! I know she's out there, somewhere. We can find her! Don't tell Kitsune and Yuri. They'll try to trick him again..."
The ghost chased him. This time, her face was much lighter and less gory. You can actually look at her and say she must be the most beautiful woman you'll see in a quiet country town. Soujiro nearly scrambled on his heels trying to run fast. His Waragi's lace/shoelace was broken and tripping was one thing he did most. He wondered why the ghost kept telling him to help her, even if he didn't have a clue who Gyenri is, or was. Then, he came to a halt, for the ghost and he were face to face.
She extended her arms to him, "Gyenryu Maten... Why don't you help me?.."
Then, her misty appearance was blown away. A scream louder than Soujiro's came from a room he stood beside in. Strange enough, the door was made out of silver and it reflected the outside of it. Dr.Kirashime rushed to it and saw Soujiro, more terrified than he was before.
"What's this all about?" he said "Why are you not in bed yet?"
Soujiro stammered, "D-D-Didn't you hear m-me screaming? I-I saw it. I saw her again!"
"If you were screaming Sou-kun, then I would hear you. This one isn't you. It's Gen-san."
"Who do you speak of, master?"
"He was here ten years ago and out three years after because a long- term case of German measles. Now, he's back with anemia. His name is Gyenryu Maten."
Soujiro was petrified in his steps. The ghost led him there for a reason, he thought. There would be no other reason for that other than help.
"If you think you've heard of that same scream, he was the patient I attended to when I mended your wounds."
Soujiro nodded. It was the very same tone he heard. The eerie torment of the ghost was still present. He felt something moved behind him, but he daren't move a muscle.
Dr.Kirashime went inside Gyenryu's room. Soujiro closed his eyes shut. "Go away. Please, whoever you are, go away."
He turned around and saw nothing. The relief he felt was almost unreachable. The feeling of loneliness was different inside the dojo than the kind you feel outside. It was a dangerous thing to be alone during the night in there.
Soujiro was back at the door of his room, thinking whether he should go and visit Gyenryu the next day to ask about the Nagi-chan that they all speak of. He felt a presence in his room, and he peeked to see who and what was there. It was that girl again. He gathered all his courage and stepped in.
He asked, "What do you want with me?"
"Help," She muttered "Help..."
"I can't help you unless you tell me what to do."
She muttered again, ""Help..."
Soujiro noticed the way she stood. Her arms were raised in front of her, yet one of her spindly fingers was twisted towards the window. She limped towards that direction and her left arm pointed to the very middle of the screen.
Soujiro stated with less courage, "Is there something you want to show me?"
She stared at him blankly. The misty shade of her vanished little by little and she was gone before he can say anything else.
He looked outside the window in a slanted way. A door was open and there seems to be a road outside, probably a back door. Soujiro scratched his head in confusion and heard something fall on the wooden floor in his room. The glass chess set was changed. The pieces were nicely set and the sidings of the board were golden before. From what he saw, the sidings of the board were silver and the pieces were scattered all over the board as if there was a game ended before he came in. He didn't recognize the scent, for it was like sweet perfume that is not strong and can attract bees because of its sweetness. The ghost couldn't have touched it, because her smell was musty and odoriferous. Only diesel oil could be what it can be closely compared to.
He picked up the King that was on the floor. There was no dent or mark on it, but there was a hole underneath its base. There was a note inside. It appears to be that the chess set was used to store messages for simple friends to exchange without anyone except themselves to know. Dr.Kirashime never looked as if he suspected it to be like that, other than a normal set.
Soujiro tapped the base and out came a small parchment. It read:
"Nagi. Look at the siding. It
warning. See you h
-Gyenri
I have. Please, tell me what i"
The rest of the paper was cut off and a drop of blood was on the side where the last word was. Soujiro didn't understand what it meant, but he looked at the silver siding and saw the gap between it and the actually board. A chain of gold was on the floor beside it and was flat and solid. It was heavy too. He scanned it for anything peculiar and to his luck, he found an inscription on it. It said the same thing the wooden box had.
Then, he remembered. Where did he leave it? He didn't bother with it long because he desired to know what was inside that chessboard...